Mythological Cryptozoology

There are two kinds of mythology (study of myths, legends and folk tales): psychological and occult. Both agree that every cryptid myth is a work of fiction was (1) created by a single individual who had the irresistible desire to do so; and (2) survived, spread and acquired a certain number of believers (sometimes in the millions) because it satisfied their functional, emotional and/or spiritual needs.

They both agree that these myths are pseudo-non-fiction (“mockumentary stories”) because their creators pretend that these stories are real while they are not. “Honest” mythmakers believe in their stories (they saw what was not there); dishonest do not – but pretend anyway.

Psychological mythology states that this irresistible desire has internal source: to create a work of fiction; to spread the truth (if the individual in question believes in his or her story) … or to make money and/or fame for oneself (in the latter case the desire stems from the fundamental need to be important).

Occult mythology believes that this irresistible desire has external source: it was planted into human soul by external invisible, intangible spiritual force/entity. More than that, occult mythology is confident that the story (myth) in question was dictated to its author by this force/entity for a certain purpose (and seeks to identify this purpose).

Which needs to these myths satisfy? The functional need is obvious: it is the need for information (knowledge, actually). More specifically, they satisfy the need for explanation of certain important events/phenomena that the individual in question can not find elsewhere.

The emotional need is obvious, too: it is the need to escape boredom (and thus depression – a nasty and emotionally painful condition). This need is universal: our world is quite boring, actually and the only way to escape boredom is to get some excitement. Cryptid myths (those that survived and prospered that is) are exciting – first and foremost because they pretend to be real (reality is always far more exciting than fiction, ceteris paribus).

The spiritual need is obvious, too: it is the fundamental religious need (need to believe in something outside our world). Hence, cryptid myths de-facto become the foundation of a neo-pagan quasi-religion.

Prior to e-revolution, cryptid myths spread by word-of-mouth (literally) and private letters, then via telephone, newspapers, radio and TV and now (lightning fast) mostly via e-mail, messengers, social networks and Internet-portals. Often virally.