YouSightings

Flatwoods is a small town in West Virginia that was relatively unknown and not talked about in the mainstream until the early 50s. During the 50s, Flatwoods quickly became a popular topic in the media because of the sighting of a creature that would become one of the most famous cryptids in modern folklore. The sighting of the Flatwoods Monster was one that none of the locals forgot.

The incident began with a group of boys at school playing football in the evening. The sighting of a bright ball of fire that flew across the sky similar to a meteorite had interrupted their typical evening. The burning ball crash landed on top of the hill with a thunderous sound, attracting the attention of the boys and a couple of adults that supervised them. Curiosity got the best of them, and they climbed up the hill to see what crashed. At first, they probably thought it was a meteorite or, in a worse case, a tragic plane accident.

As they got closer to the top of the hill, the smell of rotten eggs became more potent. Their eyes became red rimmed and watery because of a burning sensation caused by the strange gas. This didn’t discourage them from reaching the top because when they stepped on top of the hill, they saw a creature that terrified them. They saw a green creature with a red head staring at them. The creature had glowing eyes and claws. It was spraying smoke into the air. It hovered a few inches off the ground. The Flatwoods Monster started hissing. Naturally, the group ran away from the creature.

Evidence of the Flatwoods Monster

This encounter was only the time that the Flatwoods Monster was spotted, and when people went on top of the hill, the creature was nowhere to be found. Right after the encounter, the two adults contacted the police and informed them about the terrifying experience. The police investigated the area of the encounter to find nothing out of the ordinary. The only evidence that they found to support their claim was the lingering stench. Not too long after that, the smell of rotten eggs cleared. Despite this cryptid being so popular in folklore, it is rarely spotted and hasn’t been seen again.

Critics believe that the group really saw a barn owl. They believe that the anticipation and lack of light caused their mind to distort the image of the barn owl into a monster. They write the ball of fire off as a meteorite. At first, this might seem like a logical explanation, but there are a few problems with this theory. First, the average height of a barn owl is a little over a foot. The Flatwoods Monster was reported to be around 10 feet tall. While it is true that anticipation and darkness often cause the human mind to distort objects, making them look worse and more horrifying than they appear, the problem is that the vast difference between the size of a barn owl and the Flatwoods Monster is too extreme. The only way that the group could make such a massive error in judgment is if they purposely lie. The ball of fire couldn’t have been a meteorite because of the lack of fragments found. It isn’t possible for no remains of a meteorite that size to be found. The critics also failed to come up with an explanation for the stench.

What is the Flatwoods Monster?

The people that believe the group came up with their own theory. Many people that believe in this encounter don’t actually think of the Flatwoods Monster as a cryptid, but an extraterrestrial. The ball of fire was the spacecraft that it used to travel to Earth. The smoke that it emitted into the air was a defense mechanism used to ward off potential predators similar to a skunk. There was no evidence because after the group fled, the alien went back into the spacecraft and left the earth. There were no footprints because of its ability to levitate. Why did this extraterrestrial decide to visit the earth? Unfortunately, no one knows. The only thing that we can do is speculate.

What do you think the Flatwoods Monster was? Do you believe the creature was a hoax made up by the group? Do you believe that they really saw a barn owl? If not, do you believe that they really saw some other creature? Do you believe that the Flatwoods Monster isn’t a cryptid, but an extraterrestrial? If you have any answers, let me know in the comments below.

You discover a unique artifact on the ground. You can’t help but to reach down and pick it up. After seeing that there is no one in sight, you decide to keep the artifact. Your interest in the artifact leads to you placing it in your room. At first, your day seems to go normal until you notice that your light switch will randomly turn off, and your artifact is now in a different area that you know you didn’t move it to.

This is a similar case of Lora the Haunted Doll. Lora was purchased by a local for her daughter in the state of South Carolina. Lora seemed to be a normal doll like her others. One day, she noticed strange activities. It began when one night the daughter was sleeping and she felt the presence of someone standing over her, causing her to wake up. At first, she thought nothing of it and went back to sleep because she saw nothing. Her attitude changed when this phenomenon occurred more often as she spent more nights with the doll. Eventually, she began having nightmares about tragic incidents involving her and her family.

Her parents noticed a change in her behavior and asked her if anything was wrong. She told her parents about her experience for the past few weeks. She told them about the strange presence that Lora gives off and the frequent nightmares. Naturally, her parents removed Lora from her room and put her in the shed. Little did the parent know the problem was far from over. Her father worked on the house and yard often, so he took frequent trips to the shed. He noticed that ever since Lora was in the shed, the light switch would turn off by itself. For example, he claimed that he always keeps the shed light on when he knows he has to return to pick up more tools. The strange thing is that when returned he noticed the light was off. This occurrence became common after Lora was stored in the shed. Eventually, the parents gave Lora away, and she passed through a couple of hands.

Who is the ghost that haunts Lora?

According to the legend, Lora was a young girl in the late 70s or early 80s that liked to collect and play with dolls. This blonde-haired doll quickly became her favorite because the features reminded her of herself. She often took the doll with her to school, when she visited relatives’ houses, and anywhere else she had to go. One day, as Lora was sleeping in her bed, her parents went to the store. Lora woke up early and ran around the house playing with her doll. She made a mess in the kitchen by playing with equipment and she turned on the oven. Unfortunately, the oven wasn’t turned off, and the parents were late coming home because their car engine turned off and needed to be repaired.

The house caught on fire and Lora screamed as she ran to the door as she held her doll. She unlocked the lock on the doorknob, but she couldn’t reach the chain door guard on top of the door. Before the fire consumed her, she threw the doll in a mop bucket full of bleached water to save it. The parents kept the doll for a long time after their daughter’s death and claimed they began noticing strange paranormal activity.

Where is Lora now?

Currently, Lora is kept locked in a treasure box. She is locked in the box so that she can rest in peace and not cause a disturbance. The key is hidden where no one besides her owner can get to it. That doesn’t mean that strange occurrences still don’t happen. It is not enough to stop the paranormal activity of Lora completely.

Did the legend of Lora the haunted doll scare you or intrigue you? What are thoughts on the haunted doll? Do you want the real haunted doll of Lora? If you have any thoughts, let me know in the comments below. Do you want the real haunted doll of Lora? If you do, you can get her for FREE at this link.

Lora the haunted doll

She is worth 1,200 cryptid points.

It is a day where you have nothing to do but relax and leave all of your issues behind you. You decide to take a stroll to enjoy the scenery outside. You are in a state of peace without a worry in the world until a sighting shatters your experience. Your heartbeat rate increases and you sweat before running away from a creature that looks like a beast from a science fiction movie. A day of relaxation and tranquility quickly becomes the most terrifying moment of your life where you are running away from a 50 foot legged crab that is swimming in the ocean.

Crabzilla is not a well-known cryptid and the amount of sightings of this creature probably don’t even reach the double digits. Despite these statistics, that doesn’t mean that this cryptid isn’t real and that no notable sightings starring this creature took place. There hasn’t been a reported case of this cryptid where someone saw Crabzilla with their own eyes. If you had an encounter with this creature, feel free to sign up at this link and tell the world about your experience.

https://yousightings.com/log-in/

The only notable sighting of Crabzilla happened in the previous decade thanks to google maps. A user was strolling around on google maps before spotting the silhouette of a figure under a lake. The creature appeared to be the shape of a crab. However, the size of it was far larger than any known crab species. The largest species of crab that we know of is the Japanese spider crab with legs that expand out at around 13 feet. The silhouette of this creature had legs that appeared to be around 50. A screenshot was taken of the image and it quickly went viral by appearing on news articles.

What could Crabzilla be?

Some believe that Crabzilla is the result of a scientific experiment gone wrong. They believe that a group of scientists were conducting top secret research on a crab. However, the chemicals that were injected into the crab caused it to grow. Because of the colossal size of the crab, it was able to escape. The government attempted to capture the crab, but the crab had the ability to hide deep in the ocean and elude government capture despite its large size. Eventually, the government closed the case after years of searching with no results. The legend of Crabzilla seemed to be dead until the google maps image of the creature gained media attention.

Is Crabzilla real or a hoax?

Other than the screenshot image, there is very little evidence of the existence of the cryptid. So far, no other notable sightings of this creature took place since then, and it seems like the legend is on its way to dying again. Since there isn’t any physical evidence or other sightings of this creature, proving if it is real or a hoax is a difficult task. One way that we could attempt to verify the existence of this cryptid is by finding government documents on experiments that consisted of crabs being injected with experimental chemicals. While experiments like this have certainly taken place, there aren’t any government documents found where the experiment concludes with a 50 foot crab. This shouldn’t be a surprise to anyone because if such documents do exist authorities wouldn’t declassify the documents soon if ever because such information would most likely cause public panic.

Another angle that we could take to attempt to verify the existence of Crabzilla is by the screenshot image itself. According to thatsnonsense.com, the original image of the harbor came from bing maps. The original image didn’t include the silhouette of a 50 foot legged crab. This means that there is a chance that this photo was edited in Photoshop to include a large crab lurking in the water. Does that mean that the photo is a hoax?

Do you believe that the largest crab believed to exist was swimming in the waters of this screenshot? If so, do you think that the government should attempt to capture this cryptid or leave it alone? Do you believe Crabzilla is a threat to humanity? Let me know your answers in the comments below.

You are on vacation, and after a long day, you decide you want to get some rest. You book a room at a hotel that you see has excellent reviews and looks comfortable. As you lie in your bed, the sound of something moving interrupts your sleep. As you awake, you see the silhouette of a man that is wearing clothes from a couple of centuries ago. You scream, but no one can hear you.

This is a recurring experience at the Red Lion Inn hotel. The construction of the hotel was completed in 1773. The building originally functioned as a tavern, but later it was turned into a hotel. In 1896, the hotel caught on fire. Because of the success of the hotel, it was rebuilt quickly. The hotel was passed down for generations in the same family from the time that it was built to 1968. The hotel is still in operation today and attracts thousands of visitors every year. Little do many of the visitors know that certain areas of the hotel are riddled with paranormal activity.

Haunted Activity

For decades, unexplained incidents often happened at certain places in the hotel. Much of the unexplained phenomena happened on the fourth floor. As the staff and visitors walk through the hallway, the flickering of lights often catch their attention. When the maintenance employees check the electrical equipment, they discover it is functioning properly. A couple of visitors claimed they witnessed the light switch moving on its own.

Some visitors claimed to have encountered cold spots. As they walked on the fourth floor, they came across an area that had a drastically cooler temperature than the surrounding space. It is widely believed that cold spots reveal where ghosts are positioned. The cold spots are usually in different areas, meaning that the ghost travels around the fourth floor. As we get deeper into the Red Lion Inn, we will discover the most haunted area.

Guest Room 301

When visitors step inside guest room 301, it appears no different from the other rooms in the inn. Ghosts and paranormal activity don’t cross their minds. It isn’t until the night when begin to they panic. Some visitors that booked guest room 301 claimed that while they were sleeping at night, they encountered the ghost of a man with a top hat standing over them in front of the bed. Another ghost that is usually spotted in the room is the ghost of a young girl carrying flowers.

Who are the ghosts of Guest Room 301?

Over the couple of centuries that the hotel was in business, many people booked rooms there, including presidents. With such a long history and many visitors, there is a strong chance that at least one tragedy happened that caused death. It is believed that the man in the top hat and the young girl with the flowers died when the inn caught on fire. Once the hotel was rebuilt, the ghost of the two visitors remained on the property for over a hundred years.

The Red Lion Inn became known for its paranormal activity for decades. Even in the 21st century, visitors claimed to have encountered the ghost. Have you ever been a staff member or visitor of the Red Lion Inn? If so, have you witnessed a ghost or paranormal activity? If you have, let me know in the comments below.

Turkel, Stanley. “Nobody Asked Me, but… No. 224: Hotel History: The Red Lion Inn: By Stanley Turkel.” Hospitality Net, Hospitality Net, 27 Dec. 2019, https://www.hospitalitynet.org/opinion/4096372.html.

Mintel, Eric. “Mysteries at McCoole’s: The Haunted History of the Red Lion Inn.” Bucks County, Visit Bucks County, 28 Apr. 2021, https://www.visitbuckscounty.com/blog/post/mysteries-at-mccooles-the-haunted-history-of-the-red-lion-inn/.

Various people around the globe have spotted unidentified flying objects for thousands of years. Some of these mysterious objects were meteors, illusions of light, and even space crafts of extraterrestrial origin. Many of these sightings were recorded throughout history, but a lot of the encounters were lost or never recorded. Even though many UFO encounters often go unsolved, a large group of people in the United States believe in extraterrestrials.

A survey on the ipsos website concluded that 57 percent of people in the United States believe in the existence of beings that originate from other planets. Even in the 21 century, UFO sightings have been reported. The existence of UFOs has been a debate in the United States so long that it has become a part of pop culture. There are dozens of movies, books, and merchandise that are based on extraterrestrials. Even though extraterrestrial space crafts were spotted for thousands of years, they didn’t become part of mainstream America until the second half of the 20th century. It was UFO encounters such as the Roswell incident and the Betty and Barney Hill abduction that brought national attention to extraterrestrials. Another famous UFO encounter that contributed to the national attention of UFOs was the Val Johnson incident.

Val Johnson worked for the Marshall County Sheriff’s department in Minnesota. Patrolling at night was part of his schedule, and it was rare for something out of the ordinary to happen. Johnson usually cruised on the same streets and occasionally handed out a speeding ticket. In 1979, his daily routine was interrupted when he saw a ball of light that appeared to have a diameter of 12 inches. The ball of light had a bright white glow and hovered between 3 and 4 feet above the road. The light hovered towards him. When his car became surrounded by the light, he heard glass shatter before he fell unconscious.

Around 45 minutes later, he awoke to find his car on the side of the road. When he observed his car, he noticed the windshield was shattered. One headlight no longer worked. The radio antennas were bent and when he turned on the radio, they didn’t pick up a signal. Later, he noticed that his watch was 14 minutes behind, even though he always made sure that his watch had the correct time.

It wasn’t only the car that was affected by this light. Johnson had bruises and scratches that covered multiple areas of his body. His eyes were red and irritated, and it looked like a hazardous chemical infected his eyes. This encounter became known as the Val Johnson incident, and it quickly gained national attention. Ufologists around the country were trying to interview him. The police investigated the incident, but they came up with no conclusion.

Evidence of the Val Johnson Incident

Even though the police couldn’t conclude the case, many people believe a spacecraft of extraterrestrial origin attacked Johnson. There are critics that believe that Johnson is lying to get publicity because he refused to take the lie detector test. Johnson claimed he wasn’t scared of taking the lie detector test. When an interviewer asked why he didn’t take the lie detector test, Johnson stated, “It would only satisfy people’s morbid curiosity”. 

A few ufologists claimed Johnson damaged his car to support his hoax for media attention. Years after the encounter, it became clear that Johnson’s goal wasn’t to receive national media attention. Johnson informed the public that his family members couldn’t handle the national attention, and it caused a lot of drama. According to the decades after the encounter, it doesn’t seem like Johnson made a significant amount of money off of the incident. His employment ended because of a dispute with the police department. After that, he worked a series of odd jobs. In recent years, Johnson stayed away from the media and lived a normal life. Sometimes someone will talk to him about his encounter, but he closed that chapter of his life and moved on.

Do you think that Johnson was attacked by an extraterrestrial spacecraft, or do you think it was a hoax? If it was a hoax, what do you think he wanted to gain? What do you think that the ball of light was? If you have an answer, let me know in the comments below.

Clark, Jerome (1998). The UFO encyclopedia: the phenomenon from the beginning, Volume 1. Omnigraphics. ISBN 978-0-7808-0097-7.

Enger, John. “What Happened to the Marshall Co. Cop Who Hit a UFO?” MPR News, MPR News, 27 Aug. 2015, www.mprnews.org/story/2015/08/26/minnesota-deputy-squad-car-ufo-mystery.

You are driving on a road at night. You are enjoying your trip, and you see the scenery of other cars, trees, and maybe even stars. Nothing out of the ordinary even enters your mind until you see a large, vibrant light following your car. You panic and step harder on the gas pedal. Your anxiety increases once you realize that this ball of light attacks you. This scenario is exactly what happened to the Knowles family.

Thousands of people claimed to have seen UFOs and extraterrestrials in various civilizations for millenniums. Since the time of the ancient Egyptians, all the way to the 21st century, people have claimed to have been visited, seen, or even abducted by beings from other planets. Even though a good portion of UFO and extraterrestrial encounters have been proven to be hoaxes, there are many incidents that have evidence and witnesses. One of the most famous UFO encounters in Australia happened to the Knowles family while they were traveling for a vacation. Many people believe this encounter happened, and there were multiple witnesses on the road.

The Knowles family were cruising on a highway called the coastal Eyre Highway. It was around three or four in the morning as Sean Knowles was driving with his two brothers and mother. At first, the night seemed normal. He was driving in a desert area without trees or any signs of civilization for miles. Other than the desert and the night sky, the only thing he saw were other cars driving around him. His night changed when he noticed a bright ball of yellow light hovering towards their car. 

As the bright ball of light approached them, Sean increased the speed to around 125 miles per hour, attempting to outrun the light. Despite his efforts to escape from the ball of light, it caught up to them, and grey gas filled the car. The gas had temporary psychological and physical effects on them. Their voices had a lower tone, and everything around them seemed like it was slowing down. After hearing the sound and feeling the vibration of something falling on top of the roof of the car, they felt the car levitate. After several seconds, the car dropped, causing one tire on the back of the car to blowout. The Knowles family exited the car because the flat tire made it difficult for the car to move fast enough to escape the ball of light. They discovered a bush to hide in until the ball of light traveled somewhere that was out of their sight.

Similar to other UFO and extraterrestrial encounters with at least some form of evidence and multiple witnesses, this incident gained intense media coverage. In less than two days, the Knowles family was being interviewed on the news. To this day, many believe that the Knowles family was being attacked by an extraterrestrial spacecraft. When they first reported the encounter to the police department, the police thought they were likely pulling a prank or attention stunt. After investigating, the police took the case seriously.

Evidence of the Knowles family UFO attack

Some critics claim that the voice distortion during the encounter could have been due to the family having dry or hoarse voices because they were traveling through a desert for hours. The problem with this theory is that having a dry or hoarse voice isn’t an uncommon phenomenon. It is common for elementary school students to have these issues, so the odds of the Knowles experiencing these symptoms for the first time and not knowing how this sickness affects the human body are slim. There were witnesses that saw a ball of light following the Knowles. However, no one was there when the vehicle was levitating. Critics claim that the tire could have popped because of excessive speed. This claim could be true because a tire experiences an enormous amount of friction at 120 miles per hour.

That doesn’t explain why the Knowles and other drivers witnessed a ball of light following their vehicle. Some critics claim that what they saw could have been a superior mirage. In Melbourne, Australia, superior mirages are more common than in other areas. Some people respond to the critics by stating that if it was a mirage, why did it follow their vehicle so precisely for such a long time. The ball of light moved like it was being operated by a pilot.

What do you think about this UFO sighting? Do you believe that the Knowles actually saw a spacecraft of extraterrestrial origin? Do you think it was a superior mirage? Let me know what you think in the comments below.

The knowles family UFO incident. Skeptoid. (n.d.). https://skeptoid.com/episodes/4715.

BBC. (2021, March 4). ‘hovering ship’ photographed off Cornish coast by Walker. BBC News. https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-cornwall-56286719.

So you decide to listen to creepypastas online and you run into multiple stories that are about the humanoid creature called the Rake. You decide to listen to more creepypastas about the Rake because of how creepy the activity of this humanoid is. At night, you realize you are struggling to sleep because you can’t get your mind off of the Rake. Well, unfortunately, the Rake is a creature that might exist.

The Rake is often described as abnormally tall, skinny to where it looks malnourished, and has round eyes that are so dark that it appears like you are staring into a black abyss. This cryptid is hairless and has skin with a greyish pigment. The Rake is a bipedal cryptid, however, sometimes it crawls on all fours. Majority of the sightings of the Rake take place in the woods while it is night. The Rake is believed to be a violent creature, however, there aren’t enough real life encounters so far to come to that conclusion. 

Real Encounters of the Rake

A resident in Canada named Audrée Tanguay Fréchette was driving on the highway during the night. It appeared to be a normal night as he traveled on the quiet road until he spotted something that seemed out of the ordinary lurking in the woods. Fréchette stopped the car and recorded the creature. On the footage, the creature appears to have the characteristics of the Rake. The creature looks over six feet tall, skinny, and has greyish skin. The creature was watching a moose in such a way that it seemed like it was about to attack the moose. Some critics claim it wasn’t the Rake, it was just something that was smeared on the window. The critics failed to explain how the smudge would move if the car was parked while Fréchette was recording it.

Another encounter took place in Texas in 2017. There were three girls that spotted a creature that they weren’t familiar with roaming the woods near their place of residency. At first, they believed it was some kind of animal. When they got a better view, they thought it was a man wearing a dark hoodie. Eventually, they realized it wasn’t either of those. When a few days passed, they discovered photos of a humanoid known as the Rake. The girls noticed the cryptid had similar characteristics to the creature that they spotted. They concluded that what they spotted was the Rake.

Evidence of the Rake

Since the Rake hasn’t been encountered much, there isn’t much evidence that can be used to verify its existence. In Native American folklore, there are various creatures that are described to look similar to the Rake. The Native American legend of the Skinwalker might be the explanation for the Rake. For hundreds of years, members of the Navajo tribe reported encounters of the Skinwalker, which has characteristics that are similar to the Rake. Both creatures are tall, skinny, and are usually spotted in the woods at night. The Rake and the Skinwalker could be the same creature. If this is true, that means that this cryptid isn’t something that was recently discovered.

The Rake continues to be a popular creature in the creepypasta community. Even though it isn’t spotted much in real life, we saw that there were notable sightings that gained traction in the media. Do you believe the Rake is real? Do you think that the Rake and the Skinwalker are the same creature? If you don’t think that the Rake is real, what do you believe that these people really encountered? If you have any answers, let me know in the comments below.

Fox News. “Weird ‘Monster’ Captured on FILM ‘Stalking a Moose’ in Canadian Wilderness.” Fox News, FOX News Network, 3 Aug. 2018, www.foxnews.com/tech/weird-monster-captured-on-film-stalking-a-moose-in-canadian-wilderness.

Tudury, Leila. “The Rake.” Dictionary.com, Dictionary.com, 19 Jan. 2021, www.dictionary.com/e/fictional-characters/the-rake/.

You are driving down the interstate in the evening after a long day of work or school. You feel relaxed because you completed your work and are looking forward to getting home. The feeling of relaxation becomes shattered by a loud howl that doesn’t sound like anything you heard before. You begin to feel uneasy as you drive and the sight of the corpses of dogs that appear to have been sliced with an axe on the side of the road intensifies your anxiety. Your heart beats quickly as you step on the gas pedal after spotting a half man and half goat hybrid peaking at you through the woods. You have become one out of dozens of witnesses of the Goatman cryptid.

Goats are one of the most popular animals in the world that are used for the production of goods. If you live near a farm in any region, then you have most likely seen or heard a goat. Goats were used as livestock for over ten thousand years, and the goat population continues to grow because more are being bred for the production of dairy products. Even though goats play an important role in development of human civilization doesn’t mean that sinister events surrounding a goat never happened in history.

One of the most terrifying cryptids in history is the Goatman. Goatman is described as being a hybrid of a goat and a human. He is often described as being tall with large horns that look strong enough to pierce through a person. Goatman is known for carrying an axe that he usually uses during attacks. For decades this cryptid terrified hundreds of people in various states around the United States. During the early 1960s, a couple of adults were taking a group of 12 children on a hike. It was a sunny day; the wind was blowing, and the trees were rustling. The group was enjoying nature until they walked past a cave. Days later, partially eaten corpses were rotting on the ground.

It is not known how the people in this group were killed, but many theorize that they were killed by the Goatman. While they were hiking, they walked past the cave that is believed to be the cave that the Goatman lives in. Humans are not the only species that is mauled by the Goatman. Dozens of dogs were believed to have been killed by the Goatman in the states of Michigan, Oregon, Arkansas, and other southern and midwestern states. Goatman was even spotted roaming through woods in Canada. Multiple drivers reported hearing the howls of the Goatman as they drove on certain interstates.

Evidence of the Goatman

One of the first questions that people think of when it comes to the Goatman is what is his origin? There are a couple of theories about how Goatman came into existence. One theory is that the researchers that work at the Beltsville Agricultural Research were conducting an experiment with goats. The experiment went wrong, resulting in a 7 to 8 foot tall goat and human hybrid creature. The creature escaped, never to be seen by the researchers again. I have discovered no evidence of this origin story, and the Beltsville Agricultural Research center denies that this experiment took place. Many people speculate that the Beltsville Agricultural Research center is covering the story up to avoid taking responsibility for the deaths and damage caused by the Goatman, and avoid a mass panic among the locals. If this is true that they are covering the experiment up then it is not known where they are hiding the official documents and files that cover the details about this experiment.

Another theory is that there were a group of teens that killed a goat farmer’s goats in the late 50s or early 60s. The goat farmer eventually discovered his slain goats, and he lost a lot of money. In order to get revenge, the goat farmer dressed up in a goat costume and began carrying an axe. He tracked down each of the teens that he believed killed his goats and mutilated them with an axe. No one was convicted of the murders, and the goat farmer was never caught, so there aren’t any public records of a goat farmer being involved with the murders. There are also no public records of teens killing goats.

What do you think is the origin story of the Goatman? Do you believe the Goatman existed? If not, what do you believe these people spotted and what do you think killed the people and dogs? Have you ever encountered the Goatman cryptid?

“The Legend of the Goatman of Prince George’s County.” The Legend of the Goatman of Prince George’s County |, 23 Feb. 2021, www.hyattsvillewire.com/2021/02/23/goatman-prince-georges-county/.

April, Maria Mohsin14, and Maria Mohsin. “Legend of the Goatman.” The Business Standard, 14 Apr. 2020, www.tbsnews.net/splash/legend-goatman-68905.

Everyone enjoys taking a stroll through the forest every once in a while, whether it is to get fresh air or to exercise. The forest is often calming because of the lack of vehicles, business, and people that pollute cities with noise. Even though the forest seems ideal for relaxation, this environment paved the way for many terrifying encounters in history.

Forests cover over 30 percent of the earth’s surface and each forest has its own unique backstory. There are quite a few haunted forests, but one forest with the most haunted encounters is the Wychwood forest. Why is this forest known for being haunted? Many visitors reported encountering unexplained phenomena while hiking through the forest. The experience of each visitor differs, however, all the encounters revolve around paranormal activity.

Encounters in Wychwood

Imagine hiking through the forest and you stop to rest. You are enjoying the scenery of the trees and wildlife, but a hand touching your shoulder interrupts your moment of rest. You turn around to nothing behind you. This was one experience reported by multiple visitors of the Wychwood forest that never even met each other. Another encounter consisted of hearing the cries of children as they were traveling in a carriage being pulled by a horse. One of the most common encounters in the Wychwood forest is the sighting of Amy Robsart.

Who is Amy Robsart?

Amy Robsart was born in 1532 in Norfolk, United Kingdom. She was the first wife of Robert Dudley, one son of John Dudley, the Duke of Northumberland. At first they had a happy marriage, but unfortunately Amy Robsart died while being miserable and alone. It is not known how she died and there are many theories about how her death took place, ranging from suicide, a staircase accident, and murder. The case hasn’t been solved in centuries and may never be solved, but this incident leads to another mystery. Is Amy Robsart the ghost that haunts the Wychwood forest?

Many claimed to see her shape appear in various areas of the Cumnor building where she died. Allegedly as Robert Dudley was traveling home through the Wychwood forest, he heard the voice of Amy Robsart’s ghost laugh and tell him he only has ten days to live. Within ten days, he was no longer living. Sightings of Amy Robsart went on for over two centuries until the Cumnor building was destroyed. The ghost of Amy Robsart is now usually spotted in the Wychwood forest.

Evidence of paranormal activity

Unfortunately, there aren’t many official records of incidents involving paranormal activity in the Wychwood forest, but over the years there were many claims that weren’t documented. These incidents kept the legend alive for centuries. History books and public records prove that Amy Robsart and Robert Dudley were actual people, but many mysteries remain. Even in the 21st century visitors of the Wychwood forest claim to experience paranormal activity as they hike. There aren’t any photos or recordings of sightings of her ghost at the moment.

Do you believe the Wychwood forest is haunted? If so, do you think it is haunted by Amy Robsart? Have you ever been to the Wychwood forest? Have you experienced any paranormal activity in the Wychwood forest? If so, let me know.

“Amy Robsart – What Do We Really Know about Her by Christine Hartweg.” The Tudor Society, 1 Jan. 1967, www.tudorsociety.com/amy-robsart-really-know-christine-hartweg/.

Patel, Sachin K, and Richard Jacobs. “The Suspicious Demise of Amy Robsart.” The Iowa Orthopaedic Journal, Dept. of Orthopaedics, The University of Iowa, 2003, www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1888393/.

Legends of demons circulated through various communities around the world for thousands of years. There are countless sightings and encounters of demons with more happening every year. One of the most malicious demons is Walking Sam. Much of the encounters of Walking Sam take place in Native American reservations in South Dakota. Many believe that this is the reason for the increasing suicide rate of Native Americans in the South Dakota tribes.

Walking Sam is described as a shadow figure by those that reported seeing him. The shadow figure is thin and tall with long arms. Most people that encountered Walking Sam don’t see him, but can feel his presence. One way that people know Walking Sam is lurking is by the whistling sound he makes. Walking Sam usually targets young children and teenagers. He communicates with his victims through telepathy. He sends you thoughts, convincing you to give up on your life. You will hear voices in your head that you can’t escape from, and he will bring up memories in your mind that can convince you to commit suicide. It is not known why he convinces people to commit suicide because many of the members of the South Dakota Native American reservation refuse to share details of the legend. 

Evidence of Walking Sam

The Native American tribes in South Dakota have a high suicide rate, and the suicide rate has increased in recent years. In 2015, there were around 40,000 Native Americans living on the reservation. At the end of 2015 there were over 200 suicide attempts, however, only nine were successful. There were multiple disturbing post on social media about groups of child members of the reservation trying to find the best techniques to commit suicide. Groups of people were discovered hanging from trees in the woods near the reservation, and nooses were found with no one hanging from them.

Many critics claim the suicides are not a result of Walking Sam, but result from the high poverty rates of the reservation. While it is true poverty can make it more difficult to survive and make it harder for some people to find happiness it there isn’t a correlation with suicide and poverty rates. Suicide is more common wealthier areas than poverty-stricken areas. This means that there is most likely another reason behind the increased suicide rates in the reservation. Many people on the reservation agree that Walking Sam causes the high suicide rates.

Walking Sam is often one of the topics covered at meetings of reservation officials. The officials tell reservation members to avoid walking on streets at night because it would be a convenient time for Walking Sam to approach his victim. Multiple residents have requested for police officers to look out for Walking Sam. Dozens of residents have reported seeing his shadow and reported their encounters to the police. The sounds of whistling coming from nowhere were reported too.

Because of the ghost-like nature of Walking Sam, there isn’t any film or footage of him. At the moment there is no known way to contact him, the only way to encounter him is for him to approach you. What do you think causes the high suicide rates in the South Dakota Native American reservations? Do you believe Walking Sam roams the reservation? If so, why do you think Walking Sam convinces people to commit suicide? Have you ever seen or heard the creepy whistling of Walking Sam? Let me know what you think in the comments below.

Sanburn, Josh. “Why Suicides Are More Common in Richer Neighborhoods.” Time, Time, 8 Nov. 2012, business.time.com/2012/11/08/why-suicides-are-more-common-in-richer-neighborhoods/.

[Email Protected]. “Is an Urban Legend Encouraging South Dakota Sioux Teens to Take Their Own Lives?” The Daily Dot, 29 May 2021, www.dailydot.com/irl/walking-sam-myth-lakota-pine-ridge-suicides/.