The following article appears in NightScapes (Vol. 2, No. 4). Subscriptions are $13.00 a year/six issue; samply copy $3.00. For more information, write to: P.O. Box 4559, Mesa, AZ 85211-4559. Vol. 2, No. 4 is partly dedicated to UFOs and UFO investigations. THE CONFUSING WORLD OF UFOLOGY By Jay Barrymore Some have commented about the amount of bickering that occurs between those of the various religious factions, but nothing can compare to the amount of treachery, back-stabbing, and rumor- mongering that occurs among those who consider themselves UFO researchers. Part of the reason for this is that UFOlogy is becoming a New Age religion in it's own right. It is developing it's own mythology and dogma, with die-hard believers of various organizations committed to UFO research which can be likened to "sects" or denominations. No religion wouldn't be complete without it's own soothsayers, of which there are many types as well, from those who channel alien entities from other galaxies, to UFO spokespeople who claim to have government informants with the impending release of Top Secret alien material and admissions of government coverups. This is not meant to be a putdown of those who consider themselves to be UFO researchers, however, it is an observation (and there have been many others that have made the same). Research into what are UFOs is incredibly confusing, because firstly, nobody really knows "who" their friends are. This is the domain of paranoia and misinformation, caused by researchers themselves, and various governments around the world. Why this happens to be is one of those million dollar questions that needs to be answered, but it is the current state of the UFO research industry. Though UFOs have been sighted around the world for millennia, the phenomena really took off with the sighting of Kenneth Arnold's nine crescent-shaped objects over the state of Washington in June, 1947. From that moment, the number of UFO sightings shot up dramatically, with the report of a flying saucer crashing near Corona, New Mexico the following month. As the reports continued, some became legendary, while others became "filler" in various investigation filing cabinets. The phenomenon continues today. Despite apparently half-hearted Air Force investigation attempts, the lack of physical evidence regarding UFO close encounters, and the in-fighting currently witnessed among investigators by outsiders, the interest in UFOs continues to grow. What are UFOs? Are they actual alien-piloted spaceships from another planet? Are they something produced by our collective unconsciousness? Are they voyagers from another dimension? Are they none of the above? Depending on whom you ask, you will most likely receive a different answer for each question. The fact is, nobody really knows what they are, and despite the various efforts endeavored by numerous individuals, it doesn't appear that answers are going to be forthcoming anytime too soon. One theory is that UFOs are indeed piloted by aliens. However, our world is not just being visited by one race, but by many! >From various reports it has been indicated that some of the most often encountered (and popular) alien-types are called The Greys. These beings are about three to four feet tall, have large black almond eyes, a head devoid of hair and other features (such as a protruding nose), and skin which is usually a whitish/grey in color (hence the term, "Greys"). However, there are other alien- types as well, including blonde Nordic-looking ones, beings called "Browns" (due to their skin color, etc.), Reptiloids, and even a larger version of the Greys. These are just a few of the many different racial types that have been reported by people who have seen or been abducted by aliens. The now defunct Fox T.V. show called Sightings reported that in 1992, over 10,000 UFOs were reported world-wide. It's apparent that people are indeed seeing something in the skies, however, there are some who don't feel it's spaceships piloted by little green (or grey) men from another planet. Many skeptics feel there are plenty of mundane and terrestrial explanations for UFO sightings. Misidentifications of various objects, such as reflected car headlights, luminous winged insects, Top Secret government aircraft, regular civilian aircraft, celestial objects such as the planet Venus, meteors, and so on, can account for many UFO observations. However, other reports that intimate contact with a craft on the ground, with strange beings, are a little harder to explain away. Usually, though, depending on each case, some sort of psychological explanation might be hinted at, such as hallucination, or day dreaming, or, that the individual is not telling the truth. This brings us to another aspect of the UFO phenomena: Hoaxers. In an attempt to obtain a good laugh at the expense of the gullibility of others (and possibly some financial enumeration as well), some purposely fake UFO sightings, to the point of hoaxing photographs and videotaping small models of "flying saucers." If the UFO researcher didn't have enough to do in wading through the enigma itself, now he or she has to be on the alert of being played the fool by practical jokers. There are several such cases within the last two decades that have deeply divided the UFO community as to whether they are authentic or not. One includes the various sightings of Ed Walters in Gulf Breeze, Florida, who has taken numerous photographs of alleged alien- looking craft, and has helped spur on UFO sightings by other people in the community. Though Walters has been debunked by some as being a hoaxer, he has gained the endorsement of being an "authentic" case by such integral luminaries as Dr. Bruce Maccabee (a government research physicist who has examined the Walters photographs and pronounced them "authentic"), as well as MUFON's (Mutual UFO Network) International Director, Walt Andrus. It's reported that Andrus has such conviction in Ed Walter's case that he will continue to support it until the very end. However, there are many others in the UFO field who are not quite as convinced by the evidence. Another such incident that has caused dissention among the researchers is the Billy Meier's case in Switzerland. Despite numerous photos and videos of craft allegedly flown by Nordic- type aliens, some researchers have been convinced that the objects being viewed are not alien craft, but are various types of hub caps found on different makes, models, and vintages of vehicles! The debate continues about the authenticity of Billy Meiers. Dr. Jacques Vallee, in a recent book entitled Revelations, has also revealed some other startling facts that even cloud the UFO phenomenon further. Dr. Vallee asserts that different governments, including the U.S., have participated in strange outings that can only be construed as "mock" alien landings and/or abductions. The real reasons for these staged incidents are yet to be known, but it's conjectured that they may be psychological tests on military personnel and civilians to gauge their response to such an unexpected and bizarre occurrence, among other reasons. To be able to stage a "mock" flying saucer landing, one then would assume that the U.S. military (as possibly do other governments) have flying saucers to make the landings. Circumstantial evidence indicates that they do! This brings us to the strange objects sighted in the sky over the Nevada desert north of Las Vegas. This place is commonly referred to as "Area 51," "Groom Lake," or as "Dreamland." There are many different designations for this tract of land, but they all refer to a highly Top Secret U.S. Government military base that apparently is the proving ground for "black" projects. It's reported that the SR-71 spy plane and the Stealth Bomber were both flown here while under the development stages (and there are now claims that a new supersonic spy plane with speeds of Mach 8 or more called "Aurora," are currently be flown out of this base). On any given day or night, sightseers flock on public lands adjacent to the base to watch and witness strange aerial acrobatics performed by a variety of aircraft that fly over-head or off in the distance. One small town on Route 375 called Rachel has become the stop-over for overnight trips to the area, and boasts a small cafe called "The Lil' Ale-inn." Here, the average tourist is reportedly able to buy a "sight-seeing" guide to enhance one's chances of seeing some of the strange craft that frequent the skies. Area 51 makes an indelible mark on UFOlogy, however, due to the claims of Robert Lazar, who allegedly worked at a facility called S-4, located at Papoose Dry Lake. Lazar, who says he's a physicist, was contracted out for some work at the highly Top Secret Base. While there, he claims that he saw what appeared to be nine flying saucer-like craft (one of which he was able to go inside) and another that he witnessed hovering above the ground. After being given various documents to be briefed on the project, it was indicated to Lazar that the craft were of an extraterrestrial origin, and that the U.S. was doing reverse engineering on the saucers in an effort to duplicate them. Lazar indicates that the one he worked on was powered by an anti-matter reactor that was fueled by an element equivalent to 115 on the periodic chart (the highest element we currently know of is 106). Lazar also thinks he saw something "alien-looking" as he passed by a door with a small window at one time (though he admits that with the various mind-games that he was subjected to by the military while on the base, the "thing" or "being" could have been anything, including a dummy). Lazar's claims are incredible, if true. However, just like with many other aspects of the UFO realm, there is one "hang up": NO EVIDENCE. In fact, Lazar is having a hard time convincing UFO researchers that he's even a physicist! Apparently, upon background checks, there's little to indicate anything of his schooling or work history. All that is known is that his name appears in a 1982 Los Alamos National Laboratory phone book, but there's no notation as to what department he was in. A W-2 form has also been obtained, but there are some UFO researchers who feel that this is a fake. Lazar has also undergone a number of polygraph tests, however, while one examiner found him to be truthful, the over-all results were inconclusive. This brings up another aspect to the confusion that is a part of UFOdom. There are allegations made by some that the government (or governments) are in the UFO mis- and disinformation business. According to Vallee in Revelations, a recurring scenario has a UFO researcher being baited by someone connected to the government into thinking they are willing to divulge some classified material that's going to shed light on the alleged extraterrestrial cover-up. However, after allowing the researcher to make arrangements to disseminate this material to the public, the information is then not presented, and the investigator is left with egg on his or her face, and their credibility damaged. Vallee relates that this type of situation appears to happen often, and that he himself was placed in a similar situation, (which he refused), and later was glad that he did. Could it be that Bob Lazar was duped? That he was an unwitting pawn to be used by the government to help spread more disinformation about UFOs, while diverting attention away from something else? To be given access to what would be considered such classified material, Lazar would have certainly been given a thorough background check. Was there something in his background that would indicate that he would be an excellent security risk, and would therefore be a good candidate to "spread the word" after his employment at S-4? Or, is Bob Lazar a knowing participant in this issue, and is willingly offering up bogus information to add to the confusion? As you can see, there are very many questions, and few answers. Unfortunately, this same scenario runs parallel with many others involved in UFOlogy, especially with researchers who turn flip-flops, put forward disinformation, and then later acknowledge their deception, only to make new revelations or allegations. What's also disconcerting is that many of these individuals are speakers on the UFO circuit, and get paid for their "disinformation" by sincere and possibly gullible UFO enthusiasts who attend the various conferences and conventions. Turning from this mind boggling madness for a moment, one might wonder, "If aliens are indeed visiting the Earth....why?" Some of the speculation regarding this can range from spiritually enlightening to downright horrifying! One suggestion (coupled with cattle mutilations), is that the aliens are involved in some type of genetics or biological research. Many people who claim to have been abducted indicate that the aliens appear to be interested in obtaining ovum, sperm, skin and blood samples. There is the thought that the Greys are trying to cross their race with ours, for whatever reasons, or are interested in obtaining some other type of information. Another indicates that the aliens are here in a religious or philosophical context. The various channelers who believe they are communicating with extraterrestrials are a well known aspect concerning the New Age community, however, there are also organizations that have formed due to materials or information received through unorthodox means. For instance, the organization known as UMMO, is allegedly the recipient of extraterrestrial wisdom and information (despite the fact that some investigators feel the photographs taken of UMMO spacecraft are hoaxes). Are aliens our space brothers, as some New Age channeler's claim? Actually, the thought is not as far out as some might think, especially in regards to our origins. Scholars such as Zecharia Sitchin in his book, The 12th Planet, and Richard Thompson's Alien Identities, both indicate that man's religions may be the by-product of extraterrestrial interaction in the distant past. Sitchin, who has vast knowledge of ancient languages, feels that archaeology and anthropology show that the "gods" worshipped by ancient Pagans were the Nephilim of The Bible (as was Yahweh, the Hebrew god). The Nephilim were none other than an advanced technological race of beings who not only helped man bring about civilization, they were the "creators" of him. Meanwhile, Thompson (who has a Ph.D in mathematics), feels that the Vedic scriptures definitely show a correlation between what is described in them and what is now being experienced as UFO sightings and abductions (aspects of this topic were brought up in two previous articles in NightScapes: "The Cosmology," Vol. 1, No. 5., and "A Commentary on the Cosmology," Vol. 2, No. 1, where it's related that Gnostic writings indicate The Watchers (i.e. Nephilim) descended upon ancient man, and provided the spiritual spark that ignited many different religions). Bob Lazar, while working at S-4, claims to have seen documents that claim that human beings are actually "containers," and that mankind is the result of 65 genetic corrections by alien biological manipulations. He also read that Jesus and two other spiritual leaders were genetically engineered and were implanted into people, with their births closely monitored. A theologian with a degree in physics, Dr. Barry Downing, also echoes extraterrestrial involvement in man's past through his book, The Bible and Flying Saucers. Of course, there are those who feel that the aliens who are believed to be visiting our planet are not benevolent, and have very sinister motives indeed. A video taken aboard a recent space shuttle mission (STS-48), shows what appear to be objects some distance away from the craft having an outer space battle (at least, this is the interpretation of some UFO researchers). They feel that this extremely exciting video was accidentally shot of the U.S. Star Wars Defense system fending off alien aggressors. Explanations and interpretations from NASA personnel feel that what was actually being seen were particles of ice and debris being dislodged by thruster activity, and that instead of being miles away, the objects were only a few feet from the outside of the window. However, the debate continues. Many people claim to have had (and continue to have) abduction experiences, where beings invade their home or privacy, and kidnap them for examination aboard a spaceship or on some alien base. Some people feel that the aliens are benevolent, while others consider them very malevolent (especially since they feel molested by these uninvited intruders). Some of the abductees are convinced that they have implants somewhere on their person, which allows the aliens to track and locate them when wanted. Unfortunately, not very much in the way of physical extraterrestrial evidence can be shown in abduction cases, especially in the display of removed implants. Considering recent studies into the False Memory Syndrome (which appears to be the origin of many Satanic Abuse stories), some researchers are feeling that many abduction claims fall into this same realm, and that they are generated by the abductee's mind. However, the jury is still out on making a generalized pronouncement of this type for ALL abductee cases. As one can see, the field of UFO research is extremely complex and confusing. When it's considered that many researchers conduct investigations on their own time, sometimes using their own money, it's a wonder that anyone still desires to participate in such an activity (especially when one considers all of the abuse, in-fighting, hoaxes, lying, frauds and falsehoods that can be encountered while just trying to obtain the bare facts)! Someone once said that it takes a special type of person to be a UFO researcher. It would probably be more appropriate to say that it takes a "special" type to remain one. References Cited: The Gulf Breeze Sightings by Ed and Frances Walters Revelations by Jacques Vallee The UFO Casebook by Kevin Randle Alien Contact by Timothy Good UFO Crash at Roswell by Kevin Randle and Donald Schmitt The 12th Planet by Zecharia Sitchin Genesis Revisited by Zecharia Sitchin The Stairway to Heaven by Zecharia Sitchin ... NightScapes......a Journal of Magick, Paganism and the Occult ___ Blue Wave/QWK v2.12 -- Jay Barrymore - via ParaNet node 1:104/422 UUCP: !scicom!paranet!User_Name INTERNET: Jay.Barrymore@f8.n1012.z9.FIDONET.ORG ====================================================================== Inquiries regarding ParaNet, or mail directed to Michael Corbin, should be sent to: mcorbin@paranet.org. Or you can phone voice at 303-429-2654/ Michael Corbin Director ParaNet Information Services