Circulaire CNEGU - No 20 - Series 2 - 1993 juin

Magazine Overview

This document is a scanned issue of 'CIRCULAIRE CNEGU N°20', published in June 1993 by the 'Comité Nord-Est des Groupes Ufologiques'. It is a French-language publication focused on ufology, presenting a collection of news, observations, reviews, and practical information related to UFOs and extraterrestrial phenomena.

Key Observations and Incidents

The issue begins with a "NOUVELLE OBSERVATION" detailing a 'fireball' described by the Indian press as a 'boule de feu' that crashed into the sea off the coast of Kerala, India. Scientists were unable to determine if it was a meteorite or a man-made object without finding debris.

Several 'MEPRISE' (misidentification) cases are highlighted. An article in 'Le Soir' about an unidentified flying object observed in France and Portugal was identified as the third stage of a Russian Cyclone-M rocket that had put the Cosmos 2238 satellite into orbit. A similar event occurred on November 5, 1990, during the launch of the Russian Gorizont satellite.

Possible misidentifications are also noted from television programs, including a report on a long-distance glider record on M6 and an article in 'Libération' about 'phantom boats,' specifically the US Navy's 'Sea Shadow,' which is compared to the F117 stealth aircraft and noted to be from Lockheed's Advanced Research Projects Agency ('Skunk Works').

A 'PRECISIONS' section clarifies a report from RTL, stating that a 'bright luminous point' observed by a police patrol near Lutterbach was not detected by the EURO Airport radar. Further, an observation from March 30-31, 1993, reported to the Observatoire du Pic du Midi, was identified as the reentry and disintegration of a Russian rocket's third stage.

A letter addresses the omission of the 'Phénomènes Spatiaux' magazine from the CNEGU circular, clarifying that the circular reflects information sent by its readers and is not intended to be exhaustive.

Media and Cultural Reviews

Television:

• TF1: A report on the "25e heure" program on April 25, 1993, discussed the "Mystères de l'Univers" series, featuring UFOs. A report on April 2, 1993, mentioned a UFO observed in the Dijon region. A segment on "Coucou c'est nous" on May 11, 1993, featured a debate on clairvoyance with a SOFRES poll indicating 18% belief in extraterrestrials.
• MCM: An episode of "Player One" on April 10, 1993, tested video games, including one with an extraterrestrial theme.
• ARTE: A documentary on April 19, 1993, titled "les galets gravés aziliens," explored archaeological discoveries and their potential connection to ufology, with speculation about extraterrestrial influence.
• F3: Several programs are mentioned, including "Fractales" on May 12, 1993, which discussed memory and its potential parallels with UFO amnesia cases, and "Montagne" on May 15, 1993, featuring Tassili rock art with some curious, uncommented views.
• C+: A program on May 28, 1993, "L'oeil du cyclone," investigated the 'paranormal' in Russia, mentioning UFO popularity. Another program on June 16, 1993, "le Zapping," showed clips from a documentary about extraterrestrials.
• Skyrock: An auditor called on April 29, 1993, seeking information on UFOs, with the parapsychologist mentioning J. Guieu and G. Tarade.
• Ici et Maintenant: A report on April 30, 1993, described a strange incident involving a group mistaking chrysanthemums for extraterrestrials.
• ADO FM: A 2-hour program on May 15, 1993, covered UFOs, ufology, and related themes.
• France Culture: An emission on May 9, 1993, featured B. Meheust discussing the mythology of UFOs and the advent of ufology.
• TF1 (fiction): Several fictional UFO-themed films and series are listed, including "SOS Fantômes II," "Nimitz, retour vers l'enfer," and "la princesse de l'espace."
• M6 (fiction): "the thing" (1982) and "Creepshow" (1982) are mentioned for their extraterrestrial themes.
• Canal Jimmy: "Road Test magazine" on May 27, 1993, referenced 'ET' in relation to off-road vehicles. "les monstres" on April 28, 1993, featured an episode about Martians.

Radio:

• RMC: Jimmy Guieu was a guest on March 8, 1993.
• RTL: A news flash on March 9, 1993, mentioned a potential UFO sighting near Bâle-Mulhouse.
• Ici et Maintenant: On March 26, 1993, UFOs were reported in Costa Rica.
• Europe 1: On April 27, 1993, a report discussed the CIA accusing France of espionage related to aeronautics, mentioning Lockheed. A program on April 27, 1993, featured an interview with Jean-Claude Ladrat about his UFO experiences. On April 28, 1993, a segment discussed the possibility of extraterrestrial life. On April 29, 1993, A. Decaunes was a guest, with J.C. Bourret mentioned for his book on extraterrestrials.
• France Inter: On April 27, 1993, a report focused on Jean-Claude Ladrat's UFO experiences and encounters.

Video:

A cassette titled "3 cas d'OVNI" is mentioned, featuring cases from Savasse, Doucier, and Ménétrux, including witness interviews and phenomenon drawings. A second cassette is in production.

Books and Publications

• "OVNIs la science avance" by J.C. Bourret and J.J. Velasco is reviewed, covering topics like Arnold, Blue Book, Condon, GEPAN, and UMMO.
• "le Royaume du Graal" by J. Robin is mentioned, mixing topics like Louis XIV, Rennes le château, and UFOs.
• "les grandes énigmes" by Larousse includes a section on extraterrestrials.
• "Enquête sur des extraterrestres qui sont déjà parmi nous. Le mystère des Ummites" by J.P. Petit is noted.
• "OVNI-Contact" by Franck Marie is an auto-published work.
• "Un monde insolite" by Franck Edwards is an anthology of paranormal mysteries referencing UFOs.

Practical Information and Miscellaneous

• Philately: The Lollini company offers 5 out of 16 block-sheets from the "Mystères de l'Univers" series, including UFOs. Timbroloisirs magazine featured an article on these Maldivian stamps.
• Commerce: A Macintosh game, "Scout," involves fighting strange beings on a former Martian base. The game "Predator 2" is based on a film about fighting extraterrestrials. A toy UFO spacecraft is described.
• Humor: A humorous drawing depicts a peasant encountering an extraterrestrial who has landed on the wrong planet and galaxy. Another cartoon satirizes the evolution of postal services with flying objects.
• Sectes: The issue includes a significant section on cults, referencing books and media reports about groups such as the Raëlians, Bill Maupin, and E. Billy Meier. It also covers the Waco tragedy and related media coverage.
• Advertising: Various advertisements are present, including for UFO-themed books, video cassettes, a CD-photo service, and a board game called "Saucer People."

Recurring Themes and Editorial Stance

The recurring themes in this issue are the reporting and analysis of UFO sightings, the critical examination of media coverage related to UFOs, and the exploration of extraterrestrial themes in popular culture (film, television, books, games). The publication appears to maintain a stance of open inquiry, presenting various reports and analyses, including those that identify phenomena as misidentifications or natural occurrences, while also acknowledging the ongoing interest and research into genuine UFO cases. The detailed reviews of media content suggest an effort to catalog and understand how UFOs and related topics are presented to the public. The extensive coverage of 'sectes' indicates a connection being drawn between ufological beliefs and certain religious or new-age movements. The inclusion of practical information for ufologists suggests a community-oriented approach.

This document, identified as page 11 and 12 of 14 of a publication titled 'P.11/14', dated May 1993, is a compilation of media mentions related to ufology, extraterrestrials, and parasciences. It meticulously lists and briefly describes television advertisements, magazine articles, and other media content from April and May 1993.

Television Advertisements

The issue details several television commercials that incorporated themes of UFOs and aliens:

• MTV: A spot on November 26, 1992, for a game called "Our Mystics Brothers Seek" featured two superimposed pages and background music.
• M6: On May 9, 1993, a segment on the brand Lustucru discussed its advertising history, including references to "Little Green Men" and scenes depicting UFOs, abductions, and saucer interiors. A repeat broadcast was noted for May 14, 1993.
• M6: On May 14, 1993, a commercial for the video cassette "E=M6" included the phrase "martians at the end of the telescope."
• MCM: On May 19, 1993, a commercial for Nike shoes featured Bugs Bunny and an American basketball player.
• F3: On May 23, 1993, a spot advertised 3615 Widget, a minitel server for children featuring a small alien character from a cartoon.
• Jeans Levi's: An advertisement showed a green logo on jeans with a saucer taking off, with an enlarged version appearing in 'Science et Vie' magazine.

Press Coverage

The publication extensively reviews articles from various magazines and newspapers:

• Encyclopédie Découvertes Junior (Larousse-Gallimard) n°117 (May 1993): Featured a dossier on the 21st century, including sections on Megaseti, the Voyager 2 disk, and the search for extraterrestrial life, as well as science fiction and ET/human contact.
• Science et Vie n°908 (May 1993): Contained articles on hypnosis, the restoration of Easter Island's moai, a Russian space mirror, and a retrospective of the magazine's 80 years. It also included several mentions of UFOs and parasciences.
• Mad Movies n°83 (May-June 1993): Featured a classified ad section seeking SF/fantasy films and VHS documentaries on UFOs.
• Science et Vie Junior n°49 (June 1993): Included an article titled "Science in celebration" about an event in Paris where "surprise researchers" with UFOs symbolized their work.
• Ere Nouvelle n°100 (April-May-June 1993): An article discussed traveling to Mars using electromagnetism and gravitational fields, referencing flying saucers, antigravitation, and a "fascinating experiment" involving a mica disk that levitated electrostatically.
• Le Figaro (April 7, 1993): A "Scientific Life" section discussed a comet that allegedly caused catastrophes 10,000 years ago, citing a book by Alexander and Edith Tollman, and suggested that "archaeo-ufologists" would be interested.
• Le Monde (May 28, 1993): Reported on the University of Nice combating the "paranormal craze" on television, criticizing the show "Mystères" and mentioning topics covered by 3615 ZET, such as fantastic archaeology, astrology, the supernatural, magical medicine, parapsychology, UFOs, and mediums.
• Science (Vol.259, n°5097, Feb 12, 1993): An article titled "The primitive atmosphere of the Earth" suggested that habitable zones around stars could be large, implying that many planets might be inhabited and could have developed intelligent life, referencing the SETI program.
• Pour la Science n°186 (April 1993): An article titled "The moon and the origin of man" discussed the possibility of extraterrestrial life, noting the moon's stabilizing effect on Earth's axis and suggesting that the probability of finding Earth-like planets might be lower than previously thought, also referencing SETI.
• Le Monde (April 4-5, 1993): An article titled "Kids in danger" mentioned a road safety film featuring an alien named "Protector."
• Le Monde (April 7, 1993): An article on "Phantom Oceans of Venus" suggested that Venus might have had water and a milder climate, potentially supporting primitive life.
• Le Soir (Brussels, March 26, 1993): Mentioned a book review.
• Le Soir (Brussels, April 15, 1993): An article titled "UFOs: data, not certainties" discussed recent encounters in Lyon without irony.
• Le Monde (April 25-26, 1993): A radio-television supplement featured an article on "Parasciences on Television," criticizing the show "Mystères" and other similar programs.
• Courrier de l'Ouest (April 28, 1993): An article titled "Third Kind Extraterrestrials" was an interview with F. Dumerchat.
• La Nouvelle République du Centre-Ouest / Le Journal des Deux-Sèvres (April 29, 1993): An article titled "From the Devil to Little Green Men" announced a special on UFOs at a college, featuring an interview with F. Dumerchat on the theme of fantastic abductions.
• Figaro Magazine n°15145 (April 30, 1993): An article titled "On the trails of the golden triangle of lavender" began with a description of the Valensole plateau as a "space vessel" and mentioned a "flying saucer" sighting.
• Terre sauvage n°67 (November 1992): An article titled "UFO or airplane?" described a secret bomber exceeding the speed of sound and an unidentified object encountered by a United Airlines Boeing 747, suggesting a possible connection to a secret NASA hypersonic bomber project (XB 70).
• Le Point n°1073 (April 10-16, 1993): An article on the evolution of species mentioned "safaris of little green men" as a fringe explanation for dinosaur extinction.
• TV SD n°34 (April 23-29, 1993): An article titled "What became of them?" discussed former employees of the TV channel La Cinq, including Jean-Claude Bourret.
• Le Point n°1075 (April 24-29, 1993): An article titled "Lunar Crash" described a Japanese cylindrical object launched in 1990 that impacted the lunar surface.
• Bonne soirée n°3693 (November 18, 1992): Featured an article about the cartoon "Widget," an alien tasked with protecting Earth's ecosystem.
• La vie du collectionneur n°33 (March 4, 1993): Contained a classified ad seeking Japanese robots and flying saucers.
• Télé-Loisirs n°373 (April 19-25, 1993): An article about the show "Mystères" discussed the planet Mars, featuring a photo of a "Martian face" and quotes from Francis Rocard about geological formations.
• La vie de l'Auto (LVA) n°604 (April 22, 1993): An article about a book on the Alfa Romeo 1900 "Disco Volante" mentioned that the "flying saucer" was born from enthusiasm and little money.
• "Missives" (April 1993): Included a letter open to "forty thieves" and a mention of "little green men" from another planet landing on a Parisian sidewalk.
• Libération-Champagne (May 2, 1993): An article titled "The Vatican hunts extraterrestrials" discussed the installation of a Jesuit telescope on Mount Graham and included a photo of a saucer mockup.
• Vidéo 7 n°133 (May 1993): Reviewed a book by P. Picard and an article on the TV series "The Invaders," including an interview with Roy Thinnes.

Specialized Press

Several specialized ufological publications were also reviewed:

• Presse Ufologique n°10 (May 1993): Covered European UFO encounters, past UFOs, and the Bermuda Triangle.
• LDLN n°317 (Sept-Oct 1992): Included a dossier on abductions in France and two American books on the subject.
• Phénomèna n°14 (March-April 1993): Discussed the American abduction epidemic, Norwegian lights (Hessdalen), and the Spanish Air Force's archives.
• Le Monde Inconnu n°148 (April 1993): Reviewed books, including "The Book of Urantia," and mentioned the Hessdalen phenomenon and the search for E.T.
• "Mystères" n°1 (May 1993): Featured articles on Hessdalen, witnesses, and the search for E.T., with several allusions to UFOs.
• Astral n°497 (May 1993): Covered a colloquium on parasciences in Paris.
• Le Monde du Mystère n°6 (May 1993): Presented a book by J.G. Greslé.
• Horoscope n°519 (June 1993): Featured a dossier on the UMMO affair, discussing extraterrestrials among us, the UMMO planet, and alleged lunar disappearances.
• L'Inconnu n°201 (June 1993): Included an interview with Jean-Gabriel Greslé about his UFO observations and alleged contact with governments and extraterrestrials.
• Etrangetés et Mystères n°8 (July 1993): Listed topics such as extraterrestrials, abductions, the Tunguska event, and "Alien-gènes."

Conferences and Events

• Brice Quiquand: A conference was scheduled for June 5, 1993, at the bookstore "le Point Insolite" in Paris.
• Saint Julien (Côte d'or): A UFO evening was organized for June 12, 1992, featuring General Klein and a presentation by Olivier Herman on the Belgian wave, characteristics of phenomena, and Men in Black (MIB).

Recurring Themes and Editorial Stance

The recurring themes in this issue are the pervasive presence of UFO and extraterrestrial narratives in popular media (television, magazines), the scientific investigation into the possibility of life beyond Earth, and the critical examination of paranormal claims. The editorial stance appears to be one of documentation and reporting on these media trends, with a degree of scientific skepticism evident in some of the reviewed articles, particularly those from 'Le Monde' and 'Science'. The compilation aims to provide a comprehensive overview of how UFOs and related phenomena were being discussed and presented to the public in France during the specified period.