The Mammoth Encyclopedia of Extraterrestrial Encounters

by Story, Ronald

  Hundreds of beef cattle were found dead across a section of the country as wide-ranging as Minnesota, Wisconsin, Kansas, Nebraska, Iowa, South Dakota, Colorado, Texas, Arizona, and California. The series of cases began in Meeker County, Minnesota, and spread westward as law-enforcement agencies became increasingly involved, especially in Minnesota and Colorado.

  It was found initially that the vast majority of cattle deaths had resulted from natural causes: mostly disease and malnutrition. The missing parts were those usually attacked first by scavenging animals, because they are the easiest to chew, i.e., the lips, tongue, ears, udders (teats), sex organs, and rectal area. However, some of the cattle bore strange mutilations which could not be accounted for in such a mundane manner. Ears were carefully removed, tongues were cut out, udders and sex organs were gone, anuses sliced out, all with apparent surgical skill. Also, in such cases, which were mostly black Angus or black white-faced cattle, the carcasses were devoid of blood as if drained with a needle. No blood could be found on the ground, nor footprints or vehicular tracks. As one farmer put it, it was as if the bodies were mutilated elsewhere and dropped to the ground from the air. (In fact, there had been several cases reported of helicopters leaving the scene of cattle mutilations, but identifying details were difficult to observe in the dark of night. Most often, in such instances, the helicopters were heard but not seen.)

  Eventually, law-enforcement personnel, working together with veterinarians, uncovered the working of a bizarre Satanical cult group somewhat reminiscent of the Charles Manson “family.”

  The leader of this “family” operated in Minnesota for a while, then moved abruptly to Texas when family members ran afoul of the law. The leaders were apprehended and placed in custody.

  Their general modus operandi was as follows: The group, which would approach its intended victim at night, walked upon large pieces of pasteboard which they picked up and carried with them; thus no tracks were left. The victim was shot with a tranquilizer dart, immobilizing it (traces of nicotine sulfate were found in the livers of some of the animals). Then a heart stimulant was injected, an artery in the throat was punctured, and the blood was caught in a plastic bag and carried from the scene in that manner. Organs to be used in the Satanic rites were then surgically removed with a minimum of bleeding.

  It seems likely that similar cult groups are responsible for other mutilated-animal cases and perhaps some of these instances are even the work of deranged individuals. But one of the least likely explanations is that UFOs were involved.

  For a time, a young man who claimed to be a lecturer for the University of Minnesota was spreading the word that UFOs had shot some Minnesota cattle and had “collapsed their blood structure with mercury.” An interview with this man disclosed a preoccupation with achieving notoriety, and attempts at technical discussion were patently naive. His credibility also suffered from the fact that he claimed to be a “Sasquatch,” or “Bigfoot,” contactee (he had visited in their homes). Needless to say, his touted evidence connecting UFOs with dead cattle disappeared in the light of objective investigation.

  Despite claims by such individuals and certain sensationalist elements of the national media, no satisfactory evidence has ever emerged which links UFOs to mutilated animals.

  —CORAL & JIM LORENZEN

  Anomalist, The In 1993, two freelance writers for Omni magazine, Patrick Huyghe and Dennis Stacy, met at a Mutual UFO Network (MUFON) conference in Richmond, Virginia, and lamented the then sorry state of UFO and Fortean journalism. Since both had been thinking about starting a new journal on anomalies, they decided to collaborate.

  By the Summer of 1994, the first issue of The Anomalist appeared. The resulting illustrated journal, in trade paperback format, features high quality writing on a variety of topics, ranging from “alien writing” and ghosts, to Bigfoot, crop circles, and issues of human invisibility. The twice yearly journal, which explores the mysteries of science, history and nature, quickly garnered rave reviews and spawned a complementary Web site of the same name at www.anomalist.com.

  In its first five years, The Anomalist has published a number of major UFO stories, including “Project Blue Book’s Last Years,” an excerpt from the unpublished memoirs of Col. Hector J. Quintanilla; “UFOs: For RAND Use Only” by Karl Pflock; and Martin Kottmeyer’s award winning essay on “UFO Flaps.”

  The editing team of Huyghe and Stacy have much in common. Stacy was editor of The MUFON UFO Journal and had published articles on UFOs in such mainstream publications as Smithsonian Air & Space and New Scientist. Huyghe had been editor of UFO Commentary, back in the late 1960s and early 1970s, and had published articles on UFOs in Science Digest and The New York Times Sunday Magazine. Huyghe’s book, The Field Guide to Extraterrestrials, appeared in 1996 and he has collaborated with Stacy on a companion volume called The Field Guide to UFOs (Quill, 2000).

  Address:

  P.O. Box 577

  Jefferson Valley, NY 10535 U.S.A.

  E-mail:

  editors@anomalist.com

  Web site:

  www.anomalist.com

  —PATRICK HUYGHE

  Anthropic Principle This idea is closely related to anthropomorphism or anthropocentrism, which is seeing the universe in terms of ourselves. As the ancient Greek philosopher Protagoras (ca. 490-420 B.C.) put it: “Man is the measure of all things.” This myopic point of view has extended to the human search for extraterrestrial intelligence (SETI).

  As concisely stated by Frank Drake: “…the controversial ‘Anthropic Principle’…holds that the universe was made exactly the way it is so we may exist. Or, put another way, we exist only because the unverse is the way it is.” This statement is basically a tautology (made true by its definition). However, the extreme implication is “…that the universe is so finely tuned as to hold just one intelligent species: us.” (Drake and Sobel, 1992)

  The “weak” version of the anthropic principle merely points out that if things had been different, we would not exist. For example, the laws of nature and the myriad “coincidences” that have figured into human evolution seem to have been amazingly well adapted to us (rather than the other way around). So much so, that according to proponents of the “strong” version of the anthropic principle, the laws of nature seem to have been specifically designed “…(don’t ask how or by Whom) so that humans would eventually come to be. Almost all of the other possible universes, they say, are inhospitable. In this way, the ancient conceit that the Universe was made for us is resuscitated.” (Sagan, 1994)

  —RONALD D. STORY

  References

  Drake, Frank, and Sobel, Dava. Is Anyone Out There? (Souvenir Press, 1992).

  Sagan, Carl. Pale Blue Dot (Random House, 1994).

  apocalyptic thought connected with UFOs and ETs The belief or feeling that a violent catastrophe will befall humanity in the near future is more formally termed “world-destruction fantasy” or “apocalyptic thought.” These terms are used in a broad sense to include cataclysms of virtually any magnitude in which great loss of life and suffering is implied.

  Such beliefs are pervasive in the history of UFO culture, with examples numbering in the hundreds. Their history extends back to the earliest puzzlings of Kenneth Arnold and runs continuously to the latest horrors at the cutting edge of abduction research. Contactees, abductees, fringe UFO buffs, and respected UFO researchers alike have contributed to the doom-saying sensibility.

  The range of cataclysmic violence begins on the low end with modest spectacles of cities destroyed in nuclear blasts (Cecil Michael, Sonora desertF-4-74) or a city dying from a nuclear storm or cloud (Cannon’s Carrie). The scale runs through wars (John Hodges, Ted Owens, Brian Scott, Linda Taylor, Jerry), the destruction of civilization (George Hunt Williamson, Buck Nelson, Norman Harrison, Marshall Applewhite), the sinking of California (PLW, Helen Hoag, Filiberto Cardenas, Mandelker’s Bob), the inundation of continents (Robin McPherson), population reduced by 40 percent or 50 percent o
r more (Andrijah Puharich’s Space Kids, Scott Mandelker), the cracking open of the planet (Pedro Ramirez, Francie Steiger), the atmosphere being set on fire (Linda Porter), the complete ignition of the planet (Ralph Lael, Arthur Shuttlewood), the orbit shifted outwards (MN Pleiadean), planets pulled toward the Sun (Dr. Malachi Z. York), destabilization of the solar system (Frank Stranges, John Sands, A.N. Tasca), the blowing up of the solar system (Necoma), destabilization of the galaxy (George Adamski), endangerment of the universe (C.A.V., Jerry Gross) destruction of other universes (Janice), and even beyond to a universal dissolution involving black holes that not even the gods would be immune to (George Andrews.)

  Concern over the “balance of the universe” is peculiarly common and begins early with the Ouija board contact of George Hunt Williamson with Zo of Neptune on August 17, 1952. Dorothy Martin, Sr. Helio Aguiar, Stuart Whitman, and Arthur Shuttlewood echoed this concern. Carlos, one of John Mack’s prophets, modernizes the wording by speaking of a tearing of the cosmic fabric essential to the unity of the universe.

  The mode of destruction varies across a wide and inconsistent repertoire of creative options. Some say the world will end in fire (Stephen Pulaski, William J. Herrmann, Arthur Shuttlewood, Dana Redfield, Linda Porter, Roxanne Zeigler). Some say in ice (Elgar Brom’s Noel, Stan Seers).

  Floods and tidal waves equally suffice (Dorothy Martin, Rolf Telano, Barbara Hudson, Lynn Volpe, Peter). Continents rise or fall and Earth’s axis will tilt for better than a dozen contactees. The Mitchell sisters and Helen Hoag overtly credit the fact that this is a replay of the Atlantis myth. Arthur, one of Mack’s group, warns a cosmic water balloon will flood the Earth, suffocating everything. Inversely, the desertfication of the Brazilian rain forest will extend everywhere according to Jerry in this same group.

  Mona Stafford and Francis Swan see the end coming in the manner mapped out by the Bible and Revelation. Orfeo Angelucci warned a fiery red comet of doom might collide with Earth if we did not change our ways. Anthony Volpe saw the Earth expanding like a balloon by 20 percent and then settling back. There’s an electromagnetic catastrophe coming (Joe), or the end of oil (Paul Bennett) or a plague of communicable AIDs (Scott), or extinction by sterility (Betty Andreasson). Eduard Meier and Robert Short see problems connected with the loss of the ionosphere.

  Professor R.N. Hernandez casts his doomsday in a virtually unreadable bafflegab that has something to do with a band of mineral solids encircling our world and aliens trying to make us annihilate ourselves. Richard Miller said aliens had a ring of ten million ships around our world trying to protect us from the effects of a cloud of cosmic debris. Some quakes, tidal waves, and bad weather caused by radiation effects on the Earth’s core could not be prevented.

  Dino Kraspedon warned use of the hydrogen bomb would create unknown elements that would upset the atmosphere in ways that would lead to quakes, tidal waves, strange diseases, and maniacs in the streets. Dorothy Cannon’s subject, Janice, fears the circumference of the Earth will fold into its center causing an explosion that ripples to other galaxies and universes, because of their atomic structure.

  A nice number of these prophets were kind enough to set firm endpoints on their prophecies thus allowing them to be easily tested and falsified by simply letting time pass.

  Phrases like “the end is coming soon” (Harry Joe Turner) and “Earth time is desperately short” (Arthur Shuttlewood) are a recurrent refrain. The fact that decades have passed since ten or so uttered them indicates either they are wrong or use “soon” in an opaque fashion.

  The record of error presented in the table calls for some sort of explanation. Some will follow the lead of the Lorenzens who felt aliens were liars and disseminated disinformation as part of an immense charade. It is a peculiar sort of campaign however.

  Starfarers should be more scientifically sophisticated than to bluff with notions as dubious as pole-shifts.

  Concerns that man could have tangible effects on the universe’s balance sound pre-Copernican and a grandiose conceit of man’s powers. It is also odd that they don’t stick to one scenario filtered through all their contacts to give the lies more credibility and the letdown more bite.

  Kenneth Ring’s Omega Project affirms the ubiquitous character of apocalyptic thinking in UFO belief. His survey of a population of UFO experiencers found fully 85 percent reported an increase in their concern for planetary welfare after their experiences; 60 percent said it strongly increased. This provides a nice backdrop to Jenny Randles’ finding that 28 percent of bedroom-visitor contacts included imminent Earth catastrophe as a reason for alien visitation, the most common of the motifs looked at.

  Apocalyptic thought is hardly limited to the UFO subculture. One has only to look at the history of Christianity, from the beliefs of Jesus that the world would spectacularly end in his generation, to Revelation, to the latest end-time cults, to realize the power of this belief.

  Environmentalists have offered a smorgasbord of eco-catastrophes in recent decades. New Age literature repeatedly foresees Earth changes, with the name Edgar Cayce repeatedly invoked as an authority on these matters. Apocalypse has been considered part of the basic plot of all science fiction. Stanislaw Lem notes that every fan has a library of agonies in which writers have refined the end of the world into something “as formally elegant as a well thought out gambit” in chess. Anthropologists have encountered world-destruction fantasies in farflung cultures and myriad forms such as to suggest it extends back through aboriginal times. This hints at the involvement of a panhuman psychological process.

  Psychologists have developed some insights into this process. Fantasies about the destruction of the world are a common feature of psychotic mental universes. Freud was one of the earlier psychological thinkers to observe world-catastrophe beliefs are not infrequent in the agitated stages of developing paranoia. His favorite paranoid, the respected judge and doctor Daniel Paul Schreber, held a conviction of the imminence of a great catastrophe either by the withdrawal of the sun, by earthquake, or by pestilence through nervous disorders. Though he initially placed this event 212 years in the future, Schreber came to believe that period of time elapsed and he was the only real man left alive. His doctors and attendants were “miracled up, cursorily improvised men.” With the passage of time, he concluded that he himself had passed away and was replaced. Despite the florid nature of these delusions, in practical affairs Schreber was reasonable and well informed and never bothered people with his private beliefs save to publish a book stating them.

  Some lack this ability to wall off their delusions and slip into debilitating madness. In The Autobiography of a Schizophrenic Girl, a young lady named Renee describes in the early stages of her developing psychosis how she came to believe the frozen wind from the North Pole wanted to crush the Earth. In time she regarded it as an omen or sign, and confided to friends her fears that planes were coming to bomb and annihilate them. She covered her conviction in a jesting manner because of fears the idea was unfounded and not generally held. Her sense of unreality deepened and she saw her madness as a country of implacable blinding light. It was an immense space: limitless, flat, shadowless; a mineral lunar country, cold as the wastes at the pole; a stretching emptiness where all is congealed, crystallized, and unchanging. As time progressed, she had waking fantasies of an electric machine that could blow up the world and rob all men of their brains. This machine then took control of her life and made her do destructive acts like putting her hand in a fire.

  William J. Spring, who made a study of these world-destruction fantasies, affirms eschatological fantasies are frequently met in schizophrenia, especially in the early stages. Floods, wars, revolutions, earthquakes, plagues, and mass poisonings form some of the more common motifs. The wiping out of the human race is generally the anticipated outcome, but nations and mere cities have served as standins. Ernest Keen, a narrative psychologist, goes even further than some observers and affirms he has “never known a paranoid who d
id not have cataclysmic content” in his expectations about life.

  The cause of this relationship has been the subject of some amount of theorizing over the years. Some of Freud’s thoughts about the involvement of the libido are no longer accepted. But there is one explanation that has approval. It is nicely embodied in a parable told by the fictional yet prototypical debunker Michael Webb:

  “As a philosopher I have a special license to be peculiar; so now I’m going to tell a fable. It’s short and soon over—so listen closely. One day a peasant walking along a riverbank saw a fox struggling in the water. ‘Help, help’ the fox cried. ‘The world is coming to an end.’ ‘You are mistaken my friend,’ replied the peasant, all I see is one small fox drowning.’ The moral is short and easy to remember: when around deep water, watch your step.”

  The fable is as astute as it is succinct. In more formal jargon, the end of the world is a projection of a personal crisis. The ego is experiencing disintegration, dissolution, loss of identity—self-destruction—and these impulses are mirrored onto the external world. Of eleven patients presenting world destruction fantasies, William Spring found that the idea of the person’s own death played a prominent role in eight. Two fantasized about suicide, six had delusions of dying or already being dead. The identification of self with the cosmos was tragicomically illustrated by a patient of Spring who believed he was himself God. He believed people feared that if he died, they would die. One day, in a fit of anger, he pronounced retribution. “It’s the end of the world!” Then, he threw himself onto the floor.

  Kenneth Ring reinforced the general point in a study of near-death experiences. Visions of world destruction formed a small but significant fraction. They had a compelling vividness and similarity, but despite this soon failed as factual forecasting. Carl Jung, the famed psychologist, had a similarly vivid vision of the destruction of the world while suffering from arteriosclerosis shortly before his death.