Sokaren - 1972 No 06

Magazine Overview

This issue of Päkaren, dated 1972, focuses on the complex and often suppressed religious landscape within the Soviet Union, alongside a significant exploration of UFO phenomena and alleged contactee experiences. The magazine presents a critical view of the Soviet government's policies towards religion, highlighting the persecution of various religious groups and the existence of clandestine religious activities.

Religion in the Soviet Union

The lead article, "RELIGION I SOVJETUNIONEN," details the challenges faced by religious individuals in the USSR. It states that while millions adhere to various faiths, adherence to officially recognized communities and compliance with state directives are often difficult. The article highlights that Roman Catholics in Ukraine and numerous illegal Protestant sects, including initiative Baptists, Pentecostals, Seventh-day Adventists, and Jehovah's Witnesses, face the most severe difficulties. These groups are often portrayed negatively in the press, and authorities may even remove children from families deemed to be under the influence of religious 'poison.'

Over the past decade, it is estimated that over 500 illegal Baptists have been sent to camps and prisons for protesting the closure of their churches, with around 150 currently imprisoned. The total number of imprisoned believers in the Soviet Union is estimated to be a few hundred.

Illegal religious communities often hold secret meetings in forests. They are described as opposing government actions and sending protest letters with numerous signatures to both the Kremlin and the UN, citing Soviet constitution and UN human rights declarations. The article mentions instances of Christians being beaten to death by police.

Despite intense atheist propaganda, there has been a noticeable rise in religious sentiment among Russian intellectuals in recent years, often linked to a revival of Russian religious traditions. Some, like Alexander Solzhenitsyn and Andrei Sinyavsky, express deep religious feelings, while others are more interested in Christian ethics than in religious conviction.

Regarding religious press, the Soviet Union has limited freedom of thought and expression. Unlike democratic countries with a free press, there is no equivalent to a freely growing religious press. The officially approved Christian publications are limited in circulation. The Moscow Patriarchate publishes a magazine that primarily contains official announcements, bishop appointments, and images of bishops, akin to a government gazette. The approved Baptist magazine's content is not detailed, but it is noted that certain topics are forbidden, such as evangelization and eschatology.

Alex Milits, a candidate of philosophy from Tullinge, Sweden, born to Russian parents, shares insights into the religious situation. He notes that two officially approved Christian periodicals exist: one from the Moscow Patriarchate and another from the approved Baptist community. The Moscow Patriarchate's journal has a very small print run (10-15,000 copies) and contains mostly official church news rather than theological content. Milits has not seen the approved Baptist magazine but is aware of an illegal Baptist movement with an underground press producing literature like 'Bratskij Listok,' songbooks, and New Testaments. While Bibles are permitted, new ones cannot be printed.

Possessing and distributing forbidden religious literature is punishable. While 'cultic practice' is permitted, religious propaganda is forbidden, especially to children under 18. Distributing a Bible, even if legally possessed, can be considered propaganda. The law is vaguely defined, allowing authorities to interpret 'anti-Soviet activity' broadly. Penalties can range from up to 3 years for possessing 'anti-Soviet' religious writings to higher sentences for organized anti-Soviet activities, with courts potentially combining charges.

The relationship between church and state in the Soviet Union is based on Lenin's decree separating church from state and school from church. However, a state authority strictly controls the church, dictating appointments and requiring registration of all members. Religious services are confined to approved locations. Priests require permission to visit the sick.

Besides Orthodox and Baptists, other religious groups exist, but many free churches have joined the Baptist movement for official recognition. Pentecostals, Jehovah's Witnesses, and Mormons are officially banned, though small illegal groups persist. Jehovah's Witnesses are particularly problematic for the state due to their refusal of military service. Mormons, being an international organization, are also viewed with suspicion.

While the state officially encourages atheist literature, the distribution of religious literature is heavily restricted. Russians cannot freely subscribe to foreign religious periodicals. Pastor Ingemar Martinson estimates the number of Baptists in the Soviet Union at 500,000, with additional illegal groups. The official Baptist magazine has a print run of only about 3,000 copies.

The article notes that while the Soviet constitution guarantees religious freedom, authorities often act restrictively, creating uncertainty for the population. The state's anti-Christian activity is rooted in the Leninist idea that communism cannot be built while the concept of a personal God exists in people's minds.

UFOs and Contactees

The magazine also features a significant section on UFOs and alleged contactee experiences, primarily focusing on Denmark. Willy Wegner, the author, categorizes seven types of UFO contact: passive visual, active visual, close proximity, message reception, space flight, radio/TV contact, and physical contact. He provides examples for each type, including well-known cases like Lonnie Zamora and Betty and Barney Hill.

Wegner discusses various hypotheses for these experiences, ranging from deliberate lies and psychological issues to misinterpretations of normal events, hoaxes, inner psychic experiences, or parapsychological phenomena. He also considers the possibility of genuine encounters with extraterrestrial beings.

Several Danish contactees are profiled:

• Peter Fogh Jensen: Recounted an encounter with a spaceman near his garage in Andkær Mose in 1960.
• Joseph Maliszewski: A Russian émigré in Denmark, described witnessing a UFO landing in 1951 and encountering tall, green-clad beings. He later reported a telepathic warning about atomic bomb dangers and a subsequent encounter in 1954 where he was invited aboard a UFO.
• Bent Steen Olsen: Claims to have had telepathic contact and a face-to-face encounter with a spaceman in Skovlunde. He developed a 'robot secretary' to conduct parapsychological experiments, but without success.
• Hans Lauritzen and Ivar Martinsen: During a UFO observation in Hareskoven, Lauritzen claimed telepathic contact and that his chronic liver disease was cured. They also believed they had been operated on aboard a UFO to help them love humanity.

Wegner expresses skepticism about many contactee accounts, suggesting that they often stem from psychological needs, a desire for attention, or a projection of personal beliefs onto perceived phenomena. He notes that the global nature of UFO reports suggests common underlying themes.

Other Sections

The magazine also includes a brief article on Buddhist philosophy by Erling Johannesson, discussing his conversion from Christianity to Buddhism and his adherence to Buddhist principles. Another section touches upon the Indian rope trick, with explanations from Dr. Alexander Pilcz and Dr. Rudolf von Urban suggesting mass suggestion or telepathic hallucination as the cause.

There is also a report on UFO activity in Finland, mentioning the magazine 'UFOAIKA' and an account of two girls witnessing strange beings walking on water. A reward of $50,000 is offered by 'The National Enquirer' for proof of UFO existence.

Recurring Themes and Editorial Stance

The editorial stance appears to be one of critical inquiry, particularly regarding the Soviet Union's religious policies and the veracity of UFO claims. The magazine presents detailed accounts of religious persecution, highlighting the resilience of believers and the limitations imposed by the state. Simultaneously, it explores the UFO phenomenon with a degree of openness, presenting various contactee stories and scientific/psychological explanations. The underlying theme is the human search for meaning, whether through faith, spiritual experiences, or encounters with the unknown. There is a consistent emphasis on the importance of critical thinking and evidence-based analysis, even when discussing extraordinary claims.

This issue of SM, dated 1972, is titled 'DEMOKRATI OCH DIKTATUR' (Democracy and Dictatorship) and features a prominent article by Nils-Olof Jacobson reviewing Arthur Koestler's book "The Roots of Coincidence". The magazine also includes sections on contact advertisements, book reviews, and a discussion on the nature of democracy versus dictatorship.

Review of Arthur Koestler's "The Roots of Coincidence"

Nils-Olof Jacobson begins by introducing Arthur Koestler's book, "The Roots of Coincidence," which posits that seemingly improbable phenomena like extra-sensory perception (ESP) are less outlandish when viewed through the lens of modern physics. Koestler, a writer known for both fiction and science journalism, demonstrates a broad scientific understanding, drawing parallels between atom physics and parapsychology.

The review highlights Koestler's discussion of concepts in modern physics such as negative mass and particles moving backward in time, noting that traditional notions of time, space, and causality lose their applicability at the atomic level. Physicists like Heisenberg are quoted, emphasizing that at the atomic scale, the objective world ceases to exist in time and space, and theoretical physics' symbols refer to possibilities rather than facts. James Jeans is cited as suggesting that the universe resembles a great thought more than a great machine.

Synchronicity and the Unity of Things

The article then delves into C.G. Jung's concept of synchronicity, illustrated by an anecdote about a patient dreaming of a golden scarab beetle and a real scarab beetle appearing at that moment. Jung proposed synchronicity to explain meaningful coincidences that lack a causal link. Koestler critically examines this hypothesis, viewing it as a modern interpretation of the ancient belief in the fundamental unity of all things, transcending mechanistic causality.

Hierarchical Systems and Janus-Faced Life Units

Koestler extends this idea of unity to the development of living beings, describing how successive cell generations differentiate into tissues and then integrate into organs. Each organ is both a subordinate part and an autonomous whole. This concept is further illustrated by Martinus's 'Life Unit Principle,' where each unit (symbolized by a circle with a triangle) is part of larger and smaller systems. These 'life units' are described as having 'Janus faces,' exhibiting both independent characteristics of a whole and dependent characteristics of a part. This duality applies to cells, individuals, and social groups.

Koestler argues that this principle governs all living systems, including cells and societies. An overemphasis on self-assertion leads to anarchy, while excessive control from the whole results in dictatorship, where individual parts lose their identity. The article references insect societies and the documentary "The Hellstrom Chronicle" as examples of such dictatorial systems.

Nature's Order and ESP

Even in the 'lifeless' natural world, elementar particles exhibit dual behavior as particles and wave functions. While the second law of thermodynamics suggests a universe moving towards decay and randomness, living beings show a tendency towards increasing order and organization. Koestler views this integrative tendency as a natural law, comparable to the self-assertive drive of individuals. He cites the remarkable ability of freshwater polyps to reassemble into complete individuals after being crushed and filtered, and the collective organization of certain amoebas in times of crisis.

Human beings also exhibit these opposing tendencies: aggressiveness and competition (self-assertion) versus identification with family, group, or society (integrative tendency). This integrative drive can also manifest as a desire to transcend individual boundaries, leading to experiences of self-transcendence, which can be joyful or tragic but are characterized by a sense of participating in something larger than the self. ESP is presented as a potential manifestation of this integrative potential, often accompanied by a feeling of self-transcendence.

The Brain as a Filter

Nils-Olof Jacobson adds his perspective, suggesting that the human brain acts as a filter, blocking most environmental stimuli to prevent overload. He posits that we might constantly receive ESP signals, but only a few penetrate the filter to reach consciousness. When this filter temporarily widens, perhaps due to ESP, psychedelic, or mystical experiences, individuals may glimpse the 'Unity with All' that ancient philosophers spoke of.

Jacobson praises Koestler's effort to synthesize knowledge from diverse fields, acknowledging that the latter part of the book involves speculation grounded in scientific facts. He finds significant parallels between Koestler's synthesis and Martinus's intuitive philosophy, despite their different origins.

Democracy and Dictatorship

The magazine's main cover theme, "Democracy and Dictatorship," is explored in an article by Nils-Olof Jacobson. He defines good politics as creating humane societies, with democracy prioritizing the individual and their rights, while dictatorship prioritizes the state. He notes that democracy is not always freedom and dictatorship not always oppression, as poverty can bind people in free countries, and noble ideals can exist in totalitarian states.

Jacobson argues that while Sweden has personal freedom, it is not a true welfare state, citing issues with environmental protection. He criticizes countries with party or group dictatorships for lacking the humane consideration natural in democratic nations. He believes that while a totalitarian system might theoretically function well, history shows that democratic systems with free elections, open discourse, freedom of action, mixed economies, and social welfare are the most effective.

The article identifies the world's division into two major military blocs – democratic and totalitarian (communist) – as a great tragedy, deeming their core values irreconcilable. The USA, as the leading democratic nation, is seen as having the most pronounced liberal state system, while the Soviet Union represents the opposite extreme with a state-authoritarian system that severely limits individual freedom and prohibits free enterprise. The author acknowledges the American fear of the communist threat and the brutal expression of this struggle in Southeast Asia, while expressing hope for a rapprochement between East and West through increased religious interest and ethics in Marxist countries.

Other Content

The issue includes several "Contact" advertisements from individuals seeking pen pals with shared interests in UFOs, occultism, meditation, and alternative lifestyles. There are also advertisements for books on UFOs, occultism, and related subjects, as well as for a "Lapis Lingua" stone and Professor Lakhovsky's MWO device.

Book reviews cover "På jakt efter det oförklarliga" (On the Hunt for the Unexplained) by Robert Charroux, which explores ancient technologies and extraterrestrial influences, and "Böner för omöjliga dagar" (Prayers for Impossible Days), a collection of prayers offering support during suffering.

Recurring Themes and Editorial Stance

The recurring themes in this issue are the intersection of science (physics) and the paranormal (parapsychology, ESP), the philosophical exploration of consciousness and reality, and the critical examination of political systems, particularly democracy versus dictatorship. The editorial stance appears to favor democratic principles and individual freedom while acknowledging the complexities and shortcomings of current systems. There is also an underlying interest in alternative perspectives on reality, spirituality, and the unexplained, as evidenced by the book reviews and contact ads.