There can be no doubt that one of the creepiest phenomena to have surfaced in the last two decades is that of what have become infamously known as the Black-Eyed Children. It would be overly simplistic to suggest they are merely the offspring of the Men in Black and the Women in Black of the UFO field. Admittedly, though, there are deep similarities, such as the clothing and their obsessive need to get into peoples’ homes. Not only that, the BEC might well be robots. Before we get to that aspect of the story, let’s first take a look at how, and under what specific circumstances, the Black-Eyed Children came to prominence. And, why the just might be robots. We’ll also take a look at a few classic cases. None of them are particularly heartwarming. As if you really needed to be told that. Although, today, we have people who claim to have seen the BEC in the period from the 1930s to the present day, the very first reported case didn’t surface until January 1998. The location was the Lone Star State, specifically the city of Abilene. The story revolves around a man named Brian Bethel, a journalist who works for the Abilene Reporter News. It was late one night when Bethel’s life was changed and he came to realize that there are dangerous, supernatural entities in our midst.

It was close to 10:00 p.m. when Bethel had the kind of close encounter that one never, ever forgets. He had pulled up at a mall not too far from his home, to deposit a check in a mail-box. All was quiet and dark. Bethel, using the lights of the mall to illuminate the interior of his vehicle, was writing the check when he was rudely interrupted. He jumped with surprise at the sight of a couple of kids who were standing next to the car, on the driver’s side. But, there was something about these kids that rang alarm bells in Bethel’s head. In fact, as Bethel would imminently learn, things were wrong in the extreme. Bethel stared at the pair and couldn’t fail to see just how incredibly pale the face of one of the boys was. The other had what Bethel described as olive-colored skin. Both boys were around ten to fourteen years of age, Bethel estimated, and both were dressed in pullovers. Only one of the two boys spoke – he claimed that they wanted to see a movie, Mortal Kombat, at the local cinema. But, there was a problem: they had left their money at home. Could Bethel take them to their homes to get some cash? Bethel near-instantly realized that this whole situation had an air of dark and disturbing theater about it. There was an undeniably unsettling agenda at work, and it had absolutely zero to do with movies.

Bethel awkwardly hemmed and hawed for a few moments, something which caused the talkative boy to become ever more insistent that Bethel let them in the car. Then, things became downright eerie and chilling: Bethel found himself almost mind-manipulated, to the point where, to his horror, he could see that his hand was heading to the driver’s-side door – with the intent of opening it, but without his control. Bethel, fortunately, broke the enchanting spell and didn’t open the door, after all. This clearly incensed the talkative boy, who amped up the pleas to allow them into Bethel’s car. It was then, for the first time, that Bethel finally got a good look at their eyes. They were completely black. The two boys realized that, by now, they were losing the battle to be permitted to get into Bethel’s car. On this very point, Bethel himself said that the boy who did all of the talking “wore a mask of anger.” The boy, now displaying a look on his face which was part-frustration and part-anger, almost shouted: “We can’t come in unless you tell us it’s okay. Let us in!” Bethel, terrified, did nothing of the sort. What he did do was to slam the car into reverse and head for home, completely panicked by the whole thing. Oddly, as he drove away, Bethel looked back, only to see that the boys were nowhere in sight. In what was clearly and impossibly quick time, they had vanished.  And, thus was quickly born a legend. It’s a legend that shows no signs of stopping. It’s only getting worse.

Tales of what have become known as the Black Eyed Children have now been circulating for a couple of decades. The witnesses are many. The cases are creepy and bizarre. But, it’s fair to say that we still don’t have a solid answer as to what they are or what they want. It’s worth noting an intriguing UFO connection to the very strange saga of the Black Eyed Children: they have deep parallels to the notorious time-traveling Men in Black, who have, for decades, terrorized and intimidated into silence numerous witnesses to UFOs. Just like the BECs, the Men in Black have a propensity for knocking on doors late at night. The two mirror each other in other fashions, too: like their child counterparts, the MIB will not enter a home until they are specifically invited to do so (shades of vampire lore, legend and very often movies). Both the MIB and the BEC wear black. Both wear head-gear: hoodies for the Black Eyed Children, and 1950s-era fedoras for the MIB. And there is another intriguing issue: very often the Men in Black wear thick, wraparound, black sunglasses. 

I have to wonder if this MIB/sunglasses angle is done not just to provoke a menacing atmosphere, but to mask a pair of emotion-free, solid, black eyes of the type that the Black Eyed Children are described as having. In that sense, and just perhaps, the Men in Black and the Black Eyed Children are one and the same: one in adult form and the other in child form, but both following the same secret agenda – whatever that may really be. So, where does that all leave us? Well, it admittedly leaves us with a lot of questions and not a great deal else. But they are questions that a certain, acclaimed and dedicated researcher of the Black Eyed has done his very best to resolve. Undoubtedly the leading investigator in this field, and the author of the book, The Black Eyed Children, David Weatherly has collected and studied dozens of such cases, demonstrating the sheer scale of these weird and unsettling events. David’s work has addressed a variety of theories for the origins and presence of the BECs: that they might be demonic in nature, or predatory spirits, or possibly even products of the human mind, given some semblance of physical life in the real world. Notably, David has also spent much time researching the theory that the Black Eyed Children have nothing less than an alien lineage. David cites the case of two women, Ann and Marcia, who have both had alien abduction experiences and who have also both encountered the BECs – and, in Marcia’s case, in the now-typical “knocking on the door and demanding to be let in” situation.

Of strange cases such as these, David says: “Why would an alien race want, or need, to create hybrid beings? There are a number of proposed theories to explain why such an experiment may be taking place. These theories range from a dying race that needs an injection of fresh DNA in order to survive, to time travelers attempting to correct a mistake made in their past (which is our present).” More words from Black Eyed Children expert, David Weatherly. They are words that fit comfortably with what we have seen so far: “An even more sinister theory that has followers, postulates that the grays are actually attempting to take over our world by slowly breeding us out and phasing in beings with alien DNA. Over time the human race will fade away to be replaced by the ‘superior’ DNA of the gray aliens, adherents say.”

Ron told me that a week or so after reading my Paranormal Parasites book (it was published in May 2018 and Ron bought his copy a couple of weeks later), he woke up in the dead of night with a pounding headache, a dry mouth, and a rash on his arms (which was gone by morning). Worse still, he was unable to move. This is a real phenomenon that many of you will have heard of: sleep paralysis. As is typical in such cases, Ron immediately found himself filled with fear. This is hardly surprising: standing at the side of the bed were two young children – maybe ten or eleven years in age – who stared at Ron through completely black eyes. Their skin was pale and they were both dressed in black hoodies. In seconds, Ron’s bedroom was flooded with apocalyptic images of a flattened, of millions dead, and of the sky filled with blackness. Ron knew what the cause was: a huge, nuclear mushroom cloud dominated what was left of the city. Suddenly, the image was gone – as were the BEC. Ron told me that he had near-sleepless nights for the next three nights. Thankfully, the BEC did not return. Nor did the nightmare. Adrian Clarke, of England, told me a similar story. In Adrian’s case, it was around 3:00 a.m. in September 2018 and he too suddenly found himself wide awake and with a pair of Black-Eyed Children looking at him from the foot of the bed. Both had the completely black eyes, but were dressed in orange robes. Suddenly, and similar to Ron’s experience, Adrian briefly found himself deep in the heart of a nightmarish world of billions dead and the Earth devastated. He fought against the paralysis and finally managed to break the spell. In seconds, the image was gone – as were the BEC.

Moving on, there is the account of Jennifer, who I met at the September 2018 Mothman Festival in Point Pleasant, West Virginia – and who lives in Point Pleasant. After I gave my lecture on my The Black Diary book, Jennifer came up to my table and shared with me her experience – which occurred in April 2018. She too was woken from her sleep by a pair of pale kids with huge, dark eyes. One of them pointed to one of the walls in Jennifer’s bedroom, which was suddenly transformed into an approximately eight-foot-by-eight-foot image of a nuclear explosion. Jennifer told me that, for reasons she wasn’t sure, she somehow knew that the city was Milwaukee, Wisconsin. She has never been to Milwaukee, nor does she have friends or family there. Like Ron and Adrian, Jennifer was shaken to the core by her experience. I have seven more cases in which witnesses to the BEC – after their encounters with those dangerous kids - had extremely vivid dreams about future events. Five of them were of vivid, worldwide, nuclear war in the 21st century – a war that all but destroys the Western Hemisphere and ravages the rest of the Earth. Interestingly, and disturbingly, in five of the cases North Korea turned out to be the culprits that sent the deadly ball rolling. And with not a single chance of stopping it. Billions were killed. The atmosphere was black for decades – a nightmarish phenomenon known as a “Nuclear Winter,” something that, theoretically, will occur if we have a world wife nuclear war and millions of tons of radioactive dust is thrown into the atmosphere – possibly for decades. 

In some way, these nightmares of disastrous, future times mirror what we learned about the multiple stories of dreams of a radioactive apocalypse in 2017. Are the Black Eyed Children warning us of a future that is destined to destroy us? Or, keeping the matter of time-lines in mind, are the BEC trying to tell us – in their own, eerie, strange way – that this is only one possible scenario? A scenario that can be avoided, if we do our utmost to avoid the worst? Let us all hope so. The possibility of the Black Eyed Children being robots of an incredibly sophisticated nature is fascinating. Consider the following: these creepy kids have skin that looks like high-tech, expertly formed plastic or rubber. They have a mannequin-type aspect attached to their appearances. They repeat the same words over and over again and in loop-style, no less. They seem to lack a sense of self-awareness. Their words are spoken in what can only be termed parrot-fashion-style. Even their clothing – black hoodies – seems to have come straight out of a conveyor-belt in a factory. Of course, the big question is: who has manufactured these dangerous kids? Quite possibly, that’s the weirdest part of the whole mystery.

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Over the years I've shared with you various aspects of the FBI's investigation of cattle mutilations. But, today, I'm going to share with you just about the whole story. Here we go: Since at least 1967, reports have surfaced throughout the United States of animals – but, chiefly, cattle – slaughtered in bizarre fashion. Organs are taken and significant amounts of blood are found to be missing. In some cases, the limbs of the cattle are broken, suggesting they have been dropped to the ground from a significant height. Evidence of extreme heat, to slice into the skin of the animals, has been found at mutilation sites. Eyes are removed, tongues are sliced off, and, typically, the sexual organs are gone. While the answers to the puzzle remain frustratingly outside of the public arena, theories abound. They include extraterrestrials, engaged in nightmarish experimentation of the genetic kind; military programs involving the testing of new bio-warfare weapons; occult-based groups that sacrifice the cattle in ritualistic fashion; and government agencies secretly monitoring the food-chain, fearful that something worse than “Mad Cow Disease” may have infected the U.S. cattle herd – and, possibly, as a result, the human population, too. Cattle mutilations are a favorite topic of UFO researchers and conspiracy theorists. From the mid-1970s to the dawning of the 1980s, however, the phenomenon was of deep interest to another body: the FBI. 

From January to March 1973, the state of Iowa was hit hard by cattle mutilations. Not only that, many of the ranchers who lost animals reported seeing strange lights and black-colored helicopters in the direct vicinities of the attacks. That the FBI took keen notice of all this is demonstrated by the fact that, as the Freedom of Information Act has shown, it collected and filed numerous media reports on the cattle-mutes in Iowa. The next piece of data dates from early September 1974. That’s when the FBI’s director, Clarence M. Kelley, was contacted by Senator Carl T. Curtis, who wished to inform the Bureau of a wave of baffling attacks on livestock in Nebraska – the state in which Curtis resided and represented. At the time, the FBI declined to get involved, as Director Kelley informed the senator: “It appears that no Federal Law within the investigative jurisdiction of the FBI has been violated, inasmuch as there is no indication of interstate transportation of the maimed animals.” One year later, in August 1975, Senator Floyd K. Haskell, of Colorado, made his voice known to the FBI, on the growing cattle mutilation controversy:

“For several months my office has been receiving reports of cattle mutilations throughout Colorado and other western states. At least 130 cases in Colorado alone have been reported to local officials and the Colorado Bureau of Investigation (CBI); the CBI has verified that the incidents have occurred for the last two years in nine states. The ranchers and rural residents of Colorado are concerned and frightened by these incidents. The bizarre mutilations are frightening in themselves: in virtually all the cases, the left ear, rectum and sex organ of each animal has been cut away and the blood drained from the carcass, but with no traces of blood left on the ground and no footprints.” The senator had much more to say, too: “In Colorado’s Morgan County area there has [sic] also been reports that a helicopter was used by those who mutilated the carcasses of the cattle, and several persons have reported being chased by a similar helicopter. Because I am gravely concerned by this situation, I am asking that the Federal Bureau of Investigation enter the case. Although the CBI has been investigating the incidents, and local officials also have been involved, the lack of a central unified direction has frustrated the investigation. It seems to have progressed little, except for the recognition at long last that the incidents must be taken seriously. Now it appears that ranchers are arming themselves to protect their livestock, as well as their families and themselves, because they are frustrated by the unsuccessful investigation. Clearly something must be done before someone gets hurt.”

Again, the FBI – some ranchers and media people thought, rather suspiciously – declined to get involved in the investigation of the phenomenon. It was a stance the FBI rigidly stuck to (despite collecting numerous, nationwide newspaper and magazine articles on the subject) until 1978. That was when the FBI learned of an astonishing number of horse and cattle mutilations in Rio Arriba County, New Mexico – mutilations which actually dated back to 1976. They had all been scrupulously investigated and documented by Police Officer Gabe Valdez of Espanola. It was when the FBI was contacted by New Mexico Senator Harrison Schmitt (also the twelfth person to set foot on the Moon – in December 1972), who implored the FBI to get involved, that action was finally taken. In March 1979, Assistant Attorney General Heymann prepared a summary on the New Mexico cases for the FBI, and – for good measure – photocopied all of Officer Valdez’s files to the Bureau’s director. Things were about to be taken to a new level. As Valdez’s voluminous records showed, from the summer of 1975 to the early fall of 1978, no less than twenty-eight cattle mutilation incidents occurred in Rio Arriba County. One of the most bizarre events occurred in June 1976, as Valdez’s files demonstrate:

“Investigations around the area revealed that a suspected aircraft of some type had landed twice, leaving three pod marks positioned in a triangular shape. The diameter of each pod was 14 inches. Emanating from the two landings were smaller triangular shaped tripods 28 inches and 4 inches in diameter. Investigation at the scene showed that these small tripods had followed the cow for approximately 600 feet. Tracks of the cow showed where she had struggled and fallen. The small tripod tracks were all around the cow. Other evidence showed that grass around the tripods, as they followed the cow, had been scorched. Also a yellow oily substance was located in two places under the small tripods. This substance was submitted to the State Police Lab. The Lab was unable to detect the content of the substance. “A sample of the substance was submitted to a private lab and they were unable to analyze the substance due to the fact that it disappeared or disintegrated. Skin samples were analyzed by the State Police Lab and the Medical Examiner’s Office. It was reported that the skin had been cut with a sharp instrument.” Seventy-two hours later, Valdez liaised with Dr. Howard Burgess, of the New Mexico-based Sandia Laboratories, with a view to having the area checked for radiation. It was a wise move. The radiation level was double that which could normally be expected. Valdez’s conclusions on this issue: “It is the opinion of this writer that radiation findings are deliberately being left at the scene to confuse investigators.”

The case was not over, however. Whatever, or whoever, was responsible for the mutilation made a return visit. Once again, we need to take a look at the official files on the affair. In Valdez’s own, official words:  “There was also evidence that the tripod marks had returned and removed the left ear. Tripod marks were found over Mr. Gomez’s tire tracks of his original visit. The left ear was intact when Mr. Gomez first found the cow. The cow had a 3-month-old calf which has not been located since the incident. This appears strange since a small calf normally stays around the mother even though the cow is dead.” On the matter of whether or not the mutilations were the work of cults or natural predators, Valdez said: “Both have been ruled out due to expertise and preciseness and the cost involved to conduct such a sophisticated and secretive operation. It should also be noted that during the spring of 1974 when a tremendous amount of cattle were lost due to heavy snowfalls, the carcasses had been eaten by predators. These carcasses did not resemble the carcasses of the mutilated cows. Investigation has narrowed down to these theories which involve (1) Experimental use of Vitamin B12 and (2) The testing of the lymph node system. During this investigation an intensive study has been made of (3) What is involved in germ warfare testing, and the possible correlation of these 3 factors (germ warfare testing, use of Vitamin B12, testing of the lymph node system).” A further, very strange, report can be found in Valdez’s files, from 1978:

“This four year old cross Hereford and Black Angus native cow was found lying on left side with rectum, sex organs, tongue, and ears removed. Pinkish blood from [illegible] was visible, and after two days the blood still had not coagulated. Left front and left rear leg were pulled out of their sockets apparently from the weight of the cow which indicates that it was lifted and dropped back to the ground. The ground around and under the cow was soft and showed indentations where the cow had been dropped. 600 yards away from the cow were the 4-inch circular indentations similar to the ones found at the Manuel Gomez ranch on 4-24-78. “This cow had been dead approximately [illegible] hours and was too decomposed to extract samples. This is the first in a series of mutilations in which the cows’ legs are broken. Previously the animals had been lifted from the brisket with a strap. These mutilated animals all dehydrate rapidly (in one or two days).” As the summer of 1978 progressed, so did the number of reports where elevated radiation readings were found, as Valdez noted in his records:

“It is believed that this type of radiation is not harmful to humans, although approximately 7 people who visited the mutilation site complained of nausea and headaches. However, this writer has had no such symptoms after checking approximately 11 mutilations in the past 4 months. Identical mutilations have been taking place all over the Southwest. It is strange that no eye witnesses have come forward or that no accidents [have] occurred. One has to admit that whoever is responsible for the mutilations is very well organized with boundless financing and secrecy. Writer is presently getting equipment through the efforts of Mr. Howard Burgess, Albuquerque, N.M. to detect substances on the cattle which might mark them and be picked up by infra-red rays but not visible to the naked eye.” A lengthy document, prepared by Forrest S. Putman, the FBI’s Special-Agent-in-Charge at Albuquerque, New Mexico was soon thereafter sent to the FBI’s headquarters in Washington, D.C. It read:  “Information furnished to this office by Officer Valdez indicates that the animals are being shot with some type of paralyzing drug and the blood is being drawn from the animal after an injection of an anti-coagulant. It appears that in some instances the cattle’s legs have been broken and helicopters without any identifying numbers have reportedly been seen in the vicinity of these mutilations. 

“Officer Valdez theorizes that clamps are being placed on the cow’s legs and they are being lifted by helicopter to some remote area where the mutilations are taking place and then the animal is returned to its original pasture. The mutilations primarily consist of removal of the tongue, the lymph gland, lower lip and the sexual organs of the animal. Much mystery has surrounded these mutilations, but according to witnesses they give the appearance of being very professionally done with a surgical instrument, and according to Valdez, as the years progress, each surgical procedure appears to be more professional. Officer Valdez has advised that in no instance, to his knowledge, are these carcasses ever attacked by predator or scavenger animals, although there are tracks which would indicate that coyotes have been circling the carcass from a distance. Special Agent Putman then informed the Director of the outcome of Valdez’s run-ins with officials. He also advised that he has requested Los Alamos Scientific Laboratory to conduct investigation for him but until just recently has always been advised that the mutilations were done by predatory animals. Officer Valdez stated that just recently he has been told by two assistants at Los Alamos Scientific Laboratory that they were able to determine the type of tranquilizer and blood anti-coagulant that have been utilized.”

Putnam then demonstrated to headquarters the astonishing scale of the mutilation puzzle: “Officer Valdez stated that Colorado probably has the most mutilations occurring within their State and that over the past four years approximately 30 have occurred in New Mexico. He stated that of these 330, 15 have occurred on Indian Reservations but he did know that many mutilations have gone unreported which have occurred on the Indian reservations because the Indians, particularly in the Pueblos, are extremely superstitious and will not even allow officers in to investigate in some instances. Officer Valdez stated since the outset of these mutilations there have been an estimated 8,000 animals mutilated which would place the loss at approximately $1,000,000.” Putman additionally advised the director that: “It is obvious if mutilations are to be solved there is a need for a coordinated effort so that all material available can be gathered and analyzed and further efforts synchronized. Whether the FBI should assume this role is a matter to be decided. If we are merely to investigate and direct our efforts toward the 15 mutilated cattle on the Indian reservation we, I believe, will be in the same position as the other law enforcement agencies at this time and would be seeking to achieve an almost impossible task. 

“It is my belief that if we are to participate in any manner that we should do so fully, although this office and the USA’s office are at a loss to determine what statute our investigative jurisdiction would be in this matter. If we are to act solely as a coordinator or in any other official capacity the sooner we can place this information in the computer bank, the better off we would be and in this regard it would be my recommendation that an expert in the computer field at the Bureau travel to Albuquerque in the very near future so that we can determine what type of information will be needed so that when the invitation for the April conference is submitted from Senator Schmitt’s Office that the surrounding States will be aware of the information that is needed to place in the computer. “It should be noted that Senator Schmitt’s Office is coordinating the April conference and will submit the appropriate invitations and with the cooperation of the USA, Mr. Thompson will chair this conference. The FBI will act only as a participant.”

Putnam went on to describe the theories that had been advanced to try and explain the phenomenon: “Since this has not been investigated by the FBI in any manner we have no theories whatsoever as to why or what is responsible for these cattle mutilations. Officer Gabe Valdez is very adamant in his opinion that these mutilations are the work of the U. S. Government and that it is some clandestine operation either by the CIA or the Department of Energy and in all probability is connected with some type of research into biological warfare. His main reason for these beliefs is that he feels that he was given the ‘run around’ by Los Alamos Scientific Laboratory and they are attempting to cover up this situation. There are also theories that these are cults (religious) of some type of Indian rituals resulting in these mutilations and the wildest theory advanced is that they have some connection with unidentified flying objects.” In the closing section of his report, Putman said: “If we are to assume an investigative posture into this area, the matter of manpower, of course, becomes a consideration and I am unable to determine at this time the amount of manpower that would be needed to give this our full attention so that a rapid conclusion could be reached. The Bureau is requested to furnish its comments and guidance on this whole situation including, if desired, the Legal Counsel’s assessment of jurisdictional question. An early response would be needed, however, so that we might properly, if requested to do so, obtain the data bank information. If it appears that we are going to become involved in this matter, it is obvious that there would be a large amount of correspondence necessary and Albuquerque would suggest a code name be established of BOVMUT.”

As a result of the growing concern surrounding the cattle mutilations, a conference on the subject was held, on April 20, 1979, at the Albuquerque Public Library. There was a heavy concentration of FBI agents at the conference, something which resulted in the following, official document being prepared, which summarized the various theories, cases, and ideas advanced at the conference: “Forrest S. Putman, Special Agent in Charge (SAC), Albuquerque Office of the FBI, explained to the conference that the Justice Department had given the FBI authority to investigate those cattle mutilations which have occurred or might occur on Indian lands. He further explained that the Albuquerque FBI would look at such mutilations in connection with mutilations occurring off Indian lands for the purpose of comparison and control, especially where the same methods of operation are noted. SAC Putman said that in order for this matter to be resolved, the facts surrounding such mutilations should be gathered and computerized.

“District Attorney Eloy Martinez, Santa Fe, New Mexico, told the conference that his judicial district had made application for a $50,000 Law Enforcement Assistance Administration (LEAA) Grant for the purpose of investigating the cattle mutilations. He explained that there is hope that with the funds from this grant, an investigative unit can be established for the sole purpose of resolving the mutilation problem. He said it is his view that such an investigative unit could serve as a headquarters for all law enforcement officials investigating the mutilations and, in particular, would serve as a repository for information developed in order that this information could be coordinated properly. He said such a unit would not only coordinate this information, but also handle submissions to a qualified lab for both evidence and photographs. Mr. Martinez said a hearing will be held on April 24, 1979, for the purpose of determining whether this grant will be approved.

“Gabe Valdez, New Mexico State Police, Dulce, New Mexico, reported he has investigated the death of 90 cattle during the past three years, as well as six horses. Officer Valdez said he is convinced that the mutilations of the animals have not been the work of predators because of the precise manner of the cuts. Officer Valdez said he had investigated mutilations of several animals which had occurred on the ranch of Manuel Gomez of Dulce, New Mexico.  “Manuel Gomez addressed the conference and explained he had lost six animals to unexplained deaths which were found in a mutilated condition within the last two years. Further, Gomez said that he and his family are experiencing fear and mental anguish because of the mutilations.”  “David Perkins, Director of the Department of Research at Libre School in Farasita, Colorado, exhibited a map of the United States which contained hundreds of colored pins identifying mutilation sites. He commented that he had been making a systematic collection of data since 1975, and has never met a greater challenge. He said, ‘The only thing that makes sense about the mutilations is that they make no sense at all.’”

“Tom Adams of Paris, Texas, who has been independently examining mutilations for six years, said his investigation has shown that helicopters are almost always observed in the area of the mutilations. He said that the helicopters do not have identifying markings and they fly at abnormal, unsafe, or illegal altitudes. Dr. Peter Van Arsdale, Ph. D., Assistant Professor, Department of Anthropology, University of Denver, suggested that those investigating the cattle mutilations take a systematic approach and look at all types of evidence is discounting any of the theories such as responsibility by extraterrestrial visitors or satanic cults. Richard Sigismund, Social Scientist, Boulder, Colorado, presented an argument which advanced the theory that the cattle mutilations are possibly related to activity of UFOs. Numerous other persons made similar type presentations expounding on their theories regarding the possibility that the mutilations are the responsibility of extraterrestrial visitors, members of Satanic cults, or some unknown government agency. Dr. Richard Prine, Forensic Veterinarian, Los Alamos Scientific Laboratory (LASL), Los Alamos, New Mexico, discounted the possibility that the mutilations had been done by anything but predators. He said he had examined six carcasses and in his opinion predators were responsible for the mutilation of all six."

“Dr. Claire Hibbs, a representative of the State Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory, New Mexico State University, Las Cruces, New Mexico, said he recently came to New Mexico, but that prior to that he examined some mutilation findings in Kansas and Nebraska. Dr. Hibbs said the mutilations fell into three categories: animals killed and mutilated by predators and scavengers, animals mutilated after death by ‘sharp instruments’ and animals mutilated by pranksters. Tommy Blann, Lewisville, Texas, told the conference he has been studying UFO activities for twenty-two years and mutilations for twelve years. He explained that animal mutilations date back to the early 1800’s in England and Scotland. He also pointed out that animal mutilations are not confined to cattle, but cited incidents of mutilation of horses, dogs, sheep, and rabbits. He also said the mutilations are not only nationwide, but international in scope. Chief Raleigh Tafoya, Jicarilla Apache Tribe, and Walter Dasheno, Governor, Santa Clara Pueblo, each spoke briefly to the conference. Both spoke of the cattle which had been found mutilated on their respective Indian lands. Chief Tafoya said some of his people who have lost livestock have been threatened. Carl W. Whiteside, Investigator, Colorado Bureau of Investigation, told the conference that between April and December 1975, his Bureau investigated 203 reports of cattle mutilations.”

One month later, the District Attorney’s Office for Santa Fe, New Mexico, secured $50,000 in funding, to allow a detailed study of the evidence to commence – specifically in New Mexico.  Very suspiciously, when it was announced that the program was going ahead, the FBI noted that the mutilations came to a sudden halt. This gave rise to deep suspicions that the mutilators were all too human and, having heard of the planned investigation, hastily backed away until matters calmed down – which they did, when the number of new reports trailed off to nothingness. With a distinct lack of new data to go on, the ambitious program was left to study a mere handful of cases – all of which it relegated to the work of predators and absolutely nothing else. Hardly surprisingly, this gave rise to the suspicions, among conspiracy theorists, that this was the goal all along: launch an investigation and assert that the mutes were the work of predators and nothing else, whatsoever, and then close the investigation down. If that was the case, then it worked all too well: the world of officialdom walked away from the mutilation problem, asserting that it had resolved the entire matter in down to earth terms, and assuring the public and the ranching community that there was nothing to worry about.

Evidently, however, there was something to worry about: no sooner had the project closed down, when the mutilations began again. And they still continue to this day. Whether the work of the government, the military, satanic cults, or deadly extraterrestrials, all that can be said of the cattle mutilations is that, officially, at least, they are no longer of any interest to the FBI or to any other arm of officialdom. A solid study of the investigations show that the FBI - just like us - were baffled, but did their best to find the answers. The mystery remains exactly that: a mystery. A really weird mystery. UFOs? Occult activity? Skinwalkers? Secret tests to see if new viruses might have got into the food chain? All theories are strange and usettling.

Although the U.S. intelligence community, military and government has undertaken countless official (and off-the-record, too) projects pertaining to both mind-control and mind-manipulation, without any doubt whatsoever, the most notorious of all was Project MKUltra: a clandestine operation that operated out of the CIA’s Office of Scientific Intelligence, and that had its beginnings in the Cold War era of the early 1950s (it should be noted tht. The date of the project’s actual termination is a somewhat hazy one; however, it is known that it was definitely in operation as late as the latter part of the 1960s – and, not surprisingly and regretfully, has since been replaced by far more controversial and deeply hidden projects.To demonstrate the level of secrecy that surrounded Project MKUltra, even though it had kicked off at the dawn of the fifties, its existence was largely unknown outside of the intelligence world until 1975 – when the Church Committee and the Rockefeller Commission began making their own investigations of the CIA’s mind-control-related activities – in part to determine if (a) the CIA had engaged in illegal activity, (b) the personal rights of citizens had been violated, and (c) if the projects at issue had resulted in fatalities – which they most assuredly and unfortunately did. With that said, let's see what all of this has to do with the Roswell affair of July 1947? And one other thing: before MK-Ultra was in place, mind-control was already in place. That's something I'll talk about soon.

The story that unfolded was both dark and disturbing – in equal degrees. Indeed, the scope of the project – and allied operations, too – was spelled out in an August 1977 document titled The Senate MK-Ultra Hearings that was prepared by the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence and the Committee on Human Resources, as a result of its probing into the secret world of the CIA. As the document explained: “Research and development programs to find materials which could be used to alter human behavior were initiated in the late 1940s and early 1950s. These experimental programs originally included testing of drugs involving witting human subjects, and culminated in tests using unwitting, non-volunteer human subjects. These tests were designed to determine the potential effects of chemical or biological agents when used operationally against individuals unaware that they had received a drug.” The Committee then turned its attention to the overwhelming secrecy that surrounded these early 1940s/1950s projects: “The testing programs were considered highly sensitive by the intelligence agencies administering them. Few people, even within the agencies, knew of the programs and there is no evidence that either the Executive Branch or Congress were ever informed of them. 

“The highly compartmented nature of these programs may be explained in part by an observation made by the CIA Inspector General that, ‘the knowledge that the Agency is engaging in unethical and illicit activities would have serious repercussions in political and diplomatic circles and would be detrimental to the accomplishment of its missions. The research and development programs, and particularly the covert testing programs, resulted in massive abridgments of the rights of American citizens, and sometimes with tragic consequences, too. As prime evidence of this, the Committee uncovered details on the deaths of two Americans that were firmly attributed to the programs at issue; while other participants in the testing programs were said to still be suffering from the residual effects of the tests as late as the mid-1970s." And as the Committee starkly noted: “While some controlled testing of these substances might be defended, the nature of the tests, their scale, and the fact that they were continued for years after the danger of surreptitious administration of LSD to unwitting individuals was known, demonstrate a fundamental disregard for the value of human life.” 

While MKUltra was certainly the most infamous of all the CIA-initiated mind-control programs, it was very far from being an isolated one. Indeed, numerous sub-projects, post-projects and operations initiated by other agencies were brought to the Committee’s attention. One was Project Chatter, which the Committee described thus: “Project Chatter was a Navy program that began in the fall of 1947. Responding to reports of amazing results achieved by the Soviets in using truth drugs, the program focused on the identification and the testing of such drugs for use in interrogations and in the recruitment of agents. The research included laboratory experiments on animals and human subjects involving Anabasis aphylla, scopolamine, and mescaline in order to determine their speech-inducing qualities. Overseas experiments were conducted as part of the project. The project expanded substantially during the Korean War, and ended shortly after the war, in 1953.” Then there was Projects Bluebird and Artichoke. Again, the Committee dug deep and uncovered some controversial and eye-opening data and testimony: “The earliest of the CIA’s major programs involving the use of chemical and biological agents, Project Bluebird, was approved by the Director in 1950. Its objectives were: (a) discovering means of conditioning personnel to prevent unauthorized extraction of information from them by known means, (b) investigating the possibility of control of an individual by application of special interrogation techniques, (c) memory enhancement, and (d) establishing defensive means for preventing hostile control of Agency personnel.”

Now, we come to the matter of the Roswell event and mind-control and manipulation. The late Frank Joyce was a well-known figure in the saga of what did, or didn't, happen on the Foster ranch, Lincoln County, New Mexico in early July 1947. At the time of the Roswell event, Joyce was a radio announcer with KGFL, which covered Roswell. He was also the very first person in the media - local or national - to speak with rancher, W.W. Brazel, who found the curious materials. The story goes that Brazel told Joyce that it was not just a huge amount of debris he found, but a number of dead bodies, too. That's when all hell broke loose. Threats were made by a high-ranking officer somewhere in D.C. The staff at KGFL were warned to cease digging into Roswell, and to keep the story off the airwaves. As in permanently. The station's Walt Whitmore, Sr. and Jud Roberts were both threatened. As was Frank Joyce, who did not take kindly to being pushed around. The above issues aside, there is a lesser known - and much weirder - aspect to Joyce's claims. Yes, you can find the story/aspect if you look around (it actually goes back quite a while), but certain portions of the tale still remain shrouded in mystery. Roswell author-investigator Kevin Randle and I email back and forth and from time to time. On March 16 of this year, Kevin shared with me what he personally knew about that certain aspect of the Joyce story. It all revolves around a strange character that Joyce called "The Traveler." It goes like this...

In the wake of the threat made to the people at KGFL - we're talking about just a couple of days later - Walt Whitmore, Sr., had a strange request for Joyce. He asked Joyce to get in his (Whitmore's) car with him. Randle states that Jud Roberts may have been in the car too, but admittedly that's not precisely clear. Their destination, Joyce found out, was due to be the Roswell crash site, over in Lincoln County. Joyce sat in the front, with Whitmore driving. Joyce apparently didn't at first realize that there was someone else in the back-seat. It was the man who became known as "The Traveler." Very bizarrely, according to Joyce, "The Traveler" was dressed in either a gold-colored or bright-yellow suit; not unlike a flight-suit. As Kevin jokingly told me, a Man in Gold, rather than a Man in Black. Now, things get even more surreal. Could they get more surreal? Yep, for sure. Joyce found himself plunged into a definitively drugged-out state. A trance, even. In his mind-warped state, Joyce thought he was communicating with "The Traveler" by some kind of mind-to-mind process. Or, maybe, Joyce was so stoned that this was how it appeared to him.

On arrival, Kevin told me that Whitmore (and, of course, Roberts, if he was indeed with them) entered the Brazel home. Joyce, however, was instructed by Whitmore to hang out in a nearby shack, which drugged-out Joyce did. Brazel then entered the shack, begging Joyce not to say anything else about what happened on the ranch. Joyce, even though things probably still didn't feel quite right, could see how stressed out Brazel was and agreed to let matters rest. When Joyce got back to the car, "The Traveler" was nowhere to be seen. In their 2016 book, The Children of Roswell, Tom Carey and Don Schmitt state that the military was apparently "...still not sufficiently convinced by Joyce's pledge not to say anything, as he was shortly thereafter gathered up and physically removed to a military hospital in Texas for the next year." It all occurred under deeply unclear circumstances. Kevin states that Joyce was taken to a "mental hospital," which mirrors the story of Stanley Glickman, who reacted adversely to the mysterious drink that he gulped down and which left him with emotional problems for years. The story isn't finished, however. There is more about Roswell and mind-manipulation.

Moving on, there is the even less well-known saga of a man named Conrad Zerbe. His name rarely surfaces and he is someone who even most Roswell researchers have failed to pay much attention to. Few researchers ever interviewed the now-dead Zerbe; although Bill Moore did in late 1983. Zerbe's link to the Roswell saga revolves around the matter of a certain, large number of photographs taken out at the crash site of the whatever-it-was that came down on the ranch in the summer of '47. A Roland S. Cliff, a Colonel Loomis, a Mr. Bohanon, and a Captain Ed Guill were in the know, when it came to (A) the matter of what happened and (B) who knew what the photos really showed. In 1980, when the Moore-Berlitz-Moore book, The Roswell Incident, was published and received publicity, Zerbe mused on the possibility of revealing what he knew. Before he had the chance to do so, however, one day in late 1980 there was a knock at the door of his California-based home. Zerbe opened the door and was confronted by a plain-clothes man who flashed government I.D. Thirty-three-years after Roswell, Zerbe was what is, today, termed a "person of interest." Zerbe was told he was not in any trouble, but (there's always a but in these situations...) the man added that he knew Zerbe had expressed a desire to go public (how he knew is anyone's guess). It would not be a wise move, Zerbe was told. He got the message - even though it was a very brief message. No explanation was given as to why Zerbe should stay silent, when people like retired Major Jesse Marcel had not been threatened. In all probability, it was due to the fact that Zerbe knew precisely what the photos showed, too - just like certain colleagues at the old Roswell base in '47.

Somewhat oddly the man in the suit had brought with him a couple of sodas. He significantly lightened up, too, and he quickly changed the subject to what Zerbe had been up to since he left the service, years earlier. Maybe five or six minutes after chugging back the soda Zerbe began to feel strange. He was spaced-out and found himself rambling on to the man and answering his every question without hesitation. He was hit by vertigo and vaguely heard voices in his head. It was whispered mumbling that he could not understand. And then? Nothing. Zerbe had no recollection of the rest of the conversation, or of what happened to the man. He never saw him again, though. It was as if around thirty minutes of time had been wiped from existence. Zerbe suspected, though, that as the soda was bottled, and with screw-tops, that something mind-warping had been surreptitiously put in the drink before the man called and the bottle-top had been carefully replaced and tightened. Zerbe also wondered if after the chemicals hit hard, the man returned the conversation back to Roswell. Although, admittedly, this was just Zerbe speculating. So, we have yet more stories of people finding themselves in curious situations and having their minds played with - all specifically "thanks" to certain drinks given to them by mysterious figures. Have we heard the end of all this? Probably not.

One person who had a great deal of involvement in the investigation of the Men in Black enigma was the late Brad Steiger. Before his death in 2018, Steiger provided me with the following statement on his experiences with the MIB, which demonstrate the sheer, sinister nature of the black-suited creatures. Steiger said: “After more than 50 years of research in the UFO and paranormal fields, I have come to the conclusion that many of the mysteries that bedevil us are products of a reflexive phenomenon.  This reflexive action does not usually occur in the more mundane pursuits of architecture, industry, mining, agriculture and the like, but once one begins actively to pursue Ufology or psychical research, one runs the risk of entering a surreal world in which the usual physical laws do not apply."

Brad continued: “In the case of the mythos of the Men in Black, I suggest that that eerie enigma may have begun with the machinations of a human agency assigned to investigate the actions of the more high profile investigators of the phenomenon and the more convincing witness of UFO activity with the goals of learning more about the growing interest in a worldwide phenomena.  Somehow along the way, this activity of the human surveillance of other humans caught the interest of a nonhuman, paraphysical agency that has for centuries pursued goals that remain elusive, even sinister, to the individuals whom they visit.  Whether motivated by a bizarre sense of humor, an essentially malicious nature, or a desire to learn how much some humans know about their eternal secrets, the Others began knocking on the doors of those who had witnessed or who had investigated UFO activity."

Brad more to say to me: “Some of my experiences with the MIB seem most certainly the product of human surveillance that in most instances was conducted with awkward fallibility. Once in the golden era of MIB activity in the late 1960s while speaking to a fellow researcher on the telephone, our con­versation was interrupted by a metallic-sounding voice chanting: ‘Ho, ho, UFO!’ Because it seemed that this got a rise out of us, this merry chant was repeated on a number of telephone calls with other investigators. A friend who had been doing a great deal of research on my behalf told of the time when he was anticipating a visit from me. He picked up the telephone to make a call on his private line, only to hear the following bit of very sinister conversation: 

“‘Has Steiger arrived in town yet?’

“‘Not yet.’ 

“‘What motel will he be staying in?’

“‘The [correct name of the motel in which I had made reservations].’ 

“‘Don’t worry. Everything is set.’"

“At this point my friend broke in and asked who the hell was on his private line. There was a stunned silence, a click, then the steady buzzing that indicates a clear line. I had my own experience with the awkward telephone spies when I checked into a hotel and found that the bell man had missed one of my suitcases - the most important one with the slides for my lecture. I picked up the receiver to hear a man’s voice inquire: ‘When is he supposed to check in?’ “‘He is already in his room,’ I said in reply, though I knew the query wasn’t asked of me. “‘Oh, shit!’ was the profound response, followed by two rapid hang-ups." This, too: “Other experiences with the MIB are not so easy to place in either the Human or Non-Human category. A friend of mine was traveling in England before starting on an around-the-world junket with a layover in Vietnam to visit his son in the armed forces. He was walking near a railway station in London when he noticed three men dressed completely in black staring at him. When my friend returned their collective stare, they approached him and asked him which train they should take for such-and-such a city. My friend calmly pointed out that he was a tourist, and it made a good deal more sense for them to ask at the information booth just a few feet away."

Brad also told me: “My friend turned on his heel and walked away from the odd trio, but a glance over his shoulder told him that they were still standing there staring at him, unmindful of checking with the information booth. Sud­denly ill at ease, my friend hailed a taxi and went directly to his hotel. When he got to his room, an uncomfortable sensation prickled the back of his neck and he glanced out his window. On the street corner, looking up at his room, were the three men. Baffled, he tried to push the incident from his mind. “A day or so later, though, he was confronted by one of the men who told him straight out: ‘You are a friend of Brad Steiger. Tell him we shall visit him by Christmas.’ My friend had only a peripheral knowledge of the UFO can of worms, but he returned to his hotel room and wrote me a long letter with the above details. Not long after I had received his letter, I visited a friend in another city and told him about the bizarre experience my correspondent had encountered in London. ‘Humph!’ Jim snorted over the lunch we were sharing. ‘If those monkeys come to see you this Christmas, send ‘em down to talk to me. I'd love to get one of those characters in my hands. I would solve this man-in-black mystery you've been telling me about!’"

And we're no nearer the end: “I laughed and warned him that he had better be careful or he might get his wish. “I had not returned from my trip by more than a few minutes when the telephone rang.  It was Jim calling. Wondering if I might have left something at his place of business, I was informed that I had indeed left a most peculiar something behind me. Jim told me that I had no sooner started my homeward journey than he was told that a gentleman wished to see him. A secretary ushered a man of average height into Jim's office. But my friend said that his visitor was the thinnest human being he had ever seen. “‘He was cadaverous, Brad,’ Jim told me. ‘He looked like those World War II photographs of someone in a concentration camp. But he seemed alert enough, and so involved in his quest that he ignored my proffered hand of greeting. In fact, I tried to push shaking his hand, but he refused to touch me. ‘I hear you want to be the head of UFO’s in Iowa,’ he said quickly. ‘He took out a wallet, flipped it open, then shut, before I could see any identification. I can’t really recall anything else he said, because it was all so damned nonsensical. Soon he was gone, and I was still sitting there dumbfounded.

“‘I jumped to my feet, though, when I heard his car starting. I got a good look at his automobile and I wrote down its license number. I can't tell you what make of car it was. It looked like a combination of three or four different makes and models, but it didn't really look like anything I had ever seen before. And the license number didn't check. The High­way Patrol said there was no such Iowa plate registered. A friend in another branch of state government, who owed me a favor, said the plate wasn't registered to any government agency, either.’  “The cases above are baffling, but in the following cases I suspect a human agency involved in a strange campaign that was conducted regarding Steiger imposters who spoke at various conferences around the United States. On occasions the imposters allegedly conducted themselves very well, thus making the whole enterprise of Counterfeit Steigers a seemingly futile project. On other occasions, the imposter’s assignment was quite obviously to taint my reputation.

“On a unfortunate number of occasions," Brad said, "I received letters complaining of my outrageous and insulting behavior while speaking at a conference. There were claims that I had openly berated my audience, calling them stupid for accepting the very premise of UFOs. A close friend happened to arrive on the scene after one pseudo-Steiger had departed and tried his best to assure the sponsors of the event that the rowdy, disrespectful speaker could not have been the real Brad.  In his letter, my friend warned me that he had visited a number of lecture halls where the imposter had damned his audiences. “Someone seems out to damage your reputation,” he advised. In a most bizarre twist, dozens of men and women have approached me at various lectures and seminars, congratulating me about the manner in which I bested Dr. Carl Sagan in debate. The event allegedly occurred after a lecture when I happened to bump into the great scientist in a restaurant.  The eatery, according to the witnesses, was crowded with those who had attended the seminar, and they egged on a debate between myself and Dr. Sagan.  I mopped up the floor with him, countering his every argument against the reality of UFOs."" Now, things get really odd. Brad said:

“The truth is that I never met Dr. Sagan, therefore, neither had I ever debated him. But from coast to coast, there are those who claim to have witnessed my triumphal bout. I think of Doppelgangers. Even more individuals claim to have been in the audience when I delivered a rousing message from the Space Brothers in Seattle. Regardless of how often I deny that I was not in Seattle at that time and have never channeled the Space Brothers, those who were at that event are puzzled why I would deny my eloquence. It is true, that I have met and interviewed men and women who do claim to speak on behalf of Extraterrestrial Intelligences, but in retrospect, I found such a privilege to carry with it many possible negative experiences. I think of the reminiscences that I have shared with an Iowa farm family about those weird and wild MIB days. UFOs had become a part of this family’s life several years before one of its male members became a ‘channel’ for an entity who claimed to be from another world. The invisible telepathic being began communicating with the family because they had been ‘selected before they had been born’ to assist him in doing ‘His’ work and in protecting Earth from another group of intelligences who sought to en­slave mankind."

Brad expanded on all of this: “The communicating entity led the various members of the family circle on a number of ‘assignments’ designed to save the Earth and to serve the benign entity and his kind. But always, the entity warned them, there was the enemy group with its men in black, seeking whom they might devour. The family, who became ‘flying saucer missionaries,’ saw mysterious fellow passengers board airplanes with them--then disappear somewhere in mid-flight. Automobiles appeared out of nowhere to follow and harass them. A man claiming to be from a state educational division called at the high school and talked for over an hour with one of the teenaged girl members of the family. The only questions he asked had to do with whether or not she would be able to recognize a spy. When suspicious adult members of the beleaguered family checked with school adminis­trators, they were informed that they had no knowledge of such a man nor of such a division within the state educational system. [Interestingly, I have now met with a number of adults who claimed such an experience with an MIB who claimed to be a representative from the state educational division who took them out of class for a ‘test.’"

“The girl who had been interrogated by the unidentified man also de­veloped into a “channel” for the communicating entity, and soon several members of the family were practicing automatic writing. And, finally: “UFO’s swooped low overhead at night. Eerie lights were seen to dance about in the fields. Invisible entities snatched keys from their resting places and jangled them about the room, terrifying the children. Unseen hands lifted a mattress on which one couple lay sleeping, under which were some ‘secret’ papers that the principal communicating entity had dictated. Their farm work was being ignored. Their lives had become a living nightmare in which every stranger was suspect, every sound in the night that of an invader, every strange coincidence imbued with desperate and weighty significance. “At last the full realization that they had been deceived - that they had been led into a silly game - jolted them into determined action, and they resumed meaningful living, becoming a quite prosperous farm family. Although some of their past experiences seemed foolish in retrospect, they had to agree that they had learned valuable lessons from their strange companions. 

“Now days whenever I review those days of encounters with the men in black, I am led to think of the mythological figure common to all cultures and known generically to ethnologists as the Trickster. The Trickster plays pranks upon man­kind, but often at the same time he is instructing them or transforming aspects of the world for the benefit of his human charges. Most cultures view the Trickster as a primordial being who came into existence soon after the creation of the world. A number of Amerindian tribes referred to their Trickster figure as 'Old Man,' because they saw him as someone who was ageless, as old as time. The Trickster is usually viewed as a supernatural being with the ability to change his shape at will. Although basically wily, he may behave in a very stupid, childish manner at times, and may often end up as the one who is tricked. The Trickster lies, cheats, and steals without compunction. He seems often to be the very essence of amoral animalism.  The Trickster figure is often credited with bringing death and pain into the world; yet, in some recitations, his own son was the first to die as a result. Perhaps one day we will learn the positive aspect of the MIB, the Trickster, the UFOnaut. As strange as it may seem, the MIB may merely be attempting to teach in their own strange ways the knowledge, or awareness, of powers that today exist only in our dreams of the future.” A fascinating piece of material provided to me, thanks to Brad Steiger.

The end of the year 2022 is fast approaching, which means it is time for the 2023 predictions of those famous dueling dead psychics – Baba Vanga and Nostradamus. And even though there are still a few weeks left to change the course of history, this is also a good time to see how the two of the most famous seers of all time did in their prognostications for 2022. Let’s start with the recap first … that will give you time to sit down, take a deep breath and brace yourself for what Baba Vanga and Nostradamus are warning is ahead for us in the new year.

“A team of researchers will discover a lethal virus in Siberia that was, up until now, frozen. Due to the catastrophic effects of global warming, said virus will be released and could quickly spin out of control…”

Baba Vanga Caption

Vangeliya Pandeva Gushterova, better known as Baba Vanga lived in Bulgaria from 1911 to 1996, and lives on to the present day in her predictions on major world events. Not one to dabble in World Cup winners, Baa occasionally forecast royal events as she amassed a sizeable collection of somewhat vague and often cryptic prognostications that nonetheless were deemed to be right or close to correct by those who follow and interpret them. While that hasn’t yet been the case for her 2022 prediction about a lethal virus from Siberia, she was said to be correct about “Intense bouts of floods (in Bangladesh, India, Thailand and Australia)” and “water shortages in several countries and major cities.” While events like those generally happen frequently and in those specific countries, ‘close’ counts in horseshoes, hand grenades and psychic predictions, so Baba Vanga is being credited for two right out of six for 2022, with three weeks left to still be right on this one: “Alien ships will attack Earth and they will bomb cities and take people captive.”

What does Baba Vanga see for humanity in 2023? Here are five predictions, courtesy of MSN.com

A solar storm will strike Earth in 2023 on a scale the world has never before seen. This prediction is certainly possible, and even a minor one could still knock out electrical and power grids that would bring communications and commerce to a standstill.

A "big country" will carry out bioweapons research on people, resulting in the death of thousands of them. This sounds pretty scary and completely plausible with the war in Ukraine, the volatile political climates in Iran and other countries, and the protests raging in China over mass COVID shutdowns – any of these could be linked to bioweapons research and the accidental or intentional mass deaths of thousands.

Baba Vanga predicts a nuclear power plant explosion in 2023. Again, that could easily happen in Ukraine – we came very close in 2022 with Russia attacking and seizing the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant.

Humans will grow babies to full term in laboratories in order to allow parents to choose skin color and other characteristics of their offspring. Chinese scientists have already edited the genomes of human embryos and created the first human genetically edited babies, so this is well on its way to happening in that country.

Aliens will visit Earth, the world could find itself "covered in darkness" and millions will die as a result. There is that “mass death” prediction again for 2023 – Baba Vanga doesn’t have much good to say about our upcoming year. If it is any consolation, she also predicted an alien arrival in 2022 and that hasn’t happened yet, but her forecast for 2022 did not predict that “millions will die.”

Will we survive to look back on 2023 and list the predictions of Baba Vanga that didn’t happen or were not as severe as she forecast? Let’s hope so. In the meantime, here’s a look at what Nostradamus saw happening in 2022.

“Twice put down, the East will also weaken the West.

It’s adversary after several battles chased by sea will fail at time of need.”

“The sudden death of the first personage / Will have changed and put another in the reign.”

That first prediction of a world war fought at sea hasn’t happened yet, and the “sudden death” in the second was not Queen Elizabeth II but thought to be North Korea’s Kim-Jong Un, although Russia’s Vladimir Putin is said by some to be dying of cancer … there are still three weeks to go for him to go. The quatrains of Michel de Nostradame’s prophecies were published in 1555 and must be interpreted, but many interpreters believe he correctly predicted the Great Fire of London, the French Revolution, the rise of Adolf Hitler, the assassination of JFK, the moon landing and 9/11. Looking past his misses in 2022, the Santa Barbara News-Press unveiled his predictions for 2023.

The antichrist very soon annihilates the three,

Twenty-seven years the war will last.

The unbelievers are dead, captive, exiled.

With blood, human bodies, water and red hail covering the earth.

If you thought Baba Vanga’s prophecies were depressing, Nostradamus’ are downright apocalyptic. This quatrain is interpreted to predict a 27-year world war between Russia and the U.S. and its allies as a result of the conflict in Ukraine. That war may quickly bring about Nostradamus’ second prediction for 2023 – Britain’s entry into the war.

“Within the isles is a very horrible uproar. One will hear only a party of war.”

Nostradamus is warning about a 9.8 quake in the Pacific Ocean which will release giant spiders and locusts – those are probably symbolic of something worse. He also predicts a meteorite the size of a whale will bring an alien species to Earth – perhaps this is Baba Vanga’s mass deaths as the result of aliens. He also projects that U.S. President Joe Biden will suffer from a mystery disease – that would not be a surprise based on his age. On the climate change front, he sees costs of scarce foods so high that “the bushel of wheat rise that man will be eating his fellow man.” However, the scariest (and possibly strangest) prediction goes back to Putin, Russia and the problem the country has in recruiting new soldiers to fight the war.

A monkey of fortune with twisted tongue

will come to the sanctuary of the gods.

He will open the door to heretics

And raise up the Church militant.

This is interpreted to mean that a long-running rumor that Russia is working on human-monkey hybrids will come true in 2023 – a military chimera that will feed on anything, fight like animals and not result in the same sorrow and guilt back home when they die.

There you go – the predictions of Baba Vanga and Nostradamus for 2023. Don’t you wish they’d stick to World Cup winners?

RELATED VIDEOS, selected and posted by peter2011

The UFO phenomenon goes way back in the American continent. There has been a pervasive belief amongst the different indigenous people that their ancestors were “star people” who came here from other stellar systems. The Hopi say that their ancestors came from the Pleiades star cluster. The Dakota believe that the Pleiades is Tiyami, “the abode of the ancestors”, and when we die, we go to live in the Pleiades. Cherokee legends teach that Native Americans originated long ago in the Pleiades, and assert that indigenous people are on Earth as “star seeds,” with a mission of bringing light and knowledge. The Cree, who live primarily in Canada, believe that their ancestors arrived on Earth from the stars as spirits, and then became human beings. 

Such beliefs are quite commonplace amongst the Native American tribes, and well documented by archaeologists and anthropologists, although most of them do not attach much importance to these tales. Prof. David Kelly of the University of Calgary – a doctorate from Harvard University and an acclaimed Mayanist scholar - was an exception, in the sense that, he treated such indigenous beliefs with the seriousness they deserved. In the book Exploring Ancient Skies: A Survey of Ancient and Cultural Astronomy, Prof. Kelley mentioned how the interactions between the Sky People and humans served as a basis for the organization of the society across indigenous populations:

“The concept of intelligent life on other worlds has been widespread in many cultures around the world. The Dogon account of being taught useful skills by fish-men from Sirius is more specific than are most such accounts but is otherwise typical. Heroes pass back and forth between this world and the star worlds with ease. 

In South American belief, Star Woman came from the sky, taught people agriculture, and returned to the sky. Many groups in both North and South America are divided into moieties of Sky People and Earth People, and in many cases, it is believed that the ancestors of Sky People came from the stars...Some Yumans of Arizona and California say that their ancestors came from the Pleiades. In Polynesia, specific ancestors of existing families are alleged to have gone back and forth between the land of the Sky People, Earth, and the Underworld. 

When these lands are described, they are usually very much like Earth. Occasionally, their inhabitants have special characteristics, such as the Dogon fish-men, but more frequently celestial dwellers are virtually indistinguishable from humans except for their superior knowledge. ”[1]

The deeply ingrained belief within the indigenous communities that the star people or sky people taught them important skills and were the ancestors of certain groups, has made them more receptive to ideas of UFOs and alien visitations. As per Hopi tradition, during the Third World the people had invented magical "flying shields" called patuwvota, on which they could carry out aerial attacks on their enemies. When the Third World was destroyed by a massive flood, the flying patuwvotas along with other wordly treasures sank to the bottom of the seas.[2] According to independent researcher and author Gary David, who has written extensively about the Southwestern archaeological sites, “many flying shields are piloted by entities commonly called kachinas.”[3]

The kachinas are spirit beings who answer to the prayers of the Hopi and bestow blessings in the form of health, rain and good harvest. The Hopi assert that kachinas came up with them during their Emergence from the womb of Mother Earth at the beginning of the Fourth World.[4] This suggests that the kachinas – at least many of them – are “underworld spirits” associated with fertility and rainfall, that we find in the beliefs of many indigenous cultures. These are the same spirits that help the shaman with specific advice and counsel when he journeys to the underworld in an altered state of consciousness to find remedies for the ills affecting the community. 

The Hopi say that the kachinas gave help and guidance to the clans during their migrations, and were referred to as the Kachina Clan.[5] Afterwards, they went away to live on top of the San Francisco peaks to the west of Hopi-land. Although many kachinas are underworld spirits, they originally came to the Earth from the stars. Frank Waters wrote that, “they (kachina) come from much farther away, a long long way – from neighbouring stars, constellations, too distant to be visible, from mysterious spirit worlds.”[6] This means that the kachinas are “star people”, many of whom transformed into “underworld spirits” when they came to the Earth and settled here, while others, quite possibly, continue to exist in other parts of the Solar System and beyond. 

Gary David has written that, as per Hopi traditions, a kachina called Pavayoykyasi refers to his aircraft as “his pet, a magic flying shield. The shield has two parts, with the lower one spinning and the upper one remaining still. Climbing aboard, Pavayoykyasi rose up into the air and flew off.”[7] Isn’t it odd that the kachina refers to his flying shield as a “pet”? Almost as if it’s a sentient being that responds to its commands!

Gary David has identified yet another kind of aerial device within Hopi lore called a tawiya, or “gourd”, which consists of two halves. After climbing aboard, the rider closes the upper half and installs a tightly stretched sinew between the bottom of the gourd and the stem button. The rider then twists the sinew between his palms and the flying machine lifts off, making a humming noise.[8] “Hopis say that the gourd is a magic vehicle used by those who have power to use it for travel something like a spacecraft or flying saucer.”[9]

If the kachinas pilot the flying shields, then it gives an interesting twist to the UFO phenomenon. It would imply that, at least some of the UFO sightings from around the world reflect the technological skills of a subterranean civilization. This could explain why many UFOs seem to dive into oceans or water bodies and disappear, while many have been observed shooting out of water bodies. Perhaps some entrances to the underworld domain of the kachinas are concealed within the submerged continental shelves of the world?

The manner in which the kachinas are depicted in Hopi art resembles the way in which aliens have been visualized and depicted in popular art. The Hopis give kachina dolls to the children to make them aware of the different types of kachinas. Many kachina dolls have horns or antennas jutting out their head, while their faces are characterized by large goggle-eyes and the absence of a nose. Needless to say, most of them look downright spooky, and could give you the creeps if one of them suddenly sneaked up on you at night. In the petroglyphs and pictographs of many Southwestern sites, eerie-looking kachina figures can be discerned, going by the horns or antennas on the head, the large rounded eyes and the absence of a nose, or even a mouth in some cases. Some of the kachinas depicted on the rock art are enclosed by serpent-like figures indicative of the underworld, healing and rainfall.

McKee Springs petroglyphs, most likely depicting kachinas with horns or antennas.

Source: NPS, Public Domain

Pictograph in Horsheshoe Canyon, Canyonlands, Utah, most likely depicting kachinas such as the Corn Maiden kachina or the Cloud Maiden kachina. 

Credit: John Fowler CC BY 2.0

Pictographs at Sego canyon, Utah. The strange round eyed beings with antennas, and enclosed by serpent, are probably kachinas.

Credit: Rennett Stowe CC BY 2.0

One of the thoughts that struck me as I looked at the Sego canyon pictographs is, how closely these round-eyed, ghost-like figures, devoid of a nose or mouth, resemble the Wandjina art of the aboriginal Australians, who live in the Kimberley region of north-west Australia. The Wandjinas, like the kachinas, are regarded as powerful spirit beings who came down from the Milky Way and brought the law, culture, and language of the aboriginal people.[10] After teaching the aboriginals, the Wandjinas retreated to the bottom of the water source associated with the rock paintings. Like the kachinas, the Wandjinas are regarded as powerful “rain maker” spirits. They control the clouds and rainfall, and punish those who break the laws with floods, lightning and cyclones. Sometimes, the Wandjinas are depicted in the company of the “Rainbow Serpent” – as powerful rain making and creative spirit - just as the kachinas depicted on the Sego canyon pictographs are shown in the company of serpents.

Even the terms “kachina” and “Wandjina” are phonetically quite close. It makes you wonder if the kachina art was influenced by the Wandjina art or vice versa? Perhaps, both of them have a common origin elsewhere? Since the Hopi claim that they sailed eastwards on boats after the end of the Third World, to reach the western coast of America, such a possibility cannot be ruled out.

Wandjina Rock Art on the Barnett River in the Kimberley region of Western Australia.

Credit: Graeme Churchward CC BY 2.0.

The Wandjinas with the Rainbow Serpent.

Source: japingkaaboriginalart.com

The connections between the kachinas and the Wandjinas are striking to say the least. They are spirit beings who came from the stars, imparted all manners of wisdom to the people, and then transformed into underworld spirits associated with rain and harvest. And let’s not forget they look surprisingly alike, and hang around with rain-making serpents. A lot of crucial wisdom about the true nature of our reality - couched in the language of symbols, myths and metaphors – appear to have been preserved by the indigenous people, that could be of great help to us for unraveling the mysterious events that haunt us from time to time.

The kachinas not only look like alien beings and pilot flying shields, they have also been accused of abducting children! David S. Lewis wrote an article in the The Montana Pioneer,[11] in which he said that a prominent Lakota from the Fort Peck Reservation in Montana told him about the beliefs that his people hold regarding extraterrestrial phenomena. 

“We do talk about folks coming down to earth,” he said, “in round shaped objects or balls of light  from the skies.…I was told [by elders] that we had to use [sacred] songs to protect against these folks…as they stole Indian people and mainly our children.”

The Lakota India then went on to describe an UFO encounter that he and others experienced in 2009, during a solemn ceremony in a sweat lodge, dedicated to the passing of a close family member and significant native figure.

“I saw a [hovering ball of light] and it was with us for four days and four nights, March 2009, as we were holding four days of prayer, fasting, pipe ceremony, sweat house ceremony, and I am not the only one who witnessed this, brother,” he said.
He told us that nearby “children were screaming and pushing all trying to get inside the sweat house, as a big ball of light was right above them, and it broke off into little lights and were buzzing all around the sweat house.” On the last day of the ceremony, he said, “a flash or beam of light” emanated out of the hovering object to the sweat lodge.”

The Lakota beliefs about the abduction of children by the “balls of light” lend some degree of credence to the modern alien abduction phenomenon. It seems such events have been going on for centuries, and only recently entered into the public consciousness. It may seem paradoxical, of course, to learn that the kachinas, who attend to the prayers of the Hopi for rain and good harvest, are also guilty of abducting children. However, kachinas can be both benevolent beings as well as malicious creatures against whom one needs to know the methods to protect oneself. 

Gary David mentioned a Hopi story about a kachina who took a young woman from Oraibi to the Land of the Cloud People. However, this was not a case of forced abduction but a matrimonial union between the star people and humans, reminiscent of the Biblical “sons of the gods”, who married mortal women and gave birth to the giants called Nephilim. 

As per the story, the girl's father had recently died, causing a hardship for the family. The Cloud People had been watching her and her mother and decided that the kachina should marry her. One day the girl was in the fields picking squash blossoms when “she heard a roaring sound, a hissing noise like wind coming through a small place, and she wondered what it was.” Then she saw the approaching kachina, who was good looking with a beautiful kilt and sash and a brightly painted body. He said he wished to marry her and told her he would take her to his home tomorrow. The next morning he returned to the same field.

“He took her by the hand and walked with her over the hill, and she saw there was something there, something round, and they went straight for the thing and got into it. And when they did that, he did something and there was a big roar and soon they were off the ground. The thing they were in seemed to be spinning, and it streaked off. After a while he said, 'We are here.' They were down on the ground again and the roaring and hissing sound stopped. He took her up to his village, to his home. When they got to his house his mother and father were very happy that he had found the girl they had spoken of.”[12]

One can only wonder how the narrator of this story knew what happened after the craft reached its destination. Did the girl return to her parent’s house to share stories of her life in the otherworld? Did she make use of an interdimensional postal service? Was she throwing down rocks with symbols scribbled on them? We can only speculate. What is evident, however, is that the Native American belief in the star people and the kachinas provide a context for them to understand the UFO phenomenon and all that goes along with it, unlike in the westernized society, where the ancient beliefs have been mostly pooh-poohed away, leaving us without the necessary framework on the basis of which we can try to understand some of these mysterious goings-on.

It is not as though the Native Americans stories about flying saucers and aliens is restricted to their legends and rock art, and that they have no new experiences or ideas to share. Many Native Americans living in remote reservations continue to witness bright flying objects in the sky every year. However, most of these sightings go unreported, for the natives are wary of the law enforcements agencies and the government given their past history, and they do not want to get marked out as someone who believes in UFOs or has witnessed them. 

Ruth Hopkins, who is of Native American ancestry, is a former science professor and tribal attorney. She wrote an article in the Indian Country Today magazine[13] in which she described her experience of seeing an UFO when she attended a memorial service for her husband’s grandfather on The Crow Creek Sioux Reservation in South Dakota. Sometime around midnight, while standing at the window of the hotel, her husband’s eye caught something very unusual, and she rushed to the window to catch a glimpse.

“Off to the south, there was a solid, large, orange, bright light. It was stationary for several minutes. Then the light shot off with amazing speed directly to the east, in a straight line. It stopped abruptly, moving with intelligence. Suddenly, the light broke off into three separate smaller orange lights, equidistant from one another. They streaked across the sky in opposite directions: one traveled east, another one north, and the last one, west.”

Ruth Hopkins was inspired by her sighting to dig out more such cases of UFO sightings in various Native Reservations, and found that many people have witnessed mysterious bright objects traveling at high speeds in the sky and pulling off astonishing manoeuvres. One of these cases was related by a college student of the Umatilla Indian Reservation, which involved a particularly large object that caused the lights in the house to go off.

“My oldest brother saw a U.F.O. after dark. My mom asked him to run out to the car to get her lighter and just a few moments after he left, the power in the house went. I felt a weird surge through my body when it happened. My mom had gone to the breaker when the lights came back on. She met him in the hallway as he came in the back door, and he was white as a ghost. She asked what happened. He told her that something as big as our property and the neighbor's...was hovering right over our place. Both properties were about 1/2 acre total.”

These accounts illustrate that UFO sightings still occur in Native American reservations – and they concur in a great measure to the sightings that happen elsewhere - even though they do not get much media publicity. However, the natives do not feel alarmed by the sightings since they are an integral part of their legends. The dominant belief amongst the various tribes is that the UFOs are flying shields operated by the star people or kachinas, who were their teachers and guides at the beginning of the Fourth World. Some of them even left their DNA through union with mortal woman, which is why some people regard them as their distant ancestors.

Yet another strange facet of the Native American experience with UFOs is the claim that some of the elders have the ability to communicate via telepathic means with the beings controlling these flying objects. The famous Oglala Sioux holy man, Black Elk, who lived from 1863 to 1950, claimed to have had telepathic communication with the “little men” who emerged from a brilliantly lit flying disk that hovered above him.[14] Whether this was true, or simply a bit of showmanship, it is difficult to tell. However, the fact that Native Americals, in general, regard the kachinas who pilot these crafts as their spirit guides, and still pray to them for rain and good harvest, evinces a possibility that our understanding the UFO phenomenon can be enriched through an understanding of the indigenous beliefs and traditions.

References

[1] David H. Kelley, Eugene F. Milone, Anthony F. Aveni, Exploring Ancient Skies: A Survey of Ancient and Cultural Astronomy (Springer Science & Business Media, 2011) 473.
[2] Frank Waters, Book of the Hopi, Ballantine Books, New York, 1963, p 22-26.
[3] Gary A. David, Hopi "Flying Shields" Over Arizona, Academia.edu.
[4] Frank Waters, Book of the Hopi, p 206.
[5] Ibid, p 82.
[6] Ibid p 202.
[7] Gary A. David, Hopi "Flying Shields" Over Arizona
[8] Ibid
[9] Ibid
[10] David Wroth, "Wandjina Dreamtime Story", Japingka Aboriginal Art, July 2019, https://japingkaaboriginalart.com/articles/wandjina/
[11] DAVID S. LEWIS, "Ancestors in High Places", The Montana Pioneer, https://montanapioneer.com/legends-of-the-star-people/
[12] Gary A. David, Hopi "Flying Shields" Over Arizona.
[13] Ruth Hopkins, "UFO Sightings in Indian Country", Indian Country Today, Apr 26, 2012, https://indiancountrytoday.com/archive/ufo-sightings-in-indian-country
[14] DAVID S. LEWIS, "Ancestors in High Places", The Montana Pioneer, https://montanapioneer.com/legends-of-the-star-people/