CONTACTEES: A History of Alien-Human Interaction

Channeling Edgar Cayce?

2011-11-23T15:27:00.000-08:00

This is weird. No, in fact, it's really weird.

My wife, Dana, had to go to the dentist this morning, and so she was up earlier than normal, as she had to make a 40-mile drive to Dallas for her appointment at 8AM.

While Dana was showering, I was still in bed, and - for a few moments, at least - lapsed into a semi-awake/semi-asleep state of what I would call definitive hypnagogic proportions.

Very oddly, I have strange memories of my mouth jabbering and babbling on (in typically odd, chattering, channeling-style) about Edgar Cayce being something like "the exalted one," and the most important psychic messenger of our times.

Now, before people get all excited and start shouting that I am on the way to becoming a Contactee-style Channeler, there's something else to be aware of.

For the last few days, I have been working on the Bibliography for my book, The Pyramids and the Pentagon, which is due for publication in June 2012.

And not only does that book contain a great deal of data on Cayce, but yesterday - during the day - I spent an hour or so checking out the references on Cayce that I needed to include in the Bibliography.

So, in other words, there was indeed a very good and absolutely undeniable reason for Cayce to have been on my mind.

But, I have to say the whole experience was a very odd one. Not at all frightening, but not at all enlightening either. Just plain odd!

And, I have to admit, I got the distinct feeling - in my semi-awake, hypnagogic state - that the data on Cayce was being "downloaded" to me.

Even though - very frustratingly - I can only remember the absolute barest fragments of what I was saying (if indeed there was an audible aspect to this at all, or it was all mind-based). But, I do recall it was absolutely reeling out of my mouth at high speed.

I think - given that Cayce was a big focus of my attention yesterday in relation to the Bibliography issue mentioned above - it probably was some sort of odd hypnagogic experience.

But, given its very unusual nature, even I have to wonder...

And, no, this is not an early April Fool joke, or some book-promoting trip. This, for what it's worth, is how it happened. And I would be willing to swear to that.

Channeling? A hypnagogic experience? A strange combination of the two? Who knows? I'll keep you posted should more surface...

Space Brother HQ

2011-10-22T07:55:00.000-07:00

While out in California a couple of weeks ago, me and Greg Bishop took a trip out to the Los Angeles office of the Aetherius Society, which - given my deep interest in the Contactee movement - was a real treat!

We were given an excellent tour of the place, provided with 20 or 30 minutes of very insightful chat about the society's founded (George King), and given permission to roam wherever we wanted and take photos of whatever caught our eyes - which is exactly what I did!

If you can't read it too well, the sign on the gate I'm leaning against reads thus:

"THIS GATE NOT TO BE USED UNLESS YOU HAVE PERMISSION OR BUSINESS IN SIR GEORGE'S BUNGALOW."

You have been duly warned!

And, finally, an interior shot...

Space Brothers & Secret Agents

2011-10-22T07:46:00.000-07:00

If there's one thing we can say for certain about the early Contactees, it's that their stories of alien interaction were profoundly weird and controversial. Some might even say wholly unbelievable.

But, might there have been an underlying reason for the stories being so controversial? Could that reason have been to try and make the UFO issue look ridiculous in the eyes of the public and the media?

In other words, could it be the case that some of the Contactees were actually secret tools of the Government, working to an agenda to deflect people away from certain aspects of the UFO problem and swamp the "good" material with a wealth of hard-to-believe tales of trips to the Moon and Venus?

As my latest post at Mysterious Universe notes, such a possibility should not be ruled out...

Allingham & Kraspedon: Back In Print

2011-08-24T11:07:00.000-07:00

Good news for fans of Contactee cases both old and massively controversial! Tim Beckley's Global Communications company has just released a new book. Titled From the Golden Age of Flying Saucers, it contains reprints of two absolute classic Contactee titles: Flying Saucer From Mars by Cedric Allingham, and Dino Kraspedon's My Contact With Flying Saucers.

As devotees of all-things long-haired and Space-Brotherly will know, both Allingham and Kraspedon were highly intriguing characters - for very different reasons!

But, if you're not aware of the reasons behind those controversies, well, you're in for a big treat because the book contains new Introductions to each title, that provide some highly entertaining and juicy nuggets of data on the pair!

Here's the link to the book, which is now available on Amazon.

And, since it has been years since I read these definitively odd classics (which Tim Beckley generously mailed to me), I'm going to re-read the whole thing, and will be doing a big online review when I have done so.

A Q&A on the Space-Brothers

2011-03-16T05:11:00.000-07:00

The latest edition of UFO Magazine (Vol. 24, No. 2) includes an extensive Q&A with me on the subject of my book, Contactees.

Space Brother Synchronicity

2011-02-24T09:49:00.000-08:00

Do you ever get the feeling that reality isn't what you think it is? Of course you do! And so do I. And here's one example of why I know all is not as it seems, and it has a direct bearing upon the Contactee/Space-Brother controversy...

Dr. Esoterica and Contactees

2011-01-11T12:37:00.000-08:00

The slightly mysterious "Dr. Esoterica" reviews my Contactees book and says:

"Nick Redfern’s Contactees: A History of Alien-Human Interaction is both profoundly enlightening and entertaining. It is also an indispensable historical study based on previously unavailable primary source documentation. The author is to be commended and we recommend the present title without reservation."

Here's the link to the Doc's full review...

Desmond Leslie: A New Book

2010-10-18T12:30:00.001-07:00

For anyone interested in the Contactee movement in general, and the saga of George Adamski in particular, there's a new book that you'll definitely want to get hold of. The author is Robert O'Byrne, and its title is Desmond Leslie 1921 -2001: The Biography of an Irish Gentleman.

Leslie was, of course, the co-author with George Adamski on his famous (or perhaps infamous!) book, Flying Saucers Have Landed.

Here's the blurb for the book, which looks to be massively entertaining and informative:

"When a guidebook to Ireland described his family as being 'mildly eccentric', Desmond Leslie took offence and wrote to the publishers informing them that, on the contrary, the Leslies were very eccentric. Throughout his life, he maintained a reputation for unconventionality - hardly surprising when one of his godparents was a noted Satanist who kept a pet parrot in his trousers.

"Desmond Leslie more than matched this behaviour: one of the most popular items on YouTube is a BBC broadcast showing him punching the critic Bernard Levin on live television more than forty years ago. Thanks to his 1953 bestseller "The Flying Saucers Have Landed", co-written with George Adamski, Desmond Leslie remains a cult figure among UFOlogists.

"After serving as a Spitfire pilot during the Second World War, he settled in London and embarked on a career as a writer, producing a string of innovative and critically acclaimed novels, one of which anticipated George Orwell's 1984 by a year.

"At the same time, he worked as a film producer and screenwriter and composed music for film and television in the second half of the 1950s. In 1963 he returned to Ireland to live at Castle Leslie in County Monaghan, and for the rest of his life devoted himself to protecting the family estate, today one of Ireland's finest country-house hotels.

"Son of writer Sir Shane Leslie and brother of historian Anita Leslie, Desmond Leslie has never before been the subject of a biography, which includes personal recollections by family members and by the well-known writer Herbie Brennan. In portraying the Anglo-Irish during the second half of the twentieth century, as they struggled to find a new role in a rapidly changing world, Robert O'Byrne offers a wholly engaging case study of his propulsive and charismatic subject.

"Robert O'Byrne, journalist and art historian, is author of The Irish Georgian Society: A Celebration (2008), Dublin's Gaiety Theatre (2007), Mind Your Manners (2004), Living in Dublin (2003) and Hugh Lane 1875-1915 (2000)."

Angelucci & LSD

2010-10-06T10:47:00.000-07:00

Over at his blog, Mark Pilkington - author of the book Mirage Men - discusses the strange case of friend to the Space-Brothers, Orfeo Angelucci (whose story is told in my Contactees book).

As Mark notes, Angelucci recorded in his 1959 book Son of the Sun a weird experience that occurred in 1954, when he may have been the unwitting player in some bizarre MKUltra-type experiment - one that had everything to do with clandestine psy-ops, concerns about Communism, and nothing to do with literal aliens.

As Mark says: "So how’s this for a temporary working hypothesis? Adamski and others were claiming alien contacts and espousing anti-American beliefs. Meanwhile Orfeo Angelucci and fellow contactee George Van Tassel, both employed at one of the US’s most advanced aircraft development plants, also claimed contacts with space beings. Angelucci, as it happens, had previously sparked a police hunt after launching balloons containing the aspergillus clavatus mould, a fact sure to have drawn the FBI’s attentions. Were Angelucci and Van Tassel given some kind of hallucinogen, deployed as a ‘truth drug’ to quiz them about possible Communist or Soviet sympathies and, perhaps to pump them full of extraterrestrial anti-Commie rhetoric for good measure?"

And here's Mark's full post, which I strongly urge you to read!

Raven Reviews Contactees

2010-09-07T08:31:00.001-07:00

My good friend, Raven Meindel, of Raven's Crypto Haven and the Exploring All Realms radio-show that we co-host reviews my Contactees book and says:

"If you're wanting to know the "who's who" of the contactees, this book includes the best of the best and the most famous of the contactee stories. You'll read about cases like the one of George Hunt Williamson, who made claims that he--like others before and after him, such as George Adamski--had captured the attention of the "Space-Brothers", an alien race that seemed eerie, but very concerned for the human race and our warring ways. You'll also learn about Truman Bethurum who had a romantic liaison with the lovely female alien 'Captain Rhanes' ( One of my personal favorite accounts in this book).

"Redfern also covers several of the bizarre yet intriguing theories that have surrounded Alien related cases over the years, such as mind-control experiments instrumented by our Government, and whether the UFO agenda may be tied to an ancient, Earth-based society that secretly live and move among us under false pretenses even today.

"Nick Redfern has a delightful way of making all his books pop to life, so you feel like you are part of every account he's detailing. This book is a 'must have' to ad to your collection !"

George Adamski: A New, FREE Book!

2010-09-01T08:30:00.001-07:00

Yep, that's right! I did indeed say free! Titled George Adamski: The Toughest Job In The World, the book in question is a new one from Auckland-based writer Tony Brunt and is available from Scribd at this link.

I have already started reading the book and can say with certainty that it's a great addition to the body of data that we have on the "Professor." And I'd urge one and all to download and read the book.

After all, it's not every day you get a book that is both very good and free!!

Lecturing on the Space-Brothers

2010-08-23T10:53:00.000-07:00

On Saturday afternoon, I drove down to Austin, Texas, where I was due to speak that evening on the subject of my Contactees book, at the Austin Center for Spiritual Living. The gig had been arranged by SMiles Lewis, and a good time was had by all! There was a decent-sized turn-out of about 50 people (including good friends Ken Gerhard - my co-author on Monsters of Texas - and Richie and Naomi West of the Center for Fortean Zoology).

And: in the two-hour-long lecture, I got a lot of very thought-provoking questions about the near-legendary, long-haired Space-Brothers (and Space-Sisters too, of course!), demonstrating that although the Contactee phenomenon may have been at its height in the 1950s, it's a subject that still continues to fascinate and intrigue.

PsiOp Radio & Contactees

2010-08-13T11:27:00.000-07:00

This coming Sunday night, I'll be speaking about my Contactees book on S. Miles Lewis' program, PSiOp Radio. This will be a long interview, and we should cover a lot of good ground, cases and personalities: Adamski, Van Tassel, Bethurum, Angelucci, etc., as well as the various theories that have been put forward to explain what may lie at the heart of the Contactee puzzle. Hope to see you there!

Here's the link to the show.

Contactees in Austin

2010-08-11T08:34:00.000-07:00

If you're in the Austin, Texas area on the evening of Saturday August 21, you may like to know I'll be speaking about my Contactees book at the Austin Center for Spiritual Living.

The address is 4804 Grover Ave Austin, TX 78756 and the lecture begins at 7PM.

Here's the official link to the lecture/organizer of the event, S. Miles Lewis of the Anomaly Archives, where you can find out more.

Shadowcass & Space-Brothers

2010-08-02T09:40:00.000-07:00

Shadowcass has a new post over at her blog that will be of interest to those fascinated by the world of the Space-Brothers. Check it out!

So That's Paranormal?

2010-07-21T09:48:00.000-07:00

I'll be on the So That's Paranormal? show tonight, discussing all things of a Space-Brotherly and Contactee nature - here's the link!

Contactees & Crop Circles

2010-07-20T08:31:00.000-07:00

This coming weekend - June 24-25 - I'll be speaking at the annual Mutual UFO Network (MUFON) conference on my own, personal investigations of the Crop Circle mystery. And, one of the things I'll be addressing is the chapter in my Contactees book that focuses on the little-known cases of Space-Brother encounters in Crop Circles.

If you can make the gig, say hello!

Nick Redfern: Contactee?

2010-07-15T14:00:00.000-07:00

Yes, it's official! I have now met an alien! Yep, a close-encounter, finally! Well...kind of. Unfortunately, this is just an on-screen alien, specifically a Dalek from the BBC TV show Dr. Who. I ran into this metal chap a couple of weeks ago, but he hardly seemed excited by the experience. In fact, he just stood there, cold and unsmiling. Then again, that's what Dalek's are like, so I should have expected nothing less.

The Mojave Desert, Contactees & More

2010-07-12T09:07:00.000-07:00

Secrets of Death Valley: Mysteries and Haunts of the Mojave Desert is the latest release from Tim Beckley's Global Communications - and, on the subject of Tim: just how many books has the man published??!!

This is a book that scores big-time for a number of reasons. Firstly, if you're into the domain of the Contactees and the Space-Brothers, then this is most definitely a book for you (and which is precisely why I'm reviewing the book at my Contactees blog!). On this very subject, you get a complete reprint of George Van Tassel's I Rode a Flying Saucer; as well as his A Brief History of Giant Rock - which makes for fascinating reading.

Moving on from the Space-Brothers, we have Regan Lee on a certain Space-Sister: namely "Diane," who became such a big part in the life of Contactee Dana Howard back in the '50's. Regan has written several excellent articles on the Diane-Dana story over the last couple of years, and - in view of this - I think it's high time that Regan wrote the definitive book about the cosmic pair. After all, Regan - perhaps more than anyone else - understands and appreciates the many and varied facets of the case, as well as its attendant mysteries, its ethereal aspects, and how and why the desert plays such an instrumental role in the affair.

Coupled with the Van Tassel material, Regan's paper makes Secrets of Death Valley a delight for the Contactee connoisseur.

Moving on from the Contactees, we get to learn a great deal indeed about haunted and lost ships of the desert, ghostly galleons, Viking (really!) mysteries, tales of ghosts and the paranormal, and much more.

Other highlights include reports of giant, human-like entities in Death Valley said to dwell in underground caves and caverns; Adam Gorightly on a certain aspect of Charles Manson and the attendant murders; and - one of my favorites - the truly surreal saga of the Camel Caravans, and how, and why, there just might be a solitary camel (or several) roaming the wilds of the United States. This latter material makes for truly engaging reading, and reveals much about a story largely lost to the fog of time.

All in all, Secrets of Death Valley is a highly entertaining, witty, well-written, wild-ride into the past, and into the realm of high-adventure in a mysterious desert world. It is a world populated by spooky and ethereal locations, eccentric and vibrant characters, and deep and dark secrets. And - I guarantee - the book will keep just about anyone and everyone who has ever been entertained by Fate, Argosy, Ray Palmer, Keel and all the rest busy for hours!

Keep 'em coming, Tim!

Just Energy Radio

2010-07-12T08:04:00.000-07:00

On Friday, I was interviewed by Dr. Rita Louise for her Just Energy Radio show. The subject: Contactees; who they were; the nature of their experiences; government involvement in Adamski, Van Tassel and the rest of the 1950s friends of the Space-Brothers; and a great deal more too.

The episode is archived and can be found right here.

Contactees Reviewed

2010-07-06T10:37:00.001-07:00

Pauline Wilson reviews Contactees...

Secrets of Death Valley

2010-06-29T06:00:00.001-07:00

A couple of days ago, ufological legend Tim Beckley sent me a copy of the latest release from his Global Communications company: Secrets of Death Valley - Mysteries and Haunts of the Mojave Desert.

If you're into the Contactee issue, you won't want to miss this, as it contains a number of notable gems, including (A) a re-print of George Van Tassel's I Rode A Flying Saucer, (B) Van Tassel's A Brief History Of Giant Rock, and (C) a paper from Regan Lee on the subject of Dana Howard's 1950s encounters with the enigmatic space-sister, "Diane."

The book contains much more too that will be of interest to Forteans everywhere, but is well worth purchasing for the Contactee data alone.

As soon as I have read it, I'll be doing a lengthy review.

UFO Countdown Disclosure Clock

2010-06-29T05:55:00.000-07:00

Over at UFO Countdown Disclosure Clock, there's a post that comments in-depth on my Contactees and the Absurdities of Ufology post for LOWFI.

The Grand Dark Conspiracy

2010-06-09T11:20:00.000-07:00

A few days ago, I was interviewed by Daniel Bautz for his Grand Dark Conspiracy podcast on the issue of my Contactees book. The interview is now available, and can be found at this link. A lot of territory was covered in the interview, including (A) the definition of a Contactee; (B) the theory that many - if not all - Contactee experiences may occur in distinctly altered states; (C) the idea that at least some of the very early Contactees were trying to promote communism via the medium of UFOs; and much more.

LSD, UFOs & Contactees

2010-05-11T07:49:00.000-07:00

In my Contactees book, I included a couple of chapters on 1950s Contactee, Orfeo Angelucci. One of the things I highlighted in the Angelucci sections was the fact that at least some of the man's experiences may have occurred while he was under the influence of LSD. Indeed, as I also demonstrate, he may well have been deliberately, and secretly, dosed by certain elements of the official world that, at the time, were exploring the realms of mind-manipulation and altered states of perception (see the image in this post for more data on the matter of LSD and the murky realm of official secrecy).

So, I was particularly intrigued to see that over at The UFO Iconoclast(s) Tony Bragalia has a new post titled UFOs & LSD: The Secret Connection. In part, he says:

"The UFO phenomena is so utterly mind-bending that the best way to understand it may be to go out of our minds. The role of expanded consciousness and access to the alien world is revealed in private conversations this author has had with eminent men of science. This includes talks with the now-late Harvard Psychiatrist Dr. John Mack and Harvard Professor Dr. Timothy Leary. They provide keen insight into the ultimate secret of the UFO. They uncover the hyperdimensional world in which the UFO traverses. They also detail the interplay between altered states of matter, altered states of mind and contact with the alien.

"Other notable scientists have joined to divulge the role of expanded consciousness and communication with ET intelligence. They include ecologist Terence McKenna; physician Dr. John Lilly; psychiatrist Dr. Stanislav Grof and the father of space flight, visionary Jack Parsons. Their search for the answers to the questions about flying saucers have led to a telling conclusion: only if we open our 'doors of perception' will we be able to understand this alien intelligence."

Click here for the link to the complete article.

And, on related matters, for those of you who may be interested, here's my review of Andy Roberts' book Albion Dreaming: A Popular History of LSD in Britain.

The Paracast & Contactees

2010-05-10T11:13:00.000-07:00

A couple of weeks ago I recorded an episode of The Paracast - on the subject of my Contactees book. Also in on the interview was ufological legend, author, commentator and editor of Saucer Smear, Jim Moseley. Jim divulged much (some thoughtful, some scandalous, some hilarious, but all of it entertaining!) about some of the early figures he met from the Contactee field, including George Adamski himself. A lot of areas were covered in the interview, along with a great deal of theorizing regarding what may be at the heart of the Contactee controversy.

The interview is now online and available as a download right here.

Austin, Texas & Contactees

2010-05-07T12:45:00.000-07:00

I'll be speaking on the subject of my Contactees book on the evening of Saturday June 26 at the Austin Center for Spiritual Living; details of which can be found at the following link: www.AustinCSL.org.

And the actual location of the gig is: 4804 Grover Avenue, Austin, TX 78756.

If you're in Texas and can get along, let me know!

Mufon and Contactees

2010-05-06T10:32:00.000-07:00

I'll be speaking about my Contactees book on Sunday, June 13 for the Oklahoma chapter of the Mutual UFO Network (MUFON). For more information, click on this link.

Contactees At The Paracast

2010-04-23T13:47:00.000-07:00

Earlier today I was interviewed about my Contactees book for Gene Steinberg's The Paracast. Also interviewed for the episode was Ufological legend, Jim Moseley, who met some of the more famous Contactees, including Adamski, Van Tassel, Bethurum and Angelucci. We covered a lot of ground in the 2-hour recording, which will be broadcast on May 9.

Also: I'm pleased to announce that, from time to time, I'll be doing some co-hosting on The Paracast, too.

I'll post a reminder here closer to the date of the broadcast of the Contactee show.

Florida UFO Radio

2010-04-22T12:12:00.000-07:00

A couple of night ago, I was on Florida UFO Radio, speaking about my Contactees book. If you missed the show, you can listen to it via the archives at this link.

Basil & Spice

2010-04-19T07:48:00.001-07:00

Over at Basil & Spice, Lynette Fleming reviews my Contactees book.

Magonia Reviews Contactees

2010-03-29T11:32:00.000-07:00

Over at the Magonia blog, Peter Rogerson reviews my Contactees book and says, in part:

"Reading these tales, there are a number of reasonable possibilities. They are all clearly the work of the human imagination (or perhaps lack of same), and the only question that remains is whether they came from the spontaneous imagination of dreams, hypnogogic and other visionary experiences; or from the crafted imagination, and in the latter case whether the contactees wanted a powerful imperative for their own religious and political views, or were in it mainly for the money. Redfern does note these possibilities, but prefers to invoke all sorts of complicated, baroque explanations, ranging from mind control experiments by secret government agencies, Mac Tonnies' 'crypto-terrestrials' (ie up-market Deros) or intelligent plasmas."

And here's the full review.

Space-Brothers at Zany Mystic

2010-03-26T09:08:00.000-07:00

I'll be speaking about my Contactees book tomorrow night, on the A Fireside Chat With Zany Mystic show - at 9.00PM Central. Here's the link to learn more about the show and tomorrow night's episode. See you there!

Contactees & Religion

2010-03-25T10:37:00.000-07:00

A couple of days ago, I gave a lecture to a class of sociology students at Baylor University, Waco, Texas on the parallels between the Contactee movement and religion. The presentation was well-received, generated a number of questions, and kicked off a good debate about the phenomenon. And, I'm amazed how, 60 years on, the original Contactees continue to provoke so much interest - even to the extent of becoming relevant to the world of mainstream, college education!

Kithra, Contactees and the Name Game

2010-03-24T11:03:00.001-07:00

Kithra reviews my Contactees book and, in part, says:

"As I read on I found myself thinking about the Name Game, so here are the things that stood out for me in that regard:

- Mr. Janus and Prince Philip’s equerry – it suddenly occurred to me that Janus was also the name of a god in Roman mythology. He was the god of entrances and beginnings and endings. Normally he was shown as having two faces, or heads, facing in opposite directions.
- The story of the Maier sisters reminded me of Billy Meier; spelt differently but perhaps pronounced the same.
- How many of those early Contactees had the same Christian name of George: Adamski and Hunt Williamson, Van Tassel, and Geroge King."

And here's the rest of Kithra's review.

Radio Mysterioso - Tonight

2010-03-21T08:21:00.000-07:00

Good friend Greg Bishop will be interviewing me on his Radio Mysterioso show tonight (8PM - 10PM Pacific Time) about my Contactees book. For all the info on the show, click here.

Contactees And Shirley Maclaine

2010-03-16T06:00:00.000-07:00

Last week, I was interviewed by actress Shirley Maclaine - on the subject of my Contactees book - for her Independent Expression Radio show. She had a lot of interesting ideas and thoughts about the UFO controversy, and a lot of ground was covered; including the cases of George Van Tassel, George Adamski and Truman Bethurum. Here's the link for those who may want to listen in to the episode, which is now online.

Contactees on Paratopia

2010-03-12T07:45:00.000-08:00

A few days ago I was interviewed by the guys over at Paratopia - Jeff Ritzmann and Jeremy Vaeni - about my Contactees book. We delved into a lot of areas: the cases, the people, the theories, the history and much, much more of a definitively space-brother nature.

The interview is now available on-line and can be found right here.

A Contactee Anniversary

2010-03-12T07:03:00.000-08:00

I can't let it go by unnoticed that it was 100 years ago today that legendary Contactee, George Van Tassel (of Giant Rock and Integratron fame) was born!

And click here too for more on the man himself.

The Cryptoterrestrials: A Review

2010-03-09T09:07:00.000-08:00

You can find my review of Mac Tonnies' new - and final - book, The Cryptoterrestrials, at my "Reviews" blog. Click on this link and it will take you there. As I noted in the post below, Mac's theories concerning cryptoterrestrials - rather than extraterrestrials - had a major bearing upon the Space-Brother/Contactee controversy.

The Cryptoterrestrials: Available!

2010-03-08T08:52:00.000-08:00

If you have read my book, Contactees, you'll recall that one of the people I interviewed for the book was the late Mac Tonnies, who tragically died last year at the age of only 34.

The reason why I interviewed Mac was simple: at the time, he was working on a manuscript to be titled The Cryptoterrestrials, and which was focused upon the possibility that at least some UFO encounters might not be due to the presence of extraterrestrials from far-off worlds, but might represent the last vestiges of a very ancient, terrestrial race of beings - closely related to the Human Race - that use the alien motif as a brilliant piece of camouflage to move amongst us.

And Mac also applied this theory to the very human-looking Space-Brothers who are so prevalent within the Contactee arena. Mac told me:

"If we're experiencing a staged reality, some of the beings encountered by the Contactees might have been real; and the common messages of universal brotherhood could have been a sincere attempt to curb our destructive tendencies. The extraterrestrial guise would have served as a prudent disguise, neatly misdirecting our attention and leading us to ask the wrong questions; which we're still asking with no substantial results."

And, if that has caught your attention, you'll be pleased to know that Mac's book is now finally available to one and all, thanks to Anomalist Books who have just published it.

Here's the link to the Anomalist Books website where you can find out more about the book, and where to purchase your very own copies.

Shirley Maclaine on Contactees

2010-03-04T09:24:00.000-08:00

I'll be speaking about my Contactees book on Shirley Maclaine's radio show this coming Sunday.

Here's the link:

http://www.shirleymaclaine.com/ieradio/about/next

Over The Threshold

2010-03-02T07:33:00.000-08:00

Good news! Tim Beckley's Global Communications (who do an excellent job of reprinting old and rare books on the Contactee issue) have just released a new edition of Dana Howard's book, Over The Threshold.

I'll be reviewing the book right here as soon as I have read it; but in the meantime, here's what Global Communications have to say about this definitive blast-from-the-past:

"The author befriended the beautiful life form from another world, but was she a spirit or a space being? Dana Howard has been a sensitive since childhood. While still a youngster, she was stricken with tuberculosis and sentenced to an untimely death. Guided by a power higher than infantile reasoning, the young girl went on a hunger fast. It was then that her strange nocturnal travels out-of-body to more serene and beautiful worlds began. The child claims she even made friends in this 'fantasy' realm. Later, when the urge to 'fly' returned, it was than that the author met the beautiful Venusian messenger who called herself Diane. They visited together in the picturesque Mojave Desert which Dana Howard became aware was actually a portal between worlds, a locale which had inspired many stories of UFO landings and meetings with flying saucer occupants. The desert itself, it seems, was "alive" with spiritualized energy, seemingly acting as a magnet, pulling the space woman from the ether onto the desert floor. Far fetched as her experiences may seem, to add weight to her fantastic encounters, the author's inter dimensional friend appeared not only to her, but also to an amazed group of people who had gather with the author in a small white church in Los Angeles for the purpose of conducting a seance during which Diana the space being started to form out of a single thread of ectoplasm. This volume reproduces numerous photos of genuine spirits caught with the eye of the camera in amazing, controversial feats of cosmic photography."

Brown Mountain: Last Night

2010-03-02T07:22:00.001-08:00

As I mentioned (below) a few days ago, the National Geographic Channel's new series, Paranatural, recently filmed an episode on mysterious "Ghost Lights" seen across the United States; but with a heavy emphasis on the activity that has been reported on Brown Mountain, North Carolina. As you may know, my Contactees book describes a particularly notable encounter of the Space-Brother variety that occurred on the mountain - and that had a direct connection to the lights - back in the 1960s.

Well, the show aired last night; but if you missed it (as I did, as I don't have a subscription to the channel), click on this link, where you can find an overview, photos and a clip from the show.

Brown Mountain Mysteries

2010-02-25T04:56:00.000-08:00

As those who have read my Contactees book will recall, I have a section in the book on the mysterious aerial lights of Brown Mountain, North Carolina; the tie-in with the stories of the Space-Brothers; and good comments on the whole controversy from Micah Hanks.

Purely coincidentally, I was interviewed on the subject of the Brown Mountain Lights by the National Geographic Channel's new series Paranatural late last year - and the episode in question airs next Monday.

I'm not sure how much of my interview will appear; but in the meantime, here's good friend Josh Warren to tell you more about the episode in question and to tell you about his role in the show.

Over to Josh:

Dear Friends & Associates,

Please put this on your calendar now!

At long last, our highly-anticipated show on "Mystery Lights" is slated to air on the National Geographic Channel. It's called "Paranatural," and should reveal some of the most amazing footage our team has ever captured at the bizarre Brown Mountain. It will debut at 9pm east coast (New York) U.S. time, and may run a few more times that week. For a sneak peak of some weird footage we captured, please see: http://www.joshuapwarren.com/

For more information, be sure to tune into my radio program, SPEAKING OF STRANGE, this Saturday night, Feb. 27 (weather permitting I can make it to the studio), at 8pm east coast time. You can listen live to the online stream for free at: http://www.speakingofstrange.com/

Please forward this to your friends so they'll be sure to either watch the show, or set their DVRs, for the National Geographic Channel this Monday night, March 1, 9pm east coast time.

Thanks!

Joshua

www.JoshuaPWarren.com

Contactees/Fortean Times Online

2010-02-24T11:12:00.000-08:00

As I mentioned here recently in an earlier post, Andy Roberts has reviewed my Contactees book for Fortean Times. The entire review has now been posted online at the FT website and can be found here.

Contactees at MUFON

2010-02-22T12:25:00.000-08:00

I'll be speaking tomorrow for the San Antonio, Texas chapter of the Mutual UFO Network (MUFON) about my Contactees book. I'll be doing an illustrated lecture covering such subjects as the cases of George Adamski; Truman Bethurum; Orfeo Angelucci; George Van Tassel; and Daniel Fry; as well as looking at the various theories, ideas and insight offered on the subject by such researchers as Greg Bishop; Micah Hanks; and the late Mac Tonnies.

If you happen to be in the San Antonio area and can make the meeting, here's the link to the SA MUFON site where you can find all the relevant details.

Contactees at Mysterious Universe

2010-02-15T05:36:00.001-08:00

You can find a new interview with me (recorded last week) on my Contactees book at Mysterious Universe. It was a good interview and we covered a lot of ground with respect to the Contactees; the nature of their experiences; the history of the phenomenon; some of the theories that have been put forward to explain what lies at the heart of Contactee-style experiences, and much more.

Rick Phillips Comments

2010-02-11T05:21:00.000-08:00

Rick Phillips comments on my recent post on Contactees and ufological absurdities. A few minor points aside, we seem to be on the same track. Here's the lino to Rick's post.

Fortean Times on Contactees

2010-02-10T05:05:00.000-08:00

The new issue of Fortean Times magazine includes a good review by Andy Roberts of my Contactees book. In part, Andy says of the book: "Nick Redfern, author of a wide variety of UFO books from the serious to the popular, has taken the bull by the horns and produced the, so far, definitive book on the subject."

He adds: "The best analysis of the contactees is that they were an unrelated bunch of fantasists, mystics, hucksters and conmen – sometimes all of those at once – with some possibly having connections with the intelligence services. Their story is a wild ride and is much more interesting than that of the later claims of those who claim to have been abducted. Ufologists can, if they pay attention, learn much of how ufology got to its present state by looking at the contactees instead of ignoring them. The definitive academic work on the contactees is yet to be written. While you wait for that you will find enough stories, theories and speculation about this fascinating group of space age messiahs in Nick Redfern’s history picnic to keep you in mind food for many months."

Contactees at LOWFI

2010-02-08T13:13:00.001-08:00

A few weeks ago, I was recently asked write an article for the LOWFI site, and which has just been posted. It's on the Contactee movement.

If you're easily offended, delete before reading!

http://www.forteanswest.com/lowfiguesteditorial-NickRedfern0210.html

Greg Bishop on Omnec Onec

2010-02-03T10:37:00.000-08:00

Good friend Greg Bishop digs into the story of Omnec Onec, Venus - and the price of Contactee books, too!

Andy Lloyd Reviews Contactees

2010-01-26T12:43:00.000-08:00

Andy Lloyd, author of the books, The Dark Star; Ezekiel One; and The Followers of Horus reviews my Contactees book:

In part, Lloyd says: "The author presents an excellent and open-minded overview of various strands of research into the phenomenon: Narcotic drugs, hypnogogia, meditative trances, earthlights and the effects of DMT are all analysed thoroughly. There is a folkloric element at play here, too, and he sensibly brings Jacques Vallee's seminal work into the equation. Redfern even considers evidence that government agents were planted to spread ridicule amid a subject that was gaining popular momentum in the US. There are even darker possibilities, with accounts of mind-control experiments conducted on unsuspecting folk in isolated rural areas (as in the case of Villas Boas).

"In the end, Nick Redfern seems to avoid a definitive conclusion. His generally sceptical air indicates he is tackling the subject as just another of his enjoyable paranormal romps. But I know that he is also passionate about the UFO subject, and there remains an under-current of serious enquiry. Perhaps there is some doubt in his mind that the entire subject can dismissed out of hand, as would seem sensible from a more sceptical viewpoint. I think that hesitation to find fraud around every Contact corner is laudable, and provides the right balance to this book.

"I've often wanted to read a book devoted to this subject, and 'Contactees' does not disappoint."

And here's the link to Andy's complete review.

Venusian Contact!

2010-01-25T11:29:00.001-08:00

The ever-industrious Regan Lee has a new post on the Venusian-alien angle...

The Parafractor: Archived

2010-01-25T11:12:00.000-08:00

Another show on my Contactees book that is now archived, and which I recorded just a few days ago: The Parafractor.

ISIS Radio & Contactees

2010-01-25T11:09:00.000-08:00

On Saturday night, I spoke about my Contactees book on ISIS Paranormal Radio. The show is now archived, and can be found right here.

Native Wisdom & Contactees

2010-01-21T05:49:00.000-08:00

The interview I did last night on Native Wisdom on my Contactees book is now archived and available, and can be found by clicking on this link.

Native Wisdom: Tonight

2010-01-20T10:11:00.000-08:00

I'll be speaking about my Contactees book tonight on the Native Wisdom radio show with host Andie Hight. For those who may want to listen in, here's the link.

Devil Girl From Mars

2010-01-19T08:00:00.000-08:00

Now, I just know a blog-post title like that is going to get your attention!

A couple of nights ago I watched an old (1954) British, black-and-white science-fiction film called Devil Girl From Mars that starred Patricia Laffan as the Devil-Girl herself, and Hazel Court (who appeared in a number of the classic Hammer horror films of the late 1950s and early 1960s), and John Laurie, a Scottish character-actor best known in Britain for his role as Fraser in the BBC comedy of the 1960s and 1970s, Dad's Army.

Basically, the film tells the story of a hot alien babe from Mars called Nyah (who spends the whole film clad in a tight-fitting black outfit, black cloak and long black-boots - most certainly not something I was complaining about!), who comes to our world to seek out males to help boost the waning Martian population - which has been decimated as a result of a war on the red-planet between males and females, in which the women won. Of course, with the Martian men gone, this makes breeding quite a problem!

The plan is for Nyah to land her Flying Saucer in London. Unfortunately, things go awry and she comes down near an old inn in the wilds of Scotland - an inn that is populated by just the owner, a couple of employees and a handful of guests. And, yes, they become the small band that has to try and thwart Nyah's dastardly plans.

Well, personally speaking, having to repopulate a whole planet full of numerous Nyah's doesn't sound such a bad job to me at all - but I digress!

Anyway, I won't spoil the outcome for those who may want to watch the film, but I will say the following: Devil Girl From Mars certainly isn't a classic. But it is entertaining and thought-provoking, too. Indeed, it also contains a number of Contactee-based parallels, too.

For example, Nyah can speak all Earth-based languages (as, reportedly, could a number of the Space-Brothers); her people have been secretly listening to our radio shows and signals (and radio played a central role in several of the early Contactee cases); she warns (as did pretty much all of the long-haired and alien ones) of the perils of war and destruction; she provides a wealth of scientific data about her craft to those of the group she invites on-board (a curious theme present in many Contactee accounts); and is strangely detached and even slightly ethereal - which reminds me very much of Truman Bethurum's very own alien-babe, Captain Aura Rhanes of Clarion.

I suspect not many people will be aware of Devil Girl From Mars, but for anyone with an affection for the early years of the Flying Saucer culture (both in the real world and in the domain of fiction), it's worth a watch.

Regan Talks Venusians

2010-01-19T07:52:00.000-08:00

Over at her Trickster's Realm at Binnall of America, Regan Lee has a good, new post titled Women from Venus that is definitively Contactee-driven; but that does a very good job indeed of demonstrating the high-strangeness that dominates the subject, and the difficulties that often prevent us from getting a clear handle on what lies at the heart of the Contactee mystery.

The Veritas Show: Tonight

2010-01-15T05:39:00.000-08:00

Just recently I did a pre-record for The Veritas Show, with host Mel Fabregas, on the subject of my Contactees book. The show will be broadcast tonight, and you can find all the details at: http://www.veritasshow.com

In the meantime, here's a taste of the interview:

Bizarre Bazaar & Contactees

2010-01-12T07:28:00.000-08:00

The new issue (No. 14) of Timothy Green Beckley's Bizarre Bazaar magazine (which can be purchased by contacting Tim at Inner Light, Box 753, New Brunswick, NJ 08903) contains an extensive interview with me about my Contactees book.

The interview covers a lot of ground, such as (A) my views on what lies at the heart of the Contactee mystery; (B) the FBI's interest in those claiming contact with long-haired Space-Brothers; (C) Mac Tonnies' theories that the Space-Brothers might not be so alien after all; and much more.

Magic, Mysticism & The Molecule

2010-01-12T07:11:00.000-08:00

Just recently, I wrote the foreword to Micah Hanks' forthcoming book, Magic, Mysticism and the Molecule. I can say with absolute certainty that if - like me - you think that we should be looking into distinctly alternative areas and realms for the answers to the UFO puzzle and to a wealth of other Fortean puzzles too, then you will most definitely want to get hold of a copy of Micah's book at the earliest opportunity.

Also: in my opinion, Micah's theories, ideas and conclusions throw a wealth of much-needed and welcome light on the Contactee puzzle, too.

Click here to learn more about Micah Hanks' Magic, Mysticism and the Molecule.

Jim Moseley Reviews Contactees

2010-01-12T07:01:00.000-08:00

Certainly one of the most legendary characters within the field of Ufology, Jim Moseley is someone who has been on the scene since the early 1950s - and he's still going strong with his witty, informative and cutting newsletter Saucer Smear (which can be obtained by writing to Jim at P.O. Box 1709, Key West, FL 33041).

I interviewed Jim for my Contactees book - on the subject of his memories of meeting George Adamski, as well as his views on the Contactee movement in general. And, Jim - having read Contactees - has now reviewed it in the new issue (Vol. 57, No. 1), and says in part about the book:

"...what we really like is that many theories are thrown forward but without dogmatic adherence to any particular one. The ET hypothesis is made to sound unlikely, and we strongly agree that it is unlikely. The solution to the mystery is far more complex than that."

OFFLINE FOR A FEW DAYS

2010-01-07T06:26:00.000-08:00

I'm signing offline now, as I'll be lecturing on the subject of my book, There's Something in the Woods this weekend at the Ghosts of Cooperstown, NY event, details for which can be found here. I'll be back online on Tuesday, so have a cool weekend!

UFO Paranormal Radio Network

2010-01-07T06:22:00.000-08:00

You can download a new interview with me about my Contactees book at the website of the UFO Paranormal Radio Network, which can be accessed right here.

Journey with Rebecca

2010-01-05T11:00:00.000-08:00

I'll be on the Journey with Rebecca Radio Show tonight discussing my Contactees book. The time is 8PM to 10PM Central Time, and here's the link to the website for the show. See you there!

Alien Art

2010-01-04T07:16:00.000-08:00

As some of you will know, Fortean researcher Regan Lee contributed significant data to my Contactees book (on the subject of Dana Howard's encounters of the 1950s). Well, the good news is that Regan has just set up a new blog: on Alien Art. Take a look!

Positively Incorrect!

2009-12-29T09:11:00.001-08:00

I'll be speaking about my Contactees book tonight on the Positively Incorrect radio-show with host Scott Cluthe. Here's all the details.

Up Rainbow Hill: Update

2009-12-28T08:03:00.000-08:00

A few days ago, I mentioned here (at this link) that Tim Beckley had just published a new edition of Dana Howard's book, Up Rainbow Hill. As you may know, thanks to the good work of researcher Regan Lee, Howard's story is told in my Contactees book, too.

Tim has emailed me with the updated Amazon link for Up Rainbow Hill, which now includes the book-cover image (see above), and which can be found right here.

Up Rainbow Hill is a classic book from the era of the Contactees, and one that should be read by anyone and everyone with an interest in the subject.

HAVE A MERRY CHRISTMAS!

2009-12-23T07:50:00.000-08:00

I will be offline for the next few days, so will take the opportunity now to wish all of you a very merry Christmas, and a happy and healthy 2010!

A Contactee Synchronicity

2009-12-22T09:21:00.000-08:00

I've mentioned at previous posts on this blog how a number of odd and curious synchronicities have occurred during the course of writing my Contactees book.

Now, Regan Lee (who contributed data for the book on Dana Howard) relates yet another event of the synchronistic kind involving the book...

Micah Hanks Reviews Contactees

2009-12-21T09:31:00.001-08:00

Over at his Gralien Report, Micah Hanks (see photo left) reviews my Contactees book, and says in part:

"...In addition to providing brilliant, informative first-hand research, Contactees also highlights the work of a variety of other individuals who have staked claims in the field of Ufology and alien encounters. Greg Bishop, Timothy Green Beckley, Joshua P. Warren, Jim Moseley, Regan Lee, are all interviewed within its pages, providing what may be the most diverse argument pertaining to human-alien interaction throughout the ages that has ever been produced.

"Perhaps, though sadly, one of the book’s brightest points of interest involves the discussion of cryptoterrestrials, a sort of last will and testament given by the late (and sorely missed) researcher Mac Tonnies. The inclusion of Tonnies’ futuristic interpretations provide icing on the cake to what otherwise would still be by far the best—albeit the strangest—book on UFO contactees to-date.

"Indeed, Contactees outlines a peculiar subculture that remains present in the fringes of Americana, and though well known to some, it has received its best treatment thanks to the efforts of Redfern. With the information provided in this book, one may even begin to interpret the manner and appearances of UFO craft throughout the decades… perhaps the next move of the trans-generational 'Space Brothers' lies within its very words."

Contactee Defense

2009-12-21T08:51:00.001-08:00

Regan Lee has a new post over at her Vintage UFO titled Defending the Contactees, and which you may find interesting.

Contactees & Radio

2009-12-18T12:12:00.000-08:00

Two more shows where I'll be speaking about Contactees:

Positively Incorrect Radio on December 29; and Mancow Muller Show on January 18.

Paracast Link: Contactees

2009-12-18T12:08:00.000-08:00

Here's the link to my recent appearance on The Paracast, with David Biedny and Gene Steinberg, on the subject of my Contactees book.

A Contactee and a Crashed UFO

2009-12-18T11:01:00.000-08:00

It's not often that the Contactees are mentioned alongside reports of crashed UFOs. But, there are exceptions to the rule - one of which involves one of the most controversial of all the early Contactees, Truman Bethurum (author of Aboard A Flying Saucer and several other books) and one of the more well-known alleged crashed UFO cases. Namely, the reported crash at Kingman, Arizona in 1953.

Although I have a chapter on Bethurum in my Contactees book, due to space-limitations and word-count, I was unable to include everything on the man; such as the following, which details the strange saga of Bethurum and Kingman. So, I figured I might as well post the material here, as it's a genuinely weird addition to the fairly substantial body of data on the Kingman affair.

Situated in the scenic Hualapai Valley between the Cerbat and Hualapai mountain ranges, Kingman, Arizona was founded in 1882. Today, it has a population of approximately 28,000; and the nearby communities of Golden Valley and Butler bring the Kingman area’s total population to around 40,000.

The town is known for its very modest beginnings, as a simple railroad siding near Beale’s Springs in the Middleton Section, along the newly-constructed route of the Atlantic and Pacific Railroad. The city of Kingman was named after Lewis Kingman who surveyed along the Atlantic and Pacific right of way between Needles and Albuquerque; and who supervised the building of the railroad from Winslow to Beale's Springs, which is near the present location of the city of Kingman.

But, it is Kingman's link to the crashed UFO issue upon we are most focused.

Before we get to the crux of the matter, it is important to note that - despite what some researchers have claimed - the evidence in support of the notion that something extraordinary occurred at, or near, Kingman in May 1953 does not stand or fall on the word of one solitary witness - who has become known by the pseudonym of Fritz Werner.

In reality, there are far more than a handful of stories, reports and testimonies that collectively have a significant bearing upon this decades-old incident.

Highlights of the Kingman controversy include the original testimony of Fritz Werner, as provided to researchers Jeff Young and Paul Chetham in 1971. Chetham and Young were the first people within the UFO research community to speak with the source; and very brief aspects of the story and interview were published in the Framingham, Massachusetts edition of the Middlesex News on April 23, 1973.

According to the newspaper, Jeff Young had interviewed a man who asserted that he had worked with Project Blue Book and had made, “contact with an alien craft.”

The Young-Chetham interview revealed that their source had been at the site of a UFO crash at Kingman, Arizona, approximately twenty years previously.

According to Werner: “The object was not built by anything, obviously, that we know about on Earth. At that time I was out of the atomic testing, but I was still with the Air Force and this was the time I was on Blue Book. There was a report that there was a crash of an unexplained vehicle in the west and they organized a team of about forty of us. I was one of those forty.”

Concerning the reported recovery of an apparent alien body at the scene, Werner said: “I saw the creature [that] you’re talking about. It was real and I would guess about four feet tall.” Its body was dark brown in color; and Werner offered the theory that perhaps the creature’s skin had darkened due to “atmospheric exposure.”

The respected researcher Ray Fowler later spoke with the witness, who prepared the following affidavit: “I, Fritz Werner, do solemnly swear that during a special assignment with the U.S. Air Force, on May 21, 1953, I assisted in the investigation of a crashed unknown object in the vicinity of Kingman, Arizona. The object was constructed of an unfamiliar metal which resembled brushed aluminum. It had impacted twenty inches into the sand without any sign of structural damage.. It was oval and about 30 feet in diameter. An entranceway hatch had been vertically lowered and opened.. It was about 3-1/2 feet high and 1-1/2 feet wide. I was able to talk briefly with someone on the team who did look inside only briefly. He saw two swivel seats, an oval cabin, and a lot of instruments and displays. A tent pitched near the object sheltered the dead remains of the only occupant of the craft. It was about 4 feet tall, dark brown complexion and had 2 eyes, 2 nostrils, 2 ears, and a small round mouth. It was clothed in a silvery, metallic suit and wore a skullcap of the same type material. It wore no face covering or helmet. I certify that the above statement is true by affixing my signature to this document this day of June 7, 1973.”

And with that brief summary of the Kingman case highlighted, let us move on to the realm of the Contactees.

Beyond any shadow of doubt, the number of people who can claim aliens wrecked their marriages is infinitely small. But, such claims have been made – the most memorable being that of construction-worker Truman Bethurum. His idea of a close encounter was very different to those of other UFO witnesses: his alleged 1952 liaisons – atop Nevada’s Mormon Mesa - with Space Captain Aura Rhanes, a supposed citizen of the planet Clarion, ultimately led his outraged wife to file for divorce!

Mormon Mesa is a 1,893 foot high summit which dominates Nevada’s Moapa Valley. Between the mesa and its two, near-identical neighbors, are two huge chasms created by the Muddy and Virgin Rivers that carved the mesa eons ago. Visually stunning, both then and now, Mormon Mesa was about to become a veritable hotbed of alien activity – specifically when, in the mid-to-late part of 1952, Bethurum began working in the area.

Bethurum’s wife was a collector of seashells; and as the area had been covered by ocean during prehistoric times, after he finished his shift one particular night, Bethurum headed out to the Mesa to see if he could find any fossilized shells as a gift for his wife – who had decided not to accompany her husband to Nevada, and instead elected to remain at their home in Santa Barbara. Yes: the cracks in the relationship were already showing.

Bethurum searched the pitch-black area for a couple of hours; but, having failed to find any such seashells, returned to his truck “to take a little snooze.” It was while snoozing – or while, it might be argued, he was in an altered state-of-mind – that Bethurum was blessed with a visit from the inhabitants of another world: the Clarionites. An hour or so after falling asleep, said Bethurum, he was awakened by what he described as “mumbling.”

As he began to stir, Bethurum was shocked to see that his truck was surrounded by between eight and ten men. They were all olive-skinned, around five feet in height, wearing uniforms and black-billed caps – and who were in stark contrast to the long-haired, hippy-types that hung out with George Adamski. The encounters had begun – according to Bethurum, at least.

It must be stressed that much of Bethurum’s tale is, frankly, unbelievable. His encounters with the shapely Captain Rhanes come across like a cross between Star Trek and Baywatch, and read like a wild sci-fi novel. But, there is one particularly intriguing aspect to Bethurum’s story.

On the night of November 2, 1952, Bethurum was out in the desert, actually very near to the town of Kingman.

Anxious to see his gorgeous Captain Rhanes again, Bethurum fired into the air one of several flares supposedly given to him by his alien friends, as a means by which he could contact them at any time. Sure enough, Rhanes and her crew were quickly on the scene. For the final time, Bethurum was invited aboard the saucer and the pair chatted at length about life on their respective worlds, their hobbies, and much more of a friendly nature.

At the end of the exchange, there was no real indication that this was to be their last meeting – and yet, it certainly was. Rhanes escorted Bethurum out of the saucer and back to the desert floor, where they bid each other farewell. In a few moments, Bethurum was alone, standing in the stark desert darkness; watching in awe as the huge alien craft grew ever smaller as it rose silently into the starlit sky.

We could, of course, relegate Bethurum’s story to the realm of fiction and nothing else – and, indeed, many people within the UFO research arena have firmly done precisely that. In the minds of many, the Contactees of yesteryear most certainly do not stand strong against today’s Abductees. There is, however, one intriguing factor suggesting that, just maybe, Bethurum wasn’t quite the fantasist that so many believed him to be.

Recall that Fritz Werner had told Ray Fowler in his 1970s affidavit that with respect to the alien body found at the Kingman site: “It was about 4 feet tall, dark brown complexion and had 2 eyes, 2 nostrils, 2 ears, and a small round mouth. It was clothed in a silvery, metallic suit and wore a skullcap of the same type material.”

Compare that with the words of the aliens that Truman Bethurum claimed to have encountered in late 1952 very near to Kingman: “They were all olive-skinned, around five feet in height, wearing uniforms and black-billed caps.”

The location is, of course, the same in both stories. The aliens in both accounts are short in stature – which is in stark contrast to most of the long-haired beings reported in Contactee cases in the 1950s. Both Werner and Bethurum said that the aliens wore uniforms and caps. The body viewed by Werner was dark-skinned; and the skin of the aliens that Bethurum claimed to have met was olive-skinned – not too much of a difference, one could well argue.

The wholly skeptical commentator might say that Bethurum simply made up his story after hearing of the Fritz Werner revelations in the 1970s. There is, however, a big problem with this theory: Bethurum’s account was published way back in 1954 – less than one-year after the alleged events at Kingman occurred, and no less than two-decades before Fritz Werner even surfaced. In view of the above, perhaps Bethurum was not the mere hoaxer that many have assumed him to be, after all. And, maybe, some of his alien friends met their deaths in Kingman in 1953, only a few months after he encountered them for the very last time and very nearby...

Dana Howard Update

2009-12-17T12:11:00.000-08:00

I mentioned a couple of days ago that Tim Beckley had reprinted one of Dana's Howard's classic Contactee books: Up Rainbow Hill, which includes a new introduction from researcher-writer, Regan Lee; and who kindly shared her data on Howard for inclusion in my Contactees book.

The good news is that it is now up on Amazon, and can be pre-ordered right here.

And, here's what the publisher has to say about the book:

DANA HOWARD S SPACE CONTACT WAS A BEAUTIFUL, BLONDE, EIGHT FOOT TALL WOMAN WHO MATERIALIZED IN FRONT OF A ROOMFUL OF PEOPLE

All Onboard!

The great Golden Age Of Flying Saucers complete with encounters that bordered on the outrageous ran from the early 1950s for just about a decade. During this period, dozens of individuals came forward with seemingly far-fetched stories of having established an ongoing relationship with benevolent almost angelic beings from space.

With a few exceptions, these contacts took place in the desert regions of California and Arizona, and sometimes the proud earthlings that became known in pop culture as contactees, were honored by being invited inside the exotic, airborne, circular foils of the visitors for a test ride into outer space. Some even insisted they had stepped out onto the worlds from which their newly found ET friends had arrived.

Some of the best known names from the Golden Age of Flying Saucers include George Adamski, George Van Tassel, Truman Bethrum, George Hunt Williamson, Howard Menger, Orfeo Angelucci and a farmer named Buck Nelson who with his dog Bo established a strong bond with the space beings who landed quite regularly outback of his farm in the Ozarks.

For the most part the UFO contactees were men, but Dana Howard was a rare exception. Her first contact transpired in 1939, about which she said:

"Still wrapped in the warm intoxication of the spirit, my vision was directed to a gnarled old tree overlooking the antediluvian hills. Leaning casually against the grotesque trunk was a woman being of unsurpassed loveliness. Her head was radiant with a crown of fire, strands of golden hair cascading gently over her beautiful, slightly olive-tinted shoulders. The strange mystic light flooding her dark, prophetic eyes, added a wishful something to all her other charms."

This is when Dana Howard noticed a strange object suspended in mid-air about three hundred feet above the ground: "In the main it seemed to be constructed of some sort of translucent materials, but trimmed in gold, and gem-studded. An almost invisible ladder extended from the ship to the earth, and I obediently followed the radiant being up the filmy stairs without questioning."

It wasn t until sixteen years later that Dana had her second encounter when the same radiant being materialized in front of a group of individuals gathered for an occult workshop in Los Angeles. By this time New Age philosophies were widely being accepted and so no one cringed or got spooked out when this beautiful being appeared out of thin air and announced that she was from Venus and wished to speak directly with Ms Howard.

What followed was an ongoing series of contacts that lasted for several years and culminated in a series of UFO contact books by Dana Howard, including this classical reprint of UP RAINBOW HILL.

OTHER BOOKS BY DANA HOWARD WILL SOON FOLLOW!!!

Coast to Coast Last Night

2009-12-17T11:39:00.000-08:00

I was very pleased with the way things went on last night's Coast to Coast show with George Noory.

From the witching-hour until 3 AM we discussed a wide range of Contactee-related issues and people, such as the nature of the alien presence on Earth; the FBI's secret surveillance of the Contactees of the 1950s and 1960s; the cases of George Adamski, George Van Tassel, Truman Bethurum, and many more.

You can find a summary of the Coast to Coast show right here.

In additon, I have spent much of this morning responding to numerous emails from people who heard the show, and then related to me their own experiences of the Contactee-kind; several of which date back to the dawn of the so-called modern era of Ufology, and which are of profound interest and significance. Hopefully, I'll be able to expand on some of these cases at a later date.

Coast to Coast & Contactees

2009-12-16T08:06:00.000-08:00

Tonight, I'll be doing a marathon session on Coast to Coast: midnight to 3.00 AM Central Time. The subject: my Contactees book. Hopefully I'll see you there! Here's the link to all the info.

Dawn of Shades Radio - Tonight

2009-12-15T10:19:00.000-08:00

I'm being interviewed about Contactees tonight on the Dawn of Shades radio-show - and here's the link, in case you want to listen in.

Up Rainbow Hill

2009-12-15T05:07:00.000-08:00

One of the Contactees who I devoted a whole chapter to in my book (thanks to the excellent research of Regan Lee) is Dana Howard; whose story is of definitive Space-Brother (or in this case, Space-Sister) proportions. Well, the good news is that Tim Beckley's Global Communications has just published a brand-new edition of Howard's book Up Rainbow Hill, which is essential reading for anyone wanting to learn more about Howard's story. I can't find the book on Amazon yet; so in the meantime, here's a link where you can find more about her. And, as soon as the book is up on Amazon, I'll let you know.

Linda Godfrey Reviews Contactees

2009-12-10T08:25:00.001-08:00

Linda Godfrey (author of such excellent books as Strange Wisconsin; The Beast of Bray Road; and Hunting the American Werewolf) reviews my Contactees book at her MySpace blog.

In part, she says:

"...The disturbing fact, according to Redfern, is that a common thread tends to lead to the same, surprising conclusion in the bulk of cases. We are not alone, he posits, but the 'others' are not necessarily from Venus or the Pleiades. Where they do originate, and what it is that they want, I will leave to Redfern's eloquent explanation."

And here's the link to the full review.

Paracast Radio: Sunday Night

2009-12-10T05:24:00.000-08:00

Yesterday morning I did a pre-record of a show for David Biedny and Gene Steinberg, the guys over at the Paracast. The subject: Contactees. This was a 2-hour interview, in which we covered a lot of ground: the story of George Adamski; government interest and involvement with the Contactee movement; the account of Truman Bethurum and his space-babe, Aura Rhanes; and much more.

The show will be broadcast this coming Sunday night from 6PM to 8PM Pacific Time; 8PM to 10PM Central Time, and 9PM to 11PM Eastern Time.

You can find more about both the episode and the show itself right here.

Badlands - Tonight

2009-12-09T09:02:00.000-08:00

I'll be discussing my Contactees book tonight on Badlands with Captain Jack. Here's the link if you want to listen in.

Space-Brother Radio

2009-12-09T08:48:00.000-08:00

Last night I recorded an interview with radio-host Bruce Collins on the subject of my Contactees book. The show will air this coming Saturday at 10am EST; 9am CST; and 7am PST on WSMN 1590 AM Nashua, New Hampshire and can be heard online at www.wsmnradio.com

Swedenborg & Contactees

2009-12-09T08:27:00.000-08:00

Good friend Micah Hanks (seen here with me on the left in the photo) has generously shared extracts from his excellent manuscript, Magic, Mysticism and the Molecule.

Hopefully, Micah's script will be published in the very near future and you'll be able to read this ground-breaking work in full. Be sure to keep checking Micah's Gralien Report for the latest news on MM&M.

As Micah noted in his email to me, this particular extract has distinct Contactee-style overtones to it. And with that said over to Micah:

Psychic Travel to Distant Planets

"Close to a century after magicians John Dee and Edward Kelley parted ways, Christian Mystic Emanuel Swedenborg would claim to visit other planets and learn languages of 'angels' as well, by means of out-of-body experiences. This was made possible after a spiritual 'awakening', during which Swedenborg claimed that God had opened his eyes, allowing him to see the spirit-world around him, as well as its various inhabitants.

"In his popular 1758 work Heaven and its Wonders and Hell From Things Heard and Seen, Swedenborg claimed to have witnessed firsthand the vastness of the afterlife, and spoke of the manner in which angels communicated both to him and to one another:

"'Angels talk together just as men do in the world, and also on various subjects, as on domestic affairs, on civil affairs, on the affairs of moral life, and on those of spiritual life; nor is there any other difference than that they converse more intelligently than men, because more interiorly from thought. It has been given me often to be in company with them, and to speak with them as friend with friend, and sometimes as stranger with stranger; and then, because I was in a similar state with them, I knew no otherwise than that I was speaking with men on earth.

"In addition to being made privy to angelic languages similar to Dee and Kelley’s assertions, Swedenborg took things one-step further by claiming to have visited other planets in his out-of-body travels, a practice similar to branches of the Hindu religion that refer to 'planets' in their meditative out-of-body journeys. Such claims have certainly helped stifle Swedenborg’s intellect in the minds of many modern scholars and theologians, prompting various theories that question the scholar’s sanity in his later years.

"Swedish co-founder of the Royal Academy of Sciences Count von Höpken once posed the question whether it 'would not be best for him to keep (these angelic accounts) to himself, and not publish them to the world?' However, von Höpken also provides rationale for Swedenborg’s actions: He answered that he had orders from the Lord to publish them; and that those who might ridicule him on that account would do him injustice; for, said he, 'why should I, who am a man in years, render myself ridiculous for fantasies and falsehoods.'"

"Similarly, the Swedenborg Scientific Association dedicated an entire issue of its publication The New Philosophy to the question of whether Swedenborg could have suffered from failing mental health in his lifetime. Editor Kurt Simmons Ph.D. notes that, 'Swedenborg presents a particularly, indeed perhaps uniquely, daunting challenge to any observer attempting to evaluate the applicability of the madness hypothesis to his claims of revelation.'

"When taking into consideration the sheer volume of scholarly study Swedenborg undertook in his time, ranging from interest in biology, engineering, physics, philosophy and, finally, his theological works, it is difficult to leave with any notion that these were the ramblings of an unsound mind.

"Of particular interest here may be another book Swedenborg published in 1758, titled Concerning Earths in the Solar System. In it, Swedenborg describes his bodiless travels to nearby inhabited planets, the furthest from Earth being Saturn. This is peculiar, as noted by J. Gordon Melton in his essay Contactees, especially due to the fact that Saturn was only the furthest known planet from Earth at the time Swedenborg wrote the book. Had he known of the existence of planets scattered amongst the outer portions of our solar system, would he have known to visit those also?

"Could it be that Swedenborg wasn’t insane at all, but instead that he had merely had such a fertile mind that he began to tie associations between his theological interests and the known astronomy of his day, drawing together early visions of science fiction set on a stage elsewhere in the cosmos?"

Contactees: Reviewed

2009-12-09T08:23:00.000-08:00

Robin Anderson-Forbes of My Strange Blog, has reviewed my Contactees book and, in part, writes:

"...Redfern has managed to round up a great selection of contactee cases. He’s managed to use some good sources of information, including people who are able to provide some fascinating insight into the various cases and the phenomenon of alien contact in general. Overall, I believe that Redfern has given this subject a very good treatment and that Contactees is well worth reading.

You can find the full review right here.

Space-Brothers on the Radio

2009-12-07T14:02:00.000-08:00

For those who may want to listen in, here’s a listing of shows and gigs where I’ll be speaking about my Contactees book:

Explore Your Spirit Radio - Feb. 21;
Voice of the People - Feb. 20;
Parafractor - Jan. 21;
Exploring Unexplained Phenomena - Jan. 9;
Ghosts of Coopertown Conference - Jan. 8 - 11;
X-Squared Radio - Dec. 20;
Badlands Radio - Dec. 18;
Coast to Coast - Dec. 16;
Dawn of Shades - Dec. 15;
Z-Talk Radio - Dec. 14;
Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Conservatism - Dec. 13;
The Paracast - Dec. 13;
The Veritas Show - Dec. 10;
Badlands Radio - Dec. 9;
The Bruce Collins Show - Dec. 8;

The AZ-UFO Show Tonight

2009-12-05T09:16:00.000-08:00

I'll be discussing my Contactees book (as well as my Science Fiction Secrets book) on tonight's episode of the AZ-UFO Show with host Rich Giordano. Here's the link.

And Another Helicopter...

2009-12-03T12:44:00.001-08:00

Here's yet another military helicopter over our house: this one of the double-rotor variety. It took me a minute or so to find my camera, hence why it's somewhat further away than the 'copters in the earlier photo; but I'm now all set-up with the camera by the back-door if the situation continues...

And Continues...

2009-12-02T14:02:00.000-08:00

If a dead frog sitting on a mini-Stonehenge, and two weird stories of a definitively Contactee nature (this one and this one) weren't enough to deal with, there has also been a huge spate of military-helicopter activity over our house for the past week or so.

One - of the double-rotor variety - which flew over two nights ago, not only caused an almighty rumbling; but actually lit up part of our back-garden with a powerful light!

That one, I wasn't able to capture on film. But, all of the others, I most assuredly have been able to - and the photo above shows two of them in action.

Am I simply reading too much into all this high-strangeness that seems to have kicked off in the wake of the publication of my Contactees book, or is something very odd really afoot...???

Ideas anyone...?

The Weirdness Continues...

2009-12-02T13:42:00.000-08:00

A couple of nights ago, I was interviewed on the Jeff Rense Program about my Contactees book and noted that the book contains a chapter on sightings of so-called "Space Brothers" in the vicinity of Stonehenge and Crop-Circles, and their relationship to the whole "Trickster" controversy.

Well, it so happens that I actually built my very own (albeit highly condensed in size, of course!) recreation of Stonehenge in our back-garden some time ago (yes, I know it's weird and I am too!); part of which is shown in the accompanying photo. So, imagine my surprise when I was out there this morning - cleaning fallen leaves off the fish-pond - when I saw sat atop one of the henge-stones a frog: and a dead and quite shrivelled one at that, too. How it got atop there, and why it did so to only sit and die, I have no idea at all.

But if this isn't some bizarre Trickster-like game of on-going and currently-unfathomable proportions, I'll eat my hat! And, as this link shows, the frog is a mysterious creature, indeed.

Saucer Synchronicities

2009-12-01T10:16:00.000-08:00

As I have noted previously at this blog, a number of curious synchronicities occurred during the course of researching and writing my latest book, Contactees: A History of Alien-Human Interaction.

And, now, there has been another one.

On Sunday morning, I finished reading the newly-surfaced account of a person who - in the 1970s - had a Contactee-style experience that in many ways paralleled the 1952 claimed encounters of Contactee Truman Bethurum.

According to Bethurum, on a number of occasions at a place called Mormon Mesa, Nevada, he met with a group of aliens - led by their Captain, the hot and shapely Aura Rhanes - from a planet supposedly called Clarion.

Of course, like most Contactee stories, Bethurum's was highly controversial and attracted as many believers as it did disbelievers.

But, as I note in my book, I do believe that Bethurum had an interaction with something. The precise nature of that something is, of course, a matter of debate and personal interpretation.

Anyway, after I put away the file on this newly-surfaced story that very much reminded me of Bethurum's experiences with the Clarionites, my wife Dana asked if I could help her try and find her camera which she had misplaced.

We looked high and low, but unfortunately (thus far at least!) failed to find it. But, while checking behind the TV set (to see if the camera had perhaps fallen there), I came across Dana's high-school yearbook for 1982.

What on earth (or off it!) does all this have to do with the Contactees you may justifiably ask? Okay, I'm coming to that!

Although Dana is a U.S. citizen, she actually grew up in the Cayman Islands and graduated from school there. I picked up the yearbook, with the intention of moving it to one side while I looked around for the camera, and was startled by something that I had never noticed before (admittedly it had been at least 7 or 8 years since I last looked at the yearbook): the cover of the book reads: 82 Clarion (see the photo above).

Of course, skeptically-minded souls might say this is all some bizarre coincidence. However, I do find it odd that after spending about 2-hours Sunday morning reading a report very similar to that of Truman Bethurum and his friends from Clarion, that I should then - immediately after, no less - stumble across a book with that very word - "Clarion" - adorned across its cover!

In view of this, perhaps I can be forgiven for thinking we live in a dream-world of truly Matrix-style proportions!

Righteous Indignation: Contactees

2009-11-30T13:09:00.000-08:00

A few weeks ago, I was interviewed by the guys at the Righteous Indignation podcast on the subject of my Contactees book. The interview was a lively one - that covered a variety of controversies relative to the Contactees - and can be downloaded at this link.

Tonight - The Jeff Rense Show

2009-11-30T07:23:00.000-08:00

I'll be speaking about my Contactees book on tonight's episode of the Jeff Rense Show. Here's the Rense.com link for details.

Contactees on Speaking of Strange

2009-11-28T09:14:00.000-08:00

I'll be on Joshua P. Warren's Speaking of Strange radio-show tonight, where I'll be talking about my Contactees book. For more information, see: www.joshuapwarren.com

Contactees at The UFO Iconoclasts

2009-11-28T09:11:00.000-08:00

There's a new review of my Contactees book over at Rich Reynolds' UFO Iconoclasts blog. The review, written by Adrian Wells, states in part:

"A book that I couldn’t set aside. Nick Redfern provides relevant information and pertinent minutiae about those now considered to be part of the UFO fringe. I found details that many of us (UFO aficionados) have never read, or heard, before, and all in a serious, sometimes breezy style that makes Mr. Redfern a delicious writer to read."

And here's the link to the complete review.

Contactees on X-Zone Tonight

2009-11-20T11:58:00.000-08:00

Although it's a last-minute thing, I'll be on Rob McConnell's X-Zone show tonight, speaking about my Contactees book. Here's the link for the details.

Contactees, Cryptoterrestrials & Mac

2009-11-20T11:00:00.001-08:00

Of the many people I spoke with during the course of researching and writing my Contactees book, certainly one of the stand-out individuals was my good friend Mac Tonnies, who tragically, and suddenly, died last month at the age of only thirty-four.

Needless to say, Mac's death was a terrible shock at a personal level, and a deep tragedy for the Fortean world, too. The reason being that although Mac was certainly well known in the field for his acclaimed book, After the Martian Apocalypse (on the "Face on Mars" controversy) and his equally-acclaimed blog, Posthuman Blues, it was his forthcoming book, The Crytptoterrestrials that was (in my view) destined to elevate him to whole new levels within the world of Fortean publishing.

Basically, right up until his death Mac was pursuing the theory that our so-called alien visitors are not so alien after all. Rather, he suspected, some might be the last - and waning - vestiges of an ancient terrestrial race of beings that pass themselves off as extraterrestrials to move among us, and without betraying their real identity.

They are the cryptoterrestrials, as Mac dubbed them.

Fortunately, despite Mac's sad passing his book will still see the light of day, thanks to Anomalist Books, who will be publishing it next year.

However, on this same matter: after I told Mac about my Contactees book, we discussed one evening the possibility that some of the so-called (and very human-looking) Space-Brothers that are so prevalent within Contactee lore might actually be cryptoterrestrials, rather than literal extraterrestrials.

As a result of this discussion, Mac agreed to be interviewed for the book on this particular theory, and provided some fascinating and thought-provoking data.

In Mac's own words, as they appear in my book:

“Historically, the Contactees have come to be viewed as something of an embarrassment; a frivolous distraction from serious UFO research. I see them as a valuable window on a pivotal era, at least as influential on popular culture as the Beats. To view them in a ufological vacuum is to deliberately overlook the deep archetypal forces simmering just beneath the surface.

“Commentators regularly assume that all the Contactees were lying or else delusional. But if we’re experiencing a staged reality, some of the beings encountered by the Contactees might have been real; and the common messages of universal brotherhood could have been a sincere attempt to curb our destructive tendencies. The extraterrestrial guise would have served as a prudent disguise, neatly misdirecting our attention and leading us to ask the wrong questions; which we’re still asking with no substantial results.”

I never even imagined that at the time we did the interview, Mac had only a couple more months to live. But I hope that this interview with Mac will help his legacy and work to live on.

As I note in the dedication to Mac in my book: "...in memory of Mac Tonnies, a friend whose flame was extinguished all too soon."

The picture above shows - left to right - Canadian film-maker and good friend, Paul Kimball, Mac, and me hanging out in Halifax, Nova Scotia in late 2006.