UFO or Mind-Games?

And another one, this one on a famous UFO event of the 1970s that, just perhaps, was not a UFO event, after all. You can read the full article at Jimharold.com. Here's how it starts:

What if one of Ufology’s most cherished cases turned out to be something very different? Something far more down to earth, but of a distinctly conspiratorial nature. Yep, I can see the daggers being drawn already. Too bad for the belief-driven. There’s nothing worse than a mind made up. And there’s nothing better than shaking things up and addressing alternative theories when it comes to the matter of UFOs. After all, none of us really know what the truth is, when it comes to the UFO phenomenon. So, thinking outside of the box is vital. All of which brings us to a certain, famous UFO event of late 1973.

On the night of October 10, 1973, two men – Charles Hickson and Calvin Parker – were fishing on the banks of Mississippi’s Pascagoula River. All was going fine. That is, until approximately 9:00 p.m. rolled around. That’s when all hell broke loose. Yet, it all began relatively calmly. It didn’t stay that way, however. As they fished, Parker and Hickson suddenly noticed a light in the distance. Not only that, it was following the river and appeared to be coming in their direction. Which was not necessarily a good thing.

More on UFOs & JFK

As a follow-on to my previous article on JFK, Guy Banister, and UFOs, there's another one from me at Mysterious Universe which expands on the controversy. Here's how it starts:

In response to my recent article, “UFOs, JFK, and an Enigmatic Character,” sixteen people contacted me to see what I thought about the allegations that President John F. Kennedy’s assassination – on November 22, 1963, in Dallas, Texas – had a connection to the UFO issue. The reason being that the aforementioned article was focused on a man named Guy Banister. He was someone who investigated a number of UFO reports while working as a special-agent of the FBI in 1947. He was also someone who turns up in numerous books on the Kennedy assassination. Usually, from a sinister and conspiratorial perspective.

It’s fair to say that within the field of Ufology, there are more than a few people who believe – or suspect – that JFK was whacked to prevent him from blowing the lid on his knowledge of the UFO phenomenon. I’ve written about aspects of this highly controversial issue before, and it’s worth noting just how many connections there are between UFOs and the killing of JFK. Or, to be absolutely correct, the assumed connections. Ufology is, at times, very good at putting pieces of a ufological puzzle together. On other occasions, however, the field is guilty of leaping to conclusions based on nothing but assumption and by playing the extraterrestrial equivalent of “Six Degrees of Kevin Bacon.”

UFOs, JFK, and an Enigmatic Character

That's the title of a new article from me, and you can find it right here...

Mothman and a 1967 movie

What's the connection between Mothman and a certain 1967 British horror-movie? That's the question I raise in a new Mysterious Universe article titled "Blood Beast Terror Versus Mothman!. You can find it here, and here's how it begins:


No, thankfully, that’s not the title of some new, awful movie of the cheaply-made and badly-acted kind. And where the special-effects are anything but special. You know the ones I mean. And you know where you can find them, too. I’m focusing my attention on something else: a 1967 movie that has more than a few similarities to the saga of one of the world’s most famous and strange creatures. We’re talking about the legendary Mothman, immortalized in John Keel’s book, The Mothman Prophecies. As for the movie, it’s called The Blood Beast Terror.

If you fail to take notice of the opening credits to The Blood Beast Terror you could easily be forgiven for thinking you were watching one of those old, classic Hammer Film Productions. Why? Simple: it stars Peter Cushing, who – alongside Christopher Lee – was Hammer’s most famous face. But, Cushing wasn’t exclusive to Hammer. The Blood Beast Terror was a production of Tigon British Film Productions. Tigon’s other credits included The Blood on Satan’s Claw and Witchfinder General. The Blood Beast Terror was made in late 1967 and was first shown in British cinemas in early 1968.

"Nessie" - Coming in September

Coming from Llewellyn Publications in September of this year is my book, Nessie: Exploring the Supernatural Origins of the Loch Ness Monster. As the sub-title suggests, this is not a book that makes a case for the creatures of the loch being surviving plesiosaurs! Nope, it's way stranger than that...

Here's the publisher's info on Nessie:

"Deep in the black-as-ink waters of Loch Ness lurks a long-necked, hump-backed monster known as Nessie―a legendary creature that has fascinated the world for many decades. Presenting an in-depth study, complete with supernatural theories, historical data, hot spots, photographs, and more, Nessie is a must-have for anyone interested in the Loch Ness Monster. Join Nick Redfern on a fascinating journey into the supernatural origins of Nessie, exploring ideas that go far beyond normal. Since the first sighting, the creature has been steeped in the world of supernatural strangeness. Discover how Nessie is connected to the occult, the surprisingly dark first-hand encounters, other mysterious monsters that live in Loch Ness, and much more."

Over at Mysterious Universe...

...I highlight my favorite monster-movies;

...I take a look at monsters that are close to home;

...And I address the matter of Bigfoot, the Loch Ness Monster and the U.S. Government.

A bunch of new articles

There are a few new articles online from me:

1. This one on the escape of a Gorilla in 19th century England;

2. The mystery of the missing cats.

3. A strange tale of UFO Garbage!

4. Secret files: Roswell and Rendlesham.

Michael Ripper

If, like me, you're a fan of those old 1950s-1970s Hammer horror movies, you might like this. It's a 1999 biography on the late Michael Ripper, which I picked up the other day. Some people might say, "Who was Michael Ripper?" Most people associate Hammer's movies with Peter Cushing and Christopher Lee. But, Michael Ripper appeared in more Hammer movies than any other actor, usually playing inn-keepers, grave-diggers, etc. It's a cool book, he had an interesting life.

"The Monster Book." Coming In September

The Monster Book: Creatures, Beasts and Fiends of Nature, coming from Visible Ink Press in September...

"UFO Whistleblower" Controversies...

That's the subject of a new article from me. You can find it here.

And here's how it starts:

"People often ask me for my views on those individuals who claim secret knowledge of some of the most classified data on Unidentified Flying Objects. We are, of course, talking about what have commonly become known as UFO whistleblowers. Over the years – and just like so many other people within the field of Ufology – I have had my encounters and run-ins with such people. It’s a situation that can be eye-opening, thought-provoking, and, at times, even downright surreal. Particularly so when it comes to matters of a 'cloak and dagger' nature. But, how much, exactly, is the word of a UFO whistleblower really worth? Is it worth anything? Well, that very much depends upon a wide variety of factors.

"All too often I have seen certain players within Ufology go way over the top (with near-foaming-at-the-mouth excitement) when it comes to the domain of the whistleblower. So, someone contacts you and they want to share what they claim is highly-classified material or data on UFOs. And what do you do with that material and data? Or, rather, what should you do with it? What’s in it for you? What’s in it for them? The answers to those questions all depend on the circumstances. And, I’ll explain what I mean by that."

LEMMY

That was a great memorial for Lemmy this evening! Close to a quarter of a million people watched the YouTube stream, which is very cool. The end of an era, but the music will live on. There's just one thing left to do: put "Ace of Spades" on and turn it up very, VERY loud. I recommend you do the same too!

UFOs, James Bond, and Strange and Out-Of-Place Animals

There are 5 new articles from me at Mysterious Universe, on a wide variety of subjects, some weirder than others!!

1. The FBI's now-declassified file on the James Bond movie, Goldfinger;

2. Mysterious creatures of the skies;

3. The British Police Force file on George King and the Aetherius Society;

4. A "Strange Animal" in the UK;

5. The UK's giant-sized guinea-pigs.

Bigfoot and "Exists"

There's a new review from me at Mysterious Universe of a 2014 Bigfoot-themed movie, Exists. Here's the link, and here's the two opening paragraphs to the review:

It’s a tried and tested scenario that has been used (to the point of complete and utter tediousness) in numerous monster-themed movies. We know that scenario all too well: a bunch of twenty-somethings head out into the heart of dense and isolated woods. And, in doing so, they fall victim to a marauding beast that takes out the group, one by one, and in inevitable violent fashion. Generally, the group is comprised of a couple of well-stacked hot-babes, a guy (or two) of the “heroic” type, and a geeky nerd. You know the movies and you know the channels that have the gall to air them, too. The problem is that, for the most part, they are nothing but cheaply-made crap. As for the “actors,” well, the less said about them the better. Thankfully, however, there is the occasional gem in what is now a huge ocean of stinking sewage.

All of this brings me to Exists. It’s a 2014 movie I have now had the opportunity to see on a couple of occasions. Exists, I’m pleased to say, is a welcome relief from the kinds of movies that I gave up on years ago. Written by Jamie Nash and directed be Eduardo Sanchez, Exists employs actors who actually know how to act. If only so many other film-makers would do likewise! Exists is very much a “found footage” movie, which many may not find surprising, given that Sanchez was the co-director of the 1999 hit movie, The Blair Witch Project.

Profiling "The Invaders"

"Back in 2009, I wrote a book titled Science Fiction Secrets. It was a study of how, and under what particular circumstances, the realm of science-fiction had crossed paths with that of high-level government secrecy and conspiracy. Doing the research for the book was something of a revelation for me. It demonstrated that there does appear to be some form of crossover between science-fiction and governmental shenanigans, suggesting the startling possibility that the world of Hollywood and the secrets of the Pentagon may be closer than we think. They may have even come together on occasion to help instill ideas about UFOs and alien life in the collective mind of the populace.

"I elected to keep my own views and opinions out of Science Fiction Secrets. Instead, I chose to provide the reader with just the facts. But, it’s fair and accurate to say that my personal interest in science-fiction reflects the kinds of things I wrote about in the pages of my book. I’ll tell you what I mean by that. Frankly, watching endless TV shows or films set in the depths of outer-space, in which laser-gun-wielding good-guys and bad-guys do battle with each other, while huge spacecraft soar across the starry skies, and human-looking aliens run around in silver-suits, bores me rigid. In fact, it bores me beyond rigid."

Those are the opening paragraphs to a new article from me, on the 1960s UFO-themed show, The Invaders. You can find the article here.

UFOs, Owls, Synchronicities

“I get a strong sense that Mike was guided to write this by the UFO intelligence and I think the reader will get that. This is the first time I have seen this level of both a book and its author being inextricably linked to the phenomenon itself since Strieber and Communion. Communion was clearly more than just a book; I believe the phenomenon intended it to be written, published, and read on a large scale. I think Mike’s book is another example of this.”
 
The above quote is mine and was written as a blurb for Mike Clelland’s new book, The Messengers: Owls, Synchronicity and the UFO Abductee. As my words make clear, Clelland’s book is a very important one, and for several reasons: (A) the subject-matter is one which a lot of people in Ufology may have heard of, but which has not (until now) received the scrutiny it deserves; (B) the author is an integral part of the story, and is, therefore, in an ideal position to comment on it; (C) the book demonstrates that approaching and studying the UFO phenomenon purely from the “nuts and bolts” angle is as pointless as it is utterly misguided; and (D) The Messengers reveals time and again something that so many who have immersed themselves in the UFO enigma have come to realize. Namely, that the investigator often attracts the deep attention of the phenomenon and, as a result, becomes an integral part of the story. Arguably, the investigator even becomes the subject of significant manipulation.

The two paragraphs above are extracted from a new Mysterious Universe article, which you can find here...