A continuing Mutual UFO Network - MUFONET-BBS Network "Investigator's series for Field ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Edge" No. 8 Investigators "THE INVESTIGATOR'S EDGE" --------------------------- [Note: This edition of the "Investigator's Edge" is from the January, 1991 issue of "GEORGIA SKYWATCH", published by GEORGIA-MUFON.] GENERAL --------- Things to keep in mind while doing investigations --------------------------------------------------- AIRCRAFT: Have a minimum of three non-flashing running lights; one on each wing tip and one at the rear. Right wing running light is green, left wing running light is red, and the rear running light is white. [Note: many aircraft also have two strobe lights, one mounted on top and on mounted below the fuselage.] There must not be more than one green running light. Blue is not used as a running light. Helicopters have the same general running light configuration as light planes. ATMOSPHERIC TURBULENCE: Can cause an object (that is near the horizon) to look distorted and magnified. AUTOKINETIC MOTION: Eye movement can cause the witness to think a stationary light or object is moving when in fact it is not. Lining the target up with two other stationary reference points can help to determine whether in fact the object is moving. When a witness says the light was moving in jerky motions--side to side and up and down--suspect the witness is looking at a star. BALL LIGHTENING: Appears hazy or solid, spherical, oval or rod shape. Colors range from red-white with orange being the most common. It can hover, go less than 5 mph or up to 60 mph. It emits a hissing sound and when it explodes an odor of sulfa or ozone is present. It can appear after lightening strikes the ground or in midair. Ball lightening almost always appears during a thunderstorm. DIFFERENT OBJECTIVES: UFO investigators are looking very hard for consistent groups of facts, while UFO witnesses are looking for support and counseling. These are two very different objectives and can be the source of conflict between the witness and the investigator. The wise investigator will keep this in mind when dealing with witnesses. DISTANCE: Most witnesses underestimate the actual distance from the observation point to the object. ELECTROMAGNETIC INTERFERENCE: Electromagnetic interference that can cause an automobile's engine to stall and can interrupt the operation of other electrical devices has sometimes been linked to UFO sighting reports. Such occurances are not limited to gasoline engines. Diesel engines such as found in trucks, boats, trains, and bulldozers have also been affected. Similar reports on airplane engines and radar equipment have also been reported. INVESTIGATOR'S DUTY TO THE WITNESS: The UFO investigator must subordinate his or her need to collect UFO information to the needs and interests of the witness. The health and well-being of the witness must ALWAYS come before the collection of UFO evidence and proof. INTERPRETATION OF WITNESS TESTIMONY: The interpretation of both free and regressed witness narratives is BEST acomplished by behavioral psychologists and other professionals skilled in the process. FEELINGS REPORTED BY WITNESSES: Feelings reported by witnesses include: (A) Being watched (B) Looking me over (C) Feeling of being observed (D) Feeling of fear (E) Feeling of anger (F) It was a beautiful experience (G) Felt happy when it happened (H) Felt object responded to witness (I) Felt the object was trying to communicate with witness PHYSICAL EXAMINATION: The number of witness reports which suggest aliens are interested in observing or manipulating the witness's sexual organs and/or otherwise conducting gynecological examinations of the witness appears to be far less than would be euggested by popular reports. More often, witnesses report examination of their heads. HIGH STRANGENESS: When a large number of witness narratives are examined, it quickly becomes obvious that the witness experience is very complicated and full of unknowns. The vast majority of witness accounts describe perceptions and experiences far stranger than any reported by mainstream abduction researchers. Do not rule out what a witness tells you because it has a high strangeness level. Because we do not know what is true, we must not edit testimony or it becomes absolutely worthless. When reporting witness testimony, do not try to make it seem credible and believable. Rather, expose it as it really is. Unless we do this we have no chance at all of getting at the truth. HYPNOSIS: Information from a regressed subject is sometimes used in the context of other evidence, but it is not itself evidence. Because regressed testimony of UFO witnesses cannot currently by confirmed by hard facts, there remains enormous difficulty with trying to use hypnotized testimony as evidence of real events, even when that testimony agrees in particulars among a group of unconnected witnesses. The primary value of hypnosis is as a counseling device. It is recommended that nobody except a professionally trained hypnotist - preferably one with the credentials of a health professional - hypnotize any UFO witness for any reason, and then only for therapeutic purposes. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~