Voices
of the Millennium: The INEXPLICATA Interview Separated by distances that span both the wide Atlantic and continental landmasses, it isn't often that INEXPLICATA's contributors get to exchange views with each other or with our readers. Here's what some of our contributing editors and writers had to say in response to our questions. Participating in this interview are Contributing Editor Lucy Guzman (LG) from Puerto Rico; Contributing Editor Manuel Carballal (MC) from Spain; researcher Andrea Pérez Simondini (APS) from Argentina, "Desclasificado" editor Javier Garcia Blanco (JGB) from Spain; Luis Eduardo Pacheco, editor of "Informe Alfa" (LEP) from Argentina; Inexplicata Contributing Editor Willie Durand Urbina (WDU) from Puerto Rico.
Q: Can you recall when you first
became interested in paranormal phenomena? For example, was there any
reading or image that acted as a "trigger" of sorts? Do you think young
people should become interested in these matters? LG:
As a child, I became aware of the paranormal (I was some 8 to 10
years old) when I noticed that if I wished someone harm, within 24 hours,
something would happen to that person. When I realized what my mind was
able to do, I begged God for forgiveness and swore that I'd never wish
anyone harm again. I later noticed that things I told my friends would
turn out to be true. I later began having experiences which I termed
"ghostly", and which due to ignorance and lack of knowledge would terrify
me to death. As teenager I was moved to investigate what was happening and
why they happened without ever finding an answer to my questions. It
wasn't until 1972, when I had a missing time experience (2 hours) and
months later, after seeing a UFO, I truly felt the urge to find a response
to the phenomena I was encountering. That's when I began to read, research
and I continue doing it. I think there's no end to it. Regarding my
opinion as to whether young people should be interested in these matters,
I will answer that today it appears to be something innate in them, since
they are not only interested in it, but find it commonplace. I see no
reason why they shouldn't be interested and want to study them, but it
depends on their age at the time that this interest is spurred. They
should be guided by an adult, preferably by their parents. MC:
I don't recall the precise moment, although I do remember wolfing
down novels on vampires, extraterrestrials and strange beings at ages 12
and 13. I also recall that the first "occult" book I read was
Formulario de Alta Magia by P.V. Piov --I must have been 14 at the
time--but I had been interested in the supernatural and miraculous much
earlier. Perhaps that's why I leaned toward the priesthood and studied
theology. I now consider myself an agnostic, but I don't reject my
theological background, which has helped me to understand the realm of
belief with greater tolerance. I think it's wonderful that the young
should feel restless and rebellious toward orthodox dogma. It is thanks to
these rebels against orthodoxy that science has progressed, but I believe
that the paranormal realm holds too many hazards for immature
minds--regardless of age--and I know of too many suicides and crimes due
to occult beliefs. APS:
I recall that I started taking an interest in paranormal phenomena
when I was small. I would have been 11 years old. One day, while home
alone with my two younger brothers, I went to the kitchen to get a glass
of water and heard a noise on the kitchen table. It was a crucifix that my
mother had hanging on the wall above the table. The situation wasn't
unusual until the moment we noticed the nail from which the crucifix was
hanging was in its place; in other words, it hadn't broken or fallen out.
The question my brother and I asked ourselves was that the only way that
the crucifix could have come off was if it had been removed. And I can
attest to the fact that this could not be, since only my brothers and I
were home that time. It was always a source of mystery to me. That was my
"trigger" experience. I find it positive that the young should become
interested, since these mysteries are there for all generations to look
into, and the young perhaps retain that modicum of objectivity that one
may lose as one gets older. JGB:
I don't remember the exact moment that anomalous phenomena drew my attention, but I can tell
you that I was still a child. Here in Spain a there was a program directed
and hosted by Dr. Fernando Jiménez del Oso which dealt with these
subjects. From there, I went on to read and collect all material that fell
into my hands. I think its fantastic that young people should become
interested in these matters. The future of ufology and parapsychology is
in their hands. LEP:
I was interested in anything having to do with space since
childhood, and of course, it was a matter of time before I asked my father
what a "flying saucer" was. I must have been 7 years old and had heard the
term on a TV show in my native Uruguay. It was around 1978 when I got
closest to the subject. During that year there was a massive UFO flap in
Argentina, to which my parents had emigrated in 1975. Sightings were being
reported on a daily basis in the mass media, press, etc. That era has a
certain "magic" for me, since we appeared to be living alongside the UFO
phenomenon at every second. I'll never forget it, despite not having had
any direct experiences. WDU:
I was a few hours away from undergoing surgery for a brain tumor
which was causing me constant headache. In those anguished moments I was
visited by a "spirit guide" who engaged me in a dialog regarding the
operation. It told me to pray to heal myself from this condition. During
prayer, I underwent a paranormal experience within myself--I felt that
something broke away from my body and my temperature was raised above 40
degrees. I managed to see myself free of the condition, although I was
completely drained of energy. A CAT scan would later show that there was
no trace of the tumor. Following this experience I had two experiences
with UFOs. I think its very
healthy for the young to become interested in the paranormal, since during
the course of their lives they may encounter certain events or experiences
they will not be able to explain. They will require an understanding as to
how these phenomena appear, and the best way of doing so is through
reading and analyzing the nature of the universe and all that is in
it. Q: Can we speak in terms of a
predominant personality type among investigators and researchers, or are
we pretty much a "mixed bag"? LG:
The only similarity I've noticed is the attempt to find an answer
to these phenomena. Beyond that, I haven't noticed any common
patterns. MC:
I think that active minds and non-conformists are drawn to the
world of mystery, but others, such as mediocre or ambitious individuals
are attracted by it, as are mere swindlers, who find the paranormal as an easy
means of sating their egos or pockets. On the other hand, before defining
a profile for "investigators" we should perhaps define the term used so
flexibly by all manner of individuals involved with the field: Philip
Klass, Giorgio Bongiovani, Hilary Evans and Salvador Freixedo, and even
myself (and I know all of these friends and enemies personally) call
ourselves "investigators", and I thin that the opinions, work methods and
even human qualities of each have very little in common. That's why I'll
return the question to you, Scott: what the hell do you call an
investigator? APS:
As with all activities, I think that there are always dominant
personalities and others that are less so. I think it's a matter of the
interactions that one may develop within a given group, in this case, the
paranormal realm. One will be the leader, another will be passive, another
will go against the system...in short, different responses in action. JGB:
Well, maybe we're all a little nuts (laughs). But from the researchers
that I know, I can say that what we share in common is that we carry this
matter deep within us. It consumes all of our time and effort, and we
greatly enjoy what we do. LEP:
I think that were a mixed group, but with the passing of time,
become polarized or aligned with a more or less clearly defined pattern
which marks the three predominant trends in the field: the "believer", the
one who "steps back and analyzes", and the "skeptic." WDU:
There are many paranormal researchers who concentrate on a single
aspect of the wide world of the paranormal. Some of them specialize in
communication with extra-dimensional entities, while others choose to
decipher the future. But I believe that the most important thing is to
somehow harmonize with the energies emanating from the universe. Q: Could you share
with us the names of the researchers who have inspired you? Do you
consider yourself as part of a give school of thought? LG:
No researcher has served as an inspiration to me, nor do I agree
100% with any of them. Not even with myself. I don't belong to any
"school" of thought...I'm a free thinker. MC:
I always recommend reading a book by Freixedo and another by [South
American contactee] Sixto Paz; hearing a presentation by Ballester Olmos
and another by J.J. Benitez; reading a report written by CSICOP and
another by SPR, because only b knowing these juxtaposed points of view can
we be free to make informed choices. I admit that I feel a special
fondness for the work of John Keel, Jacques Vallée or Hilary Evans, but I
also admire Freixedo's boldness, Siragusa's irreverence, Randi's cynicism,
Benítez's romanticism, W. Smith's methodology, Von Kevicksky's experience,
Hynek's education and above all, Andreas Faber Kaiser's honesty. I don't
share any of their opinions fully, but I feel that whether actively or
passively, they all have a contribution to make to our knowledge of the
paranormal. If there's any school of thought that can collect them all,
that would be my school. APS:
I can't answer this question accurately, because I think it
wouldn't be fair toward many people. But I'll give you an approximation. I
feel respect for researchers like Jorge Anfruns Dumon, Antonio Huneeus,
Stanton Friedman, Adhemar Gevaerd, my friend Rodrigo Fuenzalida, for all
researchers in Chile, for my friends Carlos Iurchuk, Alex Chionnetti, and
Oscar Mendoza, for the people conducting research in the Province of La
Pampa, where my friend Mario Quique is making great efforts, for Claudeir
Covo...I don't know, the list feels infinite. On the other hand, I can
tell you that my greatest inspiration is my mother, Silvia Pérez
Simondini, because she taught me that one should never give in and this
belief, applied to the UFO phenomenon, I feel will allow us to earn a
small space in the immense UFO community. My school of thought is, as I
tend to call it emotionally, rationalism. I think that he or she who
researches phenomena that aren't covered by science must have the
disposition of the true scientist, which is, that a hypothesis ceases to
be one when the facts give you elements to approve it or reject it. My
best base are the laws that science set forth by convention but not by
demonstration. JGB: Well...I've
always said that J.J. Benítez is to blame for my being mixed up in the
world of UFO research...or rather, his books are. The minute one of his
books fell into my hands, I wolfed them down one after another. In spite
of this, I don't share all of his hypotheses. I currently think my line of
thought is closer to that of Jacques Vallée and his interdimensional
hypothesis. The books of John Keel also influenced my perceptions on the
UFO phenomenon. I don't like
boxing myself into a given "school of thought", but given my country's
ufological situation, perhaps I should be counted among those who believe
in the non-human origin of ufology. LEP:
I've grown up, ufologically speaking, with the "greats" of the
field--from Keyhoe and Benítez to Hynek-- and in my country for a while I
had deep respect for the pioneering work done by Fabio Zerpa and his
"Cuarta Dimensión" magazine. I say this with a certain amount of sadness,
since it has reincarnated into a publication called "Punto Azul" which
along with its editor, are a pale shadow of what they once meant for
national ufology. Through the pages of that magazine I was exposed to the
writings of Alejandro Vignati; the unforgettable columns of Norberto Comte
and his "Anthology of the Fantastic"; and it gave me the opportunity to
meet an exceptional human being: Dr. Candido Victor del Prado--biologist,
author, esotericist--and an all-out "rebel" whose attitude taught me the
value of reason in the world of the paranormal. WDU:
The researcher who has influenced me the most, and has taught me to
have a wider perspective on paranormal phenomena has been Jacques Vallée.
I believe that he remains the one who has created the proper guidelines to
follow in dealing with paranormal phenomena. Many researchers have
considered his theories when conducting their own investigations. Q: If you had to take three
books on the paranormal with you to a desert island, which would these be,
and why? LG:
I really don't have a favorite author. Perhaps [a book] by Laura
Tuan and others of subjects like telepathy, precognitions, premonitions,
oneiromancy and UFO/ET subjects. MC:
The Bible, because while I don't consider myself christian, nor
devout, my deepest unconscious is the offspring of a given age and
culture, and no other field has promoted the paranormal more than religion
has. The other two would be some of my own books, since I've always tried
to gather the best of other authors and if possible, to enrich their
findings with my own contributions. Besides, logically, I think no one can
be closer to what is subjectively true than myself. If I thought
otherwise, I'd be either a cultist or an imbecile. APS:
1) The Bermuda Triangle (for sure); 2) Florencio Balsda's La
Raza Roja (an early 20th century Argentinean researcher; 3) a book on
Spontaneous Combustion. JGB:
Juan José Benítez's La Quinta Columna, which is in my
opinion one of the best field research books on encounters with humanoids;
Vallée's Passport to Magonia, since the hypotheses stated in this
book changed (or expanded) my view of the UFO phenomenon; Salvador
Freixedo's La Granja Humana. In my opinion, and while I don't share
all of Salvador's ideas, this book portrays a disquieting aspect of the
UFO phenomenon: are we being manipulated at will by the intelligence(s)
behind the phenomenon? LEP:
I'd sooner have a good survival manual! (laughs). But if I had to choose,
I'd certainly lean toward one of Vallée's "classic" works, or Antonio
Ribera, or the early days of Juan José Benítez (before the Caballo de
Troya books were released). These were authors who, with the passing
of time since I first read them, have acquired their true stature. WDU:
If I were to find myself alone on a desert island, my three
favorite books would be the following in order of importance:
Apparitions by G.N.M. Tyrell; Close Encounters of the Fourth
Kind by C.D.B. Bryan; and Electric UFOs by Albert Budden. Q: In regard to the UFO
phenomenon, do you think there are marked differences between the cases
you've investigated in your country and the ones in the U.S.A.? LG:
Yes and no. Yes, because many of the cases which have occurred here
have also taken place in the U.S. or elsewhere in the world. No, because
despite [Puerto Rico's] small size--it's maximum length is of 111 miles by
39 miles wide--and such a high population density-- 3,522,037 inhabitants
according to the 1990 census-- not only have large numbers of sightings
and encounters with alien races been reported, we also have an infinity of
"alleged" UFO contactees. If we compare the island's population to its
size, I could say that we are perhaps [one of the places] with the highest
percentage of UFO sightings and "contactees". MC: Absolutely. The
cases are very similar, as are the cases I have been able to research in
Africa and Asia, aside from a good part of Latin America. Only the witness
and the researcher change. The witness subjects his/her experience to a
perceptive selection process according to his or her cultural education,
belief system and even language. The researcher, on the other hand,
usually belongs to a given school and has widely diverging techniques and
research methods. We can't compare a French ufologist from the
Psycho-Social school with an American conspiracy theorist, or an expert in
African tribal legend. All three experts would focus the same UFO event
from different perspectives, and I therefore suppose that their
conclusions for one given case would be very different.
APS:
There are no marked differences as regards the phenomenology, but
there are massive differences regarding the case histories. I think that
there's a great consumerism in your country as far as UFOs are concerned,
which fortunately has not occurred in Argentina as of yet. This allows us
researchers to have a greater degree of truthfulness in witness
experiences and in the specialist's opinions. For example, when we collect
evidence from an alleged UFO landing and take it to a university to be
studied, no researcher in said academic environment ventures an opinion
regarding an alleged UFO event. I think this might make any scientific
verdict all the more conclusive. JGB: Personally, I've
tried to concentrate on close encounter cases in Spain. At first blush,
the phenomenon behaves in a similar way all over the globe. Perhaps the
greatest difference between the U.S. and Spanish cases is the way that
certain cases in the U.S. are treated by some researchers. Perhaps there's
an excess of sensationalism in certain events. LG:
As I've always said, I'm not a researcher. I'm an enthusiast for
the subject with a grain of sand to contribute to it. From that
perspective and analyzing the Argentinean cases, recent years have shown a
tendency toward incorporating "elements" and "patterns" which were
uncharacteristic of these lands. It would seem that, on the one hand, the
globalization of the culture and the popularization of the subject in the media have brought
along a baggage of things that have served to modify popular perception on
the phenomenon, "modelling" a uniform pattern in the popular unconscious.
I think that this is one of the most interesting aspects of modern ufology
as a mass sociological phenomenon. A brief analysis would be
impossible. WDU:
The differences between Puerto Rico and the U.S.A. as regards UFO
activity are clearly marked. Number one is that the military government of
the United States is much more involved in many of the events which have
occurred in Puerto Rico. There is currently a UFO flowchart here in Puerto
Rico involving over 15 Federal agencies, and these are mentioned when an
sighting takes place on the island. Q: In your opinion, are there
typical traits common to UFO witnesses or abductees worldwide? Could we
speak in terms of a "regional mindset" among witnesses stemming from
language, culture, etc.? LG: Globally
speaking, there are several characteristic traits among witnesses,
abductees and contactees. They come in all types...regarding their mindset
and mental level, these factors do play a part, since they witness the
phenomenon differently. MC:
At one time I published a study on 100 abduction cases, and I've
only been able to follow a dozen or so of them over the years. I still
wouldn't venture an opinion on the abduction phenomenon, but as with all
of the UFO phenomenon, I think that traditional ufology's focus hinges on
an flawed premise. APS:
We've asked ourselves that question thousands of times. I think
that if a cultural pattern does indeed exist, then it is a global one and
therefore, no regional patterns can be found. I think this is one of the
great mysteries to be unveiled. JGB:
A country's culture and customs weigh heavily on the way in which a
possible sighting or UFO encounter is retold. However, all witnesses
appear to describe similar creatures and artifacts. On the other hand, the
witnesses belong to all types of social, economic and cultural strata. The
UFO phenomenon doesn't discriminate among its witnesses. LEP:
As I said my preceding reply, an "archetype" has been created in
recent years about the UFO phenomenon, which all cultures and countries
are gradually assimilating. The subject of abductions is clearly the most
visible exponent. A few years ago, the abduction of humans by ufonauts
with seemingly physical experimentation purposes took place on a wholly
"physical" level. The victim was usually in a lonely place where he/she
was often forcibly taken into a UFO and examined (Villas-Boas, Betty Hill,
Franzetta, etc.). A particular detail is the diversity of humanoid
phenotypes involved in these experiences. The exact opposite occurs today,
where the abduction phenomenon acquires a more dreamlike than physical
nature, and most cases involve a single type of being, thus giving us an
entirely new generation of ufonauts born in the shadow of Eighties
conspiracy thinking, which modified the "shell" or external aspect of
ufology. Thus, today we are abducted by "Greys", "Reptoids", "Rigelians",
etc. as opposed to beings with a more "astronautical" and this friendly
appearance. I believe that the influence of this subculture in regard to
the creation of new ufological images and icons that are subsequently
assimilated by potential witnesses is clearly evident. WDU:
I've met persons that have had UFO experiences and who never
cultivated or mentally formulated a desire to have such an experience. I
don't believe that their intellectual formation or their religion played a
role in this. Specifically, they were simply in the right place at the
right time to undergo the experience. Other persons have had encounters
with these objects and appear predisposed to have all kinds of paranormal
experiences, since they come from families in which spiritualism in
practiced. Furthermore, many of them live in areas rich with folkloric
traditions and abnormal events. Q: As you know, ufology in the
U.S. is divided between believers in the ET hypothesis and believers in
more rational explanations. Do you get such marked divisions in your
country? LG:
Yes, there is a difference, but not as marked as in the U.S.. I
wouldn't characterize Puerto Rican ufologists as "believers in a
hypothesis" but rather searchers of a serious, scientific and objective
answer. MC: Absolutely. [the
divisions] are ferocious and border on irrational hatred. In my humble
opinion, these ego-wars constitute a universal malaise in ufology. APS:
Yes, definitely. But I'll also add that there's a third line of
belief, which is the one that I subscribe to: the rational posture within
the extraterrestrial hypothesis. A good position to be in, I think. JGB:
We could say so...although in Spain, the defenders of the non-human
origin of the phenomenon could be divided in turn into those who believe
that it has an ET source and those who lean toward a multidimensional
hypothesis or others. In this regard, the Spanish landscape is somewhat
peculiar. The existence of denial groups such as ARP or "rational"
ufologists such as those belonging to Fundación Anomalía have created a
peculiar division. Simply stated, we could say that researchers have
divided themselves among those who believe in an anomalous origin and the
naysayers and believers in the psycho-social hypothesis. However, it's
much more complicated than that. LEP:
It occurs, although timidly. As opposed to other scenarios, belief
in the ETH is predominant in Argentina. New voices have emerged lately in
the ufological community which tend to modify said approach and draw
attention to other alternative origins, but the influence of the
extraterrestrial scenario as a possible origin is still strong. WDU:
The division between the theory that postulates the interplanetary
or interstellar origin of these creatures is very sharp. There are few of
us who hold the belief that these entities are interdimensional and that
the psyche plays a very important role in these experiences. Q: It's almost impossible not to
bring up Roswell. What's your take on it? LG:
I don't doubt that it did occur, but I think there's been a lot of
cover-ups and disinformation. MC:
Years ago, I made the decision not to voice my opinion on cases
that I hadn't researched myself, and while I've studied other "UFO crash"
cases in depth, and have indirect references to Roswell through my work on
the Secret Services' (Spain's CESID in particular) involvement with the
paranormal, I haven't formed an opinion...yet. APS:
I think that Roswell is the mystery of the century because of all
its details. I don't think we will ever know what really happened and
we'll never know what didn't happen. I think it ought to remain in an
"investigative black hole", much like we deal with "legislative black
holes" in the legislature. I reached this conclusion when I spoke with
Stanton Friedman. I think the eyewitness accounts have been
exhausted... JGB:
I truly believe that something important happened at Roswell. Did a
UFO crash there? I honestly doubt it. Nevertheless, I think that something
very special occurred there and that U.S. authorities have tried to
conceal it. Regarding the controversial affair of the alien autopsy film,
I'm convinced it's a fraud. LEP:
It's an example of how a myth can survive itself. The image that
most readily comes to my mind when I realize that there are still those
who believe in a non-terrestrial origin to this case is that of someone
desperately giving CPR to a skeleton. I often wonder how contemporary
ufology would be without Roswell. The amounts of time, effort and money
that would have been saved...To me, the end of the case came about with
the publication of Kent Jeffrey's Anatomy of a Myth. After reading
it with an open mind, there's little that can be done to keep the case
alive without behaving like a fool. WDU:
The Roswell case is the most sensational UFO event that has taken
place in the U.S., but it is an event that has been transformed with each
successive retelling over the past 40 years and to which no one, like we
researchers, attributes much credibility. Perhaps part of this event may
be somehow linked to extraterrestrial evidence. Q: Do you think that governments
are able to "keep secrets", regarding animal mutilations, aliens,
etc.? LG:
It's been proven that they have been able to, and their creation of
false reports has also been proven. Their reasons for doing so is only
known to them. I cannot applaud disinformation; however, I can comprehend
the need for a sort of cover up on grounds of national or global security.
MC:
I consider this to be another error in focus. Governments don't
hide anything, since at least in democratic societies, the change every
couple of days. The keeper of the secrets and holders of control are the
highest military echelons, and other types of para-governmental agencies.
Information is power, and those who hold the information have the
power. APS:
I definitely think they can't. I'm going to tell you what I've
always told my mother. As you know, I serve in the Argentinean Congress as
an active member of a political party. I play a role in the decision
making process for substantial matters. Oftentimes, these decisions affect
certain sectors of the population negatively or positively. But these
decisions are implemented and the average person never hears of the
details that led to the implementation. This leads me to think: I, Andrea
Pérez Simondini, a minor player within this immense structure, am able
today to do the things I mentioned to you earlier, I cannot imagine [that
this would not be the case] at the very top of the system's pyramid. Am I
making sense here? JGB: Governments all
over the world conceal information on strange events. However, I doubt
that they're in contact with alien civilization or that they know the true
origin of the UFO phenomenon. In Spain, at least, all they have is a
wealth of reports on sightings, landings, etc..I don't think they know
more about the phenomenon than we do. One thing's for sure: they hide
information that would be of great assistance and interest regarding
certain events. LEP:
I think they can, but not to the extent that conspiracy theories
would have us believe. Obviously, any power mechanism or structure must
possess means upon which to act to avoid a certain subject or another from
becoming known. But said mechanisms always have an axis on which they
pivot--a human being. And there lies the weakest link of the chain. There
is always someone willing to talk, to retell what he or she knows, what
they saw, etc. This does not imply believing in those who claim having
seen something but can't prove it. My opinion is that I don't think there
is as broad a conspiracy around UFOs as many believe and would like us to
believe. The belief that we only ever see what "Big Brother" would like us
to see is rooted in a number of things:
First, the
contradictory nature of the phenomenon itself. It's behavior is thoroughly
irrational but still shows a certain logic or a vaguely "outlined"
plan.
Second, our own
ignorance of the phenomenon. We know more about what the phenomenon ISN'T
than about what it IS. This leads us to having fertile soil for any
theory--the wilder the better--without any need for corroboration.
Third, generalized
and global mistrust by the governed toward their government, political
leaders and military men. If we combine
these three ingredients we have the basic recipe for any conspiracy
theory. As for the alleged conspiracy of silence by the military toward
the UFO phenomenon, we may have an inkling of what's going on if we step
into the boots of anyone in uniform. I don't think its
a matter of concealing human advances in extraterrestrial technology, nor
dark power pacts with a dying alien race, nor anything similar. It has to
do with the inability of those who control the most sophisticated
technological means on the planet to admit the existence of "something"
about whose origin they haven't the least idea, much less its intentions.
To say: "We haven't a clue as to what it is," is tantamount to saying: "We
are defenseless...", which is inconceivable to their rigid and omnipotent
mental framework. WDU: Puerto Rico is,
today, the most active site for UFO activity in the entire world, and the
place in which the most animal mutilations have occurred. The government
is involved in a struggle against a growing number of events in which no
scientific explanations can be found for animal mutilation. UFO
researchers are responsible for educating the public on the phenomenon,
which has astonished and disturbed the Puerto Rican people. The government
has exposed itself to ridicule by trying to find rational explanations for
the situation, but when witnesses to these events explain that they have
seen military personnel at the site in which military helicopters were
seen a day earlier, many people are now able to forecast when cattle
mutilations are about to occur at the site. We believe that the government
is concealing something, or that it plays an active role in the events. Q: In the U.S., we can safely
say that abductions represent ufology's greatest concern. Do researchers
in your country hold this opinion? LG:
I think there's a concern in my country over abductions, but there
is greater concern over their ultimate causes and effects. MC:
In Spain, the fact that we've become the second country in the
world (after the U.S.) to have authorized a declassification (albeit a
questionable one) of a portion of the Ministry of Defense's UFO files, has
displaced all ufological attention in that direction, eclipsing all other
facets of the phenomenon. APS:
I think we're not as wrapped up in the abduction topic because we
don't have cases in the same amount and forcefulness. Our emphasis is on
videos and photo evidence. JGB: Abduction
research gained importance here in Spain some years ago. Certain
researchers like Josep Guijarro and Javier Sierra concentrated on this
subject for a while. However, Spanish researchers have concentrated on all
aspects of the phenomenon. Perhaps over the past years (due to
international ufology's interest) the subject of abductions is closer than
ever, but the other aspects of the UFO phenomenon have never been
neglected. LEP:
No. Or at least not until a short time ago. Obviously, the media's
influence has caused the subject of abductions to become fashionable and
set trends, but I think that abductions have been secondary in Argentinean
ufological history. WDU: Puerto Rico has
experienced dramatic events involving abductions. Six year-old children
tell us about what they have undergone in their experiences with strange
entities; people who remained quiet for years now discuss their abduction
experiences. We believe that after the cattle mutilations phenomenon,
abductions occupy the next most prominent place, since there is so much to
be investigated: the site where the witness lives, his or her family
history, hypnotic regressions, etc. these factors alone lead us to give it
importance due to the level of high strangeness. Q: Would you be so
bold as to tell us what's the greatest problem facing paranormal research
at the turn of this century? Likewise, what changes would you like to see
implemented by 21st century researchers? LG:
I don't see any reason why the change of centuries should affect
research itself. Regarding the changes I'd like to see, I think I'm
already beginning to see them...the uniting of researchers on a global,
non-profit basis. MC:
The researchers' education and means. We endeavor to revolutionize
Newtonian physics and the entire scientific paradigm; we speculate on the
existence of other intelligent, non-human life forms, the survival of
consciousness after death with the mind's non-sensory capacities...and we
investigate using a tape recorder, a photo camera and a notebook. Until
the universities and scientific hierarchies commit themselves, we will be
fighting the Goliath of mystery using David's paltry slingshot. APS:
I think the greatest problem has to be lack of training among
researchers and the final acceptance of a method [of research]. We aren't
giving playing the scientists' game by developing investigative
techniques. This will make us seem more credible to our own selves. In
order to convince others, we will have to convince ourselves first. JGB:
The greatest problem would have to be "official science's" lack of
interest in researching these phenomena. Ufology and parapsychology need
the help of scientists in various fields. Perhaps, when science decides to
take a serious look on these subjects, we'll begin to make progress in the
study of both disciplines. Meanwhile, all of us researchers must limit
ourselves practically to the task of popularization. In the 21st century,
researchers must be more critical, have scientific training and pursue
field research, which is indispensable, in my mind. LEP:
I don't think that they are different from the problems it has
experienced in the past 20 years. I think the Internet is something we'll
have to pay attention to. It is an absolutely revolutionary means, but it
is the ideal place to generate all manner of rumors which undermine the
phenomenon's seriousness and the trust of those approaching the subject
for the first time. WDU:
The world is currently facing a struggle between good and evil,
which is manifesting itself through events that lead us to believe that
we're facing entities that are somehow trying to involve themselves in the
destiny of our lives. I don't believe they have the best intentions in
mind. They disguise themselves as angels, small, large-headed beings,
beings of light, and myriad other forms to penetrate our minds and control
our actions. I would like to see paranormal researchers in the coming
century accept the fact that there are new avenues of exploration, new
revelations and theories, and that they can discard old concepts that will
lead them nowhere. Q: INEXPLICATA's
readers are just dying to know if you've ever witnessed any paranormal
event yourself, whether it be ghosts, strange creatures, UFOs... LG:
Yes, some of them pleasant and other less so. But I usually don't
mix research with my own experience. It's hard for me to be objective when
I've had personal experiences; but when I set out to investigate a case, I
prepare myself mentally to insure that my own experiences do not influence
the investigation. I also have the help of my husband, Ing. Orlando Plá,
who while believing in the possibility that we are not alone in this
beautiful universe, is skeptical and always keeps me alert, so that I'll
never cease being objective and looking at the UFO/ET phenomenon through a
scientific, serious outlook. MC:
In the 15 years I've devoted to intensely studying the paranormal,
I've had the chance to experience 3 or 4 paranormal experiences (in the
UFO, shamanic and parapsychological fields) that I haven't been able to
explain. APS:
Yes, I have seen [such things]. My father retired from a
multinational corporation here in Argentina called Perez Companc, an oil
company involved in the privatization of energy sources. My father was in
charge of developing an assessment of SEGBA, the former power utility. Its
warehouses had been used during the military dictatorship as a prison
camp, according to reports from thousands of witnesses. During stock
rotations at the warehouses, [people] could hear screams and [something
like] electric discharges. When my father told me about this, we staked
out the area, and what we saw and experienced, to my mind, was straight
out of a Sightings episode. We saw [something like] greenish-blue
bolts of energy coming from the roof, followed by terrifying screens. It
was truly hair-raising. Subsequent research with people who'd been
kidnapped there identified the screams as those of a pregnant woman. JGB: Unfortunately,
I've never seen a UFO, nor have I ever witnessed a paranormal phenomenon.
I have participated in several "spirit recording" sessions which have
produced some rather interesting results, though. LEP:
None. My paranormal life has less excitement than a
Teletubbies episode (laughs). WDU:
When I was small--10 years old at least--I was visiting some
neighbors and people close to my family. While spending time together, I
was asked to look out for the family's elderly mother as she warmed
herself in the sun. While standing beside her and looking at the horizon,
I was able to observe something strange that moved like a cigar-shaped
cloud moving at high speed. The other clouds remained still, while small
saucers resembling "Mexican hats" moved around the larger one. This was an
utter astonishment to me. At my age, I was unable to understand why they
didn't look more like airplanes! After many years, I discussed my
experiences with a relative, who kindly gave me a book entitled
Platillos Voladores de Otros Mundos, which finally opened my
understanding to these matters. It was a translation of Major Donald E.
Keyhoe's famous 1953 book (Henry Holt Eds.). I guard it jealously in my
library! Q: In closing, do you have any
thoughts you'd like to share with our readers? LG: Thousands of
thoughts...and many more thousands of words of advice...but if I could
summarize them, I'd tell them to improve themselves spiritually, to try to
become better human beings every day when it comes to respect and love,
and to care for our beautiful planet and Universe. MC:
I think that in spite of all the unpleasantness involved with
research, in spite of the enormous amount of work and money to be invested
in each study, in spite of the fear, lack of understanding, rage and
intolerance you must go through by being a scientific heretic and a
religious heterodox, in spite of the shameless, miserable and despicable
human beings who call themselves "researchers", "contactees", "mediums",
"skeptics" and other epigraphs of paranormal wildlife...that which
underlies paranormal phenomena is truly worthwhile. In fact, and this is
only a personal opinion, but I'm unable to conceive of any aspect of human
knowledge that is more important, transcendent or fascinating than
researching anomalous phenomena. APS:
Yes, I'd like to share with you what I tell my friends and
colleagues. There is nothing more inspiring that to find an answer to
something that has no answers. One day, someone will think, "I searched
all my life for something that would prove my faith, and now I feel that
I've found it." JGB:
I would only ask them to never lose their interest in mysteries,
and a word of advice: learn to differentiate between reliable information
and that which tends toward sensationalism. LEP:
Only to remind them that as occurs with television, the viewers are
ultimately the ones in charge. Therefore, if people who are interested in
this subject demand greater seriousness in the treatment of the subject
and stop paying attention to the science-fiction rigmarole of the
"pseudoresearchers" or "mediumistic ufologists", we'll sooner or later
achieve a worthier condition for the subject that interests us so
much. WDU:
To quote from Arthur C. Clarke's Voices in the Sky: "The
stars speak to each other an infinity of languages...someday we may join
that cosmic conversation. Q: Thanks for
participating in our interview! LG:
The pleasure is all mine. Thanks for the invitation. MC:
Thank you, and I hope my answers didn't put you to sleep! |