By Tim Binnall
Bigfoot, shapeshifters, and near-death experiences were among the fascinating topics explored this past week on Coast to Coast AM. And, here at the C2C website, we told you about a multiple-witness UFO sighting in Mexico, a woman who accused her husband of secretly stealing her kidney, and a bizarre 'lost python' hoax in England. Check out our round-up of highlights from the past week ... In Coast You Missed It.
Shapeshifters are some of the most mysterious beings in the pantheon of paranormal entities and, on Tuesday night's program, ghost hunter John Kachuba talked about his research into the myths and legends surrounding these people who can allegedly transform into various animals. He observed that the lore surrounding these magical figures stretches all the way back to ancient times as seen by a neolithic cave painting depicting a shaman turning into a deer. Kachuba theorized that, rather than physically transform, shapeshifters may be able to fool an observer into thinking they have changed by way of some kind of mind control trick.
In a very weird story that emerged out of England this week, a woman wound up on the receiving end of countless concerned phone calls after her number was listed as the contact information on a series of fliers looking for a lost pet Burmese python. While it was suspected that the inclusion of her information was done in error, an animal rescue group in Britain suggested that the tale of the missing snake was a hoax, since the picture of the animal was traced back to America. Why the pranksters decided to use the woman's phone number is a mystery as she cannot fathom who would do such a thing and now just hopes that the calls will stop.
The legendary Bigfoot took center stage on Sunday night's program as cryptozoologist Michael W. Cook detailed his personal encounter with the creature and shared insights from his years of subsequent research. He explained that his interest in Sasquatch was sparked when, as a teenager, he spotted the cryptid at a watering hole in his Kentucky hometown. Since that incident, Cook has spent the last 20 years researching the creature both by way of interviews with witnesses and boots-on-the-ground expeditions. He also noted that his Bigfoot sighting caused him to shut down socially and turn to cooking as a form of therapy, which ultimately led him to start a small business to sell SossSquatch barbecue sauce that he created at home.
This past week saw a pair of stories centered around unusual aerial phenomena that left observers mystified. First, in Washington state, a bewildered man filmed strange lights in the sky over his home on two consecutive nights. Later in the week, the town of Tequila, Mexico was stirred when several different groups of people throughout the community spotted what appeared to be an illuminated object that rotated in the night sky before vanishing from sight. By virtue of so many witnesses, the strange event was captured on video from at least four different perspectives, though the nature of the object remains a mystery.
It has long been thought that near-death experiences may be our best indication of what transpires when one crosses over to the 'other side.' On Monday night's program, pioneering NDE researcher Jeffrey Long, M.D. share insights from his Near Death Experience Research Foundation's exhaustive 4,000-person study of those who believe they returned to the realm of the living after briefly passing away. He marveled at how these experiencers report remarkably lucid events that are unlike dreams and are eerily similar across all religions, even among atheists. During his appearance, Long recounted several particularly compelling near-death experience cases that he has investigated throughout his prodigious career.
By far the most bizarre story of the week came by way of India, where a woman accused her estranged husband of stealing and selling her kidney. The strange case came to light when Ranjita Kundu went to the doctor for abdominal pain and discovered that one of her kidneys was missing. The astounded woman then recalled how, four years earlier, her husband had arranged for her to have treatment for a kidney stone at a private hospital. Now separated from the man, Kundu contends that he arranged for the removal of the organ while she was under anesthesia and she woke up from the operation none the wiser until now.
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