The Paraufologist Vol 1 No 1

Magazine Overview

Title: The PARAUFOLOGIST
Issue: VOLUME ONE, WHOLE NUMBER ONE, NUMBER ONE
Date: November, 1970
Publisher: Allen H. Greenfield
Country: USA
Language: English

This inaugural issue of The Paraufologist, published by Allen H. Greenfield, marks the beginning of a new publication focused on UFOs and related phenomena. The magazine's address is listed as 2875 Sequoyah Drive NW, Atlanta, Georgia 30327 USA. It is noted that The Paraufologist is not available through commercial subscription but is offered on a free mailing list. The issue features an editorial, book reviews, and discussions on various UFO-related topics and historical cases.

Editorial: Decline and Fall, Tra-La

The lead editorial, "DECLINE AND FALL, TRA-LA: AN EDITORIAL," by Allen H. Greenfield, addresses two main points: the concept of alternate realities and the current state of UFOlogy. Greenfield posits that UFOlogy might be in a significant decline, questioning if there's a law dictating its continuation. He suggests that factors like the Condon Report, the closure of Project Bluebook, and the manned lunar landings might have contributed to this decline, but cautions against accepting these as the sole reasons. He likens UFology's public perception to a "Davy Crockett hat," implying it's a passing fad. Greenfield proposes that UFOlogy might be inherently cyclical, requiring significant attention to achieve serious results. He calls for private UFologists to consider their response to this situation, posing the question of whether to simply give up or to find new approaches.

He suggests seeking a small, realistic research grant, possibly from private enterprise, to fund preliminary studies. This grant would ideally go to scientific personnel, not just UFO organizations, to investigate promising areas of UFO research and determine funding needs. He proposes that a joint, conservative letter from interested scientists could be a valuable tool in securing such a grant, and private UFologists could assist by reaching out to scientists worldwide to sign it.

Greenfield also advocates for a shift away from worrying about "respectability," suggesting that the field is already outside the mainstream and that researchers can "dig in and really try to dig out the truth about saucers, whatever that may be."

Meanwhile, Back on the Twenty Yard Line

This section compiles several news items and observations:

• Lightning Incidents: Several reports detail fatal lightning strikes. An item from the Atlanta Constitution (September 4, 1970) mentions a man killed and three injured by lightning at a soccer game in Ilkeston, England, on September 2nd. Another report (September 9, 1970) details three lightning-caused deaths in Ohio on September 8th, including two high school football players, and a construction worker in Columbus. A separate incident on September 7th involved two high school football players killed by lightning in St. Petersburg, Florida. The magazine notes that soccer is synonymous with football in Britain.
• Scientific Sauceritis Review: An article mentions Earl Whitney, a UFO witness who had described strange experiences, was killed by lightning while on a golf course on June 3rd. The review quotes John Keel on the topic of lightning, noting that unusual incidents can occur even on clear days and that Keel considered Whitney's case significant because it happened on a Wednesday. A lightning study project was established in Socorro, New Mexico.
• Connection to UFOlogy: The Ilkeston incident also occurred on a Wednesday, mirroring Whitney's case. The St. Petersburg and Ohio incidents did not occur on a Wednesday. Columbus is noted as the location of the 1970 Congress of Scientific UFOlogists.
• NICAP's The UFO Evidence: The publication is cited for its comments on physical evidence of UFOs, including ground markings, and physiological effects on observers, suggesting a relationship between electromagnetic effects and physiological responses.
• Snippy Case: Lightning is mentioned as a suggested factor in the Snippy case.

But 'witch' way is the wind blowing?

This section discusses an article in True magazine (October 1970) by Max Gunther about contemporary witchcraft. Timothy Green Beckley hypothesizes a large number of active witches in New York and Los Angeles. The author notes a personal reason to suspect active witchery in Atlanta and jokingly asks if anyone is ready to set up an inquisition.

Book Reviews: The Current Status of Psychic Research and the World of Science

This section features reviews of two books:

• SCIENCE LOOKS AT ESP by Henry W. Pierce (Signet): Reviewed as a conservative yet interesting work by a young science writer with a psychology background. Pierce frames the search for a psychic factor as a search for something beyond the biological in humans, suggesting a potential for spirituality. The book, copyrighted in 1970, is considered a relatively up-to-date survey of parapsychology. It details experiments with alleged astral projection by Dr. Charles Tart and alleged "healer" Oskar Estebany by Dr. Bernard Grad, as well as spontaneous phenomena.
• A PSYCHIATRIST LOOKS AT ESP by Berthold E. Schwarz (Signet): Dr. Schwarz, an M.D. with credentials in parapsychology and UFO-related material, is reviewed. The book is divided into three sections, each focusing on an individual involved with alleged psychic phenomena. Two individuals are unnamed pseudonyms, while the third is dowser Henry Gross. The reviewer notes that while studying individuals with psychic abilities or those affected by them could reveal common factors, a study of only three individuals might lack statistical authority. The reviewer points out a potential shift in orientation in the middle section, focusing on a "victim" of phenomena rather than the psychic. The reviewer suggests that while the books are readable and cover their subjects well, they lack indexes and Schwarz's work could benefit from cross-references.

Both books are approximately 150 pages long. The reviewer contrasts the attention given to parapsychology by orthodox science with the lack of acceptance for UFology, stating that parapsychology is at least in the "closet" while UFology hasn't even made it into the "house."

The reviewer questions whether UFology's case is as strong as parapsychology's, noting that while UFology has a mass of spontaneous field data, it faces challenges with laboratory experimentation, perhaps even more so than parapsychology. The difficulty of replicating UFO sightings in a lab setting is highlighted.

Publication Addresses

A list of various UFO-related publications and their editors/addresses is provided, including:

• COS-MOS (Norman Oliver)
• FLYING SAUCER DIGEST (U.A.P.A.)
• BUFORA JOURNAL (Mrs. A. Harcourt)
• SCIENTIFIC SAUCERITIS REVIEW (Brent Raynes)
• FLYING SAUCERS (Amherst, Wisconsin)
• FLYING SAUCER REVIEW
• THE KANSAS NEWSLETTER (U.F.O. Research Associates, Inc.)
• UFO CHRONOLOG (Joseph M. Erhardt)
• UNKNOWN (Paul Doerr)

It is recommended to address editors by name when possible.

A Suggestion for a Crash-Course in the UFO Problem

This section suggests a five-book course for laymen interested in the UFO problem to provide a "bridge" to understanding advanced concepts. The recommended books, to be read in order, are:

1. The Report on Unidentified Flying Objects by Edward J. Ruppelt
2. Anatomy of a Phenomenon by Jacques Vallee
3. The Interrupted Journey by John G. Fuller
4. Passport to Magonia by Jacques Vallee
5. UFOs Operation Trojan Horse by John A. Keel

Readers are encouraged to report experimental results to the editor.

Rumbles from Ohio

This section reports on shifts in the UFOlogist community in Cleveland, Ohio, which has hosted the first Congress of Scientific UFOlogists in 1964 and is scheduled to host it again in 1971. Ronald J. Pelger is now the publisher of "phenomenology," formerly edited by Allan J. Manak. Rick R. Hilberg is associated with Manak and no longer serves as editor of "UFO Magazine."

Inner Space: A new publication, "Inner Space," is introduced, with its first issue dated November 1970, featuring interviews with Isaac Bashevis Singer and Isaac Asimov.

Historical Aerial Phenomena (1930s and 1890s): The issue references articles in England's Flying Saucer Review by John A. Keel concerning unusual airplanes reported in the 1930s and airship reports from 1896-97. The author expresses skepticism about unconventional origins for these phenomena, questioning whether they exhibited technological abilities beyond the state of the art for their respective periods and if alternative conventional explanations are sufficient. Consultation with aviation experts is suggested.

Disappearing Balloon Crew: A UPI report from the Orlando Sentinel (September 25, 1970) details the disappearance of a three-member balloon crew attempting to travel from Long Island to Europe. Their last message indicated the balloon was falling into the water.

Hurricane Hunter Loss: An article from the Jacksonville Times-Union and Journal (September 27, 1970) discusses the loss of a Hurricane Hunter aircraft during Hurricane Janet on September 26, 1955. The Navy hypothesized the aircraft was destroyed by the storm. This was the only plane loss for Hurricane Hunters during such operations.

More Lightning Incidents: The section revisits the topic of lightning fatalities, citing a Cleveland Press report (September 24, 1970) about the death of a Zanesville high school football player, Lee Vinsel, killed by lightning on September 23rd. Another youth, Rodelio Garcia, was also killed by lightning at Greenford, Ohio, on the same day. The magazine notes a pattern of football-connected lightning deaths in September and raises the question of whether lightning can be induced by outside manipulations, referencing experiments being conducted with rockets at Cape Kennedy.

New Publication: A publication titled "Science and the UFO" has been released by the National Amateur Astronomers, Inc., featuring discussions by McDonald, Hynek, Saunders, Salisbury, Harder, and Sprinkle, edited by Ken Steinmetz.

Recurring Themes and Editorial Stance

The recurring themes in this issue include the perceived decline and challenges facing the UFO field, the relationship between UFOlogy and more established scientific disciplines like parapsychology, and the examination of historical aerial phenomena. The editorial stance, as expressed by Allen H. Greenfield, is one of critical inquiry, urging researchers to move beyond concerns of respectability and to pursue truth rigorously, even if it means challenging conventional thinking. There is also an emphasis on the importance of scientific investigation and the potential for interdisciplinary connections, as seen in the discussion of psychic research and the suggested reading list.