OMNI

Magazine Overview

Title: OMNI
Issue: 52 (Volume 3)
Date: May 1981
Publisher: Omni Publications International Ltd.
Country: USA
Price: $2.00
Cover Headline: FIRST ENCOUNTER
Document Type: Magazine Issue

Article: FIRST ENCOUNTER

This article, written by E. Lee Speigel, details a significant and unusual meeting that recently took place at the United Nations concerning the UFO phenomenon. The meeting, which largely went unnoticed by the press, provided a platform for top UFO investigators to present their findings to a global body, aiming to lend credibility to their cause.

Key Figures and Their Testimonies

• J. Allen Hynek: A renowned astronomer who had waited thirty years for the opportunity to speak at the United Nations. Formerly a consultant to the US Air Force during Project Blue Book, Hynek was known as a chief scientific debunker of UFOs. However, he has since changed his opinion, stating, "Only in the face of stubborn facts and data have I been forced to change my opinion. There's no question that this is a very real phenomenon; any attempt to explain away UFOs as imagination or as natural events is, today, nonsense." He highlighted the global nature of UFO reports, citing evidence from 133 countries and accounts from credible sources such as radar experts, astronauts, pilots, government officials, and scientists.

• Jacques Vallee: A French astronomer-mathematician who addressed the UN Special Political Committee. Vallee focused on the social implications of UFOs and the necessity of determining their existence. He argued that the lack of serious, open-minded research has led witnesses to believe science is incapable of dealing with the subject, emphasizing the need for an open exchange of information.

• Gordon Cooper: A former astronaut and a key member of the UFO advisory group. Cooper believes the United Nations should establish a "top-level, coordinated program to collect and analyze data from all over the world and to determine how best to interface with these [UFO] visitors in friendly fashion." Cooper himself had several startling UFO encounters during the 1950s.

• Felix Zigel: A leading scientist at the Moscow Aviation Institute, who asserted the importance of discarding preconceived notions and organizing a calm, sensation-free, and strictly scientific study of the phenomenon on a global scale, stressing that international cooperation is vital.

The UN Meeting and Its Implications

The UN encounter was viewed by the serious group of investigators as an opportunity to lend credibility to UFO research. All statements made during the meeting were entered into the official UN record. The delegates were asked to study these statements closely. A consensus vote was taken on December 8, 1978, and the UFO matter is scheduled to be reexamined when the UN Committee for the Peaceful Uses of Outer Space convenes in June. The potential outcome of these deliberations could be the formation of a team of UN-sponsored investigators.

Visual Evidence and Case Examples

The article is accompanied by several photographs illustrating UFO sightings:

• A needle-like, rotating "black cloud" photographed near Alicante, Spain, against a cloudless Mediterranean sunset.
• A sequence of photos showing a small craft preparing to land.
• A symbol-embossed flying object photographed over Denmark on May 3, 1974.
• Dome-topped UFOs observed near Cordillera Mountain, Argentina.
• A famous UFO "formation" over the Capitol, which is noted as being thought by many to be a reflection in a camera lens.
• A similar formation over Canada that defies conventional explanation.
• A striking sequence from 1963, taken by a southwestern electrical engineer, showing a UFO hovering in a forest area and then turning on its side, a maneuver often reported worldwide.
• A sequence photographed in 1974 near St. Lorenzen, Austria, showing a dark object exiting what an analyst suggests is a vaporlike "exhaust."
• A tourist photo of hula girls in Honolulu that revealed a UFO in the background.

Expert Opinions on UFO Behavior and Intelligence

Former astronaut Gordon Cooper commented on the maneuverability of UFOs, stating, "I think we can navigate equally as well as they do, but we certainly don't have the sophisticated propulsion systems that they apparently have." Hynek also noted that UFOs "seem to be programmed in some way," implying some sort of intelligence.

Broader Impact

Jacques Vallee believes that "UFOs are heralding a major change in social belief patterns."

Recurring Themes and Editorial Stance

The magazine's stance, as presented in this issue, is one of serious consideration and advocacy for the scientific investigation of UFOs. The article highlights the shift in perspective of prominent figures like J. Allen Hynek, moving from skepticism to acceptance of the phenomenon's reality. The editorial emphasizes the global nature of UFO sightings, the credibility of witnesses, and the urgent need for organized, scientific research and international cooperation. The UN's involvement is presented as a crucial step towards legitimizing UFO studies and potentially understanding these phenomena and their implications for humanity.