The UFO Enigma

Magazine Overview

The UFO Enigma, Volume 7, Number 7, published in December 1986 by the UFO Study Group of Greater St. Louis, Inc., is a monthly newsletter dedicated to the investigation and reporting of unidentified flying objects. The organization is a nonprofit and not affiliated with any national society.

All UFO Reports Are Important

This lead article by Bruce Widaman stresses the critical need to collect all UFO reports, regardless of when they occurred. Widaman argues that many people fail to report sightings due to the time elapsed, but emphasizes that all data is important. He posits that only a small percentage of UFO sightings are reported and analyzed, and that a more comprehensive collection of evidence, including old UFO reports, is necessary to answer fundamental questions about the phenomenon. He shares a personal anecdote about a UFO case confirmed 20 years later, highlighting the value of revisiting older reports.

A Legend of Devil's Tower

This section recounts a legend of Devil's Tower as told by Lame Deer and recorded by Richard Erdoes. The story describes Devil's Tower (referred to by its Native American name, Bear Rock) as a massive basalt cone rising from the prairie. The legend tells of two young Indian boys who became lost and were pursued by a giant grizzly bear named Mato. In their desperation, they prayed to the Creator, Wakan Tanka, and the earth rose up, forming the tower and saving them. The bear, unable to reach them, scratched the sides of the rock in its attempts to climb, creating the streaks visible today. The legend concludes with the boys being carried down by an eagle, Wanblee.

UFO Study Group Meeting - November 9, 1986

This report details the proceedings of a UFO Study Group meeting. President John Roppolo announced that Ted Phillips would not be speaking due to unforeseen events. Frank Brown discussed UFO articles in the media, and Marjorie Sherrill continued a report on activity with SORRAT. Bruce Widaman, the main speaker and MUFON State Director for Missouri, provided an update on several topics:

1. The Bakersfield sighting.
2. Citizens Against UFO Secrecy (CAUS).
3. Institute of Noetic Sciences.
4. The Fund for UFO Research, sponsor of the 1987 MUFON Symposium.
5. The potential to tie home computers into a National UFO Catalog.
6. Carl Sagan's shifting position on META discussed on a Cosmos TV show.
7. CIA involvement with UFOs in the early years.

The meeting also included a review of potential speakers for upcoming meetings and discussions about food arrangements for the Christmas Party.

Fractals - A Tool At Last?

Written by Stephen Davis, this article explores the concept of Fractal Geometry as a potential tool for ufology. Davis describes fractal geometry as a branch of mathematics that finds order in apparent randomness. He suggests that this mathematical framework might be useful for analyzing the vast and often seemingly random data collected on UFO phenomena. The article references scientific offerings on the subject and points to an article in Science Digest (April 1986) that discussed similarities between infinite minimal surfaces and reported UFO shapes. Davis encourages readers to expand their reading into diverse fields to foster creative thinking.

A reference guide is provided, listing articles on fractals and related topics from various scientific publications.

The 1897 UFO Controversy

Authored by Helen Hanke, this article compiles early UFO reports from 1896 and 1897. It details:

• November 24, 1896: Commuters in San Francisco and Oakland reported seeing an egg-shaped object moving quickly through the sky, hovering over a dock in Alameda, and then disappearing at high speed. Witnesses noted the absence of wings or propellers. On the same evening, a similar object was reported passing overhead at high speed in Red Bluff, California.
• April 19, 1897: In Sistersville, West Virginia, a tube-like object with red and green lights hovered overhead, casting a search-light. In Yates Center, Kansas, a flying object was reported passing over.
• April 23, 1897: A farmer in Flint, Michigan, reported a flying object passing over his farm, and a newspaper from Toronto, Canada, dated October 5, 1896, fluttered to the ground, creating a 200-day time discrepancy.
• April 14, 1897: The Dallas Morning News reported a sighting of an airship in Weatherford, Texas, also seen in Cresson and Corsicana, described as about 30 feet long and cigar-shaped.

The article includes illustrations of various UFO shapes and a quote questioning the impact of such sightings on public awe.

Calendar - December 1986

The calendar section lists upcoming events for December 1986, including:

• December 3: Parapsychology Committee meeting at Victoria Bloom's home in Marquette.
• December 10: Quad County MUFON meeting in Collinsville, Illinois.
• December 14: UFO Study Group Meeting and Christmas Party at The Farm & Home building.
• December 16: St. Charles UFO Committee meeting at the Bonanza Sirloin.

A separate announcement invites members to the Christmas Party on December 14, 1986, at 2:00 PM, requesting attendees to bring fruit, cookies, cake, and a salad or casserole.

Recurring Themes and Editorial Stance

The recurring themes in this issue revolve around the importance of historical UFO data, the potential for scientific methodologies like fractal geometry to analyze UFO phenomena, and the compilation of early UFO sightings. The editorial stance, as indicated by the cover headline and the lead article, strongly advocates for the comprehensive collection and analysis of all UFO reports, regardless of their age, to advance the field of ufology. The publication is presented as a nonprofit effort by the UFO Study Group of Greater St. Louis, Inc., aiming to foster research and investigation into UFOs.