UFOs, Bigfoot, cryptids and unexplained encounters are surging into the mainstream—but could something bigger be coming?
Something strange is happening, and to be honest, I don’t mind the strange. I enjoy a good sci-fi TV show. Fringe or X-Files, anyone? I know, I know. A lot of people shy away from those types of shows and these types of topics, but is there something more nefarious at play?
All around the world, people report things they just can’t explain. Strange objects hovering in the skies, weird creatures, mysterious lights, ghostly encounters, and other bizarre experiences continue to generate headlines. Not that long ago, stories like these were mostly associated with tabloids, late-night radio shows, or obscure corners of the internet. Blurry Creatures and Stranger Theology anyone? IYKYK. Go check those guys out if this topic is of interest to you.
Today, some of these same subjects are being discussed by major news outlets, examined in government reports, preserved in university archives, and debated far more openly than they were just a few years ago.
So far, the year 2026 has provided plenty of examples.
From Bigfoot to the Loch Ness Monster and continuing government disclosures concerning UFOs, UAPs, and aliens, the paranormal is enjoying a cultural moment. At the same time, it appears that millions of Americans remain open to the possibility that at least some of these mysteries represent something beyond conventional explanations. I imagine aluminum foil sales have done well over the past decade!
Throughout Scripture we read about angels, demons, giants, supernatural manifestations, signs in the heavens, spiritual warfare, deceptive spirits, and extraordinary events. We are not just talking about the Old Testament; we are talking about the Last Days as well.
Perhaps the real question is not whether the supernatural exists. Of course it does; the Bible affirms this time and time again.
The question is whether a generation conditioned to embrace the paranormal is being prepared for something much larger…
Bigfoot Is Back in the Headlines
Bigfoot and Bible prophecy??? Seems odd, right? Well, it is. But remember, as I stated above, the Bible is full of the supernatural. There are many reports of these mysterious sights to ignore.
One of those reports came out of Connecticut this summer. A reported Bigfoot sighting in rural Connecticut is generating buzz after a national research organization deemed the eyewitness account credible, though many local residents remain unconvinced.
The Bigfoot Field Researchers Organization (BFRO) said the sighting occurred during the early morning hours of July 5th near Pachaug State Forest, Connecticut’s largest state forest.
According to the organization, the witness provided such a detailed description that investigators gave the report their highest level of credibility.
https://local12.com/news/offbeat/bigfoot-spotted-connecticut-researchers-sighting-credible
Connecticut wasn’t the only place where people were reporting strange encounters in 2026. Similar stories have been popping up across the country, and some of them happened in broad daylight.
Then there are the strange stories coming out of Ontario.
In June, The Guardian took a closer look at the renewed interest in Sasquatch following a series of unusual reports from rural parts of the province.
On a recent evening, residents in a corner of rural Ontario reported a series of strange encounters.
“The birds stopped, the wind seemed to die down, and it got oddly quiet. That’s when I noticed movement ahead of me,” one witness wrote. A “strong, earthy smell” hung in the air. Then, “a massive figure slowly stepped out from behind the trees, and my heart instantly started racing.” Moments later, it vanished back into the forest and “everything slowly went back to normal.”
The following morning, another witness reported seeing two creatures around sunrise. “One big, one not so big. The cinnamon was prominent on the smaller one,” they wrote. “There was an earthy stench.” The pair appeared to be scavenging through garbage. When the witness knocked on wood to scare them off, “they knocked back. That scared me off.”
And in 2026, Bigfoot is hardly the only supposedly legendary creature making its way back into the headlines.
Nessie Refuses to Disappear
Across the Atlantic, something strange has been happening at Scotland’s famous Loch Ness as well.
With another four and a half months of 2026 left to go, so far there have been nine in-person sightings of the mythical beast – and 11 if webcam footage is included in the total.
Oscar Gray was visiting Urquhart Castle on July 21st when he says he saw something strange emerge from the water, and managed to capture the encounter on camera.
In June, a mysterious green mass sparked fresh rumors about the existence of the beast.
The object was caught on camera next to Urquhart Castle by a tourist on a Jacobite Cruises boat tour.
Two months earlier, the elusive creature was ‘spotted’ twice within just a few days.
Our fascination with mysterious creatures like Bigfoot and the Loch Ness Monster is only part of the story. There is another unexplained phenomenon that has captured the public’s attention on an entirely different level: UFOs… or as they are now referred to, UAPs.
UFOs Have Moved from the Fringe to Washington
No doubt you have seen the news over the past year concerning UFO disclosure. We’ve seen several batches of the UFO files released by the Pentagon so far this year. You can check those out here. I want to focus on a more recent headline.
If you had an hour or so to spend with the president, what would you say to him? Las Vegas aerospace tycoon Robert Bigelow had a long list of subjects in mind, but the one at the top was UFO disclosure.
Bigelow, a longtime supporter of President Donald Trump, recently met in the Oval Office and advised the Commander in Chief what he might want to say to the nation.
“I was emphasizing that the disclosure process, starting with confirmation, is a big deal. That, you know, it really is important for somebody like the President of the United States to say, ‘yeah, they’re real, they’re here. And eliminate all the other nonsense, all the noise that’s been going on for 80 years,” Bigelow said.
Bigelow has spent more than 40 years and tens of millions of dollars digging into UFOs and possible non-human intelligence interacting with humanity. He said he thinks the time has come for some sort of formal disclosure and that Trump is the guy to do it. Coincidentally or not, in the five months since their White House meeting, the government has started releasing piles of UFO-related information.
Paranormal Interest is Increasing
A Gallup poll published August 26, 2026 found that 37 percent of Americans believe at least some UFO sightings have been alien spacecraft visiting Earth. While 49 percent believe UFO sightings can ultimately be explained through human activity or natural phenomena, the fact that more than one-third of the country accepts the possibility of extraterrestrial visitation demonstrates how far the subject has moved into mainstream culture.
Ghosts are hardly fringe territory either.
A YouGov survey conducted in June 2026 found that 21 percent of American adults said they “definitely” believe in ghosts, while another 23 percent said they “probably” believe. Combined, that means roughly 44 percent expressed some level of belief in ghosts.
A YouGov survey of 1,114 U.S. adults, conducted in November 2025, found that 28% said Bigfoot definitely or probably exists. Another 60% said it probably or definitely does not exist, while 12% were unsure.
We are living in a culture increasingly comfortable with supernatural possibilities.
I surmise that this is due to the increasing number of supernatural programs such as The Secret of Skinwalker Ranch.
Could the Paranormal Become Part of the Deception?
This is where we as Christians should pay extra attention. When Jesus described the events surrounding His return, one of His first warnings was deception, “Take heed that no one deceives you” (Matt. 24:4).
Paul warned of a period marked by “power, signs, and lying wonders” (2 Thess. 2:9), while Revelation 13 describes miraculous signs being used to deceive the whole world.
We live in a world where tons of people (even professed Christians) dismiss the Bible, miracles, angels, and demons as superstition, yet remain fascinated by the mysterious. Maybe our culture hasn’t stopped believing in the supernatural after all. Maybe it has simply altered the language it uses to describe it. Hmm… almost like there is someone behind the scene pulling strings.
Remain Grounded!
As the year continues to produce headlines of the mysterious, perhaps the most important question isn’t, “Was that really Bigfoot?”
The real question is, “What is this generation being prepped to believe when something truly paranormal and supernatural actually does appear?”
It’s not a matter of “if.” It’s a matter of “when.”
Stay in the Word and stay in prayer!
As always, Stay Awake! Keep Watch!
Website: Joe Hawkins | Substack