The Haunted Well

About a month ago my cousin Jody excitedly told me about discovering an old uncovered well under his house.  He described how creepy it was, and I had to see it.  A week or so later, armed with a camera, a video camera, and a couple flashlights, we crawled under the house not really expecting to find anything paranormal.  

Jody had told me about seeing a shadow figure in the hallway of the house during his childhood.  When his siblings got to discussing it, they had all separately seen a similar figure.  A couple of them described it as being short, about the height of a child.  Once we got down in the crawlspace, we realized the spot where they had all seen an apparition was directly over the old well. 

You couldn't have asked for a creepier setting.  Generations of his family had stored things down there.  A huge shelf contained canned food, dozens of Mason jars filled with corn and beans.  We mused over who may have canned them years and years ago.  Jody was like the guys on American Pickers, unearthing cool relic after cool relic.  I snapped picture after picture and left the video camera recording by the well.  Jody may have been a little nervous that we might come across a snake or rat in the tight space, but those didn't bother me, nor did the idea of an apparition manifesting right in front of us.  Those things I could deal with.  The spiders hiding in every nook and cranny were what had my nerves on end.  

Once I got around to reviewing what we captured down there, I was surprised.  So many pictures came back with anomalies apparent in them, then when I went over the video, something had communicated with us.  Following are a few photos that set the stage, and the video I put together with the evidence we got.  We're working on finding a time in the very near future when we can get back under the house and see if the spooky crawlspace and eerie old well will give up anymore of their secrets.

The well

Hungry?

Big brother Google isn't cooperating with us, so click this link to see the video, the photos, and hear the EVPs we captured at the well.

History of 420

 

Yesterday we wrote about where Easter traditions came from.  This year Easter fell on April 20, a non-official subculture holiday celebrating marijuana.  But why is 420 special to pot smokers?  In popular culture the number is used as a time, date, or 'code.' everywhere, but what does it mean?  Some people think it was the police code for marijuana smoking in progress.  Other claim it's a reference to the number of chemicals in weed.  We did some digging and found out where the association between weed and 420 began.

Picture it.  California’s bay coast.  1971.  The peace and love of San Francisco’s hippie counterculture has turned into a dark gutter of speed freaks using other hard drugs.  Experimenting with pot and LSD had been replaced with crime and addiction.  The Grateful Dead, who provided a musical backdrop to psychedelic Haight-Ashbury, like many residents, scattered out of the city and moved up the bay to San Rafael.  

The Waldos were a group of five friends in San Rafael who took their name after the wall they hung out by outside their high school.  It was fall, harvest time, and one  of the guys came into possession of a map that was drawn by a Coast Guard member who had abandoned his pot field in fear of getting caught, thus leaving  it to be found, like a treasure.  The guys agreed to meet by the wall once school and their sports practices were over, at 4:20, in front of the statue of Louis Pastuer.  When they would pass each other in the hallway they would remind each other, saying “4:20, Louis,” and eventually dropped the Louis.  

For weeks the boys would meet, load into a car, smoke a lot of marijuana, and go search for the pot field.  Although they never found it, they continued to say 4:20 when they were talking about smoking pot.  Waldo Dave’s older brother, Patrick, was the manager of a band that opened up for the Grateful Dead.  Dave and all his Waldo friends were always around gigs and practice sessions, hanging out backstage and, of course, smoking weed.  The band and other people hanging out heard them saying 420 and it caught on.  

Deadheads were soon wearing 420 shirts to concerts, and flyers made alluding to the secret code. Steve Bloom, a writer for High Times magazine came across one of these old flyers in 1991 and showed it to his editor, who encouraged him to publish it.  He did, and brought 420 to the world stage.  He liked it so much he even held his staff meetings at 4:20 pm. 

The stoner-culture uses the number to denote a specific time, and/or date to stop and have a toke and in the overall celebration of marijuana.  Festivals and competitions are held all over the world on April 20 each year.  With some states beginning to legalize marijuana here in the US, celebrations are becoming much larger, bringing a lot of money to local economies.  

420 a a time, date, graffiti, etc. is everywhere in popular culture.  In Pulp Fiction, all the clocks are set to 4:20.  Sofia Coppola paid homage to this in Lost in Translation.  The code pops up in Craigslist ads for roommates who are ‘420 friendly.’ Anywhere you see 420 you can bet there’s a stoner behind it.  So now that you know where this tradition comes form, what time is it…?

Where’s the Waldos now?  Waldo Dave is now a credit analyst, and works for Waldo Steve, who says running a business doesn’t leave him time to smoke pot these days.  A third Waldo is the head of marketing for a wine company in Napa Valley, one is in graphic design, and the other works for a roofing and guttering company.

The Practice of Peeps – Easter's Pagan Origins

This morning people are putting on their new outfits, going to an Easter church service, having dinner with their families, hiding dyed eggs and eating chocolate bunnies.  Why, you ask?  Because today is the day Jesus rose from the grave is the answer the average person would probably give you.  But is that true? The mission of Lost Creek is to search for answers with an open mind.  We are in no way hating on celebrating Easter for its Christian basis.  We just want to point out what a lot of people don’t seem to be aware of.  A certain Sunday in April is not the actual date that Jesus is believed to have risen from the grave. Celebrators are just choosing a day to recognize for the resurrection. We’re cool as cucumbers with that. But actually just like Christmas, Easter celebration has a pagan basis. 

Early Christians found a method of assimilating with converts from other belief systems by meshing their gods and traditions together. They would incorporate some pagan symbols to make them more comfortable and not kill them/offer them protection.  Everybody’s happy, right?  

Those pesky pagans (Wicker Man, 1973)

The pagans had a moon goddess named Ishtar (pronounced Easter), the wife of the sun god.  When Ishtar’s son was killed by a wild boar, she proclaimed a forty day period each year during which no meat was to be eaten and worshippers were to focus upon her husband and son.  On the first Sunday after the first full moon after the spring equinox there was to be a celebration for Ishtar with rabbits and eggs and because her son had been killed by a wild boar, a pig was to be slaughtered and eaten.  

Followers of the ancient god Mithras, who may or may not be worshipped by evil Illuminati-New World Order Types today, celebrated the spring equinox. The worshipers of Cybele lived where Vatican Hill is today.  Each spring they celebrated the rebirth of Cybele’s lover Attis.  It would start on Blood Friday and last three days, reaching a crescendo on Sunday.  

Exchanging eggs goes back to ancient pagan custom, like those celebrating the goddess Eostre, whose symbol was the hare.  Pagans would also gather on the morning of the equinox to watch the sunrise.  When Jesus’ tomb was found empty, the soldiers that were guarding it were asleep, nobody actually saw it. So it can’t be said for certain that he rose from the dead at sunrise.  A quick google search will bring up even more examples of modern Easter symbols that have ancient non-Christian roots.

We came across an article by an extreme fundamentalists online that condemned celebrating Easter as conducting ‘antichrist activities.’  There are Christian denominations that don’t celebrate these holidays.  The writer said Satan was a master deceiver, and Christians celebrating Easter with eggs, rabbits, hot cross buns, and ham were being tricked into sinning by worshiping false idols.  Either way, it’s easy to see how the symbols and celebrations of different beliefs have meshed together over time.  We think it’s fun to find out where the ‘practice of peeps’ comes from.

Now that you’ve stopped by Lost Creek and visited for a spell go eat dinner with your family, hide some eggs, and enjoy Easter!

Have a Creepy Easter!

Loch Ness Monster Trending

The legendary water monster said to live in Scotland's Loch Ness is trending today on social media sites following the release of new evidence.  Two Apple Maps users spotted a strange sight under the surface of the water about six months ago and sent photos to the Official Loch Ness Monster Fan Club.  The group sat on the photo for a while, allowing several experts to view it.  Some say the picture just shows the wake of a boat, but experts have said that isn't the case as there is no hull or superstructure visible.  Other explanations such as a floating log or the wake from playing seals have been ruled out due to its large size.  

The low-resolution satellite image was only able to be viewed on certain iPads and iPhones.  Doubters have went so far as to accuse Apple employees of purposely inserting the image at the location as a joke.  The photo's release ended an 18 month drought of Nessie sightings.  Some believers are wondering if the creature has died.  An annual prize of $1000 awarded for the best photograph of Nessie went unclaimed last year, as only three pics were submitted.  One tuned out to be a duck, one was the wake of a boat, and the other wasn't even taken at Loch Ness.  The prize has been doubled for this year.

The legend of Nessie goes back to the 6^th century when Saint Columbia was said to have came across a man who had been attacked by the beast in the River Ness.  He banished the monster to the lake, where over 1000 sightings have since been recorded. 

Modern sightings were sparked in 1933 when George Spicer and his wife were driving near Loch Ness and reported a creature with a huge body and long neck crossed the road in front of them, heading toward the loch.  Weeks later a similar creature was spotted by a motorcyclist, who described it as a plesiosaur.

That same year the Daily Mail hired big game hunter Marmaduke Wetherell to find evidence of the monster.  He came up with some footprints, but the Museum of Natural History decided they had came from dried hippopotamus feet, which had became fashionable to use as the base of umbrella stands.  The newspaper fired Wetherell after he failed to find anything of value.

On April 21, 1934 the Daily Mail published the most famous pic ever taken that claimed to show Nessie.  It became known as the "Surgeon's Photograph" because it was submitted by Robert Wilson, a doctor.  However, in 1994 Wetherall's stepson came forward claiming that he helped carry out the hoax that resulted in the photo, using a toy submarine.  Wetherall convinced Wilson to submit the photo because of his untarnished reputation. 

 

The Surgeon's Photograph

In years since, submarines, high-tech sonar devices, and all manner of methods have been employed to search for the elusive Loch Ness Monster.  Many strange anomalies have been found, but nothing definitive.  That isn't all that surprising, as Loch Ness is over 700 feet deep and the second largest body of water in Scotland, but largest by volume.  It's murky waters are believed to allow Nessie to go unseen, except for the occasional photo op. 

I would love to see evidence that could lead to answers about the Loch Ness Monster more than anyone, but I think they're reaching with this one.  I don't see anything that looks like the traditional depictions.  Had I spotted this, I would have went for Monster Catfish.  Comparing it to photos of other boat wakes, like the one below, solidified my belief.  I'm sure those who benefit from tourism in the area are pleased that fresh interest in the lake monster has the internet buzzing.  Perhaps more concrete evidence will come from this renewed interest. I wish these Apple Map users would put their energy into searching for Malaysia Flight 370.

Example of boat wake, North Carolina

Keep Lookin!!

Cryptids' Possible Atlantean Origins

Cryptids are from Atlantis.  That may be true if the readings of Edgar Cayce are studied.  Information taken from his readings could explain the occasional sightings of sasquatches, lake monsters, chupacabras, flying humanoids, and all other critters the zoological world does not recognize. 

Who was Edgar Cayce you ask?  America’s Nostradamus, born here in Kentucky in 1945.  As a child he claimed to have been visited by an angel that gave him the ability to help people.  Edgar learned to put himself into a trance state in which he could correctly diagnose what was wrong with a certain person, even if they were miles away, and tell them what would cure them.  Cayce said the gift from the angel granted him access to the Akashic Records, a collection of all amassed knowledge ever thought.  Cayce gained notoriety and received requests for readings from all over the world.

Edgar Cayce

 

Cayce was put to the test by a group of doctors once.  He astounded them by correctly answering questions and making diagnoses.  The awed doctors then inserted a needle into his bare foot and were again astonished that Cayce did not show any pain response.  They went so far as to remove one of his fingernails trying to illicit a pain response, but failed to do so.  Upon awakening Cayce was understandably upset and decided that he would no longer go into his trance state and leave himself vulnerable without people he trusted in the same room.

In 1931 Cayce founded the Association for Research and Enlightenment (A.R.E.) which is still open today.  Its headquarters are in Virginia Beach, Virginia. Cayce used the A.R.E. to research and explore subjects like holistic medicine, dreams, intuition, ancient mysteries and spirituality.  They continue their mission of helping people change their lives through the information found in Cayce’s reading by hosting conferences, retreats, and publishing books.  

In all Cayce gave several readings daily throughout his lifetime.  Not all of them concerned the ailments of questioners though.  Hundreds of Cayce’s readings provided information about the fabled lost continent of Atlantis.  Accepted as allegory when first written about by Plato, the idea of a civilization far advanced from where we are even today has intrigued minds nonetheless.  Scholars (of literature if not actual history) have written volumes on the notion of the Atlantean utopian society, that ultimately sank to the bottom of the ocean.

Bits and pieces from different readings by Cayce tell the history of Atlantis, via the Akashik records.  The sinking of Atlantis came after two prior destructions, punishments for using their knowledge recklessly.  According to Cayce the Atlanteans became split into two factions, the Children of the Law of One and the Sons of Belial.  The Children of the Law of One were the ‘good guys,’ peaceful, non-violent, and thus naïve.  If Belial sounds familiar to you, it could be because it has a history in Christianity of being a demon.  After ‘Legion,’ Belial seems to be the most referenced demon in Hollywood horror.  The translation of the original Hebrew word is “one who is worthless” or “never to rise.”  Whether the name Sons of Belial referred to a demonic force, or human nature personified in the Sons of Belial, who abused the great knowledge and power bestowed upon them, is unclear.  What Cayce was very clear on is what caused the third, and final destruction of Atlantis.

A summit was held in Egypt to discuss how to deal with the monstrous flying creatures that were terrorizing civilization.  The Atlanteans broke the DNA code, enabling them to shape heredity.  They created man-animal hybrids and enslaved them.  The creations were called Things and protected them.  The hybrids were their beasts of burden, and not treated well at all.  Some of the Children of the Law of One heeded the signs and omens of the coming destruction and fled.  Soon the Creative Forces destroyed Atlantis and the rest of its population.  

Those who escaped, according to Cayce, fled to what is now the Yucatan, Tibet, Peru and the majority to Egypt.  Here, Cayce said during readings, two temples were built for the ‘Things’ who had followed the Children of the Law of One.  The first, the Temple of Sacrifice, was constructed as a place where these unfortunates could have their feathered appendages and other animal-like features removed. The second, the Temple Beautiful, purified their souls and taught them creativity.  Theories connecting Atlantis to Egypt are as numerous as theories on who really shot JFK.  Many say the technology that powered Atlantis looked like that of gods to other people, and was treated as such.  One theory specifies that the Ark of the Covenant was actually an advanced capacitor that sat in the kings chamber of the Great Pyramid and transmitted energy to various machines.  

While all of this may seem to wrap up neatly with a bow on it, there’s the major loophole of what happened to the other ‘Things’ or hybrids who didn’t follow the Children of the Law of One to Egypt.  What of those that followed others that fled to different parts of the world, or else managed to survive on their own?  

It has been generally agreed upon that the ‘Creative Forces’ struck them dead eventually, or they perished during the Ice Age.  But science has shown us that man’s early ancestors lived through the ice age.  If they could, surely these creatures who were half animal would have an advantage surviving.  

What if some of these hybrid creatures survived, in small groups or on their own, occasionally encountering one another to procreate?  As the Sons of Belial created hybrids to perform various tasks, it would be expected that different animals were used.  This explanation could answer questions people have been asking for centuries about things they saw but couldn’t explain.

Sightings of creatures that had human characteristics, but not quite human, with animal characteristics as well, have been reported throughout history.  Apemen, batmen, merfolk.  The Jersey Devil, fabled cursed child of Mother Leeds from New Jersey’s Pine Barrens, is described as having the head of a goat, leathery, bat-like wings, horns, cloven hoofs, and resembling a kangaroo .  If that isn’t a hybrid, we don’t know what is.  

Is it possible that cryptozoological creatures reported from all over the world are the descendants (or actual survivors, but would have to achieved immortality, which is a task more likely undertaken by the Sons of Belial, but that’s another theory for another day) of the hybrid Things Edgar Cayce described from Atlantis?  During his life Cayce diagnosed and treated countless people and predicted events, including his own death right down to the day.  If Cayce is to be believed, the creatures that haunt our dark nights are our own creation, and perhaps a warning of what our rapidly advancing technology may bring about.