Unidentified
flying objects: the term has become synonymous with alien spacecraft
to a large extent. So much so that some researchers are opting to use
terms such as “unexplained aerial phenomena” in efforts to curb
the tide of unsubstantiated speculation. Whatever one chooses to call
it, accurately identifying reported phenomena, when possible, is a
key factor in establishing any potentially truly interesting cases. A
look at a couple of recent and relatively well known events shows us
that not only has the public largely been conditioned to prematurely
assume alien origins for an “unidentified,” but that reasonable
explanations are often not even sought by those who promote the
extraterrestrial hypothesis.
Hovering Light
If you
are not reading Doubtful News,
then
start – at least if you want to know some of the actual
circumstances behind otherwise sensationalized stories of alleged
paranormal events. The DN team, which includes editor Sharon Hill,
put its readers on
the trail of a case last week that
South Florida NBC affiliate WBBH News billed as a “UFO caught on
surveillance.”
The reported hovering light
The
story making the rounds involved supposedly strange lights hovering
over a pool and recorded on a video camera. Readers who had some experience with such circumstances, such as Will Radik of the Bad
Skeptic blog, made short
work of reviewing the video footage.
"Too
bad they didn’t ask me, or anyone else who’s worn glasses their entire life,”Mr. Radik wrote en route to explaining the reported phenomena was probably light shining
through a water droplet. In all likelihood, moisture formed on the
protruding camera structure and reflected surrounding light. Viewers
unfamiliar with the effect inaccurately assumed the light covered a
much larger area, subjectively interpreting it to hover over the pool
as compared to being much smaller and within inches of the camera
lens.
Actual camera that took the video, according to Radik,
obviously conducive to creating the effect as described
Kentucky UFO
Doubtful
Newsoffered its readers a heads up on a story Wired
published this morning. The article provided an explanation for a UFO
sighting in Kentucky that gained media attention during October,
2012.
The
Appalachian
News-Express,
CNN and others reported at the time that the Kentucky State Police
received multiple calls about a high-flying unidentified object. A
UFO website by the name of Ashtar Command Crew apparently linked to
the news as
“ostensible
proof of continuing visits from the Galactic Federation fleet.”
Many will recognize the image
of the reported Kentucky UFO
Actually,
it was proof of Google. Rich DeVaul and his Google team knew the
object was one of their solar powered balloons, Wired
reported today. The Kentucky UFO was a test of Project Loon, a
program that equips balloons floating at some 60,000 feet with the
means to provide wireless Internet to areas not currently receiving
service.
There
is more man-made stuff than ever in the sky. Accurately identifying
it and exercising some restraint in jumping to premature conclusions
are responsible ways to contribute positively to the UFO community.
It is then - by conducting reasonable assessments - that we provide ourselves the best opportunities to
isolate what truly interesting circumstances might exist.
Long
time UFO investigator Gary Hart commented tonight at The UFO Trail on
the infamous Carpenter Affair. The series of events involved the betrayal of
some 140 individuals who sought the support and services of John
Carpenter and the Mutual UFO Network during the 1990's. The 140, including Leah Haley,
underwent regressive hypnosis facilitated by Carpenter, a former
MUFON director of abduction research. It was later learned Carpenter
received some $14,000 in funding from Robert Bigelow in exchange for
ongoing activities and providing him and his associates, which
included Colonel John Alexander, with the case files of the 140. This
was done entirely without the knowledge or consent of the 140 individuals. Much more about
the Carpenter Affair can be read in the previous posts on the Leah
Haley case, including The Leah Haley Case: John Carpenter, where
Mr. Hart left the following comments:
Jack, as
one of the principle reporters of the Carpenter Affair I found your
posts quite interesting, especially in regards to what Mr. Carpenter
had to say about everything. Perhaps I can clear up some few points
that Mr. Carpenter chooses to repeatedly ignore or twist to a
brighter point of view:
1) Mr. Carpenter originally wrote the
section on handling abductee cases in the then current edition of the
MUFON Field Investigator's Manual where he includes a sample form for
the abductee to be presented with and sign if they wish to give a
researcher permission to use their case material publicly. Mr.
Carpenter, in a private communication, admitted that he had never had
any of the abductees he worked with sign this or any other form of
consent to sell or otherwise distribute their hypnosis files and that
no researcher he knew followed his own suggested procedure.
Some
files such as Leah Haley's would have been instantly identifiable
even if Carpenter sold them without providing Mr. Bigelow with the
identity of the person associated with each file. As I found out and
was provided evidence of, Mr. Carpenter provided Mr. Bigelow with a
name/case key list and even though every abductee I spoke with said
that Carpenter promised he WOULD revisit them for their explicit
permission to release any of their file materials if necessary yet he
never did.
2) I brought the Carpenter case to public
attention only after many of the abductees asked me to do so
understanding that at that time he planned to write a book about them
and was ALREADY selling a video for his personal profit that showed
clips from some of their private hypnosis sessions with his
professional credentials prominently listed on the videotape's
cover.
3) Carpenter claimed, in a legal statement through his
lawyer, that he did his hypnosis sessions as an amateur and thus
could not be held to professional ethical standards - a point also
made to me directly by then head of MUFON Walt Andrus. In fact,
several of Carpenter's cases were referrals from other medical
doctors. LCSW, by the way, is a professional designation - MO state
Licensed Clinical Social Worker. MSW says that he has a masters in
social work. All abductees I spoke with were shown only Carpenter's
professional business card with these important licensing initials,
not MUFON's more ordinary Investigator's ID card so he was promoting
himself as a true health care professional.
4) Carpenter
got to a point in the mid 90's where he double billed abductees: he
asked them for personal payment for their hypnosis sessions and
billed their insurance and there is proof of this.
5) Finally,
as a result of my filing a complaint against Carpenter's professional
license because of his unethical handling of abductee cases, he was
put on 5 years probation by the State of Missouri and there is online
proof of this also so the state did agree with the case we
collectively presented to their investigative board.
MUFON
still throws out the "we want to stop the backbiting and
infighting in Ufology" line as if there never has been a
legitimate legal issue with how MUFON board members and
representatives (as John was as their then Director of Abduction
Research). This was the case MUFON still would like to forget. This
is the case that caused MUFON's Board in 2001 to vote and throw out
the "member" designation so that from then on persons
affiliated with MUFON would be "subscribers" only and have
no voting rights as to how the organization does business.
The
single most important challenge facing Jan Harzan and his board of
directors may very well involve effectively marketing
MUFON while refraining from blatantly misrepresenting the nature and value of its activities. Mr. Harzan would not be the first MUFON leader to
struggle with the seemingly contradictory task of maintaining the
support of UFO enthusiasts while simultaneously trying to keep
investigations and public presentations up to scientific standards.
Let's
face it, some self-described researchers enjoy popularity within an
increasingly desensitized UFO community because of grandstanding, absurd proclamations and abilities to keep themselves
up to their necks in bitter controversies. Organizations such as
MUFON must then decide whether they will provide venues for such
sensationalizing or opt to take the high road, declining to offer a
podium – and forfeiting potential ticket sales and revenue in the
process.
Retired scientist Frank Purcell, whose comments were featured in Part One of this post, was involved with MUFON for a short time. He explained, “I left
that organization partly because known charlatans are given credence
by what should be a scientific organization. These cranks and
shysters are welcomed to the MUFON symposiums. The theme MUFON has,
as do most UFO organizations, is that earth is being visited by ET.
That bias is considered a given without a shred of scientific
evidence to support it. The bias makes what should be a scientific
approach to something mysterious into something more resembling a
religion.”
Barbara Lamb
Perhaps
nowhere is the UFO community more divided and passionate about such
issues than in the case of alleged alien abduction and those who research the subject. It
could indeed be considered concerning that an organization claiming
to conduct scientific research provides venues for individuals who
persist in offering witness testimony as primary evidence, including
the use of regressive hypnosis as a memory retrieval tool. Moreover,
“researchers” often keep such alleged witnesses anonymous and
unseen, employ hypnosis as a preferred method of investigation and
fail to provide reasonable or even indirect evidence (such as medical
examinations and medical records) for review by qualified and
unbiased third parties. Scientific research papers are virtually
never authored by researchers of abduction or submitted for peer
review, and, in many cases, peer review and public accountability are
blatantly and intentionally avoided. This is simply not science, and
suggesting otherwise is, by any other name, deception.
Real and Here?
We need
look no further than MUFON Southern California for any number of
circumstances involving the enabling of sham inquiry and the
perpetual lack of accountability for its consequences. After
MacDonald's turn in the MUFON hot seat was announced, he agreed in
January of 2012 to address some questions from The UFO Trail.
In response to inquiries about hypnosis and its promotion by the supposedly scientifically oriented
MUFON, MacDonald could have easily been interpreted as endorsing its
use, or, at best, skirting the topic. Particularly at issue were
appearances by David Jacobs at events sponsored by MUFON, including
one in Southern California, of which MacDonald stated he had "no
problem."
Self-described
researcher Barbara Lamb increased her visibility in recent years when
she parlayed administering regressive hypnosis into alleged relationships with
ET-human hybrids. She claims to personally know at least three
hybrids she "helped" discover their alleged extraordinary histories.
In August of 2011 Dr. Tyler Kokjohn created and posted the above video, Alien
Abductions – Is the Holy Grail in Hand?, encouraging us to consider what point in time Ms. Lamb might choose to present the proof of alien abduction and intervention of which she claimed to have access. Some two years later, she continued to entertain audiences with her narrations of
relationships with hybrids, sans any scientific documentation for her
claims. When a group email was received from MUFON Orange County
announcing Lamb as a speaker and proclaiming hybrids “are
real and they are here,” comment was requested from Lamb and
Harzan. Posted April 17 at Orlando Paranormal Examiner:
The
email stated Lamb previously conducted regressive hypnosis sessions
with some 900 individuals, “helping them to access details of
encounters they've had with a variety of Extraterrestrial Beings
[sic].” It was claimed that Lamb “discovered that many of her
clients have unwittingly contributed to the ET's programs of creating
ET-Human [sic] hybrids.” According to the MUFON email, such hybrids
“live here among us on earth,” and some of them, it was stated in
the email, “Barbara knows personally.”
'Orlando
Paranormal Examiner' emailed Lamb and requested comment, specifically
inquiring if she has provided evidence of her assertions to any
qualified third parties for review. She was also asked if blood work
and related physical examinations have been conducted on any of the
alleged ET-human hybrids, as well as what justification she could
present for such extraordinary statements as contained in the MUFON
email.
“I am
in a huge rush this week,” Lamb replied March 18, “but basically
you would have to talk to the three people who are convinced (and I
am convinced) that they are hybrids, and find out from them about
blood tests, bone tests, etc. I don't know whether or not they would
be willing to talk to you (whom they don't know), but if you are
interested, I could ask them and they could decide.”
Lamb was
encouraged in a subsequent series of emails to coordinate
correspondence with the alleged hybrids and thanked for her efforts.
When urged to provide direct answers to the questions concerning
physical examinations and evidence available for public review, no
further emails were received from Lamb. Neither has any
correspondence been received from alleged ET-human hybrid beings.
Jan
Harzan was emailed and asked to provide comment. According to the
MUFON website, Mr. Harzan is a member of the MUFON board of directors
and is the Southern California assistant state director.
Multiple
emails were sent to Harzan at two different addresses provided on the
website as points of contact. He was asked to comment on why MUFON,
an organization purporting to be dedicated to scientific study, would
circulate an email promoting as fact such unsubstantiated and
fantastic claims. No replies were received.
Flu Lights
Microbiologist
Dr. Tyler Kokjohn submits content to numerous blogs, maintains a YouTube channeland is a popular podcast guest. When
asked to provide comment for this post, he explained that while he is not professionally concerned about being associated with UFO research, he added that he would indeed be concerned about being linked to an organization, MUFON, promoting medical quackery and such other bizarre ideas. Dr. Kokjohn wrote:
“Hopefully
this leadership change will at last generate a productive structural
revamping of MUFON as well. The organization harbors capable
individuals, but their attempts to perform scientific investigations
are often discredited by the appalling actions and statements of
persons holding high level leadership positions. Anyone bemoaning the
lack of respect and interest evidenced by the general public toward
MUFON and UFOs should take a hard look at the damage done by
intemperate leadership.
“As
one example, I suggest people think back to the influenza epidemic
scare of 2009. As the flu began to take hold, a well-known MUFON
regional director claimed he had a cure - flu lights. Backed by
testimonials of alien abductees cured of many (unspecified) ailments
after exposure to blue or green light, he had the sure cure that was
unknown to human medicine. Worked on dogs and cats, too! For a mere
$50, he would supply you with these miracle lights to save yourself
(bargain price included free shipping).
“At
the height of public apprehension over an emerging flu epidemic, a
regional MUFON director tries to cash in. Forget the Nobel Prize, he can take
a totally unknown technology and example of alleged alien tech
transfer and turn a buck. Worse, he was inciting people to use a
method that had never been demonstrated to work against the then
novel H1N1 influenza virus circulating or any virus/pathogen for that
matter. This behavior was both utterly irresponsible and
reprehensible. Hopefully no one followed his ill founded and ignorant
medical advice and was injured as a consequence.
“Pointing
out the shortcomings of his actions and requesting via e-mail he
desist elicited no response from him or the then international
director of MUFON. You can still find the offer on his web site;
Google 'national
UFO center flu lights'.
I bet he would still sell you one, too. Awesome PR for MUFON.
“Are
these the actions of an organization espousing dedication to the
principles of science and claiming the mantle of scientific
respectability? The most charitable assessment of such behavior is
that it is tragically funny. But you can see that it might veer
rapidly into something not very humorous at all. It certainly does
not build a positive public image.
“This
is a single example of MUFON doing damage to itself. It might be a
good time for the new director to take a hard look at the upper
echelon and how well they represent the organization. In addition, it
might be an opportune moment to consider which UFO researchers MUFON
wishes to promote and feature at their meetings. How long can the
leading UFO research organization continue to offer symposia packed
with charlatans and propagators of pure hot air while wondering why
the scientific community stays aloof? One of the speakers this year,
a physicist by the way, noted the lack of open interest was due to
the fact that scientists feared the reactions. I do not agree with
his assessment, but while I feel free to pursue UFO research, I would
be quite concerned about being linked to an organization that allows
its leaders to promote medical quackery among other bizarre ideas.
“Time
for a long overdue change.”
In May of 2011
Dr. Kokjohn created the following video, Alien Abductions - Seeing
the Light, in which he explored issues surrounding the ill advised flu
lights:
Readers might also choose to directly review the unsupported flu light claims:
Perhaps
in the end it all comes down to the primary objectives of the MUFON
board of directors. Regardless of the specific person at the helm,
the names of those who fill the seats on the board or the mission
statement of the organization, maybe it all comes down to what is
prioritized by the most ambitious members of the board.
Some may
wonder if the board prioritizes much of anything at all, but just
lets things happen until fires need putting out. Others might suspect
the financial stability of the organization is the primary objective,
resulting in little to no concern about adhering to the science-based
mission statement as long as the public is purchasing products and
services. Consideration should also be given to the challenges a
board of directors has in overseeing and controlling activities conducted by
volunteers spread out all over the United States and world. Yet
others might turn their attention to strongly distrusting MUFON leadership, confidently
suspecting numerous hidden agendas have been carried out over the
years. Perhaps the actuality of the situation contains a bit of all
of that.
Maybe,
in the end, what is most relevant to the consumer is if they
are pleased with the quality of the final product: the presentations
and research offered. I invite consideration that we are the
consumers, the customers, the potential funders of the organization.
Demand
more quality. Do not settle for less. If your expectations are
unfulfilled, find alternative sources. Stop seeking something, the
scientific study of UFOs, from people who chronically promise it, yet
repeatedly demonstrate no intention whatsoever of consistently
providing it - whatever the reasons may ultimately be for the
disconnect and unanswered questions.
