OVNI - 1993 07 - July

Magazine Overview

Title: OVNI
Issue: July
Volume: 1993
Publisher: Phenomenon Research Association (PRA)
Country: United Kingdom
Language: English
Cover Headline: Doug & Dave Prove Their Point?

This issue of OVNI magazine, dated July 1993, focuses heavily on the ongoing debate surrounding crop circles and UFO sightings, featuring contributions from various researchers and eyewitnesses.

Crop Circles: Hoaxes and Genuine Phenomena

The lead article, "Doug & Dave Prove Their Point?", addresses the opening of the new crop circle season, which is described as a "damp squib." Veteran researcher Busty Taylor expresses skepticism, believing that less than 1% of the circles found so far are genuine, with many appearing alongside the M25 motorway. Pat Delgado also voices doubts about the crop circles he has seen. The article notes internal turmoil within the Centre for Crop Circle Studies (CCCS), with Michael Green no longer chairman and Montague Keen being a potential successor. Colin Andrews was reportedly approached for the chairman position but declined.

Doug Bower, one half of the "Doug and Dave" duo famous for hoaxing crop circles, has set himself up as a "raconteur" of these events, arranging lectures. Their claim that they manufactured the majority of crop circles in recent years is presented as difficult to disprove, especially since they stated that no more would appear after they stopped. The newsletter mentions a specific crop circle event near Melbourne, Derbyshire, which uniquely featured a white scarecrow in its centre. Mike Newark, who spoke on dowsing and crop circles, has supplied a list of sites with his comments, which is reprinted in the newsletter. The PRA maintains its view that simpler crop circles, seen for over a hundred years, are the result of natural phenomena, while the more complex "pictograms" suggest an intelligence has been involved.

Page 3 details an evening event with Doug Bower, focusing on his and Dave's "circle-hoaxing fame." It outlines what attendees would hear and see, including how Bower started making circles in 1976, the types of designs created (Quintuplets, Rings, Swastikas, Pictograms), and the "secret" of the Radial Swirl pattern. Two lecture dates are advertised: Wednesday, July 28th, at The Nafferton Hall in Marlborough, Wilts., and Wednesday, August 4th, at Neal's Yard Meeting Rooms in Covent Garden, London. The events include a display of photographs and equipment from 7 pm, with discussion from 7:30 pm to 10:00 pm, costing £5 at the door. Doug Bower was to demonstrate his hoaxing equipment, such as the Crosspiece, Tripods, Measuring Sticks, and the "Stick-and-Rein." Attendees were invited to question Doug and decide for themselves if the subject was a hoax or if Doug was a "Government Secret Agent trained to lie." The article notes that Doug and Dave admit they "often were listening in on our discussions" when people thought they had figured out their methods.

Page 4 features an article by Mike Newark titled "Crop Circles in 1993." Newark recounts his visit South in early July to examine the year's circles. He considers two circles in oilseed rape near the A34 south of Oxford to be genuine, while two nearby pictograms were hoaxed. He describes one hoax pictogram with a double circle and shaft, noting its lack of "Earth energies," unlike the genuine oilseed rape circle which had Ley lines. Another hoax pictogram, west of junction 13 on the M4, featured a lower ring instead of a circle. Newark expresses disappointment that these pictograms were hoaxed, finding them aesthetically pleasing. He also examined two "dumbell" circles northeast of Silbury Hill, which he detected as hoaxes. However, he highlights a "small ring and offset circle" south of Silbury Hill as his "circle of the year," believing it perfectly represents the Earth energies emanating from Silbury Hill, depicting power lines and the offset nature of the hill's energy. Newark feels this discovery validates his work on Earth energies and his predictions, stating he is still learning and refining his methods.

Page 5 includes photographs related to crop circle investigations. One photo, taken by Tony Upton from Silbury Hill on June 20th, 1993, shows crop marks. Another photo, taken by O. Fowler on June 30th, 1993, shows a field of barley southwest of Melbourne, Derbyshire, with a scarecrow visible in the centre.

"Norway News": UFOs on Television and Public Response

Translated by Eileen Fletcher, the "Norway News" section reports on a Channel 1 entertainment program called "Svepet" that aired on March 23rd, 1989, focusing on UFOs. The program featured interviews with Sten Lindgen, Daniel Glantz, and Bertil Kuhleman, as well as Professor of Astronomy Aage Sandquist. This broadcast was significant as it was the first time Lindgen and Glantz publicly discussed their claimed contact with "space beings." Viewers were invited to call in with their own UFO incidents, and according to newspapers, over 12,000 people telephoned the studio in one hour. Orjan Oberg explained that he compiled the registered numbers, acknowledging that some individuals might have called multiple times. An editorial note questions the logistics of handling so many calls. Hakan Blonquist reports on the event, describing a "gigantic craft" and noting that only about 100 callers out of the 12,000 managed to speak with the telephonist. Approximately 70 shorter accounts were recorded, and some callers did not wish to provide their details. These accounts were divided among 22 researchers for written reports.

A woman from Nybro recounts an experience from the night of November 18th-19th, 1987, around 2:30 am. While travelling between Kalmar and Nybro, she and two friends saw a strange, bright light. Described as a "gigantic craft" of enormous size, it had very bright, blinding lights and emitted sparks and smoke. The object appeared to hover, then lifted, moved across the water, and changed course. The witness felt under control, but her friend was scared.

Page 7 continues with more telephoned accounts. One group reported seeing oval, round, cigar-shaped, and flying saucer objects. Another account describes a large round object about 75 meters in circumference with "footlights" that made no noise. A witness also reported signalling a lighted object with a torch that hummed, was metallic, and approximately 100-200 meters in diameter, which flew off at high speed. Twenty letters were sent to the TV program, including reports of "near contacts," "astral journeys," and contact with "space beings."

Specific examples from these letters include:

1. An individual who, after a UFO observation in Goteborg in 1985, had an astral journey to Halden, Norway, in 1891, witnessing an officer being hunted and shot. The writer wonders if this event can be confirmed.
2. An experience during student days in Uppsala around 1977, where two couples saw three dimly lit objects flying fast in a triangular formation. The objects moved from left to right, high in the sky, with great speed and no sound. The two trailing objects moved closer to the lead one, resuming their original positions. The objects were described as similar in size, thicker in the middle, and narrower at the edges. A friend on radar duty at the local airport reported nothing special.
3. Eva Karlsson from Kista relates an incident in August 1984 around 11 pm in Jakobsberg. While reversing her car, she saw a bright light to the right. The object, described as a swaying flat disc shining straight out from its underside, flew away at high speed. Her friends' dogs were barking intensely during the sighting.

The editor notes that due to space limitations, more cases could not be included.

Current Investigations: Abduction and Close Encounter

Page 8 details "Current Investigations" undertaken by the PRA at the request of Jenny Randles, who was contacted by people after appearing on TV's "This Morning."

Case 1 involves a Nottinghamshire woman identified as "S.P.," who claims several strange experiences, including possible abduction and contactee encounters. In an interview with Garry Stapleton and Omar Fowler, "S.P." recounted waking up at night during an encounter with "alien types" at her home and being unable to wake her parents. This is noted as typical of "out of the body" (O.O.B.) experiences. Her experiences date back to when she was nineteen, and she is currently being investigated by the Mansfield UFO Group, who have arranged for her hypnotic regression. The PRA has agreed to let the Mansfield group continue the investigation, but expresses concern that the hypnotist involved may not be experienced in the CE4 (Close Encounter of the Fourth Kind) field, deeming it a sensitive area. A more detailed report on Mrs. "S.P." is promised for the next issue of OVNI.

Case 2 describes an encounter by a Derby woman, Mrs. M.H., and her family in February 1987 near Macclesfield. While driving back from a wedding reception around 12:30-1:00 am, they noticed a very bright star. The object moved and headed towards their car, stopping just ahead of it, appearing "house high." It was described as circular, like stainless steel, with coloured lights (red/white/bluey-green) and a reddish glow from the underside. The witnesses heard no sound. The object, estimated to be 100 feet in diameter, was later reported in a newspaper to have hovered over a police station in Macclesfield, with police also reporting coloured lights and railings. Mrs. M.H. is certain it was the same object that approached their car, noting it didn't resemble an aeroplane or helicopter.

Page 9 continues the account of Mrs. M.H.'s sighting. The disc initially headed towards the car, then tilted, revealing a "row of windows" and "railings" around its circumference. The underside showed coloured lights and a reddish glow. The object then tilted back and disappeared quickly. Mrs. M.H. contacted local airports, but the matter seemed to end there until the newspaper report. She is certain the object over the police station was the same one that approached her car. When questioned about the journey time, Mrs. M.H. noted that while it didn't seem longer, they arrived home at 2:20 am instead of the expected 1:00 am, suggesting they might have stopped on the way back. Regarding previous sightings, Mrs. M.H. recalls seeing a cigar-shaped craft as a child, a memory confirmed by her mother who stated Mrs. M.H. was twelve years old at the time. Further investigations are ongoing.

Page 10 provides diagrams illustrating Mrs. M.H.'s sighting. The first diagram shows the object when first seen as a "brilliant star." The second diagram depicts the "Objects initial approach (Top View)" as a silver ring with "Railings." The third diagram shows the craft turned to reveal its underside, detailing "Railings," "Portholes," "Coloured Lights (Red/White/Bluey Green)," and a "Red 'Glow'."

Recurring Themes and Editorial Stance

The recurring themes in this issue are the ongoing debate between genuine UFO/crop circle phenomena and hoaxes, the role of intelligence in crop circle formation, and the reporting of personal UFO encounters and alleged abductions. The Phenomenon Research Association (PRA) appears to maintain a distinction between natural phenomena (for simpler crop circles) and intelligent design (for pictograms). The magazine also highlights the public's engagement with UFO topics, as evidenced by the high volume of calls to the Norwegian TV program. The editorial stance seems to be one of open investigation into reported phenomena while maintaining a critical eye towards potential hoaxes and the need for experienced investigators in sensitive cases like alleged abductions.

"Aura-Z" is a new magazine published in Moscow, with the first issue dated March 1993. It is published quarterly in Russian, English, Spanish, French, and Italian. The magazine covers a diverse range of topics including UFOLOGY, BIOENERGOINFORMATICS (Laws of the spiritual world), DOWSING, CRYPTOZOOLOGY (Bigfoot etc.), MEDICINE, FURTHER EXPERIMENTS (Visual hallucinations), SCIENCE, and KNOW-HOW.

Editorial Introduction

The Scientific Editor, Alexander Avshalumov, introduces the first issue with an editorial that acknowledges Russia's economic hardships while emphasizing the country's enduring scientific potential and the global recognition of Russian scholars' achievements.

UFOLOGY Section

The UFOLOGY section delves into the work of early Russian researchers from the 1960s, aiming to break the USSR's "wall of silence" on the subject. It reports on typical aircraft encounters, substituting Western aircraft like the Boeing 747 with Russian models such as the TU 134A. A specific incident describes a UFO shooting a scanning ray at an aircraft, which reportedly affected First Pilot Gotsiridze and partially Second Pilot Kabachnikov. Days later, Gotsiridze died of a disease resembling myeloma, and Kabachnikov was left an invalid. The section also notes that Joseph Stalin, in 1947, requested a report on UFOs to assess potential threats to the USSR, indicating that concerns about UFOs were not exclusive to NATO countries.

Military Encounters and Photographs

The magazine presents reports from KGB archives detailing various military encounters with UFOs. It includes several photographs, described as being of poor quality. One series of three photographs from the spring of 1990 shows an IL-96-300 plane, with alleged "UFO balls" visible. The author of the "News from Russia" section humorously likens these to photographic artifacts from their own darkroom processing.

The military reports are highlighted as evidence that UFOs are interested in military activities worldwide, adding to a growing body of such accounts.

Tale Enders

The "Tale Enders" section comprises a collection of shorter, miscellaneous items:

• Paul Foster and Eddie Sherwood: Reports that Paul Foster has gone to Wiltshire, where Eddie Sherwood is investigating strange nighttime occurrences.
• Arthur Tomlinson and Fortean Times: An article by Andy Roberts in "Fortean Times" No. 64 (Aug/Sept 92) is mentioned, which poked fun at Arthur Tomlinson's appearance on the "Clive Anderson Talks Back" TV show. Tomlinson's description of "Grays" as "little bald headed people" led to a humorous protest from Clive Anderson, who claimed he wasn't one.
• Des' Harrison and Chakra Awareness: Thanks are given to Des' Harrison for providing a chart on "Chakra" points on the body, referencing the "Chakra Awareness Guide," a topic that has been a puzzle since listening to David Icke the previous year.
• Omar Fowler and BBC Radio Derby: Omar Fowler participated in a twenty-minute chat show on BBC Radio Derby on June 28th. The show featured a caller who claimed the new Jesus was alive and well in Hackney and that all UFOs originated from Venus.
• Timothy Good and PRA Group: Timothy Good's latest book, "Alien Update," has led to an increase in inquiries about the PRA group's activities.
• Earth Changes Report and Earthquakes: The "Earth Changes Report" is discussed in relation to its earthquake predictions. An earthquake of magnitude 6.8 in Japan occurred, which the report had predicted for no later than May 9th, 1993. Pat Delgado is quoted suggesting that frequent predictions will eventually be correct.
• Flight 19 and SKY TV: SKY TV's "Unsolved Mysteries" featured research into the missing Avenger aircraft of "Flight 19" (related to the Bermuda Triangle Mystery). The theory that the single experienced navigator made a calculation error is considered likely. It is noted that an old Avenger was discovered by underwater craft searching for shuttle debris, precisely where an American researcher had predicted.
• Omar Fowler's Presentation: Omar Fowler is scheduled to give a presentation at the CCCS Conference in Bath, Wilts., on August 7th-8th, focusing on H/F research conducted by the PRA, titled "Crop Circles, The Final Solution?"

Closing Note

Due to the holiday season, there will be no meeting this month. The next issue will be awaited with interest to see what further information is revealed from behind the former "Iron Curtain."

Recurring Themes and Editorial Stance

The magazine appears to adopt a stance of reporting on a wide array of unexplained phenomena, with a particular focus on UFOs and related topics, including military encounters and historical investigations. The editorial tone is generally open to exploring these subjects, as evidenced by the inclusion of diverse reports and the mention of various researchers and organizations. There is also a tendency towards a slightly skeptical or humorous commentary, as seen in the author's remarks on the UFO photographs and the "Tale Enders" section. The magazine seems to aim at informing its readers about developments in these fields, particularly those originating from Russia, while also touching upon broader paranormal and fringe science topics.