Cold case - abduction - Todmorden UK

Hi

With the passage of time, old cases are being re-investigated in the light of today's knowledge. There have been major advances in our understanding of the human brain, and the way in which it works. A two part article in the English "Fortean times" (January and February 2011) takes a look at a classic English abduction case, from 31 years ago.

The article:

"A Policeman's lot: Part 1 & 2" is authored by Peter Brookesmith (click here); David Clarke (click here) and Andy Roberts (click here.)

The November, 1980, Alan Godfrey, alien abduction case occurred in the location of Todmorden, in West Yorkshire, England.

Police Constable Alan Godfrey was driving alone in a police car on a cold wet night, when a large object caught his attention. He described it as a fuzzy oval with light beneath it. Leaves were shaking on bushes. Both his car's VHF radio and personal UHF 'batphone' failed. he drew a sketch of the object; there was a burst of light and he found himself driving the car 100-150 yards further up the road from where he had been. A circular marking was found on the roadway. Later, it was said that three other police officers saw an object nearby at about the same time.

Godfrey underwent hypnotic regression in August 1981 and "something resembling an 'abduction' account emerged."

The case attracted much attention and it has gone down in the UFO literature as a classic UFO abduction.

Potential explanation:

"Jenny Randles believes there is a strong case for his seeing an unidentified atmospheric phenomena (UAP) - a catch-all term for a range of light phenomena that includes earthlights, ball lighting and atmospheric plasma and vortices similar to those proposed by Terence Meaden as the source of some crop circles." (p.46.)

"An analysis of 10,278 UFO sightings between 1947 and 2001 shows, that, as a ratio of population against sightings numbers, sightings are 12 times more frequent within the sparsely populated region that the national average...73 per cent of all alien contact reported within the Pennines occurred within 10 miles of Todmorden." (p.46.)

Jenny based her conclusion on the facts:

* Godfrey's UHF and VHF radios experienced electrical interference when the UFO was present.
* A low pressure frontal system had just gone through.
* The UFO was described as "like a glowing, spinning top."

Andy Roberts:

Andy Roberts thinks "Godfrey may well be reporting his own experience but that it is unlikely to have taken place in our consensus reality...no physical evidence...no other witness to any part of it has come forward..."

There was a report that three other police officers had seen something unusual just 15 minutes before Godfrey, but it later turned out that this had occurred 4 days before.

Godfrey "Stated repeatedly that when he first saw the object his first thought was that it was a bus." (p.48.)

The article postulates: "Godfrey had been up all night. It's the later part of his shift, and he's been unsuccessfully hunting cows up and down the back streets of Todmorden. He's driving up the road, tired, through a light drizzle. Suddenly he sees something at a bus stop opposite the Mons Mill. Whatever it is, by his own account, it reflected the headlights of his police car. He can't immediately recognise the object but thinks it is a bus.

"As he's tired, perhaps confused, mind processes this information, he slips into an altered state of consciousness (ASC) and in this hallucinatory state, voila, the bus becomes a UFO. The ASC lasts long enough for him to test the radios, sketch the object, and drive his car 100 yards (90m) or more up the road before he comes around."

Where did the UFO imagery come from?

A saucer shaped building "The Futuro," saucer shaped with elliptical windows, had been parked at various sites around Todmorden between 1969 and 1980's.

"The bus-and-ASC hypothesis is the simplest and most elegant explanation, and it accounts for all the elements of his story."

In support of the ASC is that fact that Godfey had undergone previous odd events:

1. In childhood, a ball of light appeared in his bedroom.
2. At age 18 - a woman and a dog stepped out in front of his car, he braked, got out but there was nothing there.
3. At age 23 he was found wandering in a daze.

My comments:

1. There are documented instances where an individual has claimed an abduction while other people physically present with them, saw nothing, e.g. the 1972 Frankston, Victoria, Maureen Puddy case (click here).

2. However, one crucial piece of information seems to have been missed from this article. Was there or was there not a bus scheduled to be at that bus stop at the time? If so, did anyone interview the driver of the vehicle or any passengers? I suggest that as the article does not mention checking whether or not a bus had been present, then the investigators did not do so. If they had, and a bus was there, their hypothesis would be greatly strengthened.

3. Usually, one cannot locate the possible source of imagery which generated a specific UFO report. Here the authors identify a very unusual saucer shaped building which had been around Todmorden for years.

Similarly, if you read other case accounts of the Maureen Puddy case you will find that Maureen spoke of a "mushroom" shaped object in the room where she was, but yet the VUFORS investigator stated "She picked off a little gadget from the dashboard of her car and to my amazement it was exactly what I had envisaged from her description of the 'mushroom.' A small compass on a suction cup." (Click here for more on this.)

4. I think one needs to give serious consideration to the possibility that some abductions occur in an altered state of consciousness. What this exactly means, remains to be further researched.

Cold cases - Project HIBAL

Hi all

Introduction:

In a previous post I suggested that some Australian UFO reports may have been caused by stratospheric balloon flights.

I recently had the National Archives of Australia digitise four Project HIBAL files, which was a project which flew stratospheric balloons in Australia, between 1960 and 1969, and whose balloons may have caused some UFO reports.

The file series:

Series B441, control symbol 70/002919 parts 1 to 4 is titled "USA Upper Atmospheric Sampling - HIBAL - Mildura." The four files were owned by the Australian Bureau of Meteorology.

The Project:

The use of high altitude balloons for scientific research has a long history (click here). Project HIBAL in Australia was originally approved at a meeting of the Defence Committee on 20 October 1960 as agenda item 91/1960 as part of Project "Ash-Can." The operational agency for the USA was the US Atomic Energy Commission and for Australia it was the Department of Supply.

Project HIBAL was originated to study radioactivity in the atmosphere at heights which could not be reached by aircraft (See earlier posts on Operation Crowflight in Australia.) The operational base for the Project was Mildura, Victoria (click here for more.)

Details:

The balloons flew to a height of between 50,000 and 120,000 feet and flew over areas of New South Wales; Victoria and South Australia.

Each balloon lifted a load consisting of an air sampling unit, telemetry and radio tracking equipment. The balloon could be up to 280 feet tall and 150 feet in diameter. A light aircraft followed the balloon to assist determine the location of payload descent.

Sometimes the balloons did not burst after dropping the payload, and floated way beyond the expected area of operations. For example, HIBAL flight 15 on 9 March 1961 floated over Marrabel and Saddleworth in South Australia. In May 1962 flight number 93 made it all the way to Canberra, ACT. Flight 123 on 22 June 1963 got to Cowell in South Australia.

Check files:

The four files between them contain the dates of flight of 301 HIBAL research balloons flying between 1960 and 1966 which would allow Australian UFO groups in New South Wales, Victoria and South Australia to check their UFO databases against the HIBAL launch dates. I would urge UFO groups in these states to do so.

New book alert - Bullard

Hi readers

I found one more new book in the pile by my bed. "The myth and Mystery of UFOs" by Thomas E Bullard. 2010. University press of Kansas. Lawrence, Kansas. ISBN 978-0-7006-1729-6.

Introduction:

Bullard's 24 page introduction uses the 7 November 2006 observations of a "...dark gray, unlighted, elliptical or Frisbee-shaped object..." (p.1.) over O'Hare Airport, Chicago in the USA to introduce the concept of a divide between popular and official approaches to the UFO subject.

He uses this instance to state the theme, which arises time and time again throughout the book that "UFOs seldom attract a serious glance from scientists, academics, the elite media, or government authorities." (p.5.) He goes on to offer a number of suggestions as to why this is.

At the end of the introduction, Bullard states his own position on UFOs. "In the end I side with the believers. My conclusion is not based on personal preference but on familiarity with the evidence." (p.24.)

"Who goes there?"

After reviewing the Kenneth Arnold sighting of 1947, where the media used the name "flying saucers" despite Arnold's observation being of heel shaped objects, Bullard illustrates the "...glaring contrast between the documentary version and the version in UFO literature," (p.34.)when discussing the 1975 USAF base "intrusions."

"if the UFO mystery begins with individual experiential texts, the subsequent discussions that add related cases, interpretations, glosses, controversies, and associations also belong with UFO discourse. All such UFO talk integrates into a systematized or partially systematized network, to form a loose, protean, but unitary state. Such a cumulative end result also needs a name. The term to recognise this entirety is "myth." (p.40.)

Myths-what are they?

"One appealing quality of myths is its comfortable, human-friendly way of thinking." (p.43.)

"Attributes most helpful for understanding the relationship of myths to UFOs:
1. A myth is, at heart, a narrative text about events...
2. As a mode of expression myth exchanges an idiosyncratic for a collective representation...
3. Myths function to create meanings, express values, and serve social or personal needs...
4. Myths grow by association of ideas and tend toward inclusiveness...
5. In creating a belief world, mythmaking sacrifices some part of literal truth for a more coherent and desirable fiction...
6. An identifiable pattern of events and understandings distinguishes a myth...
7. Myths are more than false belief..." (pp43-45.)

How do you relate UFOs and myths?

"UFOs are inherently strange and fantastic. They behave in "magical" ways, remain embroiled in controversy and provoke a sense of awe, mystery, and power. For such reasons UFOs fulfil;l some basic criteria of myth..." (p.45.)

"One recurrent effort to relate UFOs to myth has treated them as part of an incipient religion." (p.46.)

"The growth and Evolution of UFO Mythology"

"...the UFO myth has grown out of observations and experiences, theories and speculations, media images and quarrels with official authority." (p.53.)

Chapter two traces "UFO mythology through four phases distinguished by characteristics of the reported phenomenon and interests of the people pursuing it." (p.53.)

Bullard describes these four ears as (1) Formation years 1947-1963;" (2) The era of high strangeness 1964-1974;" (3) Chasing the Next big thing 1975-1990;" and (4) The 1990's and beyond:uforia without UFOs."

Chapter three:

"UFOs of the past is used to illustrate that there have always been strange things seen in the skies. These range from the Romans' "Prodigies'" through the scientific recognition of such things as meteors, auroras, and weather events; to "airships." Bullard's view on the US 1896-1897 "airship" wave is that "...a disappointment lurks beneath the surface: not one of the thousand or so reports seems to describe a genuine UFO" (p.111) and that "Under critical examination even the most promising treasures of the past usually pan out as fool's gold." (p.119.)

Bullard then goes on to look at Gods, monsters and fairies - the myth of the "Others."

In mythical terms, "Space Brothers" parallel tradition idealization of the good "Other," while Grays often represent the bad "Other." (P.244.) Bullard argues that "What sets UFO aliens apart from supernaturals, Plinian monsters, and wild men is the uniquely modern concept of superiority through technology." (p.244.)

Next comes...

In two chapters titled "Explaining UFOs" - "An Inward Look" and "Something Yet Remains" Bullard tackles the issue of "psychosocial" hypotheses versus a mysterious residue after conventional explanations have been taken into account. On 'psychosocial" Bullard concludes "Psychosocial theory is powerful but not airtight." (p.284.)

"...a favourite supportive argument for UFO relies on consistency of description in their reports." (p.294.)

Referring to the work of David Hufford, Bullard notes that "Hufford's experience-centered approach has turned around the academic study of anomalies and restores respectability to experiential claims..." (p.303.)

High strangeness cases "...offer enough evidence to criticize yet resists every effort to explain them away..." (p.308.)

Bullard then offers the following threads:

1. "The alleged event fulfills basic authenticity requirements."
2. "Quality testimonial and instrumental evidence supports an anomalous record."
3. The strange quality oft he alleged event lies not in the vagueness of inadequate description but in the unusual character of well-specified incidents."
4. "A coherent account merges from reports of an anomalous event."

5. "The alleged event bears some similarity to other accounts."
6. "The alleged event differs in some respects from expectations."
7. "The report of an alleged event had undergone strenuous critical examination but survives alternative explanations with the anomalousness of the event intact."

In summary:

Pulling these threads together, Bullard concludes: "By these standards a small but non negligible body of reports gathers impressive eyewitness testimony and instrumental corroboration for an anomalous and seemingly unconventional phenomena." (p.311.)

"These cases suggest that the character of UFO narratives depends in some part on the character of UFO events, and those events owe their character to a source independent of UFO mythology. Even allowing for human fallibility and self-deception, a genuine mystery seems top be left over." (p.311.)

Bullard argues that the lack of knowledge as tot he nature of the events should not preclude studying the subject. "As social facts and cultural phenomena, UFOs deserve a prominent place in academic inquiry. Intriguing claims in quality reports rate UFOs as worth their hire for scientific research as well." (p.312.)

Finally, Bullard concludes "With a willingness to meet the mystery on its own terms, scientists can observe and learn about UFOs in field studies that will take time and lack the decisiveness of experimental proof, yet still compile a gradual understanding of whatever comprises the mystery." (p.313.)

Comments:

I found this book quite hard to read, but persevered due to the fascinating way that Bullard builds up his lines of evidence to argue that the UFO "mystery" outweighs the UFO "myth."

The work is extensively noted, and contains a lengthy "selected bibliography" plus an in depth index, which helps the reader find their way.

Like Leslie Kean's work "UFOs" this is an important contribution to the latest growing call for a proper scientific study of the UFO phenomena.

Have you read this book, and what did you think?

New book alert - Miller & Osborn

Dear readers

Adelaide's cooler and wetter summer continues this year. Traditionally today would be sunny, and 40 degrees Celsius. Instead it is a maximum of 24 degrees and rain has been steadily falling for several hours. So, it will be wet for the start of the Adelaide Fringe, a performance festival of several hundred, diverse shows at dozens of venues scattered through the City.

This post takes a look at a new Australian book titled "Something is Out There" by authors Julie Miller and Grant Osborn, published by Arena/Allen & Unwin. 2010. Crows Nest, Sydney. ISBN 978-1-74237-132-0 363pp. My copy from my local library.

Three parts:

This book is a three part work. Part one is the "Supernatural;" part two "UFOlogy" and part three "Cryptozoology." This post will concern itself only with part two.

The book has been compiled from the authors' travels through Australia talking to UFO witnesses and researchers.

Chapter 13 looks at "Wycliffe Well-Australia's UFO Capital." It starts with the authors own "UFO" encounter with a white light travelling behind their vehicle for a while before disappearing into "thin air." They then interview the owner of the Big4 Holiday park at Wycliffe Well, Len Farkas, where Farkas informs them that the light "It's an alien probe...from the big craft."

Self-promotion has seen Wycliffe Well, a small, remote, locality in the Northern Territory elevate itself to some prominence on the world UFO scene. Farkas himself, has seen "Scores of alien craft in his 25 years at Wycliffe Well." (p.144.) While there, the authors interviewed employees and others about their own sightings.

Other Northern Territory sightings are related in this chapter including a photograph which "Shows Australian soldiers posing at nearby Devils Marbles in October 1942, with a small silver craft hovering nearby, clearly in shot." (p.146.)

"The UFO Hunter"

Interestingly, this chapter starts off with a tirade against some UFOlogists. " An irksome obstacle often encountered when investigating the UFO underground is the secretive and paranoid nature of many research groups. Phone messages are not returned, emails remain unanswered and personally written requests sent to anonymous postal boxes seem to wind up in the dead letter office." (p.153.)

The authors then introduce Alan Ferguson of Darwin, who "...claiming as he does to have photographed more than 30 mysterious aerial craft..." They review his methods and results.

The "Tully saucer nest" is the subject of a subsequent chapter which also recounts details of other circular markings.

Next, the authors cover the 1966 Westall case and their visit to Clayton South to meet one of the female witnesses. The authors also do a little academic research by contacting the Department of Defence, the national Archives of Australia and local police, but find, as others have done before them, that there are no official documents to be found on this case.

Valentich:

No Australian book on UFOs would be complete without the mention of the Frederick Valentich aircraft/ufo encounter and subsequent disappearance of the aircraft. Chapter 18 covers this event, while chapter 19 looks at the topic of "min min" lights.


The final chapter "UFO hotspots" discusses the authors' thoughts on where to go to see UFOs in Australia and their list includes, the Northern Territory, the Grampians in Victoria and the Blue Mountains in New South Wales.

Comments:

I found this book extremely light weight, with little to no, analysis of the events described in it. Interestingly, the book contains no details on the authors. Every other book I have read tells you who the authors are, their backgrounds, why they are interested in the topic they write about; their qualifications in writing the work, and their thoughts on the topic, plus how to contact them. There is nothing of this kind here.

There is no index and the references cited are almost always to other books.

All in all, not a book I would buy to add to my library.

Did aliens seed the Earth?

Hi readers

One suggestion as to how we all arrived here, is that we started with the introduction of alien bacteria from very early visiting aliens. Now someone is suggesting that we "give back" the same thing, to elsewhere in the Universe.

An article in the "New Scientist" volume 209 number 2798, dated 5 February 2011, by Stephen Battersby and titled "Go forth & multiply" (pages 41-43) sets out the views of Michael Mautner. Mautner's views ( read more click here) originally appeared in an article in the "Journal of Cosmology" volume five, page 982.

Mautner proposes that we should launch large numbers of very small spacecraft, packed with bacteria, and send them off to planets around other stars.

An editorial in the 5 February 2011 New Scientist, talking of Mautner's idea says "A twinkling flotilla of spacecraft cast into the darkness might be the ultimate expression of the selfish gene." It continues "...it should be pointed out that we are not necessarily the first creatures to have thought of this. Our Betelgeusian forefathers may have had the same idea 4 billion years ago, and set their seeds to fall on the fresh earth."

Comment:

Maybe the occupants of UFOs are our gardeners, tending the results of that seed?

Parallel universes and UFOs?

Hi readers

Some advocates of the UFO phenomenon argue that the origin of UFOs is from a parallel universe. Science, has of late, discussed the concept of parallel universes as just, that a concept. However, there may be more to it than that.

In an opinion interview between physicist Brian Greene and writer Amanda Gefter in "New Scientist" magazine, volume 209 number 2798 dated 5 February 2011, Greene says "We have no concrete evidence today of parallel worlds. But there are multiverse scenarios in which we might have access to other universes...I'm particularly fond of the brane multiverse, which is the idea from string theory that we may be living on a membrane that is floating in a higher dimensional space. I think there's a chance that we may test it shortly."

Greene's new book is titled "The Hidden Reality" published 2011 by Alfred A Knopf. ISBN 978-0-307-26563-0 (click here for more on the book.)

"Space Contact the Day After"

Dear readers

Both Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence (SETI) advocates, and UFOlogists have in the past disagreed, as to whether or not extraterrestrials have every visited, or are now visiting, the Earth. However, the search by SETI advocates continues.

The latest article which I have come across on SETI is from "Scientific American" magazine (click here for the magazine website) , volume 304 number 1, January 2011, pages 26-31. It is written by Tim Folger and titled "Space Contact the Day After."

"Within decades advances in computing power will allow astronomers to scan enough stars in our galaxy to have a reasonable chance at detecting a signal from an extraterrestrial civilization."

"News of the discovery of an extraterrestrial signal will reach the public almost immediately. A conspiracy to hide or suppress the evidence of an alien intelligence would be all but impossible."

"The content of the signal may never be understood. The assumption that mathematics or physics could serve as a cosmic lingua franca among civilizations may be misguided."

"Would revealing our existence to the universe at large attract the attention of hostile aliens? Such fears are probably groundless, despite the warnings of some prominent scientists."

Comment:

One of these prominent scientists was Stephen Hawking (click here to read about this warning.)