Vimana - 1976 No 5

Magazine Overview

This issue of Vimana Nr 5 is published by Västerås Tvärvetenskapliga Förening (VTF), a contact organization for interdisciplinary scientific pursuits. The issue is dated October 7, 1976, with a cover price of 5 kr. per person for events. The magazine covers a variety of topics, including UFO sightings, hypnosis, animal intuition, and the activities of the VTF.

Member Meeting: Hypnosis

The main cover story announces a member meeting on October 7, 1976, at 18:00 in the basement premises at Humlegatan 20 C. The event features a lecture and demonstration on hypnosis by Ture Arvidsson, a senior physician from Danderyd Hospital in Stockholm, who also specializes in smoking cessation. The cost for the event is 5 kr. per person.

UFO Sightings and Political Figures

A short article titled "Tefaten hjälper Jimmy" (Flying Saucers Help Jimmy) reports that Jimmy Carter, then the Democratic presidential candidate, revealed he had once seen a flying saucer. He claimed that he and 20 other people witnessed the mysterious object on an early evening three years prior. Carter promised that if he became president, all collected information about flying saucers would be made public, aiming to reveal the whole truth and gain votes.

VTF Activities and New Initiatives

Page 2 details the activities of VTF. It announces the start of a new local UFO association in Enköping, bringing the total number of UFO research associations in Sweden to more. VTF has established contact and cooperation with the Enköping association for mutual information exchange.

A report on the member meeting held on August 24 describes it as the first meeting after the summer break, focusing on informing members about the autumn's activities and distributing the autumn/winter program. Approximately twenty members attended, showing significant interest and leading to discussions that extended beyond the informational part. The article notes a positive shift in members' attitudes towards activities and meetings, which is encouraging for the board.

Under "Aktuella UFO fall inom VTF" (Current UFO Cases within VTF), a sighting from Irsta (Västerås) on July 21, 1976, is reported. A young couple from Enköping saw an object that they initially thought was a police helicopter. However, upon closer inspection, they realized it was not. The object appeared to hover still in the air before disappearing among the clouds.

Page 3 continues with a section titled "Har djur ett sjätte sinne?????" (Do animals have a sixth sense?????). It recounts an incident from March 13, 1944, where an Italian man named Guiseppe Masciene was led away from his home by a cat. The cat persistently tugged at his trousers, urging him to follow. Masciene eventually complied and was led a considerable distance from his house. Shortly after, a bomb destroyed his home. The article attributes this event to animals' ability to sense future events, citing Italian journalist and telepathy expert Lino Penati. Penati suggests that animals possess the ability to sense premonitions and receive telepathic messages, a capability humans had in their primitive state. The article posits that such events occur around us, but modern humans are too disconnected from nature to notice them.

Another section on Page 3 announces activities from the Stockholm research center for Psychobiofysik. They report on a week of experiments with the English medium Matthew Manning. A screening of a video film was scheduled for October 30 at 19:00 in Sander-salen, AB F-huset, Sveavägen 41, Stockholm, with free admission.

Page 4 discusses UFO field research. On September 7, VTF held a debate and information evening on the subject. The board has taken on the responsibility of managing field research until a member group is ready to take over. Only seven people attended this event, including four board representatives. Discussions also took place regarding an "express bag" for field research, with the board needing to decide its contents. The article expresses disappointment that members are not more involved in this financially supported initiative.

Two positive points emerged from the meeting: one member is eager to start experiments with water, inspired by Olof Alexandersson's book "Det levande vatten" (The Living Water). Ralf Corin (Tel. 021-12 15 41) is the contact person for this. Another member wishes to initiate bio-feedback experiments, with Leif Wikström (Tel. 021-18 90 98) as the contact. Any group wishing to conduct experiments or activities can use the premises at Skogsvägen 27 B by contacting the board. The VTF is also open to new ideas from members.

The "Studiecirkeln" (Study Circle) on "Flygande Tefat - Vad säger vetenskapen" (Flying Saucers - What Does Science Say?) has commenced in collaboration with Studiefrämjandet i Västerås. Three study evenings have already been held at Studiefrämjandet's premises on Kungsgatan. The discussions are based on Torsten Magnusson's book of the same title. The circle aims to explore the UFO question from various aspects, acknowledging that each participant has their own views, but the study material provides a guideline.

Page 5 introduces the UFO-ALARMERING (UFO Alerting) system developed by UFO-Sverige's central group. This system consists of a central hub and several alert leaders, designed to disseminate information quickly through a telephone chain, requiring no more than three calls per person. A complementary internal radio communication network can be expanded to cover all of Scandinavia. Each alert leader acts as a central unit for their area's local alert system. Currently, Västerås has two leaders and three observers connected to the system, which is deemed insufficient. The magazine calls for interested individuals to participate, providing contact numbers 021-35 22 62 and -35 51 19 for more information.

The page also lists the contact persons for VTF Västerås Tvärvetenskapliga Förening, including Sirkka Kokko, Lars-Åke Eriksson, Seija Ala-Rahnasto, Tove Eriksen, and Karl-Erik Karlsson, along with their addresses and phone numbers. The bottom of the page features small icons representing Parapsychology, Archaeology, Astronomy, UFO, and Meteorology.

Recurring Themes and Editorial Stance

The magazine consistently promotes interdisciplinary scientific inquiry, with a strong focus on UFO phenomena and related subjects like parapsychology and unexplained events. The VTF appears to be an active organization, striving to engage its members in discussions, research, and practical experiments. There is an evident interest in disseminating information about UFO sightings and fostering a community around these topics. The editorial stance seems to be one of open-minded investigation, encouraging members to share their ideas and participate in the organization's activities, while also highlighting the need for more active involvement to support the group's initiatives.