Awareness - 1987-88 - Vol 15 No 4

Magazine Overview

Title: AWARENESS
Subtitle: JOURNAL OF CONTACT INTERNATIONAL
Issue: 4
Volume: 15
Date: 1987-8

This issue of the AWARENESS journal, published by Contact (UK) Publication, is the final issue of Volume 15. The editorial highlights the organization's improved financial state thanks to donations and assistance from Data Research, ensuring continued publication. It emphasizes a commitment to publishing only factual information on Ufology, including scientific theories, 'cover-ups', and related phenomena, while inviting readers to challenge the editor if errors occur. The journal welcomes new writers and notes the strengthening of the Data Research team with the addition of Bill Foley and Stephen Poulter.

Contents

The issue features a range of articles and sections:

• Editorial: Discusses the financial status, publishing policy, and call for new writers.
• UFOs - Historical Sightings 1900-47: A data research catalog of historical UFO sightings.
• Cover-ups 1988: An article by G.E. Ambler discussing government cover-ups.
• CONTACT Members UFO Survey: Summarizes responses from members regarding their UFO sightings and theories.
• The Starborn: An article by M. Soper, including a questionnaire.
• UFO Reports - Data Research: Reports on UFO sightings.
• Reviews, Letters: Includes reader feedback and reviews.
• Investigators News: A report by S. Poulter.
• Advertisements: Includes advertising rates and contact information.

Editorial

The editorial, penned by 'THE EDITOR', expresses optimism for 1989 and announces the improved financial situation of CONTACT, enabling continued publication. It reaffirms the journal's policy of focusing on factual Ufology, open to scientific theories but wary of 'cultist' material. The editor calls for new writers and mentions the expansion of the Data Research team, with Stephen Poulter reorganizing the Investigator Network. The editorial also thanks members for their UFO survey responses, noting interesting theories and new sightings. A brief mention is made of the Raelian movement and their claims of alien contact.

UFOs - Historical Sightings 1900-47

This section, compiled by Data Research, presents a list of historical UFO sightings from 1900 to 1947. It notes that in the early 20th century, the increase in media and technology led to more reported sightings, moving away from the 'mass hysteria' element that developed after the Arnold and Roswell incidents. The list includes detailed dates, locations, and descriptions of various aerial phenomena, such as glowing objects, airships, sea wheels, luminous objects, and cigar-shaped craft.

Cover-ups 1988

Authored by G.E. Ambler, this article delves into the persistent question of whether governments, particularly the UK and USA, have covered up information regarding UFOs. It acknowledges that the British Ministry of Defence has monitored UFO reports for years and discusses the efforts of the House of Lords UFO Committee, established by Lord Clancarty, to obtain details from the Ministry. The article references Timothy Good's book 'Above Top Secret' and the investigation into RAF Rudloe Manor as a UFO monitoring site. It includes a letter from the Ministry of Defence (Secretariat Air Staff 2A) explaining their limited role, focusing only on potential threats to UK security, and suggesting rational explanations for sightings like satellite debris or meteorological balloons.

CONTACT Members UFO Survey

This section presents a summary of responses from a survey conducted among CONTACT members. The survey aimed to gather information on members' own UFO sightings and theories about their origins. The most popular answer regarding UFO origins was 'Extraterrestrial,' with 'inter-dimensional' and '4th dimensional' also receiving significant support. Respondents cited numerous reasons for believing in extraterrestrial origins, including reliable witnesses, radar detection, historical sightings predating flying machines, and the idea that governments keep this information secret to avoid public panic. The survey also touched upon the possibility of UFO crews avoiding direct contact due to fear of contamination or human panic.

The Starborn

Authored by M. Soper, this section introduces the concept of 'Star People' – individuals who feel different and believe they are here for a purpose. It includes a 'Starbirth Questionnaire' designed to help profile these individuals based on various physical, psychological, and experiential elements. The article notes that 37% of respondents in a study by Brad and Francis Steiger shared similar traits, including dreams of a crystal city or a sky with two moons, and slight physical abnormalities. This phenomenon is linked to UFOLOGY due to common archetypal symbology, suggesting that those who have seen UFOs may have encountered beings on some level.

Investigator Contributions and Sightings

Several sections feature contributions from investigators and reported sightings:

• Pierre Hervieux (France): Reports a silent, dark flying wing-shaped object observed in Le Havre in 1966, estimated to be 400 meters high and moving at 30 mph.
• Lawrence Joel Fenwick (Canada): Describes a silent, yellow-white cigar-shaped object seen in Toronto in 1977, moving at approximately 5 mph at an estimated height of 100 feet.
• Kevin Owen (UK): Reports a round silver metallic object seen in Shipston-on-Stour in 1980, which made a sharp 90° turn.
• Miss E. Forster (UK): Describes an oval-shaped object, dull grey, with a long orange/yellow exhaust, seen heading north.
• Rev. Donald Thomas (UK): Details an observation in 1971 of a 'dark round blob' with a turbulent vapour trail beneath an aircraft's vapour trail, which maintained its course independently.

Recurring Themes and Editorial Stance

The recurring themes in this issue include historical UFO sightings, the possibility of government cover-ups, the nature and origin of UFOs (extraterrestrial, interdimensional), and the psychological profiles of individuals who feel a connection to UFO phenomena ('Starborn'). The editorial stance is firmly rooted in presenting factual information and scientific theories, while remaining open to discussion and reader input. The journal aims to provide a platform for serious investigation into the UFO phenomenon, distinguishing itself from purely speculative or 'cultist' material.

Title: UFO BRIGANTIA
Publisher: Independent UFO Network (IUN)
Frequency: Bi-monthly
Content: 32 illustrated A4 pages in a stiff card cover, aimed at serious UFO researchers.
Focus: Features articles on all aspects of the UFO phenomenon, from cover-ups to earthlights, including controversial topics and challenges to accepted beliefs. It also contains archive cases, current investigations, book and magazine reviews, and is considered vital for ufology in the 1980s.

Mystery Fireballs Over Oxfordshire

The issue details a two-week investigation by Contact (U.K.) investigators near Oxford into sightings of "mystery fireballs" reported in the Bicester Advertiser on November 18th, 1988.

Initial Sighting

The first reported sighting was by an ex-RAF crash recovery person on November 14th, 1988, who described a "FIREBALL WITH A THIRTY FOOT TAIL OF FLAME. THE SIZE OF A SMALL AEROPLANE. SAW ORANGE AND WHITE FLAMES AROUND AN OBJECT. IT WAS ON A VERY SHALLOW APPROACH BUT WAS DEFINITELY TRAVELLING DOWNWARDS." This occurred on the A43 north of Kidlington at 1 a.m.

Further Witness Accounts

• Mr. Nicholas (Bicester): Confirmed the newspaper report. He was approached by an investigator.
• Mr. Churchill (Deddington, Oxon): Reported a similar "FIREBALL" on the same day at 6 p.m., describing it as an object emitting intense whiteness with streaks, like a huge firework. He had seen similar objects twice before: on November 13th at 5:25 a.m. (described as "Bright white or Phosphorous (with small objects behind)") and on October 30th, 1988, at 6 a.m. near Kidlington (described as phosphorous).

Official Responses

Thames Valley Police, Oxford Airport, Kidlington, and West Drayton, London, stated they had not received any reports of the phenomena.

Additional Witnesses

A letter to the Bicester paper resulted in two further witnesses coming forward to Mr. Mike Soper (Chairman of Contact (U.K.)) for interviews.

Sightings on November 21st

• Mrs Millar (Upper Heyford): Driving home on Monday, November 21st, around 5:20 p.m., she saw what she initially thought was a shooting star, but as it got nearer, it became much larger and brighter, described as "BRIGHT BLUE LIKE A BLOW TORCH WITH ORANGE ROUND IT AND WHAT LOOKED LIKE A TAIL."
• Mrs. C. Pegoraro and Gino (Baynards Green): Driving home on November 21st between 5:30 p.m. and 6:00 p.m., they saw "A VERY BRIGHT OBJECT COMING FROM THE SKY TOWARDS THE GROUND. IT DISAPPEARED SUDDENLY JUST BEFORE HITTING THE GROUND" with bright blue and orange colours.
• Mr. P. Ellis (Bicester): On November 21st at 5:00 p.m., he saw "A BRIGHT ORANGE LIGHT SHOT ACROSS THE SKY AND VANISHED."
• Three further witnesses: Two of whom wished to remain anonymous, also saw an object on November 21st at 5:15 p.m.

Police and Official Enquiries

Investigators spoke with the Duty Sergeant at Bicester Police Station. No reports were recorded by Bicester or Banbury Police. No unusual noises were reported. USAF Upper Heyford had not replied to a written enquiry, nor had Thames Valley Police at Kidlington (though they did publish the letter in their magazine).

Conclusion on Sightings

The article notes the difficulty in categorizing the sighted objects and states that "this as you know, is not unusual."

Review: 'INTRUDERS' by Budd Hopkins

This section reviews Budd Hopkins' book 'Intruders', focusing on the case of Kathie Davis.

The Kathie Davis Case

The review describes how Budd Hopkins encountered the case of Kathie Davis, which began with a UFO report about an unexplained patch of grass and mysterious events in her backyard in July 1983. The case evolved into a complex series of events, including hypnotic testimony suggesting artificial insemination and foetal removal, described as a traumatic experience.

Hypotheses and Explanations

Two main hypotheses are presented for such phenomena: visiting a parallel world or encountering something with complete control over the human mind. The reviewer, M. Soper, expresses caution in adopting either explanation.

The Problem of Evidence

Soper questions the hard evidence, noting that while there are accounts of dreams and experiences of friends, there is little physical and circumstantial evidence. He proposes a "hypothesis of necessary explanability," suggesting that when events defy physical explanation, the mind may generate mythic material to cloud the issue, creating "psychological noise."

Multilayered Phenomenon

The abduction phenomenon is described as having a "multilayer structure," akin to a dream involving real events and people, creating an "incomprehensible mixture."

Chronology of UFO Events (Kathie Davis Case)

• First week of July 1983: Initial sighting.
• Late winter 1977: Kathie remembered seeing a UFO.
• July 4th, 1975: A case in Kentucky came to light.

Nested Nature of Recalled Events

The review discusses how early experiences and events involving Kathie and her parents suggest a complex social or psychological experiment. It dismisses mass hypnosis as a logistical impossibility and suggests the "missing factor" might be the informational nature of the Universe.

The Encounter

The initial sighting is consistent with temporal and causal anomalies of UFO landings. A second account describes a glimpse of an encounter with a parallel universe, involving friendly beings, strange lights, and a non-standard vehicle. Only one visitor spoke, claiming to be a pop group leader.

Indianapolis Encounter

A second encounter in December 1977, in Indianapolis, involved hypnotically regressed details of a landing followed by a gynaecological examination.

Hopkins' Findings

The book reports 12 encounters of various kinds, suggesting some were usual UFO encounters, but more particularly, an experiment involving Kathie to bring foetuses to term. The experimenters' intentions are described as scientific and kind, despite the "hair-raising things" done. The disturbance to Kathie's life is noted, with the possibility that a different emotional nature might have led her to dismiss it as a dream.

Reviewer's Opinion

M. Soper believes the true encounter is with something whose causality works backwards, continuously failing to make sense.

Letters to the Editor

• Timothy Good: Responds to comments on his book "Above Top Secret," correcting a reference regarding UFO propulsion and citing William Steinman's book "UFO CRASH AT AZTEC" as the origin of a specific quote.

Investigators News

• Stephen Poulter (Investigation Co-ordinator): Welcomes new investigators to the U.K. team: Mr. Kevin John Campbell (Hull), Mr. Bill Foley (Bicester, Oxford), and Mr. David Clayton (Manchester). He thanks existing investigators for forwarding reports and encourages more involvement, emphasizing the voluntary nature of the organization and the importance of tracking down details of strange sightings.
• Data Research: The organization is working on the 1979 UFO Register and plans to produce the 1988 edition. They encourage members to send in UFO newsclippings.

Advertisements

The issue includes advertisements for:

• QUEST: The Journal of UFO Investigation, published by the Yorkshire UFO Society.
• UFON: UFO Spotters Guide.
• Lionel Beer: Offering UFO bestsellers like "ABOVE TOP SECRET" by Tim Good and "UPOS: 1947-1987" by Hilary Evans.
• UFO NEWSCLIPPING SERVICE: A regular service providing reports on UFOs, Bigfoot, and related topics.
• Excalibur Books: Offering UFO books, including imports and out-of-print titles.
• UFO & SPACE AGE PUBLICATIONS: A list of various UFO-related books, including titles on crash retrievals, photographs, abductions, and physical immortality.

Recurring Themes and Editorial Stance

The magazine, UFO Brigantia, positions itself as a platform for serious UFO research, unafraid to publish controversial articles and those that challenge accepted UFO beliefs. The Independent UFO Network (IUN), which publishes the journal, holds no particular viewpoint on the nature or origin of the UFO enigma, aiming instead to disseminate research and investigations to provide a broader overview and perspective. The issue highlights the ongoing nature of UFO investigations, the challenges in categorizing sightings, and the complex, often inexplicable, nature of reported phenomena, particularly in the context of abduction cases. The editorial stance appears to be one of open inquiry and data collection, encouraging active participation from its readership.