1974 06 00 SAGA - John Keel - Ancient Astronauts Modern Mysteries

Magazine Overview

This issue of "Ancient Astronauts Modern Mysteries" (SAGA magazine, issue 44) delves into the phenomenon of "strangling spacemen," a recurring description of pilots of flying saucers who appear to suffer from respiratory distress when interacting with Earth's atmosphere. The magazine posits that these beings struggle with breathing, exhibiting symptoms akin to aeroembolism, commonly known as 'the air bends.'

The Strangling Spacemen

The article details how, over 25 years, hundreds of encounters have been reported where strange objects descend, and their occupants emerge. While descriptions of these beings vary, a common type is described as normal height (5-6 feet tall) with angular facial features, elongated eyes, high cheekbones, and dark complexions, sometimes mistaken for oriental features. The most striking characteristic is their apparent difficulty breathing, gasping for air, turning red in the face, staggering, and having unfocused or unsynchronized eyes. Their speech is often in clipped phrases, as if reciting memorized text.

These symptoms are linked to a medical condition called aeroembolism, or 'the air bends,' which occurs when nitrogen bubbles form in the bloodstream due to rapid decompression. The magazine suggests that Earth's atmosphere, with its specific composition of nitrogen and oxygen, is problematic for these visitors.

General Marshall's Statement

In 1955, Dr. Rolf Alexander, a British ufologist, reported a conversation with General George C. Marshall, then U.S. Army Chief of Staff. According to Alexander, Marshall stated that "Visitors from outer space are trying to work out a method of breathing and staying alive in our atmosphere before landing and establishing contact." This suggests a high-level awareness of the physiological challenges faced by extraterrestrial visitors.

From Secret Files

The magazine presents several documented accounts from personal files, illustrating the 'strangling spacemen' phenomenon:

• A deputy police officer described three men in black suits who spoke with labored breathing, inhaling deeply before speaking.
• A family in Cape May, New Jersey, reported a visitor who wheezed like an asthmatic, had a cast in one eye, and whose eyes did not move in unison.
• In 1967, a family in Belpre, Ohio, encountered two men in black who seemed confused, drunk, and had difficulty walking.
• In the spring of 1968, an 'Indian' in black clothes appeared on a Minnesota college campus after UFO sightings, behaving drunkenly.
• A reporter in New York State in 1969 encountered a 'drunken Chinaman' in a black suit who asked him not to print a UFO story, then staggered out and vanished.
• In the fall of 1969, a motorist in Massachusetts encountered a flying saucer and a red-faced man with 'popping eyes' who struggled to breathe and asked for a ride, stating, "You wouldn't understand" when asked where he was from.

In many cases, witnesses have reported that the beings' breathing normalized after some time, or that they asked for a glass of water to take a pill, after which their behavior improved. Chemical analysis of one such pill reportedly revealed it to be simple sulfur.

Too Much Nitrogen

The article elaborates on the theory that Earth's atmosphere is the issue. At sea level, the atmosphere is about 80% nitrogen and 20% oxygen. Aeroembolism is caused by nitrogen bubbles forming in the bloodstream. The symptoms described by witnesses—vertigo, nystagmus (oscillatory eye movement), tinnitus, and sharp pains—are consistent with decompression sickness.

Noxious gases, often described as smelling like rotten eggs (hydrogen sulfide), are also frequently associated with UFOs and their occupants. Chemical analysis of a pill used by these beings indicated it was simple sulfur. The article questions the origin of such gases, noting that methane is prevalent on Jupiter, but hydrogen sulfide is abundant in the Earth's core.

Gods and Gases

This section explores the theory that ancient gods were actually ufonauts. The descriptions of ancient deities often match modern ufonaut accounts. It's suggested that their preference for mountaintops might have been to find thinner air and reduce the risk of aeroembolism. Legends from the Andes, Himalayas, and North America (Paiute, Hopi, Navaho) are cited, describing blond, long-fingered gods associated with sacred plateaus, luminous aerial objects, and mountain residences. The biblical account of Moses spending 40 days on Mount Sinai after a 'fiery cloud' visit is also mentioned. The association of brimstone (sulfur) with the appearance of airborne phantasms, demons, and gods in earlier times is noted as a precursor to modern sightings and smells.

Questions of Origin

Modern reports increasingly describe ufonauts wearing helmets or breathing apparatus. Photographs from Italy (1952) and England (1960s) allegedly show helmeted ufonauts, though the Italian photos were dismissed as a hoax. The need for artificial aids suggests ufonauts require atmospheric assistance.

The article revisits the idea that these beings might come from the Earth's interior, where hydrogen sulfide is abundant. It posits that if they ascended abruptly, they would suffer from 'the bends.' Since 1944, a group has believed that flying saucers originate from the Earth's center, with some claiming to have visited these subterranean civilizations populated by beings resembling humans but with oriental features.

King of the World

This section touches upon myths of an 'Elder race' driven underground by a catastrophe, with some believing this race is ruled by a 'King of the World' and controls human events through political assassinations and other crimes. Writer Richard Shaver popularized this concept in 1944, calling them 'deros' (detrimental robots) who allegedly controlled humanity with 'fiendish rays.' According to dero believers, flying saucers originate from gigantic holes at the North and South Poles.

The author concludes by posing questions about the identity and origin of these beings: Who were they? Where did they come from? Did they retreat underground, leaving only a racial memory? Are they still there, breathing sulfuric fumes, and occasionally emerging to stagger through our streets with bodies tortured by aeroembolism?

Recurring Themes and Editorial Stance

The recurring themes in this issue are the physiological challenges faced by extraterrestrial visitors in Earth's atmosphere, the potential link between ancient myths and modern UFO phenomena, and speculative theories about the origin of these beings, including extraterrestrial, subterranean, or interdimensional sources. The editorial stance appears to be one of open inquiry into these unexplained phenomena, presenting various theories and witness accounts without definitive conclusions, but leaning towards the idea that these visitors are physiologically distinct and struggle with our environment. The article highlights the persistent nature of these reports across different eras and cultures.