Tuesday, April 25, 2006
Ufology as Modern Folklore
I am attempting to write an article for the next issue of Magonia Supplement on the general theme that the whole UFOs and ufology business is nothing more than a modern myth, which is best studied by folklorists, psychologists and sociologists, rather than astronomers, physicists (nuclear or otherwise!), and self-styled "Serious Ufologists", most of whom are self-deluded buffoons.
The general idea is to dispel the lies, delusions and paranoid fantasies, by such methods as pointing out that reports of apparent "true UFOs" never stand up to critical examination. Your comments on this theme are welcome (but remember that comments are moderated).
The general idea is to dispel the lies, delusions and paranoid fantasies, by such methods as pointing out that reports of apparent "true UFOs" never stand up to critical examination. Your comments on this theme are welcome (but remember that comments are moderated).
# posted by John Harney @ 19:02 
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Well, the late John Mack was a psychologist and David Jacobs is a historian, yet neither of them exactly dispelled the "paranoid fantasies" of Ufology!
# posted by 
: 8:56 am
: 8:56 am
No, David Jacobs, along with Budd Hopkins actually encouraged paranoid fantasies, by developing tham into a "standard" form and writing popular books about them.
Well, as Alicie said, she's "over" the whole UFO/ET thing. And good for her. If you don't believe there's anything to the UFO phenomenon, why on earth waste your time complaining about it?
Doesn't your position undermine any hope that you will be taken objectively?
And if you only intend for anti-UFO folk to read your essay, what possible good could it do? I mean, they're already convinced, right?
Maybe you just want to see your ideas on paper, but why should I or anyone else who's read your stuff?
Best Regards,
Kyle King
UFOReflections.blogspot.com
Doesn't your position undermine any hope that you will be taken objectively?
And if you only intend for anti-UFO folk to read your essay, what possible good could it do? I mean, they're already convinced, right?
Maybe you just want to see your ideas on paper, but why should I or anyone else who's read your stuff?
Best Regards,
Kyle King
UFOReflections.blogspot.com
Were you too lazy to do real research into the issue? Apollo Astronauts Edgar Mitchell, and Gordon Cooper have gone on film saying the the UFO issue is extraterrestrial in nature. The list of testimony alone also includes pilots (civilian and military), officers, former presidents, defence ministers...the list goes on. Sorry, but their word is much more credible than most debunkers. Oh and to play by your rules, I didn't actually read your article, I just made assumptions and wrote a response, so forgive me if this is way off.
# posted by : 9:06 am
: 9:06 am
Edgar Mitchell is a passionate supporter of the ETH, but not - as commonly assumed - a UFO witness himself. He recently told a conference:
"I have had no first hand experience like so many of you. I have not encountered a UFO, and we did not have them trailing us, as far as we know, going to the moon".
Gordon Cooper did indeed spot some UFOs whilst flying a over Germany in the early 1950's. He described as them as "flights of fighters flying by in the same sort of formation we flew, moving east to west," adding that they looked "just like saucers - they were metallic looking, but we couldn't really get close enough to see more than that. You couldn't see any wings on them."
At the time, Cooper rather sensibly assumed that he was seeing a flight of experimental Russian jets - only much later deciding that they must have been "some kind of extraterrestrial vehicle".
Cooper has continually repudiated the rumour that he saw aliens in space during a Mercury mission, saying: "Somebody made a lot of money selling lies on that one... It was totally untrue, sorry to say".
So, we have one astronaut who has never seen a UFO, and another who saw something in the distance he thought was a jet plane then changed his mind about once he had become an ETH believer.
Hardly compelling evidence.
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"I have had no first hand experience like so many of you. I have not encountered a UFO, and we did not have them trailing us, as far as we know, going to the moon".
Gordon Cooper did indeed spot some UFOs whilst flying a over Germany in the early 1950's. He described as them as "flights of fighters flying by in the same sort of formation we flew, moving east to west," adding that they looked "just like saucers - they were metallic looking, but we couldn't really get close enough to see more than that. You couldn't see any wings on them."
At the time, Cooper rather sensibly assumed that he was seeing a flight of experimental Russian jets - only much later deciding that they must have been "some kind of extraterrestrial vehicle".
Cooper has continually repudiated the rumour that he saw aliens in space during a Mercury mission, saying: "Somebody made a lot of money selling lies on that one... It was totally untrue, sorry to say".
So, we have one astronaut who has never seen a UFO, and another who saw something in the distance he thought was a jet plane then changed his mind about once he had become an ETH believer.
Hardly compelling evidence.
# posted by : 8:59 am
: 8:59 am << Home
