Blog Post 2 - Weeping Angels

Swarmed by Weeping Angels - Doctor Who

When I was younger, I used to watch a show called “Doctor Who”. The details of the plot are insignificant to this post; however, there was one episode where the characters encountered a paranormal entity known as Weeping Angels. They are monsters capable of sending victims back in time with a single touch. They are incapable of movement while in sight of a living creature. They are turned to stone when the observer’s eye is looking at them, in addition to being unable to move while being watched by another weeping angel. That means that if two of them accidentally make eye contact, they will be stuck indefinitely. The quote describing the dangers of one is described by the main character of this series, as he says “Don’t blink. Blink and you’re dead. They are fast. Faster than you can believe. Don’t turn your back. Don’t look away. And don’t blink. Good luck.” These creatures move with lightning speed when not being watched. They absorb the energy of their victims when being transported back in time. The creatures cover their faces when being turned to stone to avoid looking at another weeping angel’s eyes. This is what gives them their appearance of weeping. A quick glance of them before turning to stone depicts a horrific, monstrous figure with bared fangs and devastating claws.

Blog Post 1 - Leviathan: The King of Pride

 Leviathan: The King of Pride

The mythological creature is described as a dragon belonging to the kingdom of darkness. The Leviathan, also known as the king of pride, is a demonic spirit known to twist, confuse and separate life. It is involved in divorces, arguments and other forms of miscommunication. It is described as a high level demonic spirit that serves to distort communication, install misunderstandings and damage or break relationships. Symptoms of this demon’s presence include insanity, schizophrenia, discomfort, strife, chaos, suffering, pride, stubbornness, cold-hearted behavior, judgmental attitude, possessiveness and deceitfulness. It can be assumed that one has come in contact with a Leviathan when they become confused, angry, or overall unpleasant to be around. Prayers are a frequent recommendation for ridding this demon of one's life, including both morning and evening routine prayers.

Blog Post #3

    I find it interesting how we can have such a hard time recalling past memories and how easy is it for us to remember things so falsely and truly believe them. I sometimes feel that when I try to remember an event I forget certain things and tend to make up things that happened that seem correct for that time. I understand that is easy for others to tell us things and what they say can impact how we recall certain events. However, one thing that I find really interesting is when children recall their past lives. I have seen many videos of children discussing their past lives with details that they could have never known and talk about things that their family and friends have never told them about. I see that some people who do not believe that this is possible tend to say they must have overheard something adults were talking about or heard about these things on television or in videos. There are some instances though, that seem completely unexplainable as to how a child would know so much about an individual's life that lived before them. 

    In a video I watched on a 3 year old boy named Riley, he recalled an event where his past father was injured in war. He described the color uniform he was wearing, how he got stabbed in the shoulder, and how his friends had to carry him out. He described the gruesome details of his father's death and how they tried to stop the bleeding. He also describes the life of his father after he came back from the war, where everything had to be quiet and how he suffered from PTSD. These events are very strange for such a young boy to even be aware of. Children do have creative memories and it is easy to just say that they are making things up, but the extreme details of his father before and after the war are hard to believe that a 3 year old can have such knowledge to even come up with these stories. What was really surprising was that when asked if he knew the name of his father, his mother looked it up and found the man Cedric Popkin. The details she found of this man from Australia were very similar to the details Riley gave. Also, when giving Riley pictures from war, he pointed out Cedric Popkin first. After seeing this video and knowing that there are more kids who have similar stories, it really makes me believe that past lives. 

https://youtu.be/SD5f-0aQbds?si=l3NwG4IGo30I2VRB

Blog plost #3- Detox diets? Cleansing? That's what your liver is for!!

    Detoxing dieting is a movement that claims to cleanse your blood and rid your body of toxins. Many people claim this diet is like a miracle, helping them to promote their health and remove metals and other toxic materials from their bodies. Many of these diets consist of only drinking juices, fasting, using laxatives, etc. These programs are offered widely commercially and even at some health centers. Intuitively this idea appears to make sense, perhaps we are ingesting bad things and we can cleanse ourselves by clearing out our systems with fruit and vegetable juices (healthy, right?) The National Institute of Health seems to think not. This idea is pseudoscience as it uses a scientific basis to make far-reaching claims (and ultimately to sell you an idea and product).

     First of all, a relatively small amount of official research has been done on the topic. Some have found some positive results for weight loss, insulin resistance, and blood pressure. However, these studies are low quality with few participants and no peer reviews. Like many other diets, detoxing does lead to some weight loss, but as soon as people shift back to their normal diet any benefits are lost. There are also currently no long-term studies on detoxification to back up its broad claims of restoring the body to balance. Despite famously pushing the idea that our bodies need to be cleansed, detox diets rarely discuss which toxins are being removed.

     In addition, your body is also constantly cleansing itself through the liver, kidneys, and colon (which filter byproducts and remove substances through urine, feces, and sweat). Any chemicals that do tend to get stuck in the body (such as persistent organic pollutants (POPs) or heavy metals) accumulate in fat tissue or in blood and get eliminated naturally after time. If these diets claim to remove these kinds of toxins there is no evidence that they would be capable of removing these compounds. Overall, while these diets do help with losing weight in the short term, they are ineffective at cleaning the body and are very unsustainable. If you wish to be healthy it is recommended to use the tried and true methods of dieting (with a varied diet- not just juice) and exercising. 

Resources:

-National Institute of Health: https://www.nccih.nih.gov/health/detoxes-and-cleanses-what-you-need-to-know

-Healthline:https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/detox-diets-101#effectiveness

-Rush University Medical Center: https://www.rush.edu/news/truth-about-toxins#:~:text=Cleanses%20and%20detox%20products%20do,can%20remove%20from%20your%20body.

Blog post #2-Superstitions: A wish for control in a chaotic world

Most people tend to have a least a few superstitions. Maybe you wear your lucky socks on game day to boost your chances of winning. Or perhaps you feel wary walking under ladders or opening up an umbrella indoors. Have you ever wondered why we create correlations like this? Superstitions have two main causes, cultural traditions, and individual experiences. Superstitions have often been found to be connected to pagan or religious beliefs of the past. They weren't created because our ancestors were unknowledgeable, but rather, because they needed something to anchor their choices in a manner that would perceivably give them more control. They often had little control over their survival outcomes so by believing in objects or rituals they were able to feel more secure about their situation. Performing rituals also soothed anxiety which inadvertently would allow people to perform better at their tasks (placebo effect) and thus keep the beliefs going. Below is a list of  some common superstitions and their perceived origins:

The number 13: In Christian and Norse traditions, the 13th guest at a table brings down the whole group.

Spilling salt/Throwing salt: Salt has traditionally been thought to carry spiritual energy. Salt used to be so valuable that it could be used as currency, so wasting salt has been seen as a sin. Spilling such a valuable mineral was an invitation for chaos. Throwing it over your left shoulder was thought to undo the bad luck and was sometimes viewed as being able to blind the devil.

Black cats: Black cats that crossed your path were seen as unlucky because of their associations with being a witch's familiar and therefore evil.

Rabbit's foot: In European and African traditions body parts took on powerful symbolism. The Europeans believed witches could transform into animals (including rabbits) and a rabbit's foot would represent a dead witch. There was also a more taboo method of using human body parts as talismans. By using a rabbit's foot with dirt from a sinner's grave (or killed on a sinner's grave) instead, the talisman could have similar power without hurting any humans. It was believed that evil objects would scare evil away. In all of these cases, the rabbit's foot takes on or embodies evil energy that then becomes seen as lucky due to its power to scare away evil.

Breaking a mirror: In the American South, it was believed that mirrors did more than reflect your image. They were also seen as capturing a piece of your soul. When someone died they would cover the mirror to ensure that their soul wasn't trapped inside. When you break a mirror it's more than creating a mess, it's seen as rupturing a piece of your very soul, and a bad omen for the future.

Blog #3

 Aliens! What are they and are they even real? Aliens are simply described as a being from another world. I’ve always been scared by the idea of aliens, seeing them on TV shows or in movies always freaked me out. Seeing them usually depicted as super tall, skinny, huge black eyes, and upside-down tear drop shaped head made me feel uneasy. It’s hard whether or not to believe in them because I am personally on a planet so why can’t other planets have similar lives as us? Or at least some type of living thing has to be out there. I’m not alone with this belief either, thousands upon millions of people believe in extraterrestrial existence too.  About 65% of Americans believe in some sort of life on other planets, and many sightings have been made too. The first reported alien sighting being in 1947 by Kenneth Arnold, while flying his plane he claimed to have spotted 9 flying saucers. He believed, and so did many others, that these little saucers were aliens from another planet. Soon after the UFO obsession began. People were claiming to see them everywhere, and soon enough someone claimed to be abducted. In 1961 Barney and Betty Hill said they were abducted while in New Hampshire, they described the beings to be humanoids, with glossy black clothing. Till this moment there is no concrete evidence of aliens existing, but maybe in the future things will prove the non believers wrong.

Blog Post #2

     I have always been interested in psychics and the possibility of people having psychic abilities. Growing up I have watched many psychic mediums on television and have been skeptic about the validity of these readings. However, seeing how mediums get such specific details and seem to know everything about the person who has passed made me believe that they were truly real. Now that I have watched the video of Derren Brown acting as a psychic medium and making such strong connections to the people in the audience really shocked me. I was in disbelief how he could just guess these specific details so correctly and how the audience members really believed he was connecting with their loved ones who have passed. It is still hard for me to believe that cold reading really works and that people make the stories the medium is giving them fit their situations. I feel that if that was me, I would not buy into it that easy if it was really that general. After watching Derren Brown, is is disheartening to me that these psychics are just lying to their clients and really do not know anything at all.  One medium that I grew up watching was the Long Island Medium on television and she really made me believe that there are people out there with these powers and can connect with those who have passed. I have never thought that she would be completely making everything up because I could not imagine someone being so unethical and basically using people's most vulnerable parts about themselves for money. I do hope that there may be some real mediums that can connect with the dead somehow, but after learning about cold calling and doing research I am finding that very hard to be true.

     Also, when it came to the video on mentalism with Derren Brown I was also surprised to see how well he is able to guess exactly what a person is thinking based on such little information given. He is extremely good at observing people's body language, tone of voice, and subliminal clues to basically performing magic tricks on the crowd. I saw a mentalist at an event at my work and he was able to guess the very specific event that my coworker had written down on a sticky note. We were all amazed on how he did it and was able to guess everyone else's correctly as well. Even though Derren Brown continues to claim that psychics are not real, he is very talented at reading minds and I do not understand how he is able to do it. He definitely has some sort of power or extreme skill that only very few have. Even if mind readers and psychics aren't real, there must be some gift that they share that allows them to do this. I have added another video of Derren Brown that I found very entertaining. 

https://youtu.be/Z3RD_hCevKA?feature=shared 

Blog #2 || Psychics in Criminal Investigations

7/22 

The idea of using psychics in criminal investigations was basically new to me before taking this course. I had previously heard of this profession being used in law enforcement once in a great while, but I had no clue this was something that was actually really common to see even nowadays. A psychic is defined as someone who is “sensitive to nonphysical or supernatural forces and influences; marked by extraordinary or mysterious sensitivity, perception, or understanding.” In criminal investigations, psychics use their abilities to figure out information that might be harder, or impossible, for law enforcement to figure out such as locations, dates, times, etc. 

Historically, psychics were used by royalty, military chiefs, and religious leaders to predict future events and outcomes. The use of psychic abilities in legal investigations, however, was essentially non-existent until the first documented case in 1845. The use of these abilities has since grown in popularity because of popular media and attractiveness. Despite this, the use of psychics as an effective tool in criminal investigations has not been proven. In fact, various studies have shown that psychics “perform no better than chance under controlled test conditions nor do they perform any better than non-psychic test subjects to which they are compared.” If you just look at the stories of successful psychics, such as Allison Dubois, Kathlyn Rhea, and Noreen Renier, you wouldn't get this impression. The stories that get published are success stories, there are, according to this report, many stories of psychics involved in criminal investigations that are incorrect in their ideas.     

Blog Post #2

 Psychics have always left me puzzled, and as I was reading through the lecture power points I was reminded of how interesting they really are. I grew up near the jersey shore, meaning I always walked on the boardwalks and frequented Long Beach Island. Every time I went though, I came across a self proclaimed psychic. I never actually got my palm read, but I always wondered how they did what they did. How can this person know what my future hold? And with this extraordinary gift, why are they so commonly found in frequent tourist destinations. If you don’t know what a psychic is, they are “ Relating to or denoting faculties of phenomena that are apparently inexplicable by natural laws, especially involving telepathy or clairvoyance” as stated in the dictionary. In simple terms, psychics are people that claim they can read you your future and see into your past. They are born with these powers and proclaim to use them to help others. As I grow up, I slowly believe these people are just lying for money. I would think if someone had powers like mind reading they’d be studied by scientists and not just be a side show attraction. I know many people that have gotten their palms read and in the end they usually tell each person the same vague stuff, because of they’re vague they have a better shot at getting the person’s future correct. Now, do I believe every psychic is a liar? No, because again I’ve never been to one. I think the thought of them is so interesting and it makes me want to believe in them, but I just haven’t heard of anyone getting a specific or accurate reading. Psychics will forever be enticing to me, I just don’t know if I could ever fully believe in them.

Blog #3

Ever since we learned about the Salem Witch Trials in High School, it has always been a topic of interest for me. The witch trials was an incredibly tragic and sad event in history, where over tens of thousands of individuals, mainly women, were accused of witchcraft and executed. This tragic event in history caused fear and tensions in many cultural backgrounds, leaving a negative effect on their memories and knowledge of the past events. This specific topic caught my attention because it is so upsetting how unfair it was for so many innocent individuals to be executed and blamed for such a terrible thing. The effects of the accusations were terrifying and cruel, ranging from torture methods known as the use of thumbscrews and water ordeals to torture and execute these individuals. 

It is crazy to think that in Salem, a group of young girls that were supposedly showing signs of weird behaviors raised suspicion of witchcraft, leading to more than 200 people being accused of witchcraft and over 15 plus were executed. In regards to this topic, what fascinates me most how easy it is for society to give into the mass injustices and hysteria that surrounds them , disregarding the fear and injustices the innocent individuals faced. 

To me, it is interesting and also fascinating how many many years later, the witch trials are still studied today, and the dangers and injustice is highlighted and the brutal consequences are still studied today. Even though this is a topic I was first introduced to in High School, it is still a topic that never fails to raise questions and spark my interest. I wish to visit the Memorial in Massachusetts that serves as a reminder of all of the individuals that suffered and passed due to the unfairness and cruelty that surrounded them. This topic will never fail fascinate me. 

Blog #2

Growing up, stories of UFO sightings and encounters with aliens always seemed to catch my attention. I would watch documentaries and movies that showed mystery to the life beyond just Earth. I always believed that there is life beyond us on Earth. It always questioned my imagination and thoughts on what else is out there. Over the years, the concept of UFOs and aliens has been a topic of interest for many individuals. There have been many reports of mysterious flying objects all around the world, shaped as a flying saucer of some sort, flying fast in the sky and even hovering over places silently. 

I looked into UFOs and aliens, and beyond just the reports of sightings and the events that individuals experienced, it is fascinating that in 1997, thousands of individuals reported the sighting of a massive v-shaped saucer of light in the sky. Many individuals were convinced this was a sighting of something they have never witnessed before, and several individuals even believed it was a UFO. Aside from all of the sightings and reports, it sparks my interest that there have been many individuals stating they have had personal encounters with aliens. It is crazy to hear that some people even reported to have been abducted by aliens. Many skeptics have argued that these individuals reporting such encounters may have been experiencing sleep paralysis or hallucinations where they see aliens that may not really be there, but the number of similar experiences that several individuals experience worldwide is shocking and a bit intriguing. 

Overall, UFOs and aliens goes beyond just mystery and science. It raises questions regarding if we are the only living things in this universe, or if there is something else out there. There is advancing technologies and understandings that continue to figure out the truth, it is scary yet interesting to be so unsure if there is something else out there or if we are alone in this universe. As of now, the only truth we have of UFOs and aliens are the reporting and stories we have heard, but the mystery of UFOs and aliens is still something that will continue to question my beliefs and imagination on this topic. 

Blog Post #1

 Cryptids have always been fascinating to me, growing up in Jersey I've always heard tales of the Jersey Devil, and being a Twilight fan I came to know what the Lochness monster was. As interesting as each of them are, and through the second lecture, I’ve been inspired to delve deeper into the thought of mermaids.”The Little Mermaid” first introduced me to mermaids at a young age, and I frequented Ripley’s believe it or Not to stare at the real life body of a mermaid they claimed to have. Under the category of cryptozoology I believe mermaids fit, maybe not being as scary as the others the myth of mermaids has and always will be so interesting to me. A mermaid is a creature found in the ocean, the upper half being a female human and the bottom being a large fishtail. They’ve been in folklore stories for centuries, and the story behind them being heavily influenced on Greek mythology. One of the first stories, and notably most famous, is Christopher Columbus spotting mermaids while sailing the Caribbean. Ultimately debunked to be manatees, mermaid sightings are still quite prevalent. Many know mermaids as sirens too, who lure men in with their enchanting songs. Many believe they are naturally violent creatures, but till this day there is no solid proof of mermaids once existing. I’m a firm believer something like a mermaid is out there, and I know I am not the only one.

Blog Post 1

    I was very fascinated to learn about the Jersey Devil, something that I had never heard of before. Growing up in Central Jersey for most of my life, I surprisingly had never heard of this legend. Now that I have been living in South Jersey for school, hearing that the Jersey Devil is so prominent in Galloway and South Jersey in general is interesting to learn. When I saw the image of the Jersey Devil that was allegedly seen in Galloway, it is hard to believe how a creature like this could exist. Since it was only captured in a photo a couple of times in its decades of existence it is hard to imagine that something like this could really exist. I have always heard of creatures like Big Foot and the Loch Ness monster and never really understood why so many people were so invested in finding these creatures and proving their existence. Hearing that people would blame the Jersey Devil when they were faced with poor health or when something bad would happen to them makes it seem to me that people believe in these mythical beings to give reason as to why things happen in a way that is easy to write off. I also believe people try to find these creatures as a way to prove to themselves that there is something out there and we do not know everything like we think we do. 

    It is interesting to me that people dedicate their lives to cryptozoology. Having a career dedicated to proving the existence of creatures we have heard about for hundreds of years, but never truly found, is a very daunting task that takes a lot of faith and perseverance. Although I am not sure if all of these animals have the possibility of existing, I give lots of credit to those dedicated to proving so. I have added a link to a video of Lyle Blackburn, a cryptozoologist, where he explains why he got into the field. I found it interesting that there are all different legends all over the country, like the Jersey Devil to us, that interest people and get them into the field. Lyle Blackburn discusses how growing up in Texas exposed him to many of these legends and hidden creatures that are much more prominent and popular in the south.    


https://youtu.be/i9eIYjd4Qkc?si=Grnr5zoqnCsxtH_e  

Blog Post #2: Mass Delusions & Hysterias What's That Smell?

    In this lesson, I learned about the War of the Worlds that took place on Halloween, 1938. It was a social experiment produced by Orson Wells meant to see how people would react to a realistic news broadcast depicting a Martian invasion. He claimed that Martians landed in Grovers Mill, NJ and were attacking people with heat rays and poisonous gases. At the time, it was claimed by psychologist Hadley Cantril that 1.2 million people around the country went into panic after hearing the broadcast. It was later found that this did not happen at all. People were disturbed and angered by the broadcast, but there was no evidence that there was any mass panic, despite several books and articles claiming otherwise. I found this part of the lesson very interesting for a few reasons because it left me asking questions. Why did Orson Wells put so much effort into creating this fake broadcast? And why did Hadley Cantril exaggerate the results? 

    I also learned a little more about aromatherapy, a term that I have heard used several times before but never done much research on it. There are a lot of people who claim that there are aromas that can provide health and wellness benefits. The most emphasized being pure essential oils. Different scents can provide different benefits. For example, in the clip shown in the slideshow, a woman talks about how lavender oil is the most beneficial oil there is because it provides the most benefits. She tells a story about a doctor who was working at a cosmetic company and his arm caught on fire due to an explosion. He immediately dipped his arm in lavender oil and the pain went away. He had no blisters and his arm healed extremely fast. She goes on to claim that lavender oil is naturally anti-septic, anti-viral, anti-depressive, anti-fungal, anti-bacterial, anti-biotic, and anti-inflammatory. Despite all of the miraculous claims about essential oils, there is very little evidence to prove that any of it is true. A study conducted by the Ohio State University Medical Center found no evidence towards the claims of essential oils effects on stress and pain. It is most likely a placebo mixed with the fact that the oils smell good which makes people a little happier. 

    It is important to always be skeptical with the "facts" that you hear on television and media. Even science can be wrong, so it is important to weigh all the facts before coming to a conclusion. 

Blog Post #1: The End of the World

    Throughout all of human time, people have pondered about the end of the world. After all, if something has a beginning, then it must have an end. It is an idea that scares most people and can easily create mass hysteria. We have seen the rise of different theories about the end of the world in recent years with the y2k scare, 2012, and now, many Christians believe that the rapture is soon coming. As a Christian myself, I thought about my own theories about the "end times" while reading through this lesson. 

    After watching the video about the "prepper" from Utah who spent $65k on an unground bunker packed with supplies, I thought that most people who watched this video probably thought that this man is insane. I had a different reaction. My family and I also like to prepare for when "shit hits the fan". We have gallons of water, excess food, batteries and other essentials stored away, but we definitely do not have the finances for an elaborate setup like the man in the video has. I personally felt astonishment and a bit of jealousy when seeing the shelter, food, and weapon stockpiles that he has. I think that if we ever came into a very large sum of money, we would purchase something similar to what the man in the video has and many people would call us crazy for doing so. Ironically, those same people would come begging at our door when the time comes. 

    My theory about the end of the world revolves around the biblical predictions of the Book of Revelation. I do believe that this will happen, even if it is not during my lifetime. No man can predict the date of the end of the world, but we can look for the signs outlined in the Bible that show it is near. Even if one does not believe in the words of the Bible, it is foolish to think that there is no need to prepare for other events such as natural disasters, war, or pandemics. The future is unpredictable and we cannot trust the government to take care of us when something terrible happens. 

Blog 1 - Sleep Paralysis and The Hat Man

    The phenomenon I wanted to focus on was sleep paralysis and paranormal hallucinations. Sleep paralysis can be described as a temporary paralysis that occurs after waking from sleep. In most instances the person going through paralysis can see, hear, and feel things. Sometimes they might even experience the paranormal. In multiple cases, those who have suffered from sleep paralysis claim to have experienced demons or shadow-like figures while awake and unable to move. Sometimes they may also see a loved one who either passed on or is not there. Many people claim that these entities stare at them, touch them, crawl onto their beds, or even mutter words towards them. An interesting experience has been described by many involves an entity named "The Hat Man".  The Hat Man has been described by people of many different cultures. Some claim he is 6 foot and others say he is 10 feet. Sometimes he is described as having a physical body and sometimes he is more opaque and mist-like. With all of the stories being told there are always slight differences in appearance but one thing that remains constant is the type of hat he wears and his clothing. He is said to have a black hat with a round brim (similar to a fedora), and a black trench coat.

    So what exactly causes sleep paralysis and why do people see these scary entities? Our understanding of sleep is still incomplete but our knowledge is growing every single day. Sleep paralysis is speculated to be a result of a lack of sleep, sometimes caused by other sleep related illnesses. These illnesses include narcolepsy, idiopathic insomnia, and sleep apnea. The lack of sleep causes the body to stay asleep, even after the brain wakes up. This is why the body cannot move but the person is conscious. Since the brain just woke up, it can still be experiencing a REM-like state. This can cause vivid hallucinations and make an individual feel like they are still in a dream. Since a person cannot move during these experiences, they may begin to panic, thus causing these hallucinations. There is currently no solutions to prevent sleep paralysis but many claim that a positive state-of-mind can prevent the scary hallucinations.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iYbA6Tjux24&t=347s

Blog #1

There are many fascinating and interesting mythical figures and creatures that have stories and tales that never fail to catch my attention. The Jersey devil, a legendary mythical creature from the Pine Barrens of New Jersey, has always captured many individuals imagination and thoughts, as well as mine. According to this folklore, the Jersey Devil was a creature with a horse like head, hooves, wings like a bat, and a forked tail. The Jersey Devil was the 13th born child of Deborah Leeds in 1735, and was transformed into a monster like beast creature. He is known to terrorize many individuals in the area, and many individuals over the centuries have reported sighting of him. There are several theories and opinions that suggest this tale to be just a story created to scare off settlers and discourage any exploration in areas with forests. The true reasoning behind this tale is unknown, but the Jersey Devil is still a symbol and folklore of New Jersey, and individuals are still fascinated and questioned by the unknown. Overall, some versions of the Jersey Devil legend may show that it was a curse placed on the child by the mother who wished for her unborn child to become a devil, while other versions may suggest that it is a tale told to frighten individuals that wished to settle in the area and explore mysterious forest. It is unknown and continues to remain a mystery that many individuals believe in to this day.

Blog #1 || Leviathan

07/10

After learning about several mythological beings from our lessons, I began to think about what other tales of creatures are out there in the world. One of these creatures is a huge sea serpent-like monster called a Leviathan, which is present in several religious texts in both Judaism and Christianity. In most interpretations of Leviathans, they are regarded as some of the first beings in existence and rule the seas with their sheer power and indestructibility as well as their tendency to destroy everything in their paths. According to these religious texts, in the beginning there used to be two Leviathans, one female and one male, to keep each other company. It was decided that because of the threat they posed to civilization, only one could live, and the female was killed.  There are several conclusions as to where this creature could have come from in terms of mythology. The story of this sea serpent could have been used to appeal to people who were not Christian and could have been adapted from other cultures (Greek and Babylonian mythology.) Another conclusion could be that there was, in fact, a creature in the past that inspired these stories that no longer exists (like Krakens, which are humongous squids or octopi) or that they are exaggerations of creatures that are alive today, such as crocodiles.

                                                 "The Destruction of Leviathan" by Gustave Doré (1865)

Blog Post #1-The Wampus cat: lore and legend

 A few famous cryptids are discussed in lecture 2. Bigfoot, the Jersey Devil, and Chupacabras are all very famous and widely discussed creatures. I want to discuss a lesser-known American cryptid that I had recently heard about. If you visit the Appalachian area, you will find many superstitions due to the eerieness of the forests at night. One local legend is that of the Wampus cat (sometimes known as the gallywampus or whistling wampus). The Wampus cat is a mythological cat-like creature in American folklore. Originating in Cherokee legends and now widely believed in Appalachia, the Wampus cat ranges from comical to tragic depending on which story is told. Within southern American culture, the Wampus is a terrifying beast with yellow eyes that can pierce the souls of those who are unfortunate enough to cross paths with it. It is known for its impressive screams that are said to be spine-chilling. It sometimes is said to be a half-dog half-cat creature, and sometimes seen as having six legs instead of four. The Wampus cat is said to be a cat-like embodiment of a woman who was punished for practicing witchcraft.

In Cherokee lore, however, the story is a little different. It is said that an evil demon called Ew'ah, the spirit of madness was terrorizing the village of Etowah. The war chiefs agreed to send their strongest brave, Standing Bear, to fight off the spirit and bring honor to his family. Weeks went by without word from Standing Bear, until all of a sudden, he came back screaming and clawing at his eyes. His wife, Running Deer, knew immediately her husband had been driven mad and sought to avenge him. She visited the shamans, who gave her a mask of a bobcat's face. They told her that if she could surprise the demon, the spirit of the mountain cat could stand against Ew'ah. Following footsteps to the river she successfully found the demon and pounced when it wasn't looking. The Ew'ah spun around and saw the bobcat mask and began to writhe and tear at itself, as the spirit of the mountain cat turned its magic against itself. Falling back into the pool of water, the Ew'ah disappeared, and Running Deer returned home a hero to her tribe. Some claim that the spirit of Running Deer resides in the Wampus cat and that she continues her mission of protecting her tribe's lands from evil spirits.

The Wampus cat is so popular in the South that several schools have elected it to be its mascot!

                                                            

                                    (Statue of a Wampus cat at Conway High School, Arkansas)

                              

Blog Post #1

    I find the concept of the end of the world thoroughly fascinating, both from a skeptic's perspective as well as from a theological point of view. Eschatology, as it relates to Christianity, has always been an intriguing concept for me, and - after listening to "The End of the World" lecture and viewing the corresponding slideshow - it seems to me that much of the world, both historically and in modernity, seems to agree.

    I find this subject fascinating because I am a Christian, so it is my belief that what is predicted in the Book of Revelation will ultimately come to pass. I am, however, a natural skeptic; frequently distrusting and sometimes paranoid of the status quo, mainstream narratives, and prevalent ideas that seem to be politically motivated and/or agenda-driven. This dichotomy has led to other people's perception of myself as being somewhat confusing, enigmatic, or outright paradoxical. What both skeptics and believers often misunderstand is that these seemingly conflicting attributes have not caused cognitive dissonance or contradictions in ideology, rather, they have instead helped me to rationalize my beliefs and ground them in logically-sound conclusions. In this sense, I am just as skeptical of the scientist proclaiming impending doom due to "climate change" as I am the Christian preaching the end of days because they've interpreted and/or decoded the text "correctly." 

    In viewing the lecture, I am reminded of how many grifters and charlatans have used the passages in the Bible for manipulation and personal gain. One glaring point that stood out to me while going through the slideshow and listening to the lecture was the way in which these snake oil salesmen proclaiming to be Christians insist on putting a firm date on Jesus' return, the rapture, and/or the end of the world. I find it shocking that these self-proclaimed profits somehow missed the part of the text which states that only God knows the day or the hour of Jesus' return. Even sadder to me, though, are the supposed Christians that fall for the lie, time and time again. I wonder how many of them actually know their Bibles, because any man claiming to know the date of Jesus' return would be, to me, an act of rebuking God's word, and would thus be self-defeating.

    This is a perfect illustration of what I hope to better understand from taking this class. What fascinates me is not just if we believe something, but why we believe it; not if we know something is true, but how we know it to be true. I view this as a quest to delve into the foundations of faith and skepticism alike, and to discern between objective truth and comforting falsehoods. I hope that, in taking this course, my journey will bridge theological inquiry with critical thinking, and ultimately lead to the betterment of understanding my own beliefs as well as those of the people around me.