Sign - No 22 - 1992 11-12

Magazine Overview

Title: SIGN
Issue: 22
Volume: 4
Date: November - December 1992
Publisher: Luc Bürgin
Country: Switzerland
Language: German
Price: 25.- Fr. / 30.- Dm

SIGN is an interdisciplinary newsletter for UFOs and other inexplicable atmospheric and terrestrial phenomena, published bimonthly. This issue, number 22 from November-December 1992, features a prominent cover story on 'The Abduction Case of the Century?' by Dr. Johannes Fiebag, alongside articles on UFOs on television, insider news from the UFO community, and the first part of a series on UFOs over Switzerland.

Featured Articles

Der Entführungsfall des Jahrhunderts? (The Abduction Case of the Century?)

By Dr. Johannes Fiebag, this article details a compelling case investigated by Budd Hopkins. It concerns Linda Cortile, a woman in her mid-thirties, who was allegedly abducted from her 12th-floor New York apartment on November 30, 1989. Three small beings reportedly levitated her through the closed window and into a hovering UFO, a process also observed by other abductees. Unusually, this event had independent witnesses, including security guards escorting a high-ranking political figure, who saw a woman in a white nightgown being levitated. The UFO's presence caused a traffic jam and engine failures on nearby streets, including the Brooklyne Bridge. The witnesses' accounts and drawings were remarkably similar. Linda Cortile reported having an implant inserted into her nose during the abduction, which was later confirmed by an X-ray. The article notes that Cortile was reportedly abducted again shortly after, and the implant subsequently disappeared. Fiebag suggests this case could be the 'abduction case of the century' and anticipates debate from proponents of 'psycho-social' hypotheses. A postscript reveals the anonymous political figure was Javier Perez de Cuellar, former UN Secretary-General, and that Hopkins plans to publish a book on the 'Linda Cortile-Abduction'.

UFOs am TV (UFOs on TV)

Authored by Luc Bürgin, this section reviews the recent surge in UFO-related programming on television. TV 5 featured a UFO special on October 26th, including footage from the MUFON conference and Linda Cortile's abduction experience. SAT 1 aired another episode of Rainer Holbe's 'Phantastische Phänomene', focusing exclusively on UFOs, with interviews and reports on Belgian phenomena, a Japanese pilot's sighting, and Lufthansa pilot Werner Utter's experiences. RTL Plus presented daily segments on 'Explosiv' covering topics like contactee Ed Walters, Billy Meier, and UFO cults. A segment involving Illobrand von Ludwiger and Michael Hesemann commented on UFO films. BR 3 hosted a talk show with experts discussing UFOs, though it was criticized for sensationalism. Another BR 3 program featured 'PSI-Show' with controversial accounts and an interview with Illobrand von Ludwiger. ZDF physicist Joachim Bublath declared war on 'TV-Occultism' with a science series aimed at countering pseudoscience.

Insidernews

By Hans-Werner Sachmann, this column provides updates from the Prä-Astronautik (Pre-Astronautics) scene. It mentions Dr. Johannes Fiebag's upcoming UFO book, tentatively titled 'Die Fremden' (The Strangers), focusing on CE-IV (abduction) cases. Plans for several genre magazines to merge ('Cheops', 'Spurensuche') have been revised, with 'Cheops' continuing as usual and 'News-Service' ceasing publication. Media outlets like SAT 1, BR 3, and RTL are increasing their coverage of fringe science. A UFO photo was taken at the 'Tag der IPE' event in Essen. Erich von Däniken's lecture tour was successful, and AAS (Archäeologie der Aussersinnlichen Sphären) is organizing new trips, including one to South America led by the Fiebag brothers, following the success of Däniken's Egypt tour. The column also reports on Japanese scientists creating an artificial ball lightning, which is significant for UFO research as it challenges the explanation of ball lightning as mere optical illusions.

UFOs über der Schweiz - Teil 1: Presseberichte aus den 50'er und 60'er Jahren (UFOs over Switzerland - Part 1: Press Reports from the 50s and 60s)

This article, starting on page 8, examines early Swiss press coverage of UFO phenomena. It notes that while the Swiss press reported cautiously, sightings increased in the 1950s. In 1954, numerous reports of strange objects and 'flying saucers' emerged, particularly over Eastern Switzerland and Southern Germany. The Swiss Press Agency reported on sightings over Zurich and the Eastern Alps, including a formation of five mysterious flying objects. In Basel, UFO researcher Lou Zinsstag founded the 'UFO-Arbeitsgemeinschaft Basel' (UFO Study Group Basel), which distributed an information newsletter. The article highlights specific reports: a formation of 15-20 silent, matt ocher-yellow discs seen flying towards Zurich in 1957; a strange blue mist in 1962 from which luminous spheres and discs emerged; and a large, pineapple-slice-shaped object observed in the Gemmi region in July 1962. Another report from August 1965 in Biel describes a rotating, pineapple-slice-shaped object with a dark yellow phosphorescent disc and a black core, flying at high speed. Later that night, a faint luminous object and then a bright yellow sphere, faster than Venus, were observed.

CE-III Fall in Norwegen (CE-III Case in Norway)

This brief report describes a Close Encounter of the Third Kind (CE-III) that allegedly occurred in Norway in March 1992. Two women reportedly saw a bright light with a triangular shape and transparent dome at around 10:00 PM. The object approached them closely, emitting a deep, vibrating sound described as an 'earthquake'. They saw a being inside the dome. The experience caused them fear, nosebleeds, and temporary vision problems. According to UFO researcher Odd Gunnar Roed, the case remains unexplained.

Recurring Themes and Editorial Stance

The magazine consistently covers UFO sightings, abduction cases, and related phenomena, emphasizing detailed case studies and witness accounts. There is a clear interest in the physical evidence and independent corroboration of sightings, as seen in the Linda Cortile case. The publication also tracks media coverage of UFOs, highlighting both serious journalistic efforts and sensationalized reporting. The editorial stance appears to be one of open inquiry into unexplained phenomena, presenting evidence and witness testimonies for the reader to consider, while also acknowledging the skepticism and alternative explanations within the scientific and UFO communities. The magazine aims to provide an interdisciplinary perspective, connecting atmospheric and terrestrial anomalies with UFO reports.

This issue of SIGN magazine, dated November 1992, delves into various aspects of the unexplained, blending personal accounts, scientific reports, and a listing of relevant publications. The content spans topics from psychological perspectives on UFOs to astronomical discoveries and specific sighting reports.

Personal Account: C.G. Jung and UFOs

The issue features an anecdote from Frau Zinsstag, who was related to the renowned psychologist C.G. Jung. In an interview from 1974, she recounts Jung's belief in the reality of UFOs. Jung reportedly told her that if a trusted friend, whom she speculates was Professor Rhine, wrote to him about a sighting, it was as if he had witnessed it himself. This statement implies Jung considered UFOs to be a serious phenomenon, not mere figments of imagination. The article notes that sources for this information will follow and that the continuation is in SIGN 23.

Current Publications

A section highlights recent publications relevant to the magazine's readership:

• "Tagungsband zum 9.AAS One-day-meeting in Lüdenscheid": A 120-page A4 format publication priced at 25 DM, available from M. Theobald in Darmstadt, Germany.
• "UFOs and the Alien presence" by Michael Lindemann: Priced at approximately 20 US Dollars, this book is available from The 2020 Group in Santa Barbara, California, USA.
• "Beweise für die Existenz ausserirdischer Technologien" by Adolf Schneider: A 56-page brochure available from Jupiter Verlag in Bern, Switzerland.
• "Das Mysterium der Kornkreise" (The Mystery of the Crop Circles) on video by Michael Hesemann: Priced at 75 DM / 65 SFr (including postage and packaging), this video can be ordered directly from SIGN, via Luc Bürgin in Basel, Switzerland.

In letzter Minute... (In the Last Minute...)

This section reports on a sighting from the night of November 21-22, 1992, in Siggenthal, canton of Aargau, Switzerland. Several residents observed a large oval light that appeared to split into two and then merge back together. The report suggests this might have been caused by light effects from a 'Sky-Tracker' but promises more detailed information later, as it was not yet available at the time of publication.

Von Meteroiten und schwarzen Löcher (On Meteorites and Black Holes)

This article, referencing an issue of 'New Scientist', discusses recent astronomical findings. Japanese astronomers, using the Ginga satellite equipped with an X-ray detector, have identified two new sources of X-ray radiation, believed to be black holes. The number of identified black hole candidates has significantly increased, from five between 1971-1991 to four more in the current year. Furthermore, measurements by American scientists from the University of Arizona indicate that small asteroids, about the size of a house, are about a hundred times more frequent near Earth than previously estimated. Approximately 50 asteroids larger than 10 meters in diameter approach Earth daily, closer than the Moon. The article posits that this unexpectedly high number of asteroids could explain the origin of meteorites.

Sitchin nimmt Stellung (Sitchin Takes a Stand)

This piece addresses Zecharia Sitchin's response to the perceived unsuccessful search for an additional planet within our solar system, as previously discussed in SIGN, referencing an article in 'New Scientist'. Sitchin, author of books on the subject, stated in a letter to the editor that the search's lack of success is understandable because astronomers are looking for an object with an orbital period of less than 1000 years. Based on his study of Sumerian texts, Sitchin believes a hypothetical Planet X would have an orbital period of 3600 years. He also noted that the US Naval Observatory did not cease its search but merely relocated it from an old observatory in New Zealand to a new one in Chile, where French scientists are now reportedly searching for Planet X, according to Sitchin's comments to SIGN.

Recurring Themes and Editorial Stance

The recurring themes in this issue revolve around the intersection of unexplained phenomena, particularly UFOs, with scientific inquiry and historical/archaeological interpretations. The magazine appears to maintain an open-minded yet critical stance, presenting reports of sightings alongside scientific findings and scholarly works. The editorial stance seems to encourage further investigation and discussion of these topics, as evidenced by the inclusion of personal accounts, scientific articles, and a platform for authors like Zecharia Sitchin to voice their theories. The publication of various books and videos suggests an effort to keep readers informed about the latest developments and perspectives within the UFO and related research communities.