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Women and Bigfoot Research

Recent discussions on women and bigfoot research. These have been around for a couple of weeks, but I’m just getting to mentioning them now. If you’ve missed them, here they are: On Cryptomundo there are entries on Jane Goodall and her views on Bigfoot: Women and Bigfoot Studies: Jane Goodall.

There’s also a discussion on sexism in bigfoot research:
Indy 500,Women and Bigfoot, Part 1. Part 2 follows immediately after on their blog.

Lisa Shiel of Bigfoot Quest liked my piece I did on her for UFO Magazine:
UFO Magazine Piece on Wild Women

Update on ‘The Most Dangerous Idea in the World” - (Laura Knight-Jadczyk)

Wow. I just came across Dustin’s entry on his blog Odd Things on Laura Knight-Jadczyk. The synchronicity aside, I was right about what I commented on in the previous Laura entry; her anti-Semitism Jews run the evil world of the evil doers, don’t you know beliefs. What absolutely intrigues me is that Knight-Jadczyk writes extremely well, and is obviously no dummy. She’s quite smart; certainly smarter than I am. And yet we have, in the end, someone clinging to bigoted belief systems. When it comes to UFOs, aliens, and Forteana, none of us can afford to have such deeply entrenched beliefs about anything, except for the painfully obvious reality that “reality” is far from what it seems. Once you start creating a belief system around yourself, you’re doomed. Throw in ethnic/cultural/racial/religious bigotry, and you’re damned.

So little did I know. This little episode also reminds us that being intelligent isn’t always an accurate measurement of being intelligent. A lot of brilliant people have led cults and held paranoid, bigoted, insular beliefs -- and managed to get others to follow them.



Dustin’s Odd Things blog:
http://www.book-of-thoth.com/blogs/oddthings/

Cassiopaea site:
http://www.cassiopaeacult.com/

OrangeOrb blog: Laura Knight-Jadczyk: The Most Dangerous Idea in the World
http://orangeorb.blogspot.com/2007/05/laura-knight-jadczyk-most-dangerous.html

Laura Knight-Jadczyk: The Most Dangerous Idea in the World

Okay, I acknowledge freely I am no intellectual, and certainly not knowledgeable -- not academically or scientifically knowledgeable that is -- about physics, hyper-dimensions, astrophysics, or parallel parking. On some subconscious intuitive Piscean level, I “get it” but that’s another story.

My approach to all this anomalous UFO weird realm usually originates from the personal, moving outward, usually on a mythic/folklore/symbol/narrative/comparative/juxtapositional perspective. Whatever that means.

I’m not sure exactly what Laura Knight-Jadczyk is talking about, but she is very very smart. She writes extremely well. I seem to have a vague memory of something I read on her site or blog that I liked, up to a point, but then rejected, due to what I perceived as anti-Semitism (all that Israel is the big bad guy stuff) but if I’m mistaken, I apologize.

There’s a lot -- a hell of a lot -- of stuff here, and I don’t understand much of it. There is so much material that one has to take time to go through it, and be familiar with her references, which I’m not.

But I’m promoting her here for one reason: those “academics” and “scientists” who would otherwise welcome her views, as long as she gets rid of her UFO bent. Apparently Knight-Jadczyk annoys all sides: the New Age camp, the mystical camp, the political camp, etc.

All the scientific hyper dimensional physic stuff aside, the gist of Knight-Jadczyk core “belief” is that there is an “official culture” which I so far go along with. (Of course, her idea of who, and what, is responsible for that “official culture” may be very different. I don’t know.) And this fact, along with the fact that we’re all just pawns in a huge cosmic game, is what she calls “the most dangerous idea in the world.” I don’t think I gave this justice, but that seems to be the idea. I go along with that as well. It doesn’t sound too different than William Bramley, or even in some ways (good great goddess) David Icke (oy) -- not a new idea. And not sure why her ideas are rejected by all sides.

I’ll leave it to you. I just like subverting things, and so, in the spirit of that, here’s a link to Laura Knight-Jadczyk on her experiences and thoughts on her book, The Secret History of the World.

MUFON To Collaborate on Abduction Reporting

The current issue of the MUFON Journal has an item about its “abduction experiencer referral relationship.” MUFON has partnered with OPUS (Organization for Paranormal Understanding and Support,) where calls concerning alien abductions will be directed to Lester Velez. Velez is Vice President of OPUS. He is also the Northern California Assistant State Director of MUFON.

As with MUFON, OPUS is a 501 (c3) nonprofit group.

The MUFON article states that the OPUS mission is:

“To develop a network of people dedicated to a better understanding of the overall nature of unusual/anomalous personal experiences and to support those who have them.”

What kinds of experiences fall into this category?

“. . . extraordinary states of consciousness, fortean, spiritual, or parapsychological phenomenon, close encounters with non-human entities, and/or UFO activity.”

By bringing together people with “opposing and often controversial views” MUFON/OPUS’ intent is to gain a larger understanding (including on the scientific playing field) of the abduction phenomena.

Notes

MUFON Journal, May 2007
OPUS and MUFON to Collaborate on Abduction Reporting

OPUS
http://www.opus-net.org

The Mystical Denied

From the Daily Grail site, they ask, in response to a Reason magazine article:

"Why are psychedelic substances which invoke mystical states outlawed, while established religious groups which lack nearly all mystical elements are given freedom and benefits? That's the question raised in a recent article in Reason magazine, which features a brief historical overview on scientific research into mystical states brought about by psychedelics, including the 'Good Friday experiment".

Excellent damn question. The reason, I suspect, has to do with giving “the people” too much room to move within thinking outside all those little boxes we’re crammed into since birth, as well as creativity, peeks into the “other,” questioning authority and that cliché but all too true nonetheless: subverting the dominant paradigm.

Because when you stop believing the lies and silliness religious leaders give us, as well as going along with the majority systems (Christianity here, for example) you’re trouble for the controlling bastards.

What does this have to do with UFOs? If you have to ask, you haven't taken enough!


Notes:
Daily Grail link to Reason magazine:
http://www.dailygrail.com/node/4710

Going Under

I started a thread on the Book of Thoth forum on aliens. Specifically, “intelligent, invisible” aliens. I’m very sure about the intelligent, invisible part, not so sure they’re aliens from space. One thing I do know for certain; they’re not human.

I asked, in the thread, if anyone has had similar experiences to mine regarding these “aliens.” I described what I’ve experienced a few times: the powerful knowing that these entities (and they always “appeared” in multiples, never just one, but a small group) were present. Each time thinking I was going crazy, until others confirmed it, without me saying anything.

Interesting responses, including from Jeremy Vaeni’s comments. Jeremy has a column in UFO Magazine, and creator of the film No One’s Watching: An Alien Abductee’s Story. Jeremy interviewed me for UFO Magazine (Grilling Regan Lee, April issue) and asked me, as he did in the Book of Thoth forum, why don’t I say I’m an abductee? I responded that I can’t say I’m an abductee, since I don’t recall anything about aliens (never seen one) (well, not quite) (ah, the chimera like state of UFOlogy!) or being taken, or probed, etc. So how could I say I’ve been abducted?

In the thread, Jeremy asked me if I want to know. Why don’t I go under hypnosis, for example.

Why don’t I want to be hypnotized? Wouldn’t that be easier than going the very long and convoluted route I’m going?

Why do I read book after book after book on UFOs and related phenomena? Aside from being a flying saucer junkie, what purpose does it serve? It seems I’m doing everything but simply saying: “Hi, my name is Regan (“High, Regan”) and I’ve been abducted by aliens.”

I just can’t do it. I don’t know that I have. It seems ridiculous to say I am just because I could have been.

Dr. David Jacobs said a couple of things at the recent McMinnville UFO Festival: he said that close encounters aren’t random. And neither are repeated sightings, or even the far off sighting, sometimes. I’ve experienced all of those. That sent chills up my spine.

Maybe I live in the Nile; denying the obvious. I mean, how much does a girl have to go through before she says “I’m an alien abductee” ? Two episodes of missing time, intelligent invisible aliens dropping by, several UFO sightings, including ones involving precognition, close encounters. . .

I say I want to find out what happened to me, and yet I’m doing everything except “go under.”

Maybe I’m scared to death. (If so, why? But there you are. I’m a big chicken.) I don’t trust hypnosis, I’m not sure why. Or even what I mean by that.

And am I being a hypocrite by encouraging others to tell their stories, and urging researchers to include all the data, not just the data they like, while I sit back here and balk at “going under?” (Hmmm, maybe the phrase “going under” has a surreal-Freudian-Jungian-poetic-subconscious-don’t-go-there connotation I don’t want to deal with.)

For now, I guess I’ll stay with working my way through the piles of UFO and related material I have strewn about the house, writing about UFOs, blogging about UFOs, and dreaming about UFOs. Yes, I had a dream the other night I was abducted, but in the dream, I didn’t remember being abducted -- just the part about missing time! Even my subconscious won’t go there with me.

In the meantime, I would like to hear from others about their experiences -- or just thoughts -- on the “intelligent, invisible” aliens. If you’d like to share, go over to the Book of Thoth forum and join us.

The 8th Annual McMinnville UFO Festival Mini Report

The 8th Annual McMinnville UFO Festival in McMinnville, Oregon. The festival happens in the small town of McMinnville every year, McMinnville being the home of Paul and Evelyn Trent. Paul Trent snapped two photos of a UFO he saw flying in the sky above his farm in 1950.

Last minute cancellation had us scurrying with little time to get up to McMinnville, and we didn't bring a camera (damn!) I forgot my cell phone, and we trusted the vague directions on the web site. 1-5 indeed! For anyone leaving the Eugene area, do not take 1-5, which should seem obvious, I do know. Oh, and another obvious point: don't travel during rush hour. Nothing like being stuck -- stuck! as in dead stopped -- on the interstate! We were in Portland before we realized we were way off, but since my husband's a maniac (thank god) we took a lovely rural road through Newberg to McMinnville. Next time: take 99W. Direct, simple, there you go. Okay, you probably don't want to hear about my near panic attack stuck in bumper to bumper traffic, and how I've turned into a hick living here for 30 years and now think of po-dunk Eugene as the big city,

We get there about 6:00 pm, no time to eat, and our blood sugar is dropping by the second. Check into the delightful McMenamins Hotel Oregon and walk a short block to where the conference speakers: Peter Robbins, Peter Davenport, and David Jacobs, were speaking.

The room seemed packed. It was good to know you could order a slice of pizza and a glass of that great McMenamins brew. (My favorite is the Ruby Ale, he likes their Hammerhead.) We hadn't eaten since noon; blood sugar going down fast. The pizza helped, but we both needed real food. The constant sound of the ancient cash register clanking every few moments was a distraction though, hard to hear the speakers.

First speaker, Peter Robbins, who gave a very thorough talk on the death (murder) of James Forrestal. Robbins was articulate, his research solid. I was interested, being very familiar with the Forrstal story. But as my husband said -- who wasn't familiar with the story -- it was boring. I have to agree; unless you had some background into the topic, it would be hard to see exactly what it had to do with UFOs. For the context -- a UFO Festival -- the choice was a poor one. Even I found myself getting impatient, and I was interested. Don't misunderstand, I thought Robbins did a good job of researching his material. I just don't think it was a good fit for this particular venue.

By this time it was getting late, and, despite the slice of pizza, we were both hungry and tired. David Jacobs was next, and he was very engaging. He was funny and his overview of UFOs in pop culture, leading up to the abduction phenomeana, was an excellent choice for the festival. We left towards the end, and so I didn't get to hear the last of Jacob's presentation.

I enjoyed Jacob's but wonder at his conclusions regarding the Contactees. He dismissed them as charlatans, and while he was funny doing it, I wondered at his easy rejection. Jacob's has said in the past that, as a history professor, he approaches the UFO phenomena from that perspective. That makes a lot of sense to me. While I don't agree with Jacob's on the abduction phenomeana (because I don't know what to think) I understand where he's going. Given that approach, why doesn't Jacob's see that there's something more to the Contactees than just a bunch of kooks?

Back to the McMenamins Hotel Oregon. Most of the rooms are just a room, bathroom down the hall. There are some rooms available with bathrooms, but those were booked long ago. Thank god the bathroom (very large, with showers, etc.) was right across our room. There's free Wi Fi, always a good sign. If you sign up for the UFO Festival package, it includes dinner and breakfast (good food), tickets to the speakers, two glass tumblers with the UFO Festival logo, and silly and fun bobbing things to wear on your head (yes, of course I wore mine!) There were also book displays, including Peter Robbin's collection of vintage UFO books and comics, a masquerade ball, and the alien parade the next day.



The McMennimmin's do beautiful and charming work; they retain the original features of the places they buy, and add their own touch. If you live in Oregon, or visit, try to explore one of their places. (The McMenamins in Troutdale is amazing.) Doors and walls are painted with original paintings of local artists. Many of the paintings, quotes painted on the walls, murals, etc. have to do with the history of the place. For example, two of the paintings on two of the doors are of Mrs. Trent, surrounded by her rabbits, looking up at a UFO, and one of the reporters who first wrote about the case.

Later that night we went one of the four bars inside the Hotel Oregon. It was much quieter there and the only people there were Jacbos and Davenport and several others at a long table. The next morning at breakfast Davenport came down and sat in the booth next to ours. We hadn't signed up for the full two day package, so didn't attend the morning panel. I would have liked to have stayed for that, but being it was short notice we had to get back to Eugene.

As rushed and crazy as it was, and despite the "doh!" moments, like no camera, etc. it was well worth it. We both plan to go next year, and this time sign up for the full two night package. And sign up early!

Edited to add: We reserved a room (no bath, those are already booked for next year!) for two nights. See you there next year.

McMenimins UFO logoimage source: http://www.ufofest.com/ufofest07/

Peter Robbins:
http://www.jerrypippin.com/UFO_Files_peter_robbins.htmC

McMinnville UFO Festival:
UFO Fest.com
http://www.ufofest.com/ufofest07/

UFO Fest! McMinnville, Oregon

Summer seems to be the time for UFO Fests around the country.

The 8th annual McMinnville, Oregon UFO Fest is this weekend. (May 18-19) The festival takes place in McMinnville, home of the classic 'Trent Farm' UFO event in 1952.

I'll be able to make it this year and I'm looking forward to it. A last minute cancellation happened, so we were able to book a room, which means I'll be able to attend the talk by Dr. David Jacobs Friday night.

I'll be blogging those two days about the event, with lots of images to share.
For information on the festival, including schedule of events, visit:
http://www.ufofest.com/ufofest07/

Unexpected UFO Serendipity

Two unexpected UFO related items:

The first, from Lisa Shiel, of the Bigfoot Quest blog. Shiel has shared her knowledge of restricted airspace in relation to government/military testing of craft. (The Truth About UFOs and Restricted Airspace.) Shiel questions the almost meme lake idea among many UFO researchers that many craft (like the Triangles) are military. Shiel insists they aren’t ours, since they can’t be flown over civilian/populated areas. Furthermore, there is plenty of restricted airspace where these flight tests can be done. So why fly over public areas here and in other countries (as with the case of Triangles.)

Excellent points, and good solid factual data. I respectfully have a nagging argument here though: just because the government isn’t supposed to, doesn't mean they won’t, can’t, and don’t. I don’t know if the Triangles, for example, are ours, ET, or something else, but I do know one thing: they exist. I’ve seen them.

Shiel writes about the Bigfoot UFO connection, and it isn’t completely surprising she would have UFO entries on her blog, though her focus is on Bigfoot. Which brings me to this nice tie-in concerning self-promotion: the current issue of UFO Magazine includes my column on Lisa: Wild Women: Weird Bigfoot Research.

The other unexpected find was a UFO report, made by someone here in Eugene, Oregon. The report was from January 22nd of this year. I followed the link from UFO commentator and researcher Billy Booth to UFO Casebook. It’s an interesting sighting: different, and seems to be of two objects, as well as a possible humanoid creature.
Then I saw the name of the witness: Nahu. Nahu is the author of UFOs: God From Inner Space and other books, and the subject of my next article for UFO Magazine!

(image source: UFO Evidence website.

Too Many Blogs . . .

And websites and books, magazines, podcasts, DVDs, TV programs and radio shows that deal with UFOs, Forteana and the paranormal.

This is not, as many cranky chronic skeptics spend their time reminding us, a bad thing. In fact, it’s a good thing. As with all things, there are the expected number of vapid blogs, etc. that deal with these topics. That obvious tidbit aside, most of them are actually very good, with individuals ranging from the experiencer or admittedly self-appointed pundit (not a bad or wrong thing) to the better known and published authors.

The only problem is, one can’t get to it all. It’s not that it’s “bad,” -- quite the contrary. It’s that there just isn’t enough time, unless one is retired or independently wealthy and has plenty of time to peruse the wealth of information in books and on the internet. Even then, as interesting as it all is, there are other things to do that have little to do with any of this UFO stuff: walk on the beach, for instance. I could spend all day walking on the beach.

I still have a large stack of books I’ve ordered recently on UFOs and related subjects. I’m still reading Greg Bishop’s Project Beta (very good, and everyone should read it to get an insight into mind control, disinfo, manipulation and obsession in a UFO context.) I started that book a long time ago. And still, mocking me on my nightstand, are Professor Daniel Wojcik’s The End of the World As We Know It: Faith, Fatalism and Apocalypse in America (and I’m even listed in the acknowledgments, and I haven’t read it yet, all these years later!) Frank C. Feschino’s The Braxton County Monster, on the cover-up of the ‘Flatwoods Monster,’ David J. Hufford’s The Terror That Comes in the Night, and many more.

Not to mention the MUFON Journals I haven’t quite finished yet, or the UFO Magazines. I’m still working on something from the issue before this one (on Colin Bennett’s “anti” MUFON article) and UFO Media Matter’s “Worst Person in the World” article taking Bennett to task. What to do? I admire both.

There are many unique blogs on The Daily Grail, as well as all the other blogs on Bigfoot, UFOs, metaphysics, etc.

No, there just isn’t enough time to read all the good and interesting material out there. So, while there are the bad, nasty, mean, stupid, pointless, silly and truly mega industrial wacked out blogs and books, it’s easy to identify them pretty quickly. We’re still left with lots of good stuff out here.

There's a 56% Chance You've Been Abducted By Aliens

Maybe you've really been abducted by aliens... but probably not. Let's face it. You're just a little weirder than most people.

What Are the Chances that You've Been Abducted by Aliens?

JREF “INFORMED BIGFOOT SKEPTICS” AND CRYPTOMUNDO

Oh Lordy. The chronic skeptics over at JREF (James Randi Educational Foundation) forum have a thread over there: Cryptomundo censors JREF members participation.”

I haven’t been following the thread, this is the first I’ve heard of it. I’ll have to go over and take a look of course, and I can’t wait to see this! It promises to be a good one. Here’s the link on Cryptomundo:
Why There Has To Be a Sasquatch”

I will say, that the comment by JREF poster “kitakaze” that JREF posters who’ve been “censored” are ”informed Bigfoot skeptics” is a great line.

No forum or blog has any obligation to anyone else to allow people in they don’t want to allow in. May or not be fair, or nice, or reasonable, so what? Their forum/group/blog, their right. Simple. Get over it.

I’ll also say that I don’t agree with Coleman or Woolheater on their views regarding “paranormal Bigfoot,” but they’ve always allowed discussion of the topic on their blog, which is a lot more than a lot of Bigfoot research based forums permit.

Apparitions of Saint Mary in Egypt

I've long been interested in Marian apparitions from a Fortean/paranormal/UFO point of view. This case however isn't so much supernatural (in my opinion) as it is government produced. A staged psy ops holographic affair. Mary Ellen Llyod, of UFO Area, thinks so as well, kind of: read her article Holy Apparitions or Holographic Alien Technology? It's possible it's alien, but in this case, I think it's human.

Funky UFO Book Score!

I've complained in the past that second hand or used UFO books are hard to find, at least they are hard to come by in my area. And when you do find them, it's a real treasure hunt for sure, exploring the Goodwills, St. Vincent de Paul's, etc. because they put those books in odd places. I've found UFO books in the religious section, the science section, the science fiction section. There isn't any UFO section.

The other day I noticed the local St. Vinnie's tidied up their book section and actually put in an "unexplained" section, where I found all kinds of UFO books. A few aren't UFO books; one is a kid's story about the Loch Ness creature, etc. I grabbed a bunch:

The UFO Controversy in America, David Michael Jacobs

Loch, Paul Zindel (children's)

The UFO Report, Timothy Good

Intercept UFO, Renato Vesco

Beyond Belief, Brad Steiger

Encounters with the UFOs, Coral and Jim Lorenzen

Alien Update, Timothy Good

Unidentifed Flying Objects,Jim Collins (children's)

The Galapagos Affari, John Treherne

The Voice of Venus: The Pulse of Creation Series, Ernest L. Norman

UFOs Explained, Philip J. Klass (of course he does nothing of the kind)

Not of this World,Peter Kolosimo

The UFO Phenomenon, Johannes von Buttlar

New Take on the "Owlman"

Another interesting feature today about the Mawnan Owlman. Tulpa? Manifested surrealism? Always a classic Fortean/Crypto story that never gets tiring. At least, not for flying saucer/crypto junkies like myself.

From 1963: The Gray Aliens!

A neato bit of trivia from the "fringe culture" edge over on Bill Chalker's blog The Oz Files; from 1963, paperback book of "The Gray Aliens."

Aerosol Attack

I know, some think I should be wearing the tin foil hat. But do the research. And look up. This is from L.A. -- it's all over. We see this stuff up in Eugene, Oregon all the time.

Contrails? Not even a little bit.

Memory Games

image: still from Hitchcock film Spellbound, 1945


A lot’s been written on the nature of memory and UFO/paranormal experiences. All sides of the anomalous realm have tackled the hows and whys of our memories; skeptics of all stripes, UFO researchers, psychologists, debunkers, etc.

Theories as to our memories abound; explanations for missing time, screen memories, events that are as real as me sitting here in my armchair with my laptop but shouldn't ‘t be for their fantastic elements; all are either “explained” or debunked. And then there are the UFO researchers who take a nuts and bolts view: they happened exactly as described, for the aliens really did land, or communicate, or abduct, and that’s the end of that.

We’re fantasy prone. Or we remember what we want to remember. Or we think we remember but we really don't remember. We fill in the lbanks with things that aren’t there. We see patterns where there aren’t any. We want to see things so we do. We’re awake when we’re asleep, we’re asleep when we’re awake. Or we think we are. We suffer from sleep paralysis. We expect to see or experience something strange, so we do. We’ve seen too many movies about flying saucers. Some of us are mentally ill. Or some of us are just outright liars.

All the above combine in various ways to screw up our memory banks, and make us think we’ve seen things that we shouldn’t have, couldn’t have seen because they don’t exist. These are excuses to explain away all the weird things that happen in UFO events: missing time, screen memories, interactions with entities on some mid-plane (neither here in “reality” nor unreal.)

I’ve spoken with many individuals who’ve experienced the above, from a UFO sighting to alien abductions. I’ve personally experienced the following: UFO sightings, missing time, regression/hypnosis, interaction with entities, awareness of invisible entities. (Or what we interpreted as “entities” for all I know, they could have been microwaved beamed at us from a shadow government agency.) And in all of those experiences; my personal ones, and those of others, not once has the idea of these experiences being murky, iffy occurrences been expressed. There was never any doubt they really happened.

I don’t think I’ve seen UFOs, I have. I don’t kind of, sort of, in that vague dream like way, think I could have experienced missing time, I did experience missing time. The invisible entities: that was confirmed on different occasions by others who experienced the same thing. There is no question of false memory or sleep paralysis or other trendy chronic skeptic explanation.

I do have two memories I’m not sure about, and they have nothing to do with UFOs, the paranormal, or anything at all esoteric or occult. The question of course is why? How can it be I have two images/memories that won’t go away, yet I don’t know if they really happened? Were they dreams, or real? And why do I remember them at all?

In one, I am about five years old. I’m with my grandmother. We’re in a large place; the floor is black and white checkered linoleum. There are large pebbled glass windows set high in the walls, which are white ceramic tiles. The sun is streaming through these windows; the place is full of light. There are lots of clocks everywhere. I have no idea if this is a dream, or a memory of something real. It’s a persistent image however.

The other one concerns a concert. I have a memory of seeing Donovan at the Hollywood Bowl. But I’m not sure. I’ve been to a lot of performances there; and never doubted one of them. I’m positive about all of them. Except this one. You’d think I’d be “sure” if I saw Donovan or not. Why wouldn’t I be? Why am I not sure? I have a persistent image of him on the stage, sitting on a carpet, with flowers around his neck. I’m in the audience watching him. I think. I’m not sure. I don’t remember who I was with, how I got there, or what happened next.


Are these memories real? Is the first one a memory of somewhere I really did go with my grandmother? the Donovan memory: is it just one of those quirky aberrations, or some type of UFO or paranormal event after all?

While interesting, they have to stay where they are. In the meantime, the other experiences, as strange as they are, leave behind them plenty of questions as to what, who and why.

But not to their reality.

Mavens and Wags: Terms of Enjeerment

Semantics is not “just semantics” it’s a purposeful method. We use terms and words for specific reasons: to trivialize, to support, to cast aspersions in covert ways, to bring light to ideas. The sometimes subtle, sometimes obvious ways we shade our meaning with words has everything to do with what we’re saying, and why we’re saying it.

I do it. You do it. We all do it. For example, the reason why there are so many terms for the umbrella “skeptic” is that there are dozens of variations of the meta label “skeptic.” A Pelicanist is not always a skeptic, a debunker isn’t always a skeptic. There are chronic skeptics; in the same small ballpark as the pathological skeptics, skeptoids, etc. but they’re not always one and the same. A lot of people who use these terms are aware of these different notes in the music of description, and so, we have fun using them, and know why we use them. But, I’m not here to discuss skeptics. Well, I am, kind of. Those who have all kinds of terms for UFO researchers.

In this context, rarely are the terms “ufo researcher,” UFO investigator,” used with a straightforward intent. Instead, there are terms like “would be UFO investigator,” or “self-styled UFO investigator” which immediately does what it’s intended to do: trivialize the individual researching UFOs. By modifying the term “UFO investigator” or “UFO researcher’ with words that cast doubt, the individual UFO investigator is immediately cast as non-credible, something rather shabby and seedy. Don’t trust him/her, is the message.

Some of those who use these terms have hard ideas about who is, and who isn’t, a valid researcher. They hoard data and keep information to themselves, releasing in secret the holy UFO papers to only those that pass the test. (Assuming they really have what they say they have.) Or, they refuse to make public their years of study and research because it will be “misinterpreted,” and “fought over,” and the “unwashed masses” will get ahold of such sacred data. No doubt. So what? It’s a given in the fields of UFO, crypto, and paranormal studies. As I’ve argued in the past, it’s not only a given, it’s an innate part of what makes Forteana (including UFOs) what it is. It wouldn’t exist otherwise. So let them at it, and the good ones will bring to light the good stuff, and the others will do what they do: provide entertainment, distract, distort and eventually go away. Even if they don’t, it doesn't matter. We can choose to ignore them or spend time arguing about them. Their inevitable presence does not justify the withholding of information.


There’s the term “bona fide” researcher. Exactly what determines a “bona fide” researcher is unclear, other than the obvious: whoever they decide it is. I assume a “bona fide researcher” is someone who’s published books by a “bone fide” publisher, and done extensive clinically inspired investigations into various UFO cases. All the while studiously avoiding any mention of paranormal, supernatural, mystical, or Bigfoot/cryptid phenomena, of course. As soon as you bring up the subject of paranormal Bigfoot, you’re no longer taken seriously. (And that’s from within the small world of UFO/Fortean research. Imagine what it’s like outside this peculiar world of esoteric studies.)

Watching the National Geographic disaster, er, program, on Roswell recently, (The Real Roswell) the narrator mentioned something about a researchers “UFO campaign” as if the researcher was up to no good, out to recruit unsuspecting citizens into a cabal of UFO studies.

There are terms like UFO enthusiasts, as if we’re all rabid NASCAR fans. UFO mavens, which on the surface sounds okay, since “maven” means expert. Maven is also something of a quaint word, invoking an image of something homey and old fashioned; harmless, maybe even sweetly goofy, but not to be taken seriously. Sometimes this is prefaced with “self styled ufo maven,” which of course is patronizing. Like the “self styled UFO researcher” the modifier “self styled” is used to cast doubt on the researcher’s character and credibility.

There’s “UFO devotee” which brings to mind some sort of religious nut, or at least a dopey cult member. It puts the entire UFO phenomena into a religious (therefore, not serious) context, for anyone spending much time at all studying UFOs is a nut. A religious fanatic, a cultist, a kook.

We have “UFO buff,” which is like the “UFO enthusiast.” And vaguely illicit, you can’t help juxtapose buff with nude and naked, no matter how subconsciously the imagery. That’s how it works. So you have sex crazed UFO researchers running around, and that’s no good. This despite the fact UFO lore is rife with tales of sexual unions with strange beings, breeding, kidnapping and capture, nightly bedroom visitations, examinations involving genitals, ova, sperm and other intrusive probings, hybrid babies, and phantom pregnancies.

We have “UFO hobbyists'” which could be put in the same category as “enthusiast,” “maven,” and “wag.” A bit old fashioned, and conjures up images of a harmless, but eccentric individual, tinkering away in their garage or den, spending hours on such silliness as UFOs. Replace UFOs with stamp collecting or cataloging your Star Trek figurine collection and we have an image of a nerdy, slightly antisocial misfit.

There’s “UFO wags” which is a bit like “UFO maven,” bringing to mind some old dotting absent minded eccentric blithering away in his (or her) overstuffed library of ancient UFO books.

Of course there’s ‘UFO believer,” which is worse than the vague ‘UFO devotee,” since it implies that one believes in UFOs.

Sometimes flying saucer is used instead of UFO. I use flying saucer myself a lot but for different reasons. Like Stanton Friedman, who uses the term freely, the use is a political statement; take back the flying saucer! For the smugly skeptical, the term “flying saucer” is used to further trivialize and marginalize. No one uses flying saucer anymore in a serious context, and like “maven,” it’s a bit old fashioned. It paints the UFO, er, flaying saucer researcher as a nut, chasing after little green men in astounding machines from outer space.

Other words are used as well, “woo” is the ever popular favorite to describe everything from a “believer” in UFOs to people who say they’ve seen a Sasquatch. There isn’t much hiding here; woo is self - explanatory; it’s clear the meaning is “you’re an idiot.”

There’s also the “true believer” to denote those who, presumably are fanatical about their experiences -- believing the messengers, or insisting they have the truth. And the even less polite “true ‘bleever.” While there are those individual who’ve had anomalous experiences insist what’s happened to them is “the truth,” and their own interpretation is presented as the truth, there are countless others (like myself) who know two things for sure: 1. Something really damn weird happened, and 2. I have no idea what that damn really weird thing was. The use of the terms “true believer” and “true ‘bleever” as well as “woo,” and “woo woo” etc. don’t address the phenomena; they simply reject the individual and the experience. They’d love for us to shut up and go away. If we can’t, or won’t, accept their explanations, then we’re, at best, “woos” and worse, “true ‘bleevers.” (And “willfully ignorant.” )

The lines blur; you have someone with anomalous experiences, and you have religious fanatics, whether they’re Christian fundies who want creationism taught in schools, or the some other brand of religious fascism. To the “skeptic” however, it’s all the same: crop circles, UFOs, ghosts, Bigfoot, etc. Use of these cute little phrases like “UFO fanatic” only shove the subject into the abyss, which, of course, is the intent.