Magonia Supplement - No 39 - 2002 07 01

Magazine Overview

MAGONIA Supplement No. 39, published on July 1, 2002, is a magazine focused on ufology and related phenomena, featuring reviews, an editorial, and reader correspondence. The issue's cover headline poses the question: "Should these pre-saucer era aliens be rescued from the pit of forgetfulness?", indicating a focus on historical and speculative aspects of alien encounters.

Review of 'Star Guests' by Pelley

Martin S. Kottmeyer reviews 'Star Guests,' a work derived from automatic writing in the late 1920s by Pelley, with later commentary. The book, part of a larger 'Soulcraft project' exceeding a million words, does not mention flying saucers or UFOs. Kottmeyer describes it as a channeling project aiming to make religious thought palatable to modern sensibilities, with Pelley's muse adopting a King James-like style. The book posits that souls from Sirius migrated to Earth millions of years ago, and a catastrophic event led to biological anomalies and hybrid monsters, ending with a 'Purification' like a Great Flood. While Kottmeyer finds the concept of an 'angel-ape hybrid' saved and gendered to breed true somewhat clever, he deems the rest of the book uninteresting and repetitive. He criticizes Pelley's muse for claiming to be able to destroy the world but choosing not to, and for its 'godlike and God-given' revelations, which Kottmeyer interprets as 'delusions of grandeur.' The review also notes Pelley's contradictory stance on 'enemies' and 'beasts' versus those who shun Him, and criticizes the work for its 'viscous goo, a little sweet and slick. Style - but no substance.' Kottmeyer suggests Pelley's ideas may have influenced later writers like George Hunt Williamson but notes the difficulty in tracing direct influence in the vast field of occult literature.

Literary Criticism: Book Reviews

'To Seek Out New Life: The Biology of Star Trek' by Athena Andreadis

Kottmeyer reviews this book as a 'curmudgeonly dissection' of Star Trek from a scientific perspective, critiquing its premises in biology, linguistics, and anthropology. Andreadis is praised for her sharp analysis of the show's scientific impossibilities and ethical inconsistencies, with her discussion of the Prime Directive being particularly noted. The review recommends the book, suggesting even ufologists can learn from it.

'The Undiscovered Mind: How the Human Brain Defies Replication, Medication, and Explanation' by John Horgan

This review describes Horgan's book as a progress report on understanding the human brain, highlighting the lack of significant advancements in replicating common sense or effectively modifying the brain with drugs. It notes that placebos and talking cures have ambiguous results, and faith healing may be as effective as scientifically rooted therapies. The review points out that claims about genetic explanations for human behavior are often exaggerated, with only specific neurological disorders having a clear genetic basis. Evolutionary psychology is also criticized for being speculative.

'Religion Explained: The Evolutionary Origins of Religious Thought' by Pascal Boyer

Kottmeyer finds Boyer's book a challenging but valuable attempt to provide an evolutionary explanation for religion, using anthropological studies and cognitive psychology. Boyer's framework suggests religion is a by-product of specialized cognitive modules evolved for survival, rather than a direct interaction with supernatural beings. The review notes the complexity of Boyer's thesis, comparing it to understanding Fermat's Last Theorem, and suggests it might be useful for critiquing 'techno-spirituality' in cults.

Video Reviews

'Bringing UFOs Down to Earth' - The New Explorers, A & E Home Video, 1998

This documentary is presented as a rare effort to explore a skeptical viewpoint on UFOs, featuring Phil Klass and James McGaha. While not sophisticated, it offers a basic course on UFO debunking. A notable segment investigates a recurring UFO sighting in the Brazilian rainforest, revealing that local reports are influenced by Brazilian news programs showing UFO symbols.

'UFO Cults' - The Unexplained, A & E Home Video

This video covers the Heaven's Gate cult, detailing its origins, the leaders Marshall Applewhite and Bonnie Nettles, and the mass suicide. It also discusses their End-Time concerns and financial improvements. The review also briefly mentions the Unarius group, who predicted spaceship landings, and the beliefs of Rev. Milton Nothdurft concerning Biblical UFOs and the Star of Bethlehem. The review concludes that cults are experiencing 'oneness with the universe.'

"Struck by Lightning", The Unexplained, A & E Home Video

This documentary explores the phenomenon of people experiencing mystical bliss after being struck by lightning, often accompanied by neurological disorders. The review questions whether this phenomenon is related to tectonic lights generating mystical states in UFO experiencers, as proposed by Persinger, by noting the absence of similar neurological horrors in UFO experiencers. The tone of the documentary is described as neutral and tolerant.

Editorial

Dennis Stillings's 1990 editorial, "The ETH is extremely difficult to falsify, making it a fertile breeding ground for every sort of fantasy," is revisited. The current editorial agrees with Stillings's conclusion that American ufology is a 'frightful mess.' It criticizes the rejection of the psychosocial hypothesis, the dismissal of sensible explanations, and the assessment of witnesses based on their desired narratives, stating that American ufology has remained infantile.

Letter

Sarah writes about her father's experience in 1965 in Oshawa, Ontario, Canada, where he saw a circular UFO hovering below cloud level. Following this encounter, he experienced frequent dizzy spells and later developed zigzags in his vision. After numerous tests, doctors suggested he was borderline epileptic. Sarah's father found that reducing caffeine intake lessened the zigzags. She believes he is experiencing classical migraine and advocates for more studies on the correlation between migraine aura and UFO encounters.

Recurring Themes and Editorial Stance

The recurring themes in this issue include the historical roots of UFO phenomena, the psychological and sociological aspects of belief systems (channeling, cults, religion), and the critique of ufology as a field. The editorial stance is clearly critical of what it perceives as the lack of scientific rigor and maturity in American ufology, advocating for more rational and evidence-based explanations while acknowledging the persistence of unexplained phenomena and personal experiences.