Phenomenon Times - 2008 08

Magazine Overview

Title: The Phenomenon Times
Issue Date: August 2008
Publisher: UFO & Paranormal Research Society of Australia
Type: Bimonthly Journal

This issue of The Phenomenon Times, the bimonthly journal of the UFO & Paranormal Research Society of Australia, presents a comprehensive look at the society's activities and ongoing research into UFOs and paranormal phenomena. The journal is presented in a new, more professional format, aiming to elevate its appearance and content.

President's Report

Attila Kaldy, President of the UFO-PRSA, welcomes readers to the new format of the journal. He addresses the recent media attention surrounding Apollo 14 astronaut Edgar Mitchell's disclosure statement about government involvement in UFOs, noting that the media is now taking such claims more seriously. Kaldy critiques the media's reliance on unqualified sources, such as Barry Williams of the Australian Skeptics Society, to counter credible witnesses like Mitchell. The report also announces the annual AGM, where Kellie Pataky has been nominated as the new treasurer. Additionally, plans are underway for a mini-conference in Gosford towards the end of the year, chosen for its high reported UFO activity.

Vice President's Report

Larraine Cilia, Vice President, greets readers and notes that the society is entering its ninth year since its formation in August 2000. She confirms the committee positions remain largely unchanged after the AGM, with Attila Kaldy as President, herself as Vice President, Dominic McNamara as Secretary, and Kellie Pataky as Treasurer. Cilia highlights recent society activities, including a night watch, an investigation at the Kenmore facility, and involvement in two media releases. She reiterates the media's increased interest in the UFO phenomenon following Edgar Mitchell's statements, which led to the Telegraph republishing sighting reports from the UFO Society's website and resulted in numerous interview requests, including one for Attila Kaldy.

Investigator Profile: Dominic McNamara

This section profiles Dominic McNamara, a former Chairperson of AURA (Australian UFO Research Association) and originally from Adelaide, South Australia. McNamara was instrumental in the 'Disclosure Australia' project, which focused on the discovery and public availability of government documents related to UFO topics. This project, spanning nearly four years and funded by private donations, resulted in the discovery of approximately 1500 case reports before its official closure, with only yearly updates and website maintenance remaining tasks. McNamara relocated to Sydney in 2006. He now holds the Secretary position and serves as the technical inquisitor for the UFO-PRSA group. His recent experimental work includes developing low-light CCD modules for infrared lenses to enhance image contrast and low-light visibility at a reduced cost. McNamara expresses a personal drive to solve riddles, particularly those that appear stranger than fiction, and commits to reporting only quantifiable and inexplicable data.

Kenmore Hospital Investigation

This detailed report chronicles an investigation conducted by the UFO-PRSA at the abandoned Kenmore Hospital, a large 19th-century psychiatric asylum located southwest of Sydney. The team, including Attila Kaldy, Frank, Michelle, and others, set up a base station in a ward known for reported paranormal activity such as phantom footsteps and self-operating doors. The investigation involved exploring various buildings, including the Administration Block, which had a history of reported hauntings and suicides. During the investigation, Attila Kaldy reported making contact with the spirit of Robert Earls, a former patient who passed over in 1936, and received impressions of his past experiences. Kellie Pataky also reported picking up on patients and experiencing sensations of restraint and screaming. The team experimented with capturing Electronic Voice Phenomena (EVP) using different types of white, brown, and pink noise generated by an audio program, aiming to eliminate interference from regular radio stations. Despite these efforts, no anomalies were discovered in the audio recordings. The investigation also involved using an experimental Black and White CCD camera with an infrared lens. During the night, several unusual events occurred, including cameras turning off by themselves, a battery draining unexpectedly, and a loud door slam from an upstairs dormitory that neither group present could explain. The report concludes that while no definitive evidence was captured, the investigation provided valuable experience and highlighted the persistent mysteries surrounding such locations.

Dom's Corner: Breakthrough Propulsion Physics

This section delves into the theoretical work of Nikola Tesla, exploring his ideas on energy sources beyond Earth's atmosphere and wireless power transmission. It discusses Tesla's concept of a levitating machine, described as a craft with an asymmetrical capacitive discharge of plates resembling an upturned saucer, capable of becoming 'lighter than air'. The article draws parallels between Tesla's designs and modern flying machines, as well as his descriptions of craft shapes that bear striking similarity to T.T. Brown's discs from the 1950s. The piece highlights the current relevance of Tesla coils in electronic devices and their unique properties, such as transmitting energy without wires and producing heat and light. It mentions Tesla's devices capable of producing 200-foot lightning bolts and transmitting energy over 25 miles. The article suggests that many individuals claiming to have reverse-engineered 'downed craft' have alluded to technologies similar to those developed by Tesla.

Recurring Themes and Editorial Stance

The recurring themes in this issue revolve around paranormal investigation, UFO disclosure, and the exploration of fringe science and technology. The UFO-PRSA positions itself as a credible research organization, emphasizing empirical data and scientific inquiry, while also acknowledging the unexplained aspects of reported phenomena. The editorial stance appears to be one of open-minded skepticism, encouraging rigorous investigation and the pursuit of verifiable evidence. There is a clear interest in government secrecy related to UFOs and a fascination with pioneering scientific theories, particularly those of Nikola Tesla, which are presented as potentially relevant to understanding advanced technologies, including those associated with UFOs.

Title: RACE
Issue: 11
Issue Date: Spring of 2001 (Specific date for Hinchinbrook sighting is approximately 5:50pm, Spring of 2001. The Sydney sighting is August 1st, 3:39 am. The Wollongong sighting is June 1st, 2008, 12:54 am. Alice Springs is June 16th, 2006, 4:50 am. Bega is June 30th, 2008. Kalgoorlie is 1981.)
Publisher: RACE (Research of Australian Close Encounters)
Country: Australia
Document Type: Magazine Issue

Content Summary

This issue of RACE magazine focuses on recent reports of unusual aerial phenomena, particularly on the central coast of Australia. Local newspapers had featured low-resolution images of silver spheres captured on security cameras, prompting an investigation by the RACE team. However, the team's survey of the region found no unusual documented activities.

Witness Accounts:

Sydney - Hills District:
A witness reported waking up at 3:39 am on August 1st and seeing an object that initially appeared to be a plane but was not flying. She then noticed a second object to its right, followed by lights appearing between them. The objects exhibited a darting movement and hovered, which the witness described as bizarre. Her husband, initially skeptical, confirmed it was not a plane. The witness also observed what appeared to be shooting stars and red independent lights emanating from a larger object. She watched for about 45 minutes, fully awake.

Hinchinbrook (Western Sydney):
In Spring of 2001, around 5:50 pm, a witness and a friend were walking towards their house when they saw what they agreed was a UFO. It moved slowly over the roof of the house, at approximately half the speed of local aircraft. They recognized it as a well-documented triangle UFO, similar to those seen at US bases and in Belgium. The craft had a black triangle shape with three non-flashing white lights in each corner and a large pulsating white light in the middle. They watched it for about 5 minutes as it traveled out of sight towards the old Hoxton Park airfield. The witness's relative is described as closed-minded and struggles to believe what he saw.

Alice Springs:
On June 16th, 2006, at 4:50 am, while camping at a caravan park south of Alice Springs, the witness noticed two very bright white lights traveling from the south. These lights came over a ridge, and the witness, recognizing the location relative to Pine Gap, shouted to a friend. The witness managed to take photos of what appeared to be two round metallic spheres.

Bega:
On June 30th, 2008, a witness cleaning a lounge room window noticed a large silver round object in the sky. The object was making no sound and appeared to be moving very slowly or stationary. The witness went outside for a better look but could not find it, and upon returning to the window, the object was no longer visible. This sighting occurred between 11 am and 12 am.

Kalgoorlie, WA (1981):
During a family holiday, approximately 27 years prior to the report, while heading towards Leonora, the witness's father pointed out a satellite. A star-sized light then caught up to the satellite and followed it for a couple of minutes before rapidly accelerating away in the opposite direction, disappearing in about 2 seconds.

Wollongong:
On June 1st, 2008, at 12:54 am, a witness (referred to as G) saw a brilliantly lit object hovering silently behind a large tree (approximately 20m high and 10m wide). For about 7 to 8 seconds, the witness observed dispersed, reddish-pinkish lights that did not appear constant. As the object receded, it was described as a 'massive ship' that zigzagged. The object was further described as 'like a grey lump in the middle of the light with a ball on the top'. The witness's wife was present and saw the object as it was leaving. The entire sighting lasted 7 to 8 seconds before the object was lost to the horizon.

Recurring Themes and Editorial Stance

The recurring theme in this issue is the reporting of unexplained aerial phenomena across various locations in Australia. The magazine presents multiple witness accounts, detailing sightings of objects with unusual shapes, lights, and flight characteristics. The editorial stance appears to be one of documenting these phenomena and presenting witness testimonies, while also noting that direct investigation by the RACE team did not yield conclusive evidence of unusual activity. The inclusion of photographic evidence from Alice Springs and the detailed descriptions of craft shapes and lights suggest an interest in the physical characteristics and behaviors of reported UFOs.