ACUFOS Journal vol 4 no 2

Magazine Overview

This issue of The Journal of the Australian Centre for UFO Studies, dated March/April 1983, is Volume 4, Number 2. It is published by the Australian Centre for UFO Studies (ACUFOS) and has a subscription price of $10 Australian Currency annually. The editorial office is located at P.O. Box 229, Prospect, S.A. 5082, Australia. The publication states that no part may be reproduced without prior written consent from ACUFOS, except by UFO organizations, and that articles do not necessarily reflect the views of ACUFOS.

Table of Contents

The issue features an editorial by Frank Gillespie, an article titled "The Psychology of Close Encounters (Conclusion)" by Mark Moravec, "More on Internal Intelligence Theories versus the ETH: the ETH Strikes Back (Part 1.)" by John Prytz, the ACUFOS Bibliography Service, and an addition to the ACUFOS Document Range.

Editorial: Cases of Mistaken Identity

In his editorial, Frank Gillespie addresses the puzzle of unidentified UFO reports. He notes that the proportion of events remaining unidentified after investigation is small and constant across different organizations. He suggests that the large, irregular fluctuations in sightings of planets, satellites, meteors, balloons, aircraft, and swamp gas indicate that most of these identifications are erroneous. Gillespie posits that either UFO witnesses are more capable than believed in differentiating objects, or that psychological factors ('all in the mind') are at play, leading to a greater puzzle. He argues that if most 'identifieds' are actually misidentifications, it significantly increases the volume of 'relevant' UFO data for statistical analysis, and that only 'definite' identifications can be excluded from the sample for now.

The Psychology of Close Encounters (Conclusion) by Mark Moravec

Mark Moravec's article explores how UFOs and other anomalous phenomena might be explained by psychological processes and altered states of consciousness (ASCs). He presents seven case examples that share similar features, regardless of their traditional interpretation:

1. A computer scientist's experience of being 'vacuumed' into a pyramid-topped saucer, experiencing relativistic speeds, and encountering an 'unreal' entity.
2. A vision of a figure named Elsie appearing in a bluish-white light, causing a feeling of paralysis and wonder.
3. An experience of being bathed in a powerful beam of light, feeling powerless, and sensing an intelligence searching one's mind.
4. A woman's account of being strapped to a table inside an object and undergoing a physical examination by an entity.
5. An experience of being in a tunnel with a bright light, being pulled away from death by an arm, and then finding oneself on a table.
6. An intense experience of a white light of absolute purity and cleanness, associated with feelings of awe and sacredness.
7. An experience of a silver glow shaping into a circle, moving through a tunnel, and experiencing a cessation of time and motion.

Moravec identifies these accounts as originating from various sources, including hypnotic regression, lucid dreams, out-of-body experiences, near-death experiences, LSD-induced hallucinations, and mystical experiences. He highlights recurring imagery such as intense white light, paralysis, tunnel movement, and encounters with non-human entities. He notes that correlations between UFO abduction experiences and other phenomena have been summarized by Lawson (1980). Moravec emphasizes the need for scientific, tightly-controlled comparisons of these experiences, using blind methods to evaluate similarities statistically. He concludes that common patterns in anomalous phenomena suggest that many experiences, beyond UFOs, may be explicable within the ASC framework, involving similar imagery arising from altered states of consciousness.

More on Internal Intelligence Theories versus the ETH: the ETH Strikes Back (Part 1.) by John Prytz

John Prytz responds to Keith Basterfield's paper, which argued that Internal Intelligence Theories (IIT) could explain a larger portion of UFO phenomena than the Extra-Terrestrial Hypothesis (ETH). Basterfield suggested that roughly 90% of UFO sightings are explainable as natural phenomena, and of the remaining 10%, about nine percent are due to imagery and the like, leaving only one percent for which science will eventually explain.

Prytz contests Basterfield's assertion that IIT explains the 'hard-core' UFO residue better than ETH. He argues that Basterfield himself provides rational rebuttals to his own criticisms of ETH, making it counter-productive to then dismiss ETH. Prytz aims to fill in the gaps and bolster the pro-ETH side.

Prytz addresses Basterfield's seven objections to the ETH:

1. Lack of face-to-face, official contact: Prytz suggests a scientific survey motive rather than diplomatic contact and notes that alien motives are speculative.
2. Time and distance making interstellar travel improbable: Prytz adds the concepts of artificial intelligence, robots, and alternative biochemistries as ways aliens might overcome these barriers.
3. Embarrassment of riches (too many UFOs): Prytz argues this is anthropomorphic chauvinism and that what seems like 'too many' UFOs to humans might be insignificant to advanced aliens.
4. Variety of UFOs: Prytz attributes variety to witness perspective, the state of mind of observers, and the natural diversity of alien technology.
5. Ufonauts are almost always humanoid: Prytz counters that intelligent creatures might require humanoid traits like binocular vision and stereoscopic hearing.
6. UFO behavior and performance violate known laws of physics: Prytz points out that today's technology would seem miraculous compared to 100 years ago, and alien technology could be vastly more advanced.
7. Lack of crashed UFOs: Prytz argues that geographical factors limit discovery sites, advanced technology might include self-destruct devices, and that lack of evidence is not evidence of lack.

Prytz criticizes Basterfield's claim that IIT has no problems. He argues that for every 'objection' Basterfield raised to ETH, there are logical explanations. He suggests that if ETH objections have valid explanations, it's not sufficient to dismiss ETH. Prytz proposes that pro-IIT persons should identify a UFO phenomenon aspect that ETH cannot account for, which cannot be explained away by 'fudging'.

Prytz then considers Occam's Razor, stating that IIT makes fewer assumptions and requires less 'fudging', thus favoring IIT. However, he also argues that ETH is favored by Occam's Razor because he can provide problems with IIT for which no solutions exist. He concludes that Mother Nature might have surprises for both factions.

Prytz critiques Basterfield's explanation for the lack of contact and the time/distance problem under IIT. He quotes Frank Gillespie, who questions why the occurrence rate of UFOs should vary so greatly over time if they are always present.

Recurring Themes and Editorial Stance

The recurring themes in this issue revolve around the psychological interpretation of anomalous experiences, the debate between psychological explanations (Internal Intelligence Theories) and extraterrestrial origins (Extra-Terrestrial Hypothesis) for UFO phenomena, and the analysis of UFO sighting data. The editorial stance, particularly from Frank Gillespie, leans towards caution regarding the interpretation of UFO reports, emphasizing the prevalence of mistaken identity and the need for rigorous investigation. John Prytz, while engaging with Basterfield's arguments, ultimately defends the ETH by providing counter-arguments and questioning the completeness of IIT's explanations.

This document is part of the ACUFOS Bibliography Service, specifically "Part One" of a series on "Mysteries of the Air & Sea." It is compiled by John Prytz and appears to be issue number 16, dated September 1982.

Content Analysis

The core of this issue is a comprehensive bibliography, presented across several pages, covering a wide range of topics related to unexplained phenomena. The bibliography is divided into several sections:

Mysteries of the Air & Sea (General Monographs) This section lists numerous books published between 1926 and 1980 that deal with various mysteries of the sea and air. Authors like R.L. Brown, E.R. Snow, and V.H. Gaddis are prominently featured, with titles such as "Great Mysteries of the Air," "Phantoms, Legends, Customs and Superstitions of the Sea," and "Invisible Horizons: True Mysteries of the Sea."

General Book Extracts and Journal Articles Further entries delve into specific topics like "Disappearances at sea," "Vanishings," "Phantom ships," "Damned ships," and "ghost ships." Journal articles from publications like "Popular Mechanics," "Science News," and "Saga" are also cited.

Exobiology and Extraterrestrial Intelligence (ETI) A significant portion of the bibliography is dedicated to exobiology and the search for extraterrestrial intelligence. This includes books and reviews on topics such as "Contact With the Stars," "Comets and the Origin of Life," and "Life in the Universe." Notably, it features articles like "Not so lonely?" and "We are alone in our galaxy."

Space Colonization and Astro-Archaeology Entries also touch upon space colonization, with articles on "In search of new worlds" and "Future cities of the sun," as well as astro-archaeology, including "Ooparts" and "Dragon Project and the talking stones."

Tunguska, Siberia Explosion (1908) This event is covered with a reference to an analysis of its physical, chemical, optical, and historical impacts.

UFOs This is a major focus, with extensive listings of monographs, book reviews, and journal articles. Titles include "Strangers in our Skies," "Project Identification: The First Scientific Field Study of UFO Phenomena," and "UFO Verdict: Examining the Evidence." Reviews of these books are also included, with some critical perspectives on the "UFO Verdict" publication.

Monsters This section covers topics like "Bigfoot Casebook," "Searching for Hidden Animals," and journal articles discussing "Bigfoot fraud" and attitudes toward reports of Bigfoot and Nessie.

Artificial Intelligence Finally, there are entries on "Mind machines," "Machine Intelligence and Related Topics," and "Robot marriage."

Discussion and Critique

Interspersed with the bibliography are critical discussions, particularly concerning theories about the origin of UFOs. The author analyzes and critiques a theory proposed by someone named "Keith," referred to as the "Internal Imagination Theory" (IIT). This theory suggests that UFO reports are generated by the human imagination, influenced by public interest in extraterrestrial life. The author argues that this theory is inconsistent, pointing out that historical correlations between public interest and UFO sightings do not align with IIT's predictions (e.g., peak UFO years not coinciding with periods of high public interest in ETI). The author also questions how IIT explains the variety of UFO shapes and the humanoid nature of reported entities, suggesting that the theory struggles to account for these aspects.

The author contrasts IIT with the Extraterrestrial Hypothesis (ETH), arguing that the evidence presented leans more towards ETH. The critique highlights perceived contradictions in Keith's arguments, particularly regarding the scope of human imagination in generating both alien spacecraft and alien beings.

Recurring Themes and Editorial Stance

The recurring themes are mysteries of the air and sea, ufology, exobiology, and the nature of human imagination in relation to these phenomena. The editorial stance, as expressed through the critique of Keith's IIT, appears to favor more conventional explanations or at least a more rigorous scientific approach to UFO phenomena, questioning theories that rely solely on psychological or imaginative origins without sufficient empirical support. The bibliography itself suggests a broad interest in unexplained phenomena across various domains.