Pegasus - Vol 04 No 3

Magazine Overview

Title: PEGASUS
Issue: Volume 4, #3
Date: June 23, 1995
Publisher: Surrey Investigation Group on Aerial Phenomena (SIGAP)

This issue of PEGASUS magazine, published by the Surrey Investigation Group on Aerial Phenomena, delves into various aspects of UFO phenomena, personal encounters, and scientific speculation. The cover features an illustration of Pegasus, the winged horse, a UFO graphic, and the price of £2.

Programmed Organic Androids?

This section opens with a quote from J. Allen Hynek's "The UFO Experience. A Scientific Enquiry" (1972), questioning the nature of humanoids and UFOs. It ponders whether reports of UFOs indicate a widespread 'sickness' or a manifestation of a parallel 'reality'. The section also includes a quote from Shakespeare, "There are more things in heaven and earth, Horatio Than are dreamt of in your philosophy".

Just An Ordinary American Family

This article recounts a personal experience from February 1991, where the author and an associate, while driving a moving truck from Melbourne, Florida, to Manchester, New Hampshire, witnessed a UFO. The object was described as a disk with blue lights and dropping red lights. The author's associate, Manny, also noted the clock showed no discontinuity. Following the sighting, the author experienced a period where spoons and forks in their silverware drawer became twisted or bent, a phenomenon they associate with the UFO sighting, though they admit the connection is unclear.

The author also shares childhood memories related to the paranormal. One memory involves seeing a figure resembling the Blessed Virgin in their room as a child, which their mother dismissed as a dream. Another memory involves seeing the Northern Lights, which the author did not see despite their sisters being captivated. A significant event described is the sighting of a 'flying saucer' in St. Augustine, Florida, where the author's sister Louise nearly ran into a jungle. The author also recounts sleepwalking experiences and a recurring terror of unseen intruders.

UFOs and Science

This essay by "SENEX" critically examines the shortcomings of various scientific explanations for UFO experiences, particularly the extraterrestrial (ET) hypothesis. The author argues that while UFOs and their occupants may be physically real, conventional science, especially physics involving relativity, struggles to provide a complete explanation. The essay highlights the challenges posed by relativistic mass and the variable interior size of UFOs, as well as the reported 'reality shift' and expanded consciousness during close encounters. The author expresses skepticism about technology alone being the key to understanding these phenomena, suggesting that the occupants might be encouraging the space travel explanation. The discussion section explores theoretical concepts like tachyons and reciprocal universes, ultimately concluding that purely scientific explanations often require invoking exotic properties that are themselves unsatisfactory.

CRI DU COEUR

This section features a letter from a young witness named Cecily, who is nearly thirteen years old and a boarder at the Sacred Heart School. She reports seeing three UFOs in November 1995 around 9:45 p.m. The objects had green, red, and white lights and appeared suddenly. They descended, circled, and then flew away at high speed, leaving an empty space where they had been. Cecily expresses distress that nobody at school believed her, and she is writing to the magazine for record purposes.

Autopsy Report # 1

This section presents a detailed autopsy report dated July 14, 1947, of an apparent alien creature. The cadaver was 44 inches long and weighed 27 pounds. It is described as a human embryo with an enlarged cranium, normal hands and feet, and vestigial webbing. The sexual organs were embryonic. The report notes evidence of surgical intervention on the ears and nose, and the eyes were almond-shaped with artificial lenses, leading to the decision not to dissect them. The dissection revealed a vertical heart consistent with a very early fetus, with a foramen ovale and ductus arteriosus. The circulatory system showed signs of surgical correction to detach it from placental dependence. The stomach was empty, and the cardiac orifice appeared atrophied. The liver was prominent. The lungs were undeveloped, and the larynx was somewhat cartilaginous. The cranium was formed of exceptionally thin cartilaginous material, and the brain showed an unknown cortex superimposed on the forebrain. The report concludes that the fetus was subjected to forced maturation without normal gestation, and its degree of functionality while living is unknown. The author of this section notes that the individual did not breathe and likely did not eat, with the means of sustaining life being unknown.

Recurring Themes and Editorial Stance

The recurring themes in this issue of PEGASUS revolve around the unexplained nature of UFO phenomena, the credibility of witnesses, and the limitations of scientific explanations. The magazine appears to provide a platform for personal accounts of sightings and encounters, alongside more analytical pieces that question established scientific paradigms. The editorial stance seems to be one of open inquiry, encouraging readers to consider phenomena that fall outside conventional understanding, as evidenced by the inclusion of the autopsy report and the critical examination of scientific theories. The magazine also highlights the emotional impact of these experiences on witnesses, particularly when they are disbelieved.

This issue of UFO Encounters, dated March 1995, delves into several key areas of UFOlogy and related phenomena. The main cover story addresses the controversial use of recovered memories in legal cases, particularly those involving alleged sexual abuse, and the potential for hypnosis to create false memories. Other articles explore different types of alleged alien beings, pilot testimonies of UFO sightings, and the development of a comprehensive UFO case database in Scandinavia.

Recovered Memory and False Memory Syndrome

The lead article, "Use of recovered memory in evidence raises controversy" by Jeremy Laurance and Francis Gibb, highlights the dangers of recovered memory syndrome, where patients in psychotherapy recall events, often of childhood sexual abuse, that may be false. The use of hypnosis in retrieving these memories is questioned, with examples of high-profile cases in America and Britain where accusations based on recovered memories led to legal proceedings. The article notes that while psychologists argue traumatic events can be suppressed, the British False Memory Society reports numerous families wrongly accused due to psychotherapy. A survey of psychologists found that while most believed recovered memories were mostly accurate, a significant minority suspected some were false, and one in five suspected their patients' recovered memories were false.

John Mack and Abduction Research

An examination of the work of Harvard professor John Mack and his research into alien abductions is presented. Mack's book, "Abduction - Human Encounters with Aliens," describes thirteen cases where individuals under hypnotic guidance recalled being abducted by aliens. While Mack's academic reputation lends credibility to the subject, some colleagues challenge his methodology, suggesting he may be misusing hypnotic techniques to shape memories to fit his vision of a hybrid race. Critics like Richard Ofshe and Dave Duclos express concerns about the emotional health of subjects and Mack's alleged bias against negative alien accounts. Conversely, many "experiencers" feel helped by his sessions. The article also touches upon debunkers like Donna Bassett, who claimed Mack's work was unscientific and that she faked her own abduction experience.

Alien Types and Descriptions

David House contributes an article, "Types of Alien," categorizing various alien beings allegedly interacting with humans. The primary categories include:

• Alien Type 1: The Greys: Described as greyish, with several sub-types. Grey Type A, from Zeta Reticuli, are characterized by large heads, black wrap-around eyes, limited facial features, and reproduce by cloning. They are seen as military-minded, focused on science and conquest, and potentially involved in altering human genetics to create a "mixture race." Grey Type B, from Orion, are taller (7-8 ft) with large noses, less vicious but influential through political means. Grey Type C are shorter (3.5 ft) and also hostile.
• Alien Type 2: The Reptilians: Genetically similar to reptiles, they are considered hostile and view humans as inferior. They are described as carnivorous and are allegedly preparing Earth for their arrival from a distant planetoid in the mid-90s.
• Alien Type 3: Human Type Aliens: These are genetically similar to humans. Type A are fair-skinned with blonde hair, allegedly abducted by Greys and trained as servants. Type B are from the Pleiades, described as highly evolved, spiritual, benevolent, and trusted by humans, though they have adopted a "hands off" approach. Type C are from Sirius, also highly evolved and spiritual, concerned about the Grey scenario. Other human-type aliens from Arcturus and Vega are also mentioned.

Pilot Testimonies and UFO Sightings

Graham Sheppard, a retired airline pilot with 13,000 flying hours, shares his experiences and insights on UFOs. He recounts a sighting over the Bay of Biscay of a bright object performing aerobatics, and a disc-shaped craft near Manchester travelling at high speed. He also describes seeing a large, round metallic object with black circles over Lake Michigan in 1981. Sheppard notes that pilots reporting UFOs in the past faced penalties, and that British Airways had no official policy on UFO sightings. He believes some unsolved aircraft losses could be due to pilots taking evasive action from UFOs.

Scandinavian UFO Database

An article details the development of a chronological database of over 12,000 Scandinavian UFO cases by AFU and UFO-Sweden. This extensive project, initiated in 1989, involves classifying cases based on data quality and includes phenomenological details, geographical markers, and other related phenomena like USO reports. The database is intended to provide a comprehensive view of the sociological UFO phenomenon in Sweden.

Notable Cases and Encounters

The issue also includes brief accounts of reported UFO abductions:

• Sheila: A social worker who reported seeing small, sliver beings in her bedroom and felt her energy was taken.
• Jerry: A housewife who recounted childhood and adult abductions, including medical tests and the removal of a foetus.
• Catherine: A music student who described being abducted, examined, and having a foetus with alien eyes removed.

Additionally, the book "Mötet i gläntan" (Encounter in the glade) by Clas Svahn and Gösta Carlsson is reviewed. It documents a 1946 Scandinavian UFO case involving a landed "space-ship" and its crew, with Gösta Carlsson being the experiencer. The review highlights the detailed investigation but questions the lack of satisfactory original documentation for alleged alien artifacts.

Recurring Themes and Editorial Stance

The recurring themes in this issue revolve around the challenges of validating UFO phenomena, the psychological aspects of memory and belief, and the classification of alleged extraterrestrial entities. The editorial stance appears to be one of open inquiry into these subjects, presenting various perspectives from researchers, experiencers, and skeptics, while also acknowledging the difficulties in obtaining concrete, scientifically verifiable proof. The magazine seems to lean towards exploring alternative explanations beyond conventional science, particularly in the context of subtle energy and multi-world theories, while critically examining the methodologies used in UFO research and abduction studies.