Three Weird Qualities to Look for in a Mothman Report

I began investigating Mothman sightings in the spring of 2017, when reports started coming out of Chicagoland. Folks were reportedly seeing weird, winged creatures in populated areas; creatures apparently able to appear and disappear without a trace, sticking around just long enough to scare the hell out of people. Reports flooded out of northern Illinois and soon were coming from every part of the state, followed closely by southern Wisconsin and western Indiana. By now, almost a decade later, I've received reports not only from all over North America but the world. Whatever this phenomenon represents, it is pervasive across human culture.

When the initial deluge of sightings came in 2017 and into 2018, I noticed a confounding trend. Many details weren't consistent across the reports in the way one might expect, although they did often follow specific narrative trends. It soon seemed as though there were groups of people reporting different things. At this point, I developed two different sighting profiles.

The first, Profile A, encompassed mostly daytime sightings of something flying relatively far away from the witness. The creatures in these reports were usually described as giant bats or birds, pterosaurs, or occasionally a person in a wingsuit. They lacked any of the paraphysical or parapsychological phenomena associated with Mothman, nor did the witnesses normally report any additional paranormal experiences consistent with those reported by some others who claim to have encountered Mothman.

The second, Profile B, included qualities more consistent with what one might expect from a Mothman experience. The creatures in these reports were often encountered on the ground, or near to it, and within relatively close proximity of the witness. Close enough for humanoid qualities to be emphasized in the reports. These descriptions, if considered authentic, would almost certainly rule out most prosaic explanations. Furthermore, many of the missing paraphysical and parapsychological elements from Profile A could be found among these reports, such as the creature inexplicably appearing and disappearing or utilizing other unusual methods of locomotion, or the witness experiencing extreme fear, feeling hypnotized, or seeing glowing red eyes. Not every quality exists in every report, but their presence across this profile is undeniable (at least in terms of reporting). These witnesses would also often report other paranormal experiences; anything from UFOs to sudden onset hauntings might be represented.

It wasn't until May of 2018, a year into the investigation, that I finally received the evidence I needed to solidify these profiles into something more definitive. That month, I spoke to a man who said that only a few days prior to our conversation, he was bicycling to work just before 3 pm when he saw a creature with "bat-like" wings flying over Chicago's Pilsen neighborhood.

It began with the man noticing a couple on the corner pointing at something in the sky. Naturally curious, he looked up to see what had so fascinated them and saw what he would initially refer to as the "batman," and later said reminded him most of a large bat or someone in a wing suit. The creature seemed to be gliding across the sky with its wings slightly bent. Luckily for us, this witness was wearing a bike helmet and attached to that helmet was a GoPro camera. He very helpfully captured as much footage of the creature as he could, and was very forthcoming in sharing the footage, even sending me the SD card on which it was originally recorded. With his help, I was able to review the footage, shot at a wide-angle using time lapse, and sure enough, there was the creature.

The winged being was flying at a good altitude, with little more than its silhouette apparent from the recording. The time lapse made examining the footage a little more difficult, but I was able to capture several screenshots that displayed the creature with some clarity. And it was a bird. As disappointing as that finding might have been, it was conclusive. This man had misidentified a bird, probably something large like a heron.

At the time, it seemed to me like the witness might have felt like he had somehow wasted my time by bringing me this report, but I was quick to reassure him that he had not. The information provided by his report and accompanying video was integral to supporting the hypothesis I had conceived for the Profile A sightings, namely that they were largely misidentified birds. And here, finally, was strong evidence in favor of that conclusion. No longer was I left wondering at the strange disparity between profiles. Finally, I could comfortably concentrate most of my attention on Profile B reports without worrying about what I might be missing.

While the Mothman phenomenon might be impossible to identify with our current understanding, after dozens and dozens of sighting reports, we can at least recognize it when we see it.

Here are a few things to look for in a Mothman report. Not every one of them will always be present, but if one or more of them are, then you may have some high strangeness on your hands.

3. Paranormal Phenomena
I like to ask witnesses if they've ever experienced anything else unusual when interviewing them about whatever weird event inspired them to contact me, and here's why. When I do, more often than not, they'll respond with additional information. People have a tendency to compartmentalize their experiences and don't always think to connect them, even when they're paranormal.

It was by asking about other unusual experiences that I discovered the connection between Profile B sightings and paranormal phenomena—something that has been reported since the Point Pleasant, West Virginia Mothman sightings in the 1960s. The same UFO sightings and ghostly presences that haunted those witnesses are still with us today, but we'd never know if we didn't ask.

2. Paraphysical and Parapsychological Phenomena
These are the words I use to describe the seemingly paranormal aspects of the creature itself. I've spoken to witnesses who claim to have seen Mothman appear in impossible places, such as turning up in one terrified woman's basement, or disappear in a similarly inexplicable way, such as seemingly vanishing into thin air while being watched, which has been the case for many who've encountered this bizarre being. This category also encompasses the creature's glowing red eyes (which reportedly glow with an eerie inner light, unlike the eyeshine of any natural animal), or the extreme fear or feeling of being hypnotized that some witnesses report. Even Mothman's ability to fly could be paraphysical, considering how unlikely it is that something described as humanlike with only a 12-15' wingspan would be able to fly at all.

1. Humanoid Features
Finally, we have the immediately visually identifiable qualities that separate a Mothman from a heron: humanoid features. This might seem self-evident, but as our Pilsen witness showed, it's important to note any actual qualities that indicate a humanoid is present. Normally, getting a good enough look to note these kinds of details requires the witness to be relatively close to the creature, which increases the reliability of the sighting overall. Witnesses whose encounters occur within a relatively short distance will often describe humanlike torsos and articulated limbs. I even spoke to a woman in Maryland who remembered seeing what appeared to be human feet as a winged humanoid flew up and away from her car after a near-miss. That same woman would go on to experience strange paranormal and parapsychological phenomena following her sighting.

For more on the Mothman phenomenon and its accompanying high strangeness, check out Mothman: Sightings and Investigations of the Iconic Flying Cryptid by me and Richard Estep.