New England UFO Newsletter - No 26 - 1982 09

Magazine Overview

Title: new england UFO newsletter
Issue: Whole Number 26
Date: September 1982
Publisher: New England UFO News
Country: USA
Price: $5.00 (U.S. dollars) for three issues (domestic, Canadian, Mexican); $7.00 by surface mail; $13.00 by air mail.

This issue of the "new england UFO newsletter" focuses on several intriguing UFO encounters and the challenges of investigating them. The cover story details a Class I (CE I) sighting involving a triangular object, transient car problems, and electric light phenomena at home.

CE I With Triangular Object Followed by Transient Car Problems and Electric Light Phenomena at Home (Page 1-2)

This article, by Joe Nyman, recounts the experience of Aubre Brogden, a 26-year-old woman from Bakersfield, Vermont. On Wednesday, February 10, 1982, at 9:30 PM EST, while driving east on Route 36, she observed a bright light in the western sky moving slowly among the mountains. Initially mistaking it for an airplane, she flashed her headlights. The light, which she later described as carrying a triangular white light, continued to move slowly, leading her to wonder if it was a balloon. The light seemed to follow her home. Upon reaching the end of Route 36, she saw the light low through the trees, above the cemetery. As she turned into her driveway, the light was directly in front of her, "very low to the ground."

Later, Aubre got out of her car to investigate. The object was not moving and cast no shadows. She realized it was not a plane and was frightened by the silence, hearing only a "little whoosh of wind." The object then moved towards her house and lifted, revealing a triangular shape with white lights in rows across the bottom. She could see the bottom of the object.

On Friday, February 12th, at 2:30 AM, while returning from a party and admitting to being a little drunk, Aubre's car suddenly stopped at the same spot three miles from home. The car stalled four times before finally continuing. The next day, when she tried to take the car in for service, the problem did not repeat and had not recurred for at least two months.

Upon returning home on Monday, February 15th, Aubre noticed the cellar light was on. She later learned that electric appliances had been acting unusually that past weekend, turning on and off without apparent cause. The porch light turned on by itself, the hall light blew out, the radio turned on by itself, and the cellar light came on again. These electrical phenomena continued for five days, finally ceasing.

Aubre's father, who had originally installed the house wiring, found nothing unusual. The mystery remained unresolved.

Starks, Maine Encounter: Clearing Up Some Points (Page 3-5)

This section, also by Joe Nyman, discusses the UFO sighting by Harold and Helen Hendsbee in Starks, Maine, on November 28, 1981. The incident, reported in local newspapers like the Portland Press Herald and Bangor Daily News, and nationally by the Weekly World News, involved a UFO that allegedly blocked their path home.

The Hendsbees were driving towards their home in Madison after dinner in Farmington when they spotted an unidentified flying object hovering over a hill on Route 43. The object illuminated the entire hill. Mrs. Hendsbee described it as a bright light, stationary in space, about telephone pole high. When Mr. Hendsbee attempted to drive over the hill, the object advanced towards them, stopped in midair, and then stopped again when he backed up. He tried to pass three times, but each time the object came up again, shining a bright light into his windshield, preventing him from seeing.

After 20 minutes, the Hendsbees turned around and drove home via Route 148. They reported feeling that the object "didn't want us to go up there."

Somerset County Sheriff William Wright described Mr. Hendsbee as "a very honest person" and believed his story. Wright also noted that there had been other recent UFO sightings in the area.

The article mentions an attempt by a Florida caller to perform regressive hypnosis on the witnesses, which disturbed them. Ray Fowler's attempt to promote a local trip to the Starks area was unsuccessful. Mike Kimball, a freelance writer, investigated the case for Yankee Magazine, commissioning an on-site investigation.

Kimball was able to eliminate Venus as an explanation because the Hendsbees were traveling EAST, while Venus would have been in the west. The article notes that the weather on the night of the encounter was cloudy or overcast, which tends to reduce the possibility of an astronomical explanation.

The Weekly World News slanted its report to imply that the same phenomenon was responsible for the death of Kimberley Landry, whose car ran off the road nearby. However, a police analysis indicated that alcohol and high speed were the likely causes of her accident, not a UFO.

The article emphasizes the importance of objective on-site investigations in UFO research to prevent rumor and misinterpretation.

The Varieties of UFO Experience: Two Letters (Page 6-8)

This section, also by Joe Nyman, presents excerpts from two letters discussing different aspects of the UFO phenomenon.

Letter 1: Excerpt courtesy of Linda Seal from her cousin Brooke Cook (Year of event is 1980)

This letter describes an incident involving a couple, D. and his wife, returning home near Longmont, Colorado. While driving on I-25, their car engine and lights began to malfunction. They saw a blue/blue-green light come down around the car, filling the interior. Although the light was bright, they heard nothing but a "little whoosh of wind." They noticed headlights of another car behind them and lights in distant homes. The next thing they were aware of was the rear end of their car suspended about 2-3 feet in the air, with them leaning slightly forward. They felt the car's end coming down and wondered if they had lost time. The trip, which normally took 45 minutes, took longer.

Upon reaching Longmont, D. realized he needed cigarettes and pulled into a gas station. He felt a loss of equilibrium and walked sideways into the gas station window, which seemed to snap him back to reality. He asked his wife if she was okay, and they agreed something had happened but did not discuss it. It took him a week to find someone to talk to, eventually contacting the letter's source.

In the following two weeks, "incredible 'side effects'" manifested. His wife thought she was pregnant and found a red triangle-shaped mark on her lower abdomen. She had a recurring thought to "go easy with me because I might be pregnant?" She was unsure why she had this thought.

D. drove into work and received a "crazy message that he could heal." Twelve hours later, his melanoma (skin cancer) was completely healed, documented by a physician. He then underwent regression with a clinical psychologist.

Letter 2: Dated April 11, 1975, courtesy of Brent Raynes

This letter contains two experiences from a witness in Florida.

• Experience 1: While living in a shack-type home in Orlando, Florida, the witness was awakened by a high-pitched hum. Looking out a window, they saw an egg-shaped object with a glowing bright white light hovering over a house sideways. It emitted a little blue light as it moved closer, but stayed about fifty to sixty feet away. The witness felt a part of themselves attracted to it, while another part felt fear of bodily harm.
• Experience 2: In August 1966, while moving from an area near Orlando, the witness was returning to a house to retrieve a forgotten book. Time seemed to slow down, and the witness felt separate from their physical body. They saw what looked like fog in bushes with sparkling light, which took the shape of a man. This person held out their hands and spoke in a warm, gentle voice, telling the witness to be calm. The witness felt looked through and then time snapped back. Regaining composure, the witness returned to the car, shivering with fear. The witness, who was eleven at the time, had no knowledge of telepathy, which was used when being spoken to.

Searching for Patterns in EM UFO Sightings (Page 9-10)

This article, by Patricia McMahon (1982), discusses the search for patterns in Electromagnetic (EM) UFO sightings. The author notes that despite much excitement surrounding UFOs, there is no undisputed evidence to support the extraterrestrial intelligence hypothesis. Some argue that the evidence is tenuous at best, and the phenomenon is a myth.

McMahon states that incontrovertible evidence is necessary to prove the extraterrestrial hypothesis, but secondary or indirect evidence is still essential. The project aims to examine reports for signs of intelligence at work, assuming UFOs are artificial craft designed for specific functions. If UFOs are extraterrestrial, it should be possible to correlate their activities or environmental effects with a given type of UFO.

James McCampbell, MUFON Research Director, believes that the glow surrounding some UFOs is stimulated by microwave energy, related to UFO propulsion and responsible for EM effects like interference with engines and electrical appliances. He suggests linking reports of EM effects with glowing UFOs, especially visible at night.

EM effects might manifest under specific conditions (altitude, distance, size, shape, etc.). Items of interest from EM reports include the shape of the UFO, angular size, altitude, distance, whether it glowed (and color), the type of appliance affected, and the nature of the effects.

The author acknowledges the rarity of EM sightings, estimating only about fifteen events are recorded per year on average, according to Mark Rodeghier of CUFOS. To gather data, McMahon requested information from MUFON State Directors. The response was surprising, with most MUFON representatives not having received EM sighting reports. The study incorporated information from catalogs and publications, as well as twelve additional sightings documented on MUFON forms.

The article defines a "glowing" UFO as one described with terms like "glowing," "luminescent," "flourescent," "phosphorescent," "fiery," or "ball of light." Lights that are part of a larger, non-glowing UFO are excluded. The classification system is not error-free, and many descriptions are ambiguous. It is noted that non-glowing UFOs are almost as likely to create interference as glowing ones.

Recurring Themes and Editorial Stance

This issue of the "new england UFO newsletter" highlights the persistent nature of UFO phenomena, the challenges in gathering reliable data, and the importance of rigorous investigation. Recurring themes include:

• Unusual Aerial Objects: Descriptions range from triangular lights to glowing, egg-shaped objects.
• Electromagnetic Effects: The newsletter details instances of car malfunctions, electrical disturbances, and even a reported case of spontaneous healing linked to a UFO encounter.
• Witness Testimony: The credibility and experiences of witnesses are central to the reports, with emphasis placed on the subjective nature of fear and disorientation.
• Investigative Challenges: The difficulty in obtaining concrete evidence, the unreliability of some sources, and the need for on-site investigation are recurring points.
• Skepticism and Open-mindedness: The newsletter balances reports of extraordinary events with acknowledgments of the lack of definitive proof and the need for critical analysis, while also encouraging open-mindedness towards the phenomenon.

The editorial stance, as conveyed through Joe Nyman's writing and the selection of articles, appears to be one of serious inquiry into UFO reports, emphasizing detailed accounts and the investigative process. While not dismissing the possibility of extraterrestrial origins, the newsletter stresses the importance of careful documentation and analysis, acknowledging the complexities and often elusive nature of the UFO phenomenon.

This issue of UFO REPORT, dated September 1982, delves into the phenomenon of electromagnetic (EM) effects associated with UFO sightings. The primary focus is on analyzing the correlations between these EM effects and various characteristics of UFOs, particularly their distance from the witness, altitude, size, and shape. The article highlights the challenges in collecting and analyzing data from UFO sightings and emphasizes the need for more standardized and accurate reporting in future investigations.

EM Effect and Distance

The analysis of distance tables for glowing and non-glowing UFOs reveals a tendency for EM effects to occur within 200 feet of the witness and their machinery, aligning with close encounter ranges. However, the distance at which these effects manifest is variable, sometimes exceeding 2200 feet. Notably, there were no significant differences found between glowing and non-glowing UFOs concerning the distance of EM effects. The study also notes that the severity of interference does not consistently correlate with distance, citing examples where closer UFOs caused less disruption than those further away. The assumption that glowing and non-glowing UFOs might use different EM mechanisms, leading to varying distance-intensity relationships, was found to be incorrect, as all objects discussed in this context were glowing.

Data from MUFON-Central European Section (MUFON-CES) was compiled into a catalog of EM and gravity effect reports. While this catalog contains information on date, time, location, witnesses, sources, and effects, it does not record whether the UFO was glowing or not, thus limiting its direct incorporation into this specific report's comparison of glowing versus non-glowing UFOs. Nevertheless, the MUFON-CES catalog is acknowledged as an excellent source for reported distances of EM-UFOs.

Table IV, a plot of distances from the MUFON-CES catalog, corroborates the previously noted tendencies regarding EM effect and distance.

EM Effect and Altitude

UFOs exhibiting EM effects showed a marked preference for altitudes at ground level or just a few feet above. However, similar to distance, UFOs were not confined to these altitudes, and this pattern was consistent for both glowing and non-glowing UFOs.

EM Effect and Size

A significant difference emerged when comparing the sizes of glowing and non-glowing UFOs. Glowing UFOs tended to have their largest reported dimension at about 16 feet or less, while non-glowing UFOs were rarely reported below a 16-foot diameter. This peculiarity, noted by Rodeghier, suggests a potential unknown natural phenomenon interacting with UFOs. Despite this size discrepancy, glowing UFOs, even when smaller, created havoc at similar distances as larger UFOs. Table IX indicates that the distance at which EM effects occur is not dependent on UFO size. A majority of UFOs in the sample were not larger than 100 feet, though some reached up to 200 feet.

Shape of UFO

When studying the EM effect, the shape of the UFO was considered. The most common shapes reported are discs, followed by round and ovoid objects. Less common shapes include the dome, egg-shape, and cylinder, with occasional reports of diamond shapes. A comparison of shapes reported for glowing versus non-glowing UFOs revealed no difference between the two groups.

Color and EM Effect

The report explores color as a potential factor in EM effects. While no strong correlation between distance and EM effect was found, color remained a factor to consider. McCampbell suggested that various colors of UFO glows are created by the ionization of atmospheric gases at specific frequencies. Table X, representing sightings where both color and distance were reported, indicated sparse data, making definitive conclusions difficult. However, the available data gave no indication that color is a factor in EM effect.

EM-UFOs Versus EM-IFOs

The article discusses the division of EM reports into UFO (unidentified flying object) and IFO (identified flying object) groups. The author's project proposal aimed to examine correlations in unidentified EM reports and use IFO groups as a control. If identical patterns appear in both groups, it might suggest witnesses are interpreting ordinary events as UFO phenomena. If no patterns emerge, it could indicate a lack of intelligence or poor investigative separation of IFOs from UFOs.

Accessing IFO reports proved challenging due to researchers' reluctance to circulate them. The files of Project Bluebook at the National Archives in Washington, D.C., were identified as a source for IFO reports. A review of Bluebook's EM reports found that many were labeled "Insufficient Data" or were not thoroughly investigated. The apparent carelessness of Air Force personnel in their investigations made the IFO/UFO divisions an exercise in futility. Despite this, some Bluebook EM-UFOs were separated from EM-IFOs for display in Table XI.

Concluding Remarks

The inability to correlate EM effects with glowing UFOs does not rule out microwave energy as a source of EM effect, but it suggests that the glow itself does not indicate the onset of electromagnetic disturbances. The study emphasizes the need to find other indicators for these events. The difficulty in determining precise parameters like altitude, distance, and size is attributed to witnesses' tendency to make estimations. For future studies, witnesses must be instructed to use reference points for accurate measurements, and investigators should utilize triangulation methods. Increased accuracy in reporting altitude in degrees above the horizon, rather than feet or meters, is also recommended. A new emphasis on greater accuracy and standardization in documentation is crucial for altering future parameters for EM interference.

Recurring Themes and Editorial Stance

The recurring themes in this issue revolve around the scientific investigation of UFO phenomena, specifically focusing on electromagnetic effects. The editorial stance is one of rigorous data analysis, attempting to find correlations and distinctions between different types of UFO sightings (glowing vs. non-glowing). There is a clear emphasis on the need for accurate, standardized data collection and a critical examination of existing records, including those from official sources like Project Bluebook. The article acknowledges the limitations of current data and calls for more systematic research, including laboratory studies and improved witness interviewing techniques, to advance the understanding of UFO-related EM effects. The possibility of extraterrestrial origins is implicitly considered, with a call to define UFO types and their operating procedures if such origins are indeed the case.

This document is a notice of publication suspension for the New England UFO Newsletter, dated October 1982. It is a single-page letter addressed to the readers, signed by the editor, Joe Nyman.

Notice of Publication Suspension

The letter begins by stating, "Regrettably, with the September 1982 issue, the New England UFO Newsletter will suspend publication for an indefinite period." The reason cited for this decision is "long neglected personal and family obligations and work requirements of the editor."

Joe Nyman explains that he searched without success for someone to take over a share of the tasks required in newsletter production. Consequently, he found the "only remaining alternative is to suspend publishing."

For subscribers with unexpired subscriptions, the notice assures them that "enclosed a check for a refund on their remaining issues." The letter concludes with a thank you for their continuing interest.

Recurring Themes and Editorial Stance

The primary theme of this document is the cessation of a publication dedicated to UFOs. The editorial stance is one of regret and necessity, with the editor taking personal responsibility for the decision due to overwhelming personal and professional commitments. There is no discussion of UFO phenomena or cases within this notice; its sole purpose is to inform subscribers of the publication's status.