Magonia Supplement - No 06 - 1998 08

Magazine Overview

MAGONIA ETH Bulletin, Issue No. 6, dated August 1998, is edited by John Harney. The publication focuses on critical analysis of UFO phenomena, particularly examining witness testimony and the validity of explanations, with a skeptical stance towards the Extraterrestrial Hypothesis (ETH).

Editorial

The editorial addresses an article by Bruce Lanier Wright in the Fortean Times, refuting the assertion that UFO percipients are 'lying, mistaken or crazy'. The editor argues that it is the ufologists who apply an ETH spin to stories who are the 'crazy people', making the reports unlikely to be taken seriously. Wright's criticism of 'PSHers' favoring 'squishy language' and the 'Jesuitical' nature of the saucer debate is also mentioned, with the editor humorously hoping the Bulletin is not too 'squishy or Jesuitical' and is not written in French.

Multiple Witnesses and Unexplained Sightings

Evidence Wanted

The editor expresses disappointment with the lack of convincing evidence submitted by proponents of the ETH for their unexplained UFO reports. The reluctance to subject reports to detailed scrutiny is seen as a way to avoid revealing flaws that could lead to non-ETH explanations. While acknowledging that not all cases are easily explained, the editor notes that even ETH proponents disagree on which reports are genuine.

Migraine

Following a suggestion in the previous issue that migraine auras might explain some close-encounter UFO reports, the editor notes a strong reaction from Mark Cashman, who denounced it as unscientific. The editor clarifies that it was merely an essay drawing attention to similarities between migraine symptoms and witness descriptions, intended to attract attention from medically qualified readers.

Multiple Witnesses

Cashman's objection that similar reports involve multiple witnesses, physical trace effects, and photographs, which cannot be explained by migraines, is discussed. The editor posits that if truly convincing cases with multiple independent witnesses existed, the ETH would need to be taken more seriously. However, the issue questions the validity of many so-called multiple-witness cases, suggesting that often only one witness claims others were present, but these others cannot be traced.

#### Monza Case (8 November 1954)

This case involved a man seeing a light in a stadium, leading to a crowd of 150 people witnessing a disc-shaped object with three legs, emitting white light. Figures in light colours and transparent helmets were seen communicating with 'guttural sounds'. The craft flew away silently. The editor questions why this case, with 150 witnesses, is not a major UFO classic, wondering about the reality of the witnesses and the object.

#### Aliens at the Bus Stop (21 November 1968)

This case from Brazil involves a young woman on a bus who saw a shining metallic object near a rural stop. She told her story to Willi Wirz of the Brazil Herald and Nigel Rimes of Flying Saucer Review. The object was described as car-sized, hovering, with flashing lights and a door. Three tall men in skin-tight black clothes emerged; one sprayed the policemen and bystanders with a silver-coloured beam, paralyzing them. Wirz and Rimes showed the witness pictures of saucers and linked it to an earlier Brazilian report. Notably, they failed to ask the bus driver or other passengers about the incident and did not trace other witnesses. Rimes suggested military clampdown without evidence.

#### Levelland Case (2 November 1957)

This case, highlighted by Mark Cashman, involved sightings of a bright object that allegedly caused temporary failure of electrical systems on motor vehicles. Dr. J. Allen Hynek noted the sightings began shortly after Sputnik II's launch, suggesting witnesses couldn't have heard the news so soon. Captain Gregory of Project Blue Book initially attributed it to ball lightning due to reported thunderstorms, but later discovered the weather was overcast and misty, ruling out astronomical explanations or ball lightning as a simple substitution for a mystery.

Numerous similar reports were made to the local police, with 15 phone calls logged, all appearing to be independent.

#### Holloman Air Force Base (September 1956)

Mark Cashman noted that the Levelland reports did not lead to a series of similar accounts, as would be expected if psychosocial theories were true. The issue then discusses another case connected with Holloman Air Force Base. Shortly before 8 a.m. one morning, a domed, disk-shaped UFO landed twelve miles west of the base. Radios and ignition systems of nearby cars died, and traffic backed up as witnesses, including two air force colonels, two sergeants, and base employees, observed the craft for over ten minutes before it took off with a 'whirring sound'. Base employees were reportedly sworn to secrecy. The editor questions who revealed the story if secrecy was enforced.

#### Stokes Sighting (4 November 1957)

James Stokes, an electronics engineer at Holloman Air Force Base, reported seeing an oval object coming towards the highway. His car's radio and engine faltered and stopped. He felt heat, and his wrists and face became itchy, with his face appearing sunburned. The Air Force initially cooperated with media requests but later attempted to discredit the sighting, labeling it an 'exaggeration or misunderstanding' and a hoax, possibly suggested by the Levelland reports. Other witnesses were never traced.

#### Interesting if True (23 November 1957)

Extracted from Blue Book files by Hynek, this case involves a US Air Force Lieutenant whose car engine suddenly stopped between Tonopah and Las Vegas, Nevada. He heard a high-pitched whining noise and saw four disc-shaped objects on the ground, about 300-400 yards from the highway. He approached within 50 feet, describing them as identical, about 50 feet in diameter, and glowing brightly, equipped with domes and landing gear. The noise intensified as he approached, and the objects took off. A memo in the Blue Book file suggested the Air Force would suffer 'incalculable' embarrassment if the officer allied himself with 'flying saucer' writers, and the case was dismissed as probable 'road hypnosis'.

Car-Stopping Puzzle

This section discusses the challenge of explaining how UFOs might temporarily render car electrical systems inoperative. Tests showed powerful magnetic fields had little effect, and ionization of the air was ruled out as it would cause short circuits. The Condon Report noted that these incidents are puzzling, as cars invariably operate normally afterward with no permanent damage.

Conclusions

The issue concludes that if cases involving luminous phenomena and temporary car electrical system failure are accepted, an explanation is needed. Attributing them to ETH simply means they are demonstrations of alien technology, avoiding the difficult task of finding a true explanation. Cases like Levelland are presented as difficult to dismiss as delusion or misperception.

Spy Balloons

Files released from the Public Record Office reveal a US Air Force project to send spy balloons over Russia. Launched from Scotland, Germany, and Turkey, these balloons were equipped with cameras and intended for recovery from the Pacific. The project, which began in 1955 and was abandoned in March 1956 due to low recovery rates, used the cover story of meteorological research. The balloons reportedly caused a spate of UFO sightings in Scotland and Germany.

Recurring Themes and Editorial Stance

The Bulletin consistently adopts a critical and skeptical stance towards conventional ufology, particularly the ETH. It emphasizes the need for rigorous evidence and scrutinizes witness testimony, especially in cases involving multiple witnesses, highlighting the common issue of untraceable or uncorroborated accounts. The publication appears to favor explanations that are grounded in known phenomena or psychological factors, while acknowledging the existence of genuinely puzzling cases that resist easy explanation. The editorial stance is one of cautious inquiry, seeking to debunk unsubstantiated claims while remaining open to the possibility of genuine unexplained phenomena, but demanding robust evidence.