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From: Jenny Randles <nufon@currantbun.com>
Date: Tue, 6 Jul 1999 20:14:43 +0100
Fwd Date: Tue, 06 Jul 1999 22:43:55 -0400
Subject: MUFON 99 - Jenny Randles - Comfort Zones


Hi,

I have just returned from the enjoyable MUFON 99 conference in
Washington, DC. Thanks to all who played a part in inviting me.
My presentation was rather different from the one included in
the procedings since I thought this gave better value to those
attending and buying the book, so to speak. But as I was on
early Saturday some who missed the paper asked me later in the
weekend to put a summary on the net. Others who heard it asked
for some help in the absence of a version in the procedings. So
here is my contribution. No revelations, as someone said. But, I
hope, salient points that are worth considering whatever your
perspective on the subject.

My paper focused on the conference theme of 'comfort zones' in
ufology. I offered 12 problem areas within our field that serve
as 'discomfort zones' and challenge the preconceptions of
ufologists, the media, skeptics and science. For each we all
should contemplate alternative scenarios and reflect on whether
we are just sitting in our own personal comfort zone standing by
a long held opinion.

It seems not many other speakers took the conference theme as
literally as I did. I thought the idea was to build a paper
around the theme. So I did!

In deference to the requests and for those not at Washington
here is a brief account of my 12 points. I will happily
elaborate if requested.

1: IFOs are not failures but success stories - How and why
solving cases is a task ufologists can do well to the benefit of
society and is an achievable goal as compared with the largely
unachievable ones such as proving that aliens are here that tend
to dominate our thinking.

2: There is not an answer to the UFO phenomenon, but answers to
the UFO phenomena The quest for 'the truth' is misleading to all
sides until we recognise there are multiple phenomena reported
under the catch all term UFO and each requires a different form
of answer. These phenomena may only be linked together by social
factors and not by any actual connections. Thus a search for the
unified field theory of ufology can actually be counter
productive.

3: We can show that UFOs are of benefit to mankind Ignoring any
hypothetical aliens, there are naturally occurring phenomena
reported as UFOs that will stretch scientific knowledge (eg
types of plasma) and may offer new energy sources, etc, for the
21st century. ufology's task is to persuade science of that.
Science must escape its ignorance of what lies beyond the
tabloid imagery of ufology.

4: UFOs are not academic they can be dangerous Certain types of
UAP, eg those involved in ongoing mid air encounters (over 40
above the UK alone post l992) are a potential threat. They are
natural in origin, not alien craft. But as modern aircraft fly
by computers the EM fields of these UAP are a clear danger. The
media need to find more honest and objective reporting. Science
needs to pay heed to UFO data. UFOlogists need to show restraint
in presenting such sober evidence without talking all the time
about aliens.

5: Close Encounters do not just happen to anyone I outlined the
clues that we have uncovered that there is a 'close encounter
prone personality' - items cited included above average early
life recall, acute visual creativity, etc. There were six key
factors here.

6: Abductions occur inside a UFO This challenges a key comfort
zone of ufology that during missing time the CE phase occurs
inside a UFO. I showed why this is an assumption imposed onto
the story by investigators and is open to some doubt. If an
abduction does not occur inside a UFO then all bets are off as
to the correct interpretation. As such this is a critical area
because if we mistakenly jump to the conclusion that an incident
occurs inside a UFO we are fundamentally misperceiving the
enigma.

7: Close Encounters occur during an altered state of
consciousness They are not real world physical events, even
though they do have a reality.   I set out why we must accept
this (to many) quite disturbing premise via case evidence.

8: The ETH must be the answer I outlined reasons why it may be -
pro ET evidence such as the 'Star Trek' effect I have uncovered
within abduction cases. But I also showed the contradictions,
via case evidence, such as that perception creates at least part
of the CE experience and how the subconscious mind at work in
the story lines is evident (eg one alien contact where the
witness was told by the aliens that their Proxima Centauri home
world translates as 'love and peace, everywhere and forever' but
in English is 'Afoni' - say it phonetically to get my point
here!!  The ETH is an assumption and part of our comfort zone.

9:  CE cases are a form of psychic experience In the brodest
definition of that term, a paranormally experienced phenomenon,
I showed why we have to conclude that it is. Rather than run
from the threads that weave abductions, NDEs etc together we
need to seek them out. I likened the result to a lucid dream -
without arguing that it was a dream, which it isnt as such.

10: We are the architects, not just the archivists of the UFO
mystery  - decisions taken by ufologists as to how to
investigate and interpret a case can push it down pathways and
to adopt a format that may not be entirely its true nature. We
hone and shape the data without realising it and can make an
experience that under other circumstances would, for instance,
be a ghost or NDE into an alien contact. We dont just record we
actually influence the mystery.

11: Sometimes you just have to say you dont know It is not a
neccesity to come up with an answer all the time. There are
puzzling cases where it is wiser and safer not to jump to a
conclusion in any direction. To do so will have a negative
effect on data gathering. We need at times to be humble enough
to admit an answer is beyond us - be we skeptics or believers.

12: The cover up may not be what it seems yes, there is a cover
up, but need there be sinister motives for it? I expressed
arguments as to why such a thing is a natural consequence of
what ufology represents and how, by pleading a massive
conspiracy to hide an alien plan on earth, we actually damage
our credibility and deepen the cover up as unpaid agents of the
very conspiracy we deplore.

Hope this helps grasp what I was trying to say in DC.

Best wishes,

Jenny Randles