In celebration of Eventide Productions’ supernatural narrative “Indigo Falls”, I’ve decided to visit the top-10 unexplained phenomena.  Now, while a veritable list of said phenomena is a difficult compilation, offering much by way of wide-spread debate, conspiracy theories, & debunking attempts, this list does its best to target most of the ‘usual suspects’ that have come to be embraced by pop-culture.

10 – The Mind & Body Connection

There is significant data that links the mind and its vast array of influences over the body.  Once such example that has gained widespread popularity is the Placebo Effect.  A placebo (from the Latin derivative, meaning “I shall please”) is basically a “pharmacological inert substance”, such as a salt tablet, saline solution, or the likes….a “dummy pill” if you will.  As such, the ‘placebo effect’ is a noticeable measure of improvement in ones health, behavior, or condition, which cannot be traced to any administered treatment.  In essence, if a person believes a cure to be effective, it is (regardless of any scientific or medical validation to the contrary).

As an antithesis to this, there are a slew of unexplained diseases.  These may range from the hysterics/hypochondria (exhibited in MUPS, or Medically Unexplained Physical Symptoms cases, Chronic Fatigue, and the common cold), to the seemingly comedic (Pica, for instance, where those diagnosed encounter strong urges to eat non-food substances in the form of dirt, paper, glue, clay, etc), to the far more serious unexplained diseases (exemplified by frightening debilitations such as Alzheimer’s, Avian Flu, and the AIDS epidemic).  Added to the compiled list of behavioral abnormalities the likes of Schizophrenia and depression, this chain of ‘medical mysteries’ is sure to baffle doctors for some time to come.

9 – Psychic Powers & ESP

Whether conjuring images of crystal balls or “Magic-8” balls, the pervasive belief in extra-sensory perception would arguably rival any of the unexplained items on this list.  Examples of this might range from the seemingly ordinary (suddenly ‘knowing’ where those pesky car keys ended up) to the fantastic though more debated (the ‘psychic’ who leads authorities to the alleged whereabouts of a missing person).  Skeptics, however, might tend to focus on the more profiteering (exemplified by mystics, fortune tellers, and the likes, who all demand payment for their ponderings).

While the lasting representation, for me, will always be Peter Venkman flashing Zener cards at a pretty coed (with doctored, albeit favorable, results), there is a growing school of thought much less inclined to discount these paranormal wonders.  And with such unexplained abilities as telekinesis, argued by believers to be the most powerful of the psychic arsenal, this group of mystical powers tends to offer up the eternal debate between mere hoax and true magic.

8 – Near Death Experiences & Life After Death

We’ve all heard the stories…the “light at the end of the tunnel”.  It may come in the form of unfortunate personal experience, or at the hands of a dying loved one’s final fleeting inspirations.  However different the circumstance, the descriptions typically remain remarkably similar, leading skeptics to chalk this phenomena up to the possible malfunctions of a trauma-induced brain.  And while that serves as a convenient, though generalizing explanation, those not so quick to explain it away would argue there’s more going on than a few false blips on the cranial radar.

Variant examples of this sort of occurrence might be spirit guides (widely accepted and encouraged in the native American folklore), guardian angels (hey, it worked for Jimmy Stewart), and even the belief in the “Third Dimension”.  Whichever of these death-defying illustrations is your particular flavor, one thing seems to be represented as the common thread; the existence of activity well “beyond the grave”.

7 – UFO’s & Extra-Terrestrial Beings

The Marfa Lights, of Marfa, TX fame…the Lights of Paulding (or the Dog Meadow Light), of Watersmeet, MI lure…the infamous Area 51 of Roswell, NM; incidents of wide spread speculation, no doubt.  And they all serve to fuel the fire of the hotly contested existence of those little green men.  Begging the question:  why green (or little, for that matter).

Nevertheless, there is absolutely no denying the UFO (and it’s stalwart position in our popular consciousness) as one of the reigning conspiracy theory topics.  Did they really abscond with Mulder’s sister?  We may never know.  Was it really just a weather balloon?  Who cares!  UFO’s are fun, and there’s no denying it.  And one can bet their bottom dollar that they’ll maintain a place on any top-10 lists created this century…that is, unless we find ourselves serving as members of the little green collective by century’s end.

6 – Déjà vu

The phrase itself is French, for “already seen”, and alludes to the feeling of familiarity that accompanies some of the choicer (or, perhaps more often, mundane) moments in our lives.  We’ve all encountered it, making it the layman’s phenomenon, but there is little by way of discernable information to explain it…and don’t even tell me that it was explained by Denzel Washington, traveling back to the heroine’s rescue in that half-ass time machine.

Also known as paramnesia, some believe the phenomena to be explained away by the simple mis-firings of neuronal impulses, in effect tricking the brain into thinking it had witnessed an event previously (when, in fact, it was actually referencing an impulse from only split seconds ago).  And while the staggering statistics indicate that nearly 70% of those polled experienced it on one or more occasions, the lack of empirical evidence places déjà vu squarely on our list of the unexplained.

5 – Ghosts

Ah, those pesky poltergeist.  Whether you’re a Casper fan, or tend to err on the side of the more malevolent spirit, ghosts have ingrained themselves on our culture throughout history.  Nearly every death of relevant impact (from Lincoln to Lennon) has spurred rumors, sightings, and whisperings of associated spectral phenomena.  Some are said to have it in for us, the envied living, while others seem interested in little more than a bit of harmless loitering.

The marvels of the astrally gifted may range from the German coined Doppelganger (or, loosely “double walker”), roaming the “other” side as the yin to one’s yang, to the more recently exploited high-tech communications witnessed through spirit photography, white noise, and electronic voice phenomenon.  Whatever your generation of fancy, it seems that the ghosts have a knack for finding their way into the machine.

4 – Mysterious Disappearances

Though often the cause of widespread debate, most “mysterious” disappearances are typically attributed to runaway, abduction, or accidental demise.  However, a few choicer examples (Amelia Earhart, Jimmy Hoffa, and the more recent case of Natalee Holloway) can trigger a barrage of conspiracy-induced explanations.  And if there’s one category on this list that has been ruthlessly extorted by the media more than any other, it would certainly be this one.

Extensions of this phenomenon, exhibited on a grander scale, could be anomalies like the Bermuda Triangle (of greater fame) and the Devil’s Sea (or Dragon’s Triangle, of lesser prominence).  These nautical scapegoats have been blamed for the disappearances of entire groups of unfortunate sailors, pilots, and tourists.  And yet there’s been precious little support, by way of valid explanation, as to what exactly has caused these disappearances (dating back to the pre-Columbus/7-Seas days).

3 – Intuition

We all remember the little boy who saw dead people, but glamorization aside there’s been modest clarification (at best) into the origins, causes, or limitations of the “sixth sense”.  Whether exhibited by that trusty ‘gut’ feeling, or the sheer sensation of the burning ears when someone is bad mouthing us, intuition has been experienced by nearly everyone is some capacity.  The trusty Oxford Dictionary simplifies it as “the immediate apprehension of an object by the mind without the intervention of any reasoning process”; that’s a vague analysis at best.

The term intuition offers an array of connotations…some are routed in the field of Psychology, while those studying the much shallower empirical waters of the Supernatural derive their own unique set. And while some may tend to discount it as mere deductive reasoning, or sheer common sense, a collective school of thought has come to associate it directly with the studies of ESP and the ilk.  Nevertheless, the massive appeal of this phenomenon finds it rounding out the top-3.

2 – Cryptozoology

Perhaps a more appropriate title might be Bigfoot: and all of his friends.  Nowhere on this list is there a more all-encompassing category.  The pseudo-scientific field of Cryptozoology may cover anything from the Loch Ness Monster, to the Jersey Devil.  Vampires, witches, and werewolves stumble onto this list, as do their lesser renowned kin the Mothman and the Chupacabra. 

Even though the straight-laced sibling side of this field focuses on animals with at least a modicum of taxonomical evidence to support their existence (usually in the form of fossils), the wild child portion of Cryptozoology is bent on the eternal search for creatures of legend…and lets face it, that’s a heck of a lot more fun!  After all, a compiled list of crypto-creatures that have been used for Hollywood profiteering would circle the globe, and most have been visited on a regular basis (with the number of vampire movies alone likely top the tens of thousands number).  So, obviously, there’s a multitude of fans out there that consider this fodder for quality entertainment. Maggots, Michael…you’re eating maggots.

1 – The Taos Hum

Some of you may be saying, hum…what!  But alas, the lesser-known partner to New Mexico’s larger claim to fame (for those scratching your heads, see #7 on the list) is just one of many worldwide witnessed acoustical phenomena of this sort.  The hum, a low-pitched sound almost “artificial” in nature, has driven researchers mad for years.  It’s driven the locals batty as well, to the point where they banded together in 1993 to petition Congress and ask for government assistance is locating the source of the disturbance…to no avail.

Speculation prevails as to the nature of the noise, and theories range from secret military weapons testing, to mass hysteria, to the mere supernatural.  Though the acoustic phenomenon is not isolated to the small New Mexico town, with reports of similar low frequency hums having been reported in other parts of the world, including Great Britain, the Taos version has certainly garnered more attention in recent years.  And since the hum has gone undetected by microphones, VLF antennas, and other recording attempts, it tops our list as the most peculiar of unsolved mysteries.