AFU Newsletter - No 49 - 2005

Magazine Overview

The AFU Newsletter, Issue 49, dated June 2005, published by the Archives for UFO Research Foundation (AFU) in Norrköping, Sweden, focuses on recent acquisitions and new book releases related to UFO research. The ISSN is 0283-6378.

New Additions to the AFU Archives

The newsletter begins by detailing the steady stream of incoming materials to the AFU archives, noting the ongoing challenge of managing collections spread across multiple locations. The focus in recent years has been on expanding the book and magazine library, acquiring approximately 2,000 book titles since the year 2000 through donations, exchanges, and purchases. However, the archive plans to shift its focus for the coming years to other parts of the collection, including personal and organization files, UFO report files, audio and video tapes, and pictures, which require sorting and cataloguing into digital databases. These include about 10,000 Swedish and Danish UFO reports and at least 2,000 audio cassette tapes.

A significant donation came from librarian Sven Andersson of Falköping, who contributed about 200 books and several magazines, adding fifteen new titles and numerous duplicate copies to the library. Andersson is noted for his expertise in old, antiquarian books and literature, in addition to being a ufologist.

The archive also experienced two major incidents in June 2005, leading to the acquisition of unexpected new archival materials. Clas Svalın was contacted by Boris Jungkvist, a veteran Swedish ufologist and author of five UFO books, who wished to sell his decades-long collection. On June 9, Clas and AFU board member Håkan Blomqvist transported the collection from Jungkvist's home in southern Sweden to Norrköping. The material comprises approximately 550 books, 75 videos, 25 audio tapes, and about 20 folders of general material, including UFO reports, correspondence, article copies, organizational material, and book catalogues. The UFO reports have been sorted chronologically into pre-1980, 1980s, and 1990s folders, with an additional folder for persistent "UFO repeaters".

Boris Jungkvist is retiring from ufology, and his collection is now part of AFU. Jungkvist, who published five books between 1977 and 1992, previously chaired two Swedish UFO groups: UFO-Häggvik and UFO-Luftrumsbevakning. His interest in UFOs began at age 16 with a close encounter experienced with his father and elderly brother on August 18, 1949, near Lake Magelungen, south of Stockholm. They witnessed a silent, disc-shaped saucer with portholes that flew at about 75 meters altitude. The event caused water agitation and led to dragonflies and insects falling into the water, seemingly from the saucer's ejected force. This experience fueled his lifelong interest in UFOs, particularly the U.S. Air Force's handling of the subject, a central theme in his books. Jungkvist's pro-extraterrestrial hypothesis stance contrasted with UFO-Sweden's more neutral position.

Another retiree from ufology, a Swedish ex-"UFO journalist", has also contributed a collection of letters from John A. Keel, approximately 200 audio tapes (including materials for a potential book on Swedish UFO abductions), and over 1,000 transparencies and illustrations of Swedish UFO-USO experiencers. AFU acquired this material to preserve potentially important folkloric data, despite ideological and personal differences with the individual.

The newsletter emphasizes that paying for collections is not the usual practice, but was made possible in these cases by a small fund from a Swedish & international money collection in 2003-2004. This fund was also used to purchase, in cooperation with the French SCEAU organization, the archives of the disbanded SOS-OVNI organization owned by Perry Petrakis. AFU considers itself free to use this money for other important acquisitions.

Donations are preferred, with donors' instructions on material usage respected. Disagreements in the recent cases motivated monetary contributions to achieve the goal of saving important folkloric data. More details on recent acquisitions and donations can be found on the AFU webpage: www.afu.info.

Book Reviews

The Encyclopedic Sourcebook of UFO Religions

Edited by James R. Lewis and published by Prometheus Books in 2003, this book is reviewed by Anders Liljegren. The review notes a growing number of scholarly books on the religious, anthropological, and sociological aspects of the UFO phenomenon, following Lewis's earlier work, 'The God have Landed' (1995).

'The Encyclopedic Sourcebook' is described as a sequel, focusing on new religious movements founded after their leaders received extraterrestrial messages. It deliberately omits descriptions of famous UFO sightings and theories about the nature of UFOs, instead concentrating on the human factor: why people believe, and the positive and negative impacts of replacing traditional religion with saviours from outer space.

The 500-page anthology is divided into six sections. The first section provides an overview of religious interpretations of the UFO phenomenon and the origins of the flying saucer myth in the late 20th century. Section two covers UFO religions from the 1950s, such as The Aetherius Society and Unarius Academy of Science. Section three discusses movements founded in the 1970s, including The Raëlian Movement and Heaven's Gate. Section four examines more recent movements like Chan Tao and The Ground Crew. The fifth section focuses on general views of the extraterrestrial hypothesis, how contemporary religions might react to the discovery of intelligent extraterrestrial life, and the impact of meeting a cosmic intelligence.

The final section includes material from the movements themselves, offering a chance to hear from believers. Unlike 'The God have Landed', it lacks an extensive bibliography. The book is praised for its academic rigor and the expertise of its contributors, but is noted as being demanding, requiring awareness of anthropological, sociological, or religious scholarship, and can be repetitive.

UFO Religions

Edited by Christopher Partridge and published by Routledge in 2004, this anthology is reviewed by Stefan Isaksson. It is aimed at academics and explores UFO religions through sections on specific movements, elements within movements, and general analyses of religious interpretations of the UFO phenomenon. The European scene, particularly in Germany and Finland, is given particular interest.

The review highlights essays by Susan Palmer and Michael Rothstein on the Raëlians, Charles A. Ziegler's insights into the widespread belief in extraterrestrial intelligence, Robert Elwood's philosophical discussion on Contact, and Hilary Evans's essay. John A. Saliba's essay on Unarius is criticized as boring and redundant. The book is considered a "breath of fresh air" for its reasoning and scholarly analyses of new religious movements that use the UFO phenomenon in their ideologies. Its price is noted as over 1000 SEK.

Picturing Extraterrestrials - Alien Images in Modern Mass Culture

Written by John F. Moffitt and published by Prometheus Books in 2003, this book is reviewed by Stefan Isaksson. The book examines how the image of extraterrestrials (large heads, black eyes, thin bodies) has become widely known despite a lack of physical evidence, relying on tales and pseudoscientific literature.

Moffitt, an art historian, argues that the concept of the extraterrestrial is a modern manifestation of mankind's longing for the spiritual, the inconceivable, and the mystical. The book explores the origins and need for subjects like the occult, mysticism, mass hysteria, and divine iconography, linking them to the contemporary belief in extraterrestrial life. Moffitt concludes that these beliefs are largely imagination and wishful thinking, an ancient belief dressed in modern attire.

The review notes that Moffitt is a skeptic who uses the term "ufologist" somewhat derogatorily. He is described as ruthless in his criticism, calling contactees like Betty Andreasson "pathetic" and questioning the use of hypnosis for recovering memories. The book is praised for its entertaining and convincing presentation of the argument, making it a "must" read.

Recent and Upcoming Books

The newsletter lists several recent and upcoming books relevant to UFO research, including:

• "The convoluted universe, book two" by Dolores Cannon (2005)
• "Exempt from disclosure: the disturbing case about the UFO cover-up" by Robert M. Collins & Richard Doty (2005)
• "Das deutsche UFO-Phänomen. Ein Grenzgang an das anscheinend Unbegreifliche" by Ralf Ettl & Günther Höhler (2005)
• "Heavenly lights - the Fatima apparitions and the UFO phenomenon" by Joaquim Fernandez & Fina d'Armada (2005)
• "The Chillicothe UFO chronicles contact 2005" by Timothy L. Hammond (2005)
• "Les sectes ufologiques 1950-1980" by Cyril Le Tallec (2005)
• "UFO crash in Brazil" by Roger K. Leir (2005)
• "Vetenskapsteori för psykologi och samhällsvetenskap med relevans för parapsykologi, UFO-logi, bioplasmateori och jordstrålningsteori" by Johan Lindström (2002)
• "Raechel's eyes, volume 2: evidence of a covert alien humanization project" by Helen Littrell & Jean Bilodeaux (2004)
• "L'année du contact. D'autres intelligences sont-elles à l'oeuvre dans l'univers?" by Jean-Pierre Petit (2004)
• "50 anos de literatura ufolólogica en España" by Antonio González Pineiro (2005)
• "Body-snatchers in the desert. The horrible truth at the heart of the Roswell story" by Nick Redfern (2005)
• "Faded giant" by Robert Salas & James Klotz (2005)
• "UFOs exposed; the classic UFO photographs" by Robert Swiatek (2004)
• "Is E.T. here? No, politically but yes, scientifically and theologically" by Robert Trundle (2005)
• "Cracks in the great wall: the UFO phenomenon and traditional metaphysics" by Charles Upton (2004)
• "Spenninger, syntese og spiritualitet i norsk UFO-bevegelse, saerlig eksemplifisert i organisasjonen NETIs forestillingsunivers" by Jan Bertil Heilund (2005)

Recurring Themes and Editorial Stance

The AFU Newsletter consistently promotes serious, critical, and scientific discussion on UFO phenomena. It emphasizes the importance of archiving and preserving UFO-related materials, including personal accounts, reports, and literature. The editorial stance appears to favor a research-oriented approach, acknowledging the complexity and multifaceted nature of the UFO phenomenon, which includes religious, sociological, and psychological dimensions, as well as historical investigations into how the subject has been treated by official bodies and researchers. The newsletter also highlights the growing academic interest in UFO studies, as evidenced by the book reviews.