Page 28 - The 'X' Chronicles Newspaper - Jan-Feb 2018, Vol 27, No 1

28 10 Famous Paranormal Hoaxes

10 Famous Paranormal

Hoaxes

Continued from Page 25

2. The Shroud of Turin

Many faithful believers exalt the Shroud of
Turin as the very same "clean linen cloth" in
which the crucified Jesus Christ was wrapped
before rising on the third day from his tomb.
The yellowed piece of cloth, roughly 14 feet by
4 feet, (4 by 1 meters) bears the faint, but
unmistakable imprint of a bearded man marked fanned the fires of speculation, taking the giant the Chicago Mothman as markedly different
with wounds consistent with that of crucifixion on tour and charging 50 cents for a peek. Rumor from the one supposedly spotted in Point
[sources: Thurston, Squires]. has it he made $30,000, a fortune in the 1860s Pleasant. “This group of sightings is historical
The relic resides in the Cathedral of St. [source: Roadside America]. in cryptozoology terms,” Strickler said in an
John the Baptist in Turin, Italy. But centuries of You can still see the Cardiff Giant at The interview with Vice. “For one, it’s happening in
controversy have cast serious doubts on the Farmer's Museum in Cooperstown, New York. an urban area for the most part and that there are
shroud's authenticity. so many sightings in one period.”
Catholic Church documents dating from The blog includes dozens, many
1389 show the presiding French bishop Chicagoans and anonymous, firsthand accounts of the
petitioning the pope to put an end to the University Psychologist Mothman. Some occurred on dark suburban
"scandal" surrounding the shroud at Lirey, roads, while other reports have the creature
France [source: Thurston]. The object was well- Speculate on 'Mothman' gliding above the Lincoln Park Zoo and the
known to be the work of a local artist, who Magnificent Mile in broad daylight.
created it not as a hoax, but as part of an Easter “Upon closer look I was able to see the object
celebration. Once displayed, the adoring crowds by Tony Brooks was dark grey in color and seemed to have a
mistook it for the real thing, stained with the large wing span,” one witness reported on the
very sweat and blood of the Savior. The relic In 2017, 55 Chicago residents claimed to have website of the Singular Fortean Society. “It
passed through several hands before arriving in witnessed a humanoid creature flying over the started to drift up, but then dived down. It
Turin in 1578 [source: Knapton]. skyline of our city. It reportedly resembled a ducked between buildings but then reappeared
Carbon dating has never successfully “gothic gargoyle” and had glowing red eyes. on the other side. I was standing on Chicago
linked the fibers of the cloth to the time of What they spotted, or think they spotted, is a Ave. and Wabash Ave.”
Christ, although Italian scientists published a phenomenon of folklore 50 years in the making: In addition to the blog and the Fortean
new theory in 2014. Apparently, a powerful the Mothman. Society’s website, there are several Facebook
earthquake in 33 C.E. could have released The Mothman was first sighted in the groups dedicated to the creature, and multiple
enough radioactive emissions to not only small West Virginia town of Point Pleasant in articles have been written about the sightings.
imprint the image of Christ on the cloth, but 1967, where dozens of residents claimed to Cultural factors are not the only thing at play,
alter the molecular structure of its fibers in such have seen the creature. The year-long mania though. The human mind might have evolved in
a way as to produce incorrect carbon dating culminated in the collapse of the Silver Bridge, a way that makes us susceptible to fantastic
results [source: Knapton]. a disaster which killed 46 people. In retrospect, beliefs.
Anything's possible. the Mothman was seen as a harbinger of the “The human mind is a pattern
collapse. Since then, the Mothman has been a completion device,” Gallo said. “Part of the
1.The Cardiff Giant creature of interest to many, spawning a book, power of what the brain does is it makes its best
movie, and numerous articles and guess in terms of what you’re seeing, in terms of
documentaries. what you’re predicting, in terms of what you
Known as "America's Greatest Hoax," this 10-
People are interested in the Mothman for think you’re remembering. With those
foot (3-meter) tall stone statue of a "petrified"
different reasons. David Gallo, a professor at
ancient giant made its 19th-century creator, predictive powers comes the opportunity for
the University of Chicago, studies the
George Hull, a very rich man. error.”
Hull was a get-rich-quick schemer and a psychology behind these fantastic beliefs. He “I’ll say this, I took my dog out for a
proud atheist in a time of great religious fervor. has previously studied the cognitive function walk the other night, and I was a little creeped
After an argument with a revivalist preacher and memories of people who claim to have had thinking about all this Mothman stuff. It can’t
over the existence of giants as mentioned in the contact with aliens. help but affect you, making you look twice in
“I’m not a paranormal researcher by any dark corners and things once you’ve been
book of Genesis, Hull conceived a devious plan
stretch, and I’m not an expert in paranormal thinking about it.”
that would capitalize on the gullibility of the
phenomena,” he said. “It’s really more about Some of Gallo’s research indicates that
public [source: Roadside America].
looking at the individual differences in
In 1868, Hull hired a Chicago those who believe in things like the Mothman
cognitive performances and how it might relate
stonecutter to carve a massive hunk of gypsum might process stimuli differently than those who
in Hull's own likeness [source: The Farmers' to these beliefs.” do not believe. Someone who is more intuitive
Museum]. Hull then "aged" the stone with a Gallo explained that once these and less analytical might value different aspects
sulfuric acid and convinced a farmer in Cardiff, sightings begin, they often snowball as people of experiences, making them more likely to
New York, to secretly bury it in his backyard. A become more exposed to them. hold such beliefs. Gallo does not see this as a
“Now that there’s a lot of news being problem.
year later, Hull had the farmer dig a well,
released that’s capturing people’s attention, that “There’s a tendency for individuals who
instructing the workmen to dig exactly where
in itself is a cultural factor that might affect how are more scientifically minded to be very
the stone giant was buried.
your mind interprets stimuli. You’re more likely
The unearthing of the Cardiff Giant skeptical, and to be perceived at least to be
to see a Mothman now that you’ve thought
caused a great sensation in upstate New York, disparaging towards people with these beliefs,
still a hotbed of spiritual excitement. about one,” Gallo said. and I think that’s unfortunate,” Gallo said. “I
(Remember the Fox Sisters?) News of the Lon Strickler, a “Fortean researcher” think we all hold fantastic beliefs of one kind or
creature spread far and wide, inciting fierce who has been tracking the Chicago sightings on another. I want to make sure we’re having a
debate over the artifact's authenticity. Hull his blog, Phantoms and Monsters, has described respectful dialogue.” []