The Origin of Fascination

[Podo 6,351]

The bunyip thread made me think about why I first, as a child, got interested in cryptozoology. As a natural extension of that, I'm curious what got all of you interested in this topic, and what the progression was for you.

As a young child, I had heard much about sasquatch because of where I live on Vancouver Island, which is well known for having a lot of sasquatch sightings, and sasquatch lore from the dozens of native cultures that exist on my island and on the accompanying mainland. I was exposed to the bunyip as a child after seeing the Australian film Dot and the Kangaroo. I started finding books on the subject at the school library, and spiraled from there. The mysteriousness of it all fascinated me. It wasn't until my early teens that I started looking at it with anything resembling a critical eye, but the journey from blind acceptance to critical skepticism was a worthwhile one.

So, what about you? What got you interested?

Edited February 23 by Podo

[AlaskanSkeptic 27]

Bigfoot got me into cyrptozoology, but not as a believer but as a skeptic.

[Piney 11,079]

1 hour ago, Podo said:

I was exposed to the bunyip as a child after seeing the Australian film Dot and the Kangaroo.

That's where my introduction of the Bunyip came from. 

All our myths and legends and the connections they had with cryptids is what got me in. I hunted Bigfoot for over 30 years. Found nothing but I know every square inch of the New Jersey Pine Barrens and how all it's critters live and move so it was a learning experience in a way.

[jmccr8 7,978]

I would have to say that it was the way my wife morphed into a different creature that did it for me.

jmccr8

[Piney 11,079]

16 minutes ago, jmccr8 said:

I would have to say that it was the way my wife morphed into a different creature that did it for me.

jmccr8

Wait until menopause. Then the fun really starts........

[jmccr8 7,978]

12 minutes ago, Piney said:

Wait until menopause. Then the fun really starts........

Yeah well after her I have been a Batchelor for 30 yrs and it has been a fun carefree 30 yrs.

jmccr8

[Piney 11,079]

10 minutes ago, jmccr8 said:

Yeah well after her I have been a Batchelor for 30 yrs and it has been a fun carefree 30 yrs.

jmccr8

I always go for the local Satanists. They're fun, fixed and will do most anything.....

[jmccr8 7,978]

Lol I found that rattling a case of bottled beer in the parking lot of the pub at closing time is a pretty effective mating call.

jmccr8

[NightScreams 849]

5 hours ago, AlaskanSkeptic said:

Bigfoot got me into cyrptozoology, but not as a believer but as a skeptic.

Armchair skeptic or field skeptic?

[DebDandelion 2,592]

My fascination started with werewolves, and merged into a real vampire 'obsession'.. We lived in a quiet little neighbourhood and we had the normal dogs howling at the moon. Dad used to tell tales of wildmen that they saw when he was growing up and it came from there.

Werewolves always fascinated me and when I was old enough to take books out at the library it merged into vampires. I think I had read almost all books written about vampires. I will always remember reading books and comparing info , let's face it, every writer has their own ideas. Then when we were allowed to start watching movies (without supervision) I submerged myself in vampires. (At this point werewolves became a backburner idea...not as much written about them and limited /none movies about them @ that time)

And the slippery slide ride into crypto's started there....

Wanted to add. Mom purchased a set of books that had info about every country in the world (and all their myths and folklore) . I devoured those books, over And over until I had access to library. I also learned about crypto's there

Edited February 24 by DebDandelion

[DebDandelion 2,592]

*snip*

Edited February 24 by DebDandelion
Double post

[ChaosRose 19,992]

That old hoax photo of "Nessie."

Sea monsters are cool. If only they would actually exist. 

All we have is giant squid. 

I'm still holding out for Megalodon and Cthulhu.

I know there's no evidence. But in my mind, they sleep in the depths to be awakened someday. 

 

[ChaosRose 19,992]

14 hours ago, Piney said:

I always go for the local Satanists. They're fun, fixed and will do most anything.....

Fixed, as in they were once broken?

[Piney 11,079]

44 minutes ago, ChaosRose said:

Fixed, as in they were once broken?

Fixed as in no protection needed.

[Myles 9,866]

Mostly just mysteries in general.    But the thought of an unknown monster was interesting.   The Loch Ness and Bigfoot being the first and primary.   Sadly, the bigfoot interest may have started with The Six Million Dollar Man. 

I figured that they must have used a real bigfoot for it because there is no way a suit that good could be produced back then.

 

 

https://youtu.be/IVYGHHc0Es4

 

[Piney 11,079]

2 hours ago, Myles said:

  Sadly, the bigfoot interest may have started with The Six Million Dollar Man

Watch the "Venture Brothers" version of that! 

[AlaskanSkeptic 27]

On 23/02/2018 at 10:38 PM, NightScreams said:

Armchair skeptic or field skeptic?field

[Podo 6,351]

On 2/24/2018 at 7:25 AM, ChaosRose said:

I'm still holding out for Megalodon and Cthulhu.

I know there's no evidence. But in my mind, they sleep in the depths to be awakened someday. 

Ph'nglui mglw'nafh Cthulhu R'lyeh wgah'nagl fhtagn

[Piney 11,079]

14 minutes ago, Podo said:

Ph'nglui mglw'nafh Cthulhu R'lyeh wgah'nagl fhtagn

Say that out loud and somebody would give you a Heimlich.

[Don Caesar 3]

Like others, I discovered these mysteries at a young age and have been fascinated by them ever since. Reading books by Arthur. C. Clarke and "The World of the Unknown" guides to Ghosts, Monsters and UFO's from the school library, is what fuelled my imagination.

The artwork featured in and on the covers of the (original) USBORNE books were and still are incredible. 

[ChaosRose 19,992]

On 2/27/2018 at 11:45 AM, Podo said:

Ph'nglui mglw'nafh Cthulhu R'lyeh wgah'nagl fhtagn

Ia Ia, Cthulhu fhtagn!

Edited March 1 by ChaosRose