Mysteries of the World

Mystery and the study of the unknown has always fascinated people. The search for truth in the "uncomprehensible" has led to many controversies. Some believe in the "supernatural", while others simply do not. Both types of people obviously have their own reasonings for believing or disbelieving in it. There are numerous world famous mysteries that are still controversial and remain "unsolved" to this day. Some of these mysteries include the Loch Ness Monster, the Abominable Snowman, and the Bermuda Triangle. The Loch Ness Monster is a legendary animal that supposedly resides in the depths of Loch Ness, a long narrow lake situated in rural Scotland. Stories concerning the monster date back to the 6th century A.D. The region was in complete isolation until a road was built alongside the lake in 1933. Then large numbers of people travelled through the region for the very first time. Over the years thousands have reported seeing something in the lake. Most reports depict a long neck surging from the water with a small head of a unknown creature. Pictures have even been taken of this "creature", but most scientists however, refuse to believe any creature of this kind lives in the Loch Ness. They claim that most reported cases are simply products of overactive imaginations, and as for the pictures, scientists say they are not lucid enough to distinguish items clearly, and some pictures are dubbed as "fake". A large number of non- scientists believe however, that the Loch Ness is the site of a breeding colony of large unknown aquatic animals, due to the fact that Loch Ness was once an arm of the sea. Yearly summer investigations have been conducted since 1963 in attempt to unravel the mystery. Investigators have obtained films and sonar readings that indicate that there just might be some unknown animal in the depths of the Loch Ness. Evidence however, is inconclusive, and the controversy continues. Along with the Loch Ness monster, the abominable snowman shares fame as one the great mysteries of the world. The abominable snowman is a legendary creature of the Himalaya mountain region. It is reported to live in forested regions near the snow line. This creature is also known to some by the name Yeti. The abominable snowman is said to walk upright and have the appearance of half-man, half-ape. Many of the descriptions given to this creature are based upon the findings of large, unidentified foot prints in the snow, found in the Himalayas. In order to ascertain the truth behind the abominable snowman legends, countless expeditions have been undertaken, and most turned up empty. Today most experts hold the view that the "abominable snowman" is simply a "fairy tale" and don't take the matter seriously. The foot prints used to support the legends, are thought by scientists, to be prints of a bear or markings left my drifting snow and falling rocks. The legend of the abominable snowman has been kept alive 'till this day, mostly by the Sherpa, a tribe of people living in the Himalayas. These people have always kept the belief that the abominable snowman is a true fact of life. To them he is seen as a religious figure, to be feared as well as protected. Without any concise evidence however, no one can prove this legendary animal from the mountains exists, so the mystery continues to baffle. Like the Loch Ness monster and the abominable snowman, the Bermuda triangle presents another intriguing wonder to the world. The Bermuda Triangle, also known as the Devil's triangle, is a triangular area of the Atlantic Ocean (305,000 km2) where the disappearances of ships, airplanes, and boats has led to the belief that "supernatural" forces inhabit this area of the sea. More than 200 planes, ships, and boats are believed to have disappeared in this triangle without a trace. This includes over 1,000 seamen and airmen. In most of these disappearances, it is the fact that no distress signal was ever received from the disappearing ships and/or planes that heightens the mystery of what happened to them. Although violent storms and downward air currents frequently occur in the area, scientists have not revealed anything extremely peculiar. Boundaries of the Bermuda Triangle are formed by drawing an imaginary line from Melbourne, Florida, to Bermuda, to Puerto Rico, and back to Florida. Could there truly be an unnatural force at work in this geographical triangle or are these disappearances merely coincidence? Either way, numerous people remain unwilling to step over the boundary line into the Devil's Triangle. As we have just discussed the mystery of the Loch Ness monster, the conundrum of the abominable snowman, and the enigma of the Bermuda triangle, we must realize that they are only a few of the many world famous "unsolved" mysteries. From them however, we observe that it can be extremely difficult to ascertain the truth of unexplainable phenomena due to the many opposing opinions in this field. Will we ever come up with a definite conclusion or truth, when it comes to mysteries? The future remains to answer this question, and we humans remain intrigued, and confused about what to believe.

---