Notiziario UFO - 1984 01-02 - Vol 18 No 102 English abstracts

Magazine Overview

Title: NOTIZIARIO UFO
Issue: Vol. XVIII, Issue No. 102
Date: January-February 1984
Publisher: Centro Ufologico Nazionale (C.U.N.)
Country: Italia
Language: English abstracts

This issue of Notiziario UFO, the official journal of the Centro Ufologico Nazionale, presents a collection of articles and abstracts covering various aspects of ufology. The content ranges from critiques of contemporary ufological trends to detailed case studies and historical reviews.

Articles and Abstracts

THE "NEW WAVE" OF UFOLOGISTS By Pier Luigi Sani Sani expresses dissatisfaction with a perceived "new wave" of ufologists originating from France and Italy. He argues that these individuals are becoming excessively skeptical and are embracing a "myth of scientificity." According to Sani, this approach is merely an attempt to gain acceptance within academic circles, whereas he believes a more honest and unconditioned search for truth is what is truly needed in ufology.

A HUMANOID IN BASILIANO By Antonio Chiumiento This article details an encounter on December 25, 1978, where young guests at a family feast in Basiliano observed a strange individual peering in from a window. Upon investigation, they saw a human shape fleeing at an incredible speed. The report also mentions strange lights seen low above trees twice that night, and the following morning, odd footprints and a 10-meter ovoidal area of flattened grass were discovered.

FALSE TRACES IN THE PORDENONE AREA By Antonio Chiumiento Antonio Chiumiento also reports on two unusual ground traces found in the Pordenone area in early August 1983. One was a rectangular area (32.4 meters long and 1.7 meters wide) in Villotta di Chions, and the other was a roughly circular area in Cesena di Azzano Decimo. Both sites had burned corn plants and yielded plastic-like burned fragments. A chemical analysis indicated the cause, and three workers from a nearby furniture firm admitted to having set fire to 16 painted metallic frames to clean them.

UFOS AND BALL LIGHTNING By Corrado Malanga Malanga provides a brief review of cases described as UFO-like within the literature on ball lightning (B.L.). He disagrees with the assertion that UFO reports can be explained as ball lightning, primarily because the phenomenon of ball lightning itself is not well understood or documented.

UFOS IN THE PAST By Mario Cingolani This is the second part of a review focusing on miracle literature, specifically concerning the Holy House in Loreto, and its potential connection to UFO phenomena.

THE HILLS' CASE By Paolo Toselli Toselli offers a summary of the critical literature surrounding the well-known U.S. abduction case that occurred in 1961.

VISITING RETICULUS By Michel Bougard This piece is a translation from the Belgian publication "Inforesapce." It presents a defense of the "M. Fish' map," likely related to extraterrestrial or UFO-related cartography.

THE UFO IMPACT ON THE U.S. SPACE PROGRAM By James Mc Donald This article is noted as being the only still-unpublished paper by James Mc Donald in Italy. It was taken from an Argentinian magazine in 1969 and discusses the influence or impact of UFO phenomena on the U.S. space program.

DOUBLE-BREASTED UFONAUTS By Luigi Sorgno Described as a "tongue-in-cheek" piece, this article examines Close Encounter of the Third Kind (CE-III) reports, with a particular focus on the attire of the entities involved. The author comments on how the appearance of these entities seemed to conform to the cultural expectations of the witnesses.

TOWARDS AN HISTORIOGRAPHY OF UFOLOGY By Edoardo Russo Russo argues that the history of ufology is often reduced to a mere list of sightings or official involvements. He advocates for a more comprehensive and critical global analysis of the relationship between UFO phenomena and society, examining both macro-social (socio-ufology) and micro-social levels (reactions of scientists, journalists, ufologists, etc.). He emphasizes the importance of studying ufology's history, especially as ufologists themselves become part of the phenomenon's evolution. Russo provides two examples where an internal perspective is insufficient, requiring analysis of the external context: the release and subsequent denial of U.S. government UFO documents under different administrations, and the "silence conspiracy" myth, which has cultural roots and re-emerged in the 1950s, linked to political involvement.

"E.T. THE EXTRA-TERRESTRIAL... AND SOON IT'S A DESIRE FOR UFOs" By Paolo Fiorino Fiorino presents a sociological analysis of the implications of the movie "E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial." He examines the role of UFO and ETI (Extraterrestrial Intelligence) mythology in contemporary Western societies, particularly in light of the "ET-mania" that followed the film's release. The religious overtones of the movie are also discussed.

Editorial and Publication Information

All abstracts and translations in this issue were done by Edoardo Russo. The journal is copyrighted 1984 by Centro Ufologico Nazionale (C.U.N.), Italy. Reproduction of material is permitted provided the author, source, and C.U.N. address are cited. The new address for exchange publications is provided: C.U.N., Corso Vittorio E. 108, 10121 Torino, Italia.

Recurring Themes and Editorial Stance

The recurring themes in this issue include a critical examination of modern ufological approaches, the detailed analysis of specific sighting cases (humanoid, lights, physical traces), the historical context of UFO phenomena, and the sociological impact of UFOs in popular culture and media. The editorial stance, as suggested by Sani's article, appears to favor a pursuit of truth over strict adherence to conventional scientific methodologies, while also acknowledging the need for critical analysis and historical context in understanding ufology.