Why I know UFOs deserve serious study
One of the first books I wrote was about UFOs. Visitors From Outer Space was described by the publisher as “a balanced look at the history of UFOs” and that was certainly my aim. But that was 43 years ago (1976) when UFOs or flying saucers had been around for less than 30 years and it seemed to be just a matter of time before we would all know what they were and where they came from.
What my book did not reveal was that I had also been a UFO witness…
Back in 1956, while living in London, I had seen a red light moving slowly and silently across the night sky. Next day, the newspapers were full of eyewitness accounts from individuals describing exactly the same event.
What made the sighting more dramatic, however, was the news that a UFO had been detected by radar over southern England that same night and jets from RAF Odiham in Hampshire had been scrambled to intercept it. They failed.
The official explanation for the UFO chased by the RAF was that it was a French jet that had accidentally wandered into British air space and, when it realised its error, turned round and fled back home. That didn’t satisfy many people. Some, like me, didn’t buy the explanation at all. Others, who did, wanted to know why the French had fighter aircraft that were faster than ours.
It could have been that there was no link between my sighting and the UFO seen on radar but it does seem too much of a coincidence that I and many others saw an unusual aerial object – described by one as like a red golf ball – on the same night that the RAF was chasing something picked up on radar.
I’ll write more about this at some future time when I have had an opportunity to research the event in more detail.
I was already keenly interested in UFOs at the time of the sighting and went on to become one of the founders of the London UFO Research Association in 1959 which, three years later, was the instigator of an amalgamation between various UK societies investigating aerial phenomena, which ultimately became the British UFO Research Association – BUFORA – in January 1964. I am pleased to say it continues to thrive to this day.
I, on the other hand, dropped out of active UFO research in the 1970s having satisfied myself that various governments knew far more than they were prepared to say on the matter and that research by private individuals was unlikely to change matters. One of the chapters in Visitors From Outer Space is titled “Conspiracy of Silence” and it could easily be applied to the subject today, despite the release of many thousands of UFO sightings by some governments, but not the United States.
UFOs in the sunset
In fact, governments did all they could to dismiss the testimony of reliable eye-witnesses and to convince us that balloons, meteors, Venus (a favourite explanation), birds or aircraft were simply being misidentified. I dare say that is true of the majority of reports, but there remains a residue of cases – maybe just 5% – that are inexplicable and among them are some of the best sightings, from pilots, military personnel and other competent observers.
The reason I mention all this is that the History Channel has just broadcast (in the US) I Know What I Saw, a superb investigation of UFOs by film director James Fox which contains wonderful archive footage as well as up-to-date reports and interviews on recent events, including the Phoenix Lights and the Stephenville sightings.
If you want to know why UFOs continue to demand attention, then take a look at this programme, which YouTube has divided into nine segments. These accounts from top-ranking scientists and military personnel cannot be summarily dismissed.
James Fox’s own conclusion is that if UFOs are man-made, then someone has managed to keep the amazing technology secret for over 50 years. If, on the other hand, they are not of human origin, then the inevitable conclusion is that we are not alone in the Universe.
As for the UFO I witnessed, I can only echo the comments from other observers: “I know what I saw”… but I’ve no idea what it was.
You may also find these related articles of interest:
ERICH VON DANIKEN (b. April 14, 1935)
by
Stephen Contrado, B.A., Th.M.
The Swiss author Erich von Daniken argued in his book Chariots of the Gods (1968) that there is sufficient evidence to suppose that extraterrestrials visited the ancient civilizations of Earth. He is the co-founder of the Archaeology, Astronautics and SETI Research Association (AAS RA).
His books have been translated into more than 20 languages and have sold more that 60 million copies woldwide. His views have been televised and viewed around the world. He claims that extraterrestrials asisted in human evolution through genetic engineering. He believes they built Stonehenge, the Mayan pyramids, the huge statues of Easter Island, and other structures and artifacts in the ancient world. He suggested the roads leading nowhere on the plains of Nazca, Peru, form a coherent pattern viewed from above and served as an airfeild for spacecraft.
Daniken argues that the presence extraterrestrials explains the origin of religion. Primitive man and early civilizations explained encounters with these intelligent aliens in supernatural terms, and they conceived and organized religions by making these visitors from space into their gods. Daniken finds depictions of astronauts and spacecraft in ancient myths and religious canons.
Most scientists and historians reject Daniken’s theories and evidence, but he has supporters who have developed his ideas, and he has a popular following. Many believe the notion that aliens from outerspace created man threatens the foundation of Christianity. Those interested in visiting a supporting website can visit mine: http://www.tarotforum.webs.com. — Stephen Contrado, B.A., Th.M.
I think the governments of the world choose to keep silent because they are either in cahoots with the aliens, or the aliens are peaceful and choose not to interfere with the government of the world.
In other words, if the government is in cahoots with aliens, the aliens are probably providing them with technological advances they want to keep to themselves. The government maintains a monopoly advantage because they keep the knowledge a secret. Part of their agreement with the aliens may state the aliens have to hide their presence…don’t know how they would convince the aliens to do that, but maybe they are just good negotiators.
The other possibility is the government is aware of the presence, but is not in cahoots with them. The aliens are peaceful, and know that the government would attack if they attempted to make their presence known publicly. The aliens choose not to interfere at all because they wish to avoid having to retaliate against the attack. The reason the government would attack is because they don’t want the aliens threatening their authority. In much the same way that communists don’t want to have their authority limited by the Pope or a Holy Book, neither do communists – or any powerful person – want to have their authority limited by aliens.
I wrote a more in depth article about this topic on my blog recently if anyone cares to read it:
http://histmyst.blogspot.com/2009/09/those-oh-so-standoffish-aliens.html