Ekstern - 1980 No 1

Magazine Overview

This issue of EKSTERN, number 1 from 1980, features a dramatic cover story about a Vietnam veteran's alleged encounter with a UFO. The headline proclaims: "Vietnam-veteran tatt av flygende tallerken" (Vietnam veteran taken by flying saucer).

The Moody Abduction Case

The main article details the extraordinary experience of Staff Sergeant Charles L. Moody, a decorated Vietnam veteran and an experienced aircraft technician in the U.S. Air Force. Moody, who was declared mentally stable by psychiatrists and worked in security services, recounts a terrifying encounter that occurred on August 13, 1975, near Alamogordo, New Mexico. He had driven out to a remote desert location to watch a meteor shower.

After waiting for about 40 minutes without seeing any meteors, Moody decided to drive home around 1:20 AM. At that point, a craft descended from the sky about 100 meters away. He described it as "corn-like in a flash." As it hovered 10 to 20 meters above the desert, it began to wobble and then glided towards him. Moody, initially terrified, tried to identify the object, stating his extensive experience with aircraft made him confident he could identify any American or foreign plane, but this was unlike anything he had ever seen.

He described the object as disc-shaped, glowing with a dull metallic gray color, approximately 15 meters wide and 7 meters high, with three spheres visible on its underside. Despite his combat training, Moody felt paralyzed by fear. He got into his car, fumbling with the ignition as his heart pounded.

The craft stopped less than 20 meters from his car. He then heard a "screeching voice" and saw a window in the craft. Through the window, he perceived shadowy figures. Suddenly, a strange light enveloped his car, and he felt a wave of weakness. This feeling passed, and he found himself sitting in the car, staring at the craft as it vanished, ascending rapidly and accelerating faster than a jet.

When he finally turned the key, the car started, and he drove home. It was only then, checking his watch, that he realized an hour and twenty minutes of time had passed unaccounted for.

Moody initially hesitated to report the incident, fearing ridicule, as he himself had previously dismissed UFO reports. However, the following day, images of the encounter began to surface in his mind, and he gradually recalled the events in detail.

He described being inside the car when it was enveloped in light, and two beings emerged from the craft, gliding towards him. They approached the car door, attempting to open it. Moody, despite his fear, managed to push the door open, causing one being to be pushed back. He then exited the car and struck one of the beings, which felt soft. The being fell backward, and then everything went black.

Moody awoke on a hard surface, finding a being examining him. He was unable to move. He described the being as having a cranium about one-third larger than a human's, no eyebrows, no hair, and large, dark, penetrating eyes. The ears, nose, and mouth were small, and the lips were very thin. The being was about 1.5 meters tall, appeared frail, and wore a white, form-fitting suit that covered everything except the head and hands. The face was grayish-white.

The being then spoke to him in perfect English with an American accent, asking, "Are you alright?" Moody replied yes. The being then touched him with a metallic rod, about 15 centimeters long and 1 centimeter thick, which immediately restored his muscle control and dispelled his fear.

The being, who Moody identified as a leader, helped him down from the table. Moody found himself in a circular, hygienic room, almost like an operating room. The floor was hard and metallic, and there were three arched doors. The air had a sickly sweet smell, like burnt sugar or molasses, and the lighting was indirect, making the walls appear to glow.

Curious about how the UFO flew, Moody asked to see its propulsion system. To his surprise, the leader agreed. They entered another room, which seemed larger on the inside than the exterior of the craft. In this room were three other beings. Two of them floated half a centimeter above the floor. The third being communicated with the leader, speaking in a voice that sounded like a mix of German and Chinese.

There were two pilot seats in the room, positioned in front of a panel with a lever. The leader instructed Moody to stand on a specific square meter on the floor. When he did, the craft began to descend, leading them to the room below. The upper parts of the three spheres seen on the underside of the UFO were visible in this room, protruding from the floor. These spheres were transparent and contained what looked like large diamonds or crystals, with rods extending from each side towards the crystals. When Moody asked how the system worked, the leader replied, "Don't try to understand it. If you just thought about it a little, you could develop this system yourselves."

The article notes that this incident occurred only 400 kilometers from the location where logger Travis Walton was abducted by a UFO a few months later.

Recurring Themes and Editorial Stance

This issue of EKSTERN appears to focus on detailed accounts of UFO encounters and alleged alien abductions, presenting them as credible events. The editorial stance seems to be one of serious investigation into unexplained phenomena, giving voice to witnesses like Charles Moody, whose testimony is presented with an emphasis on his reliability and the verification of his story through a lie detector test. The magazine aims to explore the mysteries of UFOs and their potential implications, as suggested by the inclusion of the Travis Walton case and the detailed description of alien technology and beings.