Tuesday, March 6, 2007

Bramley: The Gods of Eden


A current review of William Bramley's The Gods of Eden by Philip Coppens. I read this book years ago, and liked it then; I still like it. I think, as Coppens comments, Bramley’s book
is overlooked as being too out there. Or, as Coppens says, it has a cult status. Either way, it doesn't seem, even after all this time, to be among the first dozen or so books on UFO researchers lists. And yet, as Coppens points out, Bramley’s book preceded David Icke and all the others, and with far less silliness.

The Gods of Eden is about alien creation/design/intervention but before you roll your eyes and sigh “Oh no, David Icke and green lizards” give the book a chance. One of Bramley's main areas of focus is the binary opposition of the human condition: war/peace. Religion preaches love, tolerance while at the same time, religion promotes and supports killing, oppression and tyranny.

Speaking of UFO studies itself, Coppens quotes Bramley:

"There are few subjects today as full of false information, deceit, and madness as ‘flying saucers’. Many earnest people who attempt to study the subject are driven around in circles by a terrific amount of dishonesty from a small number of people who, for the sake of a fleeting moment of notoriety or with the deliberate intention to obfuscate, have clouded the field with false reports, untenable ‘explanations’, and fraudulent evidence. Suffice it to say that behind this smokescreen there is ample evidence of extraterrestrial visitations to Earth. This is too bad. An in-depth study of the UFO phenomenon reveals that it does not offer a happy little romp through the titillating unknown. The UFO appears more and more to be one of the grimmest realities ever confronted by the human race.”

That’s bleak . And a big elephant in the room none of us want to talk about. What if it’s true? Quite possible. If so -- if that is all there is - - it’s a long cold unpleasant existential road to be on. (Already my mind is swirling around this tangent. . .)

As to the “reality” of that final photograph that will provide the proof:
As to the notion that if UFOs are extraterrestrial aircraft, there should be an undisputed photograph of one by now: “Anything can be disputed. The dispute simply means that someone has chosen to quarrel.” It is logical, and though we do not subscribe to it, we can understand…


Coppens has many good insights of his own into Bramley’s book that are worth reading.

Among other things, Bramley’s work is concerned with the Trickster force; the oppositional tensions of existence on earth. Not only the afore mentioned war, but UFO studies, as previously noted. As Coppen writes, speaking of the book:

But it showed powerful examples of the central bank scams, it showed how contradictory humanity really is, and does indeed seem to be tricked into working in one direction, even though neither side really wants that outcome. (italics mine)


That part: how we are "tricked" so often, about so many things, and especially about 'all this' -- all this Fortean, weird, UFO stuff -- is another elephant in the room. It's maddening, all the more so because this very Trickster prescence is as much a part of it as anything else. It wouldn't be without it. And yet we forget that constantly, or refuse to acknowledge it at all. While all the time we're bedazzled by disinformation, silliness, our own fears and desires, their fears and desires. . . it's a mess. It's confusing and deceitful. It's seductive. The pathological skeptic-troll who dogs the UFO researcher with snide rants about wasting time, or lying, or being mentally unbalanced is as much in this mess as the rest of us. We're all being manipulated. (But I'm starting to swirl again so I'll leave off for now.)

It's a very good review and it was good to see someone remind us of William Bramley and his work.

If you haven’t read The Gods of Eden, I hope you do soon.

Monday, March 5, 2007

How the X-Files Killed Ufology by Tina Sena

I enjoyed this piece on BOA by Tina Sena. Tina writes about my favorite Fortean televison program of all time, The X-Files. Don't let the title or the beginning of the article fool you into thinking it's something it isn't.

Blog Discovery

Fun quiz; What Tarot Card are You? This time I'm the Moon. Can't argue with that. I'm always glad to find new blogs (new to me anyway) and just found this one: The Curio, where I also found this quiz.



You are The Moon


Hope, expectation, Bright promises.


The Moon is a card of magic and mystery - when prominent you know that nothing is as it seems, particularly when it concerns relationships. All logic is thrown out the window.


The Moon is all about visions and illusions, madness, genius and poetry. This is a card that has to do with sleep, and so with both dreams and nightmares. It is a scary card in that it warns that there might be hidden enemies, tricks and falsehoods. But it should also be remembered that this is a card of great creativity, of powerful magic, primal feelings and intuition. You may be going through a time of emotional and mental trial; if you have any past mental problems, you must be vigilant in taking your medication but avoid drugs or alcohol, as abuse of either will cause them irreparable damage. This time however, can also result in great creativity, psychic powers, visions and insight. You can and should trust your intuition.


What Tarot Card are You?
Take the Test to Find Out.

Sunday, March 4, 2007

Book of Thoth Contest Winners

The Book of Thoth Contest Winners results are in.

Congratulations to all the winners, including, ahem, me. The only winners I know are Lesley, author of The Debris Field blog, and Odd Things, of the blog by the same name. But congratulations to all!

Lesley’s article: Nazi's and The Philosophers Stone
Odd Things: Mythology, the ages of man and the extraterrestrial hypothesis
My article: Flying Saucer Kooks, and A Look Into Colin Bennett’s Looking for Orthon

Fewer Crop Circles These Days


It appears there are fewer circles lately. Nick Redfern on UFO Mystic has a thread on this news. I commented over there that my take on the circles is that they're man made; not by hoaxers, as in guerrilla artists, shills, or pranksters, but some sort of technological weapons testing, or something of that kind related to the good old military industrial complex. Nick mentions that, while the crop circles are fewer in number, there's been a rise in UFO sightings.

Saturday, March 3, 2007

Bunny Cakes


From the Saucerian Outsider blog, this item came my way:


The Explanatory Theory of the Supposed Extraterrestrial Hypotheses as Contemporary and Anagalous Socio-Mythos Construct of the Pop Cultural Milieu

Average citizens in Western, non-Western (Occidental) Industrial and Third, Fourth and emergent Fifth World countries still cling to specific religious, spiritual, philosophical systems involving “aliens” from other worlds. These tales vary yet sub-currently share similarities of iconography. The enthusiastic mavens of UFOlogy mistake these symbols of mere cultural communications for proof of alien (ie extraterrestrial) beings that are the causes for seemingly mysterious and conspiratorial events: cattle “mutilations,” alien “abductions,” crop circles, etc. Whereas in point of fact, all these occurrences are nothing more than unfortunate yet solidly prosaic occurrences lacking in any so-called “Fortean,” paranormal, anomalous or UFOlogical basis.

We know that these interpretative subjective experiences are nothing more than mundane events containing several elements of easily explainable and verifiable (hence: real) data that nonetheless, due to human frailty as well as a grossly undereducated general population, persist in being presented as paranormal or UFOlogical to the detriment of society and human advancement in terms of critical thinking.This severely and grossly prohibits the otherwise innate biological imperative towards quantum leaps in humanisticonic evolutionary advancement.

While one may engage in semantic games surrounding language tags such as “unidentified,” UFOs on the surface do exist; however, despite this name game, if you will, they are all quite identifiable and are therefore IFOs (Identified Flying Objects) and contain not an iota of any extraterrestrial entity or other loosely and weakly fabricated metaphysical beliefs.

Those willful “researchers” of UFOlogy who refuse to accept as realistic and valid the verifiable facts of the scientific community are responsible for the continued mythos of the UFO and its implicit symbol the ET in contemporary culture as well as its slow yet nonetheless persistent inroads into less educated societies.

Furthermore the media, particularly entertainment media which often poses as quasi-scientific documentarians of UFO programatic episodes, which in itself is a paradoxical irony since the UFO phenomena is unverifiable and therefore immune to quantification of documentation, is responsible for supporting these wrong headed ideas believed as factual evidence within the contextual construct of afore mentioned “documentary.”

The researchers at Saucerian Outsider believe that only with continued pressure on all those responsible for such illiterate and anti-cultural deeds should be held responsible for their actions upon a world society that has been misled by these harmful “researchers” who inflict their data onto the collective consciousness of the masses as well as interfere with the efforts of science-based immersions within the infrastructural interface of an enlightened dichotomous populous.




Disclaimer: There isn't any Saucerian Outsider, and I was just being silly.

Monday, February 26, 2007

One More: Women in UFOlogy

My new column is also out on BOA; entitled Big Time UFO News, it's about my big time UFO news which is: I now write for UFO Magazine! The first column is in the February issue. It's mainly an introduction piece.

More Women in UFOlogy: Tina Sena

Seems to be a busy week for women and ufology/Forteana. Also over on Binnall of America, is BOA's newest columnist, Tina Sena. (love that name.) Tina writes very well; very poetically, and has her own, individual voice. She's also among the younger generation of UFO and Fortean writers/observers.

Tina is also the author of the blog Yufology.

Women in UFOlogy: Farah Yurdozu

”When you write, you share what you know.” ~ Farah Yurdozu


Tim Binnall’s latest interview is with Farah Yurdozu. Yurdozu is from Turkey; she writes for UFO Magazine, and is also a producer for Jerry Pippin’s show.

As usual, Tim does a great interview. Also exciting is the fact BOA presents an interview with a female researcher. (He’s also interviewed Paola Harris.)

Coincidentally, I had written an item about Farah, inspired by her current column in UFO Magazine, on exopolitics and spiritually. (Something I bounce back and forth with, but overall, listen, it can’t hurt. So the movement is kind of dippy. There are worse things in the world.)

Farah speaks from the heart, from her own experiences. As always, I am blown away by those who come out, using their own names , just put themselves out there with these highly unusual experiences. (On the other hand, just how “unusual” are these kind of experiences?)

Farah isn’t in the least bit afraid to come out with her, and her own family’s, experiences.

UFOlogy is lucky to have Yurdozu’s contribution. Especially UFOlogy in the United States; to have the perspectives and experiences of someone from another country is a welcome gift. I think that sometimes UFOlogy in the United States gets too provincial. This is something Lesley, author of The Debris Field, is working on: an international database of UFO studies and researchers.

Farah knows her stuff; she doesn’t just focus on her own experiences. It seems that it’s because of her experiences, she has been inspired to explore UFOlogy itself, both in Turkey and the United States; it’s history, etc.

One thing that really popped out at me was Farah’s comment that Turkey’s perception of UFOs is that it’s an everyday thing. A different perceptive base. The media is open and reports UFOs regularly. Like people everywhere, though, not everyone in Turkey agrees and they have their share of debunkers and hard core skeptics. People with sightings are not considered “crazy” and there is a general atmosphere of acceptance. It seems that the cultural and media acceptance level is much more accepting. She goes into Turkish mythology and animal symbolism; all related to UFOs. Which brings the question of UFOs up to a higher level; takes it beyond merely nuts and bolts.

There are some surprises in this interview; like the underground cities, that are five thousand years old.

There’s much more of course. Definitely worth listening to. Farah shares her knowledge of Turkish culture and its perceptions of UFOs, as well as sharing her knowledge of history and mythology that places the current UFO activity in Turkey in context. It's a useful and insightful to hear about another country's UFO experiences. Useful, because it broadens (no pun intended) our own perceptions and knowledge.

To hear the audio:
http://binnallofamerica.com/audio2.html

Friday, February 23, 2007

Bigfoot: What Do You Want to Prove?


The discussion continues over on the Cryptomundo blog about so-called “paranormal” Bigfoot. Call it anomalous or Fortean Bigfoot, whatever you choose, the encounters of Bigfoot with UFO and other non-crypto aspects is the issue here. Lisa Sheil, author of Backyard Bigfoot, has put the core issue very well; what I’ve been trying to say. But she said it better, I think, over on the Cryptomundo blog:

”We all need to ask ourselves, what is the goal of Bigfoot research? To prove Bigfoot are apes? Or to discover the truth about their nature and behavior? If you want to prove they’re apes, you must ignore evidence. If you want the truth, you must examine all data, no matter how disturbing to your sensitive psyche, and determine the reasons to accept or reject it. Rejecting data based on personal bias, fear, or arrogance serves no purpose, scientific or otherwise.”


I’ve had many people say that Bigfoot can’t be “both” flesh and blood and “paranormal.” While I’ve stumbled around trying to say why this is wrong; Lisa again says it more clearly:

"Only someone who misunderstands the concept of paranormal would assert that flesh-and-blood and UFO-related cannot both apply to Bigfoot. According to this idea, a human being who has a psychic experience would no longer be a flesh-and-blood human being."


It simply gets down to this. Are we interested in the truth; the actual answer, or in proving what we think is the truth?

Notes:
  • Lisa Sheil: Backyard Bigfoot and blog.

  • Lesley's Debris Field blog. (Image shown here boldly borrowed from her blog)

  • Craig Woolheater's Cryptomundo blog.

  • Thursday, February 22, 2007

    Fortean Bigfoot

    The discussion continues over on Cryptomundo about weird, UFO, telepathic, anomalous and Fortean Bigfoot.

    One of my points, as well as a truly sincere question, involves this information, or data. These stories exist; they're real. The stories, not the question of the experience itself. So, as I asked, do we accept the BF sighting, but not the UFO sighting? Do we include the BF report, but pretend we never heard anything about the witness also communicating with the creature?

    I also made the point that including this anomalous data in the research is not the same as accepting it as real,understanding it, or approving it.

    Here's what I commented over on Cryptomundo:

    Thanks for the facilitation of this intriguing topic Craig.

    Lots of interesting comments, as to be expected!

    As I said, I realize that cryptozoology and the search for Bigfoot in a quest for its scientific validity has a hard enough time being taken seriously. I am completely sympathetic to that, and any "nonsense" about telepathic communcations, UFOs, or any other Fortean/high strangeness events associated with Bigfoot is to be rejected. BUT...

    Having read several dozens of stories about these types of encounters, and knowing, personally, a few people that have had them, what do you do about them?

    Are these people lying? I doubt very much the ones I've spoken with personally are. Always possible of course, as with anything. But I doubt it.

    One of the issues here, for me, is: when do you decide, as a researcher, to reject something? A legitimate question.

    If you're interviewing a BF witness, and they reveal they saw a UFO at the same time, or that they were in some sort of telepathic communication with BF, or some other "weird" event, what do you do?

    Leave it out or ignore it? Accept the BF sighting, but not the other stuff? Reject the whole thing, including the BF sighting, because of the other stuff?

    While I understand the fact of science needing physical, solid evidence that can be measured, etc. if these other things are present, they're a part of the experience. It isn't the witnesses or researcher's "fault" that they are a part of the experience.

    So now what?

    These are valid quesitons. As Nick Redfern pointed out in his recent articles on this topic, these stories are, and you can't just reject them because you feel like it. (on his blog UFO Mystic and in this issue of UFO Magazine.)

    Keeping the stories as part of the data isn't the same as believing in them, or accepting them. But it's a start towards including all the evidence you find, as part of the research into the phenomena.

    Wednesday, February 21, 2007

    "Paranormal Bigfoot" on Cryptomundo


    Craig Woolheater of Cryptomundo, has reposted my Bigfoot and High Strangeness article that I wrote for Trickster's Realm. Needless to say, it has generated a vibrant slew of comments, as expected when it comes to this topic.

    Lisa Shiel, we need you! (Shiel is author of Backyard Bigfoot The True Story of Stick Signs, UFOs, & the Sasquatch.

    (A thank you to Craig for posting the article and facilitating discussion.)

    While Craig asked me about this some time ago, it's a bit of a nice coincidence that corresponds with Nick Redfern's latest piece
    Crossover Cases
    on this topic on his blog with Greg Bishop, UFO Mystic. Nick also has an article in this month's issue of UFO Magazine on this subject.

    Tuesday, February 20, 2007

    Monday, February 19, 2007

    A “Keelian Attitude:” Nick Redfern on “The Crossover Problem”




    A lot of good things in the current (February 2007) issue of UFO Magazine. Nick Redfern’s monthly column View From A Brit, discusses the uneasy and often opposed fields of UFOlogy and Cryptozoolgy. As he writes
    “UFOlyg and cryptozoology make for strange bedfellows.”
    The Crossover Problem, UFO Magazine, February 2007.)

    Redfern addresses the issue of flesh and blood/nuts and bolts researchers vs. the “Keelian attitude” towards UFOs and Bigfoot, Nessie, etc. This is a topic very dear to my heart. and I’ve commented here and elsewhere (Trickster’s Realm, etc.) on the bigfoot-UFO relationship. I often ask myself why this split is so fierce; I can understand it a bit more from the flesh and blood Bigfoot side more than the UFO side of the Fortean fence, but it still doesn't seem sensible to me. As Nick points out, the investigation of one realm by a researcher of another would mean that
    “both camps are in dire need of an overhaul, in terms of what is really going on.”

    True. Also, and more alarming, in Redfern’s views is that by ignoring the weirder data, it will be lost. I absolutely agree as I’ve been saying since I’ve had this blog, the stories exist: deal with them!

    Nick shares information about Rendlesham Forest, home of the 1980 Rendlesham UFO event. A really juicy bit of Forteana that I didn’t know about is revealed here about the area’s Fortean history, including crypto creatures, that predates the 1980 UFO event.

    Nick writes that these “crossover” events (UFOs, Bigfoot, and other cryptids)
    “are not going away any time soon!”
    The Big Thicket terrain in Eastern Texas (Piney Woods area) has a delightfully rich history of Fortean and crypto stuff, and Redfern shares some of his investigation into this area in his column. H recommends a intriguing sounding book; In the Big Thicket, by Rob Riggs.

    As Nick writes, these cases that include both UFOs and cryptos
    “make many people within ufology and crypto zoology cringe.”
    The majority of the time, this is sadly true. I agree completely with Redfern:
    “Both camps need to realize that neither has the answer to their respective mysteries, and both should treat the crossover cases in the same fashion -- and as rigoursly -- as they would any other encounter. If we fail to look at all of the evidence - whether it sits well in our belief systems or not, it’s truly our loss.”


    It was refreshing to read Redfern’s words on this topic. One thing both camps also should realize is that this “crossover” aspect doesn’t necessarily negate ET, or nuts and bolts UFOs, or flesh and blood Bigfoot. In this seemingly never-ending realm of Fortean weirdness doesn’t it seem quite sensible there’s room for all of it? That the possibly is pretty strong for layers upon layers, constantly shifting, sometimes mimicking, sometimes standing alone, sometime merging? Why do so many have a problem with this idea?

    Threatened credibility is one reason, and understandable. Trying to prove to the world that Bigfoot exists is difficult enough without dragging in UFOs and dematerializing, telepathic Sasquatches. The same for UFOs. But, while I’m sympathetic to that reality, it’s time to move past that.It takes some courage, but losing data due to rejection of what makes one uncomfortable isn’t contributing to research, as Redfern points out.

    I think there are ETs (very probably) as I’ve said many times. But for me, that’s certainly not the end of things. One may or may not have anything to do with the other. We'll see, maybe, if we’re lucky. Either way, as Redfern says, the reality of the stories exists, and we just can’t afford to ignore them.

    You can read more about this, where the discussion and more info continues, on Nick Redfern's and Greg Bishop's blog UFO Mystic:
    http://www.ufomystic.com/the-redfern-files/thicket-encounters/

    Notes:
    John A. Keel: The Complete Guide to Mysterious Beings (revised version of Strange Creatures from Time and Space),

    Regan Lee:
    Bigfoot and High Strangeness, Trickster’s Realm/Binnall of America , Novemeber 2006

    Fairies, Bigfoot and Hauntings Trickster’s Realm/Binnall of America May 2006

    Nick Redfern:
    The Crossover Problem, UFO Magazine, February 2007
    Lake Monsters, Giant Cats, Ghostly Devil Dogs, and Ape-Men Para View Pocket Books, March 2004.

    Rob Riggs, in the Big Thicket: On the Trail of the Wild Man: Exploring Nature’s Mysterious Dimensions, Paraview Press 2001.

    (image source:image source: http://www.creepy.tv/season3_e7.html)

    Sunday, February 18, 2007

    Women and UFO Studies


    I've been neglecting not only my funky angelfire website, but my Women in UFO and Fortean studies pages. Here's one page updated a bit. I've moved over to an official domain: orangeorb.net, but I'm still working on the little glitches. Probably won't be up for awhile. In the meantime, you can see what I have up on the old angelfire site. And if you feel like adding a banner or link on your blog, that's always a wonderful thing. Better yet, if you have any names to add, let me know. I'm always interested.

    Friday, February 16, 2007

    Update on: Biscardi’s Bigfoot Carnival



    There's an item by Bigfoot researcherCraig Woolheater on the Cyrptomundo blog on all this Biscardi carnival like Bigfootmania.

    Christ. Tom Biscardi has gone all out, joined up with cheesy, sleazy, too sadly all American Americana (its worst side) and gone the carnival route. Teaming up with “reality” TV,(which is a disgusting cultural phenomena all on its own) there will now be this new offering to the American public on Bigfoot: Capturing Bigfoot. The title says it all of course. For a few hundred dollars, it seems any Bozo can join Tom Biscardi on his “hunt” and it will all be televised for our “pleasure.”

    No one in Fortean, cryptid, or cryptozoological studies can possibly think this i s a good thing. I don’t know, maybe some do.

    Bigfoot researcher Craig Woolheater doesn’t think it’s a good idea. Good for him:

    Craig Woolheater, chairman of the Texas Bigfoot Research Conservancy, which has annual conferences in Jefferson, does not condone Biscardi's methods, which he says "are produced for the sake of media coverage or for commercial purposes."

    "This expedition is not a scientific expedition in my opinion; from what I understand it is being filmed for a reality-TV show entitled Capturing Bigfoot," Woolheater wrote in an e-mail. "As such, the TBRC is in no way, shape or form, affiliated with the very controversial Tom Biscardi."


    And if Tom Biscardi and his “team” of yahoos somehow capture Sasquatch?

    We've got two compounds at undisclosed locations where we'll conduct studies for 90 days, then release it back where we found it, I promise," Biscardi said.”


    Good great goddess. Assuming the poor thing doesn’t die first (Bigfoot, not Biscardi) or a Bigfoot family comes to rescue the creature and wreak havoc along the way, or some Cabal of Dr. Evils comes along and offers Biscardi a million dollars, or worse yet, Disney Studios offers him five million dollars -- oh god, I can see it all now. Visions of Ted Nugent yukking it up with Tom Biscardi over beers. (Maybe they’ll have canned Bigfoot hunts along with the “hunt majestic buffalo” people whose ads adorn Nugent's website.)

    I’m pretty well convinced Bigfoot exists. But that’s me. I don’t give a damn if one is ever captured or not, in fact, I hope to hell it never is. Let the thing be. Those who have seen it, know it’s real. That’s perfectly acceptable to me.

    Update on: More New Mexico Inspired Work

    Update: larger images, and more of my artwork in general, can be seen here: ArtWanted.com

    I don't often post non-UFO items here, but sometimes I do. Global warming, the "war" (occupation), animals, some politics, for example. And after all, it is all connected. The piece below on the UFO sighting in Shiprock inspired me to post three more of my New Mexico inspired paintings. I hope you enjoy them.




    Another Southwest, acrylic on canvas, 2005



    Coming Back, acrylic on canvas, Regan Lee 2006


    Before I Got There, acrylic on canvas, Regan Lee 2004

    Shiprock, New Mexico UFO


    Shiprock, New Mexico, by Regan Lee 2004 acrylic on canvas

    From Brian Vike's HBCC UFO reporting site: a UFO seen in Shiprock, New Mexico. Interesting comment by the witness of feeling "drained" the next day. The sighting was reported in August of 2005, but posted February 16, 2007.

    New Mexico is a beautiful state. I spent a couple of days there about three years ago and ever since, have been wanting to go back. I'm much more of a water/ocean/coastal woods type of person, but I can see myself in New Mexico. I think there is something magical, or mystical, indeed about the place. (Which doesn't seem to do a thing for the blatant bigotry I witnessed there. Not everyone is a New Age happy shiny person.)

    As many a UFO writer has wondered; are UFOs "attracted" in particular to places like this? Are they a product of such places, or do they come to these places because of the "energy?" Assuming of course they're something other than man made objects.

    Okay, I'm beginning to sound too New Agey for my own good. I'll stop now.

    Thursday, February 15, 2007

    Squeaking 'Alien' Creature: Guitarfish Fish

    On the very excellent blog BioFort, Scott Maruna's blog, is an item on the "alien" Russian fish. Er, alien. No, really, it's a fish. A guitarfish.

    Weird looking creatures. I know I'd seen them somewhere, as I mentioned in the article on UFO Digest. I thought it might have been a skate; others think sturgeon. Sturgeon or pike always seem to be the explanation for weird things in the water; for Ogo Pogo, Champ, Nessie. That, or giant rotting salmon corpses, as in the case of Nessie. Yes, there really was a mega-skeptic that offered that theory to explain Nessie of Loch Ness.

    LAST WORD ON ROBERT A. LUCA, JR.

    As I wrote earlier, it’s obvious he’s a troubled person. Knowing a bit more about him from various sources, combined with the overall tone of his website, I think it’s best for UFO researchers to ignore him.

    What’s sad about this -- aside from the unhappiness and negative energy this man is going through, and, seems to inflict on others -- is the fact this “revelation” is being used by many anti-UFOists to say “Ha! It was all just a hoax!”

    Nothing of the kind, of course. And those who use the words of Ray Luca, Jr. to “prove” that the Betty Andreason Luca experience was a “hoax” reveal their lack of knowledge, and thinking abilities.

    For these two reasons: the innate sadness of another human being, Ray Luca, and,the fact this proves nothing, nothing at all regarding the veracity of Betty’s experiences, serious UFO researchers and students should just put this to rest.

    Of course, this is all just my opinion. As the good Lesley said recently in her article
    “What Am I?” for her Grey Matters column over on Binnall of America,
    I’m just babbling.

    As we all are.

    But, I don’t think I’ll be babbling about this topic any more.