ENTAUS

D ay Two’s opener of course follows on from the Bigfoot fest we found (but quickly departed) in the open-air cinema from last night. We are in for an astute, academically-inclined actual “talk” by none other than the inimitable Dr. Jeffrey Meldrum of formal sasquatch studies. It is a remarkable exercise (as we shall see) attempting to re-frame such a fringe topic of cryptozoology in a scientifically respectable context of description, explanation and understanding. (Whether such was in fact successful is a question we shall entertain forthwith.) Meldrum will, it seems, offer a “naturalistic” framework for what is already a seemingly absurd topic: the existence of a large ape-like creature, unknown to current science, inhabiting the arboreal depths of America’s forested lands (and not only in America!). In other words the question which Meldrum proposes to tackle in a “naturalistic” framework is whether Bigfoot (“sasquatch”) exists and, if so, how to explain (and possibly justify) it

  F lying into Utah from where I live in Los Angeles for Phenomecon 2022   was like going from the Earth to Mars. In this case, not only was the landscape alien (but wickedly beautiful—arresting even), so was the crowd. Or at least, to me—someone who has only ever really attended strict academic conferences. Phenomecon was a funky paranormality fest packed with speakers from a broad range of intellectual, academic and professional backgrounds. Everything from bone fide scientists and academics, to your run-of-the-mill “paranormal investigator” whose profile is fairly predictable: either former military or police, with some training of some unknown quality in some kind of investigative methodology (CSI and forensics seems to be common), often with just an undergrad degree in something (not necessarily relevant to paranormal studies or investigation). Many are just self-created, sui generis “investigators” and “researchers” (and therefore “experts”) who’ve devoted their lives to the str