Hunt for the Skinwalker

Science Confronts the Unexplained at a Remote Ranch in Utah

By: Colm A. Kelleher Ph.D

Narrated by: David Bendena

Length: 8 hrs and 42 mins

Publisher's Summary

For more than 50 years, bizarre events at a remote Utah ranch have ranged from the perplexing to the wholly terrifying: vanishing and mutilated cattle, huge otherworldly creatures, invisible objects emitting magnetic fields, and more. For the family living at Skinwalker Ranch, life was under siege, and no one had been able to explain the horrors that surrounded them...But maybe science could. Leading a first-class team of research scientists, Colm Kelleher spent hundreds of days and nights on the Skinwalker property and experienced firsthand many of its haunting mysteries.

With investigative reporter George Knapp - the only journalist allowed to witness and document the team's work - Kelleher chronicles the spectacular happenings the team observed personally and the theories of modern physics behind the phenomena. Far from the coldly detached findings one might expect, their conclusions are a clarion call to expand our vision far beyond what we know.

©2005 Colm A. Kelleher, Ph. D and George Knapp (P)2017 Dreamscape Media, LLC

The Only Thing Missing are The Knights Templar

First, do not be fooled by the "liner notes" which put forward the preposterous claim that science has anything to do with this book. That is a hook being used to sell complete garbage, which has zero scientific content.

Second here's the executive summary:
Part 1: A wandering series of accounts by the family who bought the ranch. When it stays on point and doesn't introduce extraneous bits, these campfire stories are interesting and fun.
Part 2: A bunch of investigators from the (now defunct) National Institute for Discovery Science buy the ranch, show up with some equipment and find ... nothing.
Part 3: A boring, tedious, seemingly never ending pastiche of pseudo-science, speculative physics, and outright nonsense which includes Shamanism, Sasquatches, skinwalkers, UFO's, alien abductions, extraterrestrials, inter-dimensional beings, dimensional bridges, poltergeist, lizard people, the collective unconscious, drug-induced visions and--of course--an indictment of the "scientific establishment" which refuses to take these anomalies seriously. Even Israeli con-man Uri Geller makes an appearance as if he was anything other than a discredited conjurer.

What the authors of these kinds of screeds will seldom admit is that serious scientists have indeed researched many of these topics, and have repeatedly--like the NIDS investigators themselves--found NOTHING. This happens so often, in fact, that proponents of paranormal phenomena have even invented a theory that the professional skepticism of investigators themselves introduces a "negative energy" that dispels the underlying forces that produce these effects in the first place.

The version of this hypothesis that rears its ugly head in this account is a claim that the NIDS investigators revealed themselves to the unseen forces seen by the family too visibly, so they pulled in their horns, foiling attempts to discover them.

Cool story, brah.

But not a story you should buy if you're interested in a serious scientific investigation of paranormal events. If, on the other hand, you're a credulous consumer of the fare sold on _Coast to Coast AM_, by all means, give it a go. It's your kinda thing.

Buy this! No BS!

Well written, well performed, well worth the money. This genre needs to take some direction from this audio book.

Mesermizing tale of the supernatural.

Would you consider the audio edition of Hunt for the Skinwalker to be better than the print version?

There is a bit of repetition in both the written book and the audio version, itself, due to the writer's insistence on backing up his observations and insights as though this book had been written more for skeptics than those more willing to accept the mysterious, haunting, and bizarre nature of the phenomena involved in this intriguing said-to-be real-life tale.

What did you like best about this story?

The subject matter is truly fascinating, especially for those who have been intrigued by the legends of Skinwalkers and the strange rumors about the Skinwalker Ranch itself. The book proposes that, perhaps, all paranormal phenomena might, in fact, be related to some degree, which is a fresh and intriguing approach in and of itself.

Did the narration match the pace of the story?

David Bendena has a soft-spoken approach to the material that sometimes helps enhance the suspense of the book by drawing the listener to concentrate closer to what is being unveiled in certain scenes. At other times, this soft-spoken approach seems overdone, especially in regards to when the book is exploring history or various theories that are intent to try to help explain what was observed at the Ranch.

What’s the most interesting tidbit you’ve picked up from this book?

I was totally intrigued by the information regarding the fact that some of the "Buffalo Soldiers" were not only stationed in the area, but had both Masonic and Occult ties. This book also does a nice job of adding various tidbits of information about the phenomena of the Skinwalker myth itself and similarities between the phenomena at Skinwalker Ranch and that which has been reportedly observed at Dulce, New Mexico.

Any additional comments?

The book seems to be trying too hard to convince skeptics of what is going on at Skinwalker Ranch. It also spends too much time laying out various possible theories, though some of what is laid out is not only important to understand what the scientists themselves are attempting to prove, but just downright interesting in and of themselves. This audio book was a great find, but leaves me wanting much more on the subject.

Thought provoking

No matter what you believe, it’s always good to keep thinking and evaluating knowns and unknowns. Take what you have learned and
Research for yourself the information provided and decide for your
Self. The book is thought provoking and I have enjoy it quiet a bit.
I probably have listened four times in the last two months.

Misleading Subtitle

Hunt for the Skinwalker is not a bad book, but in the end I found it disappointing. I chose to read it largely based on the subtitle, "Science Confronts the Unexplained at a Remote Ranch in Utah." I am fascinated with scientific investigations into paranormal phenomena, especially when those investigations are truly objective -- meaning that science is applied as a light shining on the mystery, and not merely as a hammer swung to debunk events that make scientists uncomfortable. Hunt for the Skinwalker is not by any means a debunker book, don't get me wrong. But neither is it really any kind of objective scientific exploration of the paranormal events at the Gorman ranch. What these investigators from NIDS (National Institute for Discovery Science) mostly appear to have done was mount some cameras like any amateur paranormal research team might do. And those cameras caught almost nothing on film. The stories told here about paranormal doings on the Gorman ranch are mostly just that, stories. A significant percentage of the stories told were witnessed only by Tom Gorman, the rancher, and/or his family, and are related second hand by the author, a NIDS scientist. Several investigators had their own subjective paranormal experiences on the ranch, but again, we just hear their stories. No objective data is presented. Real science may have been done into these events, but there's very little of it in this book.

On the bright side, if you are looking for some fascinating *stories* of the supernatural, this book fills the bill. And who knows, the author may have left reports of serious science out of the book on purpose, knowing that many readers just want a good story. Facts and figures would only slow the book down. If that describes you, you'll probably love Hunt for the Skinwalker. It is a genuinely good story, much of it written like a novel that really puts you on the scene. So I give the book due credit for entertainment value.

Also, the final chapter and the epilogue go some distance toward making up for the previous lack of scientific rigor. They go deep into some of the reasons why applying science to the paranormal is difficult, and may even be exactly the wrong approach to anomalous events. Quantum physics and the Many Worlds Theory are explored as one means of showing how things we perceive to be paranormal may result from looking at a quantum universe with Newtonian eyes. We may be less "seeing weird things" than "seeing things weird."

I listened to the Audible audiobook of Hunt for the Skinwalker, and another plus is that the narrator, David Bendena, did a fine job. I rate the book 3 stars, but his performance gets a 5.

Repetitive

They heard a noise or saw a light or saw a figure.
The dogs barked.
The horses were restless.
They chased it.
They found nothing.
Repeat.

Proof That You Get What You Pay For

A family moves to a ranch that was bargain priced, apparently without doing any research on the property, and get every experience in the book of weird. Many possible explanations are proposed from aliens to witchcraft to alternate dimensions. Meanwhile the intrepid family continues to carry on as if nothing is wrong, completely surprised by each occurence of the increasingly strange variety.
If they'd talked to the neighbors or local Native Americans they might have reconsidered their purchase and avoided all the macabre goings on.
Enter the research reporter and team of scientists who decide not to release any of their findings and decline to be named.
Purely as entertainment this is an interesting read, reminding me of the investigations written about in the 70s by author Jess Stern.

Phenomenal

Probably one of the most compelling stories I've ever heard. If you're into the work of John Keel, Dr Barry Taff, Dr Michael Persinger, Dr Rick Straussman, Dr Dean Radin, Ingo Swan, David Morehouse, Joseph McMoneagle, Lyn Buchanan, The books by Robert A. Monroe, particularly his latter two as well as the work of Terrence Mckenna, John C. Lilly- Don't bother to hesitate. This will help you to tie many things together. If you haven't, there's your reading list.

great in all ways. would buy again. listen to this

great in all ways. would buy again. listen to this if you like paranormal books.

great read

this was amazing. definitely a must read for ufo or crypto enthusiasts! very well written