Swamp Gas Journal - 1993 Volume 6 Number 4

Magazine Overview

Title: The SWAMP GAS JOURNAL
Issue: Number 4
Volume: 6
Date: September 1993
ISSN: 0707-7106
Publisher: The Swamp Gas Journal
Country: Canada
Language: English

Putting Out Fires: The 'Fire in the Sky' Movie

The issue opens with an article titled "Putting Out Fires," addressing the renewed interest in ufology generated by the release of the movie "Fire in the Sky," which chronicles the Travis Walton UFO abduction experience from 1975. The author, Chris Rutkowski, recounts receiving promotional materials from Paramount Pictures and attending a screening with members of UFOROM and NAICCR in Winnipeg.

Rutkowski notes that while the film's portrayal of the investigation and character development was generally well-received by his group, the abduction sequence itself was problematic. He expresses surprise at the number of positive reviews from ufologists, despite the perceived flaws, and mentions concerns from skeptics about potential mass hysteria. This prompted him to post a review on the sci.skeptic INTERNET newsgroup.

In his review, Rutkowski states that the movie "does not resemble Walton's book in the least," criticizing Tracy Torme's "artistic licence." He describes the abduction scenes as filled with "gore, shock effects and gallons of brown goo," a stark contrast to Walton's original claim of a sterile alien spaceship. The film's interior is depicted as attempting to outdo the "ALIEN" series, with "membraneous pods, ET-like aliens and slimy honeycombs." In contrast, the part of the movie depicting the sheriff's investigation into Walton's disappearance was considered "very good," exploring the social and public effects of the alleged UFO incident.

Rutkowski expresses amazement that MUFON devoted a significant portion of its recent issue to the movie, including an article by Walton. He also points out that APRO investigators were portrayed as "complete geeks with absolutely no scientific credibility," questioning why a UFO organization would associate with such a depiction.

He mentions that Walton was reportedly rewriting his book, "The Walton Experience," to coincide with the movie's release, and recommends Bill Barry's "Ultimate Encounter" as a more insightful book on the case. Rutkowski concludes that "Fire in the Sky" is a "misfire," with the movie skewing badly after Walton is found and degenerating into a horror flick that bears little resemblance to the original account.

Following the initial review, Tracy Torme contacted Rutkowski, displeased with the critique. Torme argued that the movie did bear resemblance to the original story, being set in Arizona and involving an abduction, with only the abduction sequence straying from reality. Rutkowski countered that the abduction sequence was the core of the story. Torme further explained that the original screenplay was more straightforward and did not include the fantasy sequence, which was added by Paramount executives seeking something "DIFFERENT" after the success of other abduction-themed movies. Torme also disputed the "goo-fest" description, claiming there was not much goo in the movie.

Rutkowski acknowledges that Torme had cooled down by the end of their conversation and that they remained friends. Torme later sought information on Fortean locations for a western film and mentioned plans for a movie about Men in Black (MIBs) before stepping away from ufology. Rutkowski believes Torme honestly tried to present UFO information through storytelling.

Rutkowski also received a collection of reviews, including one from a Pentagon newsletter. Despite "Fire in the Sky" being moderately successful at the box office, negative publicity likely hindered its record-breaking potential. Rutkowski reiterates his belief that the movie could have been lifted from Walton's first book and still succeeded, and expresses surprise that Bill Barry's book was not more widely cited.

Crop Circling Again

The journal then shifts focus to the topic of crop circles, noting a decline in certainty among British "experts" like Meaden and Andrews regarding the genuineness of new formations due to widespread hoaxing. The article highlights Paul Fuller in England, who faces opposition for publicizing details suggesting certain formations are hoaxes.

Rutkowski presents a post from Clinton Dopgposture on the alt.alien.visitors newsgroup, who vehemently dismisses crop circles as hoaxes, citing a Fortean Times issue that documented numerous hoaxers. Dopgposture argues that complex formations are more likely to be hoaxed and that claims of supernatural energy within circles are baseless, attributing them to "HUMAN INTELLIGENCE."

Another post from Dopgposture further elaborates on the hoax theory, suggesting that early circles were simple, but hoaxers escalated to more complex patterns. Dopgposture claims that the "complete asymmetry" in complex circles is "totally unnatural" and therefore indicative of a hoax. The post also mentions instances of psychics and new-agers claiming to feel energy in circles, with some even collapsing, and notes that some of these sites were later suspected of being hoaxes.

The article then introduces Marshall Dudley, who offers a critique of the hoax theory. Dudley, who spent five weeks in England as part of the Argus scientific team investigating crop circles, states that the "above comments do not fit the data" and that he has not found any rational explanation that fits the data.

Dudley recounts his experience with a hoaxing competition offering a significant prize. He observed that the true circle makers did not compete and that many features previously thought to be non-hoaxable were duplicated. He notes that while no one created a perfect circle with all specified features, a pictogram appeared nearby that did contain many of them.

Dudley identifies two key differences between genuine and hoaxed circles: buried grain heads and the way stalks are bent. In hoaxed circles, grain heads are buried because the crop is pushed down between the standing stalks, which are then pushed down on top, burying the heads. In genuine circles, the crop is pulled down backwards or all at once, leaving heads on top of the stalks. He also notes that in genuine circles, stalks are bent smoothly to follow the flow, creating a swirl, whereas in hoaxed circles, the crop is straight but laid in a polygon.

Stanly Morcom's findings are also mentioned, including "defect amplification" where standing stalks are associated with defects like missing drill lines or patches where no wheat grew. Discontinuities in the wheat, indicating a change from laminar to chaotic flow, were consistently found in genuine circles but never in known hoaxed circles.

The editor's note questions Dudley's use of the word "genuine," acknowledging that even Dudley admits some circles are hoaxes. The article then describes the East field of Alton Barnes, where a "snail" formation appeared overnight without any witnesses or unusual findings on film, despite being under constant observation.

Another formation, "Milk Hill #2" (God's telephone), was observed by CSETI experiment participants who reported an orange ball floating over the field. This formation is described as having construction lines and being bent low to the ground without footprints, suggesting it was not a human hoax. The author considers this circle unexplained, with characteristics of both natural and intelligently guided formation.

Dudley criticizes the tendency to ridicule evidence that points towards a perfectly reasonable explanation for crop circles, stating that scientific investigation requires evidence collection and analysis, not ridicule. He asserts that there is no overwhelming evidence that all circles are hoaxes.

Marshall Dudley's paper, "An analysis of the hoax theory using dates of the formations," is presented. Dudley hypothesizes that if hoaxes are done by students or employed persons, more would occur during times when one could stay out late, suggesting more hoaxes on Friday and Saturday. However, his analysis of two documents (CCCS formations and "Famous Crop Circle Hoaxes") found that hoaxes were significantly more prevalent on weekends, while CCCS data showed slightly more formations during weekdays. This divergence leads Dudley to question the selection criteria used to differentiate hoax from real phenomena.

Dudley notes that the large number of formations found on Friday was unexpected and suggests the phenomenon might be "purposefully avoiding the weekends." He attributes some of the Friday clustering to pilots overflying on Fridays and Saturdays.

Conclusion

The conclusion of Dudley's paper states that while hoaxes certainly exist, there is another category of events that are statistically independent of them.

The Investigator Effect

Rutkowski then discusses "The Investigator Effect," quoting an unnamed researcher who describes it as the tendency to see everything as connected to an anomalous phenomenon when actively looking for it, including mundane events like flat tires or military helicopters. Rutkowski believes this effect is prevalent in both ufology and cerealogy, often leading to conspiracy theories when faced with conflicting data.

He provides an example of a cerealogist convinced that the absence of insects indicated a "fourth-dimensional space insect," despite Rutkowski observing numerous insects at crop circle sites. The cerealogist then suggested the phenomenon had changed its characteristics.

Recurring Themes and Editorial Stance

The issue primarily focuses on the intersection of media, public perception, and paranormal phenomena, particularly UFOs and crop circles. The editorial stance appears to be one of critical inquiry, acknowledging the existence of hoaxes and skeptical viewpoints while also exploring the possibility of genuine unexplained phenomena. There is a clear emphasis on the importance of rigorous investigation and evidence-based analysis, as opposed to sensationalism or preconceived notions. The article highlights the challenges in communication between skeptics and believers and introduces the concept of the "investigator effect" as a factor that can influence interpretations of evidence in these fields.

Title: Swamp Gas Journal
Issue: 72
Volume: 1993-8 September
Publisher: Chameleon Book Publishers
Country: Canada
Price: $16.95

This issue of the Swamp Gas Journal, dated September 1993, delves into various paranormal and unexplained phenomena, with a particular focus on crop circles and abduction experiences. The journal, edited by Chris A. Rutkowski, presents a critical examination of the evidence and claims surrounding these topics.

Crop Circles: Hoaxes and Investigations

The issue opens by questioning the validity of crop circle research, suggesting that much of it is applied to claims that are not rigorously examined. It highlights the case of "squashed porcupines" found in Saskatchewan circles, noting the lack of veterinary examination and the ease with which such evidence is accepted despite its absence. The article questions whether this acceptance is due to synchronous events or Jungian psychology influencing interpretations.

Problems in Britain

A significant portion of the issue is dedicated to crop circles in Britain. On July 28, 1993, Doug Bower reportedly "came clean" about his crop circle hoaxing activities during a lecture. Revelations from attendees suggest that Bower admitted to creating the 1980 Westbury circles, which were among the first observed by Terence Meaden. This admission casts doubt on Meaden's vortex theory, which was developed in response to these circles. Further information came from Matthew Lawrence, who stated that many "genuine" formations showed obvious signs of human intervention, such as footprints, damaged crop, mud, and broken heads, evidence that was not always presented in publications like "Circular Evidence."

The article also laments the existence of individuals who claim to know how crop circles are made but refuse to share their knowledge. A post from the alt.alien.visitors newsgroup by Michael B Garrett details his "Project Flying Deer," an experiment to replicate crop circles. Garrett claims he can create crop circles matching existing ones in under an hour, silently and even in broad daylight, without arousing suspicion. He offers proof of this technique and suggests that researchers should be aware of it to properly evaluate evidence, implying that many studies are flawed due to potential hoaxes.

Unnatural History

This section features a plug for the editor's own book, "Unnatural History," published in June 1993 by Chameleon Book Publishers. The book, with a foreword by John Robert Colombo, is over 200 pages and covers cases of UFOs, ghosts, abductions, and lake monsters in Manitoba. Its ISBN is 0-9696946-0-1, and it can be obtained from Arcturus Books for $16.95. The book is described as semi-autobiographical, offering the author's thoughts on investigated cases and his worldview, and includes about 20 photos and drawings.

A Poem by Pam

Pam Thompson contributes a poem titled "THE CROP CIRCLES." The poem uses metaphors of circles, ciphers, and universal/personal meanings to reflect on the enigmatic nature of crop circles, suggesting that their meaning is as profound and elusive as the meaning of each day.

Abductees and UFO Research

The journal discusses the challenges in abduction research. Since the publication of the editor's book, several people have sought assistance in interpreting memories of alien encounters. The article mentions the work of Roy Bauer and the editor with abductees since the late 1980s, highlighting a recent case involving siblings with a shared memory gap after a UFO encounter. Concerns are raised about the "mass abductions" and joint abductions by various groups, and the potential for harm to abductees, especially with the rise of debunkers and the False Memory Syndrome Foundation questioning abduction memories.

A post from David Jacobs to the a.a.v newsgroup is included, where he discusses John Mack's work with abductees. Jacobs emphasizes the importance of questioning expertise in the abduction field and notes that while Mack has conducted many regressions, his interpretations lean towards spiritual terms, whereas Jacobs prefers scientific and empirical approaches. Both Jacobs and Budd Hopkins disagree on aspects of abduction phenomena, with Hopkins viewing aliens as more deceptive. The article suggests that as more information develops, the field will become clearer.

Jacobs also offers his interpretation of the abduction phenomenon, suggesting that UFO abductions, ritual abuse, and past-life regressions might be cases where memory is an unreliable diagnostic tool. He notes the lack of physical evidence in many cases uncovered through hypnotic regression and the possibility of screen memories obscuring original traumatic events. The author posits that even if UFO abductions are not alien interventions, they offer ample material for psychological and sociological studies.

This and That: Zine and Book Reviews

Due to space limitations, the editor provides a brief overview of some of the materials received. Among the zines mentioned are: BILL KNELL'S U.F.O. NEWSLETTER, MUFON UFO JOURNAL (featuring the Project Argus Report), THE CROP WATCHER (noting its focus on exposing hoaxes), DELVE REPORT (highlighting Gene Duplantier's work on Canadian Forteana), COLORADO MUFON NEWS (including a story on a mass abduction), THE CEREALOGIST (which still doesn't accept hoaxes), and SAUCER SMEAR.

Other Mentions and News

Dennis Stacy of MUFON is mentioned for criticizing "mainstream" UFO and circle experts. Lindy Tucker's research into beeping sounds and UFOs is noted. Paul Ferrughelli's method for collecting American UFO data is discussed, with a suggestion for collaborative analysis. A press release from Gale Research Inc. announcing the "Encyclopedia of Hoaxes" by Dr. Gordon Stein is mentioned, which claims Elvis is not alive, there is no King Tut's curse, and all crop circles are fakes.

Brian Savage of AUFOSG shares thoughts on the CSE and memories of Winnipeg, and a tape from an Alberta TV show about UFOs. The Long Island UFO Network is noted for an upcoming protest regarding an alleged crash/retrieval event in late 1992, involving a photo of "two dead extraterrestrial beings" recovered from a crash site near Brookhaven Laboratories, suggesting a "massive coverup."

Recurring Themes and Editorial Stance

The Swamp Gas Journal consistently adopts a critical and investigative stance towards paranormal claims, particularly crop circles and UFO abductions. The editor and contributors often question the evidence, highlight potential hoaxes, and encourage a more scientific and empirical approach to research. There is a recurring theme of skepticism towards unsubstantiated claims, while acknowledging the complexity and potential psychological or sociological significance of these phenomena. The journal also serves as a platform for sharing information about other publications and research in the field of Forteana and ufology.