Mysterious Universe

Could ancient civilizations have harnessed the power of the atom? What about advanced aircraft capable of out-maneuvering our best jet-propelled planes? What if this civilization existed thousands of years ago? It doesn’t really sound possible, does it? But the truth is that, while we can’t be certain that any such civilization did ever exist, there are a startling number of references in documents dating back to ancient times, as well as the occasional appearance of artifacts that seem chronologically “out of place,” pointing to far more advanced engineering concepts that may have existed in our prehistory than most are willing to consider.

For instance, when one begins to look at some of the passages contained within the ancient Vedic epics of India, there are a number of rather odd things that tend to appear, especially for those of us interested in UFOs and anti-gravity. Reports of flying craft called vimanas are not just mentioned casually; in fact, epics like the Sanskrit Mahabharata seem to impart even more concrete details which, remarkably, may pertain to the methods of propulsion these strange craft could have used.

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In the same way that the enigma of Jack the Ripper haunts Great Briton to this day it can be argued that one of the most intriguing unsolved mysteries in the history of the United States is the identity of a shadowy character who stalked the residents of the rural town of Mattoon, Illinois, Infecting their homes with a putrid vapor before disappearing with nary a trace. This nefarious figure came to be dubbed the “Mad Gasser of Mattoon,” but while this villain is far and away the most famous, “he” was not the only — or, for that matter, first — so-called Mad Gasser to invade American homes!

The oft told tale of the Mad Gasser of Mattoon — also known as the “Mad Anesthetic” — began (aptly enough) in the small town of Mattoon, Illinois in 1944. Between the dates of August 31st and September 13th, a thin, black clad assailant would spread a reign of terror with a series of unprovoked and invasive “gas attacks.” Although police and FBI agents attempted to dismiss the whole thing as a classic case of mass hysteria, the evidence supports the reality that during those weeks in 1944, an unidentified person (or persons) managed to infiltrate the homes of local citizenry with an unknown gaseous substance, which rendered — through means as yet unidentified — the occupants incapacitated or violently ill.

Since 1944 debates have raged as to the true identity of this mysterious marauder. Some have speculated that the Mad Gasser was a crazed scientist, while others suggest it was a government agent testing a new aerosol based weapon.

Still others have theorized that he might be a deranged WWI veteran, scarred by the horrifically vicious gas attacks that claimed so many in the trenches. A few believe it was the work of crafty juvenile delinquents with a chemistry set and too much time on their hands and fewer still insist that he was nothing less than an extraterrestrial performing some sort of strange experiment on its human subjects.

Whatever the origin of this enigmatic entity might be, the facts surrounding the bizarre and terrifying series of events in Mattoon have been chronicled ad infinitum, but as infamous as this incident has become, less well known is the fact that two additional — equally insidious — gassers were seen lurking around Florida and Virginia over 10 years before the harrowing events that sent Mattoon into a tizzy.

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It’s the second last Plus+ episode of Season 3 and we’ve made it a good one!

We start off by taking a look at the failed Bigfoot “proof” press conference, discover a Reptilian romantic encounter and learn about death meditation.

Show notes and music after the jump.

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For those of us that engage in research, studies, investigations and writing in the realm of what broadly passes for Forteana – Ufology, Cryptozoology, ghost-hunting and much more – it’s a pursuit that can be as mentally stimulating as it can be enlightening, challenging, and thought-provoking. But, there’s an undeniable dark and disturbing downside to all this, too. Namely, that on not-infrequent occasions the phenomena seem to get their icy grips into the researcher, to the point where the relevant paranormal interests of the person in question mutate into full-blown unhealthy obsessions. Think I’m wrong? I suggest you read on…

In terms of UFOs, one only has to look at the weird, and somewhat tragic, case of Albert Bender. Arguably the one man who, more than any other, ushered in the era of the Men in Black, Bender, in the early-1950s, claimed an ominous visit from three black-garbed entities who essentially scared the you-know-what out of him, and led him to quit UFO research, never to return. At least, that is, aside from a brief resurfacing in the early 1960s, when Bender penned his own MIB-themed book, Flying Saucers and the Three Men.

Bender’s is an odd and disturbing story that I tell in my own The Real Men in Black book. But, what stands out about Bender is how his involvement in Ufology began to adversely affect his psychological state. Bender’s writings make it clear that, the more he delved into the UFO phenomenon, the more and more paranoid he became. He suspected unearthly entities were secretly watching him, that his precious UFO files had been clandestinely scanned by enigmatic entities, and that he was putting himself in great danger by following the path of a UFO investigator. Little wonder then, he finally left the scene forever, pummeled by anxiety, head-splitting migraines, hypochondria, paranoia and fears that “they” were hot on his trail.

Well, maybe “they” were indeed watching Bender. But, the mere fact that this possibility had such a devastating effect on the man is a sure sign of what can befall those who dare to enter the somewhat hazardous realm of Ufology. Very few give much thought to how deeply engrossing oneself in such a strange realm can so negatively affect them. Until it’s all far, far too late, of course, and the psychological damage is well and truly done.

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UPSTATE NY, USA – A long time MU Plus member of the Australian based podcast Mysterious Universe recently shared with his wife a tweet showing an image of a long lost Bigfoot board game. SG’s [redacted] wife secretly tracked down the discontinued board game, and surprised him on Father’s Day with the gift.

“I was so impressed that the hosts dug up this image,” recalled SG. “I happened to show my wife the image and we had a good laugh…a few weeks later I was surprised over Father’s Day breakfast as she had magically tracked one down.”

Experts believe bigfoot (aka Sasquatch) to be a fearsome 7 to 8 foot creature, that eludes mankind by living deep in forests throughout the world.

However, this board game portrays the beast as a sweet-smiling puffball who inappropriately touches tiny, unsuspecting children.

After ripping the packaging off, the family of five decided to play. That is where the fun ended.

“A plastic Bigfoot is moved around the board, effectively pooping out chips from his backside,” explains SG. “Then, with no rhyme or reason, players are encouraged to roll a set of dice and move aimlessly around the board…it made no sense.”

SG explains that after 2 minutes, his teenagers showed signs of agitation, a drastic loss of attention (began texting), and left the table abruptly.

“It’s bad enough keeping my name out of the press for a sighting,” explained SG. “But playing the game is completely humiliating…I can never let anyone in my life know about this. My Father’s Day was ruined. It’s hard enough to get my kids together for a meal these days…thanks alot Bigfoot you F*****!”

The Milton Bradley Company has declined comment, pending further investigation into the matter.

[Thanks Steve]

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Steve Volk joins us to talk about his new book Fringe-ology and share his experience of “Explaining the Unexplainable”. Volk takes us through a wide spectrum of the paranormal from NDEs to Lucid Dreaming, and manages to bring a refreshingly honest and skeptical, yet open minded perspective to the table.

We also manage to squeeze in RFID conspiracies, treppenation, and black eyed astral encounters.

Read on for show notes, music, and Fringe-ology.

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Robert Dean, a long-time figure within the field of research into all things flying and saucer-shaped, maintains that while working with the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) in the 1960s, he learned that NATO had conducted a secret study of the UFO issue. More controversially, Dean says that part of the study demonstrated that, at the time in question, NATO had come to the conclusion that we had four different civilizations – cultures, intelligences, if you will – that were present here on Earth and that were secretly visiting us and even interacting with us.

One of the most interesting conclusions of the report, and which struck a particularly strong chord with Dean, was that one of the groups – of the civilizations or cultures that were here on this planet – was identical with us; or rather, that we were identical with them. And that startling revelation, added Dean, made a vast and profound impression on the people involved in the investigations.

In 1994, Dean gave a lecture before an audience at the Civic Theater, Leeds, England, during which he elaborated upon his knowledge of the human-like aliens said to be present in our very own environment. Dean revealed that so similar to us was at least one race of extraterrestrial that “they could sit next to you in an airplane or in a restaurant in a coat and tie or a dress and you would never know. They could be sitting next to you in a theater like this.”

Most alarming of all, however, were the ramifications that all of the above reportedly caused amongst the highest echelons of NATO. “Back in 1964,” stated Dean, “this was a matter of great concern to the admirals and generals at SHAPE Headquarters in Paris. Some of the discussions which went on in the War Room were kind of frightening and some of them were rather amusing. One officer said: ‘My God, man, do you realize that these [aliens] could be walking up and down the corridors of SHAPE Headquarters and we wouldn’t even know who the hell they were?’”

Robert Dean is not alone in making such amazing claims; and neither are they confined to the heart of NATO.

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