Emma Woods: Upcoming Book, YouTube

Emma Woods has a clip describing her paranormal life on YouTube. There's a link on her video to another video regarding her sleep-walking, or more correctly, sleep note-taking which is interesting.

From her blurb:

I am one of many people who have had anomalous experiences throughout their lives that cannot be explained in conventional terms. My own experiences fit patterns that, in our culture, are often explained as “paranormal”, “UFO” or “alien abduction” experiences. I have an agnostic view of these cultural explanations; I am neither a “believer” nor a “skeptic”. However, I think that the underlying experiences giving rise to these explanations are both real and anomalous, whatever their origin. Although most of my experiences occur when I am alone, there have been other people present for some of them. Several of them kindly allowed me to post audio of their witness testimony in this video. Look out for my upcoming book on my anomalous experiences! [Emma Woods]

I'm looking forward to reading her book.

Urban Legends: The Giant Cockroach

Urban legends are often based on truths. Our real fears, the elaborate retellings of actual events, cultural frameworks, beliefs and values, regional lore, and good old scare and thrill the hell out of  your friends are part of urban legends.

One I remember that I believed was the giant cockroach at UCLA. Story was, scientists at UCLA raised a cockroach the size of a poodle to test pesticides. This cockroach -- the size of a small dog -- was resistant to all poisons. Nothing would kill it. In fact, it seemed to like the stuff. Finally, the scientists had to kill the giant cockroach by shooting it with a gun.

Why did I believe this? Aside from the fact I was gullible, and young (although, how young is young before you're stupid? I was 19 or 20.) I lived in L.A. UCLA was big time smart. Scientists knew everything. Working hard to improve things for the rest of us. Cockroaches were also smart. We were told we'd perish in a nuclear event, but not cockroaches. They'd survive. L.A. cockroaches were disgusting and brazen. Who wouldn't want to see the bastards die? And ones the size of poodles? Pandering to our fears -- I can't think of anything more terrifying than that.

All reasons for my belief of this tale.

I haven't done research on this regarding origins of this tale. Simply remembering the story when it was told to me. We were in a roomful of people; the person telling it, I remember, believed it. Or, was a good actor.

Fringe Implosions

Strange things going on in not only UFO Land, but the realm of the fringe as well.

We had the racist, sexist comments from John Ventre, the MUFON state director, as well as the initial apathetic reaction from MUFON itself.

Stan Romanek, UFO alien witness, or, alien gray in the window hoaxer, has been charged with being in possession of child pornography.  

Sean David Morton busted for tax fraud. 

David Paulides, author of the Missing 411 books, has upset many with his prima donna act, as well as, according to some, his research methods. (I had my own little drama with him and I regret being a nice girl and giving into his demands.)

And the latest: New Age angel and tarot writer Doreen Virtue has become born again in the Christian faith, and has turned against the tarot, and other oracles, as sinful occult tools.  (I will write more on Virtue on my tarot blog.)

None of this is really a surprise. This metaphysical field -- and I include UFOs in that term -- has always had its share of the dishonest, child molesters (look at all the would be cult leader guru types; a large percentage are either horny jerks, or pedophiles), frauds and egomaniacs.

Because of this truth, none of these areas, including UFOs, will be taken seriously -- respectfully -- by mainstream culture, including its institutions.

It's up to us to denounce these fools, creeps and cheaters because no one else will. Instead, these fools, creeps and cheaters will be held up to the mainstream as justification for mockery and marginlization.

These sad, cheesy events do not negate the reality of UFOs, angels, the tarot, spirits, remote viewing, or conspiracies and strange disappearances. So we need to keep exposing the dishonest (and not keep fighting amongst ourselves about what's worthy of investigation, and what isn't.) Some of the individuals involved are to be tossed out, obviously --tossed, shown up, exposed, and not tolerated -- but it's important we don't, as the saying goes, throw the baby out with the bathwater.

Found Myself in the Archives: Abduction Narratives

I was searching for poetry and literature in Oregon, came across this from 1995: Folkloric Significance of Abduction Narratives, written by moi.

Content Description:Using Thomas Bullard's structure of UFO abduction narratives as an object of analysis, this paper looks closely at UFO lore and makes comparisons with Greek mythology. 

Long time ago...

From The Superplex: "Rh Negative Folkore"

Sue Entity at The Superplex isn't shy about sharing her opinions on the UFO lore regarding Rh Negative blood. She begins:

The Superplex: Rh Negative Folkore: We all know the UFO field is intellectually crippled (present company excepted of course), and the rain of inanities that continues to fall from the lips of UFO pundits about the Rh negative blood factor as being somehow linked to manifestations of the phenomena is just more proof of this. I admit to getting exercised about this issue; the whole Rh neg thing gets my panties so twisted that I doubt even Dr. Jacobs could straighten them out into one of his books. It’s a sad statement about the intellectual desert that UFO/phenomena studies finds itself in that even the people I hold to be the most informed and interesting thinkers in the area make themselves sound like idiots when talking about the Rh blood factor. (Sue Entity; The Superplex)

It is true UFO Land is full of the Rh factor motif: that those with Rh negative blood are in someway tied even more so to aliens than the rest of humanity. Sue Entity thinks not. I'm not arguing for or against that but I would have liked to have known more on why she thinks the lore is bunk.



She makes interesting points about culture and racism and how, in putting ourselves into categories of specialness, we also put ourselves above others. Better. More deserving of whatever gifts the gods/aliens have to share. (Personally, I don't think they're sharing much of what I want; the world seems worse off than ever.) I see her point but it is one that annoys me in context of the UFO (and other paranormal realms) -- that those of us with these experiences want to set ourselves up as special, different, separate.  Hell no, I don't put myself in those categories.  But I'm not going to keep quiet either. It is what it is -- I put it out there. I am what I yam.

So if the Rh negative factor has anything to do with the phenomena, well, there you go. If it doesn't, fine. For whatever reason it's become a part of the lore, and needs to truly explored.

By the way, folklore as a term doesn't mean, (just as with the word myth) true, or, not true. Another one of my Sisyphean activities: trying to change the perceptions of the words lore, folklore, and myth, just as I am with UFO. Which should really be U.F.O. as in the vintage years. Unidentified Flying Object.

Sisyphus, (Titian 1548-1549) oil on canvas

I am, myself, Rh negative. Also Cherokee, an educator, red hair (okay, that part comes from a box) and an artist. I fit into many of the UFO lore indicators for big time alien contact. Not to mention the life long sightings and encounters.


The question is, do these bits of data have anything solid to do with the phenomena, or not?

Gatekeepers: On Whose Authority?

UFO Gatekeepers. They come from all sides; uber-skeptics, debunkers, as well as those who believe, but insist on scientific approaches to exploring all that is UFO. The Gatekeepers wrangle one tentacle of the UFO Kraken, ignoring the rest -- even while it strangles them -- rejecting the elements that annoy them.

They decide who gets to, what methods, which cases.

On what authority?!

There is none.

James Mcgaha, uber-debunker, asks UFO witness if "she's qualified to look at the sky"

There is no UFO Authority, no matter how desperately some want there to be. There is no Official Method, case, researcher, witness, spokesperson.

No one is more, or less, qualified than anyone one else in this realm.

As soon as someone starts spouting off a need for standards: academic, scientific, "legitimate" cases, etc. I do not take them seriously.

Honesty is expected, at all times. That's about all we should expect. Sincere desire to explore, to share, to research, while holding the ball of integrity.

Other than that, the rest is a form of bullying. Self-righteous and arrogant demands to join, if you don't, then you're not honest, sincere and legitimate.

UFO Researchers, Witnesses: Learn These Signs of Psychotics, and, Beware Deviant Homosexuality

Because if you don't, that proves you are!

I do my best to avoid giving the verbose stuffed shirts at UFO Iconoclasts -- now UFO Conjecture (s) --  any attention, but sometimes one has to present the insanity in UFO Land to the rest of the inhabitants. Particularly so since so many otherwise reasonable researchers insist on playing with them.

Usually their posts are a form of UFO Guerrilla Theater. At least, that's how they see themselves; players in an unreasonable realm, (UFOs)  bringing reason to the rest of us deluded misfits.  Doesn't work; they're far too pedantic for any true surrealism, even while their spewing ends up being extremely surreal anyway. But that's simply a product of their clumsy hoax attempts (Trent photos, etc.) or dry and wordy laments about the time wasting study of UFOs. Even as they, themselves, pontificate thusly. (See what happens after reading their posts? One begins to sound like them.)

In a post dated earlier this month, they write about the inspiration given to them reading Hervey Cleckly, who wrote a  book on "homosexual deviancy" :

"The Caricature of Love by Hervey Cleckley (1957), a tome outlining the deviancy of homosexuality"

and found inspritaton in Cleckly's classic The Mask Of Sanity, (1941) outlining the traits exhibited by psychopaths. What does this have to do with UFOs? 
Well . . .

In a bizzare leap (told you they were surreal, in spite of themselves) Cleckley's book on psychopaths should be read by UFO researchers. The traits presented by Cleckly should be kept in mind when UFO researchers interview witnesses, or, when dealing with researchers themselves. 

(Remember, this is a book on psychopaths. Suggested for use in UFO Land. By a man who wrote about the "deviancy of homosexuality." )

Number six in Clecky's list is interesting here: "Lack of remorse or shame." In what context? Seeing a UFO? Studying the subject?  Oy. And so it goes. 

The jesters at the Conjecture(s) blog recommend UFO researchers learn about these traits:

"That UFO researchers do not have the qualifications, usually, to pursue personalities lies at the heart of the UFO dilemma, as it's UFO reports that make up the core of the UFO story, and that core is besotted by liars or psychotic personalities, telling the stories or asking the questions."

(Snarky little bastards aren't' they?) So that's why we can't get anywhere in solving the UFO mystery, er, "dilemma." And here I thought it was because of a tangled complex mass of cover-ups, misinformation, disinformation, religions, politics, infrastructures, fear, greed, misinterpretations, misunderstandings, manipulations, shadow governments, folklore, conspiracies,myth, power, corruption,galactic wars, vying entities, and simply not having gotten there yet in the whole magical mystery tour thing of mind, soul, universe and "them." When really, it's just been us psychos all along.

I don't think they're entirely serious; I do think they enjoy intentionally being ridiculous. Still, it is annoying. 

In UFO Land as well as the mundane world, psyopaths exist. This is news? It's good to be aware of the psychos among us. The more you know and all that. But really, the juxtaposition here of "psychopath" "deviant homosexuality" and "UFO witness/researches" is too much. 

Notice how I didn't link. That's on purpose. 

Jeffrey J. Kripal

Last night's Coast to Coast was excellent. First of all, George Knapp was the host, and he is, as always,  an enjoyable host; smart, reads the material, asks great questions, really listens to the guests. The guest last night was author Jefferey J. Kripal of Rice University. Now, I haven't yet read any of his books, but I do remember when Monsters and Mystics came out, thinking: "I want to read this!" Now of course I am adding his works to my list of books I must read.

Anyone who references, as Kripal did last night, George P. Hansen's  important book The Trickster and the Paranormal with insight and respect demands to be read.

Paraphrasing, and probably badly, a couple of Kripal's points: the way the term paranormal came to replace the term supernatural, and his opinion (one I share) that the sciences for the most part are easier than humanities. Humanities get the bad rap (I studied folklore, I know) but you know, 1 + 1  = 2, and you're either "right" or "wrong" in deconstructing Joyce (depending on the whims of the prof) or defending your philosophical take on what-I-would-do-as-the-only-woman-in-the-class "moral" dilemma presented to us regarding saving family members during a tornado. (Me: I'm "morally bankrupt", according to the barley able to stand upright for more than five minutes philosophy professor. He was so old he knew Noah.)

Kripal isn't just about the humanities and comparative religions, but has had his own experiences that most academics do not discuss, and this includes UFOs. His take on that subject is one I've been harping on for years as well. We'll never get to the scientific answer, because there isn't any. Throwing the UFO realm at the hard sciences -- and those residents of UFO Land who believe UFOlogy should become more "scientific" -- so woefully miss the whole point.

Prof. Jeffrey Kripal of Rice University discussed comparative religions and various aspects of the paranormal. In a sense, the study of religion is more difficult than the sciences because religious experience is difficult to quantify, and challenges people's deepest values and world views, he noted. When people compare religions in a rigorous manner, they recognize that their own world view is filled with certain gaps, he revealed. The ancient Greeks used to send out scouts to foreign cities or countries to study religious spectacles, and they were often changed by what they'd seen. (Coast to Coast)

Anyway. Jeffrey Kripal. Try to listen to the archived interview if you can.

Organizing the Room of Doom

Bigfoot books . . . 

For some time now, have been calling the "study" the Room of Doom -- such a mess! An unholy, awful, mess. I would literally go into a spin of hysteria when entering that room and trying to deal with the mess.

I realize, too, that I need to rename that room and no longer encourage the negative energy of Room of Doom, and give it a more positive name to reflect the changes.

A few UFO books. . . and yes, I'm a nerd, official X Files mug and all

Somehow, finally, I had some kind of cosmic breakthrough and have been able to work in that room, enjoy it even! So I've been rearranging books, giving books away, donating books, selling books, and discovering that yes, I have a hell of a lot of UFO and paranormal, Fortean, anomalous type books.

A few more UFO books . . .

Then I messed up my knee and leg and had to take off for a couple of days. And I was looking forward to the next project: organizing my "haunted locations" shelf.

File holders full of Fates, UFO Magazine, Strange, Fortean Times and many more. Plus a free alien water bottle straight from Area 51/Exterrestrial Highway in Nevada, courtesy of a good and thoughtful friend.

The Cycle of No There There: 'UFO enthusiasts admit the truth may not be out there after all'

Once again, we see an item on how there's nothing to UFOs. Not from the overt and pathological skeptic crowd, but from the meh realm. UFO enthusiasts admit the truth may not be out there after all - Telegraph

This is not news. Oh, I don't doubt the debunkers and "skeptics" will jump all over this to support their ludicrous opinions on the UFO phenomena. It'll be juicy news for their disingenuous little black hearts.

We've seen this meme many times over the past few years. A few items here and there on how: UFO sightings are down, reports are down, UFO "enthusiasts" have given up, UFO organizations have closed their doors, and so on.

These fluffy little pieces circle around like black helicopters.

Feh.

Mike Bara, Debunkers

Very much enjoyed last night's Coast to Coast interview with author of Ancient Aliens on the Moon, blogger, and Moon/Mars artifact investigator. I managed to stay awake for the whole interview for once, since I've had a few sleepless nights due to some Fall cold-crud keeping me awake. Naturally, I particularly appreciated Bara's telling it like it is with the debunkers and so-called "skeptics." One who even -- as I saw him running to the phone and dialing in my mind's eye as soon as Bara mentioned him by name -- managed to call in. And, in typical debunker faux skeptic mode, danced around the question -- the same question he put to Bara -- refusing to answer. What annoyed me about Noory, as is his style, was his insistence that, paraphrasing here, "we all have the right to our opinions." Yes well, that's a given, let's move on and deal with the real issue. And stop pandering and appeasing to these little debunker drones who persist in distracting from actually investigating and researching the UFO phenomena.

Keening Boxes: In Case I've Been Misunderstood

I'm very curious about this case of the keening boxes on Oregon beaches. For one thing, it's an excuse for me to get out to the coast -- research, you know.

I never thought for one moment that these glowing, screeching, impossible to open boxes buried deep in the sands contained aliens. Or came from UFOs.

The story goes: boxes, heavy, impervious to tools, glowing, weird noises, appearing on beaches said to be heavy with UFO activity. Who can resist a story like that? I'm interested in the story as a story, the insistence of those telling the story that there's UFO affected activity afoot, that residents have been awakened to terrible wailing noises, and all the rest of it. Persistence in the telling is what intrigues me.

This isn't to say UFOs aren't showing themselves along the Oregon coast. They most certainly are, and have been for some time. Whether or not the boxes have anything to do with them -- I am pretty certain the answer is a big "no."
(As my mother said, who lives in the area, "I don't think aliens would show up locked inside boxes.")

In the area is NOAA, newly arrived. The Hatfield Marine Science Center. The Newport Aquarium. There's even a Ripley's museum!

Government experiments: lost, gone awry, intentional. Or, not. Debris from the tsunami. Pretty likely. There's the insistence by some scientists that the debris wouldn't show up yet, but, it has been showing up.

Here's something interesting: a YouTube video of how the whole metal-box-on-the-beach-from-UFOs is a hoax. Furthermore, David Masko, coastal UFO investigator who broke this story, is a "CIA operative." This story gets better all the time.



There's also the snarky skeptoid words of an unnamed retired psychology professor who lives on the coast who, while correct in the opinion the boxes have nothing to do with aliens or UFOs, is utterly wrong in just about every other stupid thing that spewed from his mouth. I mean really dahlings, what a tool!

In turn, this retired professor said in a Feb. 6 Huliq interview at Stonefield Beach that most locals and visitors here “looking for those UFOs” are more or less carrying their own “baggage or self-as-content,” with views and experiences that now seem to define them.

...thinks the many “of these remote living residents who claim to see UFOs at night are simply not using the tool between their ears to figure this stuff out.”  [source: UFO sightings at Stonefield Beach reveal strange boxes up and down coast -HULIQ
 

And the astounding stupidity of those who blithely go up to the boxes, pets in tow, without a thought to the fact the boxes are glowing, and screeching, and just very odd. Either they contain ET or were ejected from UFOs, in which case it  seems like they might be dangerous, or they're radioactive debris -- or at least, an unknown something or another debris --  which means they're dangerous, (at least a good dose of potentially dangerous) material. Either way, not a bright idea to hang around the things.

I'm looking forward to finding out what I can once I get out there this weekend, but finding aliens? As much as I'd love that, it's very doubtful.

The UFO Trail: Central Issues of the Emma Woods Case

An article post from Jack Brewer at The UFO Trial blog: The UFO Trail: Central Issues of the Emma Woods Case Here's just a bit from Jack's post:

As if Woods' thorough documentation of facts and the predominantly tolerant and open-minded nature of the UFO community are not reasons enough to allow Woods to speak her peace, there are three primary points I find wrong with the statements of those seeking to silence Woods:

1) None of those who try to saddle Woods with psychiatric disorders are actually qualified to diagnose or identify such conditions.

2) None of those who accuse Woods of unacceptable behavior provide documentation of specific circumstances.

3) My personal experience interacting with Woods gives me no reason whatsoever to suspect her to be anything other than reasonable.

My experiences with Emma have been the same: always civil, kind, "reasonable" as Brewer states, and clear.

Ed Komarek at UFO Digest: MUFON Psyops?

Ed Komarek on the morphing of MUFON, from investigative UFO entity to apologist faux serious UFO research entity. MUFON Psyops?. For some time now, MUFON has just gone over the edge, with upheavals in staff and shifts in philosophies.

MUFON's corporate decision to promote Astronaut Musgrave as its featured speaker at it's July symposium is a slap in the face to its membership and to the general public as well. Already Musgrave has been interviewed by the press speaking the NASA-SETI propaganda and misdirection deceptions that aliens may be out there, but are not here.

Komarek points out that it may be old news, but still valid news, to consider MUFON has ties to the intelligence community. I don't know if I agree with Komarek's ideas on what to do about this, only because it wouldn't do any good, in my opinion but MUFON is really a dead entity at this point.

Grass Roots Welcome Committee

The latest scandal in UFO Land -- Phil Imbrogno's lies about his academic and service background -- is still being discussed. I'm not supporting Imbrogno's lies, nor defending him for doing so. His ideas about things UFO -ish are still interesting, and, while not new, still worth exploring. I had respect for Imbrogno and am sorry this happened. But, it does seem clear it did happen. Which made me wonder: why would someone feel the need to lie about his or her background, when it comes to UFOlogy? Phil Imbrogno isn't the first person to have been exposed for lying about his credentials, and realistically speaking, he probably won't be the last. Yet, why do some people feel they need to lie, in the context of UFOs?

UFO culture is a grass roots culture. Anyone --- despite the UFO Police and snarky researchers who dismiss whatever, or whoever, they don't agree with -- can live in UFO Land. (Well, except scofftics.) Anyone. It doesnt' matter if you have degrees or not, or what those degrees are in. Degrees do not denote intelligence; oh, they point to a specific type and tell us the degreed person has focus and perseverance in order to receive that degree. Don't misunderstand me, I am not "anti degree" and I have one myself. [Sidebar: full disclosure in case anyone tries to out little ol' me: I have an Associate Degree in Early Childhood Ed, a Bachelor's in English lit with an emphasis on Folklore, a Certificate in Ethnic Studies and Folklore, and two years of grad school. ] Does this make any more or less qualified than anyone else? Nope. Not a damn bit. I'm intelligent if discussing Beat poetry or folkloric applications but a goddamn dummy when it comes to math, business or 12th century military history.

So why do some feel the need to lie or exaggerate in context of UFO research? I have a theory. Ahem.

It's the damn debunker skeptoids. As well as those within UFOlogy, many of whom are in the UFO Police camp, who drone on about being "scientific" and academic and all kinds of -ics. No, I'm not implying science is useless, of course it isn't. We need it all in UFOlogy. But because someone holds a degree in the sciences, or at the least, in academia, does not make them any more qualified in any way to research UFOs. Not one damn bit.

In this culture we place a lot of esteem onto those who have college degrees. We automatically think they're smarter and better than the rest of us. Studying UFOs is a fringe thing to do, a kooky, silly thing to do. You're not serious or smart if you consider UFOs to be anything more than a curiosity. (I know, some co-workers and acquaintances think I'm not as smart as they thought I was, once they find I'm "into" UFOs. Surely someone intelligent wouldn't waste their time...) Some think that having a degree gives a little bit of legitimacy to an illegitimate field.

But there's no need. No need to lie about your background, whatever it is. As long as you're using your head, are truthful and honest and following your own voice, you can't go wrong. Despite what some others might say to you about that, the research and the work will stand on its own. And that's all you need.

Seriously, A New UFOlogy. Seriously...

Another intent to remake UFOlogy, and they are serious. Here they are: The Serious New UFOlogy Institute. Words like "serious" and institute" are heavy and pregnant with meaning, well, you know, serious. They have a paper, authored by Paul Budding: BEYOND THE LIVING MYTH… AND FROM SERIOUS ‘OLD’ UFOLOGY TO SERIOUS ‘NEW’ UFOLOGY

The group admires  Richard Dolan's work and gives him plenty of credit, a very good thing. But something about any organization, especially with the words "serious" and "institute" both in their name, makes me want to run in the other direction. By definition, organizations are things, (er, "institutes") that defy my wanting to join them. (Or, er,  take them seriously.)  That's my nature.

The Institute of Serious UFOlogy (I can't help but get a bit of a Monty Python vibe when I read that title) contrasts serious old Ufology with serious new UFOlgy. No longer concerned with collecting UFO accounts, the new serious UFOlogy is only concerned with: what are [UFOs] they?  Excellent question, and I share their opinion the ETH isn't a given. It isn't a given, but it is a good possibility. It's also possible there are many answers all at once, because UFOs seem to be many things all at once. An ET here, an ultra-crypto-terrestrial there, a rogue government Dr. Evil thing over there. Or even the demons and Djinn and dark energies called up by semi-pathological rocket scientists.
 
The institute is concerned with the "Living Myth" of the ETH:

The Extraterrestrial Hypothesis (ETH) equates to a Living Myth. Many people love the feeling of awe and fascination that goes with the UFO Phenomenon and therefore they will not give up ETH. Giving up ETH would amount to giving up on archetypal awe, fascination, mystery etc. Therefore scientific and academic Ufology lacks confidence in itself precisely because the mythological projections onto the field contain so many archetypal contents and unconscious assumptions. Hence the field senses its own biases and makes it impossible to establish consensus within itself. Indeed for ETH to be the correct explanation there would have to be a coincidence of the myth equating to the reality of the phenomenon and vice versa.  

Much is true of the above. Budding writes the institute does not "condemn" the Living Myth, just that it needs to be excised in order to get an accurate  picture. But at what point does one decide the living-myth-projections-unconscious-assumptions et all are to be discarded? Like it or not, and obviously there are some UFO researchers who do not, there is a whole mess of confusing, seemingly magical at times, and certainly huge WTF moments within UFO events. Discarding those because they're part of a "living myth" taints the research. Now you're left studying only a bit of the thing. How can it be expected that one will find something of validity using that method?

To their credit they acknowledge that it is reasonable to assume there are many concurrent theories that are fairly equally true:

However, as already said, it is possible that no single theory can explain the whole phenomenon. Just because ‘X’ is true doesn’t mean that ‘Y’ is false in this case. Oddly enough there is an obsession for one theory answers: whether they are debunkers, ETH proponents or advocates of other dimensions, or those advocating an earth/human based answer.

It doesn't matter if it's Bigfoot, UFOs, ghosts or any number of anomalous events; many people demand a "one theory answer." Are UFOs solid craft or high strangeness events, are abductions fantasy or alien (ET) caused, is Bigfoot flesh and blood or paranormal, and so on. Black and white theories that are of a compact size, leaving no room for those gray baskets.

 As with the disclosure and other movements, the new serious ufology is brightly naive in thinking that skeptics, scientists and politicians will be open and accepting of UFOs once the phenomena is presented, well, seriously:

Politicians would be forced to show the field respect if Serious Ufology really was able to clearly demonstrate its differentiation from the Living Myth. This necessitates that serious physicists and technologists study the phenomenon.

No one will be "forced to show the field respect" because the field will never get respect. The existence of UFOs -- and their occupants -- are known among the politicians controllers of the world, as well as many in other areas. The details may or may not be known, but the fact of UFOs is. There are concurrent forces at work: one, the phenomena itself. Call it trickster or something else, the UFO phenomena -- which includes the high strangeness/"living myth" stuff -- has a built in function that ensures it remains marginalized. The second concurrent force are the agendas of those humans (above mentioned controllers) who have their own reasons for playing games with the rest of us. As cliche as it sounds, good old cover-ups, conspiracies and disinformation are the human created responses to the UFO presence.

Meanwhile, there are the witnesses. Remember us? Speaking of which, if the "new serious ufology" isn't concerned with collecting new UFO events, how will they recognize the ever shifting manifestations of UFOs? Questions and ideas about UFOs will never be addressed, because they're not being looked at. Soon the new ufology -- sorry, the new serious ufology -- will become the stagnant serious ufology. Before becoming the new old ufology, when another takes its place.

"Leave Alien Abductions Out of UFOs..."

Amongst the debris from the Jacobs-Woods-Hopkins-Rainey events, are comments I've come across in various places regarding alien abductions.  Comments like (to paraphrase) "Leave alien abductions out of UFO research," or "Abductions have nothing to do with the UFO phenomena."

 It may turn out that what we call alien abductions have nothing to do with UFOs, but for now, we have no idea what we loosely call alien abductions are. How can someone say that UFOs and abductions have nothing to do with each other? Thousands of accounts from witnesses that contain: aliens, UFOs, kidnapping. So far, the connection between UFO and alien abduction obvious.

We're calling strange entities "aliens" that usually mean ET from another planet, and that may or may not be what is happening. Witnesses may be led to believe they're being abducted by ETs and taken aboard UFOs, and if so, who's doing the leading and why? MILABS, possibly. Satan? Elves? Is the abduction experience some sort of metaphysical phenomena that doesn't have anything to do with outer space, ET, or spaceships in any way? If any of those theories turn out to be the answer to the abduction puzzle, then and only then can we say "UFOs have nothing to do with abductions." But actually, the two do have something to do with each other, even if only in the fact that one (abductions) likes to manifest itself as part of the other (UFO event.)

Whether we're interpreting abductions as UFO events or dutifully accepting the scenarios presented to us by whatever force is responsible for abductions as alien-UFO based, there is still a connection. There is a valid relationship between the two, whether it's symbolic or literal.

None of this is to say I think the alien abduction scenario is a literal event (though even that is possible) but it is a phenomena that is being not only experienced by humans all over the planet, but manipulated by some kind of "other" (non-human) as well as  humans.

Are we going to go back to the days when researchers left out elements of witness accounts of abductions because they were found to be too off the wall, embarrassing, and just plain weird?

The obvious leading of witnesses by some researchers, whether intentional in order to support a personal bias, or unintentionally because that's a hazard in this field (as is losing it completely by falling so far down the rabbit hole there's no chance of ever getting out) isn't enough reason to disregard abduction accounts. 

We have no idea what's behind abductions, but we do know that aliens and UFOs appear in these narratives. An obvious relationship. Whether or not that relationship is true remains to be discovered. Until then, it seems both ignorant and arrogant to insist "UFOs have nothing to do with abductions." I find it persistently curious that some have the assurance of what are, and what aren't,   valid elements of the UFO phenomena.

Who are we going to pass alien abductions off to? If those UFO researchers who insist abductions have nothing to do with UFOs reject those accounts, and, continue to be disinterested in the subject, we're still left with the existence of the phenomena.

Science, well, so far they've done a poor job. At best, passing if off as aspects of sleep disruptions. By definition, science will never acknowledge the Fortean/UFO elements of abduction unless it's given a label that designates it as a disorder. Accepting the reality of esoteric, metaphysical, or UFO phenomena isn't the job of science. Neither is accepting the reality of conspiracies, like MILABS.

What if abductions turn out to have nothing at all to do with UFOS, but everything to do with ... Satan? (In that I'm being flip, but not much. While I don't believe in a literal devil framed within a Christian or other religion mythology I don't discount the reality of negative energies/entities.)

So we discover that MILABS are at the key to understanding abductions, which means an insidious and illegal action has been taken against global citizens. Wouldn't we care about that? In this not quite so hypothetical scenario, humans are "hoaxing" UFOs, manipulating the idea of an alien presence to fit their own terrifying agendas. UFO researchers are quick to expose the hoaxers and fakes, the liars and the hucksters, why afraid to tread the cold murky waters of so-called conspiracy in this case?

Gary Haden on Eschewing Emma Woods

Another excellent article by Gary Haden at Speculative Realms:The Nausea of an Emma Woods Idiot: Paranormal Celebrity Munchausen by Proxy, the Revolt of the Damned Alive and Making People Sick for Kicks concerning Emma Woods, this time on the responses, or rather, non-responses of the "shrug-so-tiring/boring" variety from researchers. (some who I respect very, very much; but on this one issue, I cannot understand why they think they way they do on this topic.)

Now, this is a hard one because Haden's words are harsh, and as I say, I respect some of the individuals he names. I'm the messenger, not the message. However, again, when it comes to the intentional "mind fucking" as Haden calls it, of witnesses by UFO researchers and disinfo agents, there doesn't seem to be any question as to the acceptance of such devious, manipulative behavior that, well, fucks with people's lives and minds! Yet, somehow, there has been a continued silence and/or acceptance of these doings.

Paul Benneiwitz. John Ford. Emma Woods, for starters. How many more?

It was hard for me to read some of Haden's words concerning Redfern, for example. But Haden is entitled to his opinions. Again, I am the messenger, not the message. Among the many very important paradigm shifting (UFO-wise) elements within Emma's story is the relationship between researcher and witness. What people are still not getting is that Jacobs, no matter what one thinks of his research overall and his theories on aliens, ET, abductions, hybrids, got away with absolutely egregious behavior. Behavior that is no doubt illegal, or would be in other circumstances.

I don't agree with everything Haden writes in this article, though they are minor, nit picky points. Anyway. Read the article. As usual with Haden, it's a great piece, and he is one of the few voices out there continuing to bring the Woods/Jacobs story to our attention.

(Updated) UK School Tells Students WWlll Has Broken Out

Another story from the UK about teachers playing mind games with students. In the past couple of years or so there have been several stories of English schools creating scenarios -- presented as being real -- of crashed or landed UFOs on school property, complete with local police arriving on the scene. One school had a crashed UFO scene along with claws and body parts of the 'dead alien,' along with the news that a teacher had been abducted by the aliens. ( see also my UK Still Staging UFO Crash Drills.)

Not all of these scenes were about UFOs. A teacher in Scotland told several students to quickly get their things together because they were being picked up and possibly sent off to an orphanage. Students were told their parents knew about this and had given permission for their children to be taken away:

Deputy head teacher Elizabeth McGlynn segregated nine pupils and told them they were to be sent away. After 15 minutes they were told it was all an act but that the role play would carry on up to lunchtime.


In a letter sent to council bosses, the unnamed mother said: 'Mrs McGlynn told the children they would probably have to be sent away from their families and that their parents had been informed about this and knew all about it.

The students were told they had to be segregated because they had "lower IQs" due to a "lack of sunglight in their mother's wombs."

Another staged event: the "murder" of a teacher on school grounds, which, naturally, severely upset students. Still another staged an "assault" on one of the female school employees, complete with fake blood on the ground.

In most of these cases, if not all, parents were not notified that  these little scenes were going to take place, permission asked from parents. Sometimes, the scenes were enacted while parents were there as volunteers at their schools.

Yesterday, news from the UK of a school who told students that London was under attack; World War III had broken out. The students were not just told this; they were shown footage from the Blitz in WWII and a tape of "Neville Chamberlain's war address" was played over the PA system to simulate real time news about "WWIII." Then, students were taken by teachers to a basement to hide:

Teachers then led them to a cellar when an air raid siren sounded and a firework was let off to simulate a bomb.

Headmaster Mike Richards is quoted as saying, many times over, that the exercise was to make students "sympathetic" to war victims. Studying WWll, the thinking behind this staged stunt was that students would really get it, since apparently Richards believed students were incapable of believing their teachers:

'The idea of it was to get the children to empathise with what it was like.  "The big concern we had was that the children wouldn't believe it.

Parents were angry and upset, students scared and confused.

In all of these staged events there are shared elements. The plot may differ: UFOs, government officials taking you away, murder, war, but they all contain the following:

An element of violent surprise.
Authority figures assumed to be trusted and respected (teachers,school staff, police) carry out these fake events.
Parents are not notified that these events are planned; permission is not asked for.
The local police are often involved; appearing on the scene, pretending to take part.
Specific character traits and emotional states are the target of these scenes:sympathy,empathy,feeling emotions, compliance, unquestioning volunteerism/work.

The rationale for given by schools for these events vary: sometimes it's to foster creative thinking and expression, in this case, make it real so students believe it. In other words: real (as far as students and parents know) events of a violent, unexpected and even bizarre (UFOs) nature are to be fully, completely believed, lived, accepted and experienced.

In the WWIII scenario,  the headmaster said the goal was to get students to sympathize with war victims. The Scottish school said they wanted "the children to experience an accurate emotional response."

Foxhill Primary school, where the fake assault on a female staff member was staged, justified their performance with the two layered rationale for these scenes; fostering creativity:

We wanted to give the pupils a topic that would inspire their creativity and their imaginations which is why the crime scene was chosen.

And unquestioning acceptance of authority and compliance, as well as overall moulding of state sanctioned character traits:

"This was also done to raise pupils' aspirations and to reinforce a positive view of the police and the work they do in the community.

Who is observing these reactions of children, and why? It is not coincidence; these scenes are part of a larger agenda. Individual teachers may think they are doing something creative and different for their students, but the curriculum and the nudges to enact it are coming from somewhere else, and for specific reasons. A desensitizing program; get children to feel comfortable with the abrupt intrusions of authorities, of violence, of the unexpected. But it goes beyond that; even more insidious is the trauma factor.

If students (and parents, by extension) are told that all these purposeful staged events are to foster trust in authority, that contradicts the fact the authority has just come in and lied to everyone. The message is: 'It's fake this time, but just you wait, next time it might not be. And we're the only ones around who can determine that."  Keep people nervous, jumping with anxiety, never knowing when the next assault, war, murder, or invading aliens will come.

Headteacher convinces terrified primary school children that World War Three has broken out | Mail Online

Speculative Realms: Banning, Badge Checking, Sociopathy and the Mass-Hypnotic Herd Mentality of the Paranormal World

Gary Haden at Speculative Realms does it again. Another great post. And a bit of synchronicity, as I've been thinking the same kinds of thoughts these past few days; about labels, and little feuds, and ideas. Rejecting some because they're "wrong" -- as if any of us know what's right. All we can do, is be honest, and continue our search in our own ways.

Speculative Realms: Banning, Badge Checking, Sociopathy and the Mass-Hypnotic Herd Mentality of the Paranormal World: "I write as a flawed human being struggling to make his way in the world, not as some esoteric guru weaving a hypnotic web, trapping vulnerable people in a cocoon, and getting a kick out of watching them squirm and die in my ridiculous, life-draining ideas. The paranormal community zombifies its citizens."

But most of all, this:

I don’t need an advanced degree, or a degree of any kind, or even a grade school education, to give me PERMISSION TO THINK. The FREEDOM TO THINK is a right every human being has. I don’t need the permission of a paranormal celebrity to write what I write, to cite the sources I cite, or to speak about an offense that damages people and to adequately warn the public about a hazard to be avoided.

And neither do ANY OF YOU.

Many people who are bloggers or reporters don’t have advanced degrees in the subject matter they write about. Most reporters have Bachelors Degrees in Journalism. They’re taught how to make inquiry. They’re not taught to be experts in every field they cover, but they’re provided with investigative skills to allow them to deliver an informed report. Their bachelor’s degrees don’t defraud their research or render their scholarship invalid or deprive them of the ability, as free individuals, to THINK FOR THEMSELVES.

It seems so obvious, but as we know, so many spend a gross amount of time telling others what to think, how to think, why they should think it, and if they even get to think at all, dependent on arbitrary ideas of Who Gets To.

But those points just touch the surface of Haden's post, which is much deeper than what might appear as simply venting about the crap that goes on in paranormal studies.