Be ready to rethink everything you know about Bigfoot! On this #ParanormalTuesday, Mike and Wendy talk with author (and New Orleans-style tuba player) Joshua Cutchin about Where the Footprints End, the book he co-wrote with his collaborator Tim on the high strangeness side of Sasquatch.
Josh doesn't dismiss the flesh-and-blood view. He acknowledges the solid scientific work, like Jeff Meldrum's analysis of footprints with features specific to great ape anatomy. But the more he read, the more he noticed behaviors in Bigfoot reports that just don't fit an undiscovered primate: stone throwing, raps and wood knocks, tapping on windows, and sounds on the roof. Those same accusations, he points out, were once leveled at witches and fairies in places like Dartmoor in the 19th century, and they look a lot like poltergeist activity.
The conversation also covers research into psi phenomena (Mike recalls running a ganzfeld experiment for his experimental psychology class in 1996), and the effort Josh and his co-author made not to treat Native American traditions as one monolith, but to look closely at specific tribal beliefs. They talk about regional Bigfoot hot spots too, including Ohio, Texas, North Georgia, and Florida's skunk ape.
Mike admits he used to be "Mr. Nuts and Bolts," but too many things connect in weird ways. Whatever you believe, this one will make you look at those footprints differently.
Love a good unexplained mystery? Dig into more on our Wisconsin Weirdness page.