1975 01 00 SAGA - John Keel - Ancient Astronauts Modern Mysteries

Magazine Overview

Title: Ancient Astronauts Modern Mysteries
Issue: SAGA Magazine, Volume 14
Date: October 1973
Author: John A. Keel

This issue delves into the intriguing connection between UFO phenomena and the Earth's magnetic field, challenging conventional explanations and exploring the possibility of a deeper, perhaps terrestrial, origin for these sightings.

Know-Nothing Air Force

The author, John A. Keel, begins by asserting that the U.S. Air Force has historically ignored or dismissed UFO reports, often consigning them to a "Crackpot file." He claims that SAGA magazine, in contrast, has actively listened to and recorded the experiences of UFO witnesses. Keel highlights a 1967 SAGA report that suggested a correlation between UFO 'flaps' and fluctuations in the Earth's magnetism, a connection he states the Air Force and many private UFO organizations failed to investigate.

He then presents the findings of Dr. C. Poher, a scientist at France's Centre National d' Etudes Spatiales. Dr. Poher's extensive study compared 635 French UFO sightings from October 1954 with data on geomagnetic disturbances. The study revealed a strong statistical correlation: the peak magnetic disturbance coincided with the UFO wave. Keel interprets this to mean that when the Earth's magnetism is unbalanced, UFOs appear in greater numbers, suggesting that magnetic disturbances might produce UFOs rather than the other way around. He notes the known phenomenon of strange light spheres appearing before or during major earthquakes, suggesting a related connection.

However, Keel dismisses the idea that UFOs are simply natural phenomena like static electricity or plasmoid energies. He points to numerous UFO landings and occupant sightings in France during October 1954, where entities clad in space suits were reported, indicating a non-natural origin.

Magnetic Storms

Keel elaborates on the concept of magnetic storms, which occur at intervals and are often linked to sunspot activity. These storms disrupt radio and telephone communications, cause power failures, and increase lightning activity, sometimes resulting in lightning bolts originating from the ground. He notes that UFO activity also increases during these periods, leading some to mistakenly associate lightning scars with UFO evidence.

He recalls previous columns where he observed that sudden increases in UFO sightings are often accompanied by reports of bizarre creatures like serpents, hairy monsters, and even dinosaurs. Psychic phenomena, such as poltergeists moving furniture and increased ghost activity, also surge during magnetic aberrations. Cemeteries in affected areas reportedly experience strange lights and noises, suggesting a mysterious interrelation of these events.

Keel recounts a personal experience during a mild magnetic storm in May 1973, when his television suddenly picked up programs from Florida, 1,000 miles away. UFO sightings and reports of tall, hairy monsters dramatically increased in the northeast that month. He connects this to severe solar storms studied by Skylab astronauts, which were followed by a spectacular UFO wave in October 1973, occurring almost exactly 19 years after the 1954 French wave. He references a study by Bell Telephone laboratories of Charles Fort's records, which found that Fortean events tend to recur on a large scale every 19 years.

Project GARP

Beginning in 1966, scientists from Munich's Max Planck Institute, in collaboration with NASA, started Project GARP (Global Atmospheric Research program) to map the Earth's magnetic field. This project involved firing rockets that released barium gas into the upper atmosphere, creating glowing ionized clouds that drift along magnetic currents. Despite costing millions, the project received little publicity. Barium rockets were launched from various locations worldwide, including Australia, Sweden, Canada, and Easter Island.

Keel notes that these experiments rarely produced spurious UFO reports because witnesses often mistook the phenomena for natural occurrences like the Northern Lights or fireworks. In the summer of 1974, a massive new phase of GARP involved scientists from 66 nations studying the Earth's equator. This involved extensive oceanographic research, including the use of specialized ships, submarines, and airplanes, costing $53 million. The project also included satellite launches, cloud studies, and underwater exploration.

Keel reiterates that Project GARP, like the barium cloud experiments, has received minimal publicity. He observes that numerous nations and scientists are deeply concerned with Earth's magnetic and atmospheric problems, investing heavily in these "semi-secret explorations." He points out that even the Soviet Union contributed $18 million to GARP. He quotes Chester Gould's Dick Tracy comic strip tagline, "The nation that rules magnetism will rule the universe," suggesting Gould might have had insight into these hidden mysteries.

Why We See UFOs

Keel addresses the question of why people see flying saucers. He dismisses the simplistic answer that "they are there." He notes that while some individuals see multiple UFOs, others in the same area see none. Surveys indicate that about 15 percent of the population also reports seeing ghosts and phantoms. He states that the UFO phenomenon is only beginning to be statistically explored, but it appears that a similar small percentage of the population is involved.

He explains that people who perceive these phenomena might be standing in unusual magnetic fields, making them more receptive to paranormal impressions. He proposes categorizing experiences into objective and subjective. A subjective experience is a personal sighting without external corroboration, like seeing a monster emerge from a landed saucer that leaves no trace. An objective report involves multiple witnesses over a wide area, with the object potentially detected by radar or pursued by authorities.

Keel shares his personal findings from investigations in 20 states, where he found truly objective reports to be rare, with the majority being subjective. He expresses concern that ground-level evidence, such as holes or burned areas, had been neglected by investigators focused on proving extraterrestrial origins.

As a private pilot, Keel has investigated numerous radar sightings of UFOs, visiting military radar installations and interviewing operators. He finds reports of UFOs being detected by weather radar particularly puzzling, as these sets are tuned for clouds, not solid objects. He suggests that some UFOs might possess a cloud-like consistency.

Given the magnetic nature of the phenomenon, Keel finds it unsurprising that it can produce radar and radio manifestations, as well as induced hallucinations in human witnesses. He mentions Dr. J. Allen Hynek, who has repeatedly stated that UFO witnesses themselves should be tested. Keel notes that medical doctors, psychiatrists, and parapsychologists are now conducting such studies, along with scientists investigating the effects of electromagnetic waves on the human mind and body. He believes these qualified investigators may eventually solve the UFO mystery, potentially surprising many.

Recurring Themes and Editorial Stance

The recurring theme throughout this issue is the strong, often overlooked, connection between UFO sightings and geomagnetic activity. Keel's stance is that UFOs are not necessarily extraterrestrial visitors but may be a terrestrial phenomenon intrinsically linked to Earth's magnetic field and possibly influenced by solar activity. He advocates for a more scientific and open-minded approach to investigating these occurrences, moving beyond preconceived notions of alien spacecraft. The magazine positions itself as a source of information that dares to explore these unconventional theories, contrasting its approach with the perceived dismissiveness of official bodies like the U.S. Air Force.