My positive review of the Fortean classic "Living Wonders", posted in 2012.
Four years ago, I wrote a rather negative review of this book, which you can still read at its main product page. I'm too narcissistic to delete it. Besides, its ex cathedra pseudo-scepticism is great fun to read!
I read "Living Wonders. Mysteries and Curiosities of the Animal
World" in a Swedish translation as a teenager, and was fascinated by it,
but also somewhat repelled by the authors' occultist tendencies. I suppose I
must have read it during my transition from young crackpot to responsible
pseudo-sceptic. I recently looked through the book again. Sure, it's somewhat
"out there" and definitely not something you should show your biology
teacher in college, at least not if you want good grades! (Two other absolute
no-nos are "Forbidden Archeology" and "Darwin on Trial".)
Yet, in their own way, Michell and Richard are right on the spot.
The main section of the book deals with cryptozoology, that never-ending quest
for the iconic beasts of our collective imagination: sea-serpents, hairy
ape-men, surviving dinosaurs, etc. The authors point out that there are two
schools within cryptozoology, the flesh-and-blood school founded by Bernard
Heuvelmans and a more mystical school with John Keel as a typical
representative. This split is similar to that within ufology between
nuts-and-bolts ufologists and those of a more mystical bent (the authors
mention Jacques Vallée).
While Michell and Richard are admirably objective in their descriptions of the
various factions, their sympathies are clearly with the mystical wing of the
movement. They point out that many of the creatures hunted by cryptozoologists
are biologically absurd, such as big ape-men living in U.S. prairie states, or
lake-monsters observed in local ponds. Physical evidence is always of the
"almost but not quite" variety, such as ambivalent footprints or hair
samples. This is similar to the physical evidence left behind by UFOs, which
includes "UFO nests" on the ground, but never any actual pieces of
the supposed space ship itself. Many reports of hidden animals sound
paranormal: the creature might be impervious to bullets, have glowing red eyes,
or communicate telepathically. Just as "serious" ufologists cannot
get rid of the bizarre aspects of their chosen field (including hairy
monsters!), cryptozoologists cannot get rid of the occult traits of the animals
they are chasing. Cryptozoologists may hunt cryptids, but in return cryptids
haunt cryptozoologists.
True to their source of inspiration, the epistemological anarchist Charles
Fort, the authors don't claim to have any solutions to the problem. However,
they do crack a few suggestions. One is that cryptids are really a kind of
thought-forms conjured up by our collective consciousness. This explains both
their fleeting nature and their seeming solidity when encountered. Somewhat
tongue-in-cheek, Michell and Richards propose that perhaps Bigfoot-hunters
could "create" Bigfoot if they chase the beast long and persistently
enough. Another speculation has to do with morphic resonance, an idea borrowed
from Rupert Sheldrake. Under this scenario, Nature repeats herself rather than
create anything fundamentally new. Thus, we shouldn't be surprised if animals
long extinct somehow "return from the dead" in a quasi-magical
manner.
Well, I told you not to show the book to your teacher!
Other sections of "Living Wonders" deal with animals that are out of
place (including the inevitable phantom cats), purported evidence for
teleportation, intelligent animals such as Clever Hans, and old superstitions
which the writers feel might just be true, such as the weird notion that
swallows hibernate at the bottom of lakes during winter (OK, they went over the
top with that one).
Whether or not you are a certified, card-carrying Fortean, or just as biology
buff with a penchant for the outer edge, "Living Wonders" will make
an excellent addition to your private library.
No comments:
Post a Comment