1987 04 00 OMNI - Jerome Clark - Communion

Magazine Overview

Title: OMNI
Issue: 04
Volume: 9
Date: April 1987
Publisher: Omni Publications International Ltd.
Country: USA
Language: English
Price: $3.00

Cover Story: How to Control Your Dreams

The cover of the April 1987 issue of OMNI magazine prominently features the headline "HOW TO CONTROL YOUR DREAMS." The artwork depicts a close-up of a woman's face against a cosmic background with ethereal, aquatic-like creatures, suggesting a connection between consciousness, dreams, and the unknown.

Feature Articles and Plus Sections

Beyond the main cover story, the issue highlights several other significant articles:

• Automata: Creating Life by Computer: This article delves into the burgeoning field of artificial life and the potential for computers to generate or simulate living organisms.
• The Biology of Homosexuality: A scientific exploration into the biological underpinnings of sexual orientation.
• A Free, Foldout Voyager: This likely refers to a special insert or feature related to the Voyager space probes, possibly detailing their mission or discoveries.
• How to Win a Nobel Prize: Practical advice or insights into achieving the highest scientific or literary honors.
• Tips for Building Your Own Rocket: A guide for amateur rocketry enthusiasts.
• Fiction by William Burroughs: The inclusion of a literary work by the renowned experimental author.

UFO Update: Whitley Strieber's 'Communion'

A significant portion of the magazine, particularly the article titled "ANTI MATTER" and the "UFO UPDATE" section, focuses on Whitley Strieber and his controversial book "Communion: A True Story." The article presents Strieber, an acclaimed novelist known for best-selling works like "The Hunger," "The Wolfen," and "Warday," as a credible source for extraordinary claims.

Strieber recounts a traumatic event on the night of December 26, 1985, in a remote cabin in upstate New York. He describes being awakened by a strange noise, encountering a humanoid figure, and being taken into what he believes was the interior of a UFO, where he received a physical examination from humanoids. This experience, which he insists was not a dream, triggered a series of apparent memories of other similar encounters, including an alleged abduction by aliens in 1957 when he was twelve, and a period of "missing time" in 1968 while traveling in Europe.

Strieber asserts that his experiences have no conventional psychological explanation and suggests that the visitors were extraterrestrial, even if they were manifestations of his unconscious, they had a physical reality. To support his claims and prove his sanity, Strieber has undergone extensive testing, including psychological, neurological, and polygraph examinations.

Psychiatrist Donald Klein, director of research for the New York State Psychiatric Institute, is quoted stating that Strieber is not hallucinating and shows no signs of psychosis, anxiety, or personality disorders. However, science-fiction writer Orson Scott Card expresses skepticism, suggesting that the million-dollar advance for Strieber's book makes his sincerity questionable. Author Peter Straub, while calling Strieber "reliable," admits curiosity and notes that Strieber, as a novelist, possesses a vivid imagination that might have been provoked by his unconsciousness.

Strieber himself remains calm about the controversy, stating that his media friends know him to be honest and that he accepts the public scrutiny. He concludes by suggesting that only followers of "scientism" would dismiss the idea of extraterrestrial visitation as heresy.

Recurring Themes and Editorial Stance

The April 1987 issue of OMNI magazine continues its tradition of exploring the intersection of science, the future, and the unexplained. The editorial stance appears to be one of open inquiry, presenting controversial topics like alien visitation and the nature of consciousness (dreams, automata) alongside established scientific and literary pursuits. The magazine encourages readers to consider phenomena that challenge conventional understanding, particularly through the lens of personal testimony from credible figures like Whitley Strieber, while also acknowledging skepticism and the role of imagination in perception.