Nick Redfern's Blog, page 119

A Conference and the MIB

Got back home on Monday night from the Philadelphia-based conference of the Pennsylvania chapter of MUFON, which was an excellent gig, thanks to organizer John Ventre and the team.

Here's a few shots (below) from the event: Fred Saluga (who spoke on the Cryptozoology-UFO connection); John Ventre and author Anthony Sanchez deep in discussion, some of the PA MUFON team, and me hanging out with Travis Fire in the Sky Walton.

And here's a new Mysterious Universe article from me (on the MIB), which focuses around my lecture at the MUFON gig.

   

Zombies, Wendigos, and Cannibalism

Those three topics listed in the title of this post are the subject of my latest Mysterious Universe article that you can find here , and that starts like this:

"There can surely be very few people who are not aware of how, in recent years, all things of a zombie-themed nature have infected whole swathes of the populace – and on a planet-wide basis, no less. Indeed, the worldwide craze for the undead is practically spreading faster than a real zombie virus could ever do! In the world of on-screen fiction, the process of turning man into flesh-eating monster usually results directly from the effects of a lethal, fast-acting pathogen.

"In the late 1800s, however, a man whose terrible actions of the cannibalistic kind remain as notorious today as they did more than 130 years ago, claimed that his transformation into a deranged devourer of people was caused by something very different than a mysterious virus: a Wendigo. And what might that be, exactly? Read on…"

Mind Power

My latest Mysterious Universe article ( which you can find right here ) focuses on one of the strangest, and certainly controversial, phenomena of all: that of the Tulpa...

Beyond Area 51

Interested in secret places with potential UFO links that extend beyond Area 51? If the answer is "yes," then you may want to check out the new book from Mack Maloney, which is titled - very appropriately - Beyond Area 51 .

There's a new review of the book from me at Mysterious Universe , which begins...

"One of the biggest puzzles concerning secret military-, government- and intelligence-based facilities is this: Why do so many of these classified installations seemingly attract far more than their fair share of UFOs? There are, I believe, several possibilities. The first is that if the stories of crashed UFOs in the hands of officialdom are valid, then it may be the case that what we are seeing in the skies above these bases are attempts by military project personnel to test-fly captured UFOs.

"There is another more ominous possibility, however. Again, if UFOs really have crashed to earth, perhaps the nonhuman intelligences behind the phenomena are aware that their craft and dead (and possibly even living) comrades are held at these fortified bases and are testing the defenses of such places for the day when they plan to claim back what is theirs."

The Battle of Roswell

Well, over the last few days there has been a sizeable debate online about a certain, new aspect of the Roswell affair, which has now descended into almost all-out war of the "he said"/"she said" variety.

Rather than drone on about it all, and explain every aspect, which I simply can't be bothered to do, I'll instead direct you to the following links, which should be read in the order they are listed.  

I wish I could say "Have fun." But, I can't. It's just another case of Ufology doing what it does best. No, not researching or investigating but (you know what it is!) arguing.

1. It begins...

2. It continues...

3. It causes blood to boil...

4. Out come the boxing-gloves, as Canada and America go to war...

5. I have my say...

And that's only the start of it. My prediction: the final outcome on everything will be summed up by one word: "Inconclusive."

Airports and Implants

Well, yesterday morning I had to fly from Dallas down to Houston on business, and both on the way out and on the way back, I had to go thru those full-body scanners.

On the outward one from Dallas, I got flagged because the scanner picked up something in my back, but after a search they said "Well, there's nothing there." Which I knew anyway!

Then, on the way back, when I got scanned at Houston, the machine flagged something in both my wrists! Again, of course, there was nothing there.

I made a joke with the staff that it must be due "alien implants" which gave the staff a good laugh, but which was then followed by a question to me; "So what do you know about alien implants?"

I replied, "Oh quite a bit, as I write books about UFOs, aliens and stuff like that."

And, so, as it was quiet, I had a fun, but surreal, chat with airport security about aliens, implants, how they might be detected and more.

Just another weird day!

Man-Made Flying Saucers

There's a new article from me at Mysterious Universe , which starts like this:

Although such things are less common today, in decades-past there were far more than a few UFO encounters in which the witnesses reported how their vehicles – whether cars, trucks, or even motorbikes -  were adversely affected by the presence of a UFO. Such events have become known in Ufology as “vehicle interference” cases. Typically, engines, lights, and radios are mysteriously affected by the presence of the unknown craft. Only when the strange vehicle exits the area does normality return.

And here's the full piece.

Rendlesham: The Stage Play

The Rendlesham Forest affair of December 1980 is, without doubt, Britain's most famous UFO event. It has been the subject of government debate, half a dozen non-fiction books, a novel, and numerous TV productions.

And, now, thanks to award-winning playwright Ryan Sprague, it's going to be a theater production.

Interviewing a Monster Hunter

Over at Mysterious Universe , you can find a Q&A that I did some time ago with good friend Jon Downes, of the Center for Fortean Zoology.  The interview covers a lot of ground and starts as follows:

"N: Jon, what, basically, is the CFZ?

"J: The CFZ is the world’s largest mystery animal research group. I founded it in 1993. And, since then, it has slowly become not just the largest in the world, but the fastest growing cryptozoological group in the world, too. My passion for unusual animals went back to my childhood, and I was determined to follow my dreams of establishing a group one day that would put us where we are now, and in a way that benefits everyone who gets involved."

Animals & Men at 50

Time flies: next year will mark the 20th anniversary of the publication of the Center for Fortean Zoology's in-house magazine, Animals & Men . But there's another anniversary too: the 50th issue of the magazine has just been published.

Contrary to popular opinion, the name of the magazine has nothing to do with weird sex (although it does place the term "doggie-style" in a whole new light...). It's actually the title of an old song by Adam and the Ants .

Originally, the magazine was a self-published, fanzine-style journal put together in Jon Downes' living-room.

Fifty issues on, however, things are very different. Today, each and every issue of A&M is professionally published by the good folks at Lightning Source.

It has a full-color, glossy, card cover, and numerous color photos contained within. Indeed, the current, 50-page edition contains no less than 40 full-color photos.

As for issue 50, the contents are wide, varied, but always entertainingly interesting, and include: (a) an editorial from Jon; (b) a round-up of news of the cryptozoological kind; (c) new information on British Bigfoot reports; (d) my regular Letter from America column; (e) an article from Carl Portman on giant spiders; (f) a Watcher of the Skies column from Jon's wife, Corinna; (g) a feature from Carl Marshall on oversized snakes; (h) a fascinating paper from Richard Freeman on a Russian lake-monster; (i) a selection of book-reviews; (j) the latest news on Bigfoot; and much more.

If you don't already subscribe to A&M , you really should. And you can do so, by contacting Jon, right here.