UFO Bookshelf

STRANGEmagazineWEB HOME STRANGEmagazineWEB Dimensions of Enchantment: The Mystery of UFO Abductions, Close Encounters and Aliens by Manfred Cassirer Government Records: Results of a Search for Records Concerning the 1947 Crash Near Roswell, New Mexico Grand Illusions: The Spectral Reality Underlying Sexual UFO Abductions, Crashed Saucers, Afterlife Experiences, Sacred Ancient Sites, and Other Enigmas by Gregory L. Little A History of UFO Crashes by Kevin D. Randle Report of Air Force Research Regarding the "Roswell Incident" by Richard L. Weaver, Col., USAF Watch the Skies! A Chronicle of the Flying Saucer Myth by Curtis Peebles Dimensions of Enchantment: The Mystery of UFO Abductions, Close Encounters and Aliens by Manfred Cassirer Breese Books Ltd., London, England, 1994, 208 pp., paperback, $10.00. Available from Strange Bookshop. This is a most rare UFO book, not only for being a thoughtful analysis, but also that it approaches the phenomenon from a parapsychological perspective. Although there are some minor factual errors, including more than the usual grammatical flubs (even Fort's name is misspelled), this is not the work of a sloppy thinker. In Dimensions of Enchantment , Manfred Cassirer operates very much in the tradition of Charles Fort. That is, Cassirer presents and uses case data in the pursuit of larger game, as Fort used the strange and inexplicable to formulate a philosophy of an indeterminate universe. And like Fort (although perhaps more workmanlike and certainly less humorous), Cassirer has provided cases of strange phenomena that can be enjoyed all by themselves. But to simply get a kick from reading one case after another and going no further would be missing the point. Thus, while one can read the many stories of UFO percipients and derive pleasure from their unusual and enchanting essence, one can also see that these cases are being employed to extrapolate common features which may begin to suggest certain possibilities as to their origin and nature. Nonetheless, Cassirer doesn't make an effective case for UFOs as parapsychological so much as he demonstrates that the extraterrestrial hypothesis, based on the data, is absurd. The thrust of the book is not what these phenomena are, or even a serious attempt at an explication. Rather, it is shown that whatever is behind UFO events operates at a frequency beyond our current comprehension. That is not to say that all of its manifestations are incapable of being understood, as the undeniable physical aspects of UFO encounters are noted. What Cassirer seemingly reveals, but never fully exploits, is that percipients are interacting with an intelligent, oscillating energy. An examination as to the origin and purpose of this energy certainly seems within the scope of this work. One can hope that, in the future, Cassirer will focus his attention more directly on the nature of these phenomena and attack the mystery and not merely acknowledge that these dimensions have an ineffable quality. There is much to praise within these pages; Cassirer has formed his opinion after looking at the parameters of these events, and he is not averse to challenging the conclusions of others in the field. A theme running throughout the book is the slamming (correctly, I believe) of American ufology. One can only conclude that he is quite knowledgeable in this regard. Therefore it is intriguing that he states that "hoaxes are comparatively few and far between." Knowing the state of affairs in the United States should have led to the conclusion that hoaxes are commonplace. If they aren't, then we have wrongly denigrated a legion of authentic photographs of otherworldly vehicles! Dimensions of Enchantment may break little new ground for European ufologists, but it is practically revelatory for an American ufology stuck in a rut, an American ufology unwilling to break the bonds of the nuts and bolts position. For those adventurous souls willing to cut through Cassirer's often dense prose and to drop all pretense of "knowing" the UFO phenomenon, Dimensions of Enchantment should earn a permanent spot on the UFO bookshelf. Government Records: Results of a Search for Records Concerning the 1947 Crash Near Roswell, New Mexico Government Printing Office, Washington, D.C., 1995, 20 pp., paper. Available from the GPO--no charge for the first copy. After searching for records relating to the Roswell incident for nearly eighteen months, the General Accounting Office, with much anticipation by UFO buffs, finally reported its findings to Congressman Steven Schiff on July 28. And it was this anticipation that was the high point, because the finished product is not very enlightening. As important as this report was deemed, one can only find the final results rather dull. Or are they? The GAO found two government documents concerning Roswell: a July 1947 history report by the 509th Bomb Group (the only document located by the Air Force in their search) and an FBI message dated July 8, 1947, which refers to the military recovery of an object resembling "a high altitude weather balloon with a radar reflector." These documents had already been declassified and are well known. However, it was noted that Roswell Army Air Field administrative records and outgoing messages were destroyed for the periods March 1945 through December 1949 and October 1946 through December 1949, respectively. The GAO states, "The document disposition form does not indicate what organization or person destroyed the records and when or under what authority the records were destroyed." Ufologists will certainly point to this as more evidence that the government always intended to bury Roswell. Others will note that the Chief Archivist for the National Personnel Records Center, who, from personal experience, states that many Air Force organizational records during the late 1940s were destroyed without entering a citation for the governing disposition authority. Whom or what to believe? Regardless of your position, there is plenty of ammunition for both believers and debunkers. Strange Magazine was intrigued by the change in the name of the report and contacted its overseer, Richard Davis, Director of National Security Analysis. Told that the original title of the audit was "Records Management Procedures Dealing with Weather Balloon, Unknown Aircraft, and Similar Crash Incidents," Davis claimed to have never heard of it. Davis would only say that it wasn╒t the task of the GAO to resolve the Roswell incident in a UFO context but to determine whether proper procedures were followed in the disposition of government records. That the author claims not to have heard of the "first" official title of the audit is difficult to believe. And for all the energy spent by Davis and the GAO claiming they were not charged with resolving the Roswell dilemma, a February 15, 1994 memorandum from Davis regarding the GAO's "approach" to the report says that the GAO will "determine the 'OFFICIAL' explanation of what has become known as the Roswell incident" (emphasis by GAO). So, is the GAO report merely one more signpost in an insidious 50-year cover-up at the highest level of government, whereupon more and more people know the alien nature of Roswell, and yet, are able to conceal it with impunity? More likely it is simply your tax dollars at play. Oh, by the way, don't expect a Department of Defense apology any time soon for the destruction of documents that were supposed to be permanently archived. Sorry is not a word in the machismo lexicon.Ñ Grand Illusions: The Spectral Reality Underlying Sexual UFO Abductions, Crashed Saucers, Afterlife Experiences, Sacred Ancient Sites, and Other Enigmas by Gregory L. Little White Buffalo Books, Inc., Memphis, Tennessee, 1994, 271 pp., paperback, $19.95. Available from Strange Bookshop Grand Illusions is the culmination of a trilogy of works by one of America's most freethinking ufologists. More blunt but no less provocative than his previous books, this is Gregory Little's finest work to date. Grand Illusions , following People of the Web (1990) and The Archetype Experience (1984), fine-tunes Little's thesis that was ignited by Carl Jung and John Keel--namely that archetypes are intelligent energy forms within the electromagnetic spectrum which can physicalize and account for virtually every anomalous event in ufology. Little has theorized that there is indeed a mystery, or grand illusion, behind UFOs and related phenomena. He also suggests that many ufologists also harbor their own illusions concerning these phenomena. Words are not minced and punches are not pulled. Little calls for the death of the extraterrestrial hypothesis (ETH) and, acting like the criminal justice psychologist that he is, points a finger at the rampant hoaxing and paranoia within the ufological fold. This is strong stuff. For many involved in ufology, the aspect that first got them interested was the tales of real alien beings piloting the saucers (e.g., The Humanoids, Flying Saucer Occupants). A similar sense of interest (and pleasure) is attained, ironically, from reading Little's analysis, and rejection of, these same aliens. Ultimately, we all want to get at "the truth." The proffering of the alien-UFO motif in the media has made alternatives to the ETH all the more rare, especially for American ufology. Thus, the release of any non-extraterrestrial UFO book has become a major event. And a book that can explain the concomitant baggage that has glommed onto ufology is that much more of a treasure. Little mentions the oft-repeated notion that the evidence for crashed saucers (notably the Roswell case) would prevail in a court of law, and states unequivocally that the case would not win. In this, his thrust is valid; however, what I feel he means to say is that the evidence for crashed saucers is not the "experimental" (scientific) proof required for its veracity. Legal proof is of a different nature, and the case for crashed saucers could probably be "proven" in court. Under the microscope of experimental proof, which requires more tangible evidence, no crashed saucer story holds up. But even experimental proof is problematic. The scientific method, while powerfully effective, is composed of two elements that are fallible (i.e., both sense data and pure reason can be deceptive). In other words, our perceptions, liable to being erroneous, cannot lead us to conclusions with absolute certitude. This seems to aim at the heart of fortean philosophy, in that the best that can be said in reaching a conclusion is that it is the most accurate possible approximation. What seems striking in its absence, noting that Little's background is in counseling psychology, is that no mention is made of the benefit to be gained through knowing the mechanism of abduction. If the process is known (do people "tune-in" the grays with the magnetite in their brains?), then the trigger of the experience can be reversed or halted, abductions can be stopped, and the true healing of the abduction syndrome can begin. Still somewhat mystifying is the process by which the archetype and the percipient attune themselves to each other to "create" a UFO experience or abduction encounter. Specifically, how do these psychoid energy forms adapt their physical shape and behavior to the culture and expectations of the percipient? How, and from where, does this energy gain the knowledge to accomplish this feat? These are minor quibbles. What is important is that Little has plunged ahead, forging his thought from what he has encountered, rather than ramming the data into preconceived beliefs. You should add this instant classic to your UFO bookshelf.Ñ Originally published in Strange Magazine 15, Spring 1995. A History of UFO Crashes by Kevin D. Randle Avon Books, New York, 1995, 276 pp., paperback, $5.50. Available from Strange Bookshop. There appears to be an ongoing struggle in the mind of Kevin Randle, who displays a split personality in his research. On the one hand is the investigator willing to gather the data and piece together the facts objectively. On the other is a person who strongly desires to prove the extraterrestrial hypothesis. The former goes into the field and logically pursues a story; the latter appears to do so as well, but when a mundane solution is found wanting, the extraterrestrial flag is hoisted without considering other possibilities. It is this facet of Randle's personality that is most troublesome. This bias is shown immediately. In the second sentence of the book, parroting a question pondered by those curious about the phenomenon, Randle asks, "If UFOs are real, meaning extraterrestrial, where is the proof?" This approach, which seems to have been formed more from a longing for the facts to conform to one's wishes than to the truth, is backwards logic. UFOs are most certainly real, if only existing in the discourse of their adherents; however, whether their "realness" extends to a (partial) extraterrestrial ontology has never been presented convincingly. A History of UFO Crashes hasn't done anything to change this. A History of UFO Crashes is not a chronological account of fallen saucers, but rather is a presentation of six specific incidents, including Roswell. There are also chapters detailing the Twining letter and Project Moon Dust. The most valuable material, however, is in Appendix A, which lists crashes and retrievals dating from 1862, and the chapter "The Majestic-Twelve Hoax," which is an extension of the material that originally appeared in The Truth About the UFO Crash at Roswell. It is pointed out that Lt. Col. Hoyt S. Vandenberg was "assigned" to MJ-12 because the chief of the Army Air Forces, General Carl Spaatz, was on vacation during the crucial early days in July 1947 and that Vandenberg was in touch with the White House, as noted in phone records and meeting agendas. Attachment 15 of the recent "Report on Air Force Research Regarding the 'Roswell Incident'" contains photocopies of Vandenberg's diaries and appointment book for the period July 7-9, 1947. There is plenty to raise the eyebrows of the conspiratorialists, including dental appointments on July 7 and 9. (It is said that President Eisenhower used a dental excuse to see aliens and their craft in 1954.) On July 5, Vandenberg returned to Washington, D.C. from Wichita Falls, Texas (so close to Roswell!). The capper for the paranoid mind convinced of a cover-up is Vandenberg's afternoon of July 7, when he fielded several phone calls on the saucers. However, none of these conversations involved Roswell, which only adds to the evidence that the U.S. was in a saucer frenzy in 1947 irrespective of the events in Roswell, New Mexico. If Randle's belief system makes him stumble at times, at least he has done his homework. Indeed, the effort that has been devoted to these incidents as evidenced in the overall indexing, seems quite thorough. What is dismaying is the acceptance of statements from people when so often it is shown by Randle himself (most admirably in detailing the Gerald Anderson hoax) that individuals who become involved in ufology embellish or simply fabricate stories for a number of reasons not very difficult to fathom. Thus, this book is useful, if for no other reason, by providing an account of those who avail themselves of modern myth-making. Finally, one must ask what, if anything, can be believed in these crashed saucer tales. When so much is contemptible, when time after time these stories lack solid corroboration, how much longer can the serious UFO investigator listen with an open mind? Recently, a gentleman came forward who claimed to be stationed at Roswell Army Air Field in 1947. This was verified. He then claimed to have a piece of the debris from the Roswell wreckage in his possession. Is it surprising that a search of his belongings turned up no such item? But demanding an unearthly artifact as proof of extraterrestrial visitation (e.g., Carl Sagan asking for a UFO's log book) is probably a misguided endeavor. In the end, the evidence for physical crafts from other planets, like the crafts themselves, simply won't fly.Ñ Report of Air Force Research Regarding The "Roswell Incident" by Richard L. Weaver, Col., USAF Department of the Air Force, 1994, 23 pages, paper. The "Report of Air Force Research Regarding the 'Roswell Incident'" is a 23-page synopsis reflecting the Air Force opinion on the supposed crash of an extraterrestrial craft that occurred in July 1947. The report is a preemptive response to an audit instituted by the General Accounting Office (GAO) on behalf of Congressman Steven Schiff (R-N.M.) to resolve the matter. Issued on September 8, the full report consists of 33 attachments, including a list of locations and records searched (Atch. 13) and a highly significant, signed sworn statement by Lt. Col. Sheridan Cavitt (Atch. 17), the sole survivor among those who actually viewed the debris field. The report is divided into sections highlighting the original reporting and evolution of the Roswell incident, the Air Force search strategy and methodology, and what the Roswell incident was and was not. It should be stated that one should approach this report with an open and unbiased mind, although the image of the fox denying his activities in the chicken coop (i.e., "there are no UFOs; you don't see any, do you?"), even as he coughs up feathers while telling the story, seems inevitable. And indeed, early reactions of some of the Roswell principals as well as those who frequent the online ufological newsgroups have been practically unanimous in a negative, knee-jerk response. Why should this be the case? Further, and most importantly, what did the Air Force investigation find? From all appearances, and contrary to what many may believe, the Air Force conducted a fairly massive research effort. A number of archives and records centers, which cover the breadth of the continental United States, were reviewed. From this effort, only one official Army Air Forces (AAF) document mentioning UFOs and Roswell in July 1947 was located, which was a small section in the "July Historical Report" for the 509th Bomb Group and the Roswell AAF that mentions answering inquiries on the "flying disc" (found to be a radar tracking balloon). Air Force researchers subsequently looked for documents during the time period relating to balloons, since that was originally the official explanation for the Roswell incident. Records were located on a then Top Secret Priority 1A balloon research trial named Project Mogul, developed to monitor Soviet nuclear testing. Two major finds emerge: first, the Project Mogul balloons sported radar targets consisting of aluminum "foil" or foil-backed paper, balsa wood beams coated with glue to enhance their durability, acetate and/or cloth reinforcing tape, twine, brass eyelets, and purplish-pink tape with symbols on it. These materials are not inconsistent with the debris that was found. Second, Flight 4, launched on June 4, 1947, was never recovered and likely came to rest some miles northwest of Roswell. Of course, this is unlikely to sway those who believe what was found was in fact a crashed flying saucer. One cannot help but think of their stalwart convictions and adamant stance that "x" or "y" happened and that the Air Force is engaged in an ongoing cover-up. In fact, the Air Force acknowledges this accusation and realizes some individuals will still insist on their role in the "cosmic Watergate." But certainty regarding any event is problematic. Researcher David Lane (see the Journal of Humanistic Psychology , Fall [1984, 24-4], pp. 75-89) has suggested that the feeling of certainty is a complex result of sensory input and integrative action of the brain that, ultimately, is immeasurable and undefinable. Lane termed this the "Chandian effect" after his guru Pandit Faqir Chand. Thus, people may be angered by any suggestion that their interpretation of an experience (e.g., "the foil wouldn't burn and couldn't be crushed") may not be real, based on the self-confirming nature of the experience itself. We must recall what was happening culturally during the time frame of the Roswell event. Kenneth Arnold's sighting and the media reporting that ensued touched off a frenzy in "flying saucers" that has yet to be equaled. Here was a subject that was brand new to almost all Americans, and they played it to the hilt. Frank Scully notes in Behind the Flying Saucers that the Air Force claimed July 1947 as a banner month for practical jokers. There are, however, some difficulties with the report. There are biases in the characterizations of the reports of "pro-UFO" researchers, some blatant and obvious, others subtle and insidious. And inevitably, questions arise. For example, why didn't the Air Force interview Walter Haut, public information officer at the 509th Bomb Group, or Glenn Dennis, a local mortician who took an enigmatic phone call about preserving bodies exposed to the elements? And, why didn't the Air Force recover the Project Mogul balloon when it was a TOP SECRET endeavor, regardless if the materials in its construction were unclassified? Overall, the report is likely to engender a firestorm of disbelief among ufologists. Nonetheless, it does seem highly improbable that the Roswell incident, if extremely anomalous or extraterrestrial, could be buried without a true, unequivocal document to that effect. (For those individuals interviewed, any previous oath of secrecy taken was removed.) It seems unlikely that the Roswell Declaration now circulating in ufological circles, which requests an Executive order declassifying all Roswell documents, will be successful in producing any "new" information. Ufologists will merely reiterate that there was no paperwork to begin with or that it is in the hands of a rogue intelligence group. For now, the next step is awaiting the GAO audit, "Records Management Procedures Dealing With Weather Balloon, Unknown Aircraft, and Similar Crash Incidents." For the future, nothing is likely to change.Ñ Review originally published in Strange Magazine 14, Fall 1994. Watch the Skies! A Chronicle of the Flying Saucer Myth by Curtis Peebles Smithsonian Institution Press, Washington, D.C., 1994, 342 pp., hardcover, $24.95; paper, $6.99. Available from Strange Bookshop. Of all the books that have found a place on the UFO Bookshelf, none has caused such mixed emotions as Watch the Skies! Flawed in essential ways, yet containing a wealth of informative data, Watch the Skies! must be read in a narrower context than is implied by the title as well as with some necessary assumptions that go unstated. Curtis Peebles boasts that he has been interested in UFOs for several decades. Yet, he has failed to bring the knowledge gained from this interest to the birth of the flying saucer myth. Nothing explodes as fully formed in the shared, public consciousness as is suggested in this recounting. As Peebles begins, he briefly mentions the 1896-97 airships, the works of Fort, and then goes directly to the ghost rockets and the dubious role of the Shaver Mystery in the UFO myth. (Although Amazing Stories ' readers latched onto the underground "Deros," the role of spaceships in this scenario seems too minor to be a seminal, and hence, important factor in the birth of the myth.) One can argue that the genesis of the flying saucer myth began virtually at any time in recent history. For instance, Peebles doesn't mention the science fiction stories of the 1920s that "invented" spaceships and aliens or the ideas gleaned from Spiritualism in the latter half of the 19th century that led to certain beliefs. Thus, Peebles has either ignored or glossed over the importance of incubation. The seed of the idea that led to the "reality" of flying saucers has an extensive, intricate, and arguably, a highly subjective history. Certainly it is more complex than is contemplated in this work. It has been said that Peebles has unknowingly written a work on the contamination of ufology. More accurately, what Peebles has given us is a "Top 40" history of the modern UFO myth in America. Just as Billboard magazine charts the progress of the most popular, and therefore, the most talked-about songs, Peebles has documented the pop(ular) knowledge of ufology. George Earley is among those who have cried foul, stating that Watch the Skies! is "as skewed a picture of saucer history as has ever been painted." And yet this is the history of ufology for the majority of organizational and armchair ufologists alike. Peebles is openly scornful of the manner in which the ideas surrounding UFOs have been cultivated, and although this attitude is usually unwelcome in a work that purports to be a chronicle, he is right on target. Even more welcome are the chapters detailing the machinations of Major Donald Keyhoe and NICAP, in which Peebles, a la Tom Wolfe's journalistic style, seemingly enters the mind of Keyhoe during those critical early days of the modern myth. Most eye-opening is the crucial role of True editor Ken Purdy, who, if we are to accept this account, played a major part in defining the belief proffered by Keyhoe that flying saucers are interplanetary craft and that the government knows this and is covering up this knowledge. A subplot running throughout the book is how the cultural beliefs of the times reflect those of the ufological subculture. Although extensive analysis would undoubtedly find significant departures of congruence in this comparison, Peebles has noted something which cannot be taken lightly: that as the confidence in government has gradually deteriorated, the more that paranoid notions of government complicity regarding UFOs will become accepted as true. Forget about escalation of hypothesis; this is escalation of paradigm! Peebles has held up a mirror to the state of ufology and the picture revealed is a tortured image of a community too willing to believe in the fantastic and so conspiracy-minded that it can't look forward for always checking its collective backside for those who plot to suppress the truth. Peebles may have the distinction of providing ufology's "cod liver oil" book of the 90s. Though it is, perhaps, a bitter pill to swallow, Watch the Skies! is just the medicine to relieve the pressure of bloated egos and gaseous belief systems all too pervasive in ufology. Read this book and call your metaphysician in the morning.Ñ STRANGEmagazineWEB HOME STRANGEmagazineWEB