VIMANA

Magazine Overview

Title: VIMANA
Issue: 1/1970
Date: January 1970
Content Focus: UFO Sightings and Investigations

This issue of VIMANA features an article detailing a UFO sighting that occurred in Finland in 1967. The report is based on an interview conducted by Pentti Nissilä, a researcher for the UFO-Club of Oulu, with a witness identified as Mrs. N.N.

A Sighting in Finland: UFO near Oulu (1967)

The primary article recounts a UFO sighting that took place on October 10, 1967, near Oulu, Finland. Mrs. N.N. was walking home through the district of Tuira when she passed a minor power line. She felt a change in atmospheric pressure and observed a bright light above the electric lines, seemingly moving from the nearby Typpi Oy plant. Simultaneously, she heard a peeping sound, which ceased when an object stopped near the electric wires.

From the black underpart of the UFO, a thin shank emerged and touched the outermost electric wire, producing a sound like electric crackling. After the shank retracted, the peeping sound resumed. The object then performed a tour over the electric wires, stopped, and began moving again, following the direction of the wires. At this point, the witness's dog began to howl.

Subsequently, the object changed direction, shooting more obliquely upward, rapidly shrinking in size, and disappearing from sight. Mrs. N.N. reported that she tried to run but found she had no control over her limbs during the encounter.

Spot of Sighting

The sighting occurred on the road of Liikanen, Kuivasjärvi, in the vicinity of Oulu, near a road junction. The terrain is described as swampy, with the nearest human habitation approximately 150 meters away. The Typpi Oy plant is about 2.5 kilometers distant. Visibility was good, the temperature was +5°C, and there was some autumn mist. The region was still without snow at the time. The sighting lasted for about 10 to 30 seconds, with no other UFOs observed.

Shape and Characteristics of the UFO

Mrs. N.N. described the UFO as having 9 yellow lights on its outer circumference, some dimmer than others. These lights were egg-shaped and appeared to be moving along the circumference. The main body of the UFO was grey with a luster resembling coloured porcelain. Its height was estimated at 1.5 meters, and its width was about 3 meters. In profile, it was elliptical with a jut over the top. A black area was visible in the center of the underpart.

When the UFO was closest, it was about 50 meters away from Mrs. N.N. and at its lowest position, approximately 10 meters from the ground, at an angle of 20 degrees. It appeared to be in the South-South-East (S.S.E.) direction before disappearing obliquely upward. A faint streak of smoke or mist was left behind, but no disturbances were detected in electrical apparatus.

Witness

At the time of the sighting, Mrs. N.N. was described as being in a normal physical and psychically well-balanced state, not under the influence of alcohol or any other substance. As the UFO approached, she began to feel qualmish and experienced a certain pressure. She wanted to return home quickly, feeling afraid, and remained in terror for the rest of the evening. She did not speak to her neighbours about the sighting for many months and did not recount her experience to any newspaper. The witness did not have a clear conception of flying saucers.

Observations of the Investigator

Investigator Pentti Nissilä visited the sighting location. According to his statement, Mrs. N.N. was initially reserved but later became more open. He found her to be a well-balanced and reliable person who stated that the sighting had greatly shocked her.

Comparative Case: US Sighting (1965)

The report includes a comparison to a similar sighting reported in the U.S. in 1965. In that case, a 16-year-old high-school student, Joseph Jalbert, living near Exeter, Massachusetts, detected a reddish cigar-shaped UFO above power lines. A tubular shank reportedly stuck out of this UFO. The article describes this event: a yellow disc detached from the cigar, glided towards the power lines, and stopped about 60 meters away. A silvery tube emerged from the disc, touching the lines for a few seconds before retracting. The yellow disc then returned to the cigar shape. Mr. Nissilä ascertained that Mrs. N.N. had not heard of this US sighting, making it less probable that her account was influenced by it. The article suggests it is improbable that Mrs. N.N.'s sighting could be attributed to hallucination or a common psychic-physical phenomenon explainable by current scientific knowledge.

Proofs

The evidence gathered for this sighting includes the investigator's records (UFO-form), the eyewitness's story, a drawing (not included in the scan), and the common features it shares with the aforementioned US sighting. The article notes that such cases often belong to UFO sightings that are kept secret, either because witnesses are afraid to speak or wish to conceal their identity. The evaluation of explanations and the cataloguing of sightings involve many different criteria.

Recurring Themes and Editorial Stance

The magazine appears to focus on detailed accounts of UFO sightings, emphasizing witness testimony and physical descriptions of objects. The editorial stance seems to favor the serious investigation of such phenomena, presenting cases with a degree of skepticism but also acknowledging the possibility of unexplained events. The inclusion of comparative cases, like the one from the US, suggests an effort to identify patterns and potential connections within UFO reports. The article highlights the challenges in investigating and verifying UFO sightings due to witness reluctance and the need for rigorous analysis of evidence.