SUBJECT: THE INTEGRITY OF A WITNESS FILE: UFO1578
From Dan Wright's Mufon Newsletter
Dan Wright
Deputy Director, Investigations
228 S. Fairview
Lansing, MI 48912
August 28, 1989
THE INVESTIGATOR'S EDGE
Witness integrity is a critical area to be covered in the investigator's
report, yet it is often the most difficult area to assess. Few of us have
much formal education in psychology, and even that type of training might be
insufficient in certain cases.
Much has been said and written about hoaxed claims, which nearly always entail
a dramatic close encounter story wherein the teller was the intended subject
of the intruder. Other indicators to look for include:
(a) precise details expressed with confidence regarding measurements, vehicle
design and so forth,
(b) if multiple witnesses, total agreement on all aspects of the original
account,
(c) instant answers to questions posed,
(d) the conveyance of a message or indication of purpose by the alien
intelligence, and
(e) a desire for publicity by the reporting person. Some accounts are genuine
despite these appearances, but they do serve as caution lights.
Exaggeration and embellishment are not the same and both must be considered.
The former overstates a descriptive element - proximity, size, brightness,
velocity and the like - that would normally be perceived in an event of that
type. If an object seen at dusk in a populated area is estimated to have been
thousands of feet in the air yet a foot in diameter at arm's length, one would
suspect an exaggerated apparent size. [Otherwise, police phone lines would
have been jammed followed by headlines in the morning news.]
Embellishment, by contrast, adds elements or details thereof that were not
part of the actual observation. This might become evident when comparing
original statements made immediately after the incident (to police, the
investigator or someone else) with a later re-telling. For example, the
object was lost from view below the tree-line and (the witness later deduces)
landed. Perhaps a faint glow within the woods is added in the re-telling as
well.
Taking leave of the facts in either of these fashions might be quite
unintentional on the part of a person who both wants to impress you, "the
expert", in such matters. Thus, when questioned (s)he tends to fill in any
gaps in what was truly heard and seen. Still, if repeated at various points
of the account, the entire event may be called into question.
A "true believer" is readily identifiable by a large crystal adorning
his/her necklace, the flying saucer belt buckle, and the autographed copy of
Shirley MacLaine over the mantle. Seriously, this type of individual tends to
have just enough knowledge of the UFO subject to be half convincing on the
surface. Certainly, randomness being a factor in the sighting annals, one of
these "Children of the New Age" or just plain UFOnut may have had a real
experience. However, as the sign reads on those windy mountain passes,
proceed with extreme caution.
If a bookcase is in view, a quick scan of its contents is always in order and
may be very illuminating. In the recounting, these persons often tend to
digress into a series of previous nocturnal light sightings (which sound
suspiciously similar to airplanes, satellites and planets) and to offer firm
opinions on the origins, purposes and/or lessons of alien visitation. For, at
the heart of the true-believer mentality is a fervent desire to be in contact
with mysterious forces - of the UFO variety or otherwise. By itself, this is
harmless. But, being a prisoner of one's passions, IFOs are easily
transformed into UFOs, and a genuine observation can trigger a delusion of
meaningful communication. Lest we succumb to the temptation of seeing an
abduction behind every bush, it bears reminding that there are still lots of
gullible folks out there with active imaginations and a need to be part of the
action.
Attached is a "Survey of UFO/Metaphysical Interests," a list of questions
which you and your members may find useful in sorting through matters of
witness integrity. It is intended for use in those iffy cases, although the
first five are suitable for general audiences. Also, investigators should be
cautioned not to raise such questions until all other relevant information has
been discussed.
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SURVEY OF UFO / METAPHYSICAL INTERESTS
Date _____________________ Witness _________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
1) What books have you read on the UFO subject? ____________________________
________________________________________________________________________.
2) Are you familiar with: Whitley Strieber? ____. Budd Hopkins? ____.
Project Bluebook? ____. MJ-12? ____.
3) Have you found that tabloids (Enquirer, etc.) offer information on UFO
incidents that you can't get elsewhere? ____. Do you have a favorite
tabloid? ____.
__________________________________________________________.
4) Where do UFO's come from? _______________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________.
5) Have you reached a conclusion as to why they are here? __________________
________________________________________________________________________.
6) Are particular kinds of people selected for UFO encounters? _____________
________________________________________________________________________.
7) Do you think psychic people have a better chance of seeing a UFO than
others? ____.
8) Would an astrologer be able to predict the likelihood of a UFO encounter
for a client? ____.
9) Do you feel you were destined to have an UFO experience? ____. Why? _____
_________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________.
10) How can UFO's go so fast? ______________________________________________.
How can they just vanish into thin air? ________________________________.
11) Do you have an impression of what an alien looks like? __________________
________________________________________________________________________.
12) Did you see the movie: "E.T." ____. "Coccoon" ____. "Starman" ____.
"Close Encounters of the Third Kind" ____.
Do you feel these portray what aliens are really like? _________________.
13) Do you suspect that aliens live their lives much like we do? ___________.
14) Is it fair to assume that alien visitors mean us no harm? ______________.
Why do you feel that way? _______________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________.
15) If you could select a friend right now to be in the same circumstance,
would you want him or her to experience what you did? ____. Why? _______
________________________________________________________________________.
16) Have you ever tried a past-life regression? ____. What did you find out?
_________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________.
17) Have you attended a "channeling" session? ____. Were you impressed? _____
________________________________________________________________________.
18) Have you ever had an episode of being outside your body? ____. What hap-
pened then?
______________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________.
19) Is there a particular color that has a special meaning for you? ____. Why
________________________________________________________________________.
20) Have you ever had "Tarot" cards read for you? ____. Did they turn out to
be accurate?
____________________________________________________________.
21) Has anyone ever done "automatic writing" for you? ____. What did you
learn?
__________________________________________________________________.
22) What happens after this life is over? ___________________________________
________________________________________________________________________.
MISC. _______________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
INVESTIGATOR ________________________________________________________________
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