OMNI

Magazine Overview

Title: OMNI
Issue: October 1990
Volume: Special Twelfth Anniversary Issue
Date: October 1990
Publisher: OMNI
Country: United States
Language: English
Price: $3.50

This issue of OMNI magazine, marking its twelfth anniversary, features a prominent cover story on "SEX: The Rational, The Bizarre and the Uncertain Future of Gender." The cover art is a surreal and thought-provoking image combining human features with mechanical elements.

Antimatter: UFO Update

The "Antimatter" section provides an update on UFO sightings, focusing on reports from South Africa, Zimbabwe, Malawi, and Mozambique. The article highlights the work of Cynthia Hind, publisher of UFO Afrinews, a 48-page publication based in Harare, Zimbabwe. Hind, who has been investigating UFOs since 1968, notes that the best sightings are in South Africa, though government responses are limited. She also observes a rise in UFO reports from educated populations in Zimbabwe since independence in 1980, who can now distinguish between mysterious objects and celestial bodies.

The article discusses the unique challenges of UFO research in Africa, where cultural beliefs and superstition often lead to sightings being interpreted as witchcraft or ancestral spirits. Hind recounts an incident where a young boy's sighting of a circular object was dismissed by his father, a doctor, as a mere reflection. Another example involves witnesses describing silver-suited beings as "the ghosts of my ancestors," indicating a lack of familiarity with the extraterrestrial hypothesis.

To navigate these cultural barriers and enhance the credibility of her work, Hind collaborates with a team of professionals, including a doctor, psychiatrist, geologist, and psychologist, and employs young Africans for interviews. Her investigative efforts have gained recognition in the United States, with Walt Andrus, international director of the Mutual UFO Network (MUFON), acknowledging Hind as his group's continental coordinator for Africa. Hind has presented her findings at several MUFON symposia.

UFO Afrinews is available annually for $4 from Cynthia Hind at Box MP49, Mount Pleasant, Harare, Zimbabwe.

Themes and Editorial Stance

The magazine's primary focus in this issue, as indicated by the cover, is the exploration of gender and sexuality, examining both rational and bizarre aspects, and contemplating its future. The inclusion of the UFO update suggests a broader interest in the unexplained and the fringes of scientific understanding, a common characteristic of OMNI magazine. The editorial stance appears to be one of open inquiry into complex and often controversial subjects, encouraging readers to consider diverse perspectives on science, society, and the unknown.