New England UFO Newsletter - No 24 - 1982 01

Magazine Overview

This issue of the new england UFO newsletter, identified as Whole Number 24 and dated JANUARY 1932, focuses on a significant UFO sighting in Ipswich, Massachusetts, from September 10, 1931. The publication is produced by New England UFO News and covers UFO phenomena within the USA.

Cylinder Reported Again at Ipswich, Mass., Sept. 10, 1931

This article, written by Bob Sampson, details a sighting by Raymond Morley, a computer engineer, on Cranes Beach near Ipswich. At approximately 2 p.m. on September 10, 1931, Morley observed an object while driving home. Initially mistaking it for a small boat traversing the marsh, he soon realized its true nature. The object was described as silver in color, cone-shaped, similar to a missile, with no visible flame or exhaust. It was estimated to be 18-22 feet long and about 10 feet wide. The object moved at a rapid rate, approximately 3/4 mile from the witness, and was in view for 8 to 15 seconds. It then executed a sharp, 90-degree vertical turn and ascended quickly, vanishing without disappearing into clouds. The local evaluation of the sighting was 'Unknown'.

Further details provided in the article describe the object as having a pointed end, no wings, and no tail, unlike conventional aircraft. Its size was estimated at 18-22 feet long and about 10 feet from top to bottom. The object did not shine brightly but appeared like tarnished aluminum. The sighting area is described as a flat, salt water marsh with ditches, interspersed with small woodland growth. The witness, who travels extensively by air, used his knowledge of small aircraft to estimate the object's size.

A 'Man-made-object Check' by the author concluded that the object was not astronomical and that its speed and maneuverability ruled out conventional aircraft or balloons. Considering Ipswich's history of UFO activity and Mr. Morley's scientific background and sincerity, the report was deemed credible.

A map of the Ipswich area is included, showing Raymond Morley's position (A), the object's observed path (B), the position of Jack Whittier on August 14, 1981 (C), and the path of the object observed by Whittier (D), along with the U.S. Air Force Antenna Station.

A Listing of New England CEIII Cases

Authored by David F. Webb, this section presents an extract from 'HumCat,' a computerized catalog of humanoid reports developed by the Humanoid Study Group (HSG). HumCat contains over 2300 specific case entries dating back to 1896 from around the world. The listing is organized into twelve columns, detailing:

• Col.1 RATING: Quality/completeness of the report (1-5, 0 for hoax).
• Col.2 HUMCAT CASE NO.: Unique identifier.
• Col.3 DEGREE OF ASSOCIATION BETWEEN THE ENTITY AND UFO: Categories A-G, indicating how closely the entity was linked to the UFO.
• Col.4 DATE: Year, month, and day of the report, with prefixes for before, after, or approximate.
• Col.5 TIME: Local time on a 24-hour clock.
• Cols.6-8 COUNTRY, STATE, CITY or TOWN: Location details.
• Col.9 WITNESS LOCALE: Immediate vicinity of the witness.
• Col.10 REPEATER: '+' indicates multiple reports by the same witness.
• Col.11 NUMBER of WITNESSES: Total number of witnesses.
• Col.12 LAST NAME of PRIMARY WITNESS(ES): Confidential if necessary.

The article notes that seventy-five New England CEIII cases are covered, with 55% occurring since 1972, mirroring global trends. Massachusetts contributed the most cases (32), followed by New Hampshire (18), Connecticut (14), and Maine (9). The analysis of entity/UFO association shows that 35% involved direct association (types A, B, C), 35% had no observed UFO association (types D, E), and 17% comprised alleged abductions (type G), comparing to a worldwide percentage of 12% for type G cases.

A Specific Time is Listed for Sixty of the Seventy-Five Reports

This subsection further elaborates on the HumCat data, noting that sixty of the seventy-five reports have a specific time listed. More than half of these occurred in the early evening (7 p.m. to midnight), with peaks also observed between 10-11 p.m. and 2-4 a.m., a phenomenon referred to as the 'Law of the Times' by J. Vallee. In fifty cases, the number of witnesses was recorded, with twenty-seven (54%) involving a single witness and eighteen (36%) involving two witnesses. Five cases involved three or more witnesses, including the Andraasson case with nine family members and a 1909 newspaper report of an airship sighting in Natick, Massachusetts, claimed to be observed by 'scores' of people.

The issue includes a detailed listing of cases by state (Connecticut, Massachusetts, Maine, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, Vermont), providing case numbers, witness details, locations, and associated names.

Born Loser (Comic Strip)

A comic strip titled 'Born Loser' by Art Sansom is included, featuring a humorous take on a UFO sighting. The strip depicts a child pointing out a UFO, with the parent initially dismissive, only to later express confusion and wonder.

A Disturbed Man....And an Old Story.

Written by Joe Nyman, this article presents a case related by the sister of a man who committed himself to a mental hospital. The sister, in a July 1931 letter to Ray Fowler, hoped hypnosis might help her brother with an inexpressible experience possibly related to a UFO years ago. The detailed story, confirmed in the files of Steve Putnam, involves a time discrepancy: the brother's return home after an event was reportedly an hour later than expected. The investigator, Steve Putnam, interviewed witnesses on February 6, 1967, and his notes indicated the sighting occurred at 5:40 p.m. The article suggests the possibility of impaired behavior resulting from UFO experiences that may not be consciously recalled.

The sister's letter recounts an event from when her brother was in 5th grade and she was in 9th grade. The brother reported seeing an object in the sky making a strange, 'shirring' noise. He described it as long, rounded, brownish-like, with lights and a yellowish light coming from the bottom, but not like fire. He was scared and ran home. Later, his sister saw a circular object with many colored lights around the edge, described as a bubble, with lights at the bottom. The original investigation sketches from Steve Putnam are mentioned.

Recurring Themes and Editorial Stance

The newsletter consistently focuses on UFO sightings, particularly Close Encounters of the Third Kind (CEIII), and presents witness testimonies with varying degrees of analysis. The editorial stance appears to be one of open investigation into UFO phenomena, encouraging the sharing of information among researchers and aiming to recover production costs through subscriptions. The publication emphasizes that the contents reflect the opinions of the writers and not necessarily the editor or any specific organization. There is a clear interest in cataloging and analyzing UFO cases, as evidenced by the detailed HumCat extract. The newsletter also touches upon the psychological impact of UFO experiences and the challenges in resolving older cases due to time discrepancies and lack of definitive evidence.

This issue of UFO magazine, dated January 1982, features articles focusing on UFO sightings, witness testimonies, and the psychological aspects of such experiences. The cover headline highlights 'The brother's sketch,' suggesting a focus on visual documentation of an encounter.

Case Study: Winchester, Massachusetts, February 5, 1967

The magazine details an incident that occurred on February 5, 1967, in Winchester, Massachusetts. The account begins with a personal narrative from the writer's mother, who, along with the writer's brother and sister, reportedly witnessed a UFO. The object was described as descending from the sky, circling the house, and then disappearing. The writer first heard about this story the night after it happened and later interviewed his mother, brother, and sister. The mother initially dismissed it as unimportant, but the children's friends and a UFO lecturer from a high school Philosophy Club showed interest. The lecturer contacted the mother, who eventually agreed to speak with him. The mother found the story bizarre but couldn't dismiss it entirely. The brother and sister acknowledged the event vaguely but refused to discuss it, with the brother being adamant and nervous about it. The writer noted similarities between the experience and 'The Andreasson Affair' and suggested hypnosis, which was declined.

Sketches by the brother and the younger sister are included. The brother's sketch depicts a UFO with a black body, a red and yellow 'window,' and smoke and sparks. He described it as having a 'fairly steady hum,' undulating, and descending, appearing to follow him home. It then circled off and descended from high in the sky. The younger sister's sketch shows a disk-like object with a dark center and white lights blinking on and off. She described it moving quickly and falling slowly, and noted a humming sound that rose as the object ascended.

Steve Putnam's notes for the case provide further details, including the object's movement, appearance (metallic, glowing windows, pulsating light), and the feeling of paralysis and numbness experienced by the witness. The object was described as having a 'low-pitched humming' and a 'light beam.' The entity inside was later described as resembling Yoda from 'The Empire Strikes Back,' with large ears, long arms, four digits, and a long nose, about three feet tall. Differences from the Kelly-Hopkinsville entities included eye shape and lack of lips.

Case Study: Foxborough, Massachusetts, April 15, 1931

This section, authored by Joe Nyman, revisits a case from April 15, 1931, involving a thirteen-year-old boy's post-experience dream and UFO encounter. The investigation, conducted by Nyman and Ben Greene, aimed to recover information through a hypnosis-like procedure termed 'reverie.' The boy's parents were aware of the investigation but had kept silent about the boy's dreams. The investigation was hampered by the family's impending move and other difficulties.

During the 'reverie' session, it was apparent that the boy's memory of the nearly four-month-old events had changed, with no clear dream connections. This suggested that the further in time from the events, the less accurate the recollection. The boy's account included details about a high-pitched humming sound, similar to someone rubbing a wineglass, and the object appearing suddenly. He also described a light maneuvering in the distance that came toward him. However, a photograph taken on the night of the incident showed him wearing blue trousers, contrary to his recollection of tan trousers, and he was wearing a religious medal, which he initially denied.

The Hoax Possibility and Inconsistencies

The article discusses the possibility of a hoax in the Foxborough case. While the dreams were considered tenuous evidence, a mark on the boy's chest was seen as stronger testimony of his veracity. The mark was examined and found not to be the result of abrasion or pinching. The investigators considered the possibility that the mark was applied either before their arrival or during the investigation, but the boy's behavior and lack of motive for a hoax made this unlikely. The family was experiencing personal problems, which would have made a hoax have negative consequences.

A curious inconsistency noted was that the boy's mother, while washing dishes in front of a kitchen window directly in line with the boy's location during the encounter, did not see any light, despite the window being covered only by a transparent curtain.

Unusual Post-Event Phenomena and Psychological Testing

The case also noted unusual post-event phenomena, including a claimed improvement in the boy's school performance following the UFO experience. Psychological testing was conducted by Pauline Grey, a certified school psychologist, using the Wechsler Intelligence Test (WISC-R), Wide Range Achievement Test, Bender Gestalt, and Thematic Apperception Test. The results showed no significant change in the boy's capabilities or interests, nor did they indicate severe emotional disturbances. A mild seizure disorder was suggested, a condition found in a small tested sample of suspected poltergeist agents.

Thoughts and Theories: Dreams and Memory

The writer explores various theories regarding dreams and their connection to UFO experiences. Initially suspecting that dreams might represent unremembered aspects of an experience, the writer became convinced that dreams represent the unconscious mind's attempt to integrate conscious experiences. The incorporation of Amelia Earhart into one of the boy's dreams is cited as an example of this integration, possibly linked to speculation about her disappearance.

Several dream theories are discussed, including the Freudian interpretation (dreams as wish fulfillments) and the Activation Synthesis Hypothesis, which posits that dreams are a result of internally generated sensorimotor information being processed. The article also touches upon the cybernetic interpretation of dreams, viewing the brain as a computer processing information. The writer suggests that dreams, particularly anxiety dreams, serve as attempts to resolve mentally unresolved tensions, thus providing evidential quality to the claims made.

References

The issue concludes with a list of references, including works on UFO encounters, cybernetics, and poltergeist phenomena, indicating the interdisciplinary approach taken in the analysis of these cases.

Recurring Themes and Editorial Stance

The recurring themes in this issue revolve around the analysis of UFO sightings, particularly those involving children and adolescents. The magazine emphasizes the importance of witness testimony, physical evidence (like the mark on the chest), and psychological factors such as dreams and memory. There is a clear editorial stance favoring a serious, analytical approach to UFO phenomena, exploring various scientific and psychological theories to understand these events. The magazine appears to be open to the possibility of genuine unexplained phenomena while also critically examining potential hoaxes and inconsistencies. The use of hypnosis and psychological testing suggests an effort to apply rigorous investigative methods to the subject matter.