My kids favorite show is Disneys animated cult-classic Gravity Falls. It features Dipper and Mabel Pines, a brother and sister duo who spend their summer in the fictional town of Gravity Falls, Oregon, with their Great Uncle (Grunkle) Stan.
All the monsters arent real, my 10-year-old tells me as we sit down to watch the show, I think in an effort to reassure me I wont be too scared. She explains that at the end of every episode it is revealed that whatever mythical and terrifying creature has been tormenting Dipper and Mabel for the preceding 24 minutes is usually the creation of a bored townsperson a la Scooby Doo.
I am disappointed to hear this. Its well-documented that I want the monsters to be real. And theres a not insignificant part of me that believes some of them are, especially in the land to the north and west.
Of all the regions of the United States, there is none more mysterious to me than the Pacific Northwest. And none where I believe it is more likely that the creatures of lore might actually exist.
So much of my U.S. history education was focused on the original 13 colonies, the wars Revolutionary, Civil, and World and various social-political movements through the centuries. I had all of a single days instruction and one textbook chapter devoted to Lewis and Clark and the settlement of our neighbors in the upper-left corner of the map.
My postschool understanding of the area has been enhanced only by a quick trip to Seattle, the majority of which was spent in Pikes Place market and on a tour boat that passed the Space Needle and Frasiers apartment. During the brief window when I wasnt buying cheese and saying Niles in a deep, sort-of British voice, I hiked Little Si Peak and was struck by how different the landscape felt from my arid home.
In Utah, our mountains are sharp and jagged and demand to be seen from anywhere in the valley. We have a month or two of green before everything turns brown and every prayer includes pleas for moisture.
Oregon, Washington and the surrounding areas seem to be in a perpetual state of dampness, with fog covering the rolling hills and dense woods. The lack of visibility creates a sense of mystery, and dare I say spookiness. Bigfoot, a werewolf, or even Edward Cullin could be hiding behind any tree.
This opinion is, of course, colored by depictions of the Pacific Northwest, or as locals call it, the PNW, in modern media.
Gravity Falls is just one of many programs and movies set or filmed in the region. Twin Peaks, Twilight, and Harry and the Hendersons all have the area as a backdrop for their tale of murder, vampirism and overgrown family pets, respectively.
And sure, it might be because Vancouver, British Columbia Washingtons northern neighbor is one of the worlds most prolific filming locations. It could even be because overcast and rainy days, of which there are many in the PNW, make for the best filming conditions.
And yes, it could be because many in the PNW seem to want to be perceived as offbeat and maybe even a little spooky.
But I believe that where theres dense fog theres fire, and these stories all work best in the region because of its inherent mysticism.
In the spirit of spooky season, I turned to some of the Pacific Northwests supernatural experts for insight into whether PNW is objectively more mystical than my desert home.
Psychic medium Stacy Mitchell of Bend, Oregon, believes the area is saturated with energy from otherworldly entities. Many of these entities have unresolved conflicts from their personal lives, she claims, and others are stirred to anger by the debaucherous actions of residents in the area who disrespect the land with developments and destruction of natural space.
And paranormal vortex detective Dan Shaw, tells me the saturation of paranormal energy in the area can in part be explained by the number of different geological features and their various electromagnetic energies. Volcanoes in the Ring of Fire region spew magma, which hardens to lava and magnetic minerals.
Hes convinced being near the lava rock affects the magnetism of our bodies and our minds.
And while scientists are far more interested in how lava rocks actually retain a magnetic memory capturing the magnetic field of the earth at the time the rocks harden for the purposes of this entirely authoritative article Im much more interested in what mystics have to say on the matter.
And, Shaw believes, justifiably or not, that changes in an electromagnetic field can cause sensations of electricity and tingling, a racing heart or feelings of elation. He says hes heard reports of UFO, Bigfoot, and ghost sightings from people in areas of increased electromagnetic activity.
He tells me about his belief in vortexes, or areas of spinning energy. I ask him if he believes that its because theres a high concentration of vortices in the Pacific Northwest there seems to be an outsized amount of paranormal activity.
He tells me to exercise some caution in jumping to wild conclusions. Fair enough. But, in the same reassuring tone my daughter used to tell me the childrens program we were about to watch wouldnt keep me up at night, Shaw says:
People often ask me, wheres the most powerful vortex on the planet? And I sincerely believe that it is your heart.
This powerful vortex heart of mine believes there really might be shiny vampires and bigfoots (bigfeet?) and werewolves in the Pacific Northwest. Or at least it wants to.
To my disappointment, neither Mitchell nor Shaw was willing to concede that their place of residence is any more mystical, magical or spooky than the rest of the country. So maybe the reason for the outsized amount of paranormal stories and pop culture coming out of the region is as prosaic as Hollywood budgets and proximity to a filming hub, or a product of the Keep Portland Weird attitude, and gamesmanship among locals to play into the general unknown of their place.
But still, I wouldnt walk into those foggy woods alone.
Link:
Vortices, vampires and volcanoes: My fascination with the Pacific Northwest - Deseret News
- Woman's blood-drained corpse is found in Italian church where she had been searching for ghosts: Victim, 22, - Daily Mail - April 12th, 2024
- My latest Game Pass obsession is a vampire-punching action game that could be Red Dead Redemption 2's wacky ... - Gamesradar - April 12th, 2024
- Lindy Ryan on Setting a Vampire Novel in a Small Texas Town - CrimeReads - April 12th, 2024
- 14 Actors Who Appeared In Both Supernatural & The Vampire Diaries - Screen Rant - April 12th, 2024
- Coachella 2024: How to Stream Every Performance on YouTube - Vulture - April 12th, 2024
- Back to the 80s: 'Lost boys' The State Hornet - StateHornet.com - April 12th, 2024
- Slay the Spire 2, Vampire Survivors meets Contra, and other Triple-i games - Ars Technica - April 12th, 2024
- How Vampire Weekend Mastered The Five-Albums Test - UPROXX - April 12th, 2024
- Abigail Directors Tease A Fresh Spin On Vampires That's "Very Much Us" - Screen Rant - April 12th, 2024
- Vampire Weekend Livestreamed Their Solar Eclipse Album Release Show: Watch - Stereogum - April 12th, 2024
- Fan favorite vampire films among those coming to a theater near you - WAPT Jackson - April 12th, 2024
- Vampire Weekend Reckon With the Divine (Again) on Only God Was Above Us - Spin - April 12th, 2024
- Review | Vampire Weekend have grown into their boat shoes - The Washington Post - April 12th, 2024
- Interview with the Vampire season 2: Release date, cast, and more - Android Authority - April 12th, 2024
- Upcoming horror movie Nosferatu debuted a trailer behind closed doors, and apparently Bill Skarsgrd's vampire is ... - Gamesradar - April 12th, 2024
- Vampire Weekend's 'Only God Was Above Us': All 10 Tracks Ranked - Billboard - April 12th, 2024
- Abigail Has Screened, And Critics Are Calling The Bloody Vampire Horror One Of The Best Movies Of 2024 - CinemaBlend - April 12th, 2024
- When Kirsten Dunst revealed the special gift Interview With a Vampire co-star Tom Cruise sends her every year - Hindustan Times - April 12th, 2024
- He is cooking with this cast: Ryan Coogler's Vampire Movie With Michael B. Jordan Casts Another Marvel Star Hailee ... - FandomWire - April 12th, 2024
- Ryan Cooglers Untitled Vampire Thriller Adds 2 More to Cast - ComingSoon.net - April 12th, 2024
- The Vampire Diaries Improved After This Character Left the Show - CBR - Comic Book Resources - April 2nd, 2024
- Paul Wesley Shares Only Way He'd Appear in Another Vampire Diaries Show - E! Online - E! NEWS - April 2nd, 2024
- Interview With the Vampire Releases New Season 2 Trailer Ahead of May Premiere Watch - Yahoo Finance UK - April 2nd, 2024
- Interview with the Vampire season 2 drops second trailer at AMC - Sportskeeda - April 2nd, 2024
- A Major 'Twilight' Star Is Down To Return For The TV Show, So Bring On The Sparkly Vampires - Yahoo! Voices - April 2nd, 2024
- 'Vampire' neutron star blasts are related to jets traveling at near-light speeds - Space.com - April 2nd, 2024
- Louis Is Haunted by the Past in New 'Interview with the Vampire' Season 2 Trailer - Collider - April 2nd, 2024
- A Vampire's Face Has Reemerged From a Centuries-Old Shroud - AOL - April 2nd, 2024
- Video: AMC Networks Releases a Second New Trailer and Key Art for Season Two of "Anne Rice's Interview with the ... - The Futon Critic - April 2nd, 2024
- Humanist Vampire Seeking Consenting Suicidal Person Presents a Rather Different Kind of Teen Angst - Reactor - April 2nd, 2024
- Shiki And 7 Other Vampire-Themed Anime Series For A Blood Curdling Binge-Watch - AugustMan Thailand - April 2nd, 2024
- Interview with the Vampire Season 2 Trailer: Memories of Claudia - Bleeding Cool News - April 2nd, 2024
- Harvey Guilln Says Goodbye to the Mansion in 'What We Do in the Shadows' Season 6 Set Image - Collider - April 2nd, 2024
- Interview with the Vampire Season 2 Trailer Set for Sunday Night - Bleeding Cool News - April 2nd, 2024
- Vampire Weekend share new single 'Mary Boone' and announce UK and European tour - NME - April 2nd, 2024
- The Vampire Diaries Cast: Where are they now? From Ian Somerhalder to Nina Dobrev - 9Entertainment - April 2nd, 2024
- Zendaya Starring in Remake of 'Buffy the Vampire Slayer'? - Snopes.com - April 2nd, 2024
- The Best Vampire Movie Never Says The Word 'Vampire', Stream This Dark R-Rated Horror Hidden Gem - Giant Freakin Robot - April 2nd, 2024
- V Rising gets the crossover every self-respecting vampire wants: Castlevania's Simon Belmont is coming to try and kill ... - PC Gamer - April 2nd, 2024
- Canadian imperialism and the Gaza genocide: The contrived, right-wing furor over a cartoon depicting Netanyahu as a ... - WSWS - April 2nd, 2024
- Is This a Real Photo of Vampire Queen 'Madam Violet,' Voted UK's Scariest Woman Alive in the 1880s? - Snopes.com - March 16th, 2024
- The erotic 70s horror where lechy men turn into bloody-hungry vampires - Dazed - March 16th, 2024
- The vampires ball is coming to an end - Meduza - March 16th, 2024
- Oregon son, 56, who is accused of killing his mom by shoving a huge makeshift stake through her throat claims - Daily Mail - March 16th, 2024
- Muni Bond Games and the IRS' Lurking Arbitrage Vampires - Governing - March 16th, 2024
- Ball of vampires', nuke warning: Key takeaways from Putins interview - The Times of India - March 16th, 2024
- Putin compares western elites to 'VAMPIRES' who 'fill their bellies with human flesh' - GB News - March 16th, 2024
- Every Time Alaric Died In The Vampire Diaries & Legacies - Screen Rant - March 16th, 2024
- V Rising declares a 1.0 release date, climbing from the grave of a years-long early access to become your next time ... - Yahoo Movies UK - March 16th, 2024
- 15 Actors That Could Play Edward Cullen in the Twilight TV Series - MovieWeb - March 16th, 2024
- BLOOD HUNT #1 Preview Releases A Horde Of Vampires On The Marvel Universe's Greatest Heroes - CBM (Comic Book Movie) - March 16th, 2024
- Man accused of killing mother in Siletz believed she was a vampire - Yahoo News - March 16th, 2024
- Stephen King approved 'Salem's Lot' movie to stream on Max this year - Yahoo Movies Canada - March 16th, 2024
- Empire of the Damned Review: A Wickedly Good Time | Arts - Harvard Crimson - March 8th, 2024
- The BLOODCOVEN: Marvel's Vampires Get Their Own Avengers With 6 "Supervampires Fed on the Blood of ... - Screen Rant - March 8th, 2024
- 17 fantasy and science fiction books to read in March 2024 - Winter is Coming - March 8th, 2024
- This MCU Hero Returns to Fight Vampires as Marvel's Massive BLOOD HUNT Begins - Screen Rant - February 28th, 2024
- These Vampons by 'Artisan Vampires' Will Make Your Period Goth AF - Loudwire - February 28th, 2024
- Bloodsuckers Through the Ages - A History of Vampires (Video) - Ancient Origins - February 28th, 2024
- 'Blood Hunt' #2 Cover Shows the Avengers Are Bloody, Battered, and Broken - Marvel.com - February 28th, 2024
- Vampires Invade the Marvel Universe in New Blood Hunt Trailer - Superherohype.com - February 28th, 2024
- 'Near Dark' Is the Acid-Soaked Vampire Western You Need to See - IMDb - February 19th, 2024
- In The Sci-Fi World I Created, Vampires And Werewolves Are Still A Huge Problem (20 New Pics) - Bored Panda - February 19th, 2024
- Kathryn Bigelow's 'Near Dark' Is the Acid-Soaked Vampire Western You Need to See - Collider - February 19th, 2024
- Interview With the Vampire review Tom Cruise and Brad Pitts brilliant bloodsucking bromance - The Guardian - February 19th, 2024
- Is This Too Niche: Vampires - The Post - The Post - February 19th, 2024
- ALEX VAN HELSING Novel Trilogy Being Adapted as a TV Series By Kit Williamson GeekTyrant - GeekTyrant - February 19th, 2024
- The Supernatural Romance Of Vampire: The Masquerade Blood-Stained Love - Forbes - February 19th, 2024
- Leaving the shadows for passion: Why vampires are classic monsters that best reflect our fears and desires - EL PAS USA - February 19th, 2024
- Vampire Weekend to Embark on 2024 Tour, Releases Two New Singles - Variety - February 19th, 2024
- Vampire Weekend adds second Austin show to 2024 tour - Laredo Morning Times - February 19th, 2024
- Vampire Weekend's summer 2024 tour will stop in Minneapolis - Bring Me The News - February 19th, 2024
- Vampire Weekend Announce Massive Tour in Support of New Album Only God Was Above Us - Rolling Stone - February 19th, 2024
- Harry Potter: Are There Vampires in the Wizarding World? - CBR - Comic Book Resources - February 19th, 2024
- The Midnight Sons return, Black Panther becomes a vampire, and much more in Marvel's Blood Hunt tie-ins - Gamesradar - February 19th, 2024
- Morbius is The Secret To Saving Marvel's Entire Universe (Yes, Seriously) - Screen Rant - February 19th, 2024
- Geometry Survivor is a little Geometry Wars and a bit Vampire Survivors - GamingOnLinux - February 19th, 2024
- The War with Angels Is On! SYFY's Reginald the Vampire Officially Returns for Season 2 in May - Yahoo Entertainment - February 19th, 2024
- BLOOD HUNT: Marvel Comics Reveals T'Challa/Black Panther Will Be Transformed Into A Vampire This May - CBM (Comic Book Movie) - February 19th, 2024
- Interview With The Vampire season 2 teaser reveals May 12 release date - Winter is Coming - February 11th, 2024
Reviewed and Recommended by Erik Baquero