OMNI

Magazine Overview

Title: OMNI
Issue: October 1987 (Special Anniversary Issue)
Date: October 1987
Price: $3.00

This issue of OMNI magazine is a "Special Anniversary Issue" with a cover headline promising "16 Ways to Control Your Mind" and an invitation to "Test Your Psychic Abilities." The cover art features a stylized, futuristic mask with red lips, set against abstract geometric patterns, evoking themes of consciousness and the unknown.

Anti-Matter: UFO Update

The "Anti-Matter" section features an article titled "UFO Update" by Jenny Randles, which delves into the phenomenon of crop circles. The article begins by noting that since the summer of 1980, strange circular patterns have been appearing in the cereal fields of southern England. Initially, many people assumed these were created by giant spaceships, a notion that UFO researcher Ian Mrzyglod sought to investigate. Mrzyglod questioned this assumption, pointing out that no one had ever actually seen a spaceship creating the circles and suggesting simpler, terrestrial explanations, such as people creating them to attract tourists, citing Warminster as an example.

However, the phenomenon evolved. In 1982, three circles formed in a straight line at Cheesefoot Head near Winchester, and by 1984 and 1985, the patterns became more complex, forming quintuplets (a large central ring with four attendant circles). What began as a local curiosity quickly became international news.

To investigate further, geographical statistician and BUFORA (British UFO Research Association) investigator Paul Fuller undertook a major study. Fuller recounts an experience at Cheesefoot Head where, after measuring and photographing a circle, he and his colleagues left for only an hour, only to return and find a second circle had manifested. He states that no one saw it being created, making it difficult to accept the circles as a simple hoax.

Fuller collaborated with meteorologist Terence Meaden, editor of the Journal of Meteorology and a research scientist at the Tornado and Storm Research Organization. Together, they developed the "minivortexes" theory. They propose that these whirlwinds, forming in leas (fields) under specific conditions of crop, temperature (high), and geology, can cut highly intricate patterns. Meaden explains that the effect is swift and can occur at any time of day or night.

To test this hypothesis, BUFORA and the Storm Research Bureau surveyed 365 cereal farms in Hampshire during the winter of 1986-1987. Their findings indicated that the appearance of circles strongly coincided with the British whirlwind season (May to July). They also determined that the summer of 1983, which boasted more circles and whirlwinds than any other year, was Britain's hottest in three centuries.

Despite these findings, Fuller, Meaden, and BUFORA do not entirely rule out a hoax. The article mentions that in 1986, the words "WE ARE NOT ALONE" were carved out in giant letters by the circles at Cheesefoot Head. Fuller expresses doubt that the weather alone could be responsible for such an act, implying a human element in some cases.

Recurring Themes and Editorial Stance

The magazine's editorial stance, as suggested by the cover and the featured article, leans towards exploring unexplained phenomena, particularly those related to psychic abilities, mind control, and UFOs. The "Anti-Matter" section and the focus on crop circles indicate a willingness to investigate controversial or fringe topics, presenting scientific and anecdotal evidence while acknowledging the possibility of hoaxes and offering alternative explanations beyond simple extraterrestrial intervention. The anniversary issue suggests a long-standing commitment to covering these subjects.