| What this means essentially, if we are to take the story at face value, is that the UFO can appear to us as our culture allows the interpretation to be presented. Vallee’s basic hypothesis is that the fairy abductions from the last century are the UFO abductions of today. In another case, reported by the Houston Post on April 26, 1897, word was given to the witnesses by the entity that these “flying ships are being built” and ”will soon be available to the public.” Make what you will of this one, it reeks of “high strangeness.” Here is the account of that story: “Josserand: Considerable excitement prevails at this writing in this usually quiet village of Josserand, caused by a visit of the noted airship, which has been at so many points of late. Mr. Frank Nichols, a prominent farmer living about two miles east of here, and a man of unquestionable veracity, was awakened night before last near the hour of twelve by a whirling noise similar to that made by machinery. Upon looking out he was startled upon beholding brilliant lights streaming from a ponderous vessel of strange proportions, which rested upon the ground in his cornfield. “Having read the dispatches, published in the post of the noted aerial navigators, the truth at once flashed over him that he was one of the fortunate ones and with all the bravery of Priam at the siege of Troy [sic] Mr. Nichols started out to investigate. Before reaching the strange midnight visitor he was accosted by two men with buckets who asked permission to draw water from his well. Thinking he might be entertaining heavenly visitors instead of earthly mortals, permission was readily granted. Mr. Nichols was kindly invited to accompany them to the ship. He conversed freely with the crew, composed of six or eight individuals about the ship. The machinery was so complicated that in his short interview he could gain no knowledge of its working. However, one of the crew told him the problem of aerial navigation had been solved. The ship or car is built of a newly discovered material that has the property of self-sustenance in the air, and the motive power is highly condensed electricity. He was informed that five of these ships were built at a small town in Iowa. Soon the invention will be given to the public. An immense stock company is now being formed and within the next year the machines will be in general use. Mr. Nichols lives at Josserand, Trinity County, Texas, and will convince any incredulous one by showing the place where the ship rested.” (57) I will now quote Jacques Vallee directly, for the tremendous insight or foreknowledge this man had at the time. I believe his psyche was tapping into an evolving “truth” that is fast becoming common “knowledge” that this is in fact, just mythology being perpetuated. |
Vallee writes in Magonia: “Considering the UFO phenomenon as a special instance of that more fundamental question, we are presented with the dual possibility of very long-term unsolvability and of continued manifestation, and this is true whether the phenomenon is natural or artificial in nature.” … “This being the case, the development of a new myth feeding upon this duality is entirely predictable. In the absence of a rational solution to the mystery, and public interest in the matter being intense, it is quite likely that in the coming years every new brand of charlatanism will use it as a base, although it is not possible to predict its exact form. We may very well be living in the early years of a new mythological movement, and it may eventually give our technological age its Olympus, its fairyland, or its Valhalla, whether we regard such a development as an asset or as a blow to our culture. Because many observations of UFO phenomena appear self-consistent and at the same time irreconcilable with scientific knowledge, a logical vacuum has been created that human imagination tries to fill with its own fantasies. Such situations have been frequently observed in the past, and they have given us both the highest and the basest forms of religious, poetic and political activity. It is entirely possible that the phenomenon we study here will give rise to similar developments, because its manifestations coincide with a renewal of interest in the human value of technology.” (58) When one studies the evidence given by both Trevor James Constable and Jacques Vallee and then takes their words and thoughts into consideration, a very interesting picture emerges. On one hand, we have an Air Force that has known about UFOs as plasmoid etheric beings and we have military “intelligence” attempting to copy the technology of the etheric “craft” and we have the mythology factor. How does the mythology factor play into all this? We will take a look at that closely. Vallee also says we need to keep an open mind and rely on the most well documented materials: “Therefore, one must borrow from books only those elements that appear properly documented, and they must be confronted with a larger human context. A good researcher should not be afraid to change his mind; he should not feel desperate because his comforting beliefs leave him as soon as he begins to think critically. If he applies these rules, he may not solve all the problems he attacks, but at least he will be less likely to fall victim to every delusion or fad that is associated with them.” (59) (57) ibid, p. 149 (58) Magonia, p. 157 (59) ibid, p. 158 |