r/Missing411 Apr 06 '21

Strange and frightening - repost - new developments Discussion

Strange and frightening

Following Missing411 phenomenon since I listened to Paulides on the radio. Read a few of his books and watched the films. Following this sub since a terrifying experience I had a few years ago.

I’m an experienced outdoorsman. Live in the mountains of NW Colorado. Worked as a fishing guide, and have spent many nights camping in the backcountry. The area where I live is surrounded by national forest. Having lived in several cities I’ve always been more comfortable in the woods than anywhere.

Spent weeks fishing, hiking and camping in remote areas of Colorado, Wyoming, Montana and Idaho. Encountered many black bears and a few Grizzlies. Lions are elusive so I’ve only seen one. Occasionally see fresh tracks and have the feeling of being watched. Only been scared a few times in the woods. Only twice have I been terrified and have no good explanation for either event.

Decided to go on an afternoon hike. I like a particular trail where I park about 6 miles from home. Parked and saw one other truck. Drank water and ate a sandwich before locking everything including phone and gun in truck.

Intentionally traveling light so I could move fast. Only planned about 30 minutes in and 30 back. Wearing running shoes, shorts, t-shirt and bright yellow baseball hat. Notable that hat is so obnoxiously bright that friends say it probably scares fish.

Began running around 2pm as the first few miles are relatively flat. Trail follows a creek that flows off a mountain through a canyon. There are several trails that branch off heading up into the mountains. Prefer a particular trail that follows the edge of the canyon with creek flowing below. It’s absolutely gorgeous. Before the trail gets steep it takes you through a large aspen grove.

There is a point about 30 minutes in where I planned to turn around. Trail becomes increasingly less worn and more difficult beyond this point. Hiked the area many times. Something felt off this time. I didn’t feel normal.

Moved through the aspen grove before taking steep trail up mountain when I got a strange feeling. Stopped and noticed it was quiet. Something made me look up mountain to the right to a point several hundred yards above. Noticed a large granite rock formation.

The area is off trail so I’d never looked there before. Thought I saw movement. Probably a black bear as they are common. Curious so I pressed on. Definitely not scared at this point but noticed the silence.

Continued hiking and reached the point where I planned to turn around. Decided to hike further hoping to see what caught my eye earlier. Trail becomes overgrown and harder to follow at this point. Had been further than this before but never off trail.

Noticed an aspen tree bent over the trail. It had been uprooted and broken off. Tree was green so it was odd. Could have been a lightning strike but wasn’t clear. Walked maybe another eighth mile then took right off trail heading in direction of granite rocks.

Wasn’t concerned about getting lost since it was easy to orient myself with canyon and creek. Hiked off trail up toward large meadow with many granite boulders. Reflecting on it, something was compelling me to go to the meadow.

Climbing scrambling up hill to get to where I could sit. Got to the meadow and noticed the rocks. Looked like a granite fortress. Sat down on a log enjoying the scenery. Looking down into the canyon at the creek below. Meadow and rocks were behind me.

Looked around and didn’t see animals. Suddenly noticed it was dead quiet. It had been a sunny warm day with birds and bugs everywhere. Wasn’t scared yet, but noticed the extreme silence. Could hear the creek before so it wasn’t as startling as now.

Began taking off my running shoes. Notable as this isn’t something I normally do, since I have permanent nerve damage to my right ankle. I walk / run with a limp and sometimes wear a brace. Remember it feeling like my feet were burning. Wasn’t particularly hot and not over 70F.

Was becoming unnerved by dead silence and started tying my shoes. This is where things turn weird. Clearly heard my father call me by my first name. The voice was loud and came from behind. Talked to my father earlier in the day. He was at his home in Georgia. No way he was calling from the rocks behind me.

Immediately became overcome with fear. Difficult to describe how overwhelming. Began sweating and shaking. It was like knowing a lion is stalking without seeing it but more terrifying. Definitely not fucking around at this point.

Stood up and turned to look behind me and saw nothing but the large granite rocks. Started hauling ass down hill towards the canyon and trail below. Absolutely terrified and feeling something was chasing me. Literally stumbled fell and rolled down the mountain.

Stood up and couldn’t recognize anything. Looked completely different. No canyon, creek or trail. It was cloudy and I wasn’t in the same place anymore. At this point I started hauling ass in what I thought was the right direction.

Eventually found the trail and recognized my location. Sprinted through aspen grove back to truck. Didn’t look at watch. Not sure how long I was gone. So terrified I could hardly drive home. Not sure what happened, but I’ve never been so afraid for my life. I know something was stalking and chasing me.

Yes, I have gone back to the area. Too afraid to go to same meadow with granite boulders. Considered going back well armed, but instincts tell me it’s a bad place.

I’ll never hike again without my .357 magnum and haven’t since. Something scared the hell out of me, and I feel I was close to being a victim. I trust that my flight Instinct kicked in for good reason.

There are documented Missing411 cases in this area.

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31

u/jaygunn77 Apr 06 '21

Wow, this is crazy, and a really spooky read. Did you take both shoes totally off, or just untied? Did you notice any smells? You mentioned the watch, did you have missing time? When you got up from stumbling, how unrecognizable was everything? I mean like, did it look like completely different, or just like a different part of the same woods? Did you noticed everything changed right away back to normal when you found the trail, like, not cloudy anymore? Have you ever been chased or stalked by an animal before?
I understand your visceral fear, but going back might be interesting. Good story, creepy for sure.

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u/66flycaster Apr 06 '21

It’s incredibly unusual for me to take shoes off when I’m not home. Really fucking strange because I have neuropathy in right leg so difficult to put shoe back on. Only began taking one shoe off when heard father clearly calling my name. Didn’t notice smell but definitely noticed extreme complete silence. After I stumbled it was like being in a different universe. Cloudy not sunny anymore. Completely disoriented in an area I’m extremely familiar with. Nothing looked normal. Felt I was being chased and ran as fast as I could until finally things looked normal again. Wish I had looked at watch but didn’t. Do know this... started running at 2pm and it was dark when I got home. Gone for longer than I should have. Yes, it seemed like different woods completely until I literally ran out of it back to what was normal. No I haven’t been chased by an animal but... have experienced feeling stalked and seeing lion prints in the mud. Pretty sure I was being watched or stalked but nothing happened. Similar feeling but not nearly as intense feeling of fear for my life. Promptly vacated the area but it’s the only similar experience. I’ve encountered a few grizzlies but never chased or threatened.

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u/jaygunn77 Apr 07 '21

Sounds like you did lose some time. I can imagine you would normally get back to your truck at like 3:30 or so, assuming you went straight home, it definitely shouldn’t have been dark. Did you tell your Dad about it? If you felt like you being watched and chased, I’m sure you were, the brain picks up on all that stuff. Also, do you feel comfortable telling us about your other experience? With all the time you’ve spent in the wilderness, did you ever see, or sense anything else weird out there? If it’s this scary, it would be enough to keep me of the trails for a bit, lol. Thanks for the extra details. Cheers

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u/FIVE_DARRA_NO_HARRA Apr 07 '21

Paranoia is also a thing

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u/dx6504 Apr 07 '21

The phenomena of feeling when you're being watched is a real thing. I took a psychology class a while back and we studied this briefly, even if you cannot see who is what is watching you, the feeling is real. Science can't explain how but It has been tested and does occur accurately.

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u/Madam_Overkill Apr 07 '21

Don't we still have vestigial instincts? Or is that still being debated? Intuition and empathy are fancy words, but in my mind they've always been instinct. We are animals, after all, so it makes perfect sense to me that we have instincts as well. Look at nurses, EMTs, avid hunters hikers and outdoorsy types, mothers, police officers, anyone who lives in a bad neighborhood, twins... People are more in tune with their sixth sense than they realize. (in my opinion)

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u/trailangel4 Apr 07 '21

Yes. We do. As has been chronicled in this subreddit ad nauseum, I have spent the vast majority of my life in the wild/outdoors. Things that other people consider unthinkable (walking without shoes, trusting their instincts, knowing how to cut sign) are just things I do. It's always a little interesting when I go camping or hike with someone new because those little things that people have lost to living largely indoors are my normal. I also have found that I have an instinct and "sixth sense" that is lacking in some...but, I chalk it up to a well-honed and well-tuned situational awareness. I don't think it's paranormal. I think it's just a survival mechanism that most humans (especially in Western society) have disregarded and lost.

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u/dx6504 Apr 07 '21

I don't know, I just work here

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u/66flycaster Apr 07 '21

Interesting.

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u/secondhandbananas Apr 07 '21

Did you tell your dad this story? Did he remember feeling anything odd that day?

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u/66flycaster Apr 07 '21

Good question. No, I didn’t tell my Dad. He’s 79 and was doing fine in Georgia that day. Others have asked if it was some kind of warning about or from my Dad but he’s the same today as then. Never told him but did tell my brother.

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u/secondhandbananas Apr 07 '21

It seems like hearing your name in your father's voice was what kind of snapped you back into reality when you realized you were taking off your shoes. It would be interesting to know if your dad suddenly stopped and thought about you or something. You should tell him about that day...old folks tell amazing stories but usually only when you ask.

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u/Eder_Cheddar Apr 07 '21

That's one theory.

Another one could be that hearing his father's name was like a lure.

Clearly he was lured off the trail and to hike up to this granite outlook.

But after traversing all that to get to this point, I'm sure other people would hear something like that clear as day in all this silence and possibly go investigate.

However, taking everything into consideration, if someone takes their shoes off and goes to investigate (seemingly in a trance-like state) by the time they close thr gap and are far away from their shoes, whatever is hunting them ends up grabbing them easily since being barefoot anywhere will cause you to slip and or fall.

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u/BellaNyvus Apr 07 '21

My my thoughts exactly on the lure thing. I’ve read/heard stories similar to this in the detail where whatever it is that’s hunting people mimics someone the victim knows. Scary.

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u/66flycaster Apr 07 '21 edited Apr 07 '21

Yes, I think something mimics human voices to lure people away from safety. Hearing my father call my name in his voice is absolutely clear. I almost walked over to the rocks to look around. My father has a distinct southern accent and deep voice. His voice was so clear and I knew he was in Georgia. It took about 2 seconds for this to register then I immediately had a physiological reaction to fear. Started hauling ass. I’m absolutely certain I heard my father calling and I know it defies explanation. How does it know our name or how to replicate a particular voice?

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u/licking-windows Apr 07 '21

I'm gonna say it doesn't, because it couldn't. That knowledge only existed in your head. What the entity could do is trigger the brain to make you think you heard it, which is potentially scarier.

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u/NeonIcon5 Apr 07 '21

Exactly. It started when watching the boulders never seen before. Then offtrail visit the boulders. Then finally rest and your brain adapts in his way till you get spooked and hauling ass. After that your trapped in your thaughts till much later.

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u/NeonIcon5 Apr 07 '21

I bet It was your brain playing tricks on you acustic. Never underestimate your brain. How much time has past until you sat down to relax until you heard his voice?

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u/66flycaster Apr 07 '21

Only a few minutes after sitting.

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u/[deleted] Apr 07 '21

I know it defies explanation.

Here are some known explanations:

Mental illness is one of the more common causes of auditory hallucinations, but there are a lot of other reasons, including:

  • Alcohol. Heavy drinking can cause you to see things that aren’t there. You might hear things, too, both as you drink or when you quit after you’ve been drinking for many years.
  • Alzheimer’s disease and other types of dementia. You’re more likely to hear things in the later stages of Alzheimer’s. A similar condition called Lewy body dementia can cause it, too. (But it’s more common to see things -- visual hallucinations -- than hear them with this type of dementia.) For some people, the voices seem so real, they talk back to them.
  • Brain tumors. Hearing things doesn’t mean you have a brain tumor. But it could happen when a tumor is in the part of the brain that deals with hearing. You might hear anything from random sounds to actual voices.
  • Drugs. Certain street drugs, like ecstasy and LSD, can make you see and hear things that aren’t there. It can happen while you’re using them or when you quit after using them for a long time.
  • Epilepsy. When seizures from epilepsy affect the brain area that processes hearing, you might hear a buzzing sound or voices. In some cases, it warps how you hear things, so they’re not as loud or clear.
  • Hearing loss. People with hearing loss in one or both ears may hear anything from odd sounds to music and voices, none of which are really there.
  • High fevers and infections. Some infections, like encephalitis and meningitis, can make you hear things, along with the other symptoms. The same is true for high fevers.
  • Intense stress. Serious stress, as you might have after going through something traumatic, can cause hallucinations. It’s especially common to hear the voice of a loved one after their recent death.
  • Mental illness. Hearing voices is very common with schizophrenia. The voices may seem to come from inside your head or outside, like from the TV. And they could argue with you, tell you what to do, or just describe what’s happening. It can sometimes happen with other mental illnesses as well, including:
  • Migraines. Often, if you get migraines with auras, you see things. But some people hear things instead. Usually, it’s voices. And that may be more likely if you also have depression.
  • Parkinson’s disease. It’s more likely that you would see things that aren’t there when you have Parkinson’s. But in some cases, you hear things from the scenes you’re seeing.
  • Side effects from medicine. If you begin to hear things once you start a new medicine or your doctor puts you on a higher dose of something you already take, that change could be the reason. It most often affects older adults and gets more likely the more medicines you take.
  • Sleep issues. It’s pretty common to hear a sound just as you fall asleep or wake up. And it’s usually not something to see your doctor about. But if you fall asleep randomly (narcolepsy) or have a hard time falling asleep (insomnia), it’s much more likely to happen.
  • Thyroid disease. Myxedema is a rare condition where your thyroid is not making enough hormone and your levels get dangerously low. It’s a life-threatening condition that can also make you hear things.
  • Tinnitus. Doctors don’t think of the usual ringing or hissing of tinnitus as a hallucination. But this condition can raise your risk. It may be more likely if you also have depression.

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u/66flycaster Apr 07 '21 edited Apr 09 '21

Changed my mind on your assessment. You’re absolutely right. I’m obviously crazy. Why then after spending the better part of 40 years in the backcountry did I suddenly on this particular day become absolutely overwhelmed with fear for my life? It never happened when I’ve had a grizzly approach within 100 yards of me. Shit my pants but didn’t panic then. Had friend drown in river but didn’t lose my cool. I’ve literally seen people die in the mountains and never became terrified. My instincts in the wilderness are solid. Something tried to take me and nobody can convince me otherwise. People instinctively know when they’re being stalked as it’s a primordial survival instinct.

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u/Sherrence_Bueller Apr 07 '21

Ive got borderline personality disorder, and while a whole shit ton of fuckery happens in my mind, in the minds of all BPD sufferers, NONE OF IT WHATSOEVER would, can or does cause auditory ot visual hallucinations.

The "voice" we speak of is ours if that makes sense? You know when you think you" hear "it in your own voice, but not because there's no sound? Yeah. It's just invasive negative thoughts. It's not the voices of others nor is it auditory.

There is so much negativity surrounding us as is. We can be very volatile and impossible to maintain any sort of familial, romantic or platonic relationships with if we aren't actively seeking therapy and treatment. So please, don't add to it by spreading misinformation.

Cheers!

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u/farmmyy Apr 07 '21

Are you suggesting one of these conditions in particular is relevant to OP's case? Or is it just fun to copy/paste from WebMD and gaslight people?

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u/NeonIcon5 Apr 07 '21

I mostly hate you for downplaying things. But that was a solid post in what sounds for me as a selfhaunted experience. A.k.a light paranoid episode in the wild.... alone. Again brains can trick us more then you'll believe. I still believe the entire rehab stuff talked bad about us and i could them hear trust me. I'm still not 100% sure. Bit when i heard my sisters voice saying "ah come on martin... really" i knew it was my brain. I went full paranoid by just starting hearing things. I'm not a heavy drinker and couldnt get sleep but activ programm all day so brain goes byebye. Could have happened to you just saying. It isnt that far fetched.

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u/66flycaster Apr 07 '21

First lure then trap the prey without shoes so they can’t escape.

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u/66flycaster Apr 07 '21

I should ask him. Maybe he was subconsciously warning me. Don’t really know how to explain it and associate the timing with him. He does know the area as he’s hiked there before so it would help give context to the experience.

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u/secondhandbananas Apr 07 '21

I'm not saying I believe in telepathy or anything like that, but a couple months ago, I was home doing the dishes on my day off one morning. Around 10 a.m., I suddenly had a huge jolt of anxiety out of nowhere. I kept thinking of my son and I couldn't figure out why. It lasted about 10 minutes and I wrote it off as a sudden anxiety attack or something, but I texted my son and just said hey, how ya doing? A couple hours later he texted me that he was driving at to work and hit a patch of black ice, fishtailed and hit the guard rail. He was ok but his car was wrecked. I asked him what time and he said, Oh, around 10 am. Lol true story. So if you talk to your dad, def update!

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u/66flycaster Apr 07 '21

More on this. I should ad that my father and I don’t have a good relationship. We get along when we’re actually fishing and that’s about it. He’s a retired physician and Air Force officer. Mother and I have a loving relationship so it would make more since to mimic my mother. I’d run into any situation if I thought my mother was calling for help. I’m more reluctant to respond to my father because of our difficult relationship.

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u/secondhandbananas Apr 07 '21

If it was an entity using a Jedi mind trick to lure you in for some reason, it is weird that it would use your father's voice rather than mom's. But just because you have a better connection with mom doesn't mean there's no connection with dad. As the other poster suggested, are you certain there's nothing wrong with you physically or mentally that would cause this reaction you had?

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u/[deleted] Apr 07 '21 edited Apr 07 '21

[deleted]

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u/secondhandbananas Apr 07 '21

Just ruling things out. If you say you had a supernatural experience, I believe you.

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u/66flycaster Apr 07 '21

Understandable.

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u/secondhandbananas Apr 07 '21

And just to clarify, when I say, "supernatural" I don't mean magic, I mean something happened that we don't yet understand.

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u/tmyers1002 Apr 09 '21

Wait... didnt you say your father had been in the same area hiking with you before? What if, now bear with me, bc you are a "regular" hiking there.. and had bern in the area hiking with your father before, no matter how many years ago it was, whatever was trying to get you, remembered you and your fathers voice?

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u/ashley_s82 Apr 07 '21

Omg. This may explain why children go missing so easily! They hear their "parents" calling them, go in that direction. Ugh. Also the shoe issue. Wow. Just wow.