Goodbye Ufology, Hello Truth

There comes a defining moment in everyone’s life when you must choose to lead or be led, to accept life for what it is or strive for change, however small, in favor of the common good. As I write this on Easter weekend, I contemplate the man whose life we celebrate and his impact on the world. He lead by example, was not afraid to challenge the status quo and his message was pure. What he had to offer was simple, words based on the truth, and as a person that I admire and respect, if I can be one millionth of what he was; I feel that I am on the right path.

There was a time many years ago when I was considering leaving Ufology because I couldn’t make sense of it all. Here was a subject that was still being pursued passionately by intelligent and sober folks many with advanced academic degrees, yet the solution was always out of reach. Surely there must be something to the subject with so many people working on it, I thought. The problem gnawed at me and I decided that I must discover the truth for myself even if it meant sacrificing other things in my life. In a field where wild claims are rampant, I latched on to the only organization that I felt had some reservoir of common sense and reason in its modus operandi – MUFON.

Fortunately, MUFON moved its headquarters to Denver in the year 2000 and I contacted John Schuessler, International Director at the time and offered to volunteer my services. I remember sitting in a café across from the MUFON storefront and pointedly asking John “What do you think is really going on?” His answer surprised me. “I don’t know.” Surely, after all of these years of searching and digging, there must be some answers, I thought to myself, and so I became even more intrigued.

As I stared at the rows and rows of file cabinets at MUFON headquarters, I began to wonder if the answers I sought lay inside. I proposed to the MUFON Board to digitize the paper files under what I called the “Pandora Project” and they gave me their blessing and financial backing. I spent hundreds of hours tediously cataloging the files and getting them in order for scanning and the project was completed within the span of a couple of years. I also joined the MUFON Board and helped define MUFON’s new mission statement of the scientific investigation of UFOs for the benefit of humanity.

When John was searching for a successor, I was reluctant to apply, but then I thought about the unique position this would put me in to dedicate my time to the pursuit of the truth. I took on the challenge and the next three years became a roller coaster of insight and discoveries that would change my view forever on why the truth behind UFOs is so elusive.

I also decided to take a unique approach. Poke at the phenomenon and see what pokes back. Not only look for a signal but the absence of one as well because it just as telling. In addition I made the conscious decision to forsake the “inside source”. Coupling all of this with an investigative ethic that was thorough and unrelenting, a clear picture began to emerge.

What I discovered was that the phenomenon is based in deception – of the human kind –and that there is no way ANYONE will understand the real truth unless they are willing to first accept that. No, I am not talking about some grandiose cover-up of alien visitation, but instead the documented manipulation of people and information for purposes that I can only speculate on. How do I unequivocally know this to be true? Well let me lay it out for you in laymen’s terms.

People are easily manipulated because we are all subject to the psychological pressures of ego, biased beliefs and tunnel vision. For example, those that KNOW that earth is being visited by aliens have blinders on and no amount of alternative explanation will convince them otherwise. They are the die hard in the wool believers for whom Ufology serves as a religion to confirm their beliefs that they take on faith. On the other end of the spectrum are the debunkers who must counter every claim with a reason why it can’t be so, without bothering to examine the data or lift a finger in conducting original research of their own.

Whoa! Wait a minute, what about those who don’t take things on faith and actually collect data and conduct investigation? Good question. I decided to examine the data collection and investigative practices in Ufology, and after poring over thousands of historical case files from MUFON, NICAP and APRO investigators in the MUFON archives, what I found, was inconsistent investigation with a total lack of evidentiary standards. I also found a paper trail of disinformation and misinformation that has kept Ufology in check through infighting and red herrings, rabbit holes and elaborate deception operations.

The other thing I found documented in the MUFON archives was the sad history of those UFO investigators who thought they could successfully play the “cover up game” by cultivating their inside sources only to be discredited, manipulated or ego driven to delusion. But it was after conducting six personal investigations that I began to question whether or not ANY of the data sitting in any UFO archive can be relied on.

2006 – The report by a bogus Dive Company of finding the 1953 Kinross UFO – perpetrators unknown and still at large.

2007 – Michael Nelson’s bogus claims of recovering physical evidence related to the 1966 Portage County UFO Chase. Read Nelson’s paper in the 2007 MUFON Symposium Proceedings, then tear it out as none of it is based in fact.

2007 – The California Drones story for which not a single, verifiable beyond reproach, real witness can be found.

2008 – The Stan Romanek claims which are not only unverified by science (despite what he says) but involves the shameful practice of investigators ignoring professional standards by fraternizing and becoming emotionally involved with the subject of their investigation.

2009 – Unsettling information I discovered with Dr. Frank Salisbury about the Skinwalker Ranch that calls into question the validity of experiences described in the book “Hunt for the Skinwalker”.

All of these cases have a common thread: they are based on half-truths, and outright manipulation that predictably draw in the believer but have also drawn in a number of Ufologists into their web of deception. And they all would have gotten away with it too had it not been for those meddling kids, but more about the Scooby Doo analogy later.

As I the picture became clearer, I began to be more vocal about what I had uncovered, much to the displeasure of those perpetrating the deception. At first, I limited myself to publishing my investigations in the MUFON Journal but eventually carried it over to my blog because of the increased reluctance of the MUFON Board to expose some of these perpetrators over concerns of legal liability or funding. But I could not stay silent and let yet more UFO myth be created in an already endless sea of nebulous data.

I decided to dig deeper and rather than focus on the sideshows that would pop up and distract Ufologists by leading us down yet another rabbit hole, I did original research into the early days of the phenomenon. What I found was amazing and is documented in my paper at http://scilib.ucsd.edu/sio/hist/Carrion_New%20Avenues.pdf. Realizing that to uncover more information and to prove my theory would require laser like focus and time that I did not have to spare, I made the decision to leave the MUFON International Director position and informed the MUFON Board.

Interestingly I also observed how my original research fell on deaf ears in the UFO community. When I suggested that the holy grail of Ufology, Roswell, could be part of an elaborate intelligence deception operation, not only did I encounter a wave of hostility from the “believers” but a backlash of silence, debunking and dismissal by even those “unbiased” researchers who claim to not stoop to such tactics. Rather than inspire an army of fellow investigators to dig deeper in this unexplored area I felt like Copernicus telling a room full of colleagues how the earth revolved around the sun despite everyone else believing the earth the center of the Universe. Blasphemy! Heresy!

All of this has led me to where I am at today – squarely outside of Ufology – away from the polarized beliefs, the three ring circus of sideshows and illusion acts that has created nothing but a hall of mirrors and dead ends and which has produced no definite answers despite 60 years of accumulated investigation. I feel free and alive with possibilities; being able to pursue the truth through original research and verifiable original documentation, without the constant distractions and noise.

In 1969, Project Blue Book was history and MUFON was founded. The same year, a soon to be popular TV show was started – Scooby Doo, that featured a gang of amateur sleuths solving mysteries and exposing con artists and charlatans who were then apprehended by the authorities. As the perpetrator was being led away in handcuffs, they predictably stated – “and I would have gotten away with it too if it hadn’t been for those meddling kids.” I began to wonder if the gang would have solved any mysteries if the perpetrator and authorities were one and the same. The perpetrator may get caught and exposed but once free to go, could practice their con somewhere else. That in a nutshell is the sad state of Ufology today, humans deceiving humans. If there is a real phenomenon, I have yet to see any evidence of it that would stand under scientific scrutiny. Outside of Ufology, I will pursue peeling away these layers of human deception and exposing them for what they are. If a real phenomenon lies at its core remains to be seen.

The Internet Matrix

The Internet is a marvel of modern society but is is also a breeding ground for intelligence agency experiments. I have observed a pattern of activity over the last three years that is disturbing and reeks of information control and manipulation. You should be disturbed as well because the manipulators of truth have a new weapon in their arsenal that is cheap and can be employed in a fraction of the time that past manipulations have required.

Let's start with UFO myth building. If you can remember back to the fall of 2006, a web site sprang up by an alleged salvage and dive company, claiming to have found the remnants of the Air Force jet that crashed in Lake Superior in 1953 while chasing a UFO. Not only did they claim to find the jet from the famous 1953 Kinross Incident but also claimed that the UFO it collided was also on the lake bed nearby. They even posted alleged sonar pictures that showed both the jet and the UFO. This news spread like wildfire throughout the Internet. The dive company also set up a message board on their web site to allow the public to post messages about the find.

I personally spent hundreds of hours trying to substantiate these claims and after publishing a couple of articles in the MUFON Journal that exposed these claims as false, the dive company's web site dissapeared never to resurface. If you would like to read more about this interesting story, you can go to the MUFON Journal archive at http://www.theblackvault.com/wiki/index.php/MUFON_Journals,_2000%27s#2006 and read about this story in the October and November 2006 issues.

So this brings up an interesting question. Who was behind this web site and these false claims? Since there was no obvious monetary motivation for perpetrating this, another possibility is that an intelligence agency was behind this, experimenting with the Internet as a means to promulgate disinformation and send Ufologists down yet another rabbit hole that resulted in a dead-end.

In 2007, the California Drones photos came on the scene and also spread like wildfire throughout the Internet. However this time, the witnesses were allegedly members of the public, ALL of who chose to remain anonymous and could not be proven to be real people. Despite this glaring red flag, the Drones saga is still actively promoted today as a valid case, especially by the message boards of the Open Minds forum http://lucianarchy.proboards.com/index.cgi?
When I joined the boards, I was treated by the moderators and anonymous membership in the same way I was treated by the Dive Company message board members, in a negative way using disinformation methods of deflection and intimidation. When I pressed my case, I was then kicked off the boards. Now the interesting thing about Open Minds is that the two principles (Admin and Ivo5000) who allegedly co-own it and with whom I have had some interesting email exchanges don't seem to be real people themselves. I could be wrong here but I challenge anyone to investigate this for themself and if you can surface a real resume for either partner, then I will retract my statement. You can read MUFON's opinion on the Drones in the April 2008 issue of the MUFON Journal.

So what are the dangers of these message boards since even MUFON has its own board at http://mufonmembers.proboards.com/index.cgi?
The danger lies in the anonymous nature of these boards. Anyone can sign up without proving their identity and they can make any claims that they want. For example, on the MUFON message boards we had a poster who was very critical of MUFON and claimed to be a former MUFON member. When I asked the person to confidentially send me his/her name so I could verify that they were indeed a former member, they stopped posting on the board and it is doubtful they were ever a MUFON member in the first place. More likely they were an agent provocateur in the employ of the intelligence agencies.

The Intelligence agencies can use these message boards to promote false information, build myths like the 2006 Kinross case and the 2007 Drones saga, practice disinformation techniques and character assasinate any one who dares question their tactics. Imagine you are new to the UFO subject and your classroom for learning more about the phenomenon is one of these message boards. How can you believe anything that you read on these boards, even MUFON's own board, when intelligence operatives have free reign? It is one of the questions I have been asking myself for awhile and since MUFON is in the process of completely revamping its web site, is one of the issues that will have to be seriously looked at. MUFON may end up with a new message board site that restricts anonymity for these reasons.

Now I have to laugh when folks prematurely declare that MUFON is dying and that the Internet will replace it. Hogwash! MUFON is the voice of reason in this sea of disinformation, and MUFON field investigators have to prove themselves to be real people in order to investigate cases. MUFON has also taken a zero-tolerance stance on whistle blowers and anonymous inside sources to avoid being manipulated by the intelligence agencies as so many Ufologists have in the past.

So my friends, beware of La-La land (the Internet), don't believe everything you read there, don't trust anonymous sources and if you feel bullied on a UFO related message board, let me know as I would like to keep up on the latest intelligence agency disinformation and manipulation tactics.

Whistleblowers - Whose horn are they tooting?

Even if the truth behind UFOs has been hidden by a massive cover up, surely the secrecy chamber can't be completely air tight, and a leak is bound to spring up somewhere. 

At least that is what some whistleblower proponents like to believe. I think that it is important that we examine whistleblowing precedents that have occurred (or not) in other matters pertaining to national security. 

How about we start with the mother of all compartmentalized national security programs - the Manhattan Project. If you take the time, as I have, to study the (already declassified) comprehensive security methods put into place to protect this very important and secret WW2 project, you will find that: 

• The security of the project was delegated to a dedicated group of project security personnel that reported through the strictest of channels only to Manhattan Project managers. 
• The men and women who were part of this security operation were hand picked and only the creme de la creme were selected. 
• This security apparatus vetted and carefully watched all project personnel. Those deemed a security risk were moved to positions of less trust and their access to classified material terminated. 
• Any public release of information, intentional or not, was dealt with swiftly and decisively. 
• Only a select few project personnel knew the overall goal of the project, namely to build an atomic bomb, and many project personnel only learned what the real goal was AFTER the atomic bomb was dropped on Japan. 

Why is this relevant to UFO secrecy? Well here we have a project of tremendous importance to the United States that had to be protected at all costs, but the tremendous size of the Manhattan project and the complex logistics that were required to pull it off, created security challenges on an unprecedented scale. 

Amazingly, the Manhattan Project security team did pull it off, so effectively, that even Vice President Truman did not know of the project's existence until he became President. Only a massive Soviet espionage effort managed to infiltrate the project. 

Manhattan Project documentation shows that project security personnel were worried about public whistleblowers who could expose project secrets to the American public and our enemies. The security team put into place failsafe mechanisms to effectively deal with such leaks. What they couldn't prevent however, as history shows, was the infiltration by Communist sympathizers who effectively hid their allegiances and maintained their positions of trust, so as to covertly provide project intelligence to their handlers. In other words, public release of information could be dealt with effectively but the same could not be said of covert release. 

Now let's apply this analogy to the UFO cover up which by most accounts was not instituted until after 1945. With the success of the Manhattan Project fresh in their minds, those security forces so tasked, would have adopted the same modus operandi in protecting the UFO secret. Again anticipating that someone on the inside could possibly divulge secret knowledge, safeguards would have been put into place to prevent this or squash it. 

So what are we to make of all of these UFO whistleblowers that have come forward and claim privileged insider knowledge? Can we believe their claims and their motives? Are they telling the truth? 

This is a complex question, so let's break the mechanics of whistleblowing into its essential components: - Whistleblower Identity - Whistleblower Scope of Knowledge - Whistleblower Motives 

Whistleblower Identity: UFO Whistleblowers that request anonymity out of fear of persecution DO have to be worried about their well being. They would not be "in the know" to begin with if they were not first carefully vetted and selected and then took a solemn oath to not divulge what they were made privy to. 

Normally taking a national security oath carries a tremendous penalty for violating it. If you are privy to and divulge classified information, the penalty usually entails time behind bars, but could involve the death penalty if serious enough. So anonymous whistleblowers are possible, but hiding behind anonymity will also leave their testimony suspect and unverifiable. 

How can you trust what a whistleblower is tooting their horn about if you can't verify that they were "in the know" to begin with? I also have to believe that the handpicked men and women who make up the UFO security apparatus are smart enough to track down leaks even if the whistleblower's identity is not divulged and that this mole hunting capability is repeatedly communicated to all involved personnel, to prevent it from happening in the first place. 

Even those whistleblowers who have not requested anonymity have difficulty getting their claims taken seriously. Bob Lazar and Colonel Corso did not hind behind anonymity but their claims are riddled with controversy. 

Whistleblower Scope of Knowledge: This is probably the part of UFO whistleblowing that I have the most trouble reconciling. If you were fortunate enough to have insider access to any part of the UFO puzzle, your piece of the puzzle would be so compartmentalized and so small that you would not be able to see the big picture of UFO secrecy. 

"Need to Know" is an essential component of any secret deep black project and is interwoven into the very fabric of the project. So the only really knowledgeable whistleblowers would be those at the very top of the hierarchy who are privy to enough pieces of the puzzle to know what the big picture is in the first place. Of course, they would also tend to be the ones who have the most to lose if the secret is let out. 

Whistleblower Motives: Ask anyone who has ever had a security clearance whether they ever willfully disclosed classified information outside of a need to know basis and the answer would most likely be No! One thing that always weighs heavily on your mind when you are put in a position of trust is the penalty for violating your national security oath. 

When I was in Army intelligence, I had access to material that is public information today, but I will still not talk about it. Oaths are taken seriously. So for a whistleblower to willfully violate their oath not only takes some big kahunas, but express knowledge that severe repercussions may follow. How many folks can truly say they are willing to take that risk? 

So before we label a whistleblower an all-American Hero for having the guts to come forward and put themselves in mortal danger for the common good of man and apple pie, we should first question their claims along these three lines: do they have the proper credentials, did they have a need to know and what is their motive for coming forward? If any of these three come up smelling funny, we should stop waving the American flag and wave a red flag instead, because something is awry.