Something Foul This Way Comes: Ask Joshua Cutchin

[Gene Steinberg]

Fortean researcher Joshua Cutchin returns to The Paracast to discuss his latest book, "The Brimestone Deceit."

This review from a friend of the show, Greg Bishop, best sums up the subject matter:

“The Brimstone Deceit can rightly be called an instant classic because it articulates a refreshingly original approach to the paranormal and more importantly, how witnesses interpret their experiences. Joshua Cutchin carefully builds his case with fascinating, startling, and entertaining accounts from throughout history to show us that when it comes to UFOs, Bigfoot, and other High Strangeness, the nose may really know what has been knocking at our doors for millennia.”

This episode will be recorded Thursday October 13 from 11 AM until 1 PM Pacific.

 

[Han]

Is this about smells/aromas in the paranormal?
If it is not and I have misunderstood please disregard my questions.

Please ask Mr Cutchin:

I have read about Bigfoot witnesses reporting an awful smell when Bigfoot appears, and I have seen two different explanations #1 that the bad smell is some kind of defensive system (like a Skunk) and #2 that the smell is a result of Bigfoot "teleporting" (maybe the wrong word) between dimensions.
Are there any other explanations that Mr Cutchin knows about?

This is kind of a side point but: I reckon that if Bigfoot is a "primate" and stinks as much as is reported then surely it would be possible to train a sniffer dog/blood hound to track one down? after all a cadaver dog can sometimes detect a body underwater. My understanding is that you can train a dog to detect any animal, even those that it would instinctively avoid like the plague (Lions for example).

Finally this is more of a comment than a question: I am very interested in this subject because smells are so powerful in triggering memories, when I read the description of the show I was instantly reminded of when I smelled Lightning. To explain very briefly: I was fishing when a lightning storm came, I instantly dropped my fishing rod, and took shelter under a bridge, Lightning stuck very close and the air was filled with an odour. My best attempt to describe the smell would be to say it smelled very similar to when you hit one piece of Flint rock against another, I know this is not paranormal, but I just wanted to say that I know from personal experience that when a high amount of energy is released and odour can be given off.

Thank you very much.

 

[Wade]

In regards to the sulphuric smelll that is reported to be associated with some paranormal activity i read somewhere that it would be possible to transform oxygen into sulpur but it would require an energy source that is currently far beyond our current capabilities. 2 billion volts?

Even if there is a foreign energy source that could somehow be introduced into our enviornment that could explain this smell wouldn't such a source manifest itself in another way that would draw attention to to it's effects?

As far as the smell being associated with Bigfoot (and even if you do "believe" in it) i think the jury is still out on whether it is closer to a primate than to a human or vice versa. Are you aware of other animals...besides the obvious skunk...that use smell as some kind of deterrent? Any primates for example? Do you think that if this smell is cultivated as opposed to being a byproduct of some paranormal event do you think this could be it's "signature" smell i.e. a warning intended to ward people off. i find this aspect interesting because this is something you would possible expect more of a smaller somewhat defenseless animal. A bigfoot wouldn't seem to need this as it's size and dismeanor is pretty intimidating.

 

[Han]

If possible could you also please ask: Has he looked into smells that scare off or drive away "spirits". And are there smells that do the opposite?
Thank you.

 

[Gene Steinberg]

We also plan on presenting Joshua for an encore appearance on After The Paracast this week.

 

[Wade]

If you haven't already please ask him if he has another folkloric book in him and what his next step would be.

 

[Gene Steinberg]

We cover that towards the end of the episode. Thanks. We'll get into some stuff, too, on ATP.

 

[Wade]

Great, and I'm sorry for piling on so late but I'd like to know if he has read Patrick Harpur's Daimonic Reality although that may have been covered in his first appearance.