Occult Profiles: When Col. Olcott Met Madame Blavatsky

Helena Petrovna Blavatsky and Henry Steel Olcott in 1888

Theosophical Society President-Founder Col. Henry Steel Olcott wrote about his first encounter with the woman who would be the society's Co-Founder/Corresponding Secretary, Madame Helena Petrovna Blavatsky, in Old Diary Leaves (1895) and his case study of paranormal phenomena People From The Other World (1875). The latter chronicled the various phenomena associated with the mediumship of brothers William and Horatio Eddy at their homestead in Chittenden, Vermont. The book included reports that had originally appeared in The Daily Graphic newspaper. Sketches by Alfred Kappes and T. W. Williams offer precise depictions of incidents at the homestead.

William H. Eddy (left) and Horatio G. Eddy

The phenomena included materializations of people who'd made the transition to the afterlife, direct voice (disembodied) communication, and spirit-writing.

Oregon’s Bigfoot Trap

Oregon is home to what is believed to the be the first and only Bigfoot trap in existence. Built in 1974 with a Forest Service special use permit , it was constantly baited with carcasses but it only ever caught bears before being closed down in 1980.

Sadly, they only caught bears and no Bigfoot was ever found in the trap. In 1980 the Forest Service permanently bolted open the welded steel door due to safety hazards. Since then, the Forest Service has made some repairs to it now that it’s become a popular hiking destination.