RESEARCH DIGEST

Magazine Overview

Title: RESEARCH DIGEST
Issue: 20
Date: March 1991
Publisher: UFO RESEARCH AUSTRALIA
Country: Australia

This issue of the Research Digest, compiled by Keith Basterfield, focuses on UFO sightings and related research, primarily from Australia. It presents a collection of UFO reports logged by UFORA (UFO Research Australia) with unique identifiers, dates, locations, and brief descriptions of the phenomena observed.

UFO Sightings Reports

The digest details numerous individual sighting reports, categorized by UFORA codes (e.g., UFORA91021). These reports span various locations in Queensland (Kirwan, Harvey Creek, Cairns, Mt Isa, Gordonvale, Babinda, Gallets Creek, Edmonton), South Australia (Adelaide, Mid-North), Tasmania (Traville, Lorinna, Rebecca River, King Island), New South Wales (Sydney), Western Australia (Waterford), and the Australian Capital Territory (Canberra).

Key incidents include:

• May 28, 1990, Kirwan, QLD: A dark, round object seen at 60 degrees north, traveling soundlessly south.
• July 10-12, 1990, Harvey Creek, QLD: An illuminated object moving into a train engine, described as 'stretching out like chewing gum,' and interacting with a wheel.
• July 17, 1990, Cairns area, QLD: A silver streak with a flickering, flame-like outline.
• July 23, 1990, Mt Isa, QLD: A sausage-shaped object with green and white lights, moving silently north for five minutes.
• 1957, Gordonvale, QLD: An orange-colored light maneuvering near 'The Pyramid'.
• 1989, Babinda, QLD: Silvery streaks and trailing round objects.
• August 15, 1990, Babinda, QLD: A moon-sized, oval object with many lights observed by car occupants.
• Circa 1981, Gordonvale, QLD: A bright white, round object descending into fields.
• Circa 1984, Harvey Creek, QLD: A large light causing a car's engine and lights to fail.
• August 3, 1990, Gallets Creek, QLD: Two banks of lights observed from a car.
• November 3, 1990, Edmonton, QLD: A stationary bright light, resembling a helicopter with smaller lights, moving at high speed towards Cairns.
• September/October 1970, Sydney, NSW: A red/orange glow in the bush, associated with a possible 'missing time' experience.
• Circa 1988, Adelaide, SA: A vivid experience in a white space with three tall entities, leading to personality changes.
• Circa 1988, Mid-North, SA: Repeated interactions with entities on the boundary of sleep/awake, some involving sexual contact.
• January 1988, Traville, TAS: A round, metallic silver object observed over hills, departing vertically.
• Late 1989, Lorinna, TAS: A small white light hovering and moving before disappearing and reappearing.
• August 2, 1990, Rebecca River, TAS: A square-shaped object with a bullet nose, leaving a silvery trail, moving at high speed across dunes.
• January 13, 1991, King Island, TAS: A bright light reversing direction multiple times near Orion.
• January 27, 1991, Canberra, ACT: An unusual body of light, larger than the Moon, with white flashes, possibly explained as bushfires.
• December 30, 1990, Waterford, WA: A shiny metallic object observed near an aircraft, moving haphazardly before disappearing.

From the Literature

The digest includes a section reviewing contents from other publications:

• MUFON Journal (November 1990): Articles on 'The Controllers,' 'Was Menzel Hiding Something?', 'Green Fireballs' (1948-49 New Mexico), photo analysis supporting a story, and observations on 'Flying Wings and Deep Desert Secrets.'
• Adelaide Advertiser (January 16, 1991): An item referencing a paper on post-traumatic stress disorder, childhood sexual abuse, and hallucinatory states, relevant to abduction research.
• Abduction Research Hypotheses: A discussion on the ETH (Extraterrestrial Hypothesis) versus psychological viewpoints, noting claims of genetic experimentation and sexual interference, contrasted with the role of imagery and fantasy proneness. A mention is made of the drug Valium potentially inducing erotic fantasies.
• Journal of UFO Studies (Volume 2): Published by the J Allen Hynek Center for UFO Studies, this volume includes articles on 'Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder and Experienced Anomalous Trauma' and 'Australian Ufology: A Review.'
• IUR (Nov/Dec 1990): Features on 'The Fort Worth Press Conference,' 'Roswell Investigation Notes,' and 'The Roswell Sources.'
• Journal of Meteorology (1990, Vol 15): Two articles on crop circles: 'Operation High Hill-CERES, Circle Watch of 1990' and 'The Beckhampton ‘Scroll Type' Circles, the Beckhampton ‘Triangle' and Strange Attractors.'
• MUFON Journal (December issue): Articles on 'The Summer 1990 Crop Circles' and 'Midwest Crop Circles.'

Research Notes

• Newsclipping Service: Dr. Michael Hough of Sydney is seeking individuals interested in a newsclipping service that provides clippings on paranormal and UFO topics from Australian papers and magazines.
• Australian Abduction Catalogue: An upcoming April Digest is planned to be devoted entirely to an Australian abduction catalogue, with reports potentially held over for the May issue.
• Nebulous Meteors: A quote from the 'Larousse Encyclopedia of Astronomy' (1967) describes a rare class of meteor that appears ill-defined, can undergo modifications, have low angular velocity, and enormous apparent sizes, sometimes appearing as dark, cloud-like objects against the Milky Way.

New Book

• Phantoms of the Sky: UFOs-A Modern Myth? by D. Clarke & A. Roberts (1990). Published by Robert Hale, UK pounds 12.95. This book covers UK sightings, abductions, folklore, altered states of consciousness, paranormal episodes, and MJ-12. The authors suggest the ETH needs an overhaul, offering a refreshing perspective.

Recurring Themes and Editorial Stance

The recurring themes in this issue are the documentation of diverse UFO sightings across Australia, the exploration of abduction phenomena and related psychological and extraterrestrial hypotheses, and the tracking of research and literature in the ufology field. The publication acts as a repository for case reports and a disseminator of information from other journals and books, reflecting an ongoing effort to understand and catalog UFO-related events and experiences. The editorial stance appears to be one of diligent reporting and information sharing within the ufology community, encouraging contributions and providing a platform for discussion and review of current research.