Phantoms and Monsters

Reader Submissions: The Alien Body, UFO Related Migraines and Scratching Entity
Fortean / Alternative News: Jesus' First Portrait, 169 Executed Witches Pardoned and Human Curry
'The Dyatlov Pass Incident' Film Production Announced

Reader Submissions: The Alien Body, UFO Related Migraines and Scratching Entity

Posted: 05 Apr 2011 12:57 PM PDT

It's time to catch up on reader submitted mail:

THE ALIEN BODY

Hi Lon - In 1986, my Dad and his sister owned a cattle ranch in northern Puerto Rico. One morning, after finding several heads of cattle mutilated under strange circumstances, Dad decided to guard the ranch during the night armed with a rifle along with myself (I was 15 at the time) and two of his friends.

A few nights later we noticed movement about 100 metres east of us. There were five short grayish beings with very large heads emerging from the ravine and approaching the cattle. The alien beings quickly entered one of the pens and proceeded to float a calf out. The floating calf was very close to the ground and the beings walked alongside it in a shuffling manner.

At that point, Dad and his friends began firing at the creatures. One of the beings seemed to be hit and fell to the ground shrieking loudly. The calf also fell to the ground while the other beings assisted their wounded companion who was writhing in obvious pain. The men fired again on the beings who then ran quickly into the woods leaving the injured being behind. The wounded being attempted to run away but was shot in the back by my Dad's friend. It lay silently on the ground dying. My Dad then struck on the head with the rifle butt caving in the top of the head. It died very shortly.

Pictures of the dead alien being were taken and hidden away. My Dad preserved the body in a large jar filled with alcohol and formaldehyde. He stored it in the cellar of our home and told me to never mention it to my Mother and siblings. I remember seeing it several more times after the incident.

In 1999, my Dad suddenly passed away. His friends think he was killed by the beings since he disappeared for several days before his burned body was found in a remote area. I do feel that my Dad's death was related to the alien beings we witnessed that strange night.

The body of the being is supposedly being kept by one of my Dad's friends who fears the local and US authorities would somehow prosecute him for his involvement in killing it. I now live in Texas and, honestly, I hope I never see that alien body again - though I do believe it should be disclosed that it exists.

Jorge

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UFO RELATED MIGRAINE HEADACHES / NIGHT TERRORS

Hello - this happened to me back in the early 70's. I was 8 years old and I still remember it well. We lived in a small rural area of Missouri not far from Ft Wood. My brother, cousin and I where out all day playing in the woods and just being kids. I am not sure of the time but as it started to get dark we decided to go frog hunting at a pond about a mile from the house. We spent about a hour at the pond and started home. As we where walking home though the wooded area my brother and cousin, who enjoyed playing tricks on me decided to run ahead and leave me in the dark wooded area and return home (I will point out even in the dark I knew these woods better then most adults in the area since it was my daily playground and me getting lost was out of the question).

At this point I have no memories of what happened after that until around 1 am when I came to my senses and was walking in the field behind our house. I remember seeing a glowing light above me that shot across the sky from east to the west at a great speed, leaving a trail of light behind it. As I neared the house my family was looking for me. The other boys had been home over an hour and had also returned to the area where they had left me and found me nowhere. Everyone at the house saw the lights in the sky that night but they just thought it was a meteor or a comet.

When I got home my aunt put me in the bath before I went to bed. When I was drying off I found what looked like a small burn behind my left ear that also had bump under the skin. For years after this event I had night terror dreams and migraine headaches. I started keeping a journal about my headache as many migraine suffers do to try to find the cause with no luck, at least until I started reading more and more about UFOs. I noticed a corresponding pattern to my migraines and sighting in the area.

I would just like to know if any other migraine suffers may have attacks at the time of sightings in their area. Any info you could give me about this would be very helpful.

Howard S.

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BALLS OF LIGHT

Hi Lon,

I have debated a few days as to whether or not to repsond to your inquiry to others about flashes of light seemingly being "pictures." (NOTE: Flashing Shadow Person)

When I lived in Mecosta County, Michigan I had the most terrifying event of my entire life. Single mom of three children and this is where we had a lot of Bigfoot events and stories. My older twins and I continued experiencing flashes of light inside our heads that would wake us up. These flashes were curious, not frightening. But one night, I got my youngest daughter up to the bathroom and out of the corner of my eye I saw a flash of light out side. I took Sarah Jane back to bed and I went to the front room window that faced the north.

There to my utter amazement and great fright were three balls of light floating at the tops of the trees then floated down to the ground. The balls of light would get brighter and then dimmer, not flashing though. They were very close and between the house and the shed.

I watched and looking back, they were very non-threatening. My fear was of the unknown. They floated down to the gravel road about a 1/4 to a 1/2 mile to the west where they joined about 15 to 20 other lights. They floated south.

I will never forget this. But the flashes of light inside our heads happened occasionally until we moved from there. The next day, my neighbor said her dogs were up all night freaking out, barking, restless and running though their house.

This may be very insignificant, but kept having a feeling I should share this with you.

Elaine

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SCRATCHING ENTITY

When I was a kid there was a house in our neighborhood that always seemed to be vacant. Some of the kids in the area would always be messing around in the yard or on the porch of this house - it was a normal thing to do. One day a couple of us slipped in the house through a window that was unlocked. We were only in the house for a few minutes when a scratching sound on the front door scared us all and we went running out. It sounded like a dog scratching frantically at the door to get in.

Well a few months later a family moved in the house and they had a girl that was close to my age. Because of her age and how close we lived to one another we became friends very quickly. It was a year or two later that she confided in me that her Mom and Dad were not getting along and were splitting up. As I was telling her I was sorry she also said that she thought her house was haunted. I asked her why and she said that at least once a week there would be a terrible scratching sound at the front door and when her Dad would investigate it would suddenly stop.

The story would end there but a few years later I learned that the house was built in the same spot where another house had burned down years before. The people who lived there all got out except for their dog. It was found at the front door with scratch marks all over it.

Anonymous

Fortean / Alternative News: Jesus' First Portrait, 169 Executed Witches Pardoned and Human Curry

Posted: 05 Apr 2011 11:20 AM PDT

Is this the first ever portrait of Jesus?

The image is eerily familiar: a bearded young man with flowing curly hair. After lying for nearly 2,000 years hidden in a cave in the Holy Land, the fine detail is difficult to determine. But in a certain light it is not difficult to interpret the marks around the figure's brow as a crown of thorns.

The extraordinary picture of one of the recently discovered hoard of up to 70 lead codices – booklets – found in a cave in the hills overlooking the Sea of Galilee is one reason Bible historians are clamouring to get their hands on the ancient artefacts.

If genuine, this could be the first-ever portrait of Jesus Christ, possibly even created in the lifetime of those who knew him. Continue reading at Is this the first ever portrait of Jesus? The incredible story of 70 ancient books hidden in a cave for nearly 2,000 years

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German state issues posthumous pardons for 169 executed 'witches'

mirror - Scores of people executed for witchcraft have been given a posthumous pardon – thanks to lobbying by schoolchildren.

The victims – 169 men, women and children – were boiled and burned alive, hacked to death, hanged and stabbed in a religious frenzy lasting from 1573 to 1660.

The move by the local justice authority in the North Rhine-Westphalia state in Germany came after demands from pupils of Friedrich-Spee-School in the town of Ruethen.

They submitted a petition saying that if the accused were cleared, they would "regain their human dignity". The pupils said when someone was accused of being a witch, they had "virtually no chance of surviving".

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Pissing off the Taliban...All-female team launches historic mission over Afghanistan

BAGRAM AIRFIELD, Afghanistan (AFNS) -- A team of female Airmen made history here March 30 when the F-15E Strike Eagles of "Dudette 07" blazed down the runway to provide close air support for coalition and Afghan ground forces.

The two-ship formation consisted of all females, two pilots and two weapons system officers, but more importantly, it marked the first combat mission flown from Bagram to be planned, maintained and flown entirely by females.

This mission represents the first combat sortie on record to involve only female Airmen from the pilots and weapons officers to the mission planners and maintainers, said Lt. Col. Kenneth Tilley, the 455th Air Expeditionary Wing historian.

Although the call sign for the mission may have been lighthearted, the sortie was all business calling for the pilots to travel to the Kunar Valley just west of the Pakistan border in support of a large Army operation that was underway.

"I have flown with female pilots before, but this was the first time I have flown in an all female flight," said Maj. Christine Mau, a 455th AEW executive officer. "This wasn't a possibility when I started flying 11-years ago."

While planning of the mission required support from women at all levels such as Capt. Kristen Wehle, the F-15 liaison officer at the combined air operations center, those involved evoked memories of legendary Women's Army Corps pilots and others for inspiration.

"Women's history means a celebration of the equality we have today in the military," said Capt. Jennifer Morton, a 389th Expeditionary Fighter Squadron weapons officer. "It makes me think back and find inspiration from heroes like Col. Jeannie Flynn."

In 1993, then 2nd Lt. Jeannie Flynn became the first female F-15E pilot. Although the Air Force permitted female pilots to enter pilot training in 1976, Lieutenant Flynn went on to become the first female fighter pilot to graduate from the U.S. Air Force Weapons School.

"Since 1993 we have had Air Force female pilots in combat positions, and because of that today I feel as a woman I can have whatever job I want," Morton said.

While Dudette 07 was set up to as an all female mission in honor of Women's History Month, Major Mau said inspiration for today's Airmen aspiring to great heights can come from many different places.

"I think I get a great deal of inspiration from my grandmother (who was a mother seven kids), but many of my role models today are males," she said.

In addition, the pilots never forget the contributions of the maintainers on the ground, maintainers like Airmen 1st Class Casiana Curry, who enlisted Sept. 11, 2009, and enables the continued support of the warfighters on the ground.

"The four women officers represents only a portion of the women who supported this mission making it the first all female from tasking to completion combat sortie to date," said Capt. Leigh Larkin, 389th EFS weapons systems officer.

"I thought it was kind of cool and something that I have never seen before," said Staff Sgt. Tamara Rhone, a 455th Expeditionary Aircraft Maintenance Squadron crew chief. "The women throughout time have paved the way for us today and they made it possible for us to be equal as well as respected as individuals. Females are a rare breed on the flight line. It is my hope that more females step up and join the maintenance career field."

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China's National Radio-Astronomy Observatory Announces Monitoring of 'Dark' Satellite in Orbit Around Saturn -"Transmitting the Universal Genetic Code"

China's Xinhua News Agency, the official press agency of the government of the People's Republic of China (PRC) announced Thursday that the National Radio Astronomy Observatory has been monitoring signals from a previously unknown "dark" satellite in orbit around Saturn for the past 90 days. According to government officials, the signals appear to be the first verified transmission from an alien civilization.

China's leading astrobiologist, Dr. Xi Chang, a graduate of MIT, told Xinhua that "the sigal repeats itself continuosly in 2 minute long sequences and appears to be the four bases of the genetic code A,G, U and C that ribosomes must convert mRNA sequences into proteins and the twenty different amino acids that proteins are comprised of."

Dr. Rosie Redfield, the newly appointed director of the Astrobiology Program at NASA Headquarters, Washington, confirmed China's dicovery this morning. In a press release Redfield said that "China's discovery has monumental consequences, and has been shared with the world's premier sciemtific instituions for vetting and peer review. If confirmed this will be the first proof of extraterrestrial life in the universe and confirmation that our DNA basis for life may be universal throughout the known universe."

Mary+Voytek+_SXv1RXz-87m "The genetic code," Redfield (left), explained, "allows an organism to translate the genetic information found in its chromosomes into usable proteins . Stretches of deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) are built from four different nucleotide bases, while proteins are made from twenty unique subunits called amino acids . This numerical disparity presents an interesting problem: How does the cell translate the genetic information in the four-letter alphabet of DNA into the twenty-letter alphabet of protein? The conversion code is called the genetic code.

"The information transfer from DNA to protein, called gene expression , occurs in two steps. In the first step, called transcription , a DNA sequence is copied to make a template for protein synthesis called messenger ribonucleic acid -messenger RNA, or mRNA. During protein synthesis, ribosomes and transfer RNA (tRNA) use the genetic code to convert genetic information contained in mRNA into functional protein. Formally speaking, the genetic code refers to the RNA-amino acid conversion code and not to DNA, though usage has expanded to refer more broadly to DNA.

Biol_02_img0198 "Mathematics reveals the minimum requirements for a genetic code. The ribosome must convert mRNA sequences that are written in four bases—A, G, U, and C—into proteins, which are made up of twenty different amino acids. A one base to one amino acid correspondence would code for only four amino acids (4 1 ). Similarly, all combinations of a two-base code -for example, AA, AU, AG, AC, etc.- will provide for only sixteen amino acids (4 2 ). However, blocks of three RNA bases allow sixty-four (4 3 ) combinations of the four nucleotides, which is more than enough combinations to correspond to the twenty distinct amino acids. So, the genetic code must use blocks of at least three RNA bases to specify each amino acid. This reasoning assumes that each amino acid is encoded by the same size block of RNA."

Redfield added that NASA expects a more detailed press conference to be held at the White House later today or tomorrow, pending announcement from the Obama administration.

Dr. Dimitri Kardashev of the Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics told The Daily Galaxy that "This discovery comes as no surprise to me. It was always just a matter of time. The Earth is only some four billion years old. Our universe is some 14 billion years old. There may be millions of advanced technological civilizations that are billions of years older than ours. Keep in my that the radio was only invented 120 years ago. Quantum computers and singularity are at most two or three gereration distant. The technologies of ET civilizations a million years old and older are beyond our comprehension."

Sir Martin Rees, a leading Cambridge University cosmologist and astrophysicist who is the president of Britain's Royal Society and astronomer to the Queen of England, said: "I suspect there could be life and intelligence out there in forms we can't conceive. Just as a chimpanzee can't understand quantum theory, it could be there are aspects of reality that are beyond the capacity of our brains."

If verified, China's startling annoucement means you don't need a miracle to arrive at the chemical cocktail for early life, just a decently large asteroid with the right components. That's all. The entire universe could be stuffed with life, from the earliest prebiotic protein-a-likes to fully DNAed descendants. The path from one to the other is long, but we've had thirteen and a half billion years so far and it's happened at least once.

The other ten amino acids aren't as easy to form, but they'll still turn up - and the process of "stepwise evolution" means that once the simpler systems work, they can grab the rarer "epic drops" of more sophisticated chemicals as they occur - kind of a World of Lifecraft except you literally get a life when you play. And once even the most sophisticated structure is part of a replicating organism, there's plenty to go round.

It's no accident that we see stars in the sky, says famed Oxford biologist Richard Dawkins: they are a vital part of any universe capable of generating us. But, as Dawkins emphasizes, that does not mean that stars exists in order to make us."It is just that without stars there would be no atoms heavier than lithium in the periodic table," Dawkins writes in The Ancestors Tale -A Pilgramage to the Dawn of Evolution, "and a chemistry of only three elements is too impoverished to support life. Seeing is the kind of activity that can go on only in the kind of universe where what you see is stars."

China's discovery puts an end to the questions of whether DNA is inevitable as the foundation for the coding of life, or has life started with DNA in only one place in the solar system and then spread among the livable habitats through panspermia. Microbial life can land on and seed another planet, thereby not requiring that you have to create life from scratch multiple times and in multiple places.

It is the relentless shifting and mutating of DNA, says Dennis Overbye of The New York Times, that generates the raw material for evolution to act on and ensures the success of life on Earth and beyond. Dr.Paul Davies co-director of the Arizona State University Cosmology Initiative "that some sections of junk DNA seem to be markedly resistant to change, and have remained identical in humans, rats, mice, chickens and dogs for at least 300 million years."

China's epic announcement may shows that DNA the cosmic code for life in the universe, or is it possible that there's are alien, unknown foundations? At the Galaxy, we place our chips on DNA.

Case6 The Daily Galaxy staff assumes that China is using supercomputers similar to those at the National Energy Research Scientific Computing Center (NERSC) in the USA where Sukanya Chakrabarti has developed a mathematical method uncover "dark" satellites. When she applied this method on a more vast scale to our Milky Way galaxy, Chakrabarti discovered a faint satellite might be lurking on the opposite side of the galaxy from Earth, approximately 300,000 light-years from the galactic center.

The technique involves an analysis of the cold atomic hydrogen gas that comprise the outskirts of a large spiral galaxy's disk. This cold gas is gravitationally confined to the galactic disk and extends much further out than the visible stars—sometimes up to five times the diameter of the visible spiral. This gas can be mapped by radio telescopes.

With the help of NERSC systems, she successfully validated her method by analyzing the radio observations of the Whirlpool Galaxy, which has a visible satellite one-third of its size, and NGC 1512, which has a satellite one-hundredth its size. Her calculations correctly predicted the mass and location of both of the known satellite galaxies.

The headquarters of China's NAOC are situated in the northern suburbs of Beijing on the site of the former Beijing Astronomical Observatory.

The National Astronomy Observatory of China (NAOC, the acronym was officially claimed as standing for National Astronomical Observatories, Chinese Academy of Sciences) was founded on April 25, 2001 through the merging of four CAS observatories, three CAS observing stations and one CAS research centre.

NOTE: Apparently, a remnant from April Fools Day...Lon

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Pakistani brothers 'dug up corpse and made it into curry'

guardian - Police in Pakistan have arrested two men for allegedly digging up a newly buried corpse and eating its flesh in a curry. The two brothers are said to have cut the legs from the body of a 24-year-old woman and cooked the flesh in a steel pot. Some of the gruesome dish had already been eaten when police raided the brothers' home in a remote part of Punjab province.

A senior police officer, Malik Abdul Rehman, said the brothers had been eating corpses for at least a year, but some local media reports alleged that they had been human flesh eaters for a decade. Rehman said that the brothers, Muhammad Arif, 40, and Farman Ali, 37, seemed to have taken up cannibalism as an act of "revenge" after their mother died and their wives left them. "It became an addiction for them," Rehman claimed. "They boiled the flesh first, then cooked it in a curry", he said.

The investigation that led to their arrest was launched after the family of a 24-year-old cancer victim, Saira Parveen, visited her tomb on Sunday, a day after her funeral, to find the grave dug up and her body missing. A police probe led to the brothers' house, where they found the remains of Parveen's body in one room, along with shovels, knives and other equipment, and the macabre meal. Previous victims include the body of a four-year-old girl, also taken from a local graveyard, the investigation found.

One problem for police and prosecutors is that cannibalism is so unusual that there is no specific punishment under Pakistani law. The brothers will be charged with digging up and desecrating a grave, which carries a punishment of only six months. Local TV footage showed the men being led away by police and the remains of the body, wrapped in a shroud, carried off on a bed to be re-buried. The men's sister was also initially arrested but she is not thought to be involved.

'The Dyatlov Pass Incident' Film Production Announced

Posted: 05 Apr 2011 09:46 AM PDT

HollywoodReporter - Director Simon Fellows is set to take on one of the most neglected mysteries of the 20th century with an adaptation of Alan K. Barker's book Dyatlov Pass about an incident that should rank alongside the disappearance of the crew of the Marie Celeste.

Taking place in 1959 during the Cold War, The Dyatlov Pass Incident saw an experienced nine man expedition of ski-hikers led by Igor Dyatlov attempt to traverse a set of mountains in the Urals of Russia. The group failed to return from their trip, and were subsequently discovered by investigators with their tents seemingly having been torn open from within, barefoot in the snow with significant injuries, and yet no outward sign of struggle.

A further layer of mystery was added by subsequent government documents which suggested high levels of radiation discovered among the bodies of the crew. Soviet investigators would conclude that "a compelling unknown force" had caused their deaths!

Click for video

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Ten skiers, eight men and two women, set off on a skiing expedition to Otorten Mountain in the northern Urals on Jan. 28, 1959. Yury Yudin (the only surviving member), fell ill at the last stop before their destination and left the group. Little did he know it would be the last time he saw his friends alive.

At approximately 5:00 pm on February, the 2nd the group, led by Igor Dyatlov, pitched tents on the slopes of Otorten Mountains neighbour, Kholat-Syakhl. The site of the camp was unusual for an experienced cross country skier, considering that it was out in the open, rather than in woodland nearby.

Dyaltov was supposed to send a telegram back to the Ural Polytechnic Institute, where the skiers set off from, on February the 12th. This was the time the group had expected to be back from their expedition, and sent from Ural town, Vizhai. According to Yudin, Dyaltov told him (as he was left behind), to expect the group to be a day or two late, just in case. No telegram ever came, and on February the 20th, the relatives of the skiers raised the alarm to the army and the police, who in turn launched a search and rescue team.

What they found

On the 26th of February, rescuers found the camp. Strangely it was completely abandoned. Even more alarming, was the fact that searchers found that all the skiers personal belongings, including there shoes, and cold weather gear, still inside the their tents. The tent was half torn down, and partially covered with snow. There were some indicators that the tent had been sliced open from the inside. No evidence of a struggle was found either, yet it was clear the skiers had left in a hurry.

In the meter or so of snow, investigators found 9 sets of footprints, giving the impression that the only people present at the camp site, were in fact those that were meant to be there. What was strange about this, was that some of the tracks left, were left by people wearing socks, one shoe, or no footwear at all.

The Bodies

About five hundred meters down slope, at the edge of the nearby forest, the investigators found the first two of the bodies, under a very large pine tree. Georgy Krivonischenko, and Yury Doroshenko, were barefoot and dressed in their underclothes, and it was determined they had died from hypothermia.

Broken branches around the base of the tree and the bodies, indicated that one of them had climbed the tree. This was confirmed when broken branches to five meters on the tree were discovered. Possibly they were searching for the camp, or other members of the group, or maybe something more sinister. It was also evident that the duo had tried to start a fire, as charred remains of branches had been found.

Approximately half way between the edge of the forrest and the camp, three more bodies were found. Igor Dyatlov, Zina Kolmogorova, and Rustem Slobodin were discovered facing towards the camp. Officials determined that it was probable that the trio, were attempting to return to the camp. Although Slobodin's skull had apparently been fractured, doctors determined that it wasn't a fatal injury. Again, these three all died of hypothermia according to autopsies.

Two Months Later

This is where the story becomes extremely bizarre. Two months after the discovery of the first five bodies, the remaining four were found. Under four meters of snow, in a ravine, and 75 meters away from the pine tree mentioned earlier.

Nicolas Thibeaux-Brignollel, Alexander Zolotaryov, and Alexander Kolevatov, had all suffered serious injuries, and traumatic deaths. Thibeaux-Brignollel's skull had been crushed, and Dubinina and Zolatarev had numerous broken ribs. All four of the skiers had died from massive internal injuries, doctors compared to those found if someone had been hit car. However, unlike a car accident, the bodies showed no signs of external injury, including bruises or soft tissue damage. The most disturbing thing of all was that Ludmila Dubinina's tongue had been removed!!!

These four were a lot better dressed than the other five. It had appeared they had made it back to camp, or taken clothes from those that were deceased. Another point to be made, was that there were high levels of radiation found within the clothes when they were tested.

A few months later, the case was closed, and the files were allegedly sent to a secret military archive. The investigators found no evidence of wrong doing against one another. Also soon after area was closed off for three years to skiers and other adventurers.

Flying Spheres

Most of the details of the event, were attempted to be hidden from public view. One of the reasons for this was that, according to Lev Ivanov (head investigator), regional officials had been worried by reports from civilians, weather service employees and even the military of "flying spheres", in the area over February and March, 1959. Ivanov speculated that the spheres had something to do with the mysterious circumstances of the event.

NOTE: since this incident occurred in the Soviet Union, there is good reason to believe that many of the facts have been withheld. Was this a case of extraterrestrial involvement? What do you think happened?...Lon

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THE DYATLOV PASS MYSTERY

sfgate - In 1959, nine experienced Russian cross-country skiers - seven men and two women, including the leader, Igor Dyatlov - head to the Ural Mountains, to a slope called Kholat Syakhl (Mansi language for "Mountain of the Dead," ahem) for a rugged, wintry trek. On their way up, they are apparently hit by inclement weather, veer off course and decide to set up camp and wait it out. All is calm. All is fine and good. They even take pictures of camp, the scenery, each other. The weather isn't so bad. They go to sleep.

Then, something happens. In the middle of the night, all nine suddenly leap out of their tents as fast as possible, ripping them open from the inside (not even enough time to untie the doors) and race out into the sub-zero temps, without coats or boots or skis, most in their underwear, some even barefoot or with a single sock or boot. It is 30 degrees below zero, Celsius. A few make it as far as a kilometer and a half down the slope. All nine, as you might expect, quickly die.

And so it begins.

Why did they rush out, unable to even grab a coat or blanket? What came at them? The three-month investigation revealed that five of the trekkers died from simple hypothermia, with no apparent trauma at all, no signs of attack, struggle, no outward injuries of any kind. However, two of the other four apparently suffered massive internal traumas to the chest, like you would if you were hit by a car. One's skull was crushed. All four of these were found far from the other five. But still, no signs of external injuries.

Not good enough? How about this: One of the women was missing her tongue.

Oh, it gets better. And weirder.

Tests of the few scraps of clothing revealed very high levels of radiation. Evidence found at the campsite indicates the trekkers might've been blinded. Eyewitnesses around the area report seeing "bright orange spheres" in the sky during the same months. And, oh yes, relatives at the funeral swear the skin of their dead loved ones was tanned, tinted dark orange or brown. And their hair had all turned completely gray.

Wait, what?

The final, official explanation as to what caused such bizarre behavior from otherwise well-trained, experienced mountaineers? An "unknown compelling force." Indeed.

Here's the problem: All the convenient, logical explanations - avalanche, animal attack, secret military nuke test - fail. Russian authorities held a three-month investigation. Rescuers and experts picked through every piece of evidence. There were no signs of natural disaster. And if it was just an avalanche, why was the area closed off for three years following the event, and all related documents put in a secret Russian archive until 1990? If it was some sort of weird nuclear megablast (which I suppose may tint you orange, but won't turn your hair gray), what the hell happened to her tongue?

I love stories like this. I hate stories like this.

Sure, you want to go for the logical. Hell, who knows what hellish weaponry they were testing in the mountains in Khrushchev's Russia in the late '50s? Who knows what dark mysteries are buried in the landscape by the world's militaries as they test their dark deeds? The rule goes like this: Any weapon of horror and death man's mind can conceive, odds are gruesomely good the government or military has considered it. Or even built it.

This is both the joy and horror of stories like Dyatlov: They make your mind jump and bend and struggle. Logic fails quickly. Easy explanations don't work. Complicated ones feel incomplete. The creepiness takes hold, begins to burrow, make you squirm. Because the bizarre military-testing explanation? It fails, too.

So of course, you jump further. You reach for the paranormal, metaphysical, unknowable, to things like UFOs and spirits and ghosts, dark forces and mysticism and the occult, because, well, that's where the action is. That's where we get to touch the void, dance on the edge of perception, realize how little we truly know of anything.

After all, if you really think all there is to this world is what your five senses show you, if you think there's always got to be a logical, earthbound explanation for stories like Dyatlov, well, you might as well just join a megachurch and wipe your brain and your intuition and your deep, dark curiosity clean right now.

As Dyatlov himself might say, his skin orange and hair gray and eyes wide, you think you know, but you have no idea.

The red dot on the map of Russia (above) marks the area in the northern Ural mountains where this mysterious incident occurred.

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