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    The document discusses the legend of the Mothman, a creature reportedly sighted in Point Pleasant, West Virginia in the 1960s. It was often described as a large, winged humanoid with glowing red eyes. Sightings increased around the time of the collapse of the Silver Bridge in 1967. The Mothman became the subject of books by John Keel and Gray Barker, fueling the legend. Later analysis suggested the sightings were cases of mass hysteria. The document also compares the Mothman legend to the fictional character of Buffalo Bill from The Silence of the Lambs, noting similarities in how they were portrayed as harbingers of doom seeking transformation.

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    What is the Mothman? Hero? Anti-Hero? Harbinger of impending doom?

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    the Mothman an Archetype

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    The document discusses the legend of the Mothman, a creature reportedly sighted in Point Pleasant, West Virginia in the 1960s. It was often described as a large, winged humanoid with glowing red eyes. Sightings increased around the time of the collapse of the Silver Bridge in 1967. The Mothman became the subject of books by John Keel and Gray Barker, fueling the legend. Later analysis suggested the sightings were cases of mass hysteria. The document also compares the Mothman legend to the fictional character of Buffalo Bill from The Silence of the Lambs, noting similarities in how they were portrayed as harbingers of doom seeking transformation.

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    © All Rights Reserved
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    262 views4 pages

    The Mothman An Archetype

    Uploaded by

    xdarby
    The document discusses the legend of the Mothman, a creature reportedly sighted in Point Pleasant, West Virginia in the 1960s. It was often described as a large, winged humanoid with glowing red eyes. Sightings increased around the time of the collapse of the Silver Bridge in 1967. The Mothman became the subject of books by John Keel and Gray Barker, fueling the legend. Later analysis suggested the sightings were cases of mass hysteria. The document also compares the Mothman legend to the fictional character of Buffalo Bill from The Silence of the Lambs, noting similarities in how they were portrayed as harbingers of doom seeking transformation.

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    © All Rights Reserved
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    of 4

    The Mothman: An Archetype

    What is the Mothman? Hero? Anti-Hero? Harbinger of impending doom?


    These questions will lead you to local lore in small West Virginia town, Point Pleasant. In 1966, the first
    sighting occurred in an over-grown area close to a derelict factory abandoned since WWII. A favorite
    spot for couples looking for a little privacy, a lovers lane. The couple sighted a large winged figure
    with glowing red eyes! The couple reported it to police, and the social meme is born. Mothman Mania!
    All over Point Pleasant people were a buzz of the Mothman, additional sightings were to follow. Textbook psychology will demonstrate that the wide spread acceptance of Mothman is nothing short of
    mass hysteria. So much in fact, that when the Ohio bridge collapsed in 1967, it was the Mothman and
    not a decrepit old bridge with faulty eye-bars. The Silver Bridge crossed the Ohio River connecting
    Point Pleasant, WV to Kanauga, OH. The sightings increased, and the legend didnt lose momentum,
    in fact it went viral. By the time the 1975 book The Mothman Prophecies by John Keel came out it
    was accepted as actual fact. Gray Barker produced the Film based on the book by the same name,
    and once people see it on the silver screen the meme grows. The Mothman is now officially part
    of cryptozoology, a field of study that focuses on creatures that have not been proven to exist, but
    continue to be sighted by hysterics.

    Keel and Barker were in contact with each other, even spoke about collaborating but they were so
    paranoid, the entire relationship degenerated to one accusing the other of being in league with
    conspiracy organizations or agendas. In 1970, Keel mentioned the Mothman in his book Strange
    Creatures from Time and Space, right around the same time Barker published
    The Silver Bridge. Both stuck to the facts of the recorded encounters, or so it

    would seem until Keel disputed Barkers claims in his book, Keel seemed to
    have had a 180 compared to his earlier claims in just five years. He lost
    interest in such ideas, as he lost fans of his work. The content just didnt seem
    appealing any more, at least on a large scale. There are subtle hints to be
    found that Keel was just fictionalizing the character to give it appeal to sell
    more books. Reviewing the material myself, I can sense hints of an HP
    Lovecraft influence. A creature that defies all logic, makes no rational sense to
    human beings, because it exists within other dimensions and out of normal
    parameters - thats Lovecraftian, for sure.

    Many of the sighting sketches looked like large birds with glowing eyes, similar to how they would
    appear if seen at night. But what other attributes does the Mothman have? Is it a bird or a bug?
    Some Mothman attributes:
    Inter-dimensional Being
    Glowing Red Eyes
    Flight Wings
    Screetching Sounds
    A sense of dread, anxiety
    Harbinger of Doom
    Pre-cog visions
    Death Reaper
    Predatory Creature

    My first exposure to the Mothman, was through the 2002 film and special features shown on the SciFi (Syfy) channel around the same time. I couldnt help but see the correlations between the psychmodels being used in Mothman Prophecies, to the 1991 film Silence of the Lambs. The moth played
    a heavy role in the psychological profile of the serial killer Buffalo Bill (aka Louis Friend). Buffalo Bill,
    while a fictional character is based on a mix of attributes from prolific killers Ed Gein, Gary Hiednik,
    and Ted Bundy. Criminal profiling is another matter to address, while the book and film gave criminal
    profiling its glam (as well as the profilers), its not an a-typica method in FBI investigations. There are

    all sorts of profiles used such as geographical, racial, social, etc. I defer you to the History of Criminal
    Profiling by Katherine Ramsland for a more in-depth analysis.
    Buffalo Bill, as so eloquently stated by Dr. Hannibal Lecter, is his nature. His
    nature, is that he covets. What does he covet? Like the Deaths Head Moth, he
    wishes to transform.
    It is his nature, that compels him to trap women like animals, skin their hides
    piece by piece and create his human skin suit. It is why he covets, his pathology that will provide FBI
    investigators clues into the transformation of Louis Friend into
    Buffalo Bill.
    Much like the shrills reported about the Mothman, the Deaths Head
    moth emits a loud shreik by forcing air out of a long tube-like
    appendage that it uses to suck nectar called the proboscis.
    Dr. Lecter suggests the writings of Marcus Aurelius, specifically the
    Meditations written in 175 in whch Marcus states:
    For any particular thing, ask What is it in itself? What is its nature?

    What is the Mothman? What is its nature?

    To answer that, one would have to be truly honest with oneself and explore
    why social memes are solidified by believers. Why do people believe what
    they do? Imagine the pathology of the person who claims to have sighted
    the Mothman, what do they covet? Much like the idolized hero archetype,
    what attributes does the believer admire or seek to emulate themselves?
    What is their nature?
    Simplicity. Sometimes things are just that simple. Dont over complicate things when self-examining.
    Go right to the heart of the matter, and look at it - what does it look like?
    Is this nature something that should be opposed? Nature is Satans church, it is opposing you every
    step of the way. There are times in which you must be adversary to the adversary. Self-discipline is
    the framework in which you will deconstruct yourself, and transform...A metamorphosis.

    RISE!

    SIN JONES
    www.the-poison-apple.com
    Sources:
    The Silver Bridge, Gray Barker
    Creatures from Time and Space, John Keel
    The Mothman Prophecies, John Keel
    Mothman Solved!, Skeptical Inquirer, Joe Nickell
    The Silence of the Lambs film, 1991
    The Mothman Prophecies film, 2002

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