Photo of the scene on May 12, 2014 at 8 p.m. Sighting took place at approximately 9 p.m. on Tuesday April 22, 2014. The foliage on the tree was much more sparse.
On Tuesday April 22, 2014 between 9 and 9:15 p.m., I was returning from dinner with my friend “G”. We had had a tasty Middle Eastern repast while talking about many things, though principally we spoke of friends and relatives who had recently passed. Thus I chose the word “repast” carefully. We took our time with eating and even split a dessert which prolonged our conversation suitably. In the interests of full disclosure, we each had one scant glass of red wine with our food. Those of you who are familiar with dining in Manhattan are quite aware of how scant a glass of wine can be! So we were in no way inebriated as we left the restaurant, nor had our conversation included anything about UFOs.
We walked to the corner of Avenue A and East 10th Street which is pictured above. The photo was taken twenty days later than the actual event took place. Thus the trees in Tompkins Square Park and on the street are much leafier than on the night in question and the sky was darker then. As I looked down 10th Street that night I saw an orange light above the Christadora Building on Avenue B. It was a dull, brownish orange color which seemed somewhat ovoid in shape. The trajectory was steady and traced a clean arc from our point of view. I pointed it out to “G”.
Me: “Look at that orange light over there.”
G: “It’s a plane.”
Me: “It has no navigation lights. They are red and green. It has no white light. It is all orange. Unblinking.”
G: “Yeah, you’re right. It’s probably a Chinese lantern. I saw one in Brooklyn.”
At that point the light had gone out of sight behind the buildings on the north side of East 10th Street.
One of the most popular questions in the UFO community is “What does the Government know about UFOs and any life in the cosmos? What are they not telling us?” Many books and researchers have concentrated on this subject. The contemporary person that immediately comes to mind is Rich Dolan and his trilogy UFOs and the National Security State.
On this blog, I have written in the past about the wish for “disclosure”. Disclosure is the concept, popular in ufology, concerning the hope that at some time in the future the government will reveal what they know about UFOs and extraterrestrial life. It has been my hypothesis that any disclosure would come slowly, if at all, and keep pace with obvious scientific discoveries. When consensus opinion catches up with the reality of what clearly is, gradual disclosure can be made.
Literally, as I am writing this, NASA has announced 715 new exoplanets found in our galaxy by the Kepler telescope. Four of these 715 planets are approximately the size and type (rocky) of our Earth and in the habitable zone and are added to those previously discovered. One has to wonder when it will become statistically obvious to everyone concerned that Earth cannot be the only inhabited planet. So the first step of a scientific disclosure is evolving. (more…)
If you are a skeptic regarding life beyond the Earth and/or UFOs, suspend disbelief for a few moments and ponder the possibilities. If an alien race were to contact or visit our planet Earth with whom would they (or it) want to communicate? This would depend on several factors.
Certain people who study such things are drawn to the hypothesis that all evolution across the Galaxy, and perhaps across the Universe would follow a similar pattern. This hypothesis is bolstered by yet another hypothesis called panspermia. According to this theory, life is seeded throughout the galaxy by objects (often and most prominently comets) flying through the cosmos. When a comet, composed largely of ice, passes close to a star, a tail or coma is generated due to the gravitational and magnetic force of the star. The coma is the visible part of the matter ejected from the comet. The matter ejected could contain dormant spores and viruses which over time, as the planets circle their star, may rain down on them in small quantities when the planets pass through the trajectory of that comet. (Please read about the theory of panspermia by Hoyle and Wickramasinge.) So if all life originated on different planets from these same building blocks it might be expected to follow a similar pattern. I find this to be an attractive hypothesis but it has not been definitively proven.
It is plausible that there are several evolutionary paths that cause life to form on different planets. There could be a pathway that uses methane as a main building block or silicon in place of carbon. There could be life forms which neither breath nor respire. The possibilities are virtually limitless and depend on how we define life. Does life require breathing, breeding or consciousness; or all three?
Earth as viewed from NASA’s Apollo 8 mission. (courtesy of NASA)
Then we come to the question of size and purpose. The size of the beings would probably be in some way related to the gravitational force of the planet on which they evolved. If the beings chose to communicate with Earth from afar, size would not be a major factor. Purpose, however, would be. Since the first episodes of Star Trek, ufologists and other interested folks have been entranced by the idea of a galactic federation of humanoid beings. Such an idea postulates that advanced alien races have banded together in some manner for the good of the Galaxy or Universe. With such a worldview or Weltanschauung, the alien beings wish us here on Earth no harm and may even be following some form of anti-interference code.
Other prominent ideas include aliens visiting our solar system in order to mine or retrieve elements or compounds unavailable on their home planet or galactic neighborhood. High on the list of things that some say the visitors may have come for are water and gold. Another less savory theory (for humans anyway) is that aliens may come to abduct, mutilate, enslave or consume us and our animal companions (cattle mutilations). Or maybe there are different aliens and inter-dimensional creatures visiting or communicating for different purposes.
In ufology circles, one often hears a comment to the effect that in order for the truth to be revealed about UFOs, a space ship would have to land on the White House lawn. I find this rather comical in an anthropocentric and Americocentric way. Why do we think other beings would want to communicate with the American government or any other human government? Why would they want to communicate with humans at all? We have done such a piss poor job of maintaining the Planet that we are likely to become largely extinct within the next two hundred years. Why not speak to the cetaceans (whales and dolphins) or cephalopods (squids and octopi)? Both groups have highly intelligent member groups and the cetaceans appear very peace loving. Perhaps the visiting alien race has a “group mind” and certain insects such as ants, bees or termites would be the object of their communiques.
Or in a more sinister vein, suppose the world from which the strangers sprang never had a major asteroid collision? The dinosaurs were the dominant group on the Earth for more than 180 million years before the asteroid hit (theory) and wiped them out, far longer than humanity has been the dominant (and now over-populating) Earth species. I am not the first person to speculate that reptilians could be visiting, or insectoids, for that matter.
Any species capable of travelling or communicating across the light years of interstellar space would certainly be more technologically advanced than humanity, and could be sending out self replicating robots to do their dirty work (can you spell Greys? :-)) It is also possible that they have learned to communicate mind to mind and do not require radio waves (So much for SETI!) or other physical means of communication. Furthermore they could logically be capable of affecting our minds into seeing what they want us to see and be seen or not seen as they wish it. After all, octopi and other earth based life forms practice effective camouflage and they have never even invented the wheel.
But supposing these aliens wanted to communicate, who would they choose? I maintain that it would depend on their purpose. Benevolent aliens would not choose to communicate with violent beings who are destroying their environment unless they had a means by which to alter this rapacious behavior.
Fahrusha is a professional intuitive who thinks a lot about cosmology.
Proof of David Biedny’s Caracas, Venezuela UFO sighting
There are hundreds of different credible reports of UFOs which I receive from Filer’s Files and Ken Pfeifer’s World UFOs and many more I read on Frank Warren’s UFO Chronicles and on the MUFON site and several other places. It is true that one needs to be a savvy consumer of information related on the internet. Certainly there are scads of questionable videos of UFOs, ghosts, Sasquatch, etc. on YouTube and elsewhere. Two others (among many) that deserve much credit are Peter Davenport of NUFORC and UFO historian Richard Dolan. But what happens to the really good reports after a few years go by? They seem to disappear from the Earth into the ether. There is something squirrelly about this vanishing that calls written accounts of all of history into question. What has been left out on purpose and by accident? In terms of UFO history I suggest a worldwide searchable online archive maintained by a responsible group from several countries. Many of the current data bases are either not searchable or maintained by a single individual or two who make a heroic effort to preserve UFO history. Many interested people are aware that the files of one group called APRO vanished into the garage(?) of a hostile person when the founders of APRO (Aerial Phenomena Research Organization), Jim and Coral Lorenzen, died. In any case a huge legacy of information was lost, perhaps never to resurface again.
What type of report is said to make the most credible sort of UFO account? A UFO seen in daylight by multiple witnesses at as close a range as possible is best. I want to make a corollary comment here. If someone has an anomalous experience alone at night it does not make the experience untrue, just harder to verify and perhaps not as useful for scientific analysis. It is not legitimate for anyone to cast aspersions on the personal experiences of another person, but it is logically possible to disagree or refuse to accept the experiencer’s conclusions based on the solo experience. In other words, if I say that last night a blue 9 foot humanoid walked through my bedroom wall, you can’t assume I’m lying, but if I say I’m sure it was from a planetary system near Alpha Centuri and has come to eat the brains of red-haired individuals, you may ask for more proof of my conclusions.
There are two disturbing examples of revisionist and lost UFO history which have come to light recently. The first involves a recent 2011 scandal about the credentials of former UFO researcher Philip Imbrogno brought to light by Lance Moody and verified by the military research of Don Ecker of Dark Matters Radio. Sadly, Imbrogno was found to have falsified both his college and military records, but does that make his research worthless? It certainly calls his research into question. One of his books, Night Siege purportedly co-authored with esteemed UFO researcher J. Allen Hynek (and Bob Pratt in the 2nd edition), details accounts of the famed Hudson Valley sightings of the late 1980s. Several times since Imbrogno has been unmasked, I have now heard the actual Hudson Valley sightings called into question. This is very unfortunate and a great loss to UFO history. I can speak of this reliably since I know a number of first hand witnesses to this particular phenomena. There were literally thousands of persons who saw these huge black flying triangles over NY, NJ and CT during a period of time in the late 80s, including Kate Valentine of the Kate Valentine UFO Show. Sadly Hynek is no longer with us to speak to this question. Please also see my blog piece: Ufology This Summer 2011: I’m Sad, Glad and Mad!
Back a few years ago when David Biedney was the co-host with Gene Steinberg of the Paracast, an excellent podcast and radio show about UFOs (primarily) and other paranormal phenomena, he spoke of an amazing sighting he had, along with his family in Caracas, Venezuela. Those of you who listened to the Paracast at that time know that Dave was a tough questioner and didn’t suffer fools gladly. Some folks who had been interviewed by Biedny and didn’t like it, really laid into him in the Paracast Forums and other places when he could not at that time provide convincing corroboration (other than his brother) of his sighting. He has recently found that proof with the help of South American ufologist, Hector Escalante, and translated into English by Scott Corrales of Institute of Hispanic Ufology. Personally I am happy Biedny was vindicated and I think he is owed an apology by these detractors, but this brings up a much larger question as to preserving the history of UFO sightings, particularly mass sightings. It is hard to believe that these amazing encounters get lost in the mists of time so quickly.
The following is the translation of the account: MYSTERIOUS OBJECTS IN THE SKY OVER CARACAS
By Eduardo Suárez
“2001”
Thursday, 8-1-1974
Seen By Thousands; Malquetía Radar Picked Up Nothing
There was no explanation until this morning about the phenomenon that was a source of concern for thousands of residents of Caracas and that was immediately associated with the controversial notion of “flying saucers, following the quick flyby of four luminous objects crossing the skies of the capital city within 15 seconds. Interpretation of the controversial event is the account that no nocturnal overflights by combat aircraft were involved, and that the Radar Operations Center at Maiquetía, from where the objects were also sighted, did not pick up anything on its various electronic systems.
ON AN WEST-EAST DIRECTION
Transit of the unidentified flying objects was witnessed by thousands of persons. Dozens of phone calls were received at the “2001” newsroom as from 11:30 last night, requesting information on the matter. Reporters of this newspaper, returning from an assignment in Maiquetía, also witnessed the flight of the luminous objects, along with other people who saw them in places as distant as Catia or Prados del Este.
Among the witnesses is a commercial airliner captain whose name is kept confidential and who provided a more nuanced version in accordance with his logical awareness of aeronautics. Our source explained that it was a formation of four luminous objects – a main one, lacking a tail, and three acting as “escorts”, leaving a luminous wake as they crossed the heavens – which appeared in the southern area of Caracas at 11:30 p.m… The formation was located at an elevation of between ten to fifteen degrees over the horizon, crossing the skies over Caracas in a West-East direction at prodigious speed. The four objects vanished – to the eyes of the informant, who was located at Prados del Este – behind the hills of Petare in the La Lagunilla sector. The flying objects covered the entire distance in no more than 20 seconds at a speed far in excess of any known jet, and making no noise whatsoever.
This account was confirmed by passerby on Avenida San Martin, as well as others in the capital’s downtown area and even by residents of Los Ruices.
AT MIRAFLORES AND MAQUETIA
News of the unforeseen and inexplicable appearance of the unidentified flying objects became known even in the Miraflores Palace, where President Carlos Andrés Pérez and his Ministerial Cabinet were holding an extended session at the moment, one whose outcome was expected by dozens of journalists. The event was remarked upon, although there was no formal interpretation of the occurrence.
Possibly by official request, the Radar Operations Center at Maiquetía reported that the flying objects had been visually detected, but that no electronic device had recorded their transit, as would have been the case with airplanes. The matter acquired an incredible context when it was established that no commercial flight had passed over Caracas and that the General Air Command had asked Maiquetía for a report on the subject, which proves that no nocturnal operations by Mirage supersonic fighters could have been the cause, as some suspected. A similar request for information was also made by the Ministry of Defense, as was learned in Miraflores. This corroborates the non-existence of any flight over the skies of Caracas.
In the early hours of the morning it was learned that the luminous objects had been seen only minutes before 11:30 p.m. over Marcay and Valencia, where the possibility of nocturnal exercises was also raised, given the proximity of the Palo Negro air base. This suggestion was discarded, like the others, and as of this morning the strange phenomenon still remains unexplained, waiting for the Cajigal Observatory to put forth one final possibility: that it was a meteor shower, even when this alternative has been dismissed in advance due to the fact that meteorites fall in semi-vertical trajectories and do not fly horizontally, much less maneuver, as was the case last night.
UPDATE July 6 2013: Kudos to the guys at the Paracast Radio Podcast for making mention of the fact that David Biedny found the proof of his sighting in their recent episode (06/16/13) featuring Nick Redfern.
Fahrusha is a professional intuitive in New York City who is highly interested in the phenomena of unidentified aerial objects. She can be contacted by email at: fahrusha@fahrusha.com
If you wish to upset the law that all crows are black…it is enough if you prove one single crow to be white. ~William James
At this point in time on this planet Earth millions of people are wondering if we are alone in the Universe. They think about this when they go out at night and look upward at the glistening jewels of the Milky Way, our galaxy. They ponder it occasionally as they lay in bed waiting for sleep to find them. They eat up science fiction movies about alien invasions and whisper how their brother, aunt, neighbor or co-worker saw an unidentified flying object last summer.
As of January 17, 2013 there are 859 confirmed planets and 1235 candidate planets orbiting other Suns in our galaxy. Of these, 60 or so are Earth-like rocky planets. NASA scientists working with the Kepler telescope recently said there may be 50 billion planets in our Milky Way alone. Some of these scientists are searching for a Goldilocks planet, a planet just the right size and temperature to harbor life as we know it. But what about life as we don’t know it?
The new Hubble Extreme Deep Field is the deepest view into the Universe we have. From what has been observed we know that there are at least 176 billion galaxies in the Universe, and maybe even close to a trillion galaxies in the observable Universe when the Hubble study concludes. What about the unobservable Universe? Our galaxy is not considered to be a huge galaxy only small to medium, so if there are 50 billion planets in our galaxy and more than 200 billion galaxies (maybe a trillion) how many planets does that likely provide. Fifty Billion times two hundred billion, my mind boggles at this point. Is it possible that life as we know it exists out there in some (many) of these places? But what about life as we don’t know it?
What about extremophiles on Earth? These are examples of life on our planet of which most of us could not conceive. There are 10 foot long tubeworms at the bottom of the sea living in absolute darkness on thermal vents shooting out highly pressurized water in the temperature range of 240° Fahrenheit. Before seacraft were developed that could plummet into the ocean’s pressurized and crushing depths, most if not all oceanographers would have told you that conditions at these deep thermal vents could not support life when in fact they are teeming with life. And so what about life as we don’t know it elsewhere in our solar system, our galaxy, our Universe, the Multiverse?
There is a theory called panspermia which contends that life did not originate on Earth but was transmitted from elsewhere in space. In this theory, life is dispersed throughout the Universe by meteors and space rocks containing microbes and/or amino acids and colliding with planets bringing the building blocks of evolution for life as we know it. Scientists have evidence of a heavy bombardment of earth by meteors about four billion years ago. There was probably a another planet in the solar system located between Mars and Jupiter in the orbit of the current asteroid belt. The destruction of this planet could have been the cause of the heavy bombardment.
German scientists sent bacterial spores mixed with red sandstone into space on a Russian rocket and those spores were returned back to earth and proved to be still viable. Bacterial spores can remain viable for as much as 250 million years under adverse conditions on Earth. On Earth, in the Arctic regions, the reasonably common permafrost is known to harbor bacterial spores and eukaryotic cells which are viable over thousands of years. When comets pass the sun they bring with them icy particles from beyond the major planets. An analysis of the heat radiation from dust particles from Halley’s Comet matched that of bacteria and nothing else, so the evidence for panspermia is mounting. By extrapolation so is evidence for life as we know it outside our solar system. But what about life as we don’t know it?
There is a prevalent theory that the Earth, our Mother, is a living being. It is called the Gaia Hypothesis and I subscribe to it. But what if the heavenly bodies are conscious beings? Now we are getting closer to what could be part of life as we don’t know it. Vaguely related to this, because of their ubiquity in the Universe, are dark matter and dark energy which astrophysicists believe compose the majority of the Universe. Could the dark matter exist on a different dimensional plane or at a different frequency unmeasurable by our instrumentation? Is dark energy the life force of the Universe? I cannot answer these questions, but I do like to think about them. For if life is consciousness and consciousness is non-local then life is everywhere in the Multiverse and beyond.
Why do I write about this you may ask? There are at least two reasons. The first is to change the minds and hearts that harbor antiquated paradigms about the Earth being the center of the Universe and the only place capable of nurturing life. The second reason is because when I think about this I feel so ecstatic I want to sing along with Dominico Medugno (below). If you think about this seriously ten minutes a week, I’ll bet it will change your view of your life for the better and your place in the Universe forever.
Basil Bristow, who has channeled several beings with great wisdom has emailed me the following message from Pretorius, who is speaking through him currently, regarding my blog post above:
January 20, 2012
Today I heard from a reader: Millions of people on Earth are wondering if we are alone in the Universe. They think about this when they go out at night and look upward at the glistening jewels of the Milky Way; where, as of January 17, 2013, scientists report there are 859 confirmed planets and 1235 candidate planets orbiting in our galaxy. I wondered if Pretorius would care to comment; here is his reply:-Basil
The scientific community on Earth; while they are to be admired for their advances during the past 100 Earth years, in reality are still learning their A.B.C.s which is akin to children in 1st Grade. However, advancement is advancement and I again congratulate them. But, I must also add that what is done with their newly acquired knowledge, and how well it is administrated, remains to be seen. Indeed, it is as if the Earth stands on the brink of self-destruction (as has happened on Earth in the past) or if common sense becomes the watchword.
Now, regarding the postulations regarding Earth-sized planets that could maintain life in both your own Milky Way galaxy and in the Universal cosmos in general.
First, as I have said many times, mankind must get away from considering “life” as life that requires air, water and food … as is needed by the population on Earth. If that word “life” is to remain your criteria for defining “life” throughout the Universe then your consciousness will remain extremely limited.
“Life” as construed by the Universe is that which contains the essence of The Supreme 1 and, of course, that includes everything. Whether that essence needs air, water and food to survive is immaterial – what is material is that the essence has the “breath” of life given to it by The Supreme 1 – and, I assure you that everything in the Universe has received that “breath” of life.
To answer the question as to whether or not the human creature that lives on Earth has “Brothers and Sisters” living elsewhere in the Universe then the answer is yes, it does. There are countless areas in the Universe where such “life” exists. It would seem scientifically logical that, providing Earthly human-life does not annihilate itself, then “Earthlings” may one day meet colonies of those brothers and sisters. However, if I may quote an Earthly phrase – “Don’t hold your breath,” for that day is, without a doubt, far, far into the future.
However, I must add a qualification to that statement because many of the human-like societies elsewhere in the Universe are more advanced spiritually, scientifically and in general knowledge. But still, many other human-life societies are not as advanced as you on Earth.
I do not make a practice of predicting the future but it would seem to be logical that at least one or two of those more advanced societies would visit Earth before Earthlings visits them. Indeed, such visitations have occurred many times in the past and Earth’s humanity has benefited spiritually, physically and intellectually from those visits.
It is spiritual growth that will define Earth’s humanity – not scientific growth (although that is most certainly important!) for it will be the spiritualness of Earth’s humanity as a whole that will define its longevity.
Thus, if I may, I urge you all to go within and bring forth the love and peace that has lain imprisoned in the human breast for so long. Let it free and bring new “life” to your Earth – not just life that requires air, water and food, but life which blossoms on its spirituality.
Twice a year for the past 25 years, Pat Marcattilio, affectionately known as “Dr. UFO” to his friends and ufological acquaintances, has put together a UFO Congress in South Jersey. This fall it was a three day event featuring several prominent figures in the paranormal world and celebrated the 50th Congress that Mr. Marcattilio has organized. Recently he has been ably aided in this endeavor by his daughter Karin.
Sadly I was unable to attend the entire event due to other commitments, but I have had a great abiding interest in Travis Walton and his amazing, well documented story of alien abduction, so I motored down the New Jersey Turnpike to exit 7 on Saturday night armed only with my trusty Canon and my burning curiosity. I was not disappointed.
For over two hours, Mr. Walton showed film clips, spoke earnestly of his experience and answered questions for the gathered assembly. Although his experience happened thirty-six years ago it was plain to see that he became emotional while telling it. Being an experiencer I empathized with the abject fear he felt when faced with alien beings. Everyone with whom I spoke who saw the lecture was very moved by his sincerity. Even one person who is extremely skeptical about the subject of aliens was not only favorably impressed with Travis Walton, but also showed a new found fascination with the subject.
Briefly stated, Travis Walton was a member of a logging crew consisting of seven men on November 5, 1975 in Apache-Sitgreaves National Forest, Arizona. On their way out of the forest that evening they observed a glow in the sky they could not make out, so they drove closer expecting perhaps a hunters’ campfire gone out of control. As they got closer, they posited a crashed plane in a tree, but soon a saucer shaped aerial craft revealed itself. It appeared to be 20 feet off the ground hovering silently.
Walton described the craft: “I estimated the object to have an overall diameter of fifteen or twenty feet; it was eight or ten feet thick. The flattened disc had a shape like that of two gigantic pie-pans placed lip to lip, with a small round bowl turned upside down on the top. Barely visible at our angle of sight, the white dome peaked over the upper outline of the ship. We could see darker stripes of a dull silver sheen that divided the glowing areas into panel-like sections. The dim yellowish light given off by the surface had the luster of hot metal, fresh from a blast furnace.”
Curiosity overpowered prudent caution in the young Travis, then 22. He leapt from the truck and ran under the saucer to get a better look. Suddenly the craft began to hum with mixed mechanical pitches, Travis crouched down but was nonetheless hit with a blue green beam that knocked him senseless. In fear of their lives and because they believed Walton dead, the other six fled the scene but returned shortly to find no sign of Travis. He had disappeared.
The story of what happened to Travis Walton during his five day abduction should be read by you from his book, Fire in the Sky and not here in brief synopsis. There was a Hollywood movie of the same name which contains the basic elements of the story with some theatrical changes, so it can be interesting especially if you are aware of the inaccuracies in it.
One overarching fact should be mentioned, Walton and the logging crew took multiple lie detector tests and passed them with flying colors. It is therefore unimaginable that they all colluded in a lie. Anyone with a true interest in ufology would be remiss not to study this baffling case.
Whitley Strieber waiting to begin his presentation.
You and I have spoken all these words,
But for the way we have to go words are no preparation.
I have one small drop of knowing in my soul.
Let it dissolve in your ocean!
~Rumi
On October 22, I attended a conference presented by FIONS and New Realities which took place at the Community Church of New York on East 35th Street. The featured speakers, in order of presentation, were Linda Moulton Howe, Whitley Strieber and Richard Dolan. The Master of Ceremonies was Alan Steinfeld of New Realities. FIONS stands for Friends of the Institute of Noetic Sciences which is a non-profit organization associated with IONS, founded by Apollo 14 Astronaut Edgar Mitchell and dedicated to the integration of science and consciousness.
As a multiple experiencer and consciousness researcher myself, I take every reasonable opportunity to interact with other serious persons of a similar description. I was happy to see a number of friends in attendance as well as several hundred other people (perhaps some future friends). The atmosphere was serious and urgent.
First to speak was Linda Moulton Howe of Earthfiles.com. She presented a fascinating lecture about her recent research which has led her to a concept which is at the same time logical and mind blowing: alien self-activating machines. In our own terrestrial scientific research, especially in the bio-medical field, there have been enormous strides made in the last 50 years in all kinds artificial body part replacements. On the other side of the equation, computers are getting smarter and smarter and more lifelike in their interactions with humans. Truly, many intelligent minds have pondered the implications of blurring the distinction between humans and artificial intelligences. Movies have been made for years about this phenomena and I remember “the Bionic Man” and “the Bionic Woman” TV shows from my youth.
Additionally, it has been posited for years that extraterrestrials wishing to traverse the vast expanses of space travelling many light years from star to star might send androids rather than biological beings to live aboard space ships. More recently I have heard the observation that some UFO craft appear to be behaving like actual living beings and morphing shapes.
So at this point I can segue into Linda Moulton Howe’s presentation. Several years ago several sets of related photographs were sent to her at Earthfiles. The subjects of these photos came to be known as dragonfly drone UFOs. She published the images and was criticized by some ufologists because they believed the photos to have been hoaxed by the senders (not Ms. Howe). Since then she has received information regarding the symbols on these craft, the similar symbols on a UFO in Rendlesham Forest by Jim Penniston, and how they relate to some crop circles. She has also received information from retired government insiders seeming to show that the symbols are a self activating software on the outside surface of a living metallic animal UFO. Merely by touching the symbols the machines can be activated, sometimes, it is reported, with disastrous results. She gave a compelling talk that was well received by the audience and I think she was sincere but because of government secrecy we have little direct access to what is known by deep secret sources. I saw some similar symbols during a forced out-of-body experience (possible abduction) two years ago.
Linda Moulton Howe
The beginning of Whitley Strieber‘s presentation touched upon how our human brains can be organically changed by simply thinking about the surreal and how aliens may be changing us. There are so many irreversible changes going on in our environment that we can never return to the world as it once was, so we must evolve to accommodate the changes or perish.
He talked about Dr. Paul Hill, a famous engineer with NACA (the predecessor of NASA) who had a groundbreaking UFO experience in July of 1952 in the company of other witnesses. His work in static field technology and his book Unconventional Flying Objects (Hampton Roads) were suppressed until after his death. Whitley went on to read some passages from his new non-fiction book Solving the Communion Enigma about the alien presence to be released in January which promises to be thought provoking.
The last speaker was Richard Dolan, an eminent historian and chronicler of UFO sightings with three excellent books to prove it. I have seen him do presentations at at least four other venues and he is always interesting and well thought out in his lectures. He looks at the UFO phenomena from the point of history. In 1947, President Harry Truman was aware that the nation was war weary and if the truth about UFO were revealed the world order would be challenged. Oil was also at the center of the issue because a UFO-type propulsion system would end the oil industry and allow for totally unrestricted travel. He has documents on his website that prove US jets chased UFOs.
Dolan says the secrecy and black budgets surrounding UFOs are unconstitutional and therefore illegal. The secret government agencies influenced the mainstream media, which in turn influenced the public to believe that the UFOs were the foolish inventions of overactive imaginations, which they are not. The Department of Defense controls much of the academic scientific community, making sure that government grants are not given for research to those who profess an interest in UFOs. Much of our history has been stolen from us in regards to this and other subjects. It becomes nearly impossible to know what is true and what is not because so much information is classified so deeply that even Congress can’t get at it.
Dolan also contends that there exists a “breakaway” civilization which operates on the trillion dollar black budget and that has (amongst other things like underground bunkers) much better technology than the civilian world, to wit in 1965 the NSA (then a totally secret agency) had computer speeds not seen in the public until after 2000.
He also feels disclosure is inevitable. It may be, but I think disclosure will be incremental as we are already witnessing. Certainly a mass sighting with multiple video capture, a Wikileaks type leak, a presidential deathbed confession or the like might force the hand of the secret keepers.
All in all I enjoyed the conference which may have better been titled UFOs and Government Secrecy!
This summer has seen several big moments in the field of ufology. The first is a very sad occasion. On August 21st Budd Hopkins, 80, passed on after a long illness. He was a multi-talented artist who was known for his geometric paintings and sculpture. He was also an alien abduction researcher, giving compassionate attention to experiencers for many years though his Intruders Foundation. He wrote a number of excellent books including Missing Time and Intruders which substantiate the phenomenon of alien abduction through relating the experiences of ordinary individuals and finding patterns in them. I was supposed to meet Mr. Hopkins several times at conferences and at his foundation meetings, but alas, to my great disappointment, this was not to be. Ufology has lost a valiant researcher. Rest in peace, Budd.
On a different topic, (the glad part), ufology has made a wonderful advancement with the release of Break Thru Films documentary “Secret Access: UFOs on the Record” by filmmakers Ricki Stern and Annie Sudberg seen on the History Channel in a 2 hour special on August 25th. It is based upon Leslie Kean’s book, UFOs: Generals, Pilots and 344Government Officials Go On the Record and Ms. Kean is featured prominently in the presentation. Leslie Kean has had a long history as a clear eyed researcher and investigative journalist who co-founded the Coalition for Freedom of Information (CFi) and was a producer with James Fox for the independent film I Know What I Saw. This documentary is a must see for anyone even vaguely interested in the subject of unexplained aerial phenomena. Its irrefutable evidence from sterling sources will turn anyone who is on the fence about the reality and importance of ufology into an advocate for more research into this paradigm shifting subject. In addition to the information also presented in the book, the film had some new data about the Phoenix Lights from NUFORC and a new research project, UFOtog, by special effects master Douglas Trumball.
Finally, I’m angry (mad) about the revelation that author and UFO researcher Philip Imbrogno has completely faked his credentials (bad). It was revealed by skeptic Lance Moody in his blog What the Hell Was That that Imbrogno’s degrees from MIT and elsewhere were entirely bogus. UFO researcher Don Ecker of Dark Matters Radio followed up by checking out his military bona fides. Imbrogno claimed he was a Green Beret in a select group executing missions in Cambodia during the Vietnam War. Ecker discovered it was a total fabrication. This is a real shame because ufology is a study not given credence in all quarters because it is seen as a fringe topic. Any tinge of dishonesty casts major doubt on any research on which the liar has worked. Furthermore it damages the entire field.
I will end this post on a bittersweet note sending my deepest sympathies and profoundest thanks to Leslie Kean who was both the personal companion of Budd Hopkins and the inspiration for this astounding groundbreaking documentary.
Please follow the links in this post if you want more information on the topics discussed herein.
Leslie Kean and Budd Hopkins
Thanks to les-repas-ufologiques.com
POSTSCRIPT: He says it better than I can.
Thoughts about the Budd Hopkins Memorial
by David Biedny on Tuesday, 11 October 2011 at 16:01
I wanted to briefly comment on the memorial held Saturday, October 8, 2011 for Budd Hopkins, at the 15th Street Friends Meeting House. The weather could not have been better, it was a clear, perfect day for this lovely affair celebrating the life and work of this wonderful man – one I’m proud to be able to call a true friend – and it primarily focused on his work in the art field, clearly demonstrating that Budd was really one of the most respected Abstract Expressionists of the famed New York School.
Leslie Kean started the proceedings with her cool, professional demeanor, even though it was obvious that she misses her partner, friend and love. Any of us would be blessed to have that kind of tenderness in our lives, and something that was plain to see was the depth of respect and love that these two people had for each other, it was both reassuring and inspiring.
His daughter showed slides of many of Budd’s artworks, which were bold, colorful and as direct as the man himself. Another thing that many spoke of was Budd’s sense of humor, and I can personally attest that he loved laughing like few others, and there was some really nice footage of Budd being, well, Budd.
Peter Robbins delivered an eloquent eulogy, describing working with Budd, and how much influence Budd had on his own way of thinking and dealing with others. Randy Nicherson played a video tribute to Budd, full of poignant, heartfelt scenes – there was another video compilation presented towards the end, done by Seth Keal and Charles Miller, with some really heartwarming footage of Budd dancing with his granddaughter. Another picture of Budd, his daughter, son-in-law and granddaughter clearly demonstrated the uncanny resemblance of Budd and his daughter’s daughter. He will live on in her.
David Jacobs spoke about Budd’s work in the field of abduction research, but what really came through was how much David loved Budd as a human being and close friend. That was also evident in the way that people spoke about Budd afterwards, small conversations overheard during the subsequent reception confirmed that there was not a bad thought about Budd anywhere near the event.
There are many more details – some interesting UFO folks were in attendance, but they were outnumbered by the artist friends, thankfully – but suffice it to say that any of us would be happy and fulfilled to have this much love manifest at our departures.
To those who would attack his research, and accuse him of being a flawed human, of not being 100% hardass about his dealings with alleged abduction victims and potential hoaxers – I personally witnessed the degree of comfort this brave man gave some very distraught people, folks who were scared, confused and who didn’t have anyone to turn to without being marginalized or ridiculed, and for that work alone, he should be celebrated and respected. If he was fooled by some unscrupulous folks, his decision to err on the side of kindness and compassion is perhaps a byproduct of his intensely powerful humanity and sincere desire to help others. Those who would vilify him would be well advised to check their own glass houses for hidden piles of large, rough stones.
Budd Hopkins was a great man, and I for one will miss him something urgent.
We discussed some interesting aspects of ufology including my own ideas about what alien intelligence might comprise.
Several weeks prior to this show, I taped another show with Kate and psychologist interested in the UFO phenomena Oddly several copies of that show were lost at the studio, never again to resurface.
Kate Valentine is the host of two radio shows in the New York/New Jersey Metro area both of which deal with the paranormal and primarily but not exclusively UFOs. One is called “the Kate Valentine UFO Show” and is heard on Friday afternoon at 1 p.m. on WVNJ AM 1160 and is rebroadcast on Sundays at 4 p.m. The other show is called “Viewpoints” and is heard on Saturday nights at midnight on WNYM AM 970.
Kate is quite a remarkable lady with a decades long keen interest in unidentified aerial phenomena. She has interviewed some of the best and brightest in this field and I highly recommend anyone interested in ufology to check out her menu of past shows or listen in live. Both shows have a call-in feature so it is quite possible to ask questions about your sightings to individuals who are veterans in the area of ufology.
I know that Kate would herself love to have the opportunity to be a space tourist and I hope that wish will come true for her.
Here is a quote from her website:
~For my own part, I declare I know nothing whatever about it, but looking at the stars always makes me dream, as simply as I dream over the black dots representing towns and villages on a map. Why, I ask myself, shouldn’t the shining dots of the sky be as accessible as the black dots on the map of France? — Vincent van Gogh, 1889.
This is a very exciting time for astronomers, amateur astronomers, astronomy buffs, ufologists and aware citizens of the world.
First and foremost this week a new solar system with six planets has been discovered along with an additional 1200 exo-planetary candidates by the NASA Kepler Spacecraft. Probably as I am writing this, the number will change in the upward direction. This information is being added to daily. The Kepler Spacecraft has been a wonderful success for NASA. I urge all my readers to click on my links to detailed information at NASA on this fascinating program and the mechanics of the Kepler Spacecraft.
The star with the newly found solar system, Kepler 11, is said to be Sun sized. The amazing thing here is that five of the six planets found around Kepler 11 are in very close orbits around Kepler 11 and all six are thought to be rocky objects like the Earth and Mars and the Moon. In the beginning of the discovery of exoplanets, almost all the planets discovered were gas giants like Jupiter and Saturn but much larger and closer in to their stars- not what would be considered to be hospitable to life as we know it. That all changed in Autumn 2010 with the discovery of a rocky planet only 20 light years away orbiting a red dwarf star, Gliese 581, in the so-called Goldilocks or habitable zone – a region where liquid water could exist on a planet’s surface.
So it begins to seem that habitable planets may be relatively common in our galaxy. This idea was considered to be foolish in scientific circles within very recent history. We add to this idea that the Universe is proving to be larger than anyone expected and appears to hold three times the number of stars many astronomers might have estimated only a year ago. We are poised at the brink of a paradigm shift comparable to or greater than the one Galileo started with his non Geocentric model of the solar system. (The earliest heliocentric model of the solar system was by Philolaus in the fifth century BC, but was not widely adopted. Philolaus was a Sun worshipper. Is the Sun a conscious being? I think so.) In short, our beloved Solar System appears to be one of trillions out there. There are probably millions of solar systems in our Milky Way Galaxy and there are billions of galaxies. There is no reason not to believe that many other galaxies have stars with solar systems. Similarly there is no reason not to postulate that many of these solar systems have rocky planets in the habitable zone with water on them.
Where there is water there is likely to be life. Meteorites have told us that the building blocks of life exist in space. Rudimentary life can exist in extremely harsh conditions. There are stars in this galaxy that are far older than the sun, and galaxies that are far older than the Milky Way. It does not require a big leap from these facts for us to expect to find advanced civilizations on some of these rocky, watery planets. If some of the civilizations out there are tens of thousands of years more advanced than ours, might they not be visiting our habitable rock with it’s cruel warlike dominant ape species we like to call “human beings”? It is indeed an exciting and frightening time to be alive!
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