Book Reviews

Jim Sparks's account of a decade of encounters with intelligent alien beings provides one of the richest and most detailed documentations in all abduction history. His recall is altogether conscious, without the benefit of hypnosis, relaxation exercises, or any other use of non-ordinary states of consciousness for the exploration of buried memories. Nor are his memories contaminated by the popular literature, which he has steadfastly avoided reading. He has the passion, curiosity and self-doubt of an authentic, truthful voice. He has been told by the Visitors that they are concentrating their contact now upon ordinary people like Jim, because agreements with Earth's leaders regarding the timely release of information about their presence here have been violated. His first-hand reports of sperm extraction, breeding programs, shape-shifting and thought-activated transport are astonishing, as is his personal journey from anger at the invasion to gratitude for the opportunity to be a part of saving the Earth from self-destruction. Introduction by the late Dr. John E. Mack, and Prologue by Linda Moulton Howe.
www.jim-sparks.com/

Ryan Wood has written a book that goes to the core of the UFO phenomenon and the emerging discipline of exopolitics - the alleged crashes and covert retrievals of UFOs that are extraterrestrial in origin. Majic Eyes Only deals with 74 cases of alleged UFO crashes and retrievals that have been secretly managed by government agencies and military services in the U.S., and other major countries.

Ryan Wood provides, for the first time, a detailed listing of the most well known crash retrieval cases and the evidence supporting these. He lists these in chronological order starting with the alleged 1897 Aurora crash in Texas, and ending a hundred years later with an alleged UFO crash on the Isle of Lewis, Scotland in 1997. He discusses the pioneering research of Leonard Stringfield, the first major UFO researcher to compile evidence of UFO crash/retrievals. Majic Eyes Only will help researchers working on one or more of these cases to make cross-comparisons, identify new evidence, and to develop an analytical framework for assessing the available evidence.

Wood's primary contribution is in compiling the best available evidence for 74 alleged UFO crash/retrievals in an easily accessible format for researchers and novices alike. His most important scholarly contribution is to provide an analytical framework for rating the various categories of evidence cited in support for each of the UFO crash-retrieval cases. He explains his framework for effectively rating cases in terms of their authenticity by examining seven distinct categories of evidence: "witnesses"; "sources"; "zingers"; "content"; "chronology"; "no anachronisms"; and "forensics" (p. 14). He assigns each of these categories a `weighting factor' that multiplies the evidence found for each category. This evidence is assessed on a five point scale in terms of most credible 5, and the least credible 0. All this amounts to a theoretical maximum of 125 points for the evidence concerning a particular UFO crash/retrieval in terms of the seven categories. This is very helpful for developing differing levels of authenticity for the available evidence for any particular UFO crash/retrieval case.

Wood gives the `witnesses' category a `weighting multiplier' of 3.0 which means that if there are a number of direct eyewitness accounts seeing a UFO crash/retrieval, then this could be assigned the maximum five points for the category. If on the other hand there are only second hand testimonies, i.e., others relating what direct witnesses had seen, this could be given a ranking of say 2 points. When the points for that category is multiplied by the `weighting multiplier' of 3.0 that would yield 15 points for a number of direct witnesses and only 6 points for second hand witnesses. A similar process occurs with each of the categories so one in the end can tally the total points from the different categories of evidence out a theoretical maximum of 125. According to Wood, cases that have a high level of authenticity occur when "all the investigative channels and ideas have been pursued, and with each test the case or document has shown to be authentic or nearly problem free (p. 15). In contrast, cases with low levels of authenticity arise when "all investigative avenues have been pursued and show little or no sign of internal consistency" (p. 16).

Wood analyses documentary evidence for the creation of an Interplanetary Phenomenon Unit established to deal with UFO crashes and retrievals. He conclusively establishes that the IPU was an organization that existed, though its precise mission is still contested. Similarly, Wood discusses projects Moon Dust and Blue Fly, and their relationship to official Air Force investigations of UFO crashes and retrievals. The IPU therefore emerges as the predecessor of the Majestic-12 control group created by President Truman in 1947.

Most significant of all the documents discussed in the book is the Special Operations Manual (SOM 1-01) that was leaked to the UFO community in 1994. It outlines procedures for personnel participating in various aspects of UFO crash/retrievals. The SOM 1-01, allegedly published in 1954, outlines such technical procedures as "recovery operations", "receiving and handling", "UFO identification" and even a guide on "Extraterrestrial Biological Entities" (Appendix). The author's father, Dr Robert Wood, a former aerospace engineer with McDonald Douglas, analyzed the authenticity of the SOM-01 by investigating the various type fonts, syntax and printing procedures used in preparation of the document. He concludes that the SOM 1-01 is "a rock solid production of circa 1954" (p. 267 ). This leads to the conclusion that SOM 1-01 is in fact an authentic document outlining the procedures used by official personnel covertly involved in UFO crash/retrievals.

Ryan Wood does not pretend that all the evidence he has put into his book is conclusive, some of it requires further investigation and some may ultimately be shown to have little substance. He concludes that while "some of the preceding cases fail the test of completeness and strain credibility, the number of fertile cases, which will undoubtedly grow as researcher continues, is larger than many realize."(p. 244). It is in laying the analytical framework for assessing these "fertile cases" and in listing the best available evidence for each of these cases that Wood most succeeds in his book. My suggestion is that in a future edition, Wood applies his analytical framework to each of the 74 cases so a quantitative score can be reached that provides readers an easy guide for identifying the most persuasive, to the least persuasive cases. This will assist both in future refinements of his analytical framework and debates over the available evidence on UFO crash/retrievals.

Wood has provided an invaluable guide for how one can approach the complex arena of UFO crash/retrievals in an analytically rigorous manner. He provides a fascinating compilation of raw data that invites exopolitical analysis of the government and military procedures invoked for UFO crash/retrievals. Majic Eyes Only will appeal both to the expert UFO researcher, and the novice stepping with some trepidation into case studies of UFO crash/retrievals. This is one of the most important books to emerge in UFOlogy and will serve as essential reading for many years to come.
Michael E. Salla, PhD

www.majiceyesonly.com/

"The Phoenix Lights" is an exhaustively researched look at these mysterious and still unexplained phenomena, including the history, similar worldwide events, quotes by military, pilots, astronauts, scientists and even presidents confirming the reality of these anomalous visitations, the stunning connection between all unexplained phenomena [UPs], as well as Dr. Kitei's own fascinating story and take on the wider implications of these remarkable events.
www.thephoenixlights.net/

Ph.D Publisher: Granite Publishing, LLC; 2nd ed edition (February 8, 2005)
Review by Dr. Colette M. Dowell, N.D.

For the past decade there has been a wave of books published about UFO enigmas ranging from benevolent beings interacting with humans in order to help us save our home planet Earth, to hard evidence of spacecraft technology being drafted and engineered into our modern-day Star Wars program. Physical abduction of humans by extraterrestrials was among some of the scariest phenomena ever reported. Many serious and non-serious researchers of UFOs and other related paranormal topics have accounted for actual videos, photographs, possible alien artifacts and also first-hand verbal accounts by witnesses or experiencers of paranormal events. God Hypothesis is one book covering varied studies of ufology and independent researchers' views. The researchers' views are reported from their own personal niches in the field . Joe Lewels, Ph.D., offers an accounting of mainstream ufology along with his own personal interpretation of who or what is doing whatever, when, how and why. Where does the heritage of aliens and spacecraft begin? How long have human abductions been taking place and why?

Lewels considers himself a 'common' man--a man whose childhood was filled with devout Christian faith and common sociological thoughts and typical mainstream consciousness. His journalism occupation led him to a Ph.D. journalism program at University of Missouri and to a position as Editor of the Freedom of Information Digest and Reports. He thought he had a really healthy, normal life, but something lurked in the back of his mind haunting him. Previously, while on an Army flight mission in 1969, somewhere in Alabama, Joe and his companion Army Colonel Bob Jones, both witnessed a glowing orange ball of light hovering at high altitude ahead of them. This was a night for Joe to ponder for many years, for what he saw was an unidentified flying object.

It wasn't until 1992 that Lewels' desire and sincere approach to ufology guided him to actually research the phenomena. His religious background targeted him towards theology within ufology by way of peculiar patterns of relationships he noticed between modern-day UFO-related happenings and early Christianity. Rev. Dr. Barry H. Downing's interpretation of the UFO phenomena and its curious parallels with theology coincides with Lewels' conclusion that our modern-day aliens are in fact history's ancient Gods as related in the Bible and other ancient sacred texts. Indeed, there are some quite stunning relationships between events, 'beings,' Gods and spiritual theme from ancient to modern day texts.

God Hypothesis: Extraterrestrial Life and Its Implications for Science and Religion, partly is Lewels' interpretation of his own personal spiritual transformation and ability to accept more than what is typified in mainstream consciousness. He describes his 'conscious' moments when he suddenly realizes there is something more out there than he had earlier perceived, and expresses his shock, joy and wonderment about the event. Lewels totally went through a positive transformation of his personal state of being, and his acceptance and tolerance of other realms--realms other than what he can perceive with his senses or rational mind. I am sure while on his earlier venture into the depths of ufology, and upon his startling realizations and memorable moments such as coming to terms with cattle mutilations and human abductions, he must have really freaked out. He speaks of aliens as possible angels to some, and to others, the Devil or Satan. He has a very strong religious scenario scoped out in his findings.

His overture is honest as he writes he reveals and shares his excitement and his naïve state of being as he reports on his newly found paradigm. I could picture him with compelling force running from UFO conference to conference and hanging out with 'select' speakers in hopes of hearing about the latest UFO happenings and related topics. In total fascination he details his search and writes about his understanding of the UFO phenomena and queer correlation's to specific biblical text and varied mythological legends.

Lewels presents images of ancient wisdom teachings and Bible stories to your mind. Who were the keepers of the tablets, and where were they really from? He discusses the problem with different modern languages translating the Bible and other Sacred Scrolls from the original ancient texts. He also presents important chronological historical theology and the differences between 'era'-related transcriptions and revisions of the Bible. I found this to be very interesting and it helped me understand certain changes within earlier civilizations' government and religious thoughts of the time. Lewels exposes the hypocrisy and manipulation of the sacred texts that induce major changes of consciousness and control of the majority of peoples throughout the world.

Lewels 'tracked' the UFO phenomenon accurately by passage of his own experience and understanding of it. His perspective is shared by many who pursue the obscure and mainstream UFO myths and beliefs. Like every true-blue UFO researcher, Lewels expanded his way of thinking into other possible realms of realities. He associated himself with the holographic-universe concept of Michael Talbot and recaptured moments of consciousness as related to modern-day quantum physics. He even goes into the Mars Mission, led by Richard Hoagland, which in earlier years investigated the notorious 'Face on Mars,' deemed by NASA as a "trick of light and shadow".

What impressed me most about Joe Lewels' God Hypothesis, was his strong conviction that 'we are all of the same reality.' I liked this idea for reasons of selflessness, goodness towards the whole and concern for future implications if 'humans can't get it together.' This is a very firm belief among many experiencers of 'worlds from beyond' and those who observe the holy phenomena daily amongst them.

God Hypothesis: Extraterrestrial Life and Its Implications for Science and Religion, is a very informative book encompassing many details about many synchronicities that relate to Biblical texts and modern UFO realities. Many readers who are new to this particular theory and diverse explanation of certain parts of human history will arrive at a newly found awareness of themselves and other realities. Dr. Lewels did a fine job of conveying his personal message. I consider The God Hypothesis good, inspirational and educational reading material.