Did You Ever Meet Someone Who Claimed to Have an Extraordinary Past?

[zoobyshoe]

... some kind of extraordinary past?

Mention of the Atomic Energy Commission in another thread reminded me of this character:

About three years ago a character started showing up at a cafe I frequent here in San Diego: a man in his 60's or 70's, who claimed to have worked for the Atomic Energy Commission. He said during that period he had spoken to Feynman at Cal Tech on the phone many times, and he maintained that Feynman's position at Cal Tech was "assured" by the Atomic Energy Commission. That is: the government basically ordered Cal Tech to keep Feynman on the payroll so that he would have a guaranteed income and life stability, and they, the Atomic Energy Commission could call him up at random times at irregular intervals to ask him questions about atomic physics.

Additionally, this character claimed that he, himself, had "garnered some minor celebrity in the computer world" for having invented a thing called "parallel processing". He said he'd gotten the idea from reading about split brain patients; people whose corpus callosum had been surgically severed as a drastic means of seizure control.


He also told me a long-winded, overly sentimental story about an abused dog he had once adopted and cherished like a child. (This story was a continuation of the subject of seizures: the dog suffered from them.)

He told me his name, but all I have is a vague recollection that his first name might have been "Paul". I have no idea if he was confabulating himself into scenarios he'd only read about or if any of this was true.

 

[turbo]

Don't know, Zoob, but if you don't mind me hijacking your thread, the father of one of my closest friends (and his brothers, and his one really flaky sister) held top security clearances all during the cold war. In fact his security clearance was threatened when the flaky daughter ended up in Canada with a draft-dodger in the '60's. He is dead now, but he told me in no uncertain terms on multiple occasions that he KNEW that Earth had been visited by non-humans. His sons (one of whom works for a think-tank) were NOT at all happy when he kicked the traces, even though the old fella would not be real specific when talking to friends. The old guy was incredible. I'd drop in and find him in his recliner, and he would have the radio and the TV tuned to different sports, while reading novels, periodicals, and professional journals at will. He had by far the largest and most comprehensive private library I have ever known. If Al liked you and you had an interest in mathematics, physics, astrophysics, etc, you could borrow journals, periodicals, texts, etc to your hearts' content.

BTW, he was a top-level bridge player, and when my father's group invited him to fill vacancies in their Friday poker club, he was a formidable player.

 

[hypatia]

Zooby, if his name was not John Vincent Atanasoff or Clifford Berry he did not invent parallel processing.
MY Father worked for NASA,and later for Ford Aerospace, I did get to meet many people who invented items for the space program.

 

[Pengwuino]

I'm always very skeptical of people with extraordinary claims (... extraordinary proof, etc etc). If you have a classified background... you could honestly say whatever the hell you want and mystify people haha

 

[Ivan Seeking]

When I was a kid, the alcoholic across the street claimed to be the fifth Beatle. He would even sing for us.

A roommate claimed to be a decendent of Mary, Queen of Scots. He even had paperwork showing that he was royalty, but I have no way to know if it was legit.

I once dated a girl whose mother was pure native American. She [her mother and her, actually] had grown up in the wilds of the foothills of California's Sierra Nevada Mountains. The mother swore that as a child she had multiple encounters with the so-called bigfoot. She claimed these encounters took place at a creek where she would go to play.

Recently I posted about an old friend in college [an older student, like me, even back then!], who for some time kept secret his musical career back in the 70's. My first clue was when I visited his home and saw the gold records on the wall.

I have talked with a number of former military personnel of significant rank who tell of dramatic events involving UFOs. One is Tsu's uncle [her dad's brother]. He was a full bird [Col] in the Marines, and claims direct knowledge of a couple of events in Vietnam. The funny thing is that Tsu's dad thought all of this UFO stuff was nonsense. He also has tremendous respect for his brother. When the uncle told me about the events in Nam, Tsu's dad was sitting there. The look on his face was priceless!

 

[zoobyshoe]

He is dead now, but he told me in no uncertain terms on multiple occasions that he KNEW that Earth had been visited by non-humans.

The family that lives directly across the street from me claims to have been abducted by aliens. The parents are elderly. The dad is a survivor of the attack on Pearl harbor. The daughter, in her late 40's, is the one who is most vocal about this abduction. She claims that her daughter, now in her twenties, is half alien.

Zooby, if his name was not John Vincent Atanasoff or Clifford Berry he did not invent parallel processing.

It seems they both died before I ever met this character.

I'm always very skeptical of people with extraordinary claims (... extraordinary proof, etc etc). If you have a classified background... you could honestly say whatever the hell you want and mystify people haha

We here at area 51 do not fib. Additionally, there is no area 51, and we are not here.

 

[Ivan Seeking]

The family that lives directly across the street from me claims to have been abducted by aliens.

Yeah, I hear the border problems down that way are getting pretty bad.

 

[zoobyshoe]

Yeah, I hear the border problems down that way are getting pretty bad.

To this day the sight of rice and beans terrifies them.

 

[zoobyshoe]

Recently I posted about an old friend in college [an older student, like me, even back then!], who for some time kept secret his musical career back in the 70's. My first clue was when I visited his home and saw the gold records on the wall.

I don't understand. He was some kind of producer or song writer whose face most wouldn't recognise?

 

[FireSky86]

I have not met anyone who has had an extraordinary past.

Maybe I'm an alien? :tongue:

 

[zoobyshoe]

Maybe I'm an alien? :tongue:

Say it with confidence and conviction.

 

[Ivan Seeking]

I don't understand. He was some kind of producer or song writer whose face most wouldn't recognise?

This is what got me started. A number of posts follow including post at 932 and 940.
https://www.physicsforums.com/showthread.php?p=2072591#post2072591

 

[zoobyshoe]

This is what got me started. A number of posts follow including post at 932 and 940.
https://www.physicsforums.com/showthread.php?p=2072591#post2072591

That's funny about the Saturday Night Live offer because, as I think I mentioned a few years back, I knew the guy who did makeup for that show during the Eddie Murphy years. He got me into a dress rehearsal once. Had your friend accepted the offer I might have met him that night.

 

[Ivan Seeking]

Had he accepted the offer we would probably ALL know his name. He definitely regretted missing that one. He may have been busy with the Phantom movie, but I don't remember anymore.

It was really a treat to hang out with Jeff for...well about two years. In fact we had a fantastic group of about ten of us that became close friends. Beyond a doubt they were two of the best years of my life.

 

[Ivan Seeking]

Crud! A skunk just came into my office through the cat door. Here we go again.

Zooby, why does this always seem to happen when you show up?

 

[zoobyshoe]

Crud! A skunk just came into my office through the cat door. Here we go again.

Zooby, why does this always seem to happen when you show up?

Skunk Ape, Bigfoot, Zoobie: all the same thing.

 

[Jimmy Snyder]

My roomie claimed he was Napoleon. What a nut he was. In fact all the inmates thought they were famous in one way or another. Not me. I really am a famous civil war ace pilot.

 

[zoobyshoe]

My roomie claimed he was Napoleon. What a nut he was. In fact all the inmates thought they were famous in one way or another. Not me. I really am a famous civil war ace pilot.

I love watching documentary footage of all those Civil War Air battles: people shooting at each other with Enfield muskets from the cockpits of steam powered, iron clad biplanes. Still, there's nothing like the Napoleon vs Wellington dogfight over Waterloo. Of course motion picture film wasn't invented yet but many soldiers got cell phone footage.

 

[binzing]

My roomie claimed he was Napoleon. What a nut he was. In fact all the inmates thought they were famous in one way or another. Not me. I really am a famous civil war ace pilot.

Inmates eh?

 

[GeorginaS]

Oh gads. Well, my best friend claims to remember her past lives. And she recounts for me adventures we've experienced together during this lifetime -- a few of them rather impressive -- that I have no recollection of whatsoever. She swears they happened. I smile and nod and tell her I'll take her word for it. Does that count?

Oh! And my mother's long-deceased mother visits my mother in the form of a bird in her yard.

My sister-in-law believes that same long-deceased grandmother's jewelry possesses magical capabilities (although it's never actually performed anything requested of it).

 

[Ivan Seeking]

That's funny about the Saturday Night Live offer because, as I think I mentioned a few years back, I knew the guy who did makeup for that show during the Eddie Murphy years. He got me into a dress rehearsal once.

Did you get to meet the entire cast?

 

[turbo]

I love watching documentary footage of all those Civil War Air battles: people shooting at each other with Enfield muskets from the cockpits of steam powered, iron clad biplanes. Still, there's nothing like the Napoleon vs Wellington dogfight over Waterloo. Of course motion picture film wasn't invented yet but many soldiers got cell phone footage.

Many folks are unaware that there was an air-corps of sorts in the Civil War (on both sides actually, though the Union made more use of the balloons). Usually, the balloons were tethered, and observers in the basket could telegraph intelligence in real-time to the ground. It was a fairly new concept, and the Union generals did not take full advantage of it, and the project was abandoned by sometime in 1863 as US Grant and his staff decided to fight a war of attrition with their superior forces.

 

[Ivan Seeking]

Skunk Ape, Bigfoot, Zoobie: all the same thing.

Is THAT how we know when to expect you? Do Zoobies comes out in the spring for mating season?

 

[zoobyshoe]

Did you get to meet the entire cast?

No, in fact the only person he introduced me to was Joe Piscopo, because they were friends. Piscopo was sitting at a piano. He shook my hand and nodded toward my friend Kevin and said "I'm his biggest fan." Kevin was going to take me into another room and introduce me to someone else but, looking through the little window he saw Lorne Michaels and said we couldn't go in there. He told me that if Lorne Michaels came into the makeup room at any point I should not make eye contact and should pretend I didn't exist. At one point I saw Eddie Murphy running down the halls playing hide and seek with two cute girls.

 

[turbo]

Is THAT how we know when to expect you? Do Zoobies comes out in the spring for mating season?

Check your lawn for little holes. At night they dig for tasty grubs.

 

[zoobyshoe]

Many folks are unaware that there was an air-corps of sorts in the Civil War (on both sides actually, though the Union made more use of the balloons). Usually, the balloons were tethered, and observers in the basket could telegraph intelligence in real-time to the ground. It was a fairly new concept, and the Union generals did not take full advantage of it, and the project was abandoned by sometime in 1863 as US Grant and his staff decided to fight a war of attrition with their superior forces.

Also, after the Civil War many officers with high level security clearance hinted that Extra-Terrestrials had visited earth. Grant's journal pages on this subject mysteriously disappeared a few years after his death. Confederate General Joseph E. Johnston was rumored to mutter under his breath about silvery flying cigars in unguarded moments for years after the conflict.

 

[zoobyshoe]

Is THAT how we know when to expect you? Do Zoobies comes out in the spring for mating season?

No, we just hang out with skunks cause they smell so much like us.

 

[zoobyshoe]

Oh gads. Well, my best friend claims to remember her past lives. And she recounts for me adventures we've experienced together during this lifetime -- a few of them rather impressive -- that I have no recollection of whatsoever. She swears they happened. I smile and nod and tell her I'll take her word for it. Does that count?

Oh! And my mother's long-deceased mother visits my mother in the form of a bird in her yard.

Your mother and friend are Pythagoreans:

Religiously, Pythagoras was a believer of metempsychosis. He believed in transmigration, or the reincarnation of the soul again and again into the bodies of humans, animals, or vegetables until it became moral. His ideas of reincarnation were influenced by ancient Greek religion. He was one of the first to propose that the thought processes and the soul were located in the brain and not the heart. He himself claimed to have lived four lives that he could remember in detail, and heard the cry of his dead friend in the bark of a dog.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pythagoras

 

[GeorginaS]

Your mother and friend are Pythagoreans:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pythagoras

Thank you, zoobyshoe. I'll be sure to tell them.

 

[TheStatutoryApe]

Coffee houses are cetainly the place where looneys crop up. I have met quite a few people who enjoyed making up extraordinary pasts and life events.
One guy I met also claimed to have been part of a think tank for application of quantum mechanics. Too bad I didn't know much that the dancing wu li masters hadn't taught me back then or I might have been able to determine better whether he was telling the truth or not. As I got to know him better he confessed that he was a bit of a conman so I was fairly certain he was pulling my leg before.

A friend I made at the coffee house I worked at brought his father in on occasion. He was an interesting fellow. He had been a special forces sniper during the Vietnam war and apparently had somewhat of a high clearance. He related a story of being in a room where someone was monitoring a radar. At some point a blip flew across the screen in a matter of a couple seconds while others where making their way across quite slowly. At first I thought he was going to tell me that it was a UFO. He said that he was told he wasn't supposed to see that and later found out that they had been testing some new jet fighter. I'm sure he told me which one but I do not remember.
He never really made any claims to extraordinary knowledge himself but told me things that he had apparently heard from others including what supposedly actually happened with the JFK assasination and that OJ was supposedly taking the fall for his son (the OJ trial was fairly fresh at that time).

At the same coffee house I met an interesting guy who was actually the opposite of teh person who claims an extraordinary past. He was a homeless alcoholic. He said that he had been drafted for the vietnam war but due to some accident never left the states. I came to find out later that his alcoholism was actually selfmedication for PTSD because he had apparently in fact been to Vietnam and even was present at a major atrocity though the person who let me in on this did not explain further because he did not want to betray the mans confidence any further. He was also a humble but good Go player. We sat down to several games and I think the only reason I ever came close to even a tie was that he was drinking the whole time. He once schooled me even with a nine stone handicap, not that I am a great player myself but he must have at least ranked on the amatuer scale in my opinion. Being young still I wanted to hang out with friends instead of hunched over a go board all the time so we wound up not playing much later on and I think that sadden him. He really enjoyed our games and I felt really bad about it afterwards. One day he left. An old Go buddy of his who was a prof at a UC in northern California decided to take him in and help him out. I miss the old guy. I can't even remember his name. :-/

 

[zoobyshoe]

Being young still I wanted to hang out with friends instead of hunched over a go board all the time so we wound up not playing much later on and I think that sadden him. He really enjoyed our games and I felt really bad about it afterwards. One day he left.

This is a big problem at this sort of Cafe. Some of the broken, misfit people are actually pretty interesting if you're in the right frame of mind, but usually there are far less emotionally draining people to hang with. One of the problems I had with the guy I described in the opening post was his long winded side excursion into the dog story. He lost me there, and I couldn't wait to get rid of him.

 

[Ivan Seeking]

When I was a senior in high school, our psychology class visited Napa State Mental Hospital. We visited four wards, with each being appropriate for people with increasingly serious disorders, as compared to the previous ward. I don't remember much about the rest of the wards, but talking with people in the last ward was a very strange experience. One guy tried to convince me that he was a chicken. There was another that strutted around while claiming to be a long-distance runner. There was a catatonic schizophrenic sitting in a semi-fetal position and rocking in the corner. The most memorable of all was this really nice guy that sat down next to me. I asked him why he was here. He talked a bit and finally arrived at the sentence: I took about twenty hits of acid [it might have been more...], and I woke up here.

It definitely ranks as one of the most memorable experiences that I have had. It was absolutely surreal to sit and talk with people who were so completely detached from reality. The other things that stick in my mind are that almost everyone smoked; they had electric cigarette lighters built into the walls; the doctors in the last ward seemed strikingly similar to the patients in the first ward.

Regarding the alien bit, in spite of my twenty-year+ interest in the UFO phenomenon, I have never met anyone who actually claimed to be abducted by aliens. I have always been tempted to track down Travis Walton [famous case] and have a one-on-one, but I guess I don't really want to badly enough to pay for the airfare.

 

[zoobyshoe]

It definitely ranks as one of the most memorable experiences that I have had. It was absolutely surreal to sit and talk with people who were so completely detached from reality.

I'm sure it was memorable for them, too. Those places are bleak and the chance to sit and chat with 'normal' people who weren't staff probably made them feel better.

Regarding the alien bit, in spite of my twenty-year+ interest in the UFO phenomenon, I have never met anyone who actually claimed to be abducted by aliens. I have always been tempted to track down Travis Walton [famous case] and have a one-on-one, but I guess I don't really want to badly enough to pay for the airfare.

This woman across the street here who claims to have been abducted and impregnated is obviously "off" when you talk to her for a bit. She also claims to be a licensed private detective and to work in film production. She and her brother are both in their 40's, single, and still living at home with their parents, which says something. She is actually quite attractive, but ruins it by dressing a bit desperately too flashy, short skirts, too much makeup, overdone hairdos, glitter on the face. (At first I figured her for a hooker or stripper past her prime.) There's a kind of posed artificiality to her manner; like a beauty pageant contestant. At the same time all her stories are underdeveloped, cryptic; she drops a few remarks then gets evasive and changes the subject if you ask for details.

One guy who used to hang out at the cafe wasn't exactly "abducted" but, years back, he used to be terrorized by aliens appearing out of nowhere in his apartment. He also constantly heard voices and pretty much lived with an ipod and earphones to drown them out. He was on some medication that made him restless and this made him look sketchy: always standing, shuffling from one foot to the other. The odd thing about him is that, if you got him off the subject of aliens and the Philadelphia Experiment, he was incredibly relaxed and funny and very bright. He had a great sense of humor and everyone liked him. He must have been a very warm and charismatic person before he started hallucinating all the time. But, like your pal in the State Hospital, he did a few too many hits of acid and woke up far from Kansas.

 

[TheStatutoryApe]

I had a friend who said she knew a family that had been chronically abducted. Apparently even the children made comments about the "tin foil people". I am unsure if maybe it was just the mother who was influencing the children to believe this or not since I never met any of the family myself.
My friend, her name was Storme, also believed herself to be psychic and read tarot cards. Not in the crazy sort of way but more like those people who practice "wicca" or similar. She saw lights in the sky one night not long before I met her and believed they were from a UFO. A mutual friend of ours was there with her and she always pointed to her for confirmation but I got the impression that our friend was not nearly as convinced as Storme. Storme also often related how she used to work as a dancer in a club owned by a mobster back in Florida a long time ago. She had other interesting stories. I was never sure just how much she was exaggerating though I knew that she often exaggerated stories about times we were hanging out together at least just a tad.
Storme is gone now too. She died just a couple years ago.

 

[Ivan Seeking]

We knew one woman who claimed to have had a out-of-body death experience. Apparently, at least according to her husband, she did code during childbirth. She also claimed to have gone on a vision quest. She claimed that while on this quest, a black panther appeared during the night and slept by her side. I got to know her well enough to guess that she was probably expecting to see a black panther. She awoke and found something that vaguely resembled a paw print near her sleeping bag, and concluded that a panther had been there.

Almost had forgotten this one: Some years ago, after we had just moved, I went to a new dentist. While the hygenist was cleaning my teeth, she began to tell me how she and others were in psychic communication with some alien race on a distant planet. They were all working hard to solve some big alien problem. I was essentially held captive with sharp utensils in my mouth while she described the details of their work, so I decided not to go back there.