Last Podcast On The Left
Last Podcast On The Left
"The reason why they're called skin walkers is that skin walker comes from the old Native American legend. And I think skin walker is the literal translation for, and I might be talking out of my ass here, thinking that it's like the literal translation of what? The You and Tobason people?" — Henry Zabrowski
"The idea of like clouds that stay still in the sky. One thing that's also really weird about skin walker ranch is portals. Same things that are opening up in the sky. They say that they literally saw like butt holes gap in the sky and then ships would come in and out of the butt holes." — Jake Z.
"What is also interesting that I learned was that there was a period of time where Robert Bigelow's BAS, whatever the offices were, whatever you'd call that, they were supposedly and you can take this with a fucking mountain of salt. They were told at some point during their contract, prepare for a shipment of this, what they called exotic materials." — Jake Z.
The episode explores the enigmatic Skinwalker Ranch, a 500-acre property in Utah with a long history of reported paranormal and unexplained phenomena. The discussion traces the origins of the "skinwalker" concept from Native American legends, describing them as shamans who engage in malevolent rituals, often involving shape-shifting into animals. The ranch's history includes decades of reported UFO sightings, cryptid encounters, poltergeist activity, and strange animal behavior, leading it to be dubbed "the most researched 500-acre plot of land in the world."
Investigations into the ranch have been extensive, notably involving Robert Bigelow's National Institute for Discovery Science (NIDS), which conducted extensive research for approximately 20 years. Despite significant funding, including government grants, the conclusive findings remain largely undisclosed to the public. The concept of the "Hitchhiker Effect" is introduced, suggesting that individuals who visit the ranch may experience persistent paranormal phenomena or unexplained ailments afterward, a theory speculated to be a factor in Bigelow's eventual sale of the property.
Recent developments include the ranch's acquisition by Brandon Fugal, who, along with a team of researchers and investigators, is collaborating with the History Channel for a TV series documenting ongoing investigations. The episode touches upon the challenges of scientific documentation of these phenomena, the potential for misinterpretation or exaggeration, and the ongoing debate about whether the reported events are truly anomalous or have more conventional explanations. The discussion highlights the complex interplay between anecdotal evidence, scientific inquiry, and the public's fascination with the unexplained.