Panic: A Genuine Example In The Old Sense Of The Word?

[SimonBurchell]

Looking for somewhere to dump this memory of a mystery buzz, it might as well be here as anywhere I suppose. About 20 years ago I was living in Guatemala, and would regularly take myself off into the back of beyond to explore Maya ruins (the country is covered with them). On this occasion I had headed out to Uaxactun, a small jungle hamlet built around an old disused airstrip, and an uncomfortable and long bus journey from Santa Elena, the nearest town. The hamlet is in the middle of the ruins of an ancient Maya city, largely eaten by the jungle, but with a few prominent buildings cleared by archaeologists. I stayed overnight in the only hotel, and made the mistake of relying on their mosquito net rather than my own, much to my regret the next morning...

Anyway, the next morning I headed out to explore the ruins, divided into two main groups on either side of the airstrip. I was visiting a quite famous (in Maya archaeological terms) pyramid in a jungle clearing, I recall there were a couple of horses tethered in the clearing to graze, but no-one else was around. The pyramid was manky and moss-covered, and the stucco sculptures for which it was famous were pretty much obliterated by the moss etc. As I was standing by the pyramid I became aware of the distant buzz of insects gradually getting louder and louder, until it was an overwhelming roaring buzz. I was expecting to see a migrating swarm of bees fly directly overhead but could see nothing - although I could only see the sky in the little clearing around the pyramid, otherwise the forest canopy was too dense. I was somewhat concerned that I might become the victim of a stinging horde of nasties but after a minute or two of this roaring buzz, it gradually faded and eventually disappeared. I still think there must have been a huge swarm of bees passing nearby, but I didn't see a single one. If it was that loud and I couldn't see them, I can't imagine how loud it must have been directly under the swarm.

 

[IbisNibs]

Did the horses seem to notice anything?

(And where's Quercus? Quercus must be informed of this buzzing event!)

 

[SimonBurchell]

Did the horses seem to notice anything?

I don't recall the reaction of the horses, it may be that the pyramid blocked my line of sight... on the other hand, I was rather preoccupied looking fearfully at the sky.

 

[Krepostnoi]

As I was standing by the pyramid I became aware of the distant buzz of insects gradually getting louder and louder, until it was an overwhelming roaring buzz.

I've experienced similar on Malaysian jungle trails. The sound can be extraordinary, as can the volume. Oddly, though, I never found it alarming.

 

[Mythopoeika]

Years back, it was a particularly hot summer. Even with only one good ear, I kept hearing a strange sound.
It was a very hot day and there was no noise other than this one.
I went outside to investigate.
The noise seemed to be very loud and emanated from a bush in the front yard of my neighbour across the road. It sounded like a LOT of insects and they sounded like they were in trouble (high-pitched noise rather than low-pitched buzzing). I went over but didn't get too close, didn't see anything at all. Neighbour wasn't in, away on holiday.
I can't remember, but I think it persisted for more than a day before it went quiet.

Oddly, I was left a bit perturbed by this. Was it an entire colony of insects dying? Were they in distress? What was causing that?
Unanswered questions.

Edit: I'll post this on the other thread about buzzing entities...

 

[BlackPeter]

I am writing here about something that happened to me a fortnight ago (I hope it fits with this thread -if any mod feels it doesn't please feel free to move it!) I haven't reported it before partly because I wasn't sure how to frame it and partly because the incident deeply disturbed me. Recently I retired from work and have taken to doing long walks around the local countryside and villages - I live in a rural part of South Derbyshire- on one of these walks I decided to climb up onto a small hill near my village which I had often passed, on top of the hill is a stand of mature trees and as a path led up toward them I assumed you could walk up and through them and possibly down towards the next village. Anyway I followed the path up the quite steep hill where I discovered that in front of the mature wood was a small plantation of smaller trees maybe five or six years old and mostly oak and as oak so often does still had lots of dead leaves from last year. Around this plantation was a fence and hedge, the path I was following came to a stile which led to path into the plantation. I climbed over the stile and attempted to follow the path through the young trees, this is where things started to get odd the path was difficult to follow as the trees were planted far too close to the path and each other (I should say that I worked in forestry for years) managed to force my way through only to find that the wood at the back was inaccessible as it was behind a fence with large ‘Private Property’ signs and the path bizarrely just dead ended at said fence! Walked round the edge of the wood along the hedge/fence to see if there was any other way out ( it was by the way a warm very still day) when I suddenly heard from within the plantation what I can only describe as a very loud rushing rustling noise and a flock of what I initially assumed were birds shot up from one of the trees within the plantation to about fifty feet in the air – it was only when these started drifting back down that I realised these were in fact dead leaves that had shot up into the air over one tree in the centre of the trees on a windless day! Already spooked by the oddity of the place and unable to find the stile, panicked by the incident and unable to find the stile I exited hastily through the hedge scratching myself quite badly in the process. As I say the I found the incident very disturbing – a feeling not improved when I got home and told my partner who said ‘that’s just like that MR James story!

 

[catseye]

I am writing here about something that happened to me a fortnight ago (I hope it fits with this thread -if any mod feels it doesn't please feel free to move it!) I haven't reported it before partly because I wasn't sure how to frame it and partly because the incident deeply disturbed me. Recently I retired from work and have taken to doing long walks around the local countryside and villages - I live in a rural part of South Derbyshire- on one of these walks I decided to climb up onto a small hill near my village which I had often passed, on top of the hill is a stand of mature trees and as a path led up toward them I assumed you could walk up and through them and possibly down towards the next village. Anyway I followed the path up the quite steep hill where I discovered that in front of the mature wood was a small plantation of smaller trees maybe five or six years old and mostly oak and as oak so often does still had lots of dead leaves from last year. Around this plantation was a fence and hedge, the path I was following came to a stile which led to path into the plantation. I climbed over the stile and attempted to follow the path through the young trees, this is where things started to get odd the path was difficult to follow as the trees were planted far too close to the path and each other (I should say that I worked in forestry for years) managed to force my way through only to find that the wood at the back was inaccessible as it was behind a fence with large ‘Private Property’ signs and the path bizarrely just dead ended at said fence! Walked round the edge of the wood along the hedge/fence to see if there was any other way out ( it was by the way a warm very still day) when I suddenly heard from within the plantation what I can only describe as a very loud rushing rustling noise and a flock of what I initially assumed were birds shot up from one of the trees within the plantation to about fifty feet in the air – it was only when these started drifting back down that I realised these were in fact dead leaves that had shot up into the air over one tree in the centre of the trees on a windless day! Already spooked by the oddity of the place and unable to find the stile, panicked by the incident and unable to find the stile I exited hastily through the hedge scratching myself quite badly in the process. As I say the I found the incident very disturbing – a feeling not improved when I got home and told my partner who said ‘that’s just like that MR James story!

Have you had a look at a local OS map to check on footpaths in the area? To see whether that path actually did end where it appeared to, or whether there was a right of way through the 'Private Property' wood or around the fence at the base?

The incident with the leaves sounds most odd.

 

[SimonBurchell]

I am writing here about something that happened to me a fortnight ago (I hope it fits with this thread -if any mod feels it doesn't please feel free to move it!) I haven't reported it before partly because I wasn't sure how to frame it and partly because the incident deeply disturbed me. Recently I retired from work and have taken to doing long walks around the local countryside and villages - I live in a rural part of South Derbyshire- on one of these walks I decided to climb up onto a small hill near my village which I had often passed, on top of the hill is a stand of mature trees and as a path led up toward them I assumed you could walk up and through them and possibly down towards the next village. Anyway I followed the path up the quite steep hill where I discovered that in front of the mature wood was a small plantation of smaller trees maybe five or six years old and mostly oak and as oak so often does still had lots of dead leaves from last year. Around this plantation was a fence and hedge, the path I was following came to a stile which led to path into the plantation. I climbed over the stile and attempted to follow the path through the young trees, this is where things started to get odd the path was difficult to follow as the trees were planted far too close to the path and each other (I should say that I worked in forestry for years) managed to force my way through only to find that the wood at the back was inaccessible as it was behind a fence with large ‘Private Property’ signs and the path bizarrely just dead ended at said fence! Walked round the edge of the wood along the hedge/fence to see if there was any other way out ( it was by the way a warm very still day) when I suddenly heard from within the plantation what I can only describe as a very loud rushing rustling noise and a flock of what I initially assumed were birds shot up from one of the trees within the plantation to about fifty feet in the air – it was only when these started drifting back down that I realised these were in fact dead leaves that had shot up into the air over one tree in the centre of the trees on a windless day! Already spooked by the oddity of the place and unable to find the stile, panicked by the incident and unable to find the stile I exited hastily through the hedge scratching myself quite badly in the process. As I say the I found the incident very disturbing – a feeling not improved when I got home and told my partner who said ‘that’s just like that MR James story!

As Catseye said, look at the OS map to see where the path goes. You can use the OS layer for free on Bing Maps (on PC/laptop, last time I tried it didn't work on Android).

 

[BlackPeter]

As Catseye said, look at the OS map to see where the path goes. You can use the OS layer for free on Bing Maps (on PC/laptop, last time I tried it didn't work on Android).

Have looked at OS map no footpath at all is shown up the hill but that may be because a lot of local footpaths are very recent having been set up as part of the National Forest reafforestation of the area in conjunction with the Woodland Trust etc. (I have a suspicion which I'm trying to check on with National Forest staff that this plantation belongs to Woodland Trust - if nothing else I would like an explanation of the bizarre close planting!)

 

[SimonBurchell]

Have looked at OS map no footpath at all is shown up the hill but that may be because a lot of local footpaths are very recent having been set up as part of the National Forest reafforestation of the area in conjunction with the Woodland Trust etc. (I have a suspicion which I'm trying to check on with National Forest staff that this plantation belongs to Woodland Trust - if nothing else I would like an explanation of the bizarre close planting!)

Personally, I'd go for an explanation for all the leaves shooting up into the air!

 

[BlackPeter]

Personally, I'd go for an explanation for all the leaves shooting up into the air!

Somehow don't think that's going to happen!

 

[PeteS]

I am writing here about something that happened to me a fortnight ago (I hope it fits with this thread -if any mod feels it doesn't please feel free to move it!) I haven't reported it before partly because I wasn't sure how to frame it and partly because the incident deeply disturbed me. Recently I retired from work and have taken to doing long walks around the local countryside and villages - I live in a rural part of South Derbyshire- on one of these walks I decided to climb up onto a small hill near my village which I had often passed, on top of the hill is a stand of mature trees and as a path led up toward them I assumed you could walk up and through them and possibly down towards the next village. Anyway I followed the path up the quite steep hill where I discovered that in front of the mature wood was a small plantation of smaller trees maybe five or six years old and mostly oak and as oak so often does still had lots of dead leaves from last year. Around this plantation was a fence and hedge, the path I was following came to a stile which led to path into the plantation. I climbed over the stile and attempted to follow the path through the young trees, this is where things started to get odd the path was difficult to follow as the trees were planted far too close to the path and each other (I should say that I worked in forestry for years) managed to force my way through only to find that the wood at the back was inaccessible as it was behind a fence with large ‘Private Property’ signs and the path bizarrely just dead ended at said fence! Walked round the edge of the wood along the hedge/fence to see if there was any other way out ( it was by the way a warm very still day) when I suddenly heard from within the plantation what I can only describe as a very loud rushing rustling noise and a flock of what I initially assumed were birds shot up from one of the trees within the plantation to about fifty feet in the air – it was only when these started drifting back down that I realised these were in fact dead leaves that had shot up into the air over one tree in the centre of the trees on a windless day! Already spooked by the oddity of the place and unable to find the stile, panicked by the incident and unable to find the stile I exited hastily through the hedge scratching myself quite badly in the process. As I say the I found the incident very disturbing – a feeling not improved when I got home and told my partner who said ‘that’s just like that MR James story!

Loud rushing noise and leaves shooting up into the air is suggestive of a large commercial leaf blower or wood chipper (having been in the trade you'll know those), but I doubt that these could blow leaves fifty feet up and you would probably have recognised the sound they make anyway. Any chance of linking to a Google satellite shot of where this happened?

 

[catseye]

You can email your local Footpaths Officer, or The Woodland Trust. It would be good to know the exact trajectory of the footpath and whether or not it's a permissive footpath. If it's not a 'real' footpath then the owner of the Private Woodland could have something either dangerous or 'anti-walker' within their woods in order to deter visitors.

 

[Nosmo King]

You can email your local Footpaths Officer, or The Woodland Trust. It would be good to know the exact trajectory of the footpath and whether or not it's a permissive footpath. If it's not a 'real' footpath then the owner of the Private Woodland could have something either dangerous or 'anti-walker' within their woods in order to deter visitors.

Im going for hairy cryptid, fenced in for your protection

 

[Mythopoeika]

You can email your local Footpaths Officer, or The Woodland Trust. It would be good to know the exact trajectory of the footpath and whether or not it's a permissive footpath. If it's not a 'real' footpath then the owner of the Private Woodland could have something either dangerous or 'anti-walker' within their woods in order to deter visitors.

The trees may have been planted in such a way to keep people out. I'm thinking that further beyond is a marijuana farm.

 

[BlackPeter]

Loud rushing noise and leaves shooting up into the air is suggestive of a large commercial leaf blower or wood chipper (having been in the trade you'll know those), but I doubt that these could blow leaves fifty feet up and you would probably have recognised the sound they make anyway. Any chance of linking to a Google satellite shot of where this happened?

See attached file which is the clearest I could get it

 

[Mungoman]

G'day BP.

A weird experience to say the least!

The Hill and forested area has an unusual feature - there is a shadowed area to the east of the plantation which resembles a depression similar to an excavation, and further east in a straight line there is more shadow - resembling a geological upthrust to the southern area.

Is there an old Iron Age Fort on top of the hill?

Now...those leaves. For them to shoot up into the air the way they did, there has been a massive energy impact...Which I'll leave for someone else to figure out because my irrational part of my mind would run away with me.

Apart from those scratches - is your health alright mate?

 

[catseye]

The trees may have been planted in such a way to keep people out. I'm thinking that further beyond is a marijuana farm.

In which case the woods would have to conceal buildings, which would be very obvious from above. More likely just rampantly protective 'get off of my land!' types.
Around me there are many footpaths which, on walking down for about half a mile, you reach either a barbed wire fence or field of extremely frisky bullocks, or stiles so unmaintained that climbing over would result in injury. I recently had to report a local bridlepath for being plastered with (home made) posters saying that the path was for horses ONLY and anyone else using it would be reported (to whom it did not say).

Some people can come over a bit barmy when the great unwashed have a right of way across their land.

 

[BlackPeter]

G'day BP.

A weird experience to say the least!

The Hill and forested area has an unusual feature - there is a shadowed area to the east of the plantation which resembles a depression similar to an excavation, and further east in a straight line there is more shadow - resembling a geological upthrust to the southern area.

Is there an old Iron Age Fort on top of the hill?

Now...those leaves. For them to shoot up into the air the way they did, there has been a massive energy impact...Which I'll leave for someone else to figure out because my irrational part of my mind would run away with me.

Apart from those scratches - is your health alright mate?

Thanks yes I'm fine apart from scratches -as to Iron Age forts always possible but as far as I know nothing in this area

 

[Min Bannister]

Sounds freaky. Could it have been a dust devil do you think?

 

[Eyespy]

Mungomans comment about Hill forts in relation to the woods has reminded me of a Panic moment of my own at Old Sarum near Salisbury. I think this would have been around Midsummer in 1984 or 85. I was a poor sleeper and in the habit of getting up early on the weekends and going out for a walk as soon as it was light . One morning my ramblings took me to Old sarum which I knew quite well, I liked to walk around the rings- theses are narrow tracks with steep slopes either side.
This time I was half way around when I had an intense sensation of being watched and I could hear buzzing noise like insects. I did not want to go back so had to go around the ring. after a couple of moments I had to stop as there was a rabbit head on the track, laid out with all its guts and organs just glistening in the morning sun. I really could not go back, so i jumped over the poor thing and legged it to the old gate and made my way back to my bike and got the hell out of there.

It was some years before I ventured back to what was for me a favourite spot.

I have tried not to think about this for years and even writing this gives me the chills. The sense that I must not look around or turn back was so strong and the shock of discovery so unnerving

 

[maximus otter]

Mungomans comment about Hill forts in relation to the woods has reminded me of a Panic moment of my own at Old Sarum near Salisbury. I think this would have been around Midsummer in 1984 or 85. I was a poor sleeper and in the habit of getting up early on the weekends and going out for a walk as soon as it was light . One morning my ramblings took me to Old sarum which I knew quite well, I liked to walk around the rings- theses are narrow tracks with steep slopes either side.
This time I was half way around when I had an intense sensation of being watched and I could hear buzzing noise like insects. I did not want to go back so had to go around the ring. after a couple of moments I had to stop as there was a rabbit head on the track, laid out with all its guts and organs just glistening in the morning sun. I really could not go back, so i jumped over the poor thing and legged it to the old gate and made my way back to my bike and got the hell out of there.

It was some years before I ventured back to what was for me a favourite spot.

I have tried not to think about this for years and even writing this gives me the chills. The sense that I must not look around or turn back was so strong and the shock of discovery so unnerving

Flies gathered on a badger kill.

maximus otter

 

[Mr_Hermolle]

Weirdest panic I ever had was back in 2012 and was weird because it's trigger was not that odd at all - but my response to it was. It around about midsummer in June, and I had got into the habit of going for hour-or-so long strolls about twilight.
I was living in Hove on the south coast at the time - very near to Portslade. I like walking but am not an adventurous wanderer - I don't like getting lost and like to know where I am going so I can just zone out and daydream. So this was my usual walk back then... I would walk to Portslade (about ten minutes away) walk up the main street and head back towards Brighton / Hove along the Old Shoreham Road. It's all a very built up suburban area and usually pretty busy.
The Old Shoreham Road passes through Hove Cemetery - new side one side of the busy dual carriageway type road, old side to the other. Theres nothing alarming about the graveyard at all and the old side is a nice place to chill out on a summers day. My walk would usually take me past the graveyard at sunset (and I remember these walks having a sunset).
Anyhow walking past the cemetery this one evening I happened to notice how weirdly quiet it was - hardly any traffic on the road. There was nothing weird about this - there was some kind of big football match on with England playing. But it unnerved me and swelled into a sudden sense of panic - an absolute dread that centred on a fear of impending violence beibg carried out by a gang if men. I thought that this would pass after the cemetery when I got back to shops and houses - but it didnt. Everywhere looked odd too, 'sharper' somehow, and more clearly defined. I was still listening to music on my headphones at this point and a noise on the song (a low effect background effect of murmering voices) jarred me into a sense of terror as it sounded like the phantom gang which my panic had fixated on. I turned my music off and walked as fast as I could - past the petrol station I had worked in once and onto the familiar residential streets leading to home - but even here the fear of impending violence didn't leave me. There were non threatening looking people about now and cars - but I still felt this phantom gang coming for me - in my head now armed with knives - and it didn't really ease till I was home - though that feeling of wrongness persisted for a few hours. I didn't really like walking down the Old Shoreham Road again that same way that time of evening. All because of a weird panic triggered because the streets were quieter than usual because of a football game.

 

[Themis]

Somehow don't think that's going to happen!

That sounds genuinely alarming! I am just wondering, do you think it could have been bird or birds that shot off, bringing leaves with them? Not sure that fits with your experience exactly, but just wondering if you think it's at all possible. But yeah... I am a total scaredy cat so there's no way I'd have rationalised it like that at the time!

 

[FunkyTT]

As an example - I may have posted this before, possibly even in this topic - my son and I were stood out at the end of the old track below our house in the US watching the sunset before going in to eat. Got the 'feeling' and noticed the sudden quiet - absence of bird sounds etc. Looked around slowly and saw a pair of yellow eyes about head hight just inside the woods. Pointed them out quietly to my son - hey, do you see that? He did. Was in a shadow so we couldn't see exactly what, could have been a bear. Being British we had no firearms. We just turned quietly and walked steadily back up the trail, whatever it was moved its head as we turned but didn't come out into the open - it was still fairly bright on the trail.

My boy still thinks it might have been a melonhead because we lived close to where they had been reported (Monroe, CT, we were just over in the next town) but I think 'nope, bear'.

Whatever, hanging around to ask it questions does not now and did not then seem like a good idea.

This is an old post, I've been reading through the thread from the start. It's a good one.

So , yellow eye shine in the US woods.

Could of been a Dogman. They are reported to have that eye shine.

 

[Nosmo King]

This is an old post, I've been reading through the thread from the start. It's a good one.

So , yellow eye shine in the US woods.

Could of been a Dogman. They are reported to have that eye shine.

Or a deer, bobcat or racoon

 

[Zeke Newbold]

That sounds genuinely alarming! I am just wondering, do you think it could have been bird or birds that shot off, bringing leaves with them? Not sure that fits with your experience exactly, but just wondering if you think it's at all possible. But yeah... I am a total scaredy cat so there's no way I'd have rationalised it like that at the time!

Those were my thoughts on reading the story. A flock of birds in soime kind of nest on the ground, or in a bush - covered with leaves. The birds flew off taking the leaves with them. By the time the OP looked up - the birds had gone but the leaves were still visible (or perhaps the birds were small enough or light enough against the sky so as not to be visible).

I'm not a country boy so don't know how feasible this could be - but maybe someone else is and can tell us.

 

[SimonBurchell]

Those were my thoughts on reading the story. A flock of birds in soime kind of nest on the ground, or in a bush - covered with leaves. The birds flew off taking the leaves with them. By the time the OP looked up - the birds had gone but the leaves were still visible (or perhaps the birds were small enough or light enough against the sky so as not to be visible).

I'm not a country boy so don't know how feasible this could be - but maybe someone else is and can tell us.

I don't think this likely. Any small bird wouldn't take many leaves with it, and would flit off through the undergrowth. Any large bird would probably have been visible. Blackbirds and pigeons will sometimes take dried leaves with them as they take off, but the leaves don't usually get more than a foot or so off the ground.

 

[Themis]

Or a deer, bobcat or racoon

Or a moose.

 

[Cochise]

Or a deer, bobcat or racoon

Don't think so. Too large for a bobcat or raccoon - although we saw racoons quite often. Might have been a deer, I suppose,

Certainly didn't think so at the time and deer were also pretty common about there - we were familiar with them, as well as with idiot hunters crossing our land in search of them. Like, there are THOUSANDS of acres of forest out there - what are you doing in among houses on a residential street?