Anything could be possible, if you believe the latest published theory that attempts to explain Mystery Spots, those usually unexplainable gravitational anomalies, where time, space, and common sense run amok. At the same time, according to an employee at the Santa Cruz Mystery Spot, three longtime guides have had to retire from Spot tours recently, because "their knees gave out."

A slim paperback is being sold at several of these attractions -- Gravitational Mystery Spots of the United States, by Douglas B. Vogt. It offers compelling new evidence of a range of elusive phenomena. Author Vogt conducted experiments at some nationally-known spots: the Oregon Vortex, Gold Hill, OR; Mystery Spot, Santa Cruz, CA; and Confusion Hill, Piercy, CA. He also toys with a gravity hill in Rohnert Park, CA; other mystery spots are listed for further study.

Vogt carefully describes his testing procedures and results, but warns in the introduction that his findings prove that the General Theory of Relativity is wrong! His tests probe key effects in the Spots: 1) size changes of people, depending on where they stand in the spot; 2) force moving a dead weight; 3) leaning effects; 4) environmental evidence, such as corkscrew trees; 5) physiological effects, such as headaches.

Vogt's charts reveal very scientific-looking data. He provides exact frequency information as he probes the time fluctuations caused by each vortex, and notes whenever he has to change the 9-volt battery in the crystal source box. Early on, he dismisses the distorted Mystery Shacks found at nearly every mystery spot as tourist attractions artificially slanted to accentuate the real phenomena.

Those closer to the center of the vortex suffer greater size change, but keep in mind that the camera is also within the area of influence!

Roadside America conducted its own study, back in the mid-1980's using our patented Mystery Spot Test Kit^TM. One could perhaps argue that our investigations weren't as focused as Vogt's. Often our Equilibrium Test Victim^TM would get dizzy, and insist on going back to the motel before we had finished our other tests. And it just never occurred to us to promulgate a new theory of reality.

Vogt finishes the book with his own Theory of Multidimensional Reality, along with an interesting speculation: "What I think is causing these vortices is a computer-like device built by highly advanced civilization, who lived on the planet a long time ago."

And what about those poor guides with the shot knees? Pat Musselman, our guide in 1996, was one of them. He retired after 12 years of braving the temporal chaos in the Santa Cruz. "It's that hill that got 'em," laments the Santa Cruz Mystery Spot cashier. The hill, and the weird time-space effects, we ask?

"Oh yes -- that too."

[12/14/1997]