Hi readers
I'm taking a break from my blog for a couple of weeks. I'm heading off to attend two conferences and thought this would be an ideal time to do so.
See you when I return.
PS Of course, I have volume 2 of Vallee's diaries packed in my case!
Sunday, January 31, 2010
Socorro saucer - man made?
Dear readers
A fine summer's Sunday here in Adelaide with a top of 34 degrees C, and time to reflect on a note I made to myself several weeks ago.
I have been slowly re-reading Jacques Vallee's book "Forbidden Science " Volume 2, mining it for pieces of his tantilising comments.
A small entry dated 4 March 1971 on page 72, on the 1964 Socorro U.S. case (click here for details) brought me up short and I reached for my notebook to jot it down.
Vallee was lent a copy of The Picatrix, a 12th Century text. He noted that in this text there appeared the exact same symbol as described by the Socorro witness, as being on the UFO!
"Professor Berman has translated for me the part that shows the same sign described by a policeman in the classic UFO landing at Socorro, in 1964. It reads "here are the symbols used to designate the stars among those who are occupied with talismans.." The inverted V with the lines described to Hynek by the witness is clearly there,the character for Venus. Could there be a human factor rather than an extraterrestrial one behind UFOs?"
This deserves some comment. Vallee is stating that the symbol seen on the side of the UFO at Socorro, was a centuries old Earth symbol for the planet Venus. If the object was extraterrestrial why would it have this symbol on its side? Even Vallee seems to indicate by his comment that this made the Socorro UFO man made.
This possibility then reminded me of an earlier Socorro post I made, refering to a suggestion that the Socorro UFO was indeed man made (click here)
A fine summer's Sunday here in Adelaide with a top of 34 degrees C, and time to reflect on a note I made to myself several weeks ago.
I have been slowly re-reading Jacques Vallee's book "Forbidden Science " Volume 2, mining it for pieces of his tantilising comments.
A small entry dated 4 March 1971 on page 72, on the 1964 Socorro U.S. case (click here for details) brought me up short and I reached for my notebook to jot it down.
Vallee was lent a copy of The Picatrix, a 12th Century text. He noted that in this text there appeared the exact same symbol as described by the Socorro witness, as being on the UFO!
"Professor Berman has translated for me the part that shows the same sign described by a policeman in the classic UFO landing at Socorro, in 1964. It reads "here are the symbols used to designate the stars among those who are occupied with talismans.." The inverted V with the lines described to Hynek by the witness is clearly there,the character for Venus. Could there be a human factor rather than an extraterrestrial one behind UFOs?"
This deserves some comment. Vallee is stating that the symbol seen on the side of the UFO at Socorro, was a centuries old Earth symbol for the planet Venus. If the object was extraterrestrial why would it have this symbol on its side? Even Vallee seems to indicate by his comment that this made the Socorro UFO man made.
This possibility then reminded me of an earlier Socorro post I made, refering to a suggestion that the Socorro UFO was indeed man made (click here)
Friday, January 29, 2010
"Brain asymmetry underlies hypnosis"
There has been a raging debate within the UFO community about the value of hypnosis to UFO research, particularly in abductions.
Some researchers such as Jenny Randles in the United Kingdom felt so uneasy that BUFORA banned the use of hypnotic regression for abductees.
On the scientific side, scientists have wondered why 15% of the population are very susceptible to hypnotic suggestion and 10% seem not to be hypnotisable. The rest are in between.
Now some new research mentioned in New Scientist Vol 205 No 2744 23 Jan 2010 has come up with the suggestion that "It seems those who find it easier to fall into a trance are more likely to have an imbalance in the efficiency of their brain's two hemispheres...recent studies have hinted that during hypnosis, there is less connectivity between different regions, and less activity in the rational left side of the brain, and more in the artistic side."
I seem to recall reading somewhere that Australian UFO researcher Keith Basterfield in the 1980s/1990s, pointed out that many abductees who were hypnotised were in the 10% of the population who were very susceptible ie they were excellent hypnotic subjects. This percentage would seem to be above chance and thus suggestive of having some underlying meaning.
Various UFO authors have also pointed out that abductees seemed to be over-represented in professions such as professional artists and the caring professions, eg nurses.
Have any readers come across similar UFO research findings?
Some researchers such as Jenny Randles in the United Kingdom felt so uneasy that BUFORA banned the use of hypnotic regression for abductees.
On the scientific side, scientists have wondered why 15% of the population are very susceptible to hypnotic suggestion and 10% seem not to be hypnotisable. The rest are in between.
Now some new research mentioned in New Scientist Vol 205 No 2744 23 Jan 2010 has come up with the suggestion that "It seems those who find it easier to fall into a trance are more likely to have an imbalance in the efficiency of their brain's two hemispheres...recent studies have hinted that during hypnosis, there is less connectivity between different regions, and less activity in the rational left side of the brain, and more in the artistic side."
I seem to recall reading somewhere that Australian UFO researcher Keith Basterfield in the 1980s/1990s, pointed out that many abductees who were hypnotised were in the 10% of the population who were very susceptible ie they were excellent hypnotic subjects. This percentage would seem to be above chance and thus suggestive of having some underlying meaning.
Various UFO authors have also pointed out that abductees seemed to be over-represented in professions such as professional artists and the caring professions, eg nurses.
Have any readers come across similar UFO research findings?
"We're over here!"
I came across two articles in the 23 Jan 2010 issue of the magazine "New Scientist" which caught my attention. Volume 205 No. 2744.
The first article, written by Stephen Battersby, suggests that we should be transmitting the fact of our existence to the Universe, in case everybody else out there is simply listening.The article goes on to discuss what the content of such a transmission should be. (pp28-31.)
The second article also by Battersby, "Meet the neighbours" (pp31-33) considers what intelligent aliens would look like. "Barring the appearance of flying saucers, there are two broad possibilities: either we have a close encounter with our neighbours by visiting the planets and moons next door, or we make an interstellar phone call."
"Putting it all together, the daring astrobiologist might be prepared to make a very small bet that ETI-type aliens will be social multicellular predators with eyes, sexes and sticky-out bits of some sort."
The first article, written by Stephen Battersby, suggests that we should be transmitting the fact of our existence to the Universe, in case everybody else out there is simply listening.The article goes on to discuss what the content of such a transmission should be. (pp28-31.)
The second article also by Battersby, "Meet the neighbours" (pp31-33) considers what intelligent aliens would look like. "Barring the appearance of flying saucers, there are two broad possibilities: either we have a close encounter with our neighbours by visiting the planets and moons next door, or we make an interstellar phone call."
"Putting it all together, the daring astrobiologist might be prepared to make a very small bet that ETI-type aliens will be social multicellular predators with eyes, sexes and sticky-out bits of some sort."
"Where have all the aliens gone?"
Hi readers
I came across an interesting article in the Feb/Mar 2010 issue of the Australian Sky and Telescope magazine. It is titled "Where have all the aliens gone? by Jacob Haqq-Misra and Seth D Baum.
In 1950 Enrico Fermi "...made a back-of-the-envelope calculation to estimate the time required for a technological civilisation to spread throughout the galaxy."
"So if any technological extraterrestrial society exists, then they should have visited us by now."
Arguments put forward to explain why we are not being visited by ETs include:
* Life on Earth is a statistical anomaly
* Civilisations blow themselves up
* A Prime Directive may prevent them from revealing themselves.
The authors of this article question Fermi's assumptions and suggest that "If growth outstrips resources, human civilisation may collapse." Therefore, perhaps this explains the absence of ET visits to Earth.
I came across an interesting article in the Feb/Mar 2010 issue of the Australian Sky and Telescope magazine. It is titled "Where have all the aliens gone? by Jacob Haqq-Misra and Seth D Baum.
In 1950 Enrico Fermi "...made a back-of-the-envelope calculation to estimate the time required for a technological civilisation to spread throughout the galaxy."
"So if any technological extraterrestrial society exists, then they should have visited us by now."
Arguments put forward to explain why we are not being visited by ETs include:
* Life on Earth is a statistical anomaly
* Civilisations blow themselves up
* A Prime Directive may prevent them from revealing themselves.
The authors of this article question Fermi's assumptions and suggest that "If growth outstrips resources, human civilisation may collapse." Therefore, perhaps this explains the absence of ET visits to Earth.
Sunday, January 24, 2010
New Zealand to release its UFO files
Hi
A short note on a story that the New Zealand Government is to release its official UFO files (click here for more.)
I wonder if the Australian Government will follow suit?
A short note on a story that the New Zealand Government is to release its official UFO files (click here for more.)
I wonder if the Australian Government will follow suit?
Omega project revisited
Hi readers
It's the weekend, with plenty of time for surfing the net. Today's post takes a look at an article on research into ufo experiencers.
In 1992 Kenneth Ring (click here for Ring's own website) published a book "The Omega Project:Near-death experiences, UFO encounters and mind at large." New York. Quill William Morrow. Ring worked with a number of individuals who reported a near-death experience; or a UFO encounter/abduction; plus a control sample. He found a number of similarities between NDErs and UFO witnesses.
I've only just come across a MUFON Journal article in the March 2008 edition, which replicated part of Ring's 1992 study (minus the NDE component.)Titled "Ring's "Omega Project" revisited: antecedents and consequents of UFO encounters and alien abductions." it was authored by LeLieuvre, Robert B; Larson, Teresa and Remington, Heather.
The article abstract reads:
"In this preliminary study, 30 volunteer participants-comprised of 11 individuals who reported UFO encounters or alien contacts and 19 individuals with an interest in encounters, contacts and abductions but with no experiences-completed instruments used by Kenneth Ring in his 1992 study, published as The Omega Project:Near-Death Experiences, UFO Encounters, and Mind at Large."
While the sample size is quite small, the mean scores of experimental subjects on the instruments compared with the mean scores of control subjects were in the expected direction, with the exception of the mean scores on the Psychological Inventory, a measure of dissociation. Childhood antecedent experiences for experimental subjects were seen as more stressful than childhood antecedent experiences in control subjects. Changes in spiritual beliefs and values, likewise, were seen more frequently in experimental subjects than in control subjects, though comparative changes in physical functioning and in traditional versus universal-spiritual religious beliefs were less obvious than in the original study. Encounters were attributed to a purposive, extraterrestrial intelligence.
Given the data-some supporting Ring and some raising questions about the pathway to extraordinary experiences- a more extensive study, with a more broadly derived sample is justified."
These kind of studies are an essential requirement if we are to learn more scientifically about those coming forward reporting such experiences.
For the full report on an Australian study along these lines click here.
It's the weekend, with plenty of time for surfing the net. Today's post takes a look at an article on research into ufo experiencers.
In 1992 Kenneth Ring (click here for Ring's own website) published a book "The Omega Project:Near-death experiences, UFO encounters and mind at large." New York. Quill William Morrow. Ring worked with a number of individuals who reported a near-death experience; or a UFO encounter/abduction; plus a control sample. He found a number of similarities between NDErs and UFO witnesses.
I've only just come across a MUFON Journal article in the March 2008 edition, which replicated part of Ring's 1992 study (minus the NDE component.)Titled "Ring's "Omega Project" revisited: antecedents and consequents of UFO encounters and alien abductions." it was authored by LeLieuvre, Robert B; Larson, Teresa and Remington, Heather.
The article abstract reads:
"In this preliminary study, 30 volunteer participants-comprised of 11 individuals who reported UFO encounters or alien contacts and 19 individuals with an interest in encounters, contacts and abductions but with no experiences-completed instruments used by Kenneth Ring in his 1992 study, published as The Omega Project:Near-Death Experiences, UFO Encounters, and Mind at Large."
While the sample size is quite small, the mean scores of experimental subjects on the instruments compared with the mean scores of control subjects were in the expected direction, with the exception of the mean scores on the Psychological Inventory, a measure of dissociation. Childhood antecedent experiences for experimental subjects were seen as more stressful than childhood antecedent experiences in control subjects. Changes in spiritual beliefs and values, likewise, were seen more frequently in experimental subjects than in control subjects, though comparative changes in physical functioning and in traditional versus universal-spiritual religious beliefs were less obvious than in the original study. Encounters were attributed to a purposive, extraterrestrial intelligence.
Given the data-some supporting Ring and some raising questions about the pathway to extraordinary experiences- a more extensive study, with a more broadly derived sample is justified."
These kind of studies are an essential requirement if we are to learn more scientifically about those coming forward reporting such experiences.
For the full report on an Australian study along these lines click here.
Saturday, January 23, 2010
Aerospace companies and UFOs 3
Hi readers
The weekend is here again, and in Adelaide today the predicted temperature is 27 degrees C, much better than the 40 degrees we had the other day. Time to open up the house and air the rooms.
A question I asked myself the other day is why bother looking at the past when researching UFOs? What value, for example, is there in examining the role of aerospace companies? Why take apart the National Security Agency's FOIA UFO documents?
The answers I came up with were:
1. Trends and behaviours. If an aerospace company established a UFO study project once, then there is a possibility they will do so again. Here is an example.
My earlier posts about McDonnell Douglas revealed that they ran a UFO study between 1966 and 1970. Did they run any studies before this one? They may well have done. The reference for this assertion is found in one of Vallee's diary entries ( Vallee, J. 2008. Forbidden Science Volume 2. Documatica Research, LLC pages 334-335.
"I got an interesting call from a vice-president with Environmental Systems in Van Nuys who'd read Invisible College. As early as 1955 he belonged to a UFO group at Douglas Aircraft in Santa Monica. He worked there with Wheaten (now at Lockheed, in the submarine division), Ted Gordon, Klemperer and Dave Crook. They were asked by Douglas management to assess cases from Blue Book, complete with photos and films. Their conclusion, which they were asked to "forget," was that the objects used multi-dimensional physics.
He now claims they found no less than 2,000 sites in Owen valley alone, including places where objects seem to go in and ouit of the solid ground."
If the above has truth, then it would indicate that Douglas ran a UFO study around 1955 and another between 1966 and 1970. The probability that they may have been behind another study in the period 1974-1978 as other Vallee diary entries indicate is thus, in my opinion, increased.
2. Hiding other things. The NSA says it will not release certain documents because it would reveal too much about the collection methods. Sometimes a careful reading will still reveal things, i.e. the probabilioty that the balloons being talked about in some of their SIGINT documents referred to Taiwainese launched balloons over mainland China, and not to UFOs.
What do you think?
The weekend is here again, and in Adelaide today the predicted temperature is 27 degrees C, much better than the 40 degrees we had the other day. Time to open up the house and air the rooms.
A question I asked myself the other day is why bother looking at the past when researching UFOs? What value, for example, is there in examining the role of aerospace companies? Why take apart the National Security Agency's FOIA UFO documents?
The answers I came up with were:
1. Trends and behaviours. If an aerospace company established a UFO study project once, then there is a possibility they will do so again. Here is an example.
My earlier posts about McDonnell Douglas revealed that they ran a UFO study between 1966 and 1970. Did they run any studies before this one? They may well have done. The reference for this assertion is found in one of Vallee's diary entries ( Vallee, J. 2008. Forbidden Science Volume 2. Documatica Research, LLC pages 334-335.
"I got an interesting call from a vice-president with Environmental Systems in Van Nuys who'd read Invisible College. As early as 1955 he belonged to a UFO group at Douglas Aircraft in Santa Monica. He worked there with Wheaten (now at Lockheed, in the submarine division), Ted Gordon, Klemperer and Dave Crook. They were asked by Douglas management to assess cases from Blue Book, complete with photos and films. Their conclusion, which they were asked to "forget," was that the objects used multi-dimensional physics.
He now claims they found no less than 2,000 sites in Owen valley alone, including places where objects seem to go in and ouit of the solid ground."
If the above has truth, then it would indicate that Douglas ran a UFO study around 1955 and another between 1966 and 1970. The probability that they may have been behind another study in the period 1974-1978 as other Vallee diary entries indicate is thus, in my opinion, increased.
2. Hiding other things. The NSA says it will not release certain documents because it would reveal too much about the collection methods. Sometimes a careful reading will still reveal things, i.e. the probabilioty that the balloons being talked about in some of their SIGINT documents referred to Taiwainese launched balloons over mainland China, and not to UFOs.
What do you think?
Thursday, January 21, 2010
Aerospace companies and UFOs 2
Hi readers
A thought had been sitting in the back of my mind about the contents of some of my early posts concerning Jacque Vallee's diaries. Last night I went back to the two volumes of his diaries to take another look, and worked long in to the night.
Firstly, back to 17 May 1965 (Page 135 of "Forbidden Science" Volume 1. 1992. North Atlantic Books. Berkeley, CA.) "There are rumours that many aerospace companies are conducting their own secret studies of UFOs." Vallee reported on an incident which occurred when a Martin Marietta engineer visited Vallee and the engineer became upset when someone present saw some of his papers which they should not have.
On to 23 Jul 1966, page 198. "The observatory has received a letter from an aerospace engineer, the same man who was so secretive when he visited us last year. He is asking us to send him our "twenty best cases," a request already made recently by a mysterious group of scientists from Wright Field...Is this man working for some intelligence agency? or simply for the secret study McDonnell-Douglas is rumoured to be starting?"
In 1973/74 Vallee wrote in his diary about a conversation he had with Dr Kit Green. Green ran the Life Science desk in the CIA's Office of Strategic Intelligence. (Source: Smith, P H. 2005. "Reading the Enemy's Mind." New York. Tom Doherty Associates. Page 64.)
Vallee wrote (2008. "Forbidden Science" Volume 2. Documentica Research, LLC Page 237.)
Vallee: "Don't you agree there must be a secret effort somewhere?"
Green: "Yes...I do agree with that statement. In my group we've wondered if it wasn't being run within private industry."
In an entry dated 16 Mar 1974 Vallee noted:
"In an hour I'll have dinner with Pohr, who has flown from Paris for the joint meeting of the AIAA's UFO sub committee and Allen Hynek's CUFOS...the former group is directed by Dr Joachim Kuettner...with him are...Bob Wood of McDonnell-Douglas."
Later, on page 277 dated 10 Dec 1974:
"Kit reluctantly confirmed there was a group of 15 engineers in the midwest (I assumed it was McDonnell in St Louis) secretly doing UFO research for CIA under cover of "aeronautical research.""
Page 310 dated 27 Sep 1975:
"At the AIAA I spoke after Bob Wood, a Douglas aircraft engineer of the "nuts and bolts" school who flatly equated all psychic phenomena with hallucinations."
Page 412 dated 5 Jan 1978
"Yesterday I received a phone call from a fellow who works with McDonnell-Douglas Astronautics. He told me that "on a private basis" he was compiling a new close encounter database. I am not stupid enough to believe that his company has no corporate interest in the matter. They have an on-going secret project, well funded, with the blessing and official monitoring of the CIA and they're discretely connected with major UFO groups, all of which love the secret intrigue of a link to the spooks even as they vilify "the government coverup" in their public announcements."
The final relevant entry appeared on page 439 dated 15 Oct 1978:
"McDonnell Douglas is continuing their quiet but well funded study with John Schuessler also monitored by the agency. They seem to be looking for exotic alloys."
Well, that's the material from Vallee's dairies.
Who was it?
I wondered who might have been conducting UFO research inside aeronautical/aerospace companies? Then, purely by chance, I came across an article in the October 2008 issue of the MUFON Journal which revealed that the McDonnell Douglas company had been researching UFOs in the 1960's! Who headed the project, a Dr Robert M Wood.
The McDonnell Douglas study
The following is a summary of Wood's article.
In 1966 Dr Robert M Wood was working for the McDonnell Douglas aviation company. His boss Raymond W Hallett was scheduled to provide the USAF with a response to the question of how to get to Earth orbit and return. Wood suggested looking at how UFOs did it.
Wood was later asked by senior management about how to generate new business. He voiced the opinion that UFOs had "...figured out some sort of gravity control...so the ONLY question in my mind is whether we are going to figure it out how they work before or after Lockheed!"
Management approved establishing a small project "Advanced Projects." Wood hired Chan Thomas, "...because he was a psychic who claimed to be in contact with ETs sometimes." "I had counsel from Dr Darrell B Harmon-who was already knowledgeable and interested in the UFO topic..."
In June 1969 Wood hired Stanton Friedman to read the UFO literature full time. Dr Joseph M Brown was employed to look at physics theory. Later, a private detective Paul Wilson was hired to interview UFO witnesses.
Brown, Thomas, Wilson and Friedman were full time. Other McDonnell personnel were seconded to the project as needed. Wood spent about 10% of his time managing the Project.
In summary staff were:
Joe Brown-focused on theoretical works.
Chan Thomas-"...his value to me was his tremendously innovative mind."
Paul Wilson-interviews. Also took a company outfitted van with state of the art equipment to a UFO prone area for a week to look to make direct observations.
Stanton Friedman-"identify specific clues that would help us decide which technologies should be pursued."
Darrell Harmon-Part time PhD Physics consultant.
Leon Steinert-Mathematician.
Harvey Bjornlie-experimentalist.
Re Allen Hynek - "...I don't believe I ever exposed the total scope of our program to him."
On the labwork, Joe Brown took the lead.
Labwise-"Since the observed UFO phenomena so often indicated large magnetic fields, an obvious question is whether the speed of light could be influenced by a large magnetic field."
Paul Wilson and Joe Brown, in Aug 1968, interviewed a 1958 abductee and Paul interviewed other witnesses to sightings.
On field observations- "Both Allen Hynek and Jim McDonald were excited about the possibility of our developing a mobile van to be used for going out to the sites of UFO reporting."
"All of our employees involved knew that Bob Wood thought that the UFOs were ET craft, and most of them knew that our gaol was to find out how their travel system worked."
On Government contact - "The only contact with the Government about the Project came towards the end in the spring of 1970, when there was interest expressed by one of the intelligence agencies." The McDonnell Douglas group submitted a proposal for Project Skylite. To Wood' knowledge no such contract was ever given to McDonnell Douglas.
The total expenditure on the project was $500,000. Basically at the end, the Project "...had no clues about how close we might be getting to any breakthrough" and the Project was closed.
The McDonnell Douglas documents
I went off in search of more information on this project. I found a website (click here) which appeared to display scans of 275 pages of McDonnell Douglas UFO study papers. The information shown there is consistent with the general desciption of the project and specifics given in the MUFON Jopurnal article's reference section.
Perhaps, for the purpose of this post, the most interesting page was page 130 out of the 275, (Page 56 of a file "Advanced vehicle concepts research")headed "Competitors efforts" dated 2 May 1968.
"Hughes (10 men at Fullerton under Meiers.)
Lockheed Sunnyvale.
RAND has proposed project.
Martin had (has) gravity project
(as have several other companys)
Several companys have UFO related efforts
Raytheon (has had computer project for Condon U of Colo)"
Wow, what a lot of information to absorb! Many questions come immediately to my mind:
1. If the McDonnell Douglas study headed by Wood was between 1966 and 1970, who was conducting the research mentioned in Vallee's diary entry of 10 Dec 1974? Was it McDonnell Douglas as Vallee thought, or someone else? If it was MCDonnell Douglas it would seem that Wood did not know about it. If not McDonnell Douglas, then who?
2. Vallee's diary entries for 1978 mentioned above, speak of McDonnell Douglas as continuing a "...quiet but well funded study..." Who in the company was conducting the work? Vallee speaks of it being "..with the blessing and official monitoring of the CIA..."
3. A "big" question is "Are any aerospace companies conducting research today?"
Well, that's probably enough for now, my brain is spinning and I need to go away and think some more. However, I need to leave you with one more thought.
Another piece of the puzzle may be found in Nick Cook's 2002 book titled "The hunt for zero point" ISBN 0 09 941 498 8.After finding a 1956 article, written by one Michael Gladych on anti-gravity research, Cook tried to track down a George S Trimble mentioned in the article. Cook found that Trimble was "...head of Advanced Programs...at Martin Aircrfat " company. In 1961 Martin became Martin Marietta-the same company mentioned in Vallee's 1965 diary entry! Cook found that Trimble was then still alive and asked through Lockheed Martin (in 1994 Martin Marietta merged with Lockheed) to interview him. Although this intially looked promising, Trimble eventually declined to be interviewed by Cook. Did Martin Marietta also have a UFO study on the go?
I welcome comments on this post, or any additional information you may be able to share.
A thought had been sitting in the back of my mind about the contents of some of my early posts concerning Jacque Vallee's diaries. Last night I went back to the two volumes of his diaries to take another look, and worked long in to the night.
Firstly, back to 17 May 1965 (Page 135 of "Forbidden Science" Volume 1. 1992. North Atlantic Books. Berkeley, CA.) "There are rumours that many aerospace companies are conducting their own secret studies of UFOs." Vallee reported on an incident which occurred when a Martin Marietta engineer visited Vallee and the engineer became upset when someone present saw some of his papers which they should not have.
On to 23 Jul 1966, page 198. "The observatory has received a letter from an aerospace engineer, the same man who was so secretive when he visited us last year. He is asking us to send him our "twenty best cases," a request already made recently by a mysterious group of scientists from Wright Field...Is this man working for some intelligence agency? or simply for the secret study McDonnell-Douglas is rumoured to be starting?"
In 1973/74 Vallee wrote in his diary about a conversation he had with Dr Kit Green. Green ran the Life Science desk in the CIA's Office of Strategic Intelligence. (Source: Smith, P H. 2005. "Reading the Enemy's Mind." New York. Tom Doherty Associates. Page 64.)
Vallee wrote (2008. "Forbidden Science" Volume 2. Documentica Research, LLC Page 237.)
Vallee: "Don't you agree there must be a secret effort somewhere?"
Green: "Yes...I do agree with that statement. In my group we've wondered if it wasn't being run within private industry."
In an entry dated 16 Mar 1974 Vallee noted:
"In an hour I'll have dinner with Pohr, who has flown from Paris for the joint meeting of the AIAA's UFO sub committee and Allen Hynek's CUFOS...the former group is directed by Dr Joachim Kuettner...with him are...Bob Wood of McDonnell-Douglas."
Later, on page 277 dated 10 Dec 1974:
"Kit reluctantly confirmed there was a group of 15 engineers in the midwest (I assumed it was McDonnell in St Louis) secretly doing UFO research for CIA under cover of "aeronautical research.""
Page 310 dated 27 Sep 1975:
"At the AIAA I spoke after Bob Wood, a Douglas aircraft engineer of the "nuts and bolts" school who flatly equated all psychic phenomena with hallucinations."
Page 412 dated 5 Jan 1978
"Yesterday I received a phone call from a fellow who works with McDonnell-Douglas Astronautics. He told me that "on a private basis" he was compiling a new close encounter database. I am not stupid enough to believe that his company has no corporate interest in the matter. They have an on-going secret project, well funded, with the blessing and official monitoring of the CIA and they're discretely connected with major UFO groups, all of which love the secret intrigue of a link to the spooks even as they vilify "the government coverup" in their public announcements."
The final relevant entry appeared on page 439 dated 15 Oct 1978:
"McDonnell Douglas is continuing their quiet but well funded study with John Schuessler also monitored by the agency. They seem to be looking for exotic alloys."
Well, that's the material from Vallee's dairies.
Who was it?
I wondered who might have been conducting UFO research inside aeronautical/aerospace companies? Then, purely by chance, I came across an article in the October 2008 issue of the MUFON Journal which revealed that the McDonnell Douglas company had been researching UFOs in the 1960's! Who headed the project, a Dr Robert M Wood.
The McDonnell Douglas study
The following is a summary of Wood's article.
In 1966 Dr Robert M Wood was working for the McDonnell Douglas aviation company. His boss Raymond W Hallett was scheduled to provide the USAF with a response to the question of how to get to Earth orbit and return. Wood suggested looking at how UFOs did it.
Wood was later asked by senior management about how to generate new business. He voiced the opinion that UFOs had "...figured out some sort of gravity control...so the ONLY question in my mind is whether we are going to figure it out how they work before or after Lockheed!"
Management approved establishing a small project "Advanced Projects." Wood hired Chan Thomas, "...because he was a psychic who claimed to be in contact with ETs sometimes." "I had counsel from Dr Darrell B Harmon-who was already knowledgeable and interested in the UFO topic..."
In June 1969 Wood hired Stanton Friedman to read the UFO literature full time. Dr Joseph M Brown was employed to look at physics theory. Later, a private detective Paul Wilson was hired to interview UFO witnesses.
Brown, Thomas, Wilson and Friedman were full time. Other McDonnell personnel were seconded to the project as needed. Wood spent about 10% of his time managing the Project.
In summary staff were:
Joe Brown-focused on theoretical works.
Chan Thomas-"...his value to me was his tremendously innovative mind."
Paul Wilson-interviews. Also took a company outfitted van with state of the art equipment to a UFO prone area for a week to look to make direct observations.
Stanton Friedman-"identify specific clues that would help us decide which technologies should be pursued."
Darrell Harmon-Part time PhD Physics consultant.
Leon Steinert-Mathematician.
Harvey Bjornlie-experimentalist.
Re Allen Hynek - "...I don't believe I ever exposed the total scope of our program to him."
On the labwork, Joe Brown took the lead.
Labwise-"Since the observed UFO phenomena so often indicated large magnetic fields, an obvious question is whether the speed of light could be influenced by a large magnetic field."
Paul Wilson and Joe Brown, in Aug 1968, interviewed a 1958 abductee and Paul interviewed other witnesses to sightings.
On field observations- "Both Allen Hynek and Jim McDonald were excited about the possibility of our developing a mobile van to be used for going out to the sites of UFO reporting."
"All of our employees involved knew that Bob Wood thought that the UFOs were ET craft, and most of them knew that our gaol was to find out how their travel system worked."
On Government contact - "The only contact with the Government about the Project came towards the end in the spring of 1970, when there was interest expressed by one of the intelligence agencies." The McDonnell Douglas group submitted a proposal for Project Skylite. To Wood' knowledge no such contract was ever given to McDonnell Douglas.
The total expenditure on the project was $500,000. Basically at the end, the Project "...had no clues about how close we might be getting to any breakthrough" and the Project was closed.
The McDonnell Douglas documents
I went off in search of more information on this project. I found a website (click here) which appeared to display scans of 275 pages of McDonnell Douglas UFO study papers. The information shown there is consistent with the general desciption of the project and specifics given in the MUFON Jopurnal article's reference section.
Perhaps, for the purpose of this post, the most interesting page was page 130 out of the 275, (Page 56 of a file "Advanced vehicle concepts research")headed "Competitors efforts" dated 2 May 1968.
"Hughes (10 men at Fullerton under Meiers.)
Lockheed Sunnyvale.
RAND has proposed project.
Martin had (has) gravity project
(as have several other companys)
Several companys have UFO related efforts
Raytheon (has had computer project for Condon U of Colo)"
Wow, what a lot of information to absorb! Many questions come immediately to my mind:
1. If the McDonnell Douglas study headed by Wood was between 1966 and 1970, who was conducting the research mentioned in Vallee's diary entry of 10 Dec 1974? Was it McDonnell Douglas as Vallee thought, or someone else? If it was MCDonnell Douglas it would seem that Wood did not know about it. If not McDonnell Douglas, then who?
2. Vallee's diary entries for 1978 mentioned above, speak of McDonnell Douglas as continuing a "...quiet but well funded study..." Who in the company was conducting the work? Vallee speaks of it being "..with the blessing and official monitoring of the CIA..."
3. A "big" question is "Are any aerospace companies conducting research today?"
Well, that's probably enough for now, my brain is spinning and I need to go away and think some more. However, I need to leave you with one more thought.
Another piece of the puzzle may be found in Nick Cook's 2002 book titled "The hunt for zero point" ISBN 0 09 941 498 8.After finding a 1956 article, written by one Michael Gladych on anti-gravity research, Cook tried to track down a George S Trimble mentioned in the article. Cook found that Trimble was "...head of Advanced Programs...at Martin Aircrfat " company. In 1961 Martin became Martin Marietta-the same company mentioned in Vallee's 1965 diary entry! Cook found that Trimble was then still alive and asked through Lockheed Martin (in 1994 Martin Marietta merged with Lockheed) to interview him. Although this intially looked promising, Trimble eventually declined to be interviewed by Cook. Did Martin Marietta also have a UFO study on the go?
I welcome comments on this post, or any additional information you may be able to share.
Wednesday, January 20, 2010
Aerospace companies and UFOs
Hi readers
I've just been reading an excellent article by Dr Robert M Wood in the October 2008 issue of the MUFON Journal. It revealed that the McDonnell Douglas company conducted an official investigation of UFOs between 1966 and 1970. This reminded me of some quotes around this issue in Vallee's book "Forbidden Science" (both Volumes 1 and 2.)
I'm off to conduct some research into this area.
I've just been reading an excellent article by Dr Robert M Wood in the October 2008 issue of the MUFON Journal. It revealed that the McDonnell Douglas company conducted an official investigation of UFOs between 1966 and 1970. This reminded me of some quotes around this issue in Vallee's book "Forbidden Science" (both Volumes 1 and 2.)
I'm off to conduct some research into this area.
Sunday, January 17, 2010
New abductee book published
Hi all
23 degrees centigrade here in Adelaide, a low temperature Summer's day. Makes a change from the 43 degree days a while ago. My brain stops working at such high temperatures.
Today's post is about a newly published book by an abductee. It is written by Stan Romanek, titled "Messages: The world's most documented extraterrestrial contact story." Published by Llewellyn Publications, Woodbury, Minnesota. 2009. ISBN 978-0-7387-1526-1. 259 pages.
Stan was born in 1962 and spent his early childhood moving from one USAF base to another as his father was in the USAF.
At age 5, in 1968, his father, brother and others reported seeing a UFO over Northwood, North Dakota. At around the same time Stan had his first of several encounters with a "lady" who had extraordinary large and slanted eyes.
In the year 2000, Stan saw, and video taped a metallic object, segmented into multiple spheres, near Morrison, Colorado. This event was followed by "strange clicking sounds every time I talked on the phone" (page 18.) A man told him "It's not over yet." Electrical equipment malfunctioned around him. Birds seemed to die around Stan.
On 21 September 2001, at about 2.30am, after yet another UFO sighting, Stan was awoken from sleep by knocking at his front door. His sister had answered the door and Stan saw two men and a woman- 4.5 feet tall, the males wore light blue jumpsuits and the woman, a light blue robe. They all had large, almond shaped eyes - with blue irises. He fought the entities but blacked out. He woke next morning "...feeling weak and tired...." with unusual marks on his back. (p34.)
Following more UFO sightings he went public with the story, even being interviewed by Fox News. Strangely the story wasn't used for 8 months and when it was shown locally there was an inexplicable power failure.
In 2002, he was hypnotised by Deborah Lindemann about the September 2001 event, and recalled detailed memories of standing, bound at the ankles and wrists. The three figures from his front door were present and one of them "...appeared that he was scraping tissue from my lower back..." (p58.)There was a flow of information into his head. He then recalled waking in his own bed. Following the regression he drew symbols and equations on paper, seemingly from the flow of information into his head during the experience. Stan felt that he would have been incapable of creating the equations himself.
Then followed video taped red orbs in Nebraska; equations he jotted down while he was asleep; a second abduction on 17 November 2002; his son Jake drew equations beyond his years; there was an unusual figure videotaped looking into Stan's home on 17 July 2003 (click here to see the video) ; another abduction in 2003 which left him outside his house; unusual dreams and an episode in which he went to bed wearing a T shirt and woke up wearing a woman's nightgown (p122) with puncture marks on his hip.
Following the November 2002 abduction Stan noted a "...pear sized lump near my hip..." (p147.) In 2004, following a visit to the doctor a "...tiny tear-drop shaped object (p149) was found. The "implant" was sent for analysis "...that's when they realized that the implant wasn't from around here." "The implant itself was made of some kind of quartz crystal...microscopic fibers embedded...and even what appeared to be tiny microscopic gears and an extremely minute computer chip..." (p151.) The implant "...simply vanished from the research lab." (p151.)
Stan underwent further hypnotic regression, and while under related meeting an alien child which he felt was his. Later, another entity was filmed at Stan's house (pp177-181.)
In 2005, "...the most unnerving element of high strangeness is the appearance of shadow people....simply pockets of darkness that seemed to hover for several seconds at a time before inexplicably dissolving into nothingness." (p184.) There were apparent poltergeist-like episodes and electronic voice phenomena. More pictures of apparent grey aliens watching them (pp192-193.)
2006 saw Stan fall from a ladder and tear his anterior cruciate ligament and hamstring muscle. One night he fell asleep and overnight, a counter clockwise 8 foot circle appeared outside the house. The grass within the circle died, and his injury had fully recovered. however, he was left with "...five perfectly spaced holes running vertically down the right side of the knee" (p208.) Stan said his doctor was puzzled.
Dr Leo Sprinklwe conducted several additional hypnotic regression sessions with Stan and Stan "channelled" some other entity - a grey.
Appendix A to the book is a letter from Dr Jack Kasher about the equations Stan drew. "But several of the equations he wrote were graduate level physics and beyond... " (p249.)
Appendix B is a letter from Dr Sprinkle. "Stan Romanek is neither a psychotic person nor a psychopathic personality; he is not crazy, and he is not engaged in a hoax."
Appendix B is comment by Jerry Hofmann, owner of JLH Productions in Aurora, Colorado. After examining six video clips of Stan's Jerry stated that he found no special effects or computer generated effects present. "Further the noise over the faces of the aliens is consistent with the rest of the videos in these shots."
Comment: I read this book in a single sitting. There is a great deal of details, and reported involvement of other people, other than Stan.
Stan mentions a number of investigators who were involved from time to time, and I would love to see their full investigation report; their affidavit from the doctor involved in the miraculous knee cure; the same from the doctor who saw the implant; the full laboratory analysis report on the implant; etc etc.
Click here for Stan's own website.
23 degrees centigrade here in Adelaide, a low temperature Summer's day. Makes a change from the 43 degree days a while ago. My brain stops working at such high temperatures.
Today's post is about a newly published book by an abductee. It is written by Stan Romanek, titled "Messages: The world's most documented extraterrestrial contact story." Published by Llewellyn Publications, Woodbury, Minnesota. 2009. ISBN 978-0-7387-1526-1. 259 pages.
Stan was born in 1962 and spent his early childhood moving from one USAF base to another as his father was in the USAF.
At age 5, in 1968, his father, brother and others reported seeing a UFO over Northwood, North Dakota. At around the same time Stan had his first of several encounters with a "lady" who had extraordinary large and slanted eyes.
In the year 2000, Stan saw, and video taped a metallic object, segmented into multiple spheres, near Morrison, Colorado. This event was followed by "strange clicking sounds every time I talked on the phone" (page 18.) A man told him "It's not over yet." Electrical equipment malfunctioned around him. Birds seemed to die around Stan.
On 21 September 2001, at about 2.30am, after yet another UFO sighting, Stan was awoken from sleep by knocking at his front door. His sister had answered the door and Stan saw two men and a woman- 4.5 feet tall, the males wore light blue jumpsuits and the woman, a light blue robe. They all had large, almond shaped eyes - with blue irises. He fought the entities but blacked out. He woke next morning "...feeling weak and tired...." with unusual marks on his back. (p34.)
Following more UFO sightings he went public with the story, even being interviewed by Fox News. Strangely the story wasn't used for 8 months and when it was shown locally there was an inexplicable power failure.
In 2002, he was hypnotised by Deborah Lindemann about the September 2001 event, and recalled detailed memories of standing, bound at the ankles and wrists. The three figures from his front door were present and one of them "...appeared that he was scraping tissue from my lower back..." (p58.)There was a flow of information into his head. He then recalled waking in his own bed. Following the regression he drew symbols and equations on paper, seemingly from the flow of information into his head during the experience. Stan felt that he would have been incapable of creating the equations himself.
Then followed video taped red orbs in Nebraska; equations he jotted down while he was asleep; a second abduction on 17 November 2002; his son Jake drew equations beyond his years; there was an unusual figure videotaped looking into Stan's home on 17 July 2003 (click here to see the video) ; another abduction in 2003 which left him outside his house; unusual dreams and an episode in which he went to bed wearing a T shirt and woke up wearing a woman's nightgown (p122) with puncture marks on his hip.
Following the November 2002 abduction Stan noted a "...pear sized lump near my hip..." (p147.) In 2004, following a visit to the doctor a "...tiny tear-drop shaped object (p149) was found. The "implant" was sent for analysis "...that's when they realized that the implant wasn't from around here." "The implant itself was made of some kind of quartz crystal...microscopic fibers embedded...and even what appeared to be tiny microscopic gears and an extremely minute computer chip..." (p151.) The implant "...simply vanished from the research lab." (p151.)
Stan underwent further hypnotic regression, and while under related meeting an alien child which he felt was his. Later, another entity was filmed at Stan's house (pp177-181.)
In 2005, "...the most unnerving element of high strangeness is the appearance of shadow people....simply pockets of darkness that seemed to hover for several seconds at a time before inexplicably dissolving into nothingness." (p184.) There were apparent poltergeist-like episodes and electronic voice phenomena. More pictures of apparent grey aliens watching them (pp192-193.)
2006 saw Stan fall from a ladder and tear his anterior cruciate ligament and hamstring muscle. One night he fell asleep and overnight, a counter clockwise 8 foot circle appeared outside the house. The grass within the circle died, and his injury had fully recovered. however, he was left with "...five perfectly spaced holes running vertically down the right side of the knee" (p208.) Stan said his doctor was puzzled.
Dr Leo Sprinklwe conducted several additional hypnotic regression sessions with Stan and Stan "channelled" some other entity - a grey.
Appendix A to the book is a letter from Dr Jack Kasher about the equations Stan drew. "But several of the equations he wrote were graduate level physics and beyond... " (p249.)
Appendix B is a letter from Dr Sprinkle. "Stan Romanek is neither a psychotic person nor a psychopathic personality; he is not crazy, and he is not engaged in a hoax."
Appendix B is comment by Jerry Hofmann, owner of JLH Productions in Aurora, Colorado. After examining six video clips of Stan's Jerry stated that he found no special effects or computer generated effects present. "Further the noise over the faces of the aliens is consistent with the rest of the videos in these shots."
Comment: I read this book in a single sitting. There is a great deal of details, and reported involvement of other people, other than Stan.
Stan mentions a number of investigators who were involved from time to time, and I would love to see their full investigation report; their affidavit from the doctor involved in the miraculous knee cure; the same from the doctor who saw the implant; the full laboratory analysis report on the implant; etc etc.
Click here for Stan's own website.
Friday, January 15, 2010
Project Moon Dust
Hi readers
In reading the FOIA documents on the various CIA/DIA/NSA websites, you sometimes come across a reference to "Project Moon Dust." I thought I'd take some time to see what I could track down on this Project for my own curiosity.
The June 1986 (number 8) issue of the "JUST CAUSE" Newsletter (click here) contained an item on Project Moon Dust. The article referred to work undertaken by researcher Robert Todd, who in 1979 received a document released by the USAF. The document was identified as AFCIN-1E-0, and dated 3 November 1961.
Although the document had deletions, the following could be made out:
* "...in addition to their staff duty assignment, intelligence team personnel have peacetime duty functions in support of such Air Force projects as Moondust, Bluefly and UFO..."
* "Blue Fly has been established to facilitate expeditious delivery to FTD of Moon Dust or other items of great technical intelligence interest. AFCIN SOP for Blue Fly operations, February 1960, provides for 1127th participation."
* "As a specilized aspect of its over all material exploitation program, Headquarters USAF has established Project Moon Dust to locate, recover and deliver descended foreign space vehicles. ICGL # 4, 25 April 1961, delineates collection responsibilities."
* "Peacetime employment of AFCIN intelligence team capability is provided for in UFO investigation (AFR 200-2) and in support of Air Force Systems Command (AFSC) Foreign Technology Division (FTD) Project Moon Dust and Blue Fly...These three peacetime projects all involve a potential for employment of qualified field intelligence personnel on a quick reaction basis to recover or perform field exploitation of unidentified flying objects, or known Soviet/bloc aerospace vehicles..."
I located a website (click here) which had the text of the 25 April 1961 document - titled US Air Force Intelligence Guidance Collection Letter 4.
Its subject was Moon Dust reporting in "...response to Moon Dust alerts."
* Headquarters USAF initiates Moon Dust alerts-based on anticipated foreign satellite re-entries
* Interested personnel collect information on sightings of such re-entries. The document lists the kind of information which should be collected and forward and included the position of the observer, what was seen falling to earth etc
* Reports, citing "...the unclassified nickname Moon Dust should be sent to:
- Headquarters USAF (AFCIN)
- ATIC (AFCIN-4A) Wright Patterson, Ohio
- Space track R & D Activity, Hanscom Field, MA
- NORAD, Ent AFB, Colorado
* The overall Project is classified
* Moon Dust alerts are confidential.
Australia
Here in Australia, the Disclosure Australia project (click here) (see final report part 2 appendix 2) found a Department of Supply file (SA5644/2/1) which contained a 1962 memo in which it mentions that the United states Embassy unofficially sought information on sightings of or downed fragments of space vehicles.
The Project's final report page 64 lists nine such reported space fragments recovered in Australia.
Moon Dust references
An examination of the FOIA documents released by the US Defence Intelligence Agency reveals the following documents with Project Moon Dust references:
1. 22 January 1965 Rajasthan, India
2. 11 January 1967 Agadir, Morocco - an object fell into the sea.
3. 28 March 1967 Kasba Tadla, Morocco -An object 8.5m diameter landed on the roof of a house but then took off again.
4. 25 Mar 1968, Nepal - Four object located.
5. Jul 1968 Location unknown - nose cone photographed.
6. 1 Aug 1970 Lai, Chad - 18 inch diameter sphere weighing 20-25lbs. Welded two halves. resembled pressurised fuel tank.
7. Nov 1973 Ivory Coast - One object found with cryrillic characters.
8. 20 Oct 1973 New Zealand -Cylindrical object 2 feet long and 7 inch diameter.
9. Dec 1976 Windsor, Ontario, Canada - Objects found.
10. 23 Oct 1978 Ashburton, New Zealand - Two spheres found.
11. 11 Aug 1979 Bolivia - Sphere 70cm in diameter with hole in one side. Second sphere 6kg in weight and 80cm diameter.
Comments:
A review of FOIA released material post 1979, failed to find anything which mentioned Project Moon Dust or spoke of foreign space fragments. There were however documents forwarding on information on UFO reports through to 1996.
Moon Dust changes name?
Researcher Robert Todd referred to a 1987 letter from the USAF, which stated that the "...nickname Project Moon Dust no longer officially exists...It has been replaced by another name that is not releasable." (click here) Has any reader come across references to just what the Project is called these days?
Comment:
Would the USAF still be interested in just not the current Russian space vehicles but also those of Japan, India, China etc? Is the project still running? Has any reader come across evidence that it is?
NASA and Project Moon Dust
I also came across the fact that journalist Leslie Dean headed a FOIA law suit against NASA to locate NASA documents relating to the Kecksburg, PA 1965 crashed object case. (Click here for her final report)
Her work and that of others on this case did reveal that NASA had files on recovered foreign space fragments - the so called "fragology files." However, despite several searches by NASA these files could not be found.
"The documents I received concerned, by and large, the recovery and analysis of fragments and space debris here and abroad; orbital debris; policy formulations for above; discussions of hazards and liability due to falling space debris; clarification of NASA’s role in relation to other government agencies and its role overseas; some Project Moon Dust documents; Gemini and Apollo missions; correspondence and meeting files. Files from the State Department included UFO cases and reports of sightings. These documents shed light on the history of the time, but overall, that’s as far as they went."
"However, some documents did reveal interesting bits of information, even if not about Kecksburg. For example, a one page “memo for record” was prepared by Richard Schullherr, a NASA engineer whose responsibilities included fragology (he was custodian of the fragology files) and who was a liaison to Project Moon Dust, the federal program involving the retrieval of space debris and objects of unknown origin. Dated January 18, 1969, the memo records a visit Schulherr made to the Foreign Technology Division (FTD) of the Air Force Systems Command at Wright Patterson AFB. The purpose was to identify some space debris which had been sent to
NASA, and to “re-establish personal liaison with newly assigned FTD Moondust personnel” headed by Lt. Robert McGill."
In reading the FOIA documents on the various CIA/DIA/NSA websites, you sometimes come across a reference to "Project Moon Dust." I thought I'd take some time to see what I could track down on this Project for my own curiosity.
The June 1986 (number 8) issue of the "JUST CAUSE" Newsletter (click here) contained an item on Project Moon Dust. The article referred to work undertaken by researcher Robert Todd, who in 1979 received a document released by the USAF. The document was identified as AFCIN-1E-0, and dated 3 November 1961.
Although the document had deletions, the following could be made out:
* "...in addition to their staff duty assignment, intelligence team personnel have peacetime duty functions in support of such Air Force projects as Moondust, Bluefly and UFO..."
* "Blue Fly has been established to facilitate expeditious delivery to FTD of Moon Dust or other items of great technical intelligence interest. AFCIN SOP for Blue Fly operations, February 1960, provides for 1127th participation."
* "As a specilized aspect of its over all material exploitation program, Headquarters USAF has established Project Moon Dust to locate, recover and deliver descended foreign space vehicles. ICGL # 4, 25 April 1961, delineates collection responsibilities."
* "Peacetime employment of AFCIN intelligence team capability is provided for in UFO investigation (AFR 200-2) and in support of Air Force Systems Command (AFSC) Foreign Technology Division (FTD) Project Moon Dust and Blue Fly...These three peacetime projects all involve a potential for employment of qualified field intelligence personnel on a quick reaction basis to recover or perform field exploitation of unidentified flying objects, or known Soviet/bloc aerospace vehicles..."
I located a website (click here) which had the text of the 25 April 1961 document - titled US Air Force Intelligence Guidance Collection Letter 4.
Its subject was Moon Dust reporting in "...response to Moon Dust alerts."
* Headquarters USAF initiates Moon Dust alerts-based on anticipated foreign satellite re-entries
* Interested personnel collect information on sightings of such re-entries. The document lists the kind of information which should be collected and forward and included the position of the observer, what was seen falling to earth etc
* Reports, citing "...the unclassified nickname Moon Dust should be sent to:
- Headquarters USAF (AFCIN)
- ATIC (AFCIN-4A) Wright Patterson, Ohio
- Space track R & D Activity, Hanscom Field, MA
- NORAD, Ent AFB, Colorado
* The overall Project is classified
* Moon Dust alerts are confidential.
Australia
Here in Australia, the Disclosure Australia project (click here) (see final report part 2 appendix 2) found a Department of Supply file (SA5644/2/1) which contained a 1962 memo in which it mentions that the United states Embassy unofficially sought information on sightings of or downed fragments of space vehicles.
The Project's final report page 64 lists nine such reported space fragments recovered in Australia.
Moon Dust references
An examination of the FOIA documents released by the US Defence Intelligence Agency reveals the following documents with Project Moon Dust references:
1. 22 January 1965 Rajasthan, India
2. 11 January 1967 Agadir, Morocco - an object fell into the sea.
3. 28 March 1967 Kasba Tadla, Morocco -An object 8.5m diameter landed on the roof of a house but then took off again.
4. 25 Mar 1968, Nepal - Four object located.
5. Jul 1968 Location unknown - nose cone photographed.
6. 1 Aug 1970 Lai, Chad - 18 inch diameter sphere weighing 20-25lbs. Welded two halves. resembled pressurised fuel tank.
7. Nov 1973 Ivory Coast - One object found with cryrillic characters.
8. 20 Oct 1973 New Zealand -Cylindrical object 2 feet long and 7 inch diameter.
9. Dec 1976 Windsor, Ontario, Canada - Objects found.
10. 23 Oct 1978 Ashburton, New Zealand - Two spheres found.
11. 11 Aug 1979 Bolivia - Sphere 70cm in diameter with hole in one side. Second sphere 6kg in weight and 80cm diameter.
Comments:
A review of FOIA released material post 1979, failed to find anything which mentioned Project Moon Dust or spoke of foreign space fragments. There were however documents forwarding on information on UFO reports through to 1996.
Moon Dust changes name?
Researcher Robert Todd referred to a 1987 letter from the USAF, which stated that the "...nickname Project Moon Dust no longer officially exists...It has been replaced by another name that is not releasable." (click here) Has any reader come across references to just what the Project is called these days?
Comment:
Would the USAF still be interested in just not the current Russian space vehicles but also those of Japan, India, China etc? Is the project still running? Has any reader come across evidence that it is?
NASA and Project Moon Dust
I also came across the fact that journalist Leslie Dean headed a FOIA law suit against NASA to locate NASA documents relating to the Kecksburg, PA 1965 crashed object case. (Click here for her final report)
Her work and that of others on this case did reveal that NASA had files on recovered foreign space fragments - the so called "fragology files." However, despite several searches by NASA these files could not be found.
"The documents I received concerned, by and large, the recovery and analysis of fragments and space debris here and abroad; orbital debris; policy formulations for above; discussions of hazards and liability due to falling space debris; clarification of NASA’s role in relation to other government agencies and its role overseas; some Project Moon Dust documents; Gemini and Apollo missions; correspondence and meeting files. Files from the State Department included UFO cases and reports of sightings. These documents shed light on the history of the time, but overall, that’s as far as they went."
"However, some documents did reveal interesting bits of information, even if not about Kecksburg. For example, a one page “memo for record” was prepared by Richard Schullherr, a NASA engineer whose responsibilities included fragology (he was custodian of the fragology files) and who was a liaison to Project Moon Dust, the federal program involving the retrieval of space debris and objects of unknown origin. Dated January 18, 1969, the memo records a visit Schulherr made to the Foreign Technology Division (FTD) of the Air Force Systems Command at Wright Patterson AFB. The purpose was to identify some space debris which had been sent to
NASA, and to “re-establish personal liaison with newly assigned FTD Moondust personnel” headed by Lt. Robert McGill."
Sunday, January 10, 2010
Amino acid found in a comet
Today in Adelaide, South Australia it is a maximum of 43 degrees centigrade and we are towards the end of a heatwave. Should be back down to a maximum of 26 degrees C on Tuesday. I have been watching the TV news about the big freeze in Europe, and in the US.
So, I am in the cool of the local library reading astronomy magazines catching up in this area of my interests.
"Astronomy" magazine dated December 2009 on page 23 has an interesting item.
"Samples of Comet Wild returned to Earth by NASA's Stardust spacecraft show the unmistakable presence of the amino acid glycine."
"Because terrestrial life uses glycine, earlier researchers didn't know if the glycine might be earthly contamination. But Elsila's team found the glycine carbon-isotope abundances matched those in space."
"Our discovery supports the theory that some of life's ingredients formed in space and were delivered to Earth long ago by meteorites and comet impacts..."
So, I am in the cool of the local library reading astronomy magazines catching up in this area of my interests.
"Astronomy" magazine dated December 2009 on page 23 has an interesting item.
"Samples of Comet Wild returned to Earth by NASA's Stardust spacecraft show the unmistakable presence of the amino acid glycine."
"Because terrestrial life uses glycine, earlier researchers didn't know if the glycine might be earthly contamination. But Elsila's team found the glycine carbon-isotope abundances matched those in space."
"Our discovery supports the theory that some of life's ingredients formed in space and were delivered to Earth long ago by meteorites and comet impacts..."
Saturday, January 9, 2010
My overview of the NSA FOIA documents
Hi all
Well, what to make of the documents relating to UFOs which are publicly available on the National Security Agency's website?
There are some documents which probably relate to propaganda balloons launched over China; probable sightings of Russian aircraft over northern Canada; the fascinating 1976 Iran aircraft encounter; miscellaneous old sightings; and the world wide program Project Moondust which was vacuuming up bits of fallen satellites.
When you spend the time to look through these documents and think about the implications, as I have in recent weeks, you get a sense that there is some good material here which should have helped to further understand the UFO phenomenon.
From earlier posts I note the following:
1. Richard M Dolan in his work "UFOs and the National Security State: chronology of a coverup 1941-1973" page 118 stated that "The NSA immediately became involved in UFO reports" but fails to document the source of this assertion. For more information on Dolan's work click here.
2. In 1972, Jacques Vallee (Forbidden Science Volume 2 p 159) mentioned talking to one Howell McConnell of NSA who told Vallee "So we keep an eye on things." For information on Vallee, see his personal website here. McConnell gets a mention in Timothy Good's 2007 book "Need to know" click here. After retiring from the NSA McConnell spoke at conferences, for example here. Finally click here for a 2008 mention of McConnell.
3. In 1975, Jacques Vallee wrote of meeting an NSA physicist (Forbidden Science volume 2 p 312)who told him that he (the physicist) conducted a search of the NSA for intercept messages relating to UFOs and failed to find any. For one review of Forbidden Science Volume 2 click here.
4. In 1976, Vallee (Forbidden Science volume 2 p327) spoke of meeting someone who claimed that they had been apart of a special NSA group dedicated to researching UFOs.
I guess, in the end, it boils down to a) either these are all the NSA documents on UFOs and there had been no officially sanctioned research project on UFOs; or b) there was such research by NSA and these research documents have not been released.
Over to you readers, for your comments.
Well, what to make of the documents relating to UFOs which are publicly available on the National Security Agency's website?
There are some documents which probably relate to propaganda balloons launched over China; probable sightings of Russian aircraft over northern Canada; the fascinating 1976 Iran aircraft encounter; miscellaneous old sightings; and the world wide program Project Moondust which was vacuuming up bits of fallen satellites.
When you spend the time to look through these documents and think about the implications, as I have in recent weeks, you get a sense that there is some good material here which should have helped to further understand the UFO phenomenon.
From earlier posts I note the following:
1. Richard M Dolan in his work "UFOs and the National Security State: chronology of a coverup 1941-1973" page 118 stated that "The NSA immediately became involved in UFO reports" but fails to document the source of this assertion. For more information on Dolan's work click here.
2. In 1972, Jacques Vallee (Forbidden Science Volume 2 p 159) mentioned talking to one Howell McConnell of NSA who told Vallee "So we keep an eye on things." For information on Vallee, see his personal website here. McConnell gets a mention in Timothy Good's 2007 book "Need to know" click here. After retiring from the NSA McConnell spoke at conferences, for example here. Finally click here for a 2008 mention of McConnell.
3. In 1975, Jacques Vallee wrote of meeting an NSA physicist (Forbidden Science volume 2 p 312)who told him that he (the physicist) conducted a search of the NSA for intercept messages relating to UFOs and failed to find any. For one review of Forbidden Science Volume 2 click here.
4. In 1976, Vallee (Forbidden Science volume 2 p327) spoke of meeting someone who claimed that they had been apart of a special NSA group dedicated to researching UFOs.
I guess, in the end, it boils down to a) either these are all the NSA documents on UFOs and there had been no officially sanctioned research project on UFOs; or b) there was such research by NSA and these research documents have not been released.
Over to you readers, for your comments.
Friday, January 8, 2010
NSA FOIA documents 32-42
Here are the final batch of National Security Agency, Freedom of Information Act documents listed on the NSA's website.
32 General Accounting Office report to the then Steven H Schiff re search for records re Roswell 1947 crash.
This is a 21 page report. The General Accounting Office advised that "...we conducted an extensive search for government records related to the crash near Roswell." All that was uncovered was a 8 Jul 1947 FBI teletype "...discusses the recovery ...of a...balloon..." and a USAF report of Jul 1994 "Report of Air Force Research regarding the Roswell incident; plus a history of the 509th bomb group Roswell with an item re the "flying disc/balloon."
Comment: This suggests a fairly wide search was undertaken and makes you wonder if there are in fact any other documents relating to Roswell, out there? Click here for the USAF's own website comments.
33 Memorandum and Order -Citizens Against UFO Secrecy v NSA
In the civil action no 80-1562 undertaken by CAUS against the NSA, the court found for the NSA. It decided the public's interest in UFOs was "...outweighed by the sensitive nature of the materials..."
Comment: Interesting that we are here probably talking about such things as the NSA's ability to listen to Chinese intercepts commenting on balloons launched from Taiwan with the help of the CIA!
34 Communication with Extraterrestrial Intelligence by Lambros D Callimahos
This is a nine page, 1965 document, stamped unclassified. It discusses how we might communicate with extraterrestrials using coded radio waves.
35 UFO hypotheses and survival questions
A seven page, 1968, formerly secret discussion paper stamped "draft." It looks at the hypotheses that UFOs may be hoaxes, hallucinations, natural phenomena, secret earth projects or related to extraterrestrial intelligence. Each possibility is explored and discussed against the idea of how the hypothesis would affect the human race.
Comment: It is interesting to note that the sources cited as references for this paper are all public documents. If the NSA was hiding something, you might expect the references to be something along the line of (1) NSA file -UFO16 - analysis of 19 physical trace cases or (2) NSA file UFO21 - analysis of case 2346.
36 UFOs and the intelligence community blind spot to surprise or deceptive data
A seven page, undated, document originally stamped "secret" and "draft." Although there are large areas blacked out, the gist is to be aware of novel, innovative or surprise data or tactics.
Comment: The work of Jacques Vallee is heavily utilised in the paper.
37 Memorandum for the record - subject - information request solicitation
This is a five page document dated 29 Aug 1978 from USN to D4. As an NSA employee with an interest in UFOs who was attending a UFO symposium in Ohio in Jul 78 the person discussed this with their supervisor and others at NSA before attending.
At the MUFON Symposium, following a lecture by Mr Leonard Stringfield, the employee gathered copies from a Mr Robert Barry, of some letters the employee thought were fraudulent. Eventually, some agency either the NSA or another, wrote to Mr Barry and advised him that the letters were indeed fraudulent.
Comment: Makes you wonder what was the content of these letters and why they would interest the NSA? A list of papers presented may be found by clicking here. The papers themselves may be read here. Some interesting comments about the talk may be located here.
38 United States Air Force Fact sheet 95-03
A USAF fact sheet about Project Bluebook (current as of Jun 1995.)
Comment: Visit the Project Bluebook archive here.
39 Report on Air Force research regarding the "Roswell Incident."
A twenty-two page, Jul 1994 summary of the USAF's report on Roswell.
Comment: Why was the NSA keeping a copy of this?
40 JANAP 146
An undated, thirteen page document concerning what should be reported as "vital intelligence sightings" to whom it should be reported, and how. Things that should be reported are "Unidentified Flying Objects."
Comment: For more on JANAP 146 click here.
41 Key to the extraterrestrial messages by H Campaigne
"Dr Capaigne presented a series of 24 messages from outer space in "Extraterrestrial Intelligence" NSA Technical Journal Vol XI No 2 pp101ff...the following article develops a key to these messages."
Comment: Apparently a hypothetical ET message!
42 Extraterrestrial intelligence by Howard H Campaigne
A two page, unclassified paper along the same lines as 41. Released by NSA Oct 2004.
32 General Accounting Office report to the then Steven H Schiff re search for records re Roswell 1947 crash.
This is a 21 page report. The General Accounting Office advised that "...we conducted an extensive search for government records related to the crash near Roswell." All that was uncovered was a 8 Jul 1947 FBI teletype "...discusses the recovery ...of a...balloon..." and a USAF report of Jul 1994 "Report of Air Force Research regarding the Roswell incident; plus a history of the 509th bomb group Roswell with an item re the "flying disc/balloon."
Comment: This suggests a fairly wide search was undertaken and makes you wonder if there are in fact any other documents relating to Roswell, out there? Click here for the USAF's own website comments.
33 Memorandum and Order -Citizens Against UFO Secrecy v NSA
In the civil action no 80-1562 undertaken by CAUS against the NSA, the court found for the NSA. It decided the public's interest in UFOs was "...outweighed by the sensitive nature of the materials..."
Comment: Interesting that we are here probably talking about such things as the NSA's ability to listen to Chinese intercepts commenting on balloons launched from Taiwan with the help of the CIA!
34 Communication with Extraterrestrial Intelligence by Lambros D Callimahos
This is a nine page, 1965 document, stamped unclassified. It discusses how we might communicate with extraterrestrials using coded radio waves.
35 UFO hypotheses and survival questions
A seven page, 1968, formerly secret discussion paper stamped "draft." It looks at the hypotheses that UFOs may be hoaxes, hallucinations, natural phenomena, secret earth projects or related to extraterrestrial intelligence. Each possibility is explored and discussed against the idea of how the hypothesis would affect the human race.
Comment: It is interesting to note that the sources cited as references for this paper are all public documents. If the NSA was hiding something, you might expect the references to be something along the line of (1) NSA file -UFO16 - analysis of 19 physical trace cases or (2) NSA file UFO21 - analysis of case 2346.
36 UFOs and the intelligence community blind spot to surprise or deceptive data
A seven page, undated, document originally stamped "secret" and "draft." Although there are large areas blacked out, the gist is to be aware of novel, innovative or surprise data or tactics.
Comment: The work of Jacques Vallee is heavily utilised in the paper.
37 Memorandum for the record - subject - information request solicitation
This is a five page document dated 29 Aug 1978 from USN to D4. As an NSA employee with an interest in UFOs who was attending a UFO symposium in Ohio in Jul 78 the person discussed this with their supervisor and others at NSA before attending.
At the MUFON Symposium, following a lecture by Mr Leonard Stringfield, the employee gathered copies from a Mr Robert Barry, of some letters the employee thought were fraudulent. Eventually, some agency either the NSA or another, wrote to Mr Barry and advised him that the letters were indeed fraudulent.
Comment: Makes you wonder what was the content of these letters and why they would interest the NSA? A list of papers presented may be found by clicking here. The papers themselves may be read here. Some interesting comments about the talk may be located here.
38 United States Air Force Fact sheet 95-03
A USAF fact sheet about Project Bluebook (current as of Jun 1995.)
Comment: Visit the Project Bluebook archive here.
39 Report on Air Force research regarding the "Roswell Incident."
A twenty-two page, Jul 1994 summary of the USAF's report on Roswell.
Comment: Why was the NSA keeping a copy of this?
40 JANAP 146
An undated, thirteen page document concerning what should be reported as "vital intelligence sightings" to whom it should be reported, and how. Things that should be reported are "Unidentified Flying Objects."
Comment: For more on JANAP 146 click here.
41 Key to the extraterrestrial messages by H Campaigne
"Dr Capaigne presented a series of 24 messages from outer space in "Extraterrestrial Intelligence" NSA Technical Journal Vol XI No 2 pp101ff...the following article develops a key to these messages."
Comment: Apparently a hypothetical ET message!
42 Extraterrestrial intelligence by Howard H Campaigne
A two page, unclassified paper along the same lines as 41. Released by NSA Oct 2004.
Thursday, January 7, 2010
New book on MI5 and MI6
I'm back in heaven! I have just found and started reading a new book on the British intelligence agencies MI5 & MI6. For regular readers of my blog you will know about my avid interest in all things to do with intelligence agencies!
The book is "Secret Wars" written by Gordon Thomas, (click here and here for more info) who lives in London and has published several books dealing with the international intelligence agencies. Published by Thomas Dunne Books, New York in 2009. ISBN 978-0-37998-8.
There's lots of behind the scenes, recent information about variously formerly secret operations. Lots of things you have partly heard about are given more detailed treatment in this work.
In any book on intelligence agencies I always keep an eye out for any mention of the UFO phenomenon. Is there any such mention in this work?
Well, yes, a brief one. On page 230 there is a short piece on the NSA's UK based station at Menwith Hill, Yorkshire. "Later there were rumours Menwith Hill was going to track flying saucers. There had been a number of claims of strange objects in the heavens."
For more on Menwith Hill click here
or here
or here
The book is "Secret Wars" written by Gordon Thomas, (click here and here for more info) who lives in London and has published several books dealing with the international intelligence agencies. Published by Thomas Dunne Books, New York in 2009. ISBN 978-0-37998-8.
There's lots of behind the scenes, recent information about variously formerly secret operations. Lots of things you have partly heard about are given more detailed treatment in this work.
In any book on intelligence agencies I always keep an eye out for any mention of the UFO phenomenon. Is there any such mention in this work?
Well, yes, a brief one. On page 230 there is a short piece on the NSA's UK based station at Menwith Hill, Yorkshire. "Later there were rumours Menwith Hill was going to track flying saucers. There had been a number of claims of strange objects in the heavens."
For more on Menwith Hill click here
or here
or here
Wednesday, January 6, 2010
Russian intrusions, high speed objects and more
Hi
Some more FOIA NSA documents.
30. American Embassy Tunis report-subject UFOs.
A one page teletype. There have been no recent UFO reports and the embassy can shed no light on phenomenon described reftel.
31. Report for Air Force Special Security Office-subject (Unidentified) UFOB NEAC area.
A 26 page document in total comprising four different sections.
p1 From Air Force Security Office to NSA.
p2 dated 18 Jul 1955 cover sheet.
p3 1 Jun 1955 observation by RB-47 aircraft. Radar only contact with unknown aircraft at location 74 deg 40 min N 105 deg 00 min W.
p4 4 Jun 1955 observation by another RB-47. Radar and visual unknown aircraft or object. Location 74 deg 10min N 107 deg 10min W.
p5 7 Jun 1955 object seen by RB-47 at 72 deg o2min N 127deg W. Radar contact.
p6 8 Jun 1955 Observation from RB-47. Radar and visual contact. Aircraft above RB-47 plus contrail. Location 74deg 26min N 163 deg 25 min W.
Comment: A look at the map reveals that these locations are in the far north of Canada. Could they be observations of Russian aircraft? "Russian aircraft regularly probed into North American airspace during the Cold War, and Canadian and American fighters routinely tracked the snoopers and escorted them back into international airspace." Source: click here. See also here.
pp7-14 Harmon Air Force Base. A KC-97 aircraft at 20,000 ft reported sighting. Object appeared to be hovering, then moved slowly, then climbed. USAF aircraft lost visual contact with the object at an estimated altitude of 40-50,000 ft. Object then accelerated to 1600k and raced NE. Radar and visual observation. 7 Jul 1955.
Comment: pp7-14 This is a very interesting detailed set of documents. The 1600k speed is, of course, very high for 1955. For info on Harmon click here.
pp15-21 Air Intelligence report dated 18 Mar 1958 re unknown radar tracks 9-10 Mar 1958 in the Panama Canal Zone. Three unexplainable radar contacts. On two occasions aircraft were sent to investigate. Radar tracks were triangular and of erratic speed. A second tracking radar on Tabogo Island also locked onto object. Persons saw red and Green noiseless lights. On other occasions, searchlights used. "When the light touched the objects they travelled from an altitude of two thousand feet to ten thousand feet in five to ten seconds." p17.
Comment pp15-21. These observations are very interesting, particularly the piece about the searchlights. See Nick Redfern's account here.
pp22-26 An Aug 1969 teletype which is very hard to read but seems to be about sighting at March AFB California.
In summary, document 31 has some very tantalising reports in it!
Some more FOIA NSA documents.
30. American Embassy Tunis report-subject UFOs.
A one page teletype. There have been no recent UFO reports and the embassy can shed no light on phenomenon described reftel.
31. Report for Air Force Special Security Office-subject (Unidentified) UFOB NEAC area.
A 26 page document in total comprising four different sections.
p1 From Air Force Security Office to NSA.
p2 dated 18 Jul 1955 cover sheet.
p3 1 Jun 1955 observation by RB-47 aircraft. Radar only contact with unknown aircraft at location 74 deg 40 min N 105 deg 00 min W.
p4 4 Jun 1955 observation by another RB-47. Radar and visual unknown aircraft or object. Location 74 deg 10min N 107 deg 10min W.
p5 7 Jun 1955 object seen by RB-47 at 72 deg o2min N 127deg W. Radar contact.
p6 8 Jun 1955 Observation from RB-47. Radar and visual contact. Aircraft above RB-47 plus contrail. Location 74deg 26min N 163 deg 25 min W.
Comment: A look at the map reveals that these locations are in the far north of Canada. Could they be observations of Russian aircraft? "Russian aircraft regularly probed into North American airspace during the Cold War, and Canadian and American fighters routinely tracked the snoopers and escorted them back into international airspace." Source: click here. See also here.
pp7-14 Harmon Air Force Base. A KC-97 aircraft at 20,000 ft reported sighting. Object appeared to be hovering, then moved slowly, then climbed. USAF aircraft lost visual contact with the object at an estimated altitude of 40-50,000 ft. Object then accelerated to 1600k and raced NE. Radar and visual observation. 7 Jul 1955.
Comment: pp7-14 This is a very interesting detailed set of documents. The 1600k speed is, of course, very high for 1955. For info on Harmon click here.
pp15-21 Air Intelligence report dated 18 Mar 1958 re unknown radar tracks 9-10 Mar 1958 in the Panama Canal Zone. Three unexplainable radar contacts. On two occasions aircraft were sent to investigate. Radar tracks were triangular and of erratic speed. A second tracking radar on Tabogo Island also locked onto object. Persons saw red and Green noiseless lights. On other occasions, searchlights used. "When the light touched the objects they travelled from an altitude of two thousand feet to ten thousand feet in five to ten seconds." p17.
Comment pp15-21. These observations are very interesting, particularly the piece about the searchlights. See Nick Redfern's account here.
pp22-26 An Aug 1969 teletype which is very hard to read but seems to be about sighting at March AFB California.
In summary, document 31 has some very tantalising reports in it!
Tuesday, January 5, 2010
Sleep paralysis and abductions
Hi readers
Over the last ten years there has been a great deal of discussion about the relevance of the topic of sleep paralysis to alien abductions.
What is sleep paralysis? During the night, when you are asleep, you go through various stages of sleep. One of these stages is rapid eye movement (REM) sleep, where most dreaming occurs. The healthy adult spends about 20% of their total sleep time in REM sleep. During REM sleep, your muscle tone is almost zero, otherwise if you dreamed that you were being chased you would get out of bed and run. The only thing that moves are your eyes.
J A Cheyne at the Department of Psychology at the University of Waterloo in Ontario, Canada has written a lot about sleep paralysis. Click for further details here. He notes that everyone reporting sleep paralysis has the subjective impression of wakefulness and immobility. Elements of the experience which frequently occurs are: a "fear of a presence"; "fear of death" or "fear of harm."
Other elements which occur are "a sense of presence" -usually evil; a pressure on your chest; auditory hallucinations -e.g. footsteps, breathing; visual hallucinations perhaps of a humanoid form or of a face present; feelings of floating or lifting.
Rarer features are that the whole experience has the continuity of conscious experience and totally unlike a dream. Also you might experience a tingling or vibrating sensation.
Statistically, two thirds of SP experiences have associated hallucinations; and about 5 % report all the associated elements described above.
Let's take a look at a few reported abduction accounts:
1. Woke paralysed, lying on her back. Sense of a presence in the room. Bed clothes seemed to be vibrating. Feeling of being out of her body.
2. Numbness, tingling and churning sensation crawled up his body. Paralysed except for the eyes. Became aware of 3-4 figures wearing dark robes with hoods, in the room. Next thing he "came to" in his bed.
3. Man overcome by fear and tingling sensations. Sense of a presence watching him. He became convinced there was someone in the room as he could hear their footsteps.
One of the lesser known things is that during REM sleep, males experience penile erection and females vaginal wetness. It is therefore perhaps not surprising that male abductees recall genital manipulation, sometime to climax, by their alien abductions and women recall genital examinations. So, even these unusual aspects of abductions can relate back to the physiology of sleep paralysis.
So, you can see why some people suggest that sleep paralysis might explain some abduction accounts. Paralysis with associated visual and auditory hallucinations. Many abductions start off with a person in bed and end with the person back in the same bed. Who is to say that they ever left the bed?
What of abductions from motor vehicles or multiple abductions? Surely, these can't be explained by sleep paralysis? For every vehicular and multiple abduction there are perhaps 100 bedroom based abductions. If one agrees that perhaps these bedroom based abductions were SP caused, then the "real" alien abductions would be the vehicular and multiple. But, wait a minute! Exactly the same abduction elements are reported by bedroom, vehicular and multiple abduction experiencers.
What of reported daytime, awake abductees. It can't be SP caused, can it? Another little known fact is that people in professions such as nursing and air traffic controllers have reported waking SP episodes-they are awake, but paralysed for short time during their shifts.
I am not saying here, that all abductions can be explained away as sleep paralysis. Just that many abduction components seem to fit extremely well with known sleep paralysis experiences.
Dear readers, what do you think about sleep paralysis as a possible explanation for some abduction accounts? Please feel free to comment.
Over the last ten years there has been a great deal of discussion about the relevance of the topic of sleep paralysis to alien abductions.
What is sleep paralysis? During the night, when you are asleep, you go through various stages of sleep. One of these stages is rapid eye movement (REM) sleep, where most dreaming occurs. The healthy adult spends about 20% of their total sleep time in REM sleep. During REM sleep, your muscle tone is almost zero, otherwise if you dreamed that you were being chased you would get out of bed and run. The only thing that moves are your eyes.
J A Cheyne at the Department of Psychology at the University of Waterloo in Ontario, Canada has written a lot about sleep paralysis. Click for further details here. He notes that everyone reporting sleep paralysis has the subjective impression of wakefulness and immobility. Elements of the experience which frequently occurs are: a "fear of a presence"; "fear of death" or "fear of harm."
Other elements which occur are "a sense of presence" -usually evil; a pressure on your chest; auditory hallucinations -e.g. footsteps, breathing; visual hallucinations perhaps of a humanoid form or of a face present; feelings of floating or lifting.
Rarer features are that the whole experience has the continuity of conscious experience and totally unlike a dream. Also you might experience a tingling or vibrating sensation.
Statistically, two thirds of SP experiences have associated hallucinations; and about 5 % report all the associated elements described above.
Let's take a look at a few reported abduction accounts:
1. Woke paralysed, lying on her back. Sense of a presence in the room. Bed clothes seemed to be vibrating. Feeling of being out of her body.
2. Numbness, tingling and churning sensation crawled up his body. Paralysed except for the eyes. Became aware of 3-4 figures wearing dark robes with hoods, in the room. Next thing he "came to" in his bed.
3. Man overcome by fear and tingling sensations. Sense of a presence watching him. He became convinced there was someone in the room as he could hear their footsteps.
One of the lesser known things is that during REM sleep, males experience penile erection and females vaginal wetness. It is therefore perhaps not surprising that male abductees recall genital manipulation, sometime to climax, by their alien abductions and women recall genital examinations. So, even these unusual aspects of abductions can relate back to the physiology of sleep paralysis.
So, you can see why some people suggest that sleep paralysis might explain some abduction accounts. Paralysis with associated visual and auditory hallucinations. Many abductions start off with a person in bed and end with the person back in the same bed. Who is to say that they ever left the bed?
What of abductions from motor vehicles or multiple abductions? Surely, these can't be explained by sleep paralysis? For every vehicular and multiple abduction there are perhaps 100 bedroom based abductions. If one agrees that perhaps these bedroom based abductions were SP caused, then the "real" alien abductions would be the vehicular and multiple. But, wait a minute! Exactly the same abduction elements are reported by bedroom, vehicular and multiple abduction experiencers.
What of reported daytime, awake abductees. It can't be SP caused, can it? Another little known fact is that people in professions such as nursing and air traffic controllers have reported waking SP episodes-they are awake, but paralysed for short time during their shifts.
I am not saying here, that all abductions can be explained away as sleep paralysis. Just that many abduction components seem to fit extremely well with known sleep paralysis experiences.
Dear readers, what do you think about sleep paralysis as a possible explanation for some abduction accounts? Please feel free to comment.
Monday, January 4, 2010
NSA documents 21-29
Hi
More time spent looking at copies of the NSA FOIA documents, this time documents 21-29.
21. Dept of State airogram-Flying saucers are a myth.
DOS airogram dated 22 Mar 1968 from US Embassy, Moscow to DOS, re an article in MOSKOVSKIY KOMSOMOLETS dated 16 Feb 1968. 5 pages.
22. Dept of State -Tunisian fireball.
Two page teletype from Embassy, Tunis dated Jul 1969. Green/blue circular glow, size of full moon seen 13 Jul 1969 plus another phenomenon a few degrees to right of polar star-star like which exploded forming greenish circular cloud.
23. Dept of State -celestial body observed near Antarctica.
One page dated 4 Sep 1965 from US Embassy, Beunos Aires advising that their Office of the Naval Attache had requested info from Argentinian navy re reports of UFOs from Argentinian Antarctic station.
24. Dept of State Airogram-Political report August 1965.
One page from American consulate Mexicall. One line entry "Flying saucers in Mexicall."
25. Dept of State airogram - Unidentified flying objects.
From US Embassy Ottawa, Canada dated 13 Apr 1966. There have been reports of UFOs in Canada. The Canadian Library of Parliament has requested any publications US may have on UFOs.
26. Dept of State airogram -Sighting of object possibly originating from space vehicle.
Dated 18 May 1965 From American Embassy Tokyo. Japanese newspapers carry report of 10 May 1965. No further details given.
27. Dept of State airogram - UFOs.
Dated 15 Dec 1966 From Embassy Montevideo. Had a visit from a local astronomer who had taken 20 colour slides of 12 Nov 1966 eclipse with saucer-like object in them. Offered to Embassy.
28. Dept of State airogram -UFOs reported over Angola.
Dated 23 Dec 1966 From US Embassy Lisbon. Press reporting two flying saucers by crew of an aircraft on 7 Dec 1966.
29. Dept of State. Report of object which fell near Municipio of General Teron, NL. Dated 17 Feb 1967 From Amconsul Monterrey. Attached is a translation of a letter from the major of General Teron to the private secretary of the Governor of the state of Nuevo Leon re unidentified object which fell near GT on 7 Dec 1967. (No attachment.)
Comments on the above:
Between at least 1965 and 1969, the US Department of State was passing back to the US, information from all over the world. Information on fireballs, flying saucers and UFOs. The question is who in the US was reading all this stuff? Someone in the Dept of State was asking for it to be sent in. Then where did it go? As we can see here, some copies ended up with the NSA. Was all this material being gathered fro Project Moondust?
More time spent looking at copies of the NSA FOIA documents, this time documents 21-29.
21. Dept of State airogram-Flying saucers are a myth.
DOS airogram dated 22 Mar 1968 from US Embassy, Moscow to DOS, re an article in MOSKOVSKIY KOMSOMOLETS dated 16 Feb 1968. 5 pages.
22. Dept of State -Tunisian fireball.
Two page teletype from Embassy, Tunis dated Jul 1969. Green/blue circular glow, size of full moon seen 13 Jul 1969 plus another phenomenon a few degrees to right of polar star-star like which exploded forming greenish circular cloud.
23. Dept of State -celestial body observed near Antarctica.
One page dated 4 Sep 1965 from US Embassy, Beunos Aires advising that their Office of the Naval Attache had requested info from Argentinian navy re reports of UFOs from Argentinian Antarctic station.
24. Dept of State Airogram-Political report August 1965.
One page from American consulate Mexicall. One line entry "Flying saucers in Mexicall."
25. Dept of State airogram - Unidentified flying objects.
From US Embassy Ottawa, Canada dated 13 Apr 1966. There have been reports of UFOs in Canada. The Canadian Library of Parliament has requested any publications US may have on UFOs.
26. Dept of State airogram -Sighting of object possibly originating from space vehicle.
Dated 18 May 1965 From American Embassy Tokyo. Japanese newspapers carry report of 10 May 1965. No further details given.
27. Dept of State airogram - UFOs.
Dated 15 Dec 1966 From Embassy Montevideo. Had a visit from a local astronomer who had taken 20 colour slides of 12 Nov 1966 eclipse with saucer-like object in them. Offered to Embassy.
28. Dept of State airogram -UFOs reported over Angola.
Dated 23 Dec 1966 From US Embassy Lisbon. Press reporting two flying saucers by crew of an aircraft on 7 Dec 1966.
29. Dept of State. Report of object which fell near Municipio of General Teron, NL. Dated 17 Feb 1967 From Amconsul Monterrey. Attached is a translation of a letter from the major of General Teron to the private secretary of the Governor of the state of Nuevo Leon re unidentified object which fell near GT on 7 Dec 1967. (No attachment.)
Comments on the above:
Between at least 1965 and 1969, the US Department of State was passing back to the US, information from all over the world. Information on fireballs, flying saucers and UFOs. The question is who in the US was reading all this stuff? Someone in the Dept of State was asking for it to be sent in. Then where did it go? As we can see here, some copies ended up with the NSA. Was all this material being gathered fro Project Moondust?
Saturday, January 2, 2010
NSA FOIA documents 17-20
17. Joint Chiefs of Staff report concerning the sightings of a UFO in Iran on 19 September 1976
A three page teletype concerning the famous observations in Tehran, Iran in 1976.
Comment. This is a spectacular aircraft encounter case.
18. Exploitation report- a fragment, metal recovered in the Republic of the Congo.
Ten, almost impossible to read pages concerning a metallic fragment from an object which "...exploded and fell to earth..."
Comment. The US had a long term Project, Project Moondust to physically recover fragments of earth made satellites and rockets. For those readers who have never heard of this Project I extract the following from the Final Report of the Disclosure Australia Project (full version may be read here.)
"Project Moon Dust?
The USAF had a Project called “Moon Dust.” A check with the authoritative “The UFO Encyclopaedia” written by US Researcher Jerry Clark, indicated that “In 1961 the U.S. Air Force established the classified Project Moon Dust to “locate, recover and deliver descended foreign space vehicles.”” (20)
A Memo on this file, originally from file SA5492/1/1 Part 1 and originally dated 16 Aug 1962 was to the Supt/Woomera from Controller WRE re identification of space vehicle fragments. It reported that a letter received from the Department of External Affairs relayed that the US Embassy was informally seeking assistance in “…obtaining information which might be used in the identification of space vehicle fragments.” (21) It asked for details of sightings of “luminous objects” and “Observations of Impact(s) and/or recovery of fragment(s).” Observations were requested from members of staff.
In a Memo dated 4 Sep 67 the American Projects Division asked the Assistant Sec (Projects) if the 1962 processes regarding the reporting of space vehicle fragments were still needed? This was followed up in a minute from APD to S/APD, reporting that two avenues of reporting UFOs existed. Firstly, one for sightings at the ranges had the steps PO/Ranges to Supt/Trials to DD/Trials to Regional Security Officer Adelaide to Chief Security Officer to Dept of Air to? The second was for all other sightings. The route was observer to Supt/APD to Head Office to Dept of External Affairs to US Embassy. The Memo was trying to delete input to US Embassy.
A further Memo dated 13 Dec 67 from a/g Supt American Projects Division to Asst Sec Projects again asked for clarification if instructions contained in memo of 8 Aug 62 were still in effect. The 1962 memo stated that the US Embassy. “…had informally sought the assistance of the Department of External Affairs in obtaining information which might be used in the identification of space vehicle fragments…” (22) Subsequently, arrangements were made for Woomera staff to report sightings in that area. Reports outside Woomera details were sent to Head Office for transmission through Dept of External Affairs to the US Embassy as per memo of 8 Aug 62. Reports from WRE would go to the RAAF. It suggested changes to refer all reports to RAAF."
According to some UFO researchers the Project also recovered downed UFOs.
19. Navy report -Country:Cuba. Subject UFOs.
A one page report of a UFO seen 10 Aug 1968 from US Naval Base GTMO. Seen by many local observers. Azimuth north, 60 deg elevation. Glowing brightly and emitting spiral trail of smoke. Possibly a satellite decay.
20. Routing and transmittal slip from Louis E Foster, Defence Intelligence Agency with a DIA summary sheet and attached report on the sighting of a UFO in Iran on 19 Sep 1976.
Page 1 is a routing and transmittal slip, dated 8 Dec 78 To (Missing word/s) Fm Louis E Foster, DIA.
Page 2 is an evaluation sheet with check-boxes "Reliability of information" X "confirmed by other sources." "Value of information" X "High." "Usability of information" X "Potentially useful."
Pages 3-6 are a teletype message re 19 Sep 76 Tehran, Iran aircraft/UFO case. From US DAD, Tehran To DIA Washington.
Comment: Here are the full details of this fascinating UFO encounter. Visible in this copy of the teletype, but missing from the version given in document 17 above is the detail:
"()Actual information contained in this report was obtained from source in conversation with a sub-source and IIAF pilot of one of the F-4s."
A three page teletype concerning the famous observations in Tehran, Iran in 1976.
Comment. This is a spectacular aircraft encounter case.
18. Exploitation report- a fragment, metal recovered in the Republic of the Congo.
Ten, almost impossible to read pages concerning a metallic fragment from an object which "...exploded and fell to earth..."
Comment. The US had a long term Project, Project Moondust to physically recover fragments of earth made satellites and rockets. For those readers who have never heard of this Project I extract the following from the Final Report of the Disclosure Australia Project (full version may be read here.)
"Project Moon Dust?
The USAF had a Project called “Moon Dust.” A check with the authoritative “The UFO Encyclopaedia” written by US Researcher Jerry Clark, indicated that “In 1961 the U.S. Air Force established the classified Project Moon Dust to “locate, recover and deliver descended foreign space vehicles.”” (20)
A Memo on this file, originally from file SA5492/1/1 Part 1 and originally dated 16 Aug 1962 was to the Supt/Woomera from Controller WRE re identification of space vehicle fragments. It reported that a letter received from the Department of External Affairs relayed that the US Embassy was informally seeking assistance in “…obtaining information which might be used in the identification of space vehicle fragments.” (21) It asked for details of sightings of “luminous objects” and “Observations of Impact(s) and/or recovery of fragment(s).” Observations were requested from members of staff.
In a Memo dated 4 Sep 67 the American Projects Division asked the Assistant Sec (Projects) if the 1962 processes regarding the reporting of space vehicle fragments were still needed? This was followed up in a minute from APD to S/APD, reporting that two avenues of reporting UFOs existed. Firstly, one for sightings at the ranges had the steps PO/Ranges to Supt/Trials to DD/Trials to Regional Security Officer Adelaide to Chief Security Officer to Dept of Air to? The second was for all other sightings. The route was observer to Supt/APD to Head Office to Dept of External Affairs to US Embassy. The Memo was trying to delete input to US Embassy.
A further Memo dated 13 Dec 67 from a/g Supt American Projects Division to Asst Sec Projects again asked for clarification if instructions contained in memo of 8 Aug 62 were still in effect. The 1962 memo stated that the US Embassy. “…had informally sought the assistance of the Department of External Affairs in obtaining information which might be used in the identification of space vehicle fragments…” (22) Subsequently, arrangements were made for Woomera staff to report sightings in that area. Reports outside Woomera details were sent to Head Office for transmission through Dept of External Affairs to the US Embassy as per memo of 8 Aug 62. Reports from WRE would go to the RAAF. It suggested changes to refer all reports to RAAF."
According to some UFO researchers the Project also recovered downed UFOs.
19. Navy report -Country:Cuba. Subject UFOs.
A one page report of a UFO seen 10 Aug 1968 from US Naval Base GTMO. Seen by many local observers. Azimuth north, 60 deg elevation. Glowing brightly and emitting spiral trail of smoke. Possibly a satellite decay.
20. Routing and transmittal slip from Louis E Foster, Defence Intelligence Agency with a DIA summary sheet and attached report on the sighting of a UFO in Iran on 19 Sep 1976.
Page 1 is a routing and transmittal slip, dated 8 Dec 78 To (Missing word/s) Fm Louis E Foster, DIA.
Page 2 is an evaluation sheet with check-boxes "Reliability of information" X "confirmed by other sources." "Value of information" X "High." "Usability of information" X "Potentially useful."
Pages 3-6 are a teletype message re 19 Sep 76 Tehran, Iran aircraft/UFO case. From US DAD, Tehran To DIA Washington.
Comment: Here are the full details of this fascinating UFO encounter. Visible in this copy of the teletype, but missing from the version given in document 17 above is the detail:
"()Actual information contained in this report was obtained from source in conversation with a sub-source and IIAF pilot of one of the F-4s."
Friday, January 1, 2010
Further National Security Agency documents
But first, happy New Year from Adelaide!
11. UFOs as advanced technology.
This is another copy of the two page document referred to in a previous post. It has a sub-heading "UFOs in advanced technology."
12. French Government UFO study.
A single, undated 1 page item. Apparently page 6 of a longer item. Headed "French Government UFO Study." It reports on the 1978 GEPAN French UFO study group's findings.
13. Communications intelligence (COMINT) reports-UFOs.
This is a two page teletype message with many blacked out portions. The sense of the document is reporting observations. Bits of text which can be read include "The light was a satellite not an aircraft." "The light was subsequently identified as at least one aircraft." "It was a cargo flight."
14. COMNAVSECGRU visual sighting report.
A two page sighting report dated 30 April 1979 concerning a bright white light bearing 02? el 15 deg. Originally pulsating at approx 1 second intervals, the light pulsed in concentric rings of light "...which flared from the central source...diminishing in brightness as they drew further and further away from the original source." A blue-green beam of light "...appeared from the central core" extending out and down to the left. The beam retracted. Finally, the beam and core formed a "...nebulous cloud-shaped mass..." At the end the city of HAVA. In the text is marked "Posit of Muller 23 17 82-19W.
15. Report bibliography.
A 9 page "Defense Documentation Centre" document listing a few references such as the National Academy of Sciences review of the Condon Report. Nothing startling.
16. Now you see it now you don't.
A three page document, declassified 4 Dec 1981 attributed to Captain Henry S Shields, HQ USAF/INOMP. An account of the 1976 Iranian aircraft case.
Comments on 14. This sounds strangely like the recent Scandinavian Russian missile launch which appeared as concentric rings of light.
11. UFOs as advanced technology.
This is another copy of the two page document referred to in a previous post. It has a sub-heading "UFOs in advanced technology."
12. French Government UFO study.
A single, undated 1 page item. Apparently page 6 of a longer item. Headed "French Government UFO Study." It reports on the 1978 GEPAN French UFO study group's findings.
13. Communications intelligence (COMINT) reports-UFOs.
This is a two page teletype message with many blacked out portions. The sense of the document is reporting observations. Bits of text which can be read include "The light was a satellite not an aircraft." "The light was subsequently identified as at least one aircraft." "It was a cargo flight."
14. COMNAVSECGRU visual sighting report.
A two page sighting report dated 30 April 1979 concerning a bright white light bearing 02? el 15 deg. Originally pulsating at approx 1 second intervals, the light pulsed in concentric rings of light "...which flared from the central source...diminishing in brightness as they drew further and further away from the original source." A blue-green beam of light "...appeared from the central core" extending out and down to the left. The beam retracted. Finally, the beam and core formed a "...nebulous cloud-shaped mass..." At the end the city of HAVA. In the text is marked "Posit of Muller 23 17 82-19W.
15. Report bibliography.
A 9 page "Defense Documentation Centre" document listing a few references such as the National Academy of Sciences review of the Condon Report. Nothing startling.
16. Now you see it now you don't.
A three page document, declassified 4 Dec 1981 attributed to Captain Henry S Shields, HQ USAF/INOMP. An account of the 1976 Iranian aircraft case.
Comments on 14. This sounds strangely like the recent Scandinavian Russian missile launch which appeared as concentric rings of light.
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