Our current understanding of the paranormal classifies different paranormal phenomena into separate categories. This is useful both for tracking similarities to the phenomena, but also keeping an eye on which areas were more likely to result in observing which phenomena and categorizing it into belief systems. Many who believe in ghosts don’t necessarily believe in aliens. The same applies to a number of reported paranormal phenomena. But what if the differences were not so obvious? What if we someday found that they all resulted from a single “type” of entity?
You may believe in ghosts, poltergeists, aliens, or chupacabra; but if there is nothing to prove their existence they are all categorized into a simplified package under the label “the paranormal.” But if there was some sort of conspiracy involving the cover-up of phenomena working outside our current understanding of the universe it seems fairly logical that this force, shrouded by mystery, would easily be able to manipulate our perception of it either on purpose or accident.
Navajo legends tell of the legendary yee naaldlooshii, or skinwalkers as we know them. These are creatures that allegedly can alter their appearance in order to walk among humans and have an unknown mastery of the universe beyond that of the rest of us. Such creatures would no doubt need a healthy and thriving folklore to survive in the 21st century, and could have built it up over the course of centuries simply by existing and sticking to the mythology of the day.
In a time when people were reporting seeing the Mothman, for example, an entity (something akin to the skinwalker) would be strongly motivated to improve on the initial reports by appearing in the iconic monstrous form seen by witnesses on the ground. It could then in theory even generate a cult following and status within society. This entity, along with others like it, could then use that form so that when they were seen witnesses would not report seeing a strange person, but rather “The Mothman.”
A “haunted house” would be a prime target for such an entity passing through to stay in. It may even take up residence in a troubled spot in what would eventually become known as a very haunted home – all of its activities would inevitably be blamed on the ghost in the basement. Of course sometimes these entities may wish to enact political change as well. Such a creature may eventually come in the guise of an entity of religious significance or extraterrestrial origin and use its technology to make it appear to others including world governments that an alien race was demanding things from the world – even playing out these scenarios in order to keep the mythology alive.
While it’s more a trip into speculation than a confirmed truth, the field of forteana often share several traits when it comes to different types of phenomena. Evidence can never be gathered to sufficiently prove or disprove the existence of a given entity (which would be precisely what “they” would want.) Evidence gathered would have to be compelling, yet ambiguous enough to warrant interest but not panic. Individuals may have incredibly sensational experiences involving full form creatures popping up out of nowhere miles apart, but it cannot happen in a way that does anything other than reinforce an existing mythology or create a new one. Essentially the only evidence that this is possible is the fact that things are exactly how such an entity might want them to be, and yet so few people suspect it.