Phenomenon Times - 2009 09

Magazine Overview

Title: The Phenomenon Times
Issue Date: September 2009
Publisher: UFO & Paranormal Research Society of Australia
Type: Bimonthly Journal

This issue of The Phenomenon Times, published by the UFO & Paranormal Research Society of Australia, focuses on investigator profiles, paranormal encounters, and UFO-related news. The cover prominently features an "INVESTIGATOR PROFILE" of Darren Terry, alongside the magazine's title and the publication date.

President's Report

Larraine Cilia, the President, opens the issue with a report detailing recent society activities. She mentions an approaching journalist interested in accompanying an investigation to raise public awareness and transparency about the society's work. The UFO website has been rebuilt, and the society's involvement in a radio interview on local station C91.3 Macarthur First Radio is highlighted, with a link provided for the archived interview. A recent night watch in the Morisset area is described, which, despite being conducted from a cliff-top lookout, yielded no significant sightings other than the moon. The group also inspected an abandoned hospital facility for potential paranormal follow-up. Cilia announces the acquisition of Public Liability insurance to enable organized group night watches for members, encouraging interested individuals to provide their contact details. The report also touches upon the worldwide interest generated by the British MOD's release of UK UFO files, including reports of a large triangular craft and near misses with airliners, concluding with the sentiment that "the truth is out there."

The next meeting is scheduled for Wednesday, October 14th.

Vice President's Report

Kellie Pataky, the Vice President, reports on the team's busy schedule of investigating properties and conducting night watches. An expedition to the north coast to source a property for investigation is mentioned, though access was not immediately granted. A night watch conducted near The Entrance offered coastal and inland views but was somewhat disrupted by locals and cars. Pataky notes that the coming months will be busy with a yearly expedition and further night watches and paranormal investigations. She also mentions an upcoming trip to Victoria and looks forward to feedback on the series "The Challenge S2."

Investigator Profile: Darren Terry

This section introduces Darren Terry as a field investigator for RACE (Research of Australian Close Encounters) and Division 2. His involvement began in 2006 with local public meetings, leading to an investigation at "The Manor" and his official invitation to join the UFO and Paranormal teams. Terry has participated in night watches and an expedition to Hill End, developing a passion for capturing UFO and paranormal activity on video. He believes he has developed psychic abilities and considers himself a "sensitive." Terry's interest in the occult started in his teens, leading him to study astrology and unexplained mysteries, which prompted him to question his Roman Catholic upbringing and embrace Paganism. In his early twenties, his focus shifted to religious history, Holy Grail mysteries, and secret societies, leading him to join Freemasonry and achieve the Master Mason degree in 2007. His aim is to integrate these interests with the group's research. Due to work commitments, Terry will be conducting solo night watches and investigations across NSW to expand the team's UFO and Paranormal encounter database.

Eerie Encounters

This personal account details an unsettling experience in 1997 at a bus stop in Canberra. The narrator, working late in a university computer lab, waited for the last bus. Two young men approached and stood on either side of the narrator, exhibiting strange, silent behavior. The narrator experienced a sense of dread and a vivid 'flashback' of loved ones. The encounter ended abruptly when the bus arrived unusually early. Later, the narrator recognized the mug shots of the two men from a newspaper report about a murder case, suggesting a connection to the event.

Personal Account: Grandmother's Ashes

This narrative recounts a peculiar incident following the narrator's grandmother's cremation. Years after her death, the narrator's mother moved her grandfather's ashes to be with his wife's. The mother kept this a secret until her father (the narrator's grandfather) appeared in the narrator's father's dream, expressing thanks for the action. This event is presented as evidence of a spiritual or paranormal connection, suggesting that the grandfather's spirit communicated his gratitude through a dream to someone unaware of the event.

Crop Circle News

By Larraine Cilia, this section reports on a significant crop circle formation that appeared in Wiltshire, UK. The design, which began on June 21st, was added to twice, with the latest addition on June 28th resembling ancient hieroglyphics or a Mayan message. This formation, covering 1500ft, is described as the biggest of 2009. The initial part of the design, appearing on June 21st at Milk Hill, was a 'sextant' style, with a second addition on June 23rd.

Hill End 2009

Authored by Attila Kaldy, this article details an expedition to Hill End in April 2009. The expedition began with setting up camp and testing equipment. The first night watch observed deep sky objects through a telescope. During the day, the terrain was explored. At nightfall, while positioned in a clearing, the group witnessed intense flashes of light, initially attributed to meteorites. This was followed by an eerie silence and the perception of heavy footsteps approaching. Darren and Kaldy investigated but found no one. The article describes seeing a "black figure" drifting forward from a tree, resembling a previous encounter in 2003. Further disturbances were heard, and the group experienced a period of missing time, returning to base camp much later than expected. The article discusses possible explanations, including suggestion, mass hallucination, and the difficulty of accepting inexplicable events, particularly the synchronized experience of multiple individuals and the gliding movement of the figures.

Recurring Themes and Editorial Stance

The recurring themes in this issue revolve around the investigation of unexplained phenomena, including UFO sightings, paranormal activity, and crop circles. The magazine adopts a stance of open inquiry, presenting personal accounts and research findings while acknowledging the challenges in explaining such events. There is an emphasis on the importance of evidence, investigation, and the pursuit of truth, as suggested by the quote about "the truth is out there." The society's commitment to transparency and member safety is also evident. The editorial tone encourages readers to consider the possibility of phenomena beyond conventional understanding and highlights the ongoing efforts of the UFO & Paranormal Research Society of Australia to explore these mysteries.

This issue of RACE (Research of Australian Close Encounters) magazine, dated May 2009, focuses on "SIGHTING REPORTS" from various locations in Australia. The publication appears to be a newsletter or journal dedicated to documenting and analyzing unexplained aerial phenomena (UAP) and close encounters.

Sighting Reports

Bateman's Bay, 1990

The issue details a report from Cheri, a 33-year-old woman from Parramatta, who recalled an incident from her teenage years in Bateman's Bay. While horse-riding with a friend at 11 am, they heard a humming noise and saw an object described as "as big as a house with lights going around it" rise from behind trees. Their horses became agitated, and the girls experienced a period of lost time, finding themselves much further down the track and facing the wrong direction. They were due home at 11:30 am but it was now 1:30 pm. Cheri's horse was reportedly affected for two weeks, and her friend refuses to discuss the incident.

Blue Mountains, 2007

Another report describes an encounter in the Blue Mountains in 2007. The witness was at a client's house around 5:30 pm when they noticed a bright light above a signal tower. The light then lifted off the tower, appearing to be about 20 meters above it. The witness initially thought it might be a chopper but found its movement too smooth. The situation escalated with the rapid formation of an electrical storm. The light then became intensely bright, dimmed to a pin light, and repeated this cycle three times. During the third dimming, a "thunderless bolt of lightning" seemed to descend from the clouds and touch the tower top, remaining fixed for several seconds. After this, the light ascended westward on an arc, and another light descended from the clouds. The two lights met, and the first ascended at high speed, followed by the second.

Wagga Wagga, 22nd May, 2009

Victor, living on a farm near Wagga Wagga, reported a sighting on May 22nd, 2009, at 9:30 pm. While checking a water pump, he noticed a red and white flashing light moving in tight circular motions towards him from the direction of Wagga. The light, which he observed for about 5 minutes, was so bright it hurt his eyes. It moved slowly towards him, circling tightly in a North Easterly direction before drifting east and disappearing. Victor experienced a persistent dark pulsating in his vision after the light vanished. He heard no sound and could not discern any structure, ruling out conventional aircraft. Notably, after the object disappeared, Victor's TV displayed a static pulsating at the same frequency as the object for about 10 minutes. He contacted the RAAF Base, who denied any craft in the air. The following day, a neighbor corroborated experiencing the same TV static effect.

Mount Warning, 10th June, 2009

This report details a sighting on June 10th, 2009, at Byrrill Ck in Northern NSW, near the Queensland border. The witness, along with five others (a visiting friend, two local friends, and two neighbors), observed a red and blue pulsating object stationary in the sky for approximately 45 minutes. The witness was able to photograph the object, taking 57 photos, some of which were described as fuzzy balls of light, while others were clearer. The object eventually faded or dimmed before going out like a light. The witness stated it was not a setting star or planet and expressed familiarity with the night sky. The location is described as isolated, with only forest, bush, grazing land, mountains, and stars visible.

Additional Observations

One section of the magazine discusses the phenomenon of time dilation, where time seems to pass without notice when one is preoccupied. The author recounts an experience with Darren where they were conscious of their absence from a group, and a peculiar incident where 50 minutes seemed to pass while walking only 50 metres. The conclusion is that the events were abnormal and not a product of mass hallucination, leaving the case inconclusive.

Recurring Themes and Editorial Stance

The recurring themes in this issue are the direct testimony of witnesses to unexplained aerial phenomena, the detailed descriptions of object characteristics (lights, movement, size), and the associated unusual effects such as time dilation and electromagnetic interference. The magazine's stance, as indicated by the "RACE" acronym and the detailed reporting, is to document and investigate these encounters seriously, presenting them as abnormal events that warrant further study, rather than dismissing them as misidentifications or hallucinations.