BUFORA Newsfile - No.23 - Sep 1994

Magazine Overview

Title: BUFORA UFO NEWSFILE
Issue: No. 23
Date: September 1994
Publisher: BUFORA
Price: £1.50

This issue of BUFORA UFO NEWSFILE delves into various aspects of UFO phenomena, extraterrestrial encounters, and related cultural discussions. It features a mix of news reports, personal accounts, and analytical articles, reflecting the ongoing interest in the subject matter.

European Union Funds UFO Research

A significant development reported is the European Union's plan to allocate £1 million of taxpayers' money for UFO research. The EC's Energy Commission has approved this funding, which is intended for the Toulouse Space Monitoring Centre in France. The goal is to enable scientists at the centre to collate all European sightings of UFOs. While some, like Labour MEP Norman West, express skepticism, UFO expert Jenny Randles views it as a potentially great idea, noting that Japan and America already have similar setups.

Hit Finances UFO Hobby

Singer Reg Presley, earning £1 million from the soundtrack of the film 'Four Weddings and a Funeral', plans to use his royalties to investigate crop circles. He believes that while many are hoaxes, 25% are not, and that airborne phenomena seen above them suggest a possible extraterrestrial origin. Presley, who has written a book on the subject, aims to film crop circles from the air, a costly endeavor.

Earthling Rescue Mission Launched

In Tauranga, New Zealand, retired man Harvey Cooke has formed a four-member support group for individuals who claim to have been abducted by aliens and returned to Earth, sometimes pregnant. Cooke, who has studied UFOs for nearly 40 years, believes these individuals need counseling and hypnotherapy to cope with the trauma. He estimates around 3000 New Zealanders have been 'kidnapped' by spacemen who, he suggests, wish to breed with Earthlings to create a hybrid race. He describes how aliens often take young women for short periods, impregnate them artificially, and then return them.

Mysterious Object Helping Scientists

A white glowing object seen at sunset over New Zealand was initially unidentified but later confirmed to be a stratospheric helium balloon launched from New Caledonia by the World Meteorological Organisation. The balloon, measuring 100m high and 30m wide, poses no threat to aircraft as it operates at an altitude of 24km, far above typical flight paths.

American Holidaymakers Seek Aliens in Highlands

Fourteen American tourists from the Triad Foundation, a UFO special interest group, are heading to the Scottish Highlands, specifically Kingussie, in search of aliens. They believe the remote areas are prime locations for close encounters and have placed adverts in local newspapers seeking contact with locals who have had extraterrestrial experiences.

Rendlesham Forest Mystery Continues

The 1980 UFO sightings near RAF Woodbridge in Suffolk remain a significant mystery. The event, which involved claims of a spaceship landing, has attracted worldwide interest, with a book by Brenda Butler and Dot Street about the sightings selling out. Witnesses, including Sarah Richardson who was 12 at the time, describe dramatic events including lights and a 'strange glowing object' that touched down in Rendlesham Forest. Traces of radiation were found in imprints on the ground.

UFO Hotline for Scarborough Area

Due to a spate of strange sightings, a UFO hotline has been established in the Scarborough area. Experts are investigating reports of weird white lights and mysterious objects hovering. John Inman, a paranormal investigator, is seeking to hear from anyone else who has had similar experiences.

Joe Callan's Close Encounter

Joe Callan of Corby filmed a flying saucer-shaped object hovering above his home for about five minutes. The video recording, which lasted over four minutes, is set to be shown on the LWT programme 'Schofields Quest'. Callan described the object as silver on top with bubbles, black and circular underneath, and making no noise. He stated he was a sceptic but believed humanity was not alone in the universe.

UFO Sightings in North Yorkshire

North Yorkshire is highlighted as a hotspot for UFO sightings, accounting for over half the national total in the past ten years. John Hunt, a postman from York, described seeing a lemon-coloured, onion-shaped object flying at high speed over his houseboat on the River Ouse with no noise. Other sightings in the region include yellow-orange flying saucers and mysterious lights.

The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly of Aliens in Sci-Fi

This article by Pat Kane explores how aliens in science fiction, from the 1950s to the 1990s, have embodied societal prejudices and political fears. It discusses how films like 'Invasion Of The Body Snatchers' and 'The Day The Earth Stood Still' reflected Cold War anxieties, while modern series like 'Babylon 5' continue to use aliens as allegories for contemporary political issues. The article also touches on the scientific search for extraterrestrial intelligence (SETI) and its funding challenges.

Research Centre Harvests Crop Circles

The Centre for Crop Circle Research is actively investigating crop formations and associated phenomena. The Dorset branch is appealing for help from the public, particularly pilots, to report any sightings. Experts are analyzing photographs of a mysterious circle found in Corfe Castle, and the center is hoping to capture further evidence on film.

UFO Fever Grips Yorkshire

North and East Yorkshire are experiencing a surge in UFO sightings, with over 20 reports in the year. UFO experts are investigating claims of alien abductions, including those from a York couple. A York postman reported seeing an onion-shaped object, and a student claimed to have seen a UFO hover over a field.

Memo ET: Don't Call Us, We'll Call You

Funding for NASA's SETI project, aimed at searching for radio signals from alien civilizations, has been cut by Congress. Despite astronomers detecting interesting signals, they were ruled out as transmissions from other worlds. Critics derided the project as a 'great Martian chase' and a waste of taxpayer dollars, while supporters defended its scientific merit.

Close Encounters of a Psychological Kind

This section reviews John Mack's book 'Abduction: Human Encounters with Aliens'. Mack, a Harvard professor, interviewed numerous individuals who claim to have been abducted by aliens. He suggests that these experiences are genuine and may involve an interspecies breeding program. The review notes Mack's use of hypnosis and his controversial theories, questioning whether his therapy might be creating fantasies.

Airship Theory Fails to Get Off the Ground in Rayleigh UFO Riddle

An incident in Rayleigh, Essex, involving a reported UFO sighting was initially attributed to a promotional airship. However, it was later revealed that the airship was grounded at the time of the sighting, leaving the mystery unresolved. This sighting is described as typical of those reported to UFO study groups.

Recurring Themes and Editorial Stance

The recurring themes in this issue are the ongoing investigation into UFO sightings and related phenomena, the cultural impact of alien narratives in media, and the scientific and psychological aspects of these encounters. The magazine appears to maintain an open, albeit sometimes skeptical, stance, presenting various accounts and expert opinions without definitively concluding on the nature of UFOs. There's a clear interest in both the physical evidence (crop circles, sightings) and the psychological impact on individuals (abductions).