Northern UFO Network Case Summaries - No 4

Magazine Overview

This issue of NORTHERN UFO NETWORK, number four, dated September 1982, focuses on the extraordinary case of Paul Bennett, a psychic contactee, and also discusses organizational developments within the ufology community in the UK.

Case Histories: Protected by Angels? More on Paul Bennett; psychic contactee

The article delves into the extensive and peculiar experiences of Paul Bennett, who began seeing UFOs and other phenomena at the age of 13 in 1977. Nigel Watson, known for tackling high-strangeness cases, investigated Bennett's claims. Northern UFO News had previously reported on some of Bennett's sightings, including an object over a stone circle on Ilkley Moor that allegedly resulted in an electric shock.

Paul Bennett compiled his notes into several books, presenting a fascinating picture of sightings in an active UFO zone in Britain. Nigel Watson's investigation, lodged in the UFOIN files, was complex, leading to a summarized report titled 'Anatomy of a Percipient' published in MUFOB. This summary detailed encounters such as a 1975 meeting with a robot that scooped earth, a 1976 encounter with a two-foot tall being with a 'squashed tomato' head, various ghost sightings, and a December 1977 meeting with a being named 'Sigma' described as an angel with folded wings and an astronaut's helmet.

Nigel Watson's opinion was that Paul Bennett might be creating his own reality, influenced by his upbringing. However, the case is considered highly fascinating. The author notes parallels between Paul and the Sunderland children, referencing this in 'Alien Contact' using Nigel's unpublished notes.

Paul Bennett is now 19, has moved from the area, but maintains his interest in the subject. He has also befriended Nigel Mortimer, who investigates UFO events in West Yorkshire. The article promises further reports from Paul Bennett detailing his most fantastic claims since the MUFOB articles, including his views on the paranormal.

The Experience Where Paul Bennett Believes His Life Was Saved by a UFO

Paul Bennett, until the age of 9 in 1972, had no interest in the paranormal or UFOs, explaining away unusual sightings as natural or man-made. However, his life changed dramatically after his first encounter on May 13, 1972, when he witnessed a glowing, flying 'white disc-like object'. He states, "I haven't been the same since." He developed a new way of thinking and began searching for truths, believing that the UFO phenomenon has a deep awareness of him.

Prior to August 1, 1978, Paul experienced days of insecurity, bewilderment, anxiety, and worry, feeling an ominous sense of impending doom. He suddenly understood these feelings as 'visions of death', believing he would face his own death in the future. This led him to become a recluse, seeking security within his home.

On August 21, 1978, a group of over twenty teenagers camping near Paul's home witnessed a 'celestial circus' of lights moving erratically in the sky, defying physics before vanishing. Paul interpreted this sighting as a dreadful omen of his impending death.

The 'Black Bird of Prey' and a Three-Day Disappearance

On the evening of August 22, 1978, while playing with friends, Paul saw an unusual cloud low in the east, described by a friend as a 'bird of prey'. Paul recognized it as a 'black bird of prey', a symbol often connected with death in folklore. This sighting proved to be the last of the evening for him.

Paul's eyes flickered open to strange surroundings, with faint visions of others lying in beds. He felt drawn into a pitch-black void, unaware that three days of his life had disappeared, and it was now August 25, 1982. He was found back with his family, fully recovered, though the ordeal and its cause remained a mystery.

The Bicycle Accident and Near-Death Experience

It is revealed that on the Tuesday evening of his disappearance, Paul's bicycle chain came off, causing him to be catapulted into the air and sustain a severe impact with a tree. He lay in a coma, with doctors not optimistic about his survival. During this unconscious state, Paul recalls moving through a void of darkness, feeling happy and desiring to stay there, far from earthly worries.

He had a thought, "Where am I? Where am I going?" and perceived a faint light in the distance. He felt he was dead and propelling himself towards this light. However, he was 'thwarted' and dragged back into reality. He believes this light represented God and that he was saved from death.

Physically, Paul was in critical condition, with a fractured skull that required extensive repair and significant blood loss. Doctors considered his recovery miraculous. Paul attributes this not to luck but to an external force saving him. The only lasting consequence he notes is deafness in his left ear, which he accepts as a substitute for the death he believes he escaped.

UFO Sighting Over Hospital and Yorkshire Records

Paul's recovery was so rapid that hospital staff were amazed. He claims to have lost all fear of death. In early September 1978, he visited a friend, David Lawson, who shared press cuttings. One cutting reported an orange-shaped UFO sighted directly above the hospital where Paul had been admitted in Bradford on Thursday, August 24, 1978 – the day before his spontaneous recovery.

Paul found this sighting incredibly significant, believing the connection to his recovery and the earlier warnings was too strong to be a coincidence. He felt "Somebody or something, somewhere, wanted for some reason to keep me alive!"

During his eleven-day hospital stay, Paul discovered a major, short-duration UFO flap in Yorkshire records, particularly between September 1 and 3, 1978.

Family Poltergeist Effects and a Light-Hearted Outlook

During the period of his death premonitions, mild poltergeist effects were noted by Paul's family, including the twisting of a photograph. These effects were often observed at his grandmother's home.

Despite the profound and incredible experiences, Paul maintains a light-hearted perspective. He humorously describes the beginning of his story as a "head-butting session with that flippin' Elm tree!" and jokingly suggests calling in the 'special branch' to investigate.

Conclusions

The author, Nigel Mortimer, ponders how to summarize such a fantastic story, acknowledging the temptation to attribute it to childish imagination but noting that this becomes harder as Paul Bennett ages. Mortimer references Paul's 1978 letter to the Daily Express UFO Bureau expressing his ambition to be a UFO investigator, questioning if this motivated exaggeration.

More recently, Paul has become interested in earth mysteries, tumuli, and circles. Mortimer suggests that the area where Paul resided might be conducive to extraordinary events, possibly linked to the 'extraordinary person' Paul is. He draws a parallel with the Sunderland children and suggests the need for comparative study.

Mortimer poses a question to brave researchers: if Paul Bennett is creating his own reality, would they be interested in conducting experiments similar to those performed by psychiatrist Dr. Morton Schatzman on 'Ruth'?

Editorial Notes and Organizational Developments

Jenny Randles, writing from Birchwood, Cheshire, addresses colleagues regarding the upcoming 100th issue of NORTHERN UFO NEWS in February 1983 and NUFON's ninth birthday. She notes the significant changes in ufology over the past nine years, with tighter investigation standards, ethical codes, and resource centers. She also mentions international congresses and the development of the International Committee for UFO Research.

Randles highlights a BBC-2 HORIZON documentary that suggested a lack of serious ufology in the UK, deeming this untrue but prompting a discussion on how NUFON can adapt and prove this perception wrong.

She proposes a discussion document for NUFON to change with the times. The Midlands societies have united under the name 'UFO RESEARCH MIDLANDS'. A similar system has been successful in Australia, where UFO RESEARCH SOUTH AUSTRALIA gained access to Royal Australian Air Force files.

Randles' proposal is to align NUFON and NORTHERN UFO NEWS with the eighties by creating 'UFO RESEARCH NORTH' and forging a direct understanding with 'UFO RESEARCH MIDLANDS'. The goal is to coordinate activities and principles, with the hope that 'UFO RESEARCH SOUTH' will link southern groups, all coordinated through BUFORA's National Investigations Committee (effectively UFO RESEARCH BRITAIN).

At this stage, the focus is on creating 'UFO RESEARCH NORTH' from NUFON and its alliance with 'UFO RESEARCH MIDLANDS'. Northern groups in NUFON are invited to 'sign up' for 'UFO RESEARCH NORTH'. Individual members, especially in non-group areas, are also welcome. Groups like MIGAP, MUFORA, and NLUFOIG are encouraged to participate, using their local names internally but adopting the corporate name and image of 'UFO RESEARCH NORTH' for promotion. This aims to create homogeneity and overcome the fragmentation of numerous small groups.

'UFO RESEARCH NORTH' would be run by a committee of two representatives from each group, possibly with elected individual member representatives, to determine policy while allowing discretion to individual groups. The focus would be on investigation and joint research through mutually defined 'working parties'.

Regarding NORTHERN UFO NEWS, it is planned to be litho-printed to a higher standard from January 1983, becoming an enlarged bi-monthly publication. This improved quality is expected to encourage sales via membership. The subscription rate will remain £4.20 for six 14-page issues (including CASE HISTORIES). A special 1983 deal is offered: if a subscriber persuades a friend (not currently subscribing) to subscribe for 1983, both will receive issues for £3 each. The aim is to boost sales, with profits reinvested into larger issues.

Recurring Themes and Editorial Stance

The recurring themes in this issue are the detailed investigation of unusual and high-strangeness cases, exemplified by Paul Bennett's experiences, and the ongoing evolution and organization of ufology in the United Kingdom. The editorial stance, as conveyed by Jenny Randles, is one of adaptation and modernization, urging ufological organizations to adopt more rigorous standards and a unified approach to meet contemporary challenges and counter skepticism. There is a clear emphasis on in-depth investigation, scientific respect, and a proactive stance in presenting the subject matter.