Civlilian Saucer Intellligence of New York - No 12

Magazine Overview

This document is a transcript of a public meeting held by the Civilian Saucer Intelligence of New York on March 30, 1956, at Adelphi Hall, NYC. The presentation, titled "NATURE AND ORIGIN OF UFOs: A SYNOPSIS OF POSSIBILITIES," was delivered by Ivan T. Sanderson.

Meeting Opening and Editorial Policy

The meeting was opened by A.D. Mebane, Secretary-Treasurer, who apologized for slow mail delivery affecting attendance announcements. Mebane shared an anecdote about the Long Island Press's disinterest in UFO sightings, attributing the lack of news coverage partly to editorial policy rather than a scarcity of sightings. Despite receiving numerous calls about strange objects, the editor referred them to Mitchel Field and dismissed the subject as a joke, even though he had personally seen an object he thought was related to Mitchel Field.

Introduction of Speaker

John Du Barry, a writer on aviation, introduced the evening's speaker, Ivan T. Sanderson. Du Barry highlighted Sanderson's extensive career as an exploring naturalist, collector of rare animals, and author of well-regarded books such as "Follow The Whale" and "Living Mammals Of The World."

Sanderson's Approach to "Borderline-of-Science" Material

Dr. Sanderson explained that since the age of sixteen, he has systematically collected "borderline-of-science" material. He noted that during World War II, despite losing most of his possessions in the London bombings, six tin trunks of his files survived. He argued that this collection demonstrates a fringe of unaccepted data that gradually becomes assimilated into accepted science over time, often due to the narrow-mindedness of orthodox specialists. He used the example of the coelacanth fish, which was known only as a 60-million-year-old fossil until a living specimen was caught in 1938. The discovery was initially dismissed by an eminent ichthyologist from the Smithsonian as "impossible," but ten years later, when another coelacanth appeared, the same scientist deemed it "expected."

Sanderson stated that UFOs are currently in a similar position to the coelacanth in 1938. He referenced Charles Fort, who died nearly twenty-five years prior, having collected thousands of reports of unidentified flying objects (OSF). Sanderson criticized scientists for dismissing UFO evidence with the unscientific word "impossible," arguing that this reveals their own mental limitations. He suggested that scientists could be better if they possessed the open-mindedness of science-fiction writers, as most important discoveries initially appear preposterous before becoming obvious.

Possible Origins and Habitats of UFOs

Sanderson then explored numerous possibilities for the nature and origin of UFOs:

Terrestrial Origins

He acknowledged that while only one U.S. state (Kentucky) was fully mapped, and wartime discoveries revealed errors in maps of familiar places like Corsica, it seemed improbable that a civilization capable of building spaceships could exist undiscovered on Earth's land surface. However, he considered the ocean bottoms, which are largely unexplored, as a potential hiding place for UFOs. He noted that for a spacecraft or space-navigating animal, water and dense atmosphere might not be significantly different. Sea captains have reported UFOs rising from and entering the ocean, suggesting it could be a refuge or home.

Subterranean Origins

Sanderson addressed the idea of UFOs originating from inside the Earth, dismissing the Shaver tales of cave-dwellers as fiction, based on his experience as a former secretary of the American Speleological Society. He noted that UFOs wouldn't necessarily need to use cavern passageways, as matter can pass through matter, citing poltergeist phenomena reported by Fort.

Extraterrestrial and Other Origins

Sanderson proposed that UFOs could be a form of animal life, possibly living in intergalactic space, as suggested by Fort. They might also be visitors from other space-time continua, though the concept is difficult to grasp. He suggested that UFOs or their occupants might inhabit stars, finding our sun not very hot, or even inhabit cold bodies like dead stars or "rogue bodies" wandering through galaxies. He also considered bodies within our solar system as potential habitats, including giant planets, miniature planets like Pluto and Mercury, airless asteroids, and tenuous comets. He even speculated that the Moon's unexplored side might contain burrows inhabited by UFOs. He emphasized that thoughts need not be limited to planetary surfaces.

Atmospheric and Gravitational Possibilities

UFOs might inhabit space near Earth or in the upper atmosphere. Sanderson questioned the assumption that the gravitic field falls off regularly with distance, suggesting the possibility of "gravitational inversions" where objects might float. He referenced Fort's accounts of icefalls, sometimes containing frozen frogs, suggesting that if ice and frogs can fall from the sky, other things might too. He countered the objection that large bodies would be visible by noting the concealing effect of atmospheric haze and the invisibility of planes close enough to be heard. Astronomers, he added, do see unknown bodies passing across the sun and moon but do not report them if unidentified.

UFO Characteristics and Potential Mechanisms

Sanderson highlighted three particularly striking characteristics of UFOs:

1. Gravity Neutralization: Their ability to overcome gravity.
2. Abrupt Accelerations: Angular turns, instantaneous reversals, sudden appearances, and disappearances.
3. Pulsing Behavior: Changes in color, luminosity, and even visibility.

He noted that these behaviors are seen in films and reported by the Air Force, which finds them perplexing. He suggested that overcoming gravity is facilitated by the atmosphere, allowing UFOs to float if they can reduce their density to that of the air, implying a reduction in mass or weight.

Teleportation and Power Sources

Referencing a Science Digest article on interstellar travel, Sanderson speculated that sudden appearances and disappearances might be related to "teleportation," possibly achieved by traveling at the speed of light. He cited the unexplained appearance of exotic animals, such as lynxes found in Scotland where they do not live, as manifestations of this phenomenon. He suggested that a power source capable of producing teleportation at will could explain the observed angular turns and instantaneous disappearances. A U.S. government contact confided to him that "the power source is what we really want to get our hands on."

Discussion and Examples of Suspended Animation

Following Sanderson's talk, a discussion period addressed audience questions. Regarding "suspended animation," Sanderson provided several examples:

• Tardigrades (Water Bears): These tiny animals can be dehydrated into dry shells, which, when rehydrated after years, revive unharmed.
• Threadworms: Dried palm seeds collected in 1778, when moistened in 1938, released live threadworms that had survived 160 years in a desiccated state.
• Crustacean Eggs: Some eggs can survive years without water, explaining the appearance of shrimp-like phyllopods after rain in dry lake beds.
• Freezing: Goldfish can be frozen solid in liquid air and revive upon warming.
• Hibernation/Aestivation: While not true suspended animation, he mentioned hibernation and the case of an Australian frog capable of aestivating in dried mud for twenty to thirty years.

Animal Senses and UFOs

Sanderson was asked if animals can see things invisible to humans. He confirmed this is true in many cases, citing:

• Owls: Can see infrared to find mice by their heat radiation.
• Moths: Females radiate infrared in specific pulse patterns detected by males' antennae over miles.
• Horseshoe Crabs: Perceive sky light polarization as a compass.
• Locusts: Use an unknown "altimeter."
• Electric Eels & Gymnarchus niloticus: Use electrical pulses and reflections for underwater radar.
• Rats and Mice: Communicate at ultrasonic frequencies.

He also recounted an experience in his animal house where all animals suddenly fell silent and tracked an invisible entity moving around the room, causing them alarm.

Personal Experiences and Investigations

Sanderson shared personal experiences with UFOs:

• Green Fireballs (WWII): While on anti-submarine duty in the Caribbean, he observed green lights. One near Nicaragua bounced and disappeared. Another landed on a road in Curaçao, was chased by British naval officers, was baseball-sized, and disappeared after a few minutes, leaving no residue. The U.S. Navy ordered such sightings not to be reported.

• Flatwoods Monster Investigation (1952): Sanderson investigated the incident near Sutton, West Virginia. He interviewed nearly 400 people and concluded that at least six meteor-like bodies, possibly spacecraft, had passed over. One reached Texas and exploded, another exploded over West Virginia, and a third crashed near Sutton. At the crash site, he found a peculiar white membranaceous substance. At Flatwoods, boys saw a luminous pear-shaped object descend. A party of seven approached a huge, pear-shaped, black, luminescent object pulsating between red and orange. A low mist spread around it. They were then distracted by a sinister-looking shape under a nearby tree: a round "face" in a dark hood with two eye-like headlights emitting brilliant bluish beams, described as similar to modern diving suits. This apparition, about ten feet tall, was evidently the saucer pilot. When the party fled, Gene Lemon inhaled some of the mist, which had a suffocating odor like "molten metal," and became very ill. A dog that entered the mist died. Sanderson suggested the poisonous vapor was produced by the saucer's disintegration due to atmospheric corrosion. A farmer observed the object dim, "melt down," and disappear within half an hour. Sanderson later found an enormous flattened area with three equally-spaced holes resembling "footprints of a gigantic carthorse."

Recurring Themes and Editorial Stance

The document reflects a strong interest in unexplained phenomena, particularly UFOs, and a critical stance towards the mainstream scientific community's skepticism. The editorial stance, as represented by Sanderson's presentation and the organization's existence, is one of open inquiry into subjects on the fringes of accepted science. Recurring themes include the potential for life and intelligence in unconventional forms and locations, the limitations of current scientific paradigms, and the importance of collecting and analyzing anomalous data. The use of analogies, such as the coelacanth, serves to illustrate how phenomena initially dismissed can eventually be integrated into scientific understanding. The document advocates for a broader, more imaginative approach to scientific investigation.