Fortean Phenomenon
Fortean phenomenon are the concepts created by Charles Fort, who was a studier of science and would not accept the explanations, or complete disregard, of modern science in regards to strange happenings and occurrences. Charles Fort thought outside of what was considered “normal” and investigated this phenomenon, striving to determine an explanation that defied all known science at the time. He was the originator of many concepts, some that we accept today as real happenings, and some that science still debates.
Charles Fort is credited with creating the term teleportation, or the ability to move things from one point to another without it moving through the air in its path. That is, an object will be in one place and suddenly appear in another, without it ever having moved through space. This is not the same as quantum teleportation, which cannot move energy or matter. One way that an object could be teleported is when it is being used as a transport device for a poltergeist. Charles Fort also did much studying into the phenomenon of poltergeists and suggested that these evil spirits could place themselves inside of an object and that object would then move on its own, seemingly. Although all objects that are teleported do not involve poltergeists, Charles Fort suggested the possibility that some objects were moved due to poltergeist activity.
Charles Fort is also well-known for his theories about raining animals. Perhaps this is where the phrase “raining cats and dogs” has come from but it has been known at times, to rain fish and frogs from the sky. Occasionally, there are also birds that fall from the sky. These animals today are thought to be picked up from strong winds after a very bad storm and along with other debris, the animals are also picked up and dropped when the wind becomes weaker and drops them. However, Fort believed and detailed in his book about certain contents that were in existence above the skies of Earth that held these objects and animals only for them to fall down at another time.
Charles Fort also studied spontaneous human combustion and tried to make people see how it could be true. Although Charles Dickens and not Charles Fort, can actually be credited with making people first start to consider the possibility of spontaneous human combustion, it was still not accepted by science as a reality. This act is when a human body suddenly bursts into flames and has no smoke or sparks around it and seems to leave all of its surroundings untouched. Charles Fort also got people thinking about UFO, unidentified flying objects, before they could be seen all over television and in science fiction movies, books, and television shows. Charles Fort also investigated mysterious disappearances, ball lightning and levitation.
Whether people believe in Charles Fort is purely a matter of personal opinion. However, one think Charles Fort did for all was to get them thinking about some things that they may never have otherwise.