Emotional Baggage from Sightings, Got any? Options

[GuyInIndiana]

First, I want to stress that the point of my starting this thread isn't to discuss my recent sighting. The objective of my starting this thread is to see from other researchers, investigators or "everyone else" HOW they delt with all the emotional aspects of their sighting. I WILL try to give you a "best outline" to start with, but it was a very short sighting, yet clearly in my highbeams at the side of the road while I was out doing some recon work. It was right about 3am, Sunday morning July 5, 2009 at the research location that a group of us are and have been working together for several years.

Having been driving around for nearly 30 minutes on these highly rural roads, I had on a couple other occasions had to slow or brake to avoid deer which were running all over the place out there that morning. As I was headed east on a road I had just turned onto a few hundred yards back, I came to a slight rise in the road, doing mid 20's in second gear of 5 (2002 Mitsubitsi Eclipse) and perceived "something ahead" which instinctively caused me to hit the high beams. (less than 2 month old GE replacement bulbs... not the $40 premium ones, the next step down you can get at Walmart) At the point of perception, our measurements put me around 150' from the 'object'. By the time I hit the highs and fully picked up on the 'object', I had closed my distance down to around 75 to 90 feet. At THAT moment, I completely freaked out and became highly excited and emotional as I watched a tall, lean, very black, around 6 1/2 foot tall sasquatch coming out of the ditch, completely in profile, never looked toward me (that I can remember), took at least 2 or 3 long fast steps with arms fully down at it's side swinging in sync to the rate of speed it was "fast walking"... and then moved off south between a planted field of smaller pines (west) and a grove of hardwood trees (east) thru a variably sized corridor running to the south. It obviously disappeared from my sight as I became parallel to the point it was, as I DID NOT slow down at all, and IF my memory serves me, I likely stepped on the gas. At that point, I just fully floored it when the "fight or flight" impulse kicked in, and I 'fleed'. I was alone, and it scared me. The next couple minutes I was driving like a nut and got back to the campsite about .8 or .9 miles off the road whose drive was about 1/2 to a little more miles down the east of the sighting.

So, that's what happened, and I really don't want to talk about it here... OK? What I'm wanting to know is, from all you other "sightees"... did it create in YOU any real emotional baggage? A sense of internal un-resolution? I've had some really odd conflicted feelings this last week, and I'm just wondering how others have delt with having a sighting. It was SO spontaneous, so UNplanned... I had no time to react in a rational way. I had a video camera beside me turned "on" but not running (thank God) or you'd hear a 47 year old man screaming like a little child.

Part of me needs to talk about it some... part of me just wants to let it go for now. I have a 'snapshot' in my mind of 'it'... but I can't give you any detailed description. I have a little video clip in my mind that I can play over and over, but when I do, I know I'm missing pieces to it. It really creates frustrating feelings in me to try and relive it, at least for now it does. I always said I didn't want to see one at night, and I didn't want to be alone when it happened. Both of those came true. Sheeeesh.

So.... how did YOU deal with your sighting? How long did it take to 'own' your event and move past it? Does it still bring back strong feelings LONG after it's happened?

Got Baggage? I do for now. Anyone WANT IT?! LoL


I know... I'm lucky. I got to see one, and there's not a single ounce of reservation or doubt about it. But dang... now what?

Chime in if you feel you can.

Thanks.

[Susan]

I've only got one question, Mike......

The definition of the word "fleed"; does that mean fled and peed at the same time? Cause that's exactly what I'd be doing! I can't really answer your questions because I haven't had a sighting myself. I do sympathize with you, however..... and I'd love to hear the audio of you screaming like a little child.

All joking aside, take care, bud.....

[Stacy Flowers]

I was awake in camp when Mike got back, and if I keep replaying that in my own head, and my own little image of his sighting over and over (we went back out on the roads 5 minutes after he got back and told us what happened), I can only imagine how it must be driving him nuts!

[Bitter Monk]

I have something to contribute to this but it's going to have to wait till tomorrow when I can devote enough time to it. Suffice it to say I have a hard time believing anyone could have a real encounter and walk away from it unchanged.

[Arm Chair Squatc...]

It makes sense that if the event was traumatic for you that you may have lasting effects from it. It may seem strange to talk about post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) in the same sentence as sasquatch, but it makes perfect sense to me. In fact, I've often thought that people who have encounters are at risk for PTSD, though I've never heard anyone report it. Its certainly possible they don't seek help because of fear of ridicule. I had a professor once that described PTSD as "a normal reaction to an abnormal situation". Seeing a sasquatch is certainly an abnormal situation, and becoming scared and having long term unresolved emotions about the event seems a normal reaction. I think talking to others who have experienced some of these same feelings is a very good start in processing these feelings. If you do start experiencing PTSD symptoms, such as nightmares, flashbacks, panic attacks, etc., then I hope you have no reservation in seeking help, as there are some really good therapies out there to deal with this phenomenon.

[Ty]

Got Baggage? I do for now. Anyone WANT IT?! LoL

Sure, I'll take it....LOL

All I can say is, from my personal perspective of your integrity and the crew you are associated with, is wow.

[Bitter Monk]

When I had my sighting in Georgia I experienced several symptoms that I've since learned are consistent with combat or critical incident stress. Some of these didn't immediately manifest and some I didn't become consciously aware of until later when I was looking back on the events.

During the sighting I experienced tunnel vision, vividness, and time dilation. Even though I was in camp with three other people the only thing I remember being conscious of was the tree line immediately in front of me and the area I was scanning. They could have all been singing YMCA naked and I wouldn't have had a clue even though they were only about 15 to 20 feet away from me. I remember everything seemed incredibly sharp and in focus and my eyes seemed to notice ever single twitch of the grass and leaves. It was like I was watching a normal television that suddenly switched to HD. As far as the time dilation, time didn't seem to move any slower or faster, but when I finally gave up on seeing it again and turned my attention back to camp it seemed like a much bigger chunk of time had passed than had actually gone by. Over the course of that night and the next day I found myself being hyper-vigilant to every sound and motion around me. I wasn't tense or jumpy though. In fact I felt a strong sense of calm and confidence.

I told my wife the very same night about the sighting but it was three days before I mentioned it to anyone. In the days following the sighting I felt very disconnected. As sharp and in focus as the sighting was the following days seemed to just blur together. I had a hard time focusing on anything but reliving the sighting in my head. Since that time I haven't experienced any symptoms of PTSD despite the symptoms of combat stress I experienced. If anything that sighting has spurred me on, and I've spent many days and nights since then alone or in small groups in the woods.

[Smokebender]

Mike, I wish I could reply to your question. I also wish I were a member of your group. Good luck to all of you. I look forward to learning more someday when you all are able to share it.

[Wildman]

OMG, nobody has said it yet.

*sigh* Ok, I'll do it.

Bullsh!t.

[bartlojays]

Mike- Let me ask you, could this illusion of a hairy apeman running around Mich been brought on by the combination of tiredness, seeing what you want to see & hallucinatory visions. Afterall, what's more realistic? That undiscovered hirsute bipeds exist here in NA or all the factors I mentioned above at 3am, could've made you misinterpret that brief encounter with that skinny bear enough to publicly share it? It's OK, Mike I've heard about other guys on some forums who hallucinate demons and think it's totally normal & rational...... LOL.


All joking aside, congrats Mikey!

Well, no surprise considering the almost parallel timing of both our sightings and daughters' births, but I would echo many of Sam's thoughts instead of rehashing them. I know we're all affected differently and our experiences are all unique, but here's a few thoughts for you Mikey that may or may not be beneficial.

I know the "realization" feeling you're experiencing--- "knowing," as opposed to "wondering," debating with yourself/others & maybe "believing," for so long.... it's very strange, odd and unfamiliar in nature & definitely uncharted territory. Makes you go wow, with all this crap and bad evidence over the years, it really muddied the waters, but bottom-line... those undocumented "fish" do in fact live in it afterall and now you "know."

One feeling/thought I'll never forget while my encounter was happening towards the end (and I had what could be considered a lengthy encounter at around 2+ minutes) is "most people don't know or believe this is real, and there it is.... right there in front of me." That's a damn weird realization feeling that feels like hormones, adrenalin & brain chemicals are all being released at once if that makes any sense.

I'm really happy for you & can vouch for your saneness due to your political "leanings" And I think you'll agree, people are going to absolutely shit when they eventually see what these things look like.
There's nothing to be ashamed, apologetic or embarrassed about (in case those thoughts permeated a bit) and I'm glad you shared it and hope that it lights a fire under you as it has me. I doubt you ever took a night off in the field or took being out with the Mich gang for granted, but if you have, I promise you never will again and now "know" that any second out there not being aware is a chance to miss a once in a lifetime opportunity. The only bad thing for me is that now I need to remind myself constantly not to "press" while out in the field by pushing it & not sleeping and I forget sometimes that I do this because I enjoy it & my partners (also hard because of ease of access to such critical visual tools), not because I need to be the one to go prove to the world what I've experienced (although it'd be nice, LOL).

Oh and I almost forgot....I'll be curious to ask you in a year (right now it's to fresh) if like me, you remember every unimportant, minute detail from that whole day and night even if though those details had absolutely nothing to do with the sighting.

[Jim Flowers]

OMG, nobody has said it yet.

*sigh* Ok, I'll do it.

Bullsh!t.

I can't say it. After all, I was there.


Ummm.. I mean no..... I was sitting here again for the millionth straight time in my "armchair" . And definitely wasn't up there this part weekend or the rest of the weekend looking for tracks or any other signs of where Mikey said the thing was . That would be sully wouldn't it? And give "armchair " researchers everywhere a bad name.

[GuyInIndiana]

OMG, nobody has said it yet.

*sigh* Ok, I'll do it.

Bullsh!t.

DANG! Tough crowd. Tough crowd.

[Stacy Flowers]

Mike, what if we took a series of, say, 3 daytime photos--starting from the spot where you first hit your brights, then two more, and then have Paul or Pat draw what you saw at each spot into them?

[Bitter Monk]

I think that's an awesome idea Stacy. Pat did that for me after my sighting in Georgia and it really helped.

[Jay]

Mike, I have to say that I'm totally excited for you! But, I remember what it was like right after my sighting and because of that, I feel for you also. The one thing that sticks out in my mind immediately following my sighting, was walking back up the hill trying to get to my ATV. Even though the creature had walked in the opposite direction, and I had sat there for a while, turning my back on that bottom and heading up that hill was one of the hardest things I've ever done. I found out what the "shivers" are and how the hair will stand up on the back of your neck. I wanted to run, but was afraid to. I was afraid to look behind me, but also afraid to keep walking forward. I honestly thought I was going to faint, the blood was pumping and it sounded like a drum beating in my head every time my heart would beat. I was short of breath and broke out in a cold sweat. And yes, I cried like a baby once I finally got the ATV started and had put some distance between me and that hill.

The difference I guess would be that you were out there trying to get evidence and see what you could see, where I had never even given this animal a second thought in all the years I'd been in the woods, alone or with others. In other words, it was a total shock to my system and it put me in shut down mode for quite a while. Not that one experience is any less traumatic than the other, but I didn't handle it well at all. I didn't go back into the woods, even though it was in the middle of deer season, for the rest of the year. I had the added trauma of having to come up with excuses for the other members of the deer camp when they would ask me why I was staying home rather than hunting every day like I always had. I finally made myself go back, and even went back to the location, but I wouldn't go alone. Even after going back out, I can remember sitting in my office with the shades pulled down, the lights off and scared at every sound and every movement from outside. It was awful! Finding the people on the internet that I could talk to about it, IMO, is what saved me and helped me get over the trauma of the sighting. Even now, I'm more aware of my surroundings any time I'm out there, but thankfully, I'm not afraid any longer.

Everything about the sighting is clearer to me now, at least that's the way it feels. I can still visualize every step, every movement, every second and remember every heartbeat. I really don't think this is something that will fade with time, it will only get more clear as you get over the shock of what you saw. That's my take on it anyway.

And NO I wasn't having a dream or a hallucinatory vision!




This post has been edited by Jay: Jul 13 2009, 03:48 PM

[Nightwing]

I was also there when Mike got back(and was there for the events that night that prompted Mike to head out on the road in the first place).
His condition upon leaving was anything but tire or "looking for a sighting", and Mike is certainly not prone to hallucinating a sighting(trust me on this also....if that were the case, given some of the thing's he's already experiences...we would know!)
When Mike saw the Sasquatch(I'll dispense with the "alleged" in this case...trust me, I am confident in that dispensary action), I think that it just was a complete emotional system shock.
When it happens with sufficient clarity to be a yes instead of a maybe...it just shocks you to the core.
Trust me on that one also, as to a degree, I know exactly how he felt that night.

[Sean]

I was very jumpy after my encounter, and it stayed that way for a while (about a year or so).

Whenever I was out camping, I was sure that every sound I heard in the woods at night was a sasquatch attempting to sneak up on me. I can recall laying in my tent at night, hugging a loaded & cocked rifle waiting for "it" to attack my tent. I was seeing "monsters" behind every tree & under every bush.

I finally realized that I was being stupid acting like this, and just started to check things out. A young grizzly bear was the worst of the lot that made a night time visit to my camp, and it fled as soon as I stood up.

Looking back, I feel extremely foolish for acting that way. But at the time, I was convinced that was what was happening.

[Drew]

GUY IN INDIANA

I am not trying to be a jerk, I am talking from experience, because everyday I have to remind myself that what I at one time thought was a sighting, was probably a sleep-hallucination or a dream. Which is difficult, because of two things- 1. At the time it seemed so frikkin real (real enough to waste someone else's time to come out and check it out) and 2. The thought that people would think I'm a freak because I hallucinated this.

I think this percieved stigma about hallucinations (i.e. People will think I'm nuts if they find out I hallucinated) is the most difficult thing to overcome. I think this stigma also leads to our brain telling us to deal with it by making a conscious decision that it was REAL. In other words, "I CAN'T BE HALLUCINATING THIS, THAT IS FOR CRAZY PEOPLE, THEREFORE IT IS REAL"

Remember I'm speaking from experience, and I think that this stigma is the most difficult part of "Seeing" bigfoot.



This post has been edited by Drew: Jul 14 2009, 07:26 AM

[Jim Flowers]

I think you're missing the point Drew.

One: Since it was Stacy and I who checked out your report. I don't beleive either of us considered it a waste of time.

And two: Mike wasn't asleep or even close to it, it would have had to have been a mass hallucination that affected us all who were there ( albeit some of us were asleep at the time ) and we also have other "evidence" as to something happening when and where Mike said it was, that we were able to follow up with and check out the exact spot where he said it happened the withing 5 minutes of his returning to camp as well as the next day.

So did all of us hallucinate? Unlikely. And a very poor excuse to try and explain what happened that night.

Three: It's fine to be skeptical. Most of us are because we have to be and have learned to be extremely skeptical of most claims and alleged sightings due to hoaxes and poorly handled reports by so called investigators, but this wasn't one of them. Skepticism itself has to be handled in a logical manner based on circumstances and who was involved in the sighting or subsequent investigation otherwise none of us should even bother looking right?


Four: I wasn't even going to bring it up originally, but since some of us are coming clean with what we've seen or heard I have now possibly seen it not once, but twice through night vision. The closest was at about 50 yards and the second time at about 125 yards. Both times there is also other 'evidence" to back it up. I remain skeptical since it was dark but the fact remains that given the possibilities of a hoax ( I'm confident in the 99 percentile that we would have caught someone by now if this were the case) what remains is a real animal. Take it or leave it, but at times your skeptical arguments as to the facts of the matter border on ridiculousness IMO.

[Pat B.]

I'm a member of the Michigan team. Mike has been my field partner on many occasions when we have had incidents happen. He's sharp, has great judgement, and keeps his whits about him. If he said he had a sighting, I KNOW he had a sighting.

Congratulations, Mikey!