REALL News - Vol 06 No 02 - 1998

Magazine Overview

Title: The REALL News
Issue: Volume 6 Issue 2
Date: February 1998
Theme: A REALL Special 5th Anniversary Issue

This issue of The REALL News features an article by Martin Kottmeyer titled "A Plastic Phenomenon," which explores the evolving nature of the UFO phenomenon over the past half-century. The magazine's cover highlights this special anniversary issue with a quote from James Randi: "It's a very dangerous thing to believe in nonsense."

A Plastic Phenomenon by Martin Kottmeyer

The central thesis of Kottmeyer's article is that the UFO phenomenon is not static but rather a "plastic medium" that has been dynamically reshaped by the beliefs, fears, and cultural context of the societies that have observed it. He argues against the notion of a stable, unchanging UFO presence, asserting that its characteristics have demonstrably changed over the last 50 years.

Early UFOs vs. Modern UFOs

Kottmeyer begins by contrasting the early decades of UFO controversy with the present. In the early days, UFOlogists like Donald Keyhoe and Coral Lorenzen believed the phenomenon was evolving through stages, becoming more visible, bolder, and dangerous, potentially leading to a mass landing. This view has since shifted to a sensibility of the UFO phenomenon as a stable, unchanging presence. David Jacobs is cited as a leading proponent of this stable view, arguing that its consistency poses a paradox for skeptics.

However, Kottmeyer contends that even those who don't subscribe to a literal "nuts and bolts" interpretation often view UFOlogy as a static collection of beliefs. He attributes this partly to the language used, such as "objects" and "phenomenon," which promote a static image, whereas the reality might be dynamic and ephemeral. He suggests that reminding ourselves of how UFOs have changed is a necessary corrective.

The 1947 Wave: A Different Portrait

To illustrate this evolution, Kottmeyer uses Ted Bloecher's "Report on the UFO Wave of 1947" as a starting point. The 853 cases from this wave present a starkly different picture from later reports.

• Shape: In 1947, 71% of reported objects matched the "flying saucer" description unambiguously (circular, disc-like, pancake, plate, platter, wheel). An additional 11% were described as "round." By the Sixties, disc-shaped reports dropped to 26% (according to NICAP and John Keel), and by 1987-1990, Paul Ferrughelli found this category to be below 20%. This shift is partly attributed to the adoption of the term "unidentified flying objects" (UFOs), which allows for a wider range of interpretations, including distant points of light.
• Multiple Objects: 44% of 1947 reports involved multiple objects, often in formation. This figure decreased to 24% by 1971 (Thomas Olsen) and a mere 5.5% by 1988 (Ferrughelli).
• Speed and Behavior: High speed was a dominant characteristic in 1947 (53% of reports), whereas by 1971, it was down to 41% (Olsen), and by 1986, only 22% (Ferrughelli). Conversely, hovering went from a rarity (3% in 1947) to the dominant flight characteristic (49%) in later reports.
• Maneuvers: The 1947 reports described a wide range of acrobatic maneuvers, suggesting a more dynamic and perhaps less sedate phenomenon than is often reported today.
• Time of Day: The 1947 sightings showed a different temporal distribution compared to later reports, with more sightings during daytime hours (9 a.m. to 5 p.m.) and a secondary peak at 3 p.m., differing from the minima and maxima observed in later data sets like Jacques Vallee's "Law of Time."

The Influence of Kenneth Arnold and Cultural Context

Kottmeyer links the characteristics of the 1947 wave to the initial news story about Kenneth Arnold's sighting. The AP report described nine bright saucer-like objects flying at 1,200 m.p.h. in formation. Notably, Arnold himself did not initially speculate about extraterrestrial origins, leaning towards the idea of a secret U.S. weapon or Soviet device. This early framing influenced public perception.

A Gallup poll shortly after the 1947 wave indicated no belief in extraterrestrial flying saucers. The idea of alien involvement appeared in predominantly comic tones. Bloecher found only two reports where the sighter explicitly believed the saucers were alien. Crucially, the 1947 reports lacked details common in later accounts, such as lasers, paralysis rays, levitation, dematerialization, robots, space-suited entities, or observation ports with strange eyes. Cars did not stall out, and animal reactions were attributed to barn-storming maneuvers rather than spooky forces.

Aviation Parallels and Early Alien Speculation

Conversely, many details in the 1947 reports pointed to contemporary aviation. Propellers, jet pipes, cockpits, glass domes, fins, legs, and antennae were described. Smoke, vapor trails, and rocket flames were common. The "saucer shape" itself was noted as a slight variation of a recently publicized plane called the Flying Flapjack.

While Bloecher found no entity accounts in his 1947 report, later works on close encounters did include some, such as a pilot in a Navy uniform. The idea of saucers as secret weapons persisted into the early Fifties, even as UFOlogists and contactees promoted the extraterrestrial hypothesis. Reports continued with earthly details, like the Spitzbergen crash story mentioning Russian symbols and jets.

Evolution of Alien Encounters and Fears

Kottmeyer traces the evolution of alien descriptions and the themes associated with them:

• Human Pilots: Reports of encounters with human pilots, consistent with earthly origins (Navy officers, oxygen masks, white coveralls), occurred from the Fifties into the Sixties. By the Eighties, such reports ceased, with human figures then being regarded as alien employees or deceptions.
• Early Alien Tropes: Fringe material emerged early on, playing with the idea of alien involvement. Stories included telepathic journeys to "astral planes," encounters with "rulers of creation," and diminutive pilots with large heads. These early accounts, though thin, foreshadowed later themes like the connection to nuclear fears, the command of great power, and specific physical descriptions (short, big-headed).
• Fifties Contactees: The contactees of the Fifties reported brightly lit, luxurious saucer interiors. This contrasts with modern abductees' reports of more subdued lighting and sparse, efficient interiors.
• Absence of "Grays" and "Space Bugs": Fully realized "Grays" were absent in the Fifties. While partial approximations existed, they lacked the distinct features like bug-like compound eyes seen later. "Space bugs" and praying mantis-style aliens did not appear until the mid-Sixties and became numerous only in the Nineties.
• Nuclear Fears: A constant theme in UFOlogy has been the relationship to nuclear fears. This evolved from fears of "The Bomb" and its raw destructiveness in the Fifties, to fears of accidental nuclear war in the Sixties (e.g., George Fawcett's warning), and later to fears surrounding nuclear reactors and waste disposal. This is reflected in stories like "The Janos People" and visions involving government cover-ups of nuclear experimentation.
• Shift to Ecological Concerns: Kottmeyer notes a recent drift from nuclear themes to more ecological concerns in UFOlogy, paralleling a similar shift in Christian apocalyptic rhetoric. Charles Strozier and John Mack are mentioned in this context.
• Broadening Range of Powers and Problems: The magical powers attributed to aliens have broadened, including gliding, mind control, size-shifting, and passing through walls. The problems caused by aliens have also expanded, from vehicle interference to lustful thoughts, with a noted shift from car abductions to bedroom intrusions.

Conclusion: A Dynamic Phenomenon

Kottmeyer concludes that the UFO phenomenon is far from static. It is a "wholly plastic medium" that has been continuously reshaped by culture. Seeing these changes does not necessarily bring the "Landing" closer but emphasizes the dynamic nature of the phenomenon as a presence interacting with human thought. He dismisses the idea that the phenomenon is unoriginal or repetitive, suggesting that despite extensive study, it will continue to surprise.

Recurring Themes and Editorial Stance

The recurring themes in this issue revolve around the historical evolution of UFO sightings and narratives, the influence of cultural context and societal fears (particularly nuclear anxieties) on these narratives, and the changing descriptions of UFOs and their occupants over time. The editorial stance, as presented by Kottmeyer's analysis, is that the UFO phenomenon is a fluid and adaptable construct, deeply intertwined with human psychology and societal anxieties, rather than a fixed, unchanging reality.