Zdzislaw Beksinski (1929–2005)
There is a story I tell in one of my books about a knock on my door in the early hours of the morning and two police officers telling me "We think 'something' has landed!" I was driven to a park, in the centre of Bristol (Eastville Park) and was met by a senior officer and a couple other policemen, They pointed out where "it" and "they" were. "Better go check it out then" I said and started walking before realizing that no one else was with me. I turned and was told that this was my job not theirs.
The rest of the story is irrelevant since, after all, I am still here. The point of mentioning this is quite simple; the police were correct. It was my job because that is what you would expect from a ufologist and at that time I called myself a ufologist (it was the late 1970s and I was young!). However, over the years I have told this story to a few ufologists and without a moment of hesitation each and every one of them responded "You wouldn't catch me doing that!"
My response was to look at these "truth seekers" and ask: "Then what the ---- are you in ufology for?" In 1975, a ufologist would not venture into a wooded area where a UFO had landed -seen first by his wife then he and his father. What did the intrepid ufologist do? He sent daddy to check it out. He got out of ufology soon after.
In 1978 I was in a car being driven by APRO's UK representative Gary Green. Not quite within the speed limit, some sharp turns and a near collision with a bus on a hill while pursuing a large bright light.
Around the same time I was in Yanley Quarry in Somerset -the largest in Europe and climbing up a huge rock conveyor to inspect the top for any damage where a "mini UFO" had struck it. 100 feet in the air is not the place for someone who does not like heights. There was a younger ufologist with me but "I am not climbing all the way up there!" was the deciding factor in who went.
At Cradle Hill in Warminster, around 30 "truth seekers" tried to call myself and Franklyn Davin-Wilson back as we moved toward a "strange light" at the copse. We ignored them.
At a British Flying Saucer Bureau skywatch everyone kept glancing at a grey, lone figure that was seen at the far end of a field. I asked who it was and in hushed tones I was told that it was probably "the watcher" -a mysterious figure seen at skywatches but no one dared approach "him" -the consequences could be dire! So I snuck out of the field and around hedgerows in the starlight and came face-to-face with this mysterious figure.
In one non-UFO related incident on a cold, foggy night I did almost give in and seek refuge in my house. However, I called myself some very strong names and opened the high gate I was hiding behind to confront "the Devil of Downend"!
The point is this: if you read all the reports, do the investigating and pronounce the "reality" of whatever and become "the expert" often quoted in news items, TV shows and podcasts -and the money and status of being an author on the subject then you better be damn well prepared to step forward when confronting a phenomena.
That does not, obviously, mean putting yourself in obvious danger -you see a puma in the UK you do not try to rugby-tackle it to the ground. If you see a ball of energy you do not touch it (that would be akin to standing in a bowl of water and touching a live electric wire). But you observe, photograph if you can, make notes -hopefully you have a pocket compass in the latter case to see if it is affected by the object in question.
If you see what appears to be a solid constructed craft and it lands nearby then, yes, if no one is with you write a quick note before setting out, try to film or photograph what you see but the idea of closing the door and pulling the curtains together and hiding.
Perhaps 95% of those press and TV publicity loving truth-seekers are in the subject -whether UFOs, Sasquatch, non native cats, the 'paranormal' and so on- for just that. They do not do any research but constantly copy and paste to their pages or authoritatively give 'facts' and statistics that someone else has come up with. More time is spent showing off their "technical gear" because "it's all scientific now. We investigate as thoroughly as the police!" (I'll make no comment about crime statistics).
There are some very interesting developments in "ghost hunting" technical gear that I am looking into but when it comes down to it and you ignore all the sensationalist trash TV, books and magazine items no one has been killed by either aliens or ghosts. I have watched any number of these "serious paranormal investigators" run screaming when they hear a sound or are 'touched' by a "presence".
Firstly, you are in old buildings with timber frames, joists, etc, then you will get creaking stars, floorboards and other noises. Strange knocking noises or scratching sounds do not mean a "presence". I have heard 'mystery' sounds claimed to be unidentified by these people on their videos. On one occasion, with the volume turned up, someone peeked around my doorway (a living person) and said "Is that you playing the fox calls?". I have heard owls, foxes, cats and other natural sounds called 'unexplained' -I do wonder whether these people have ever really been outside at night before?
Again, you are trying to 'prove' something with all of this but why run if you believe you are about to encounter the very thing you are looking for?
Just say "This is my hobby" and get the hell out of the way and let real investigators and/or researchers do the work. Collect postage stamps to feel safe. I have been in the situation where something -in a totally unexpected place and during daylight- made the hairs on my steck stand up and, being honest, scare the crap out of me. I looked around but saw nothing. No electricity junction boxes, wiring or anything else that might give off electro-magnetic or any other energy that might cause the feeling. I was standing at the bottom of a flight of stairs with sunlight pouring in but I felt almost uncontrollable fear. I did not run; I turned and walked slowly backwards up the stairs while still looking around. What was it did this? No idea. If it was a house I lived in I would get people together and try to find out what was going on -it was someone else's home and they experienced the same thing as had others.
Almost thirty years later I can still describe myself as "extremely pissed off" because I do not back away from anything and I really wanted to find out what had this effect on me. I have theories but cannot prove any of them. But, I point out again, despite the fear being almost overpowering I did not turn and run.
There used to be a rule that you had to train someone to prepare them for paranormal research -there are many references to people having breakdowns and worse because they just were not prepared when it came to confronting phenomena such as "hauntings" and I think the same is true with ufology. Reading about aliens and abductions is all well and good but how will you react when you are alone and see a "UFO"?
It comes to the landed craft I have my plan of action. I'll give you an example of how dealing with UFOs can affect you.
Back in 1976 I was compiling the Close Encounters of the Third Kind file. No one else in the UK was bothering. One day a fellow in the UFO group I ran decided that he wanted to "get in" on the project. He was given a batch of magazines to look through and record the CE3K cases. A week later he was less enthusiastic. It seems that he had this dream of being isolated in some sort of barn or brick building and he was hiding after a UFO landed and watched in terror as short, large-headed entities searched around, presumably for him. Later another person jumped in, no knowledge of the other person or his dream and reported to me almost the same dream.
What was going on? Well, it is psychological. Most ufologists back in the 1970s/180s were quite happy to talk about lights in the sky or large objects moving through the air or even landing. However, most had seriously never considered there were life forms within let alone found themselves looking through lots of reports of entities, encounters and abductions. It literally punched at the person's sense of known reality and world view. They all packed in and went back to simple UFOs after that.
Another had a similar dream. It was so vivid that he convinced himself that he must have had some type of experienced that was wiped from his mind. I explained that this type of dream was quite normal but he was unconvinced. Two weeks later he packed in working on the project as it was "too much" but was no longer convinced he had some kind of encounter -the details were from one of the first reports he had read through quickly and not paid much conscious attention to.
Some people see an odd light at night they cannot quickly identify they panic; "Last thing I wanted was to get abducted!"
After 40+ years I have my plan if I ever had a Close encounter of the Third Kind. Yes, I truly expect it to be scary but there is no point screaming, running or begging to be left alone. I cannot say what might happen -for a start would any alien be up to discussing things? I do know that after decades of this work, turning and running is not the option -that is not being brave but pragmatic.
This has never been a hobby for me.
