William Strathmann
Paranormal Adept
I emailed a few questions to Mr. Cutchin that I thought folks might find helpful or interesting.
I wondered if you know of any "paranormal" odors that have actually been scientifically sampled and tested. For example, in a haunting where a strong sulfur smell is reported, has anyone ever managed to get samples of air during the event to test them scientifically?
Do you know of paranormal incidents of multiple witnesses where some, but not all, reported the smell? I am wondering if paranormal entities can perhaps "bypass" olfactory senses and go directly to the mind to stimulate a sense of smell, even though no molecules are interacting with sensors in the nose.
I wondered if you know of any "paranormal" odors that have actually been scientifically sampled and tested. For example, in a haunting where a strong sulfur smell is reported, has anyone ever managed to get samples of air during the event to test them scientifically?
Mr. Cutchin - Regarding the testing of odors: While I'm not aware of any odors that have come from paranormal cases which have been tested, there are plenty of residual materials that release an odor but have been chemically tested. For example, in addition to various powders, goos, etc. found at UFO sites, a pink powder from Betty Hill's dress was found to contain sodium, chlorides, silicon, and, of course, sulfur. The resulting smell was described as like “the odor resulting from a bacterial attack on water bottoms from fuel service tanks,” which diesel workers compare to rotten eggs (i.e. H2S).
Do you know of paranormal incidents of multiple witnesses where some, but not all, reported the smell? I am wondering if paranormal entities can perhaps "bypass" olfactory senses and go directly to the mind to stimulate a sense of smell, even though no molecules are interacting with sensors in the nose.
Mr. Cutchin - Regarding cases where one segment of a population detects a smell in a paranormal encounter, but others do not: There is actually no shortage of such cases. In general, I did not cover them in the book, because the possibility of phantosmia coupled with suggestion seemed more likely. Having said that, I did find a credible tale where an anosmic—someone who cannot smell at all—detected an odor, which was confirmed by someone with a fully functional sense of smell.
