VIMANA

Magazine Overview

Title: VIMANA
Issue: 3/1971
Date: September 2, 1971
Country: Finland
Language: English (translated from original)

This issue of VIMANA delves into the complex UFO problem, offering a critical perspective on journalistic approaches and presenting various case studies and theories from Finland.

Have Journalists Solved the UFO-Problem?

The lead article, written by Karivieri, critiques an article published in the magazine Uusi Maailma by Heikki Kekkonen and Joni Skiftesvik. Karivieri argues that while the Uusi Maailma article suggests a single hypothesis could solve the UFO problem, this is an oversimplification. The author emphasizes that UFO forms do not simply vanish and that phenomena like 'straw hats' do not transform into atomic rings. However, Karivieri agrees with the Uusi Maailma writers on the importance of the ground's influence, citing the Pudasjärvi phenomena as an example where the ground, magnetic field, or similar factors might be responsible. A new photographic method is mentioned, which directs cameras not only skyward but also towards the ground, capturing electromagnetic spectrum details. The article notes that 2/3 of Pudasjärvi phenomena are light phenomena close to the ground, while others resemble 'flying saucers' or 'straw hats'. A photograph in Uusi Maailma reportedly shows a UFO above a hill creating a field below, possibly due to refracted light waves.

Aimo Viento is cited as stating that all Pudasjärvi UFO phenomena can be explained by uranium theories. Karivieri poses a counter-question: do UFOs seek radioactive diffusion products? Viento has developed a sensitive method to detect active gas or radiation emerging from the ground. The article commends the Uusi Maailma piece for introducing new terminology, referring to UFO viewers not as 'mad' but as 'UFO-invalids,' and suggests that those with 'explanation hysteria' could be called 'brain-invalids.' The Pudasjärvi UFO-field is credited with providing investigators with new methods for studying the problem.

Sights in Finland

Jyväskylä Sighting

A woman from Jyväskylä recounts an experience on March 7 at 2 AM. While in her drawing room, she observed a large, oval, fire-colored 'object' above the woods. After about 15 minutes, a smaller, football-sized, fire-colored object approached it. The smaller object moved under the larger one, stopped, and turned bright red, then moved closer before returning to its original position. This sequence repeated several times. Later, a bright light appeared, and another object, similar to the first, moved from the left and met the first object under the larger one before they departed in their own directions. The first object continued its movements for about two hours, and the larger object remained visible for an hour longer, fading and appearing more distant by 5 AM. The woman contacted a local newspaper, but they showed no interest, stating they had received many calls about UFO sightings.

Vehmaa Sighting

This incident occurred on the night of July 15-16, 1971, reported by Pekka Siitoin. He awoke around 1-2 AM to the sound of voices speaking in a foreign language, which he initially thought were his children talking in their sleep. The voices seemed to be arguing and came from the roof behind the balcony. After waking a third time, he noticed the air felt strange, and his 5-year-old son was vomiting. His wife also felt sick, and by morning, the entire family was unwell. When Siitoin shared his experience, many people believed UFOs had been present on his roof or balcony.

Circles in Puotila, Helsinki

This section details the facts established about a circular trace found in Puotila, Helsinki:

• All vegetation within the circle had died, except for mushrooms.
• Large brownish mushrooms, approximately 43 cm in diameter, grew on the borders of the outermost circle.
• The outermost circle measured 5.70-6.30 meters in diameter with a width of 60 cm.
• A subsequent circle, 10 cm inward, was 30 cm wide and less distinct.
• The innermost circle, another 10 cm inward, was 10-15 cm wide and very unclear.
• The vegetation in the middle of the circles and between them was significantly more fertile and darker than the surrounding area.
• An electric line passed over the trace.

No radiation investigations had been conducted at the time of reporting. Similar circles had been found previously in Vilppula, with a new circle appearing outside the old one each summer.

A New Theory

Karivieri shared the Puotila case with Toivo Rautavaara, an expert on mushrooms. Rautavaara suggested that the circular traces were likely caused by a mushroom called *Clitocybe Gigante*. This mushroom is described as rare in Finland and not appearing annually. The trace it leaves behind is called a 'Fairyring.' The mushroom's characteristics include:

• It fights for nutrition and moisture, possibly producing an antibiotic that kills surface vegetation.
• It forms a round circle if unobstructed.
• It enriches the ground with nitrogen, explaining the lush vegetation and dark color within the circle.
• The mushrooms collect elements like potassium.
• The electric line in Puotila is considered coincidental.

New Questions

Despite the mushroom theory, the article notes that this explanation does not exclude the possibility that a UFO might have been involved in the trace found in Vilppula. While the mushroom appears to be the current reason, the origin and rarity of the mushroom remain unexplained. The commentary is attributed to Timo Pyhälä.

Recurring Themes and Editorial Stance

The magazine VIMANA appears to adopt a critical yet open-minded stance towards UFO phenomena. It questions simplistic journalistic explanations while exploring scientific and naturalistic theories, such as radioactive diffusion and fungal activity, as potential causes for observed anomalies. The publication encourages further investigation and acknowledges the persistent mysteries surrounding UFO sightings and ground traces, particularly in the Finnish context. The editorial stance seems to favor detailed reporting of witness accounts and expert opinions, even when they present conflicting or incomplete explanations.