1981 07 00 OMNI - Oberg - UFO Hoaxes

Magazine Overview

Title: UFO UPDATE
Issue: May 1980
Volume: 1
Publisher: OMNI
Country: USA
Language: English
Price: $2.00

This issue of UFO UPDATE, edited by James Oberg, focuses on the pervasive issue of hoaxes within the UFO phenomenon and the critical importance of investigative rigor. It highlights how the 'will to believe' can lead even experienced investigators to be duped by fabricated evidence, often due to a lack of critical thinking and a failure to notice obvious inconsistencies.

The Problem of Hoaxes in UFO Investigations

The article begins by emphasizing that the question of hoaxes is crucial for assessing the adequacy of UFO investigations and the susceptibility of investigators to manipulation. It posits that only by fully appreciating these lessons can serious UFO investigators avoid being perceived as willingly or unwillingly victimized.

David I. Simpson's Controlled Experiment

Physicist David I. Simpson engineered a series of 'UFO controlled experiment' hoaxes. His goal was to compare known details of fabricated UFO stimuli with the statements of investigators and to leave clues that could suggest practical solutions. These hoaxes were designed with substantial inconsistencies intended to allow any moderately critical investigator to cast strong suspicion on their authenticity.

One experiment, conducted on March 28, 1970, near Warminster, Wiltshire, involved a purple spotlight flashed on a hill and a phony 'magnetic detector' alarm. An accomplice with a camera preloaded with images of UFOs (some taken a year earlier, showing different backgrounds) made exposures. The photographed direction and appearance of the 'UFO' were deliberately made to contradict what observers actually saw. Despite these measures, the photographs were studied by top UFO experts in Europe for two months and declared 'genuine beyond all reasonable doubt' by Charles Bowen, editor of Flying Saucer Review. Ufologist Dr. Pierre Guerin, director of research at the French National Center for Scientific Research, initially stated there was 'no question that the object photographed was the result of faking,' but later, eyewitness accounts described the UFO with specific details, including a crimson light and a ruby-red halo, with angular diameter estimates that were significantly erroneous.

Simpson's critique of this investigation, which continued for two and a half years before he revealed the hoax, was severe. He stated that the investigative incompetence was typical, with individuals abandoning their mental disciplines and common sense. He concluded that if subtle evidence of extraterrestrial visitation exists, it is unlikely to be discovered by a typical ufologist.

Tom Monteleone's Lanulos Hoax

Another significant hoax involved Tom Monteleone, a college student who, on a whim, decided to claim he had been taken to the planet Lanulos by UFO occupants during a radio call-in show. He deliberately corroborated and embellished the story of the 'contactee,' Woodrow Derenberger, with details that contradicted Derenberger's own account. This fabrication gained traction, with UFO publicist Harold Salkin, UFO writer Timothy Green Beckley, and UFO author John Keel all taking the story seriously. Keel even called it 'one of the most puzzling contact stories in my files,' despite Monteleone's admission that Keel's published accounts were distorted. Monteleone even underwent a hypnosis session to fake a trance.

Ironically, when Monteleone's hoax was eventually revealed in Fate magazine, he was blamed for the confusion, with author Karl Pflock suggesting that such false leads absorbed valuable resources of serious researchers. This narrative appeared to absolve the gullible investigators of responsibility. Some reactions were amusing; Harold Salkin refused to believe the confession, and John Keel, upset by the implications for his reputation, threatened a lawsuit.

Beckley and the National Lampoon Spoof

Timothy Green Beckley, in his tabloid UFO Review, published an article titled "Erotic Encounters of the Very Close Kind," which claimed sexual contact between humans and UFO occupants. The source for this story was a 1978 satirical publication, the Sunday Newspaper Parody, written by the National Lampoon. Beckley, or his staff, altered details, including the name of the victim, to make the story appear more credible. Houston spaceflight expert Robert Nichols identified the source, revealing that the entire account was a fictional spoof, not a documented event.

The 'Fogl Flying Saucer' Pictures

A classic UFO photographic hoax involved the 'Fogl flying saucer' pictures, taken in December 1957. These photos were embraced by magazines and UFO experts, with Ray Palmer declaring them authentic. In 1966, one photo was presented in Life magazine. Fogl eventually revealed that the UFOs were faked using a small model hung on a wire, stating he wanted to show how people could make fools of themselves and that many people made a racket of the UFO business with phony books and faked pictures.

The Alexander Hamilton Airship Hoax

Another example of a hoax that originated from a distance in space or time was the story of Alexander Hamilton of Yates Center, Kansas, in 1897. Hamilton reported a cigar-shaped airship flown by humanoids that hovered over his farm and captured a calf. The story, vouched for by five local citizens, spread globally and was considered a well-documented 'close encounter of the third kind.' It was later revealed that Hamilton and the citizens had organized a local Liars Club, and the entire account was a joke that was taken seriously by the outside world. Associate editor Jerry Clark of Fate magazine revealed this as 'the biggest hoax ever known in UFO history.'

The San Joaquin Valley Hoax

The January 1980 issue of UFO Journal reported on a case involving a twenty-six-year-old security guard who claimed to have encountered aliens in the San Joaquin Valley. The investigator, who was kept anonymous, was impressed by the witness's sincerity and honesty. However, the witness later confessed to the hoax, explaining his motive was a desire for attention and to feel important, stating, 'All my life I had been a nobody, unimportant.... I wanted to be important.' The investigator noted that his 'adequate insight' into hoaxes involved something other than factual evidence.

Genesis-III Productions and Skeptical Scrutiny

The article notes that not all hoaxes are universally swallowed. Monteleone's space trip to Lanulos was dismissed by many 'nuts and bolts' UFO buffs. However, sophisticated photoanalytical techniques used by groups like Ground Saucer Watch and GEPAN are now employed. The issue of hoaxes was highlighted when Genesis-III Productions' photo book UFOs: Contact from the Pleiades was denounced by major UFO groups and leading investigators as a money-making fraud, despite the company's denial.

The Battle Lines Between Skeptics and Believers

UFO skeptics, like aviation journalist Philip J. Klass, go further, alleging that many classic UFO encounters and photographs are hoaxes. They argue that the reliability of many UFO witnesses is questionable due to past exaggeration or deception. Conversely, UFO believers often downplay or cover up such behavior to maintain the credibility of their chosen cases. The article points out that half of the 'best UFO cases' of the 1970s, as judged by a panel for the National Enquirer, are considered hoaxes by independent research.

Challenges and Usefulness of Hoaxes

Suggesting a UFO case is a hoax presents delicate problems, including potential libel lawsuits from witnesses. Without a confession, proving a hoax is extremely difficult. Skeptics face countercharges of 'character assassination.' Despite these challenges, the patterns in UFO hoaxes can be useful. Successful hoaxes, like Monteleone's and Simpson's, help calibrate UFO research reliability. The San Joaquin hoax, as reported in UFO Journal, instructs serious investigators in caution and humility. The article concludes that the claim that all unsolved UFO cases are hoaxes is unsubstantiated, as is the claim that the hoax problem is under control.

Music Section

This section, continuing from page 27, discusses Muzak, a company that provides functional music for various environments like offices, travel areas, and industrial settings. Muzak uses computer-programmed music, often composed by well-known musicians, to create specific stimulus factors for workers. The company offers different programs tailored to various environments and has transitioned to satellite distribution for its services. The article touches on the psychological and physiological effects of music and mentions an unusual request from a whorehouse in Stuttgart for a 'Light Industrial Program.'

Recurring Themes and Editorial Stance

The recurring theme throughout the article is the critical examination of UFO reports and the pervasive nature of hoaxes. The editorial stance is one of advocating for rigorous investigation, critical thinking, and a healthy dose of skepticism to discern genuine phenomena from fabricated ones. The magazine highlights the 'will to believe' as a significant factor that can lead to credulity and the acceptance of hoaxes, underscoring the need for investigators to maintain their mental disciplines and common sense. The article implicitly supports the skeptical viewpoint that many UFO claims are not what they appear to be, while also acknowledging that not all unexplained cases are necessarily hoaxes.