This video features a conversation between Bob Gymlan and Les Stroud, the survival expert from Survivorman. The primary focus is Les Stroud's experiences with Bigfoot, specifically an encounter in Alaska during the filming of Survivorman, and his later experiences in the Smokey Mountains. The discussion also touches upon the broader topic of Bigfoot research and the challenges of approaching the subject scientifically and objectively.
Les Stroud details two significant experiences related to Bigfoot.
1. The Alaska Encounter: While filming Survivorman in Alaska (around 2006), Stroud heard a series of loud, ape-like grunts emanating from a tree approximately 20 feet high. The trees were shaking. He initially froze, then attempted to record the audio, at which point the creature rapidly descended the tree and crashed through the undergrowth, disappearing quickly. Stroud's extensive knowledge of Alaskan wildlife led him to believe the sounds and behavior were inconsistent with any known animal in the area. He emphasizes that this occurred during a standard Survivorman filming session, unrelated to any Bigfoot investigation.
2. The Smoky Mountains Experience: During a later Bigfoot investigation in the Smoky Mountains, Stroud recounts an experience involving what he describes as telepathic communication. While alone in a known "hotspot," he felt a strong, distinct voice in his head, not his own internal monologue, which instructed him to stay overnight to encounter a Bigfoot. The voice communicated a clear message: “If you stay the night, we will come to you.” He felt a strong physical sensation, almost a vibration, accompanying the voice. He ultimately decided to leave, attributing his decision partly to the fact that his partner was waiting for him and he didn't want to cause worry. He expresses some regret at leaving. He clarifies that the communication was not in a spoken language but rather an understanding conveyed directly to his brain, translatable by his brain into his native English. He also notes exhibiting typical nervous behaviors during the experience (mouth-breathing) that are captured on film.
Les Stroud's Smoky Mountains experience centers around a telepathic communication he claims to have received while investigating Bigfoot in a location known as a "hotspot" for such activity. He was alone, having separated from his partner, Scott Carpenter, who had remained at the parking lot. Stroud had decided to remain in the woods until dark.
The experience began with a feeling described as a strong voice in his head, distinct from his usual internal thoughts. It wasn't a typical auditory experience but more of a direct mental communication. This voice was not in any spoken language but conveyed a clear message to his brain, which his brain then translated into English as "If you stay the night, we will come to you". This mental message was accompanied by a physical sensation; Stroud describes it as a tingling or vibration.
He notes that this type of experience, a feeling of something behind him causing his hair to stand on end, was extremely rare for him, despite his extensive time spent in the wilderness. The intensity and nature of the mental communication surprised him, leading him to start filming.
He considered the possible explanations for the feelings, suggesting that it could be a black bear or deer, something that wouldn’t typically frighten him. However, before he could dismiss it, the distinct communication occurred again, this time sounding almost like a Spanish-speaking woman, twice repeating, "Are you scared? Are you scared?". Simultaneously, a nearby star appeared to move slightly downward then upward, forming a check-mark shape before disappearing. This whole event lasted mere seconds.
Stroud describes the overall experience as unusual because even after the event, he didn't feel the typical lingering creepiness associated with such encounters, and the event seemed to have a distinct beginning and end, with the sensation of something akin to a cloud moving away from him. This incident left him feeling something had been present and then had departed. Notably, his dog subsequently refused to venture into the yard after dark. He emphasizes that, although he understands feelings are not facts, his experience feels genuine and is significantly different from his usual internal monologue. He concludes that the entire experience is difficult to explain and is unlikely to be believed by those who have never had a similar encounter.
Les Stroud's description of the direct mental communication in the Smoky Mountains is crucial to understanding his experience. He emphasizes that it wasn't simply a voice he heard; it was a direct transmission of understanding to his brain. This is a key distinction he makes throughout the interview. The communication wasn't linguistic in the way we typically understand language. There were no words "spoken" in his mind, as one might imagine in a hallucination or internal dialogue. Instead, the meaning of the message was directly implanted in his consciousness.
His brain then translated this raw understanding into the familiar framework of English, resulting in the message "If you stay the night, we will come to you." This suggests a form of communication surpassing conventional linguistic or auditory methods. He uses this aspect to refute the common dismissal of the experience as a hallucination or psychological phenomenon. His assertion is that a hallucination would involve internal mental processes constructing a narrative, whereas he experienced a direct and almost immediate conveyance of meaning.
This direct mental communication is further underscored by his second communication, where he hears "Are you scared? Are you scared?" in what he describes as a voice unlike his own internal monologue and oddly reminiscent of a Spanish-speaking woman. This reinforces the idea of an external source communicating directly with his mind, irrespective of language barriers. The fact that he experienced both the message to stay and the "Are you scared?" question demonstrates the alleged non-linguistic nature of the communication; the information was transmitted directly, the brain translating into linguistic structures only afterward. The overall experience is described as more akin to a physical sensation than an auditory one.
