Introduction
Let me admit, right from the start, that this field of study is extraordinarily polluted. the paucity of hard facts has allowed imaginations to run wild, hoaxes to be perpetrated, fraud, and outright lies. in addition, a large number of reports (perhaps the majority) are simply misidentifications or misinterpretations of familiar objects or phenomena. But is there a signal hidden in all this noise?
UFO’s exist, of course, that is, Unidentified Flying Objects exist. If a flying object is observed which cannot be identified then it is a UFO by definition. The key question is whether there is an extraterrestrial intelligence behind any of them, and that is where the confusion starts. Go into any book store and ask where the shelf containing books on this subject is, and you will receive directions to the section on the occult, mysticism, the paranormal, and metaphysics. There, nestled in with Bigfoot and poltergeists you will find the books on the subject at hand. I don’t see how there could be any clearer testimony to the feeling of the general public (not to mention the scientific community) when the subject of UFO’s is broached. even those who bill themselves as UFO investigators or “ufologists” are a pretty erratic lot, tending toward sensationalism, continually quoting or disagreeing with each other. You have to move mountains of detritus to find a few flecks of gold.
Some authors on this subject have been proven to be fraudulent. long before space probes established that the planet Venus has a surface temperature that can melt lead, and is an arid inferno of crushing atmospheric pressure and acidic clouds, George Adamski claimed, in the book Flying Saucers Have Landed [07], to have had a conversation with a christ-like alien being who informed him he was visiting from Venus.1 All of the above has caused serious, scientific investigators to avoid the subject like the plague. I am not a scientist; I’m an engineer with some exposure to particle accelerators. Being an engineer probably gives me a slightly different slant on things. engineers are usually more concerned with how things can be made to work (technology) as opposed to the basic nature of things (science). the reader may detect that inclination in this book.
Until I read The UFO Experience: A Scientific Inquiry[13] by J. Allen Hynek I was quite skeptical concerning the whole subject. Since reading the book I have moved from negative to neutral, or agnostic and very curious. Dr. Hynek convinced me that some physical phenomena is being observed that deserves serious investigation. But what is it? in this book speculations are offered in three general categories: natural causes, domestic technology, and alien technology. But perhaps more importantly, a new way of looking at the phenomena is proposed that finds itself at home in any of these three possibilities. More space has been given to possible alien technologies because of the far-reaching implications for the human race.
Writing this book has been a personal adventure of the mind which is why it is written in the first person. The tale unfolds roughly in the sequence of the adventure with recollections and research inserted where they seemed to fit best. The initial motivation grew out of ten years worth of conversation with Gordon Chism whose own adventure is included in chapter 2. Gordon is a firm believer in an alien presence, and if I had been in his shoes, I might be too. However, I am a natural born skeptic. I am sure Gordon’s account is accurate, but I had doubts about his interpretation. So I had to ask myself “okay, what did he see?” Chapter 3 is a summary of my first attempt at answering that question, and although it was an interesting exercise, it ended up inconclusive. in succeeding chapters I wander off in other directions, explore other avenues, and learn much in the process. eventually, in chapter 13, I come full circle and return to my starting point armed with new knowledge and what I believe is a unique perspective. In short, what we have here is a puzzle. I have always enjoyed trying to solve puzzles, and in this case the reader is invited along for the adventure.
Citations
1 [07] p. 198
2 [13] p. vii
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How many of us have considered the possibilities of an alien presence among us on planet earth? The answer seems to be many have. People all over the world have reported strange objects day and night in the skies above. These objects seem to have extraordinary maneuverability qualities that defy all logic and they are reported to have bright or eerie lights being emitted as they are observed as well. These objects are reported to be able to vanish instantaneously and then to reappear just as fast. What are these objects that so many see? Are they hallucinations, weather anomalies, mistaken observations of terrestrial aircraft, or are they actual physical craft from another world? There seems to be many explanations to the questions above and the answers you get depends on the persons you ask and their individual beliefs or partiality on the facts of UFOs existing or not.
Its time to take a look at the UFO dilemma from a neutral standpoint, something that hasn’t been done regularly. This position is best because the initial judgment or questions raised are not backed by partiality either for the extraterrestrial hypothesis or against it. Many times people use their research to strengthen their personal biases regardless of the true nature of their findings on a given subject. In this book “The UFO Experience Reconsidered: Science and Speculation”, the author Robert L. Mason gives us a complete overview of the phenomenon of UFOs and their possible origins strictly from neutral ground. He uses hard facts and possibilities that may in fact be the source of these strange anomalies. Some of the issues raised by his writing brings to light new ways or techniques that need to be analyzed thoroughly regarding the reports of such phenomenon.
The material in this book brings to light a fascinating approach in which to begin searching for the true nature and origins of the UFO phenomenon. Mr. Mason describes in detail where all the possibilities of such reported incidents may very well lie. He thoroughly discusses the “what ifs” at the very heart of this ongoing mystery. The book clearly shows how the craft that are observed could be actual physical nuts and bolts space craft from another world, as well as the possibility of them being mere mirages. If in fact these observations are related to an extraterrestrial source, the book explores other possibilities that could be used by an alien race of people who’s technology could be so far in advance to ours that it would allow them to visit our planet with out them ever leaving theirs!
This is a well written account of one mans research into the vast possibilities that may harbor the truth behind the true nature of UFOs and their true origins. In that this book is clearly written from neutral ground on the UFO subject, it leaves out the possibility that the author is writing on his own personal and biased beliefs. This is a welcomed and well-written book on the possible origins related to Unidentified Flying Objects.
–David P. Kuhlman, UFO Researcher / UFO Book Reviews
http://www.ufoforhumanrights.com