Common Ground - No 10

Magazine Overview

Title: COMMON GROUND
Issue: 10
Publisher: Kevin & Sue McClure
Country: England
Date: Not specified

This issue of Common Ground is dedicated to exploring the significance of the year 1947 in the emergence and definition of the UFO phenomenon. The editorial stance suggests that understanding why 1947 became the focal point could resolve the contradiction between overwhelming anecdotal evidence and a lack of hard, objective proof. The issue posits that while UFO reports existed prior to 1947, the modern mythos truly began that year, potentially driven by psychological explanations rather than extraterrestrial ones.

Contents and Key Articles

"The Selling of the Saucers" by Douglas Payne

This article examines Kenneth Arnold's UFO sighting report of June 24, 1947, as the catalyst for the modern UFO era. Payne highlights Arnold's credibility as a businessman, law enforcement officer, and experienced pilot, making his report unambiguous and plausible. The article emphasizes how the term 'flying saucer,' coined by the press, transformed inexplicable observations into a recognizable category, subtly implying artificial hardware and fostering a tone of ridicule that paradoxically made the phenomenon more accessible. The press's role in creating this catchphrase is seen as crucial for the mass appreciation of UFOs.

"The Events of 1947" by Peter Rogerson

Rogerson discusses the emergence of the UFO mythos in 1947, linking it to a wide range of peculiar experiences that became popularly associated with 'extraterrestrial visitation.' He suggests that factors such as popular hopes and fears about science, the international situation, wartime imagery, and fears of Soviet technology contributed to this. Rogerson explores the 'psycho-sociological' hypothesis, viewing the UFO wave as an experiential rumor rather than an actual invasion, and questions whether the increasing 'nearness' of UFOs reflects a deepening alienation from the environment. The article also touches upon the cultural context of the 1940s, where 'ETs' primarily equated with Martians from science fiction.

"A Sociological View" by Shirley McIver

McIver analyzes the origins of 'flying saucer' sightings through a sociological lens, referencing Neil Smelser's theory of collective behavior. Smelser's concept of 'structural strain,' particularly the anxieties surrounding nuclear war, is presented as a condition for ambiguity and misperception. The article discusses how the media, through repetition and sensationalism, helped focus these tensions and popularize the 'flying saucer' concept. It highlights the role of newspapers in whipping up public interest and sustaining it, though it questions whether the media also played a role in generating the UFO experience itself. The difficulty in separating UFO experiences from UFO reports is noted, with the focus being on why anomalous aerial phenomena are interpreted as UFOs.

"Psychic Parallelism in the Green Stone Affair" by Jenny Randles

Randles discusses the 'Green Stone' phenomenon, involving a group of researchers and psychics investigating claims made by the Sunderland family. She notes the involvement of Martin Keatman and Graham Phillips, and the publication of books like 'The Green Stone' and 'The Sword and the Stone.' Randles highlights the parallels between these events and the fictional works of Stephen Donaldson, particularly his 'Thomas Covenant' series. She proposes the concept of 'psychic parallelism,' where fiction and reality mirror each other, possibly influenced by a 'bow-wave' effect spreading through collective consciousness, or by the powerful fiction itself creating a sense of reality for those involved.

"John Grant reviews..." by John Grant

Grant reviews Jim Brandon's book 'The Rebirth of Pan: hidden faces of the American Earth Spirit.' Brandon's thesis posits that all paranormal manifestations are produced by an 'Earth Spirit' called Pan. Grant humorously critiques Brandon's ideas, including the notion that fossils are organisms transforming and that tornadoes are attracted to trailer parks due to 'orgone' build-up, drawing parallels to Wilhelm Reich's orgone theory and caravans.

"The 1947 Enigma" by Robert Morrell

Morrell argues that the rise of ufology in 1947, following the Arnold sighting and media coverage, was not entirely novel but rather a continuation of earlier studies of strange events. He suggests that 1947 marked a breakthrough in the popularization and application of certain ideas and terminology, rather than the absolute beginning of UFO reports. Morrell traces interest in enigmatic flying objects back through history, noting that past ages had their own styles of phenomena reflecting humanity's collective mystical consciousness, and that UFOs are a modern manifestation of this undercurrent.

"Why 1947? In 1,000 Words or Less" by Robert C. Girard

Girard frames the question 'Why 1947?' as a philosophical trick question, suggesting that definitive answers are elusive. He argues that ufologists often get caught in a paradox, making progress by unlearning logical premises like the Extraterrestrial Hypothesis. Girard posits that UFOs are a modern manifestation of phenomena that have always existed, with each age having its own style of manifestation corresponding to humanity's collective mystical quotient. He suggests that UFOs may already be yielding to the next wave of phenomena as material development quickens.

Recurring Themes and Editorial Stance

The central theme of this issue is the pivotal role of 1947 in the emergence of the modern UFO phenomenon. The magazine explores various explanations, leaning towards sociological and psychological interpretations over purely extraterrestrial ones. There is a strong emphasis on the influence of media, cultural conditioning, and collective consciousness in shaping the UFO narrative. The concept of 'psychic parallelism' is introduced as a potential framework for understanding the interplay between real events, fictional narratives, and the public's perception of anomalous phenomena. The editorial stance appears to favor a critical, analytical approach, questioning the literal interpretation of UFO events and exploring the cultural and psychological factors that contribute to their significance.

This is the final issue of the magazine "Common Ground," marking the end of its publication. The issue focuses heavily on the 1947 UFO wave, exploring its origins, the role of media, and potential explanations.

The 'Ghost Rockets' and the 'Flying Saucer' Wave

Nigel Watson's article, "Mind the UFOs!", posits that the fear of new technological developments, particularly German V1 flying bombs and V2 rockets, contributed to the 'ghost rocket' sightings in 1946. He suggests that the capture of these weapons and their creators by the Allies, leading to the 'space race,' fueled speculation about advanced rocket technology. While many 'ghost rocket' sightings were attributed to misidentifications, fireworks, or post-war hysteria, Watson notes that a few might have been genuinely unusual flying objects.

The 'ghost-rocket' wave is seen as a precursor to the 1947 UFO sightings that swept the world after Kenneth Arnold's famous sighting of 'flying saucers.' Watson explores how the labels used, such as 'ghost-rocket' (implying a Russian secret weapon) versus 'flying saucer' (more universal), influenced perception and explanatory frames.

He references early science fiction, such as Humphrey Repton's 1787 story "From a Private Madhouse" and Lucian of Samosata's ancient Greek tales, to illustrate a long-standing human fascination with space exploration and alien encounters. John Keel is mentioned for claiming that Raymond A. Palmer had already sensitized the American public to the idea of alien entities exploring our skies in saucer-shaped vehicles before 1947.

The Ufological Events of 1947: A Logical Pitfall

Hilary Evans, in "The World was Ready," addresses the 1947 UFO events, cautioning against simplistic explanations and the tendency to confuse cause with symptom. He highlights that the basic fact of a sudden media outbreak of reports about unidentified flying objects in mid-1947 is not in dispute, with an estimated "thousand sightings of unidentified objects probably occurred within the United States in midsummer 1947." The dispute lies in the interpretation of these events.

Evans outlines three main interpretive options:
1. The media accounts reflected an escalation of personal reports, which in turn reflected an escalation of anomalous events.
2. The media accounts reflected an escalation of personal reports not correlated with real events but caused by external social or cultural factors.
3. The media accounts were a self-generated escalation, inducing feedback from the public, creating a snowball effect.

He argues that the widespread reporting in the summer of 1947 led to the belief that a dormant phenomenon had suddenly awakened, fueling fears of an invasion. This was amplified by the recent end of World War II and the development of powerful new weapons, including rockets with nuclear warheads. The idea of extraterrestrial interest in Earth, perhaps from a colonial or anthropological perspective, was also considered. Fears about nuclear power led some to project these anxieties into space, imagining other worlds being alarmed by humanity's destructive capabilities.

The UFO Phenomenon as Media Event

Herbert Strentz's analysis of newspaper coverage of the flying saucer phenomenon indicates a rapid build-up, with Kenneth Arnold becoming an overnight world figure. The media played a crucial role in popularizing the term 'flying saucer,' providing a label for experiences that had previously lacked a name. This helped to create a unified frame of reference, linking secular and religious outlooks and serving as a symbol for a brave new world or the end of existence.

However, the article also discusses the 'ridicule lid' effect, where media coverage, especially from the press, often derided UFO sightings. This made it socially difficult for people to report their experiences, yet many continued to do so, affirming their personal convictions. The media's role in sensationalizing reports and distorting them for amusement is criticized, with the argument that it did more harm than good to serious scientific investigation.

The Making of a Myth

The article challenges the idea that the world suddenly discovered a socially acceptable 'authorised myth' in 1947. It points out that UFO reports existed long before Arnold's sighting, and people had been reporting similar phenomena for decades. The media's function was to popularize the term 'flying saucer' as a name for strange objects, but this also led to the mistaken belief that all reports referred to a single phenomenon. The article suggests that the psychosocial hypothesis, while having some validity, cannot fully explain the phenomenon without considering the pre-existing reports and the readiness of people to accept the idea of UFOs.

The author emphasizes that the 1947 wave was likely genuine, with many reports being as 'solid' as any reported since. Dismissing them as purely psychosocial artifacts would be irresponsible, mirroring the official mockery they faced at the time.

The 'Bedroom Invader' and the 'Old Hag'

David J. Hufford's research into folklore beliefs in Newfoundland revealed a common experience of alien visitations, often occurring in bedrooms at night. He termed this the 'Old Hag' phenomenon, or more generally, the 'Bedroom Invader.' This concept is used as an analogy for how UFOs in 1947 provided a new 'pigeonhole' for people to categorize their anomalous experiences, which had previously gone unreported due to a lack of a name or label.

Closing Remarks

The final section, "Closing Remarks," by the editor, announces the cessation of "Common Ground" due to increased personal time pressures, financial difficulties (a drop in paid subscriptions to 229, with a need for around 400-500 for cost-effective printing), and a suspicion that the magazine may have "outlived its usefulness" or that its approach is no longer relevant to paranormal research in the UK.

The editor expresses support for the idea of reviving the 'End Times Bulletin' to write history as it happens and comment on belief and social conditioning. He praises Hilary Evans's new book, "Visions - Apparitions - Alien Visitors," as a significant contribution to the field. The editor also mentions the ASSAP book series and the need for retrospective work on 'high strangeness' cases and the 'investigator effect.'

Recurring Themes and Editorial Stance

The magazine consistently explores the intersection of UFO phenomena with psychology, sociology, and media influence. There is a strong emphasis on critical analysis, questioning simplistic explanations, and distinguishing between genuine anomalous events and their cultural interpretation. The editorial stance appears to favor rigorous investigation while acknowledging the complex interplay of subjective experience and objective reality. The final issue reflects a sense of closure and a call for continued, careful research, even as the publication itself ends.