I was contacted recently by a MUFON State Director who is finishing up a book on UFOs. He asked me to write a bit
about what my position was on the UFO subject; where we are today.
I did what he asked, but it was not easy to put something so complex into a few short paragraphs. I decided to expand upon my opinions and write something for the site. It is quite basic, but I would like to get some of your thoughts on the subject.
Check it out at The Current State of Ufology, and please do add your comments.
Comments
Billy,
I think you’ve neatly tied up the last 60 or so years of UFO investigation evolution. Early on UFOs were an enigma – scary. The stories you heard on the news or in books, such as “UFOs – Serious Business”, by Frank Edwards, piqued your imagination and you wanted to be involved. At least I did. Then things got weirder. Abductions began to be reported, and a plethora of paranormal events surrounding the phenomenon. Just look at the evolution in Raymond Fowler’s books from his first to his last book. You’re right about the current era. There’s so much information out there, what do you believe anymore? The fakes are hard to discern. It’s people like you who keep it interesting for people like me – on the periphery. Stay at it Billy.
The state of UFOlogy today is as it has been in these past 60 years – confusing. The confusion has grown, from a little confusion when there was little information to much confusion now with so much information. As has been well put, how has the public ever known what to believe?
The greater confusion around this subject now than ever may have less to do with the “evidence” that has become available than the scientific and authoritative reactions to that growing “evidence”. The public would figure that scientists and governments must know more now than ever, yet their statements are certainly no closer to confirmation than ever, even the outright denial that Aliens do exist. The average person, who doesn’t have time to study this phenomenon as scientists and governments do, are confused about the lack of plausibility given the subject in the face of the mounting evidence. Why is this?
The biggest problem to the general public knowing that very intelligent non-human beings exist with technology beyond that of the human race is this – the public does not want to accept that scientists and governments are lying about the evidence they have. To accept that UFOs/Aliens/etc. are real is to accept that we are lied to by our authorities. I think it is harder to accept that we have been so blatantly lied to by our authorities than to accept that Aliens are real – and so the continuing public confusion about the phenomenon
The evidence of the
military being involved esp. in regards to abductions and mutilations is far too great to ignore.
This is the “elephant in the room” that nobody wants to acknowledge, yet the UFO puzzle is not complete without factoring in this aspect.
Confusion is also the word I choose. The whole ufo/otherbeings leaves no proof or understanding of what or who they are. Ufologists are driven by not knowing and I will stand my ground that there are other intelligences around us but they are not reported or described in the same way. I wonder if evidence of present or past lifeforms are found on Mars which then ponders the question of super intelligent lifeforms elswhere existing as well as us and dimensional travel comes to mind..is that why these things have been encountered. What lies beyond the infinity of space we cannot even imagine.
It is also apparent that you have never had a close encounter or abduction…
Otherwise, you would not try to boil down the UFO phenomena to a comment about a few seconds of video.
However, there are those whose lives have been ruthlessly destroyed by the so-called benevolent alien presence therein…
You did a good job, Billy. I would imagine, since we are in that same age group, that we read the same UFO books and magazines growing up so we have experienced the same frustration over the years. While the powers that be tried its best to offer explainations (usually ridiculous ones, remember swamp gas?) we realized that not every sighting could be so easily dismissed and if only 1% of the sightings was worthy of further investigation that was still a lot of sightings. I’ve always enjoyed the older sightings, predating man’s first flight, as proof that something is going on up there and I’m happy that you offer a place to come and read about and discuss what’s going on today. So for that, thanks and keep it up. I’ll be around here as long as you are still doing what you do.