The Bloop

In 1997, a loud and powerful sound was detected and heart by the U.S (NOAA). The sound was traced to a remote point in the south Pacific Ocean.

According to the description provided by the NOAA, it had rised rapidly in frequence for about one minute, and was able to be heard at over 5,000m.

Dr. Christopher Fox of NOAA has said he does not believe its origin is man-made. Although the sound resembles a living creature, the sound is several times louder than the blue whale, which is the loudest recorded animal.

Fox then later stated that the Bloop could be ice calving in Antarctica. A year later, a journalist called David Wolman, made her own opinion on the origins of the sound:

"Fox's hunch is that the sound nicknamed Bloop is the most likely to come from some sort of animal, because its signature is a rapid variation in frequency similar to that of sounds known to be made by marine beasts. There's one crucial difference, however: in 1997 Bloop was detected by sensors up to 4800 kilometres apart. That means it must be far louder than any whale noise, or any other animal noise for that matter. Is it even remotely possible that some creature bigger than any whale is lurking in the ocean depths? Or, perhaps more likely, something that is much more efficient at making sound?

— David Wolman"

Many people interested in the bloop have stated that they believe the origin of the sound to be related to Lovecraft's work.

Below is a video about the bloop.

Dancing Plague of 1518

During the month of July, 1518, a woman named 'Frau Troffea', began to dance excessively in a street in Strasbourg. She continued to dance between 4 to 6 days. Within one week, 34 people had also joined in, and within a month, the number of dancers had peaked to 400. After a while, some people died from heart attack, stroke, or exhaustion. This phenomenon has occurred in numerous places, between the 14th and 17th centuries. It is known as Dancing Mania.

Dancing Mania involved many groups of people, even thousands at a time. It had affected men, women, and children. They all danced until they collapsed from exhaustion.

One of the first outbreaks occurred in Aachen, Germany, in 1374. It soon spread throughout Europe.

Soon after the outbreak in Strasbourg occurred, many people attempted to develop explanations and cures for what was happening.

As it worsened, concerned nobles asked for advice from local physicians. These physicians immediately ruled out astrological and supernatural causes, and rather announced that the plague was a natural disease.

Rather than prescribing the usual treatment, they encouraged more dancing, and even hired people to play music during, in hopes that it would help cease the dancing.

Many dancers would parade around naked, and some made obscene gestures. Some even had sexual intercourse.

Dancers would scream, laugh or cry, and some even sang. They would dance until they broke their ribs, or died from exhaustion.

One of the most interesting things about this event, is that all participants in this dancing all had very odd reactions to the colour red. Anyone who saw the colour red would become aggressive and violent.

How this 'dancing' came about to happen is still being debated, however what is certain is that all those involved seemed to be in a state of unconsciousness, and unable to control themselves altogether.

Personal Post #2

Upon reading a 'scary' story, I find myself automatically looking for whatever twist that I assume the story is trying to bring across. I know it's there somewhere, waiting to try and get me, to make me feel unsafe and vulnerable.

Now of course after reading many stories, it gets rather obvious when it's coming.

So after a while it doesn't affect me, until I have to read some other story with a different approach.

A particular favorite approach of mine is that of a story that is obviously leading up to some dramatic twist, that which is hoping to send shivers down your spine and make you quiver in your seat, but rather leaves you only to find that in the end, there is no twist.

I find myself thinking: "What? Where is the answer? Where is the predictable explanation for the suspenseful and yet dragging story leading up this part?"

At this point I feel somewhat uncomfortable, and slightly creeped out.

It was also at this point that I realized this was exactly the thrill I was looking for.

No explanation, no proper ending, just the idea of what could be, left lingering in my mind, searching for some sort of answer I knew I would not find.

Of course, knowing that a story of this sort ends in such a fashion will ruin the entirety of it, so rather than giving an example, or sharing a link to one that I know, I shall define what it would feel like to read one the best I can.

It is almost like reading a particularly good story, that has captured your interest quite deeply, and you are eager to read the rest. It is, however, at the peak of your interest, that you are, for some reason, forced to stop reading.

Now it is not exactly like this, but this is the closest I can explain without actually displaying a story on here.

For the best stories, including those described in this post and elsewhere, I recommend visiting: Creepypasta

Devil's Footprints

An intriguing case of the Paranormal is that of the Devil's Footprints. The name was given to the phenomenon that happened during February 1855 in South Devon, England. Shortly after the occurring of a heavy snowfall, mysterious hoof-like marks appeared overnight in the snow,  and covered a total distance of 40-100 miles. The footprints were called this because many believed these were the tracks of Satan.

The hoof marks mostly measured to be around 4 inches long, three across, and between eight and sixteen inches apart, and usually in a single file. They had been reported from over thirty different places across Devon and some in Dorset.

An particularly interesting thing about these tracks is that all obstacles including houses, rivers and haystacks were traveled straight over, and there were footprints appearing on top of the snow-covered roofs and even walls that lay in the path of the footprints.

There had also been rumors of 'sightings'.

Apparently, a few people had seen a "devil-like figure" in the Devon area during the incident.

Primary and Secondary source material of evidence has been collated by a noted researcher Mike Dash into a paper entitled: The Devil's Hoofmarks: Source Material on the Great Devon Mystery of 1855, and was published
in Fortean Studies in 1994.

Many theories have been concluded to explain this incident.
The suggestion of "an experimental balloon" was one, which
was apparently released by mistake from Devonport
Dockyard, and had been trailing 2 shackles on the end of it.

Although many theories have been created to explain this
situation, what in fact did make these prints still remains a
mystery.

Source: The Devils Hoofmarks

Personal Post #1

Whether any form of paranormal being is real or not is irrelevant to how the idea of them makes you feel.
The extent of how much one believes in that sort of stuff won't change how one would feel in the dark of the night,
alone and afraid.

But what exactly is it you are afraid of?

You don't know, and no one knows. It could be nothing. It could be your mind playing tricks. It could even be some
sort of demon or ghost.

You will never know though.

You can ponder it all night, or even for the rest of your life, but the fact of the matter is that you will never be certain.

And that's exactly what it wants.

So next time you feel afraid, just tell yourself its all in your head. It won't change a thing.