Category Archives: paranormal

My Exclusive Interview with Bigfoot

As I have delved further and further into the paranormal I’ve developed a legion of secretive contacts who know things that “normal” people don’t know. That is how I landed this exclusive interview with Bigfoot.

Me: Hello Mr. Foot and thank you for your time. Do you prefer to be called Bigfoot, Mr. Foot, or Sasquatch?

Bigfoot: Thanks for asking. You can call me Larry. I’m so over the Bigfoot thing. Would you want me repeatedly just referring to you as “human” throughout the interview? You know I’m not the only one, right? And by the way, Sasquatch is my Canadian cousin. He prefers to be called Mr. Squatch. He thinks it’s more dignified. At Thanksgiving he pulled that Mr. Squatch routine at dinner and I was like “Give me an effing break. You’re basically a talking bear that shits in the woods. Get over yourself!”

Me: I hope you’ll forgive me for this next question, but I know the audience will want to know. How big are your feet?

Larry (Bigfoot): I’m glad you asked. I feel like my whole race has been stereotyped. Yes, I do have size 12 feet, but not everyone of us is the same. My cousin “Mr. Squatch” (he used finger quotes and a sarcastic tone) says he’s a size 12 but he’s really only an 8 1/2. I know this for a fact and you know that old belief about shoe sizes? If someone catches him on a trail cam, take a look. He actually stomps around in the woods in Saskatchewan with big tennis racquet like things strapped to his feet so he can leave big tracks.

Larry said, “I love this picture. Me & Elvis got it done by a sketch artist on the Jersey shore about eight years ago.

Me: So Larry, why do all of you live in the woods? You’re very well spoken, why not live amongst the humans?

Larry (with his eyes rolling, he throws his hands up in the air) “Are you kidding me? Have you met humans?”

Me: That’s a point well taken my friend. I’ve got another question that has frustrated humans all over the world. Why can’t anyone ever get a good picture of you?

Larry: You know, I’ve always wondered that too. Either people get so effing nervous when they see one of us that they nearly pee their pants, or we’ve just been lucky and ran into some really shitty photographers. Why the hell doesn’t Annie Leibowitz hit me up for a portrait? I’d sit for that. Annie, this is me giving you a shout out. Hit me up on the socials and we’ll get this done once and for all.

A very typically blurry Bigfoot picture

Me: Thanks again Mr. Foot, er, I mean Larry. I appreciate your time and candor. You’ve been a wonderful guest and you’re welcome back any time.

Larry Bigfoot: Thank you Phil. I appreciate you wanting to see the other side of us. (Then he leans over and in a low tone…) Hey Phil, if you ever get Taylor Swift in for an interview, can I join that? She’s already dating a sasquatch, but I think I might be a nice upgrade for her. 

That was his walk-off and with a wink and finger guns he strode confidently into the woods and disappeared. Don’t worry Taylor, if you want an interview, me and Larry will be here waiting for you. Just don’t bring that Kelce clown.

Thanks for reading and have a great Sunday! ~Phil

“Time Keeps on Slippin’ Slippin’ Slippin’ Into The Future”

Pic from Medium. Thanks to The Steve Miller Band for the perfect title! 

Another paranormal topic, and one which doesn’t get a lot of publicity outside of the quantum physics crowd, is time slips and anomalies.

Time is an enigmatic force that has governed our existence and intrigued humanity for centuries. As we navigate the intricacies of the temporal dimension, tales of time slips and anomalies have permeated cultures worldwide. These captivating phenomena challenge our understanding of reality and ignite the imagination. Physicists and paranormal theorists are seeking to unravel the secrets that lie beyond the ticking of the clock.

Time slips refer to instances when individuals seemingly travel through time, experiencing periods of the past or future while remaining physically present in their current timeline. These episodes are described as briefly seeing a door opened to a scene in the past or future. Those that experience these incidents report feeling disoriented, leaving them questioning the nature of reality. Although skeptics dismiss these accounts as mere fabrications or psychological phenomena, the sheer volume of reported incidents across different cultures and historical periods raises intriguing questions.

The Great IKEA Time Slip: In 1969, a Swedish man named Håkan Nordkvist reported a time slip while on a road trip. He described driving through an old-fashioned landscape, complete with horse-drawn carriages and people dressed in clothing from the early 20th century. Nordkvist’s experience, like many others, raises questions about the nature of time and the possibility of accidental temporal displacement, or maybe he just got lost in a very realistic IKEA display. Haven’t we all done that?

While the concept of time slips seems fantastical, some theories within the realm of physics entertain the idea of temporal anomalies. Einstein’s theory of relativity posits that time is relative and can be influenced by factors such as gravity and velocity. Theoretical physicists explore the possibility of wormholes—hypothetical tunnels in spacetime that could connect different points in time and space. While these theories remain speculative, they provide a scientific framework for understanding the potential existence of temporal anomalies.

Alien abduction is fun!

Click here to read my blog post of investigating Thompson Park in Watertown, New York, where I went in seeking to find an alleged time slip or wormhole present there.

Parallel Universes and Multiverse Theory: Another intriguing avenue of exploration involves the concept of parallel universes and the multiverse theory. (It’s not just a Marvel movie idea.)  According to this idea, multiple universes exist simultaneously, each with its own set of physical laws and timelines. Proponents of the multiverse theory suggest that time slips could be glimpses into alternate realities, where past, present, and future coexist in a complex tapestry of existence.

The Shrek Time Slip (2022)  In the summer of 2022, a group of friends visiting a historic Scottish castle reported a perplexing time slip experience.

As they explored the castle grounds, they suddenly found themselves surrounded by a bustling medieval village. The air was filled with the sounds of blacksmiths at work, market vendors haggling, and the distant hum of activity. Astonishingly, the modern structures of the Scottish castle had transformed into their ancient counterparts. The group, bewildered yet intrigued, interacted with the medieval inhabitants before abruptly returning to the present. The incident left the friends questioning the nature of time and the thin veil that separates different epochs.

Beyond time slips, other time anomalies challenge our understanding of time. Instances of time dilation, where time appears to pass at different rates for different observers, have been observed in high-speed travel and near gravitational fields. These phenomena, predicted by Einstein’s theory of relativity, highlight the fluid and dynamic nature of time.

Pic by Salvador Dali

As we navigate the river of time, the mysteries of time slips and anomalies beckon us to reconsider our perception of reality. Whether rooted in the fabric of scientific theory or nestled within the pages of historical accounts, these enigmatic phenomena invite us to ponder the limitless possibilities that lie beyond the ticking of the clock. As we continue to unravel the secrets of time, the journey into the unknown promises to be as captivating as the mysteries that await us in the ever-shifting currents of temporal existence.

Sorry, but I have to do this. If you like time travel fiction, look up my novel Time to Lie on Amazon, available in paperback and for Kindle.

Have a great Monday and thanks for reading! ~Phil

Are We In The Matrix?

Don’t laugh. There are people out there who seriously believe that every one of us and our whole existence a technological simulation. There’s a new documentary movie, Code 12,  that explores and advocates that theory.

It’s not just this one movie though. There are scientists and others who say that repeating patterns, numbers and codes that have existed for thousands of years, and continue to repeat themselves over and over across cultures, structures, and languages prove that we are living in a matrix, or simulation.

I just watched the Code 12 movie while writing this. I admit that I went into it biased against the Matrix Theory. As you know from reading my posts over the last few years, I’m open to the possibility of most paranormal things. For some reason though, this theory gives me a very visceral feeling in my gut. It’s a literal physical feeling I get when I consider this possibility. I don’t like it. It kind of makes me want to punch the matrix theorists.

Is this what I look like to the overlords who are controlling my character in the matrix?

Is it possible that my gut reaction is because I’ve been programmed by the controllers of this simulation to reject any notion of a false reality? Kind of like in a video game when your character isn’t allowed to have certain powers or access certain skills until you have leveled up?

Another theory falls back on religion. In Hinduism your physical body dies and your spirit returns in another body to try again to attain self-knowledge. Reincarnation. How is that different than your game (matrix) player dying and then you bring him or her back to try again to reach a higher level? Is that what’s happening to us?

I find the whole matrix/simulation theory ridiculous. If this is a computer or technological simulation, then who programmed it? If there is a head programmer who is running this game, then how is that different that the theory of an all-knowing God?

I think the matrix/simulation theory is just a modern techno way to frame our belief about life and death. It’s the same kind of ideas but with different labels.

Sadly though, I’m still hoping I get to wear a bad ass black trench coat at some point. And if we are in the Matrix, would the Matrix allow me to publish a column questioning the existence of the Matrix? If this post disappears suddenly, I’ll know why.

Was this the weirdest Phil Factor post ever? Even as a post about a paranormal subject, I find it very weird. What do you think about the Matrix theory?

Have a great Wednesday! I promise that I’ll be more Christmassy in my next post. Thanks for reading! ~Phil

A New-ish Paranormal Creature? The Fresno Night Crawlers

The Loch Ness Monster, Bigfoot, and the Mothman have all been around for more than 50 years. They are the OGs of the cryptid community. (Btw, does it sound pretentious using the word ‘cryptid‘ instead of “paranormal creature” or “weird ass thing someone caught on their outdoor security cam“?) Anywho, over the past 20 years or so a new creature has popped up that has the paranormal community talking.

These creatures, that look like a ghostly 3-7 foot tall walking pair of pants, have been appearing in various locations sporadically over the last 19 years. Unfortunately, they are not Hammer pants. Those were scary in a different way.

MC Hammer and his pants. It can’t be confirmed that they don’t walk on their own.

The first sighting of this kind of being was initially reported in 2004 in Indiana. It was only a witness report with no footage. The first incident with film occurred in the Fresno, California area in 2007. The original footage was from a guy taking video on his cell phone of the little indoor screen connected to his outside security camera. It’s very poor, and almost impossible to get a decent look at the creature.

The following, in the video below, is better footage from a Yosemite Park sighting in California and has commentary from paranormal experts.

There are many theories as to their origin. Some believe that they might be aliens. Others think they may be creatures from another dimension. Some theorize that they are a special effects stunt that proliferated because of the internet.

I for one want to believe in these creatures. Thus far they’ve been entirely harmless and appear far less often than UFO’s. There has only been about a half dozen sightings over the last twenty years which leads me to believe that they are either real reclusive nighttime creatures, or they are a hoax that keeps getting copied.

Have you heard of the Fresno Nightcrawlers? What do you think?

Thanks for reading! ~Phil

The Mothman Mythology, Does He Really Predict The Future?

This statue is in Mothman’s “hometown” of Point Pleasant, W.V. Check out those abs! Mothman is ripped!

In May of this year, I featured a lot of paranormal content to celebrate Paranormal Month, which I invented (copyright!). When you think about the paranormal you usually think of ghosts, demons, UFO’s and cryptids like Bigfoot and the Loch Ness Monster.

But have you heard about the Mothman? I had heard of Mothman occasionally when consuming paranormal content, but it wasn’t a big topic. The Mothman never gets paranormal headliner status, except in Ohio, Kentucky and West Virginia. That’s sort of his home region. Despite stories of a winged entity in the Point Pleasant area since the 1920’s, Mothman is still like Bigfoot and the Loch Ness Monster’s little brother, forever in their shadow.

Mothman is an interesting character though because, unlike cryptids, which are usually considered animals that are unusual and difficult to verify, the Mothman (or Mothwomen) are considered to be sentient beings. (Yes, I said Mothmen/women plural. There have been a lot more sightings than people realize.)

The Mothman is often described as being a tall, hairy, winged humanoid being with glowing eyes. Some people have theorized that the Mothman is an alien.

2016 picture of a Mothman flying over Point Pleasant

The Mothman sightings that really captivated the country began in Point Pleasant, West Virginia from Nov. 15 to Dec. 15, 1966. Author John Keel popularized local folklore about the creature with his 1975 book “The Mothman Prophecies.”

Interestingly is that shortly after the Mothman started appearing, so did reports of UFO’s and “Men in Black” (not Will Smith and Tommy Lee Jones). In the documentary The Mothman of Point Pleasant there are several eyewitness accounts of unwanted harassment by the Men In Black.

Some believe The Mothman is a bad omen , only appearing when catastrophe is about to strike. There have been many claims that the winged, red-eyed creature was seen right before the Point Pleasant Silver Bridge collapsed early in 1967. That event took the lives of 46 people.

A great book by author JW Ocker with a chapter on the impact the Mothman has had on Point Pleasant, West Virginia

Over the last 50 years there have been reports of Mothmen or Mothwomen being spotted in Vietnam during the war, in Chernobyl, Russia before the nuclear plant melted down, and even a mothman near the Twin Towers before they were hit. Another was reported in August 2007 when the the bridge collapsed in Minnesota.

More recently, starting in the summer of 2011, reports of Mothman-like flying humanoids have been popping up in the Chicago area. The picture below is a map of where those sightings have occurred around Chicago. That’s a lot of sightings, so it’s definitely is not one or two crackpots reporting their hallucinations.

I find the century long story of the Mothman fascinating. If you look back at history, in every country humans have always reported seeing flying beings. Some were thought to be angels, some aliens, some predators. It’s another of those murky paranormal stories that seems to have enough widespread validation that something different is going on but we just haven’t pinned it down.

If you’re more of a watcher than a reader, there is a documentary titled The Mothman of Point Pleasant on Amazon for free. It’s interesting with some very detailed eyewitness accounts. Also on Amazon is a fictional movie based on what happened in Point Pleasant titled The Mothman Prophecies.  It stars Debra Messing and Richard Gere, who in the 6 degrees of separation game is only one person away from me. I wonder if The Mothman predicted that?

As they say, keep your eyes on the skies! You never know what you might see. What do you think? Are cryptids like Bigfoot or the Loch Ness monster real? Is the Mothman a member of an alien species that visits Earth to warn us of danger? Feel free to leave a comment with your thoughts!

Have a great Wednesday! ~Phil

Please Let It Be Haunted…

Amityville Horror House

You may be asking yourself, what do I want haunted and why? First of all, why are you asking yourself that? You don’t know! I do and I’m going to tell you.

For the fifth time since The Phil Factor began in 2005, I’m moving to a new residence. Other questions you might be asking yourself are as follows:

1. Why does Phil move so much? 

2. Could he be trying to stay one step ahead of the law?

3. Could he possibly be a secret agent for the FBI, CIA, or MI5?

Was that a poltergeist, or just really kick-ass hi-def tv?

Never mind those questions. They are irrelevant. I’m moving again, and I’m hoping for a haunted house. I’m not hoping for just any run of the mill ghosts who make little noises at night. I want the full on Amityville Horror haunting. I want poltergeists out the ying-yang!

My last home, before the one I’m in now, was lightly haunted and it was enjoyable. I don’t want lightly haunted. This time I want the full on Stranger Thingsmy son is in the upside-down” kind of haunting. I want to see my dog walking on the ceiling and not knowing why. I’ll be running around the house with my cell phone recording myself Blair Witch Project style, only to find myself in the closet facing the wall.

Is this bad mojo to put this idea out into the universe? Probably. Will I regret it? Also probably. But, imagine how great all my paranormal blog posts will be when I’m reporting from my own home! I’ll have video and audio, and I promise I won’t be shouting about orbs. Zak Bagans is a clown. After about ten years he suddenly needs gigantic glasses? Did he go blind because he got an orb in his eye? SMH.

For cripes sake Zak. If you’d stop yelling all the time we might be able to hear the ghost talk in those crappy, static recordings. Every week you act like you’ve never seen a ghost before. And if you want to fight me Zak, I invite you to have your say on my blog and if you’ll invite me to follow you on one of your “investigations”, I’ll write about it. Sounds fair, right?

So here’s my question for you my readers: Answer in the comments, would you live in a haunted house, maybe if it was only lightly haunted?

Have a great Sunday and thanks for reading! ~Phil

Are Psychics Real? Uri Geller and I Think So!

Yes, I will continue to use this picture that I created in 2017. See? I knew what you were thinking, because I’m a psychic.

Are psychics real? That’s a big question isn’t it? Many people go to see psychics in a variety of venues for a variety of reasons and a lot of those people report their psychics as being knowledgeable and helpful.

Hmm… I wonder if Uri Geller psychically knows that I’m using his name to attract readers? Probably. Uri, if you’re reading this, I’d love to interview you.

Many “psychics” have made lucrative careers on stage and TV, as well as your local psychic who charges $100/hour for a tarot reading. The question is, do these psychics truly have the ability to read minds, see the past and future, and bend spoons? And, are these psychics qualified to give you advice on important life issues?

I do believe that some people do have legitimate psychic abilities, but that’s probably a much smaller number than the number of people who call themselves psychics.

Picture Courtesy Parade.com

The one group that most people are familiar with is tarot card readers. A person can give a great tarot card reading without being a psychic. Some tarot readers are actually very skilled therapists in how they work with a client through a reading. Some tarot readers are psychic and some are not, but either can be very helpful.

The pictures on the tarot cards are intended to project a general theme that either you or the tarot reader can interpret and expand upon, relating that theme to things in your life. As the tarot reader reveals each card it adds another layer of depth or nuance to the original theme that you or they attached to the first card. Tarot readers are one kind of psychic. There are many others.

Psychic Uri Geller

Another kind of psychic is the reality show/Las Vegas psychic. These type of psychics always make me a little uneasy. Not because I think they are all fakes, but because I think some of them are fakes. The guy in the picture above is psychic Uri Geller, who is best known for bending spoons with his mind. Yes, I believe that he really did that and I really believe that he is a psychic. Why do I believe that? I’m reading a book on his life and he has done so much more than just spoon bending. His life has been so unbelievably crazy that it deserves it’s own post, coming soon after this one. 

Btw Uri, if you’re reading this and know I want to interview you, just send me the answers. I’m sure you already know my questions

In addition to tarot card readings and putting on entertaining stage shows where they channel the spirit and voice of your late Aunt Audrey, psychics have a lot of different ways that their abilities are manifested.

Some can hold an object and tell the history of that particular object. Others have claimed to have the ability to leave their bodies and travel to and observe others. There is what’s called remote viewing, where psychics are able to mentally see what’s going on somewhere else far away. Telepathy, precognition, and telekinesis are some of the topics I’ll be exploring in my next few posts. If there are any other types of psychic phenomena that you’d like to hear more about, just give me a shout in the comments. 

Thanks for reading (my mind) Especially you Uri! ~Phil

My Favorite Paranormal Podcast

To be clear, the podcast is not paranormal. No one is sending it to me psychically. The podcast in question is Greg & Dana’s Haunted Objects Podcast. Over the last several months I have tried several paranormal podcasts. Some are of the “tin hat” type of crowd and others are very knowledgeable and experienced, but the paranormal investigators are not always great broadcasters. Greg, Dana, Connor, and Keelin are anything but boring.

The name of the podcast is misleading. It is about so much more than haunted objects. Greg and Dana are a couple. She’s a self-proclaimed witch and paranormal investigator. He is a paranormal investigator and multi-media producer. Together with their fun loving crew they are producers of some of the most interesting and entertaining paranormal content online, in podcasts, and on TV.

Greg and Dana are also the curators of The Traveling Museum of the Paranormal and Occult. They have an advisory board that includes many of the most experienced and erudite paranormal minds in the business.

On their podcast, they essentially do what I did over the past six weeks with my blog posts, introducing a wide variety of paranormal subjects and exploring the history and science of each different type of paranormal phenomena. They intersperse funny stories from their travels and investigations, and sometimes do experiments to prove or disprove certain phenomena.

The time they went Bigfoot hunting with Jeff Goldblum

Above is a picture from Season 2, episode 5 of Jeff Goldblum’s show The World According to Jeff. That’s the only litmus test that I need. If Jeff Goldblum likes them, then I’m all on board.

If you have a sense of humor, like podcasts and the paranormal, then you need to listen to Greg & Dana’s Haunted Objects podcast.

Also, I would highly recommend that you check out Hellier,  a docuseries on Amazon Prime,  that they produced a few years ago. It follows their several years long paranormal investigation that has some truly bizarre turns. It is so much more fun than those ghost shows.

Also keep your eyes open later this summer for The Unbinding, which chronicles their harrowing experience with a haunted/cursed relic that they discovered in the Catskill region of New York.

 

Hey Greg and Dana, if you ever see this blog post, I’d love to interview you for my blog! Email me Authorphiltaylor@gmail.com or on Twitter @ThePhilFactor

Have a great weekend! ~Phil

What I Did In The Haunted Library

 

As you can see from the pictures, the Ray P. Flower Library in Watertown, New York is a beautiful library inside and out. The library opened in 1905. The funds for the library were donated by Emma Flower Taylor in 1903 as a memorial to her father. Another girl with Daddy issues, am I right? Maybe that explains why these statues are there. Still trying to get daddy’s attention even in the after-life? Emma, when will you ever learn? 

 

I’m here tonight writing this from within the library. (The call is coming from inside the house! Who remembers that line from the movie When a Stranger Calls?)

The ghost of Emma has been spotted by both librarians and others visiting the library. Also, many have reported blood-curdling screams in the basement.  If there wasn’t a security guard and other people here I’d do a whole Blair Witch thing for you right now.

I am sitting in the room in the library that is dedicated to Emma Flower Taylor. My parents were both from this area and I share a surname with Miss Emma Flower Taylor. Could we be related? I have no idea, but it seems likely. 

I spent about 90 minutes hanging around this spectacular library. Sometimes I’d sit in one room or area for a bit and at other times I meandered through the halls and stairwells. Unfortunately, I couldn’t go to the basement. It was roped off.

I even spoke aloud to Emma when no one was around. Nothing. Hoping to provoke a response from her ghost I even did a cartwheel when no one was looking.

Between my cartwheel and my salt & pepper hair, I don’t know how a ghost with daddy issues could ignore me! 

If you’d like to hear some first-person accounts, here’s a video with some of the library staff discussing their experiences with Emma. 

Have a great Thursday, and thanks for reading! ~Phil

 

My Paranormal Investigation of Thompson Park, Watertown, NY

Alien abduction is fun!

So last night I investigated the “interdimensional vortex” in Watertown, NY’s Thompson Park.

Dear Watertown, NY: If you are going to name something after a supernatural phenomena, please get it right. You claim that there’s an “interdimensional vortex” in your park.  Vortex refers to a mass of whirling fluid or air. People disappearing from one spot and ending up in another sounds like stepping into a portal. 

Secondly, if you’re going to have a freaky park located on a road called Gotham Street, why not work in a Batman statue or two? Are you just going to ignore the marketing possibilities of marrying Batman and an interdimensional portal in your park? 

I spent 90 minutes walking around this Batman-less park hoping to accidentally step into a portal that would drop me on the other side of the universe or maybe even just the other side of the park.

At dinner prior to the park, I did have a large glass of water. When will I ever learn? A little while later I was wandering down a trail in the woods of this park and I felt the call of nature. I needed to pee and I was about a mile from the nearest restroom. So, I did what was necessary and I thought to myself, “How cool would it be if I peed into the vortex/portal and on the other side of the universe it landed on some aliens head?”  Sure it might cause an intergalactic war, but also it might be best practical joke ever, right? Then I saw these: Portal potties!

Yes, I was dying to write that joke into this post.

Also, Watertown, NY, if you’ve got one of these towers in your freaky park, why not paint the top of it like a UFO like the Flushing Towers in Men in Black I ? For cripes sake, if I can think of these things, why can’t you guys hire a marketing genius to figure this sh*t out?

So, people have claimed to lose time and/or be transported from one place in the park to another? I did lose 90 minutes of my life that I’ll never get back, but there was no teleportation involved. I decided that this is just the place that teenagers go to have sex and when they come home too late they tell their parents they got teleported to another universe for a couple hours.

One odd thing was that after 90 minutes of walking around and taking pictures on my phone, it was still at 98%, so maybe those elevated electro-magnetic fields kept my phone charged. No portals but a free phone charge, so I’ll call that a win.

Just because nothing weird happened to me in that park doesn’t mean that it hasn’t happened to others. That’s one part of paranormal investigations that you never see on those ghost hunting shows. In paranormal investigations, there’s a lot of quiet waiting around that you can’t edit out when you’re the one investigating.

Come back in 24 hours for my investigation in a haunted library that might have some ancestral connections for me!

Thanks for reading and happy Hump Day! ~Phil