Patterson/Gimlin Bigfoot

Over at Cryptomundo, Loren Coleman weighed in on the latest updates on “Mr. Mike” and the whole “Backyard Bigfoot” incident. His post has gained some attention in the Cryptozoology community. What I found to be reasonable, many have found to be rude. What I found to be truthful, others think is just jealousy.

In Coleman’s post, he reiterates that being a “critical thinker” does not mean being “close-minded”. Something that the editors here at GhostTheory have defended since the start of this blog. So when Loren Coleman decided to heavily critique Sharon Lee’s post at Cryptomundo (which has since been removed by her ) things got a little personal.

I’m afraid in a recent blog posting here at Cryptomundo, the writer has confused “close-mindedness” with “critical thinking.” Ms. Sharon Lee writes, regarding Mr. Mike, that she wants “you to open your mind and listen to a story.”

First off, what comes from Lan Lamphere, a known sensationalistic radio host is, she is correct, usually a “story,” indeed. Whether it is about Obama not having an American birth certificate, Lamphere’s version of the truth on 9/11, or reports from a clearly psychologically troubled individual like Mr. Mike seeing Bigfoot (a/k/a Ms. Lee’s “bigfoots”). As Ms. Lee notes, “Mr. Mike is being taken care of.”

“Opening one’s mind,” however, should never be translated into “believing.”

Ms. Lee appears to have confused “open-mindedness” with the total, uncritical acceptance of anything presented as having something to do with a sighting of a Bigfoot, as reported by Lan Lamphere as an alleged “capture” and/or “breaking news.”

After telling her story, Ms. Lee then says “You are now free to close your minds. Thank you for your time.”

To be “close-minded” means you are “not ready to receive new ideas.” Someone that fails to view a different point of view in a comparative fashion is closed minded. A close-minded individual believes in something or in someone without considering various sides of an issue or the evidence.

To be able to do some critical thinking is to have thoughts outside of the box. Critical thinking allows a person to attempt to understand both sides of an argument more fully, no matter which side they support. Thinking for yourself and having a clearer understanding of the main attributes for a variety of points of view are tenets of critical thinking.     -Loren Coleman, Cryptomundo

It’s fair to say that this was kind of a harsh critique of someone’s blog post. Then I read Sharon Lee’s post:

I want you to open your mind and listen to a story.

Throw away the notion, just this one time, that you are omnipotent.  Allow yourself to wonder  and speculate without making hasty judgment.

I am about to tell you a story.  The incidents have been retold to me, as Lan Lamphere had told to him.

Could Lan have been lied to?  Could I have been lied to? Could you have been lied to?  We don’t know.  We probably won’t know for awhile.

A couple of weeks ago, a story was reported that a man was seeing bigfoots in his back yard.  Next to the freeway.  In the middle of town.  Well, it wouldn’t be the first story about a bigfoot in someone’s backyard.  Or by the freeway.  Or running through town.

At this time I am told that Mr. Mike is not crazy.  Mr. Mike is being taken care of.  Mr. Mike is not being taken advantage of.   Mr. Mike is seeing things.  Mr. Mike is being observed by professionals.  Scientists who research the paranormal.

The History channel film crew is into the second week of filming, and they are baffled as to what is occurring. The evidence they are capturing is extraordinarily mind blowing and unexplainable.  They are having spikes of activity on their FLIR thermal imagers.  They see nothing with their naked eye.  But at the same time the heat images appear on the FLIR, Mr. Mike sees them.

Bigfoots.

Does Mr. Mike have a gift?  Is he seeing spirits?  Do the bigfoots have powers to travel within another dimension;  a world where very few have access to?

If you believe in ghosts, UFO’s, *UHO’s or the paranormal, even just a little…then there is no reason why you couldn’t consider this possibility.

Mr. Mike is a living, breathing, sane human being.  Mr. Mike has a gift.

You are now free to close your minds.  Thank you for your time.    – Sharon Lee, The Bigfoot Field Reporter

I’ve always been turned-off by theories that cryptozoological creatures can be “from another dimension”. I’ve entertained the idea in my head a few times, but not without rolling my eyes. Sharon’s ‘Twilight Zone’ type post can be construed as detrimental in critical thinking and scientific inquiry.

I don’t know what the hell is going on with “Mr. Mike” and all the drama that Lam lamphere’s show created, but I think this is getting out of control. Why are people questioning if “Mr. Mike” has the abilities to see ghosts now? Now I learn that the History Channel is involved in this, and has been for the last two weeks???  Has this been verified?

“The History channel film crew is into the second week of filming, and they are baffled as to what is occurring. The evidence they are capturing is extraordinarily mind blowing and unexplainable.  They are having spikes of activity on their FLIR thermal imagers.  They see nothing with their naked eye.  But at the same time the heat images appear on the FLIR, Mr. Mike sees them.”

Or was this just part of Sharon Lee’s ‘Twilight Zone’ story?

I don’t know what is going on with “Mr. Mike” or Loren Coleman’s future over at Cryptomundo (heard he was unhappy with changes on the editorial side), but I know that this is getting ugly between Bigfoot researchers. Not to mention confusing.

I’m going to go watch Lindsay Lohan get thrown in jail. If that’s not critical thinking at its finest, at least there’s a happy ending in that.