Deguforum - Issue 82 - 2014

Magazine Overview

DEGUFORUM, Issue No. 82, the Autumn 2014 edition of the 21st year, is published by the DEGUFO e.V. (German-speaking Society for UFO Research). It features a cover story on the 'Lakenheath Incident' from 1956, presented as a classic UFO sighting under scrutiny. The issue also includes a substantial section on new UFO sightings from the second quarter of 2014, an interview with prominent crop circle researcher Andreas Müller, and articles on abduction research and the DEGUFO archives.

Editorial and Organizational Updates

The editorial section, penned by Marius Kettmann, highlights a period of change and renewal within the UFO research community in Germany. It mentions the departure of Werner Walter from CENAP and a new leadership at MUFON-CES with Gerald Drape and Wolfgang Stelzig taking over. Illobrand von Ludwiger has founded a new association, the 'Interdisziplinäre Forschungsgruppe zur Analyse anomaler Phänomene' (IGAAP). Kettmann expresses hope for closer cooperation between DEGUFO, GEP, MUFON-CES, and IGAAP. The issue also details changes in the DEGUFO leadership following the general meeting on October 4, 2014, with Marius Kettmann as the new 1st Chairman, Christian Czech as 2nd Chairman, and Ingbert Jüdt as Treasurer and Secretary. Updates on the general meeting, including a report, minutes, and a discussion on member payment morale, are included.

Feature Articles

The Lakenheath Incident: A Classic UFO Sighting Under the Magnifying Glass

Roland M. Horn provides an in-depth investigation into the 1956 Lakenheath UFO incident in Great Britain, considered one of the most significant UFO cases of the 1950s. The article likely details witness accounts, radar data, and potential explanations.

Abduction Research - Part 9: The Manipulation of Reality

Jens Waldeck continues his series on abduction research, with this installment focusing on the manipulation of reality, a common theme in abduction experiences.

Interview: Andreas Müller

In an interview titled "Skepticism means critical but open-minded questioning to me," Marius Kettmann speaks with Andreas Müller, a well-known crop circle researcher and blogger for grenzwissenschaft-aktuell.de. Müller, born in 1976, discusses his background in communication design and his extensive research into crop circles since 1994. He founded the 'ICCA - The International Crop Circle Archive' and has authored books on the subject. The interview delves into his definition of skepticism, his research methodology, the connection between crop circles and UFO phenomena, and the challenges of reporting on anomalous subjects.

DEGUFO Archives and Publications

Several sections are dedicated to the DEGUFO Archives:

• UFO Sightings Reports for Q2 2014: Christian Czech summarizes and analyzes recent UFO sightings reported to DEGUFO.
• Book & More - The DEGUFO Archive: This recurring section highlights the preservation and archiving efforts of the DEGUFO. It includes reports on:
• The security copy of the Parapsychological Archive of GEgP, managed by Christian Wellmann.
• The UFO Archive of Austrian researcher Felix Maschek, now inherited by DEGUFO-Österreich.
• The rescue of the UFO Archive of Interkosmos, founded by Eduard Korbel.
• The release of further parts of the DEGUFO-Austria press archive.
• The introduction of a cloud storage solution for the DEGUFO online archive, enhancing data security and accessibility.
• Minutes of the DEGUFO General Meeting on 04.10.2014: The official record of the meeting, including the board election.
• Reader's Letter regarding the 'Djatlow Pass Incident' series: Roland M. Horn contributes a letter with a response from Marius Kettmann.

Sightings Reports (Sichtungen)

This extensive section details numerous UFO sighting reports from April to June 2014, collected and analyzed by Christian Czech. Each report includes the date, location, witness testimony, and Czech's assessment, often suggesting conventional explanations such as meteorites, aircraft, balloons, or atmospheric phenomena. Notable reports include:

• April 3, 2014, Zehlendorfer Moor: A bright streak, likely a bolide meteor.
• April 8, 2014, Neckarsteinach: A silent, triangular object with pulsating lights, possibly LED balloons.
• April 9, 2014, Reutlingen: A pulsating white light, moving slowly, possibly LED balloons.
• April 10, 2014, Frommern: A stationary point of light with changing colors, possibly atmospheric effects on Sirius.
• April 10, 2014, near Trier: A fast, silent object that stopped and accelerated, described as much smaller than an aircraft.
• April 10, 2014, Köln: A light from the Orion constellation with erratic movement, possibly a meteor.
• April 16, 2014, Berlin: A bright light moving west to east, identified as the ISS.
• April 16, 2014, Tübingen: A yellow-red object with serpentine movement, possibly a sky lantern.
• April 20, 2014, Hilgen: An object that split into three points, moving in a triangular formation.
• May 2014, Bad Reichenhall: A yellow light approaching a star and disappearing.
• May 4, 2014, Seelscheid: A loud, green, glowing object moving rapidly, possibly a helicopter.
• May 5, 2014, Kenzingen: Multiple small blue-green objects in diamond formation, silent.
• May 9, 2014, Berlin: A fast-moving object with winglets, silent, unlike conventional aircraft.
• May 9, 2014, Halle: A 'plasma UFO' with multiple colors, observed for an hour.
• May 16, 2014, Düsseldorf: A bright, pulsating red-orange light observed for 10-15 minutes.
• May 18/19, 2014, Nidderau: A large, black, silent object with no lights, moving at high speed.
• May 20, 2014, Harrislee: An object with red and blue pulsating lights and a searchlight beam.
• May 21, 2014, Radeberg: A yellow point moving rapidly, not matching flight radar data.
• May 25, 2014, Winzer: A disc-shaped object with red, yellow, and orange flickering, moving slowly.
• May 26, 2014, Pentling: A flickering star-like object changing position and altitude.
• June 18, 2014, Bonn: Two points of light appearing in the sky, changing brightness and position.
• June 19, 2014, Gummersbach: Two lights appearing and fading, moving slowly.
• June 21, 2014, Wuppertal: Two objects with blinking lights (white, red, blue) moving slowly.
• June 21, 2014, Winzer: A bright point that flashed twice, leaving a light trail.
• June 22, 2014, Göppingen: A triangular object ascending rapidly from a hover.
• June 25, 2014, Sindelfingen: Three objects in oval formations moving slowly.
• June 27, 2014, Koblenz: A 'star-like' object exhibiting complex movements at high altitude.
• June 6, 2014, Höchstadt: A golden object observed.

CE-II Case: A Close Encounter

One notable case, classified as CE-II (Close Encounter of the Second Kind), details an encounter involving a woman, her daughter, and their dog. The dog exhibited extreme fear and distress, indicating a significant interaction. The witness describes a large, round object with a bright central light and an orange-to-red ring, which moved silently over their house. Her daughter perceived it as a large black triangle with lights. The case is deemed problematic due to the interaction with the dog and the differing perspectives of the witnesses.

Recurring Themes and Editorial Stance

The magazine consistently promotes a critical yet open-minded approach to UFO research, emphasizing the importance of rigorous investigation and the preservation of data. The DEGUFO actively works to archive and make accessible UFO-related information, collaborating with other organizations. The editorial stance leans towards acknowledging the reality of unexplained phenomena while advocating for scientific methodology and data integrity. The recurring theme of skepticism is explored not as outright denial, but as a tool for critical analysis and open inquiry, as highlighted in the interview with Andreas Müller.

This issue of DEGUFO (Nr. 82, 2014) focuses on the DEGUFO members' meeting and conference held in Leverkusen on October 4, 2014. It provides a detailed recap of the event, including organizational updates, lectures, and discussions on UFO research.

DEGUFO Members' Meeting and Conference in Leverkusen

The issue begins with a report on the DEGUFO members' meeting and conference in Leverkusen on October 4, 2014. The event included a board election and an open session with three lectures. The morning session focused on organizational matters, including the election of Marius Kettmann as the new 1st Chairman and Christian Czech as the 2nd Chairman. Ingbert Jüdt was elected Treasurer, and Alexander Knörr will head the DEGUFO archive. The meeting also addressed the future direction of public relations and the DEGUFORUM publication.

Lectures and Presentations

Project 'Good UFO'

André Kramer presented the 'Good UFO' project, which aims to systematically investigate UFO cases with a clear methodology. This project is planned to expand to include 'Problematic UFOs' and seeks future collaboration with DEGUFO. The project's structured approach is seen as a step beyond mere case collection and archiving, with the potential to yield significant results.

John A. Keel's Theories

Roland M. Horn, author of "John A. Keel and the Stone of Wisdom," delivered a lecture on John A. Keel's theories. Keel's ideas, which diverge from mainstream UFO research, focus on the origins and mechanisms of the UFO phenomenon, including concepts like infrasound and its potential to induce panic and even death. Horn's book and lecture aim to make Keel's work more accessible to a German audience.

Myth-Building and the Djatlow Pass Incident

Marius Kettmann presented on the topic of myth-building, using the 1959 Dyatlov Pass incident as a case study. His lecture, building on a previous article series in DEGUFORUM, explored how disturbing events can become subject to decades of mythologizing. Kettmann emphasized the importance of critically examining facts, separating them from media narratives, and analyzing them based purely on source material to avoid falling into the traps of narrative embellishment. He also touched upon modern phenomena like 'sky trumpets' and the 'zombie' phenomenon surrounding the 2014 Ebola epidemic.

Key UFO Cases and Research

The Lakenheath-Bentwaters Incident (1956)

Roland M. Horn details the classic UFO sighting at Lakenheath and Bentwaters, England, on August 13, 1956. The incident involved multiple radar contacts and visual sightings of unidentified objects exhibiting extraordinary speeds and maneuvers. The case was investigated by Project Bluebook and later discussed in the Condon Report, which described it as 'the most puzzling and unusual... in the Radar-Visual files.' Despite various explanations, the incident remains largely unexplained, with researchers like Martin Laurence Shaw calling it 'the most impressive of its kind.' The article also touches on the controversy surrounding explanations offered by debunker Phil Klass and the accounts of pilots involved.

Review: 'UFOs - Phenomenon or Phantom Phenomenon?'

This section reviews the book "UFOs - Phänomen oder Phantomphänomen?" by André Kramer, Klaus Felsmann, and Natale Guido Cincinnati. The review praises the book for its systematic approach to analyzing unexplained UFO cases, particularly its focus on 'Good UFO' cases and its intention to move beyond mere archiving towards scientific evaluation. The authors' methodology, which includes qualitative content analysis and heuristic approaches, is highlighted. The book is recommended for its contribution to the field and its critical examination of the UFO phenomenon.

Interviews and Columns

Interview with Hans-Werner Peiniger

The upcoming issue will feature an interview with Hans-Werner Peiniger, a pioneer of German UFO research. The interview will cover his motivations, his assessment of the current UFO phenomenon, and his views on the future of UFO research, reflecting on 40 years of involvement in the field.

Reportage: The 'Law of Times'

This section discusses the work of UFO researcher Julio Plaza del Olmo, who has been studying the 'Law of Times' phenomenon. It references an article by Plaza del Olmo titled 'Modeling the Law of Times,' which will be presented in future DEGUFORUM issues. The article emphasizes that UFO research should aim to identify patterns and understand the underlying mechanisms, rather than solely collecting and archiving sightings.

Column: Abduction Research - Part 9: The Manipulation of Reality

Jens Waldeck's column delves into abduction research, contrasting scientific approaches to UFO sightings with the subjective nature of abduction experiences. He discusses the importance of phenomenological approaches and model-dependent realism in understanding these experiences. The column also explores the challenges of interviewing abductees and the concept of 'model-dependent realism' as proposed by Stephen Hawking. The author argues for a more integrated research approach that combines objective and subjective methods.

Column: The Interview: Understanding and Blending Out

This column provides guidance on conducting interviews, emphasizing empathy and a non-judgmental approach. It stresses the importance of understanding the interviewee's subjective reality and filtering out personal biases. The author also touches upon the concept of 'model-dependent realism' and how it applies to understanding different realities.

Column: The Interview: Reality Models

This part of the column discusses Stephen Hawking's concept of 'model-dependent realism,' which suggests that different scientific models can describe different realities. It highlights how physicists might defend their theories and the challenges of accepting new paradigms, referencing the example of Burkhard Heim's theory.

Column: The Interview: Blending Out

This section continues the discussion on interview techniques, advising researchers to focus on the interviewee's world and perspective, and to 'blend out' their own preconceptions. It suggests that this approach is crucial for understanding subjective experiences.

Column: The Interview: Interrogative Questions

This part of the column addresses the acceptance of new scientific theories, questioning why physicists might resist them. It suggests that factors like invested time, reputation, and the complexity of new theories can hinder their adoption.

Recurring Themes and Editorial Stance

The issue consistently emphasizes the need for rigorous, scientific approaches to UFO research, moving beyond mere data collection to pattern recognition and deeper analysis. There is a strong focus on collaboration between organizations like DEGUFO and GEP, and on making research accessible to a wider audience. The editorial stance promotes critical thinking, evidence-based analysis, and the exploration of various methodologies, including those that consider subjective experiences. The importance of historical context in understanding the evolution of UFO research is also a recurring theme.