By Kristen Anderson, @chillinkristen

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If the idea of Bigfoot as an undiscovered species is already too out-there for you, you’re not going to like this.

There are two main camps of Bigfoot believers: those who think they (I’m going to use “Bigfoot” both as a singular and plural) are biological, undocumented animals, and those who think they’re super savvy and simply don’t want to be found—but hopefully someday, they will be. These are people you might be used to seeing on TV shows, out in the mountains doing Bigfoot calls, and knocking on trees. (A great way to get acquainted with such a person is to listen to “The Sasquatch Code” episode of the Euphomet podcast).

Others think that Bigfoot aren’t found, not because they’re excellent hiders, but because they can slip out of our physical universe and into someplace else. These free-thinkers point to Bigfoot sightings that include high strangeness-like creatures walking through structures or sightings accompanied by orbs, mysterious lights in the sky, and strange voices. They point to Bigfoot tracks in the woods that don’t trail off. They just...end. There are more of these stories than you might think because some Bigfoot hunters want their work to be considered valid. They strip out those aspects of sightings, chalking them up to human error rather than having them muddy the waters of it being a straight-up strange animal.

And then, some people want the two sides to unite and see what can be learned.

Is Bigfoot a cryptozoological creature? Is he some sort of ghost? Could they both be right?

While the ideas of a physical and metaphysical Bigfoot take up space in your head, it’s useful to approach this as inquisitive and thought-provoking rather than a fact-finding mission. The books Where the Footprints End volumes one and two, by Joshua Cutchin and Timothy Renner, are compendiums of Bigfoot encounters with even stranger paranormal angles than seeing an unproven creature. They also explore myths and legends that might have unexpected ties to Bigfoot phenomena (think faeries and merpeople).

During a discussion of the book on the podcast Bigfoot Collectors Club, the hosts suggest approaching the Bigfoot discussion as a thought experiment rather than taking it super literally. This stuff is fun, so let’s have fun with it! Obviously, some Bigfoot researchers want their work to be taken seriously, and some skeptics want to make their point. But let’s also zoom out a little and recognize how sweet it is to think about this stuff.

One of the top theories about a non-terrestrial Bigfoot is that he’s some sort of alien being. Six out of the top 10 biggest states for UFO sightings are the same for Bigfoot sightings. Could this mean they go hand-in-hand?

It seems like Bigfoot encounters have a lot of the same hallmarks as UFO encounters, such as strange lights and fast-moving objects. In particular, a theory about oft-reported orange orbs has held a lot of Bigfoot researchers’ attention.

These fast-moving balls of light have been seen in tandem with many a Bigfoot, leading to speculation that they could be transporter beams or portals. Some say this could explain why there aren’t bodies or bones to prove that Bigfoot exists, a big sticking point in the cryptozoology community. Perhaps they’re being zipped away into another dimension.

Could we inadvertently be stepping into the beam of some of these portals, temporarily stepping into an alternate world? Some people think it’s possible.

Another commonality in Bigfoot sightings is a sudden weird, unnatural silence in the forest. Maybe it’s not that all the creatures who live there are quieting down because there’s a scary Bigfoot. Perhaps you’ve somehow entered another dimension, and that version of the forest is silent. Could it be silent because in this dimension, YOU’RE the predator they’re scared of? Maybe they’re happy there with their Bigfoot; no big deal.

Along with alien theories inevitably come government coverup theories. In this case, if not only is it true that Bigfoot is an alien, but the government knows, that doesn’t necessarily mean that he’s threatening. Perhaps it’s really about what the existence of Bigfoot implies about what else might be out there. It could create a domino effect, like the reverse of finding out Santa isn’t real and then wondering if this means the Easter Bunny’s out, too.

Of course—and I must again remind you, we’re having fun thinking about weird stuff—maybe it’s not that Bigfoot isn’t a physical being. Perhaps he was, and now he’s passed. Real, physical people pass on and become non-physical ghosts. Perhaps Bigfoot was an undiscovered but very physical being who’s now seen in non-physical form. Could Bigfoot be a ghost? Maybe he was an undiscovered primate and ALSO a weird ghost Bigfoot thing? As they say on Bigfoot Collectors Club, you go to the city; you see city ghosts. You go to the woods; you see Bigfoot ghosts.

In fact, in Where the Footprints End, it’s speculated that Bigfoot could be a type of poltergeist that Cutchin and Renner term a “Wildnessgeist,” meaning a woods spirit. (Poltergeist is made up of the German words “Polten,” meaning “to knock,” and “geist,” meaning “spirit.” Here, “wilden,” meaning “wild,” is substituted). In both traditional, home-based poltergeist cases and Bigfoot sightings, it’s common to see objects move of their own accord or for strange smells to suddenly arise that are unaccounted for. Maybe poltergeist activity doesn’t only happen indoors. 

To once again blend the Bigfoot believer camps, it’s said that poltergeists, which are energies that physically move things, are often generated by people who are in highly emotional states. Perhaps there ARE physical Bigfoot, and the danger they feel when they’re being pursued causes wildnessgeist activity.

Way back, ghosts, devils, and witches were traditionally hairy. Remember in The Blair Witch Project when they interviewed a Burkittsville resident named Mary Brown who had seen the witch and described her as being covered in fur? It’s not prevalent in modern pop culture, but it’s absolutely a thing—and maybe it’s based in fact. After all, some people refer to Bigfoot as “Mountain Devils.”

Famous ghosthunters Ed and Lorraine Warren even got into the Bigfoot mix at one point, traveling to Tennessee to try to make contact. After Lorraine telepathically contacted a creature, Ed concluded that Bigfoot wasn’t just a physical being. He said, “It is my belief that Bigfoot is a Tulpa, a mind projection. So is the Loch Ness monster and many other now-you-see-it-now-you-don’t creatures that get reported to the press.” 

It’s a lot to take in. Not only is Bigfoot real, maybe, but he’s an alien, maybe, and/or a ghost, maybe? As Cutchin and Renner write, “It’s okay not to have answers.” But man, can we have fun asking questions.