SAGA

Magazine Overview

Title: SAGA
Issue Date: December 1969
Publisher: SAGA
Country of Publication: USA
Price: 50¢

This issue of SAGA magazine features a striking cover image of a roaring lion, with the headline "The Man-Eaters Of Tanzania." The cover also highlights several articles, including "Al Capp On The Campus Scene," "Arctic Iceberg Hunters," "Deadly TV Radiation Reports," "Arizona's Treasure Caves," "Holiday Special: Ann Margret," "Snowmobile Ski-Chuting," "Worldwide UFO Maneuvers," and "WW II's Forgotten Invasion."

Worldwide UFO Maneuvers & Tactics

The central focus of this issue appears to be an in-depth exploration of UFO phenomena, particularly their alleged electromagnetic (EM) effects. The article "Electro-Magnetic Tests or are they really Extraterrestrial Maneuvers & Tactics" by Otto O. Binder and Joan Whritenour details numerous instances where UFO sightings were accompanied by disruptions to earthly technology and even human physiology.

Mechanical Failures and EM Effects

The article begins by cataloging a range of mechanical failures associated with UFOs, including car and plane engine failures, power blackouts, and radio interference. It notes that these effects were particularly prominent in France in 1954 and have increased globally since then. Specific examples include 26 cases of people becoming "paralyzed," 16 instances of car and motorcycle engines stalling, 11 car radios and headlights blacking out, and cases of tingling body sensations or electric shock. Numerous instances of cars' paint changing color are also reported.

The authors suggest that UFO propulsion systems might utilize powerful electric and magnetic forces, creating an electromagnetic field that can affect both machinery and living beings. The clue lies in the fact that these EM-effects can disrupt devices that run on electricity, such as radios and headlights, and by extension, cars and airplane engines. For humans, it's speculated that the weak electrical currents in the nervous system might be similarly affected.

Several anecdotal accounts illustrate these phenomena. Bruce Field reported his truck's engine, lights, horn, and radio dying as a torpedo-shaped object flew nearby, with everything returning to normal after the UFO departed. Edgar Onofre Soares, co-pilot on a plane bound for Rio de Janeiro, described a domed disk performing maneuvers around their aircraft, causing the engines to cough, cabin lights to dim, and the radio to sputter. Steve Gladfelter recounted his car suddenly going out of control, with the steering wheel unresponsive, as he observed two glowing UFOs.

The article highlights that the National Investigations Committee on Aerial Phenomena (NICAP) lists over 125 documented cases of EM-effects, with the majority involving cars and planes. Curiously, few such cases were reported before 1954, suggesting a potential increase in UFO capabilities or intentionality.

UFOs as a Potential Weapon?

A more ominous aspect explored is the possibility that these EM-effects are not accidental but deliberate tests of UFO "weapons." The article references cases where witnesses described humanoids using "devices" that shot peculiar rays causing paralysis, or tests of a UFO "heat wave" weapon. The authors question whether these EM-effects are part of a larger strategy to stall earthly vehicles and incapacitate humans.

Examples of deliberate control are presented, such as a truck in Chile that moved forward by itself and turned off the road when a UFO appeared. Edward Bruns reported his pickup truck rising as a UFO ascended. Leon P. Gaines described his car picking up speed with unresponsive brakes and doors after a UFO encounter. A businessman in Australia reported his car stopping instantaneously without deceleration as a UFO passed.

UFOs and Power Disruptions

The magazine also investigates the potential link between UFOs and large-scale power blackouts. The article points to the great eastern blackout of November 9, 1965, which affected 80,000 square miles and 36 million people, and notes that 27 UFOs were sighted before and during this event. Photos of a UFO taken from the TIME-LIFE Building shortly after the blackout are mentioned. Other power failures in England, St. Paul (Minnesota), El Paso (Texas), and Saudi Arabia are also cited as potentially UFO-related.

Physiological and Psychological Effects

Beyond mechanical disruptions, the article details startling physiological and psychological effects on humans. These include heat rays, electric shocks, lightheadedness, moodiness, skin burns, electrified hair, temporary deafness, radiation sickness, paralysis, loss of memory, and smarting eyes. Similar reports from France in 1954 and South America in 1957 are noted.

Cases of deliberate paralysis are highlighted, such as a farmer in France who was paralyzed by a shining light from a UFO. The article also discusses the possibility of UFOs using "muscle-stopping rays" from hand-held devices, or even electromagnetic rays as part of their arsenal.

Heat rays are presented as another prevalent EM-effect, with some witnesses feeling a "heat wave" and cars and planes becoming so overheated they had to be abandoned. A tragic case of two U.S. Air Force pilots bailing out of an "oven-like" cockpit is mentioned, leading to a crash that killed four people.

More serious are cases of skin burns, facial burns, and watery eyes reported by witnesses. The authors suggest these might be deliberate tests of EM-effects by the saucermen, or possibly careless EM-radiations from their propulsion systems.

Mental and Healing Effects

The article also touches upon the psychological impact of UFOs, including loss of memory and impaired coordination. Hans Lauritzen, a Danish UFOlogist, speculated that EM-radiations from a speeding UFO affected a soldier's central nervous system, leading to difficulty walking, anxiety, and inability to concentrate. The celebrated case of Betty and Barney Hill, who suffered amnesia after an alleged abduction, is cited as an example of mental effects.

Curiously, the article also presents instances of apparent UFO-induced healing. An English businessman reported his toothache disappearing after a UFO encounter. Similarly, a report from Texas mentions two deputy sheriffs who encountered a UFO, and afterward, one of them found his finger, previously injured by an alligator, had healed completely.

Animal Reactions to UFOs

The document emphasizes the reactions of animals to UFOs as potential evidence of their reality, given that animals cannot lie or imagine. Reports include pigs squealing, horses kicking, cattle stampeding, bulls ripping loose from stakes, and sheep dashing away in terror. The authors question what could cause such fear in animals if not UFOs and their strange EM-forces, suggesting it could be a deliberate experiment to disrupt human life by panicking animals.

Recurring Themes and Editorial Stance

The recurring theme throughout this issue is the investigation into the nature and purpose of UFOs, with a strong emphasis on their electromagnetic effects. The magazine posits that these effects, ranging from minor mechanical glitches to severe physiological and psychological impacts, may not be accidental but rather deliberate tests of advanced technology or weaponry. The editorial stance appears to be one of skepticism towards official explanations (like the Condon Report) and a leaning towards the interpretation that UFOs represent a significant, potentially threatening, extraterrestrial presence. The article concludes by posing the question of whether humanity is unknowingly participating in a test of alien space weaponry.