UFOs & Alien Contact: Two Centuries of MysteryThe power of imagination, group psychology, and the concept of "fantasy prone personalities," are explored by Bartholomew and Howard as they probe the history of how UFO stories are spread. The impact of "collective delusion" enhanced by the media can be dangerous, leaving great pain and tragedy in its wake. Included are detailed descriptions of the United States airship flap of 1896-97; the imaginary sightings of Thomas Edison's "electric star" of the late 1800s; Canada's phantom balloon wave of 1896-97; the New Zealand zeppelin scare of 1909; the British UFO panic of 1912-13; phantom German air raids and spy missions over Canada, New York, Delaware, New Hampshire, and Africa during World War I; Sweden's ghost rocket crisis of 1946. These are all reports of UFOs before the famed Roswell incident and the emergence of flying saucers since 1947. The authors examine collective behavior, fallible human perception, deviance, religion, popular culture, history, the role of the media, and relationships to the paranormal. From alien contact with humans to well-organized cults, UFOs and Alien Contact is gripping, humorous, and at times horrifying. |
Contents
Acknowledgments | 9 |
of 189697 | 85 |
The New England Airship Hoax of 190910 | 109 |
Copyright | |
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Common terms and phrases
Abductions aerial light Aerial Phenomena Research aeroplane aliens American appeared April 12 August August 13 August 22 balloon believe Boston bright Canada Charles Bowen claims contactees craft creatures Daily December delusion described Earth encounter episode experience extraterrestrials eyes fantasy Fantasy-Prone February feet tall Fire Balloon flew Flying Saucer Review Free Press German Ghost Bomb Ghost Rocket heard hovering human Humanoids Great Britain hypnosis hypnotic Ibid Jacques Vallee January Journal July landed later London Lorenzen mental miles morning Mutual UFO Network Mysterious Airship Mysterious Lights nearby newspaper night November November 26 object October Otago Daily phantom Phenomena Research Organization planet police press accounts Psychic reported residents rumors Saw the Airship says scare seen September ship social Star story strange Sundsvalls Tidning Svenska Dagbladet Swedish Telepathy Tillinghast tion told UFO abductees UFOs New York Venus vessel voice watched Wilson and Barber witnesses Zealand Zeppelin