MUFON UFO JOURNAL, # 263, March 1990
MUFON UFO JOURNAL, # 263, March 1990
MUFON UFO JOURNAL, # 263, March 1990
Number 263
March 1990
$2.50
MEN IN BLACK:
Challenging Paradigms
By Peter M. Rojcewicz, Ph.D.
MUFON UFO JOURNAL FROM THE EDITOR
(USPS 002-970) Changes, as you may have noticed, are afoot in the Journal's format and ap-
(ISSN 0270-6822) pearance. It's probably not too far off the mark to say that human nature, in
103 Oldtowne Rd. general, resists change on principle, so I expect to receive a few complaints.
Seguin, Texas 78155-4099 U.S.A. I should add, however, that the changes are not for changes' sake, i.e., idle
tinkering, but are designed to make the Journal more readable, that is, more
useful to you, our members and subscribers. A less dense page of text is less
DENNIS W. STACY
work for the eye of the reader. Regular departments will eventually be iden-
Editor
tified so that they become readily recognizable and easier to find. Other minor
WALTER H. ANDRUS, JR.
International Director and design elements will be added as time goes along. And no doubt a mistake,
Associate Editor or kink or two, will be made along the way which will have to be worked out
later. In the meantime, we ask your patience. We hope you like our new ap-
THOMAS P. DEULEY
Art Director pearance, and we look forward to hearing from you.
MILDRED BIESELE
Contributing Editor
ANN DRUFFEL
Contributing Editor IN THIS ISSUE
ROBERT J. GRIBBLE
Columnist MEN IN BLACK Peter M. Rojcewicz, Ph.D 3
THOUGHTS ON PSYCHIATRISTS &
ROBERT H. BLETCHMAN UFO INVESTIGATORS Budd Hopkins 13
Public Relations EARTHLIGHTS REVELATION REVIEWED Ralph Noyes 15
PAUL CERNY THE ROAD TO COMPUTERIZATION Dan Wright 16
Promotion / Publicity NEWS'NVIEWS 18
MARGE CHRISTENSEN
LOOKING BACK Bob Gribble 21
Public Education
REV. BARRY DOWNING LETTERS Stacy, Good, Smith, Deardorff, Etc. 23
Religion and UFOs APRIL NIGHT SKY Walter Webb 26
LUCIUS PARISH DIRECTOR'S MESSAGE Walt Andrus 28
Books & Periodicals COVER ART Sal Amendola
LOREN GROSS
Historian
T. SCOTT CRAIN
GREG LONG Copyright 1990 by the Mutual UFO Network, Inc. (MUFON), 103 Old-
MICHAEL D. SWORDS towne Road, Seguin, Texas 78155-4099 U.S.A.
Staff Writers ALL RIGHTS RESERVED
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JOHN F. SCHUESSLER
Medical Cases
LEONARD STRINGFIELD
UFO Crash / Retrieval
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Folklore of the "Men in Black":
Challenge to the Prevailing Paradigm
By Peter M. Rojcewicz, Ph.D.
Peter Rojcewicz is assistant pro- 1977; Ward 1977; Bullard 1982). The folklorist is apt to say that people
fessor of humanities in the Depart- prevailing position insists that we see believe in the miraculous power of
ment of Liberal Arts at the Juilliard anomalous beliefs as products of cul- saints because they are overwhelmed
School in New York City. A previous tural expectations (Honko 1965; Lowe by anxiety and helplessness; at any
contributor to the MUFON Journal, 1979) and human needs (Evans rate, he or she is probably well stocked
his Ph.D. dissertation ('The Boun- 1987). with a priori arguments, designed to
daries of Orthodoxy: A Folkloric This well-established position is in- explain away claims of miraculous
Look at the UFO Phenomenon") ex- defensible. Explanation has always cure. However, the truth is that
plored UFOs in the context of the been a fundamental function of folk- medically attested claims for
full range of human encounters with lore, and we must be prepared to go anomalous healings in a religious set-
spiritual entities. We welcome Mr. where we must to find it. It is time to ting indubitably exist (Thurston 1952;
Rojcewicz back to our pages with stop insisting that we look at Rogo 1982; Thompson 1987; Mur-
this article, reprinted with the per- anomalous phenomena only as rep- phy 1987). This complicates matters
mission of the author and ReVision: resentational or symbolic, thus ex- for the folklorist operating faithfully
The Journal of Consciousness and cluding consideration of naturalistic within the parameters of the mainline
Change, where it originally ap- and supernatural explanations.1 We paradigm.
peared. Subscriptions to the latter owe our primary allegiance to the In my view, there is a considerable
(4 issues/$18) are available from identification, classification, and body of data that, taken en masse,
Heldref Publications, 4000 Albemar- analysis of the subject matter and not has unsettling implications for
le St., NW, Washington, DC, 20016. to the conventional parameters of our students of folklore, religion, and an-
discipline. To insist that folklorists thropology. This problem was already
seen by folklorist Andrew Lang2 dur-
M
ost folklorists shy away should consider only certain kinds of
from serious consider- explanations and exclude others is ar- ing the Victorian age when British
ation of the truth of re- bitrary and confining. psychical research was first getting
ported anomalous ex- The problem is that the majority of under way (Dorson 1968, 212-16)
periences, fearing that the question- folklorists and anthropologists, as well and again more recently by David J.
able nature of the experiences casts as behavioral scientists, pursue their Hufford (1982a) in his investigations
an unprofessional light on their work disciplines with unconsciously held of the Old Hag. Indeed, one might
and because the question of the ob- dogmas concerning what can or can- say an underground tradition of
jective basis underlying anomalous not be true. These unconscious dog- folklorists (those who take anomalous
beliefs is not considered by many to mas and assumptions, which make claims seriously) has been active since
be folklore concern. Such a position ordinary scientific practice possible, the days of Sir James Frazer (a pro-
is indefensible because as folklorists constitute what Thomas K u h n totype of modern folklorists who
and humanists we have to be con- ([1962] 1970) calls a "paradigm." 1 automatically dismiss such claims as
cerned with explanation in general. think it is fair to say that modern "impossible").
science is almost entirely governed by Generally speaking, these puzzling
Folkloristic interest in UFOs began the paradigm of scientific materialism. phenomena raise questions about the
with a 1950 Hoosier Folklore (Peck- Now, to the extent that modern adequacy of the existing paradigm.
ham 1950) article. Not until the 1970s, folklore studies are governed by this Indeed, the data in question may
however, did folklore's prevailing at- overarching paradigm, it is no surprise even present exciting possibilities for
titude toward UFOs crystalize (Degh that the objective basis of anomalous revising the dominant model. The
1971). Simply stated, although we beliefs if never addressed; as Kuhn data in question have revolutionary
should study UFOs and related anom- pointed out, it is precisely anomalies implications not only for folklore but
alous phenomena in terms of trans- that challenge the normal paradigm for all the behavioral and social
mission, motif, and distribution, the in- of any given science. sciences.
vestigation of truth-claims is not a func- Consider, for example, stories of My own investigations into the
tion appropriate to a folklorist (Degh miraculous healings. The modern phenomena and folklore surrounding
Hopkins, a New York abstract ar- vation of the psychiatric community sets up their lasers and aims them at
tist and long time UFO investigator, I can say that exactly the same con- my house in a plot to drive me away."
is the author of Missing Time and dition exists there, though some of She also showed me some normal-
Intruders, as well as the founder of their more radical and vitriolic on- looking corrosion on a window frame
IF, the Intruder Foundation. going disagreements were formalized as evidence that the Mafia was pour-
long ago into opposing institutions ing acid on her storm windows. When
P
robably no one today should and organizations. I reported this and other, similar
be solely defined by his or behavior to a well-known psychiatrist
her major occupation. Bishop, Credentials No Guarantee — a friend of mine — he told me that
baker, candlestick-maker, or for that unfortunately very little can be done.
matter, psychiatrist, painter or UFO Not surprisingly, possession of the Psychiatry is not known for rigorous
researcher — none of these terms, we credentials guarantees nothing within self-regulation, and so far as 1 know
submit, necessarily tells the whole, or the psychiatric community, other than this poor paranoid woman is still see-
even most, of the truth about us. the opportunity to charge large fees. ing patients.
Though helpful to a point, these Within the UFO research communi-
classifications can seem stifling, ty, the possession of vast stores of in- UFO Horror Stories
claustrophobic, and to the outside formation and the consumption of
observer, misleading. We have other hundreds of UFO books again But if all of us know horror stories
lives, other roles, other selves. guarantees nothing, except, perhaps, such as this involving members of the
I came into UFO research full-tilt in the right to appear on a talk show and psychiatric profession, consider the
1975, but I was, and still am, an ar- to claim to speak as an authority on many similar tales from within our
tist. Over the years the exhibition of the subject. own community: Not long ago I
my work has brought me into contact Some members of the psychiatric spoke with a distraught UFO abductee
with people from widely varying pro- community are among the most in- who reported a long telephone con-
fessions, and like any of us, the peo- telligent, generous and helpful peo- versation she had had with a noted
ple in these other groups vary enor- ple I have been privileged to know, UFO researcher. In her fragile state he
mously in their ethical standards, their shining examples of mind and spirit, had informed her as fact that the
competence and their ambition. while others 1 have known are in- aliens are virtual cannibals, stealing
Above all, they are only partially competent, unethical, and even emo- tens of thousands of our children to
defined by their chosen professions. tionally unstable. use as food. In addition, they were
Outside of the art world, I am best But then we all know the sad, ob- castrating men left and right, and it
acquainted now with two related vious truth about our own field: the was highly possible that she, herself
groups: UFO researchers and same range of humanity exists among might end up disappearing forever.
psychiatrists. (And by this last term I UFO researchers, where profound The phone call led the woman to the
mean to include, umbrella fashion, altruism and creative intelligence brink of suicide, and it was only
clinical psychologists and psycho- characterize some, while confusion, because of the careful reassurance of
therapists). stupidity and avarice characterize another UFO investigator that her ter-
The resemblances between these others. If psychiatry has an occas- ror finally became manageable.
two groups are striking. First of all, sional Leona Helmsley, UFO re-
UFO researchers disagree — often
violently — among themselves, with
faction arguing against faction, each
search, unfortunately, also produces
an occasional Donald Trump.
Most assuredly, the possession of
U FO researchers and psychia-
trists alike have personal prob-
lems, hidden agendas and a wide
feeling it possesses the largest credentials within MUFON or the range of deficits and skills. For my
measure of truth. (I have, myself, American Psychiatric Association is part, over the past fourteen years of
often been involved in this kind of no guarantee of mental stability. I well working with hundreds of abductees,
ideological dispute.) Argument is rife, remember an emotionally disturbed I know that I've been highly successful
with many of the most seasoned UFO psychiatrist leading me onto her porch — but I also know that I've made
researchers disagreeing on basic so she could point out to me a near- mistakes, and that I'm not always the
issues. But from years of close obser- by hill on which, she said, "the Mafia right person to deal with certain per-
Wright is MUFON's Deputy the intrepid "Computerization Com- task involved three functions: (1)
Director, Investigations. mittee." designing a new, more comprehen-
Our objective had been ably iden- sive MUFON Form 2, Computer In-
B
y now we've all heard of
— Greg Long
"earthlights." Paul Devereux findings as a book: Examining the
of Great Britian coined the Earthlight Theory: The Yakima UFO
term in 1982, when he published Microcosm.
Earthlights. In that book Devereux Examining the Earthlight Theory
developed the idea that UFOs are a looks microscopically at the Tectonic
byproduct of natural processes in the Strain Theory of UFOs. I use the
earth. Michael Persinger of Canada Yakima data (nearly 200 reports from
Looking Back
Bob Gribble
March 1950 • Fully half of Farm- The fleet of discs continued to • 1960 Eastern Airlines Capt. Erie
ington, New Mexico's population was maneuver over the city until 11:30 W. Miles, his co-pilot and engineer,
sure that it saw space ships, hundreds a.m., when they sped out of sight to and the captain of another airliner fly-
of them, flying overhead on the 17th. the NE. There was no doubt about ing below, spotted a "huge craft" while
Estimates ranged from "several" to the physical nature of the craft. Three the two planes were just SW of Gor-
more than 500. They caused a ma- and a half hours later, at 3 p.m., donville, Virginia. Another crew
jor sensation in Farmington, which is another fleet of discs appeared over reported seeing it a few minutes later
located 110 miles NW of the Los Farmington, flying in formation and in South Carolina.
Alamos atomic installation. The ob- approaching from the NE. Only this "We were at 14,000 feet," Miles
jects appeared to play tag in the air. time, instead of stopping, the fleet said. "It was still fairly light at our
At times they streaked away at continued toward the SW and even- altitude and visibility was perfect. This
unbelievable speeds. tually disappeared over the horizon. thing came overhead just off our right
Using triangulation, a witness Clayton Boddy, business manager side. We all three saw it. It was unlike
estimated the speed of one object at of the Farmington Daily Times, noted anything we had ever seen before. It
about 1000 mph, and its size as twice that, "We contacted the Air Force and was tremendous in size — looked like
that of a B-29. "I'm not an engineer," they denied everything. They said it a greatly enlarged fuselage of a
Harold F. Thatcher said, "but I have didn't happen." Lincoln O'Brien, the modern day plane barreling through
engineers working under me, and I paper's owner, remarked that the wire the air. It was clearly visible, including
know how to work out a rough services were reluctant to believe the the outline of its shape and certain
triangulation on an object." story: "We finally got AP to accept the details.
He emphatically denied a report story, phrased in a rather doubting "There were no wings or protru-
that the objects could have been small manner." sions on the body that could have
pieces of cotton floating in the at- On the same day, a similar UFO balanced or directed it. I could see no
mosphere. The "cotton" explanation manifestation occurred over Tucum- windows or markings, but it looked
was initiated by State Patrolman cari. New Mexico, resembling the Far- like there were running lights around
Andy Andrews, who quoted several mington case even to the presence of it. It was gone across the sky and had
residents to that effect. Those quoted a single red-colored craft in with the disappeared in about 50 to 55
later denied Andrew's report. fleet of discs. seconds. From what we know of flight
The first sightings occurred a few speed, it was moving at about 6000
minutes after 9 a.m. All but one of the •1955 On the 28th, former Air Force miles per hour. I was talking to air-
objects were silver; what appeared to pilot Glenn Blansett and his wife spot- ways control at the time and told them
be the leader of the fleet was red, and ted a large, circular cloud of smoke what we saw. Capt. Bob Neal was fly-
both bigger and faster. John Bloom- high in the sky over Joseph City, ing a Constellation below us and
field said they appeared to be travel- Arizona, accompanied by what he reported the same thing. A few
ing ten times as fast as a jet plane and thought was a large formation of jet minutes later we got a report from the
made frequent right-angle turns. planes engaged in mock combat. But Columbia, South Carolina tower say-
"They appeared to be coming at each after several minutes, the objects stop- ing they had sighted it." In addition
other head-on. At the last second, ped their conventional maneuvers, to the two crews, Capt. Miles said
one would veer at right angles up- abandoned formations, and entered another airliner had seen the craft
ward, the other at right angles into a strange fluttering motion, mov- over Anderson, South Carolina.
downward. One vehicle would pass ing much faster than conventional jet The 51-year-old captain added that
another, and immediately the one to aircraft. Blansett and his wife agreed he talked to his and other crews about
the rear would zoom into the lead." that there were at least 25, and it, and they were all reluctant to report
Marlow Webb said the craft "flew perhaps more than a hundred of the the incident "for fear we'd be called
sideways, on edge, and at every con- craft, moving across a clear blue sky crackpots." He said that the "atmos-
ceivable angle. This is what made it at a high speed before disappearing phere isn't encouraging" for pilots to
easy to determine that they were disc- to sight in the SW.
shaped." Continued on next page