APRO Bulletin - 1978 05 00 - Vol 26 No 11

Magazine Overview

This issue of The A.P.R.O. Bulletin, dated May 1978, is Volume 26, Number 11. It features a cover headline about a "SHIP'S CREW SEES UFO" and includes a guest editorial by Marilyn Ferguson, editor and publisher of BRAIN/MIND BULLETIN, discussing a new theory of consciousness proposed by neuroscientist Karl Pribram and physicist David Bohm.

Guest Editorial: A New Paradigm for Consciousness

Marilyn Ferguson's guest editorial, originally from the BRAIN/MIND Bulletin of July 4, 1977, introduces a groundbreaking theory by Karl Pribram and David Bohm that attempts to account for all transcendental and paranormal experiences. The theory posits that our brains construct 'concrete' reality by interpreting frequencies from another dimension, functioning as a hologram within a holographic universe. Altered states of consciousness are suggested to be a result of attunement to this invisible matrix, potentially explaining phenomena like precognition, psychokinesis, and healing. Ferguson highlights this as the 'emerging paradigm' that integrates science and spirit, a theory that marries biology and physics in an open system. She notes that Pribram, a brain researcher and friend of Alan Watts, and Bohm, a theoretical physicist and associate of Einstein, are the originators of this paradigm.

Marilyn Ferguson is further described as the editor and publisher of BRAIN/MIND BULLETIN, author of 'The Brain Revolution', and involved in environmental legislation and education. She is currently working on a book about the effects of the consciousness movement on society.

Practical Tip for Field Investigators

A short section details a method devised by Dan L. Lowenski, a Field Investigator, for creating reusable report forms. This involves enclosing a report form in a transparent plastic jacket, allowing for on-site writing with a marker and later transcription, saving time and reducing waste.

Ship's Crew Sees UFO

This article by Donald R. Todd recounts an incident on April 23, 1976, involving a U.S. Navy destroyer approximately 700 miles southwest of Bermuda. A 1st Lt. Hedison and lookouts observed an unidentified green light. Ship's radar and sonar detected no other vessels. The light, estimated at three miles, approached the ship, appearing to be on a collision course. The destroyer executed evasive maneuvers, with the object pacing it. The object then displayed a green glow, entered the water, and sank, leaving only a dim glow. The Captain ordered the incident to be dismissed and noted in the ship's log as a "Russian trawler."

UFO-Cycle Encounter

Written by Cliff Booth, this report details a sighting by Charles Coulter in November 1972 near Corrales, New Mexico. While riding his motorcycle, Coulter observed a bright light that maintained a relative position to him. As he turned, the object also turned. He later saw it again, appearing larger, and followed it. The object then turned 90 degrees and headed north, then east, stopping near the Santa Fe Highway. It then headed north again, placing it between the highway and the Sandia Mountains. Coulter followed it onto the East Mesa, where it hovered between an airport and the mountains. He approached to about 150 yards, noting a low-pitched hum and charged air. His motorcycle engine died, and his lights failed. A bright blue-white light beam extended from the object towards the ground, then towards him, causing him to feel paralyzed and saturated with light. The beam retracted, and the object changed to a white-orange color, displaying other lights on its underside before a panel closed over the beam's source. The object had a wedge shape with rounded, beveled surfaces. Coulter was concerned that no one else was aware of the UFO.

Object Falls in Bolivia

This report describes an incident on May 6, 1978, in Tarija, Bolivia, where hundreds witnessed a strange, elongated object, about four meters in diameter, crash into Cerro Taire. The impact produced a tremendous explosion heard widely. Engineers and customs personnel also reported the object's passage. The area was sealed off by the Bolivian government due to fears of radioactive elements, as had occurred with a Soviet satellite. The report also mentions UFO sightings in San Juan province, Argentina, where soldiers saw two groups of disc-shaped objects.

1977 CE I Case

Authored by A.J. Graziano, this section details two related sightings in Howard County, Maryland, in July 1977. On July 3rd, Mrs. Dorothy Moore and her children observed a round object with red and green lights spinning and slanting downward above the trees. No sound was heard. The object followed their car. On July 8th, Raymond Coates, a farm caretaker, saw a round silver object with green "windows" wobble around the area. He described it as a "spinning top" with no noise. The Moores later told Coates about their sighting, and he contacted investigators.

Family Has Repeat Sightings

This section presents a letter from a Nebraska woman detailing multiple UFO experiences her family has had over approximately 30 years. The first sighting was in June 1944, when her father saw a light explode in the sky with no sound, followed by a man in green fatigues. In 1953, she experienced a pulsating hum and saw a glow around the house. In the summer of 1960, her three sisters saw a blinding light that followed their car for miles before landing. In the spring of 1966, her children reported lights flying down at them, and she saw three large red lights zoom over a rise. She also recounts her husband's sighting in May 1978, where he saw a bright light that landed over a hill and later saw a light the size of Venus that they followed for 30 miles. Her step-daughter and her neighbor in Aurora, Nebraska, also reported seeing lights in the sky almost every night, including one that moved erratically in late December 1977.

Object Near Monument, Colorado

By B.V. Wilson, this report details a sighting by Sally Beck on April 17, 1978, in Monument, Colorado. She observed a strange orange light pulsating through red, orange, and blue. With the help of Robert Bartlett and his powerful binoculars, they clearly saw the object revolving and changing color, located about 10 degrees above the Rampart Range. After about ten minutes, it moved west and disappeared. Bartlett reported the sighting to the Air Force Academy and Air Defense Command. The next night, Bartlett reported seeing a similar moving light, flashing white with white streamers, which behaved differently from planes or helicopters, hovering and changing direction at high speed.

The TV Networks Have Done It Again

Ann Druffel critiques network television's handling of the UFO subject, focusing on Jack Webb's "Project UFO" series. She expresses initial hope that Webb's talent would bring accuracy to the subject but is disappointed by the show's portrayal. Druffel argues that the series, despite impressive special effects, devolved into "half-truth, innuendo, and mishmash." She criticizes the show for presenting "Blue Book boys" as heroes and the public as villains, explaining away sightings with "ball lightning" or "imaginary" labels, and attributing deaths to "mirages." Druffel contends that network TV is often used by the government to present "acceptable" social commentary and propaganda, and that "Project UFO" is part of a scheme to counteract UFO research advances by presenting UFOs as hoaxes and frauds. She cites historical examples of censorship, including the cutting off of Major Donald E. Keyhoe from "Armstrong Circle Theater."

Druffel further elaborates on the typical production of UFO documentaries, where inexperienced researchers are given information by ufologists and organizations, only for the material to be mangled by writers who avoid complexity and focus on simplistic hypotheses. She notes the networks' fascination with the "Von Daniken syndrome," which supports the extraterrestrial hypothesis. Druffel believes Jack Webb has been "taken in" and innocently made part of a network scheme. She hopes he will use his genius to back out of the series. The article also includes footnotes referencing a manuscript on network programming and a personal communication regarding Webb's work.

FBI UFO Information

This section, copyrighted by B. Maccabee, presents a 1949 FBI document concerning a sighting in West Virginia. The document is a letter to the OSI with a summary of the case. The pilot, flying a Luscombe 8A, reported seeing a bright yellow, rocket-shaped object with vertical and horizontal fins, no visible propulsion, and a needle-like nose. The object was about 15-18 inches long and 4 inches in diameter, traveling at high speed and low altitude. The pilot was flying at 240 degrees at 245 PM with good visibility. The object was sighted over a small town named Lubeck. The pilot's wife, who was in the plane, did not see the object. The pilot requested that the incident not be disclosed due to potential publicity.

Recurring Themes and Editorial Stance

This issue of The A.P.R.O. Bulletin consistently highlights the challenges and controversies surrounding UFO phenomena. Recurring themes include detailed eyewitness accounts of diverse UFO sightings, the scientific and theoretical implications of consciousness and reality, and a critical stance towards media coverage, particularly television's handling of UFOs. The publication champions the idea that UFOs are a serious subject worthy of investigation, often contrasting the official or media-generated narratives with the experiences of witnesses and researchers. There is a clear editorial stance that UFOs are not mere hoaxes or delusions but represent a complex phenomenon that is often misrepresented or suppressed. The magazine aims to educate its readers by presenting detailed case studies and critical analyses, encouraging an open-minded yet scientifically rigorous approach to the subject.