MUFON New Jersey Chronicle - Vol 01 No 04 - 1991 03-04

Magazine Overview

Title: THE NEW JERSEY CHRONICLE
Issue: Volume 1, Number 4
Date: March/April 1991
Publisher: MUFON (Mutual UFO Network, Inc.)
Focus: Covering UFO phenomena in New Jersey and related national/international topics.

Microwaves and Vehicle Interference

This lead article by Robert J. Durant explores a puzzling aspect of UFO encounters: their effect on automobiles. Durant analyzes 441 cases where cars, trucks, or vehicles with witnesses were affected by the presence of a UFO. Reported effects include affected headlights, radios, flashlights, and physiological symptoms in witnesses such as prickly feelings, hair standing on end, and sudden heat. Rodeghier's research identified several potential mechanisms for internal combustion engine disruption by UFOs, including increased resistance in the ignition coil, capacitor failure due to electrostatic fields, saturation of the ignition coil by magnetic fields, fuel system interference, increased spark plug resistance, air ionization, and electrical system destruction by heat.

A controlled experiment by Watts in England is mentioned, where an alternating magnetic field (50 cps) produced loss of engine power, while a static field had no effect. The induced field was around 500 gauss. James McCampbell, an engineer, demonstrated how microwave radiation focused on a headlight filament could increase its resistivity, potentially stopping current flow and illuminating the headlight. This leads to the startling revelation that the U.S. Government, through a covert research program at Los Alamos National Laboratory, may have developed technology to stop cars at a distance using microwaves.

An article in the Los Angeles Times on November 6, 1989, reported proposals made by Los Alamos scientists to the Senate Intelligence Committee for "Buck Rogers" projects to aid in the "war on drugs." One such idea, termed "Soft Kill," proposed bombarding vehicles with microwaves to disable them, even in low concentrations, potentially affecting internal combustion engines.

Durant details his attempts to obtain information about this Los Alamos report via Senator Bill Bradley. After a significant delay, the Senate Intelligence Committee denied having seen the document. A sanitized version was eventually provided, but it was from a different author, addressed to the Judiciary Committee, shorter, and dated differently. Durant suspects the microwave aspect is highly sensitive. He questions whether Los Alamos researchers were trying to duplicate UFO EM effects or if UFOs are terrestrial hardware. The document in question is titled "Role of Technology," authored by Terry D. Bearce and John D. Immele, dated June 24, 1989, with a cover letter dated August 3, 1989, sent to the Senate Intelligence Committee and other agencies. Durant notes that obtaining the "real" report is difficult, with a sanitized version likely being the outcome.

The Rodeghier paper, "UFO Reports Involving Vehicle Interference," published by the Center for UFO Studies, is recommended for ufologists' libraries.

Another View of the September 21, 1990, Teterboro UFO Sighting?

This section presents a woodcut from a 1557 book by Conrad Lycosthenes, "Chronicle of Prodigies and Portents," depicting a "fiery beam" that resembles UFO reports from centuries ago, suggesting historical precedents for certain UFO phenomena.

From the Editor's Desk

Editor Paul M. Makuch apologizes for the issue's lateness due to copy deadline problems and a pulled article. He notes that the promised translation of Professor Jean-Pierre Petit's interview with Paris Match was preempted by the MUFON Journal. This issue features Bob Durant's article on microwaves and vehicle interference, Tom Benson's "Three Peas in a Pod" on sighting cases, Alan Eaglesham's report "An Inside View" on a UFO conference, a review of the book "Circles, Saucers and Wells" by Tim Brookes, and investigative reports on sightings in Denville and Lake Tamarack, as well as a "Fugo Balloon Update" and upcoming UFO conferences.

Congratulations!

The staff and membership congratulate State Director Donald A. Johnson, Ph.D., on his appointment to the Board of Directors of CUFOS (Center for UFO Studies). Johnson, with 20 years of ufology experience, has assisted in the development of the UFOCAT database and will maintain it for CUFOS. He holds a Ph.D. in quantitative psychology and has published papers on vehicle interference and abduction reports.

In This Issue

A table of contents lists the articles: "Microwaves and Vehicle Interference" (Page 1), "From The Editor's Desk" (Page 2), "Congratulations!" (Page 2), "Another View of the September 1990 Teterboro UFO Sighting" (Page 3), "Three Peas in a Pod" by Tom Benson (Page 4), "An Inside View" on the Second Great UFO/ET/Humanoids/Visitors/Aliens & Abduction Congress (Page 5), "The Book Rack" review of "Circles, Saucers and Wells" (Page 6), "National Sighting Research Center Update" (Page 8), "Investigative Reports" including "New Threats To Astronomy" (Page 10), "Fugo Balloon Update" (Page 11), "The Lighter Side of UFOlogy" (Page 11), and "Upcoming UFO Conferences" (Page 12).

Three Peas in a Pod

By Tom Benson, this article focuses on UFO reports from the evening of February 26, 1976, in the New Jersey area, examining the time element. Benson compares three sightings, suggesting they might be components of another reality interfacing with ours.

The first case involved Michael and Linda Soble, who reported a grayish-green, cigar-shaped, lighted object near Margate, New Jersey. The object rapidly approached, stopped, moved southwest, then northwest, and disappeared within seconds.

Months later, Benson found a UFO newsletter mentioning two other New Jersey sightings from the same evening. The first was by Audrey Manny on Long Island, New York, who observed a large dome-shaped object hovering, then approaching rapidly with patterned lights and windows, estimated at 1000-1500 feet altitude.

The second sighting was by a Morris Plains, New Jersey family who saw an unusual object at 7:10 p.m. The object hovered for 5-7 minutes with rotating lights before speeding off. No sound was heard.

Further reports from February 1976 include a sighting near Jersey City Reservoir on February 15th, described as having a hazy orange appearance with deep red lights. On February 19th, witnesses near Lake Hiawatha reported a strange object. On February 19th at 9:15 p.m., a large, rectangularly shaped object was seen hovering near the Jersey City Reservoir, described as having a dome-like top and bright red and white lights. Two similar objects were observed, one moving rapidly and the other more slowly, with a "fluctuating hum."

Benson requests readers to share any other New Jersey-New York UFO reports from February 26, 1976, to help focus on the time element.

An Inside View

By Allan Eaglesham, this section covers the Second Great UFO/ET/Humanoids/Visitors/Aliens & Abduction Congress held in Bordentown, New Jersey, on March 16-17, 1991.

Larry Warren described his experiences at RAF Bentwaters NATO base in Sussex, England, including a stationary green object, an exploding red UFO, and the appearance of three "greys."

Peter Robbins, assisting in a book on the Rendlesham Forest case, shared his trip back to the forest and observed sightings and landings.

Alice Haggerty, a New Jersey resident, recounted abduction experiences revealed through hypnotic regression with David Jacobs, noting similarities to Bud Hopkins' "Intruders."

Arthur Wagner presented "Physics and the UFO," proposing a theory for the Roswell incident involving a UFO and a Japanese 'fugo' balloon, and discussing quantum physics implications for UFO maneuvers.

Bob Oechsler's talk covered various UFOlogy aspects, including a crop circle phenomenon in Switzerland involving the disappearance of large soil cylinders, the W2 form of Robert S. Lazar's work for Naval Intelligence (deemed genuine), the possibility of the Roswell Incident involving a collision of two UFOs with a living occupant, and implications from a call with Admiral Bobby Ray Inman suggesting MJ12 was real and Lazar's story true.

Al Blelek discussed his participation in the "Philadelphia Experiment," a secret WWII project to make ships invisible, touching on Nikola Tesla, his own Ph.D. in physics, the Manhattan Project, and abduction experiences. He also mentioned age regression and his brother Duncan's involvement.

Zecharia Sitchin spoke about ancient astronauts and an eleventh planet with a 3,600-year periodicity, claiming advanced peoples from planet X populated Earth and introduced forgotten technologies, citing Assyrian and Sumarian writings.

Antonio Huneeus presented evidence of two craft in the Roswell Incident and discussed the current official treatment of UFOs in the Soviet Union, including the Voronezh incident. He also showed a videotape of discs flying over the moon.

The conference included presentations by James LaFont on his Long Island experiences and a discussion on the "fugo" debate. Despite the absence of Betty Andreasson and Andrija Puharich, the talks were well-prepared and credible. Eaglesham suggests tighter scheduling could have improved the meeting's appeal.

The Book Rack

Tim Brookes reviews "Circular Evidence" by Pat Delgado and Colin Andrews, a book about crop circles in Southern England. Brookes notes that hundreds of circular patterns have appeared overnight without tracks leading to or from them. The book describes circles ranging from eight to twenty-five meters across, with complex patterns and plants swirled and bent at right angles. The authors link these circles to numerous UFO sightings in the area and Stonehenge. Brookes finds the authors' restraint notable, considering the sensational facets of the subject. He suggests the circles might be a plea from an unknown intelligence for humanity to take the possibility of alien life seriously and to approach potential contact with intelligent curiosity rather than hysteria.

The review includes a photo of crop circles taken on August 2, 1990, in Colby, England.

National Sighting Research Center Update

By Paul Ferrughelli, this section presents a "Correlation Study of UFO Sightings and Television Program Events" from 1987-1989. The study investigates the claim that excessive media coverage causes UFO sightings. The NSRC collected 683 sightings and data on prime-time TV events. A graph (Figure 1) plots UFO reports against TV events. The "Observations" section notes that it is difficult to see a direct relationship between peaks in TV events and UFO sightings, though "Lead Time" might be a factor, with some TV peaks followed by UFO peaks within 1-3 months. One instance of a simultaneous peak was observed in October 1989.

Correlation Analysis

This section explains correlation analysis as a statistical technique to determine the strength of a linear relationship between variables. Figure 2 illustrates scatter diagrams for negative, zero, and positive correlations. Figure 3 provides a scale for correlation coefficients (-1 to +1), indicating strong, weak, or zero correlations. For the study, the frequency of TV events was plotted against UFO sightings (Figure 4). The scatter plot appeared to represent a zero-type correlation. The calculated correlation coefficient was 0.086, indicating a very weak or non-existent relationship over the 36-month period.

Conclusion

The study concludes that while it cannot prove TV *cannot* influence UFO reports, it shows a lack of statistical relationship between the two data sets. The questions of whether TV causes people to report UFOs or vice versa remain. The study acknowledges that strong media attention can increase sightings within 1-3 months on a small scale. However, it doubts that TV can cause the average intelligent person to observe a UFO, suggesting advertisers spend billions on understanding media influence on consumer behavior, and it would be "earth-shaking" to learn that TV can cause people to see things that are not there.

Investigative Reports

Sighting in Denville

A preliminary investigative report by Sue Van Slooten details a sighting on December 5, 1990, in Denville, New Jersey. A witness driving home observed a patch of foggy luminosity, which disappeared and was replaced by a very bright, internally illuminated orange cloud that dimmed. The cloud flared briefly, flickered, and went dark, leaving a dark patch in the sky. The sighting lasted just over a minute. The area was residential with no major power lines. Van Slooten requests information on similar formations.

Sighting at Lake Tamarack

This report by Sue Van Slooten describes a sighting on October 1, 1990, at 2:30 a.m., near Lake Tamarack, Hardyston, New Jersey. Three witnesses reported an object hovering over the mountain. Mrs. McR. initially thought it was a helicopter with a pulsing top light. Using a telescope, she and her husband observed a "streak of green at an angle with a cut out square at the bottom center. It was pulsing." They watched the object for 15-20 minutes as it traveled slowly, then disappeared. Walter Zamorski of the National Weather Service stated the weather was clear and suggested it might have been a weather satellite, but no further information has materialized.

Recurring Themes and Editorial Stance

The recurring themes in this issue are the potential for advanced technology, both terrestrial (government research) and extraterrestrial (UFOs), to interfere with or affect conventional technology, particularly vehicles. The magazine also highlights the importance of rigorous investigation and data collection, as seen in the correlation study and the investigative reports on specific sightings. The editorial stance, as implied by the content and the MUFON affiliation, is to explore and document UFO phenomena seriously, seeking explanations and connections, while maintaining a critical and scientific approach, as exemplified by the congratulations to Dr. Donald A. Johnson. There is a clear interest in government involvement and secrecy surrounding UFO-related technology and phenomena. The magazine also touches upon the historical aspects of UFO sightings and the potential for misinterpretation or sensationalism in reporting.

This document, comprising pages 11 and 12 of a magazine issue, focuses on "NEW THREATS TO ASTRONOMY" and related topics, including an update on the "Fugo Balloon" theory, and a lighter side of ufology concerning crop circles. It also lists upcoming UFO conferences.

New Threats to Astronomy

The lead article, an editorial originally appearing in the Home News on February 25, 1991, discusses how, despite advancements like the Rosat X-ray satellite and Hubble Space Telescope, astronomers face new challenges. Light pollution from cities is accelerating as more lights are installed to combat crime, interfering with astronomical observation. Radio astronomy is threatened by the proliferation of electronic devices such as computers, microwaves, and car phones, which emit electromagnetic radiation. The director of the National Radio Astronomy Observatory in Charlottesville, Virginia, notes that radio astronomy has already been seriously affected in Puerto Rico and Ohio, expressing concern about the future. Furthermore, space exploration itself is not immune to pollution; over 3 million pieces of space debris orbiting Earth pose a threat to space telescopes like the Hubble, ranging from a nuisance to a catastrophe, according to a Lockheed scientist.

Fugo Balloon Update

This section presents an article originally from the Sunday Parade Magazine column "WHAT'S UP" by Herbert Kupferberg, dated December 23, 1990. The editor of the current publication felt this article would be of interest to those following the "Fugo" balloon theory debate concerning the Roswell crash, as proposed by John Keel, providing important historical perspective. The article discusses how the U.S. mainland came under air attack during World War II by Japan. Japan launched a series of hot-air balloons, known as "Fugo" balloons, designed to be carried by Pacific Ocean winds to start conflagrations in the American Northwest. Fortunately, there was no effort at chemical or germ warfare. The results of these attacks were minimal, though one American family of six perished as a result. The article, based on the book "Japan's World War II Balloon Bomb Attacks on North America" (Smithsonian Institution Press, $9.95), emphasizes the technical aspects of the attacks and how the scheme worked and failed, with photos and diagrams. The author, Robert C. Mikesh, is noted for downplaying the human element.

The Lighter Side of UFOLOGY

This section features a cartoon titled "A BRITISH VIEW OF CROP CIRCLES" by David Scott, with the caption "The fairies have been dancing again." Another cartoon depicts two figures, one saying, "Well, they finally came But before I go, let's see you roll over a couple times."

Upcoming UFO Conferences

Page 12 lists two upcoming UFO conferences:

1. EXPLORING UNEXPLAINED PHENOMENA III
* Dates: May 17-19, 1991
* Location: The Nebraska Center, Lincoln, Nebraska
* Speakers and Subjects: Dr. William Roll (poltergeist phenomena and psychokinesis), Budd Hopkins (UFO Abductions Of Children), Patrick Huyghe (Little Comet/Big Splash), Larry Arnold (Spontaneous Human Combustion), George Wingfield (English Crop Circles), John Keel (Overlooked areas of the Unexplained), Dale Kaczmarek (Evidence For Ghost Photography), Stanton Friedman (Crashed Saucers in New Mexico; Star Travel & UFOs), Dr. John C. Kasher & Harry Jordon (possible UFO landing traces in Iowa), and Raymond Boeche (Philosophy of Fortean Research).
* Costs: Registration fees range from $40.00 to $45.00 per person. Additional costs for buffet dinners.
* Accommodation: Rooms reserved at the Nebraska Center Hotel ($38-$43/day).
* Contact: Scott H. Colborn for conference questions.

2. MUFON 1991 INTERNATIONAL UFO SYMPOSIUM
* Dates: July 5, 6 & 7
* Location: Hyatt Regency O'Hare at O'Hare International Airport, Chicago, Illinois
* Confirmed Speakers: David M. Jacobs, Ph.D. and C.B. Jones, Ph.D. (abduction research); Gene Phillips (ancient astronauts); Linda M. Howe and John Altshuler M.D. (cattle mutilations); John Carpenter, M.S.W. (clinical hypnotherapy); Stanton T. Friedman (Roswell Case Update); Michael M. Chorost and Dennis Stacy (English crop circles); Bruce S. Maccabee, Ph.D. (UFO photo analysis); Zecharia Sitchin (Genesis Revisited); Michael D. Swords, Ph.D. (Modern Biology, Close Encounters and the ETH); Professor Jean-Pierre Petit, Director of Research, CNRS (France).
* Sponsorship: American Airlines is the official carrier.
* Accommodation: Hotel rates at the Hyatt Regency range from $68 to $88 per night.

Recurring Themes and Editorial Stance

The recurring themes in this issue revolve around the impact of human activity and technology on scientific observation (astronomy) and the exploration of unexplained phenomena, particularly UFOs and related subjects like crop circles and historical mysteries (Fugo balloons). The editorial stance appears to be one of informing the public about these diverse and often controversial topics, presenting both scientific concerns and popular interest in the unexplained. The inclusion of historical accounts and upcoming events suggests a commitment to providing a broad overview of the field of ufology and its intersections with science and history.