Abducted by a Terrestrial Alien: Sensory Distortions, Weird Fungi and Aerial Anomalies in a Decrepit Mountain Cabin
Aki Hakonen, Oula Seitsonen, Vesa‐Pekka Herva
Anthropology of Consciousness March 1, 2026 DOI: 10.1111/anoc.70034 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Autoethnographic case study (experimental, reflexive paper) Case report Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Population | An archaeological field survey team stranded on a remote Lapland mountain |
| Key findings | Proposes that applying "weirding," a method drawing on weird fiction, to a reflexive autoethnographic account of a field team stranded on a remote Lapland mountain can illuminate how circumstances verging on the otherworldly alter perception and consciousness, and what such episodes reveal about human engagement with the unfamiliar. |
Abstract
ABSTRACT: This account explores how circumstances verging on the other‐worldly alter human perception and consciousness in a fieldwork situation. The case study involves an archaeological field survey team stranded for a time on a remote Lapland mountain. By applying the method of weirding, drawing inspiration from the narrative force of weird fiction, we examine how the team interacted with their decrepit shelter—a cabin teeming with fungal life amidst the terrestrial alien entity of the mountain. The experimental paper applies reflexive, autoethnographic writing in conceptualizing the experience of the unusual circumstances, considering what such otherworldly episodes can reveal about human engagement with the unfamiliar.