New thinking proposed to prevent, mitigate damage from ‘insider spies’

By Steve Hammons
  

An article by intelligence reporter Jeff Stein published in Newsweek magazine and dated Sept. 6, 2014, explores an innovative new proposal by a private-practice psychiatrist who has worked with the U.S. intelligence community.

The article, titled “Building a Better Mole Trap,” examines the concept put forward by David L. Charney, MD, to prevent and mitigate the damage to the U.S. by “insider spies” – U.S. defense and intelligence personnel who make a decision to give classified and sensitive information to international adversaries, competitors and “frenemies” of the U.S.

Charney has worked as a psychiatrist with U.S. insider spies who were caught and he says he derived much insight and understanding about their motives and, importantly, their regrets about spying. Charney believes that different approaches based on psychiatry and the practical nuts-and-bolts elements of spying can prevent insider spying in the first place and also stop it once it has begun.

Additionally, if classified information was given to adversary nations’ intelligence services, Charney’s proposal aims for a prompt and thorough “damage assessment” to mitigate harm from the spying.

So what is Charney’s bright idea? It’s actually a combination of many elements that he explained in a recently-published white paper. Part one was titled “True Psychology of the Insider Spy.” Part two was “Proposing a New Policy for Improving National Security by Fixing the Problem of Insider Spies.”

Charney calls for the creation of a “National Office for Intelligence Reconciliation (NOIR).” The word “noir” is also French for “black,” an appropriate descriptive element of the problems of, and solutions for insider spying.

HUMAN PSYCHOLOGY LEVERAGED

Based on his experience as a psychiatrist who has had contact with the intelligence field, Charney claims many insider spies are motivated by personal problems and crises of the kind that many people face from time to time. These can include marriage and family problems, financial stress, professional frustrations, self-esteem issues, life disappointments and similar challenges most of us face sooner or later.

Due to these kinds of very human stressors, an otherwise dedicated and patriotic member of the defense and intelligence community might be seduced by adversary intelligence agents to become an insider spy, according to Charney.

And once this terrible step is made, there is no turning back. Charney says the insider spy soon realizes he is trapped and in the clutches of ruthless intelligence agents from another nation’s government and has reached a point of no return. Life in prison probably awaits if he is caught, which will probably happen eventually.

If the insider spy thought things were bad before, he now realizes they have become much worse for him. But the insider spy must stay on the path of continued spying because there is no option to change course. Damage to the U.S. continues through the ongoing spying. It’s a lose-lose situation, Charney points out.

According to the NOIR proposal, a number of interventions would be implemented to prevent and resolve insider spying. These include, but are not limited to, establishing channels for insider spies to turn themselves in and be granted reduced penalties for their spying.

The NOIR concept includes specific ideas for how this could work in real life and the significant benefits for the U.S. defense and intelligence community, becoming a win-win scenario, Charney says.

Charney has submitted his well-thought-out proposal to key decision-makers and a wide swath of people in the defense and intelligence community as well as to other professionals and the general public. He and his associates have developed a very effective website.

In the “About” section of the site, the effort is explained further: "NOIR for USA is a 501(c)3 non-profit organization whose mission is to educate and promote to the US Intelligence Community, policymakers and the public the NOIR concepts and ideas which are intended to improve our national security by fixing the problem of insider spies in an innovative way.”

The section also notes, "Dr. Charney is joined in his efforts by former CIA clandestine service officer John Irvin, who is researching, writing and briefing NOIR concepts. Assisting in the marketing and communications is Cindy Kwitchoff, former Program Manager of the CIA’s counterintelligence awareness and training program.”

The NOIR concept clearly seems ready for prime time. But can the powers-that-be in the U.S. government understand and implement the intelligent and insightful recommendations of Charney and his associates?

COMPLEX MOTIVATIONS IN PLAY

Although Charney has found that many or most insider spies are motivated by personal psychological stressors and dilemmas, he also recognizes that some are truly motivated by moral and ethical beliefs and perspectives. These are a somewhat different category of insider spies and potential insider spies, he states.

In the recent Newsweek article, an email from 29-year CIA veteran Carlos D. Luria to Charney is noted (reportedly with Luria’s permission). Luria told Charney, “I liked the steps toward reconciliation though I fear that the ‘moralists’ in our dysfunctional Congress will tar and feather you for even suggesting them.”

Luria was referring to the flexibility proposed by Charney regarding the harshness of punishment for insider spies who voluntarily reverse course, turn themselves in and help with a full damage assessment.

Another key point was made by Luria about the motivations of some insider spies. He wrote that the “motivational matrix” contributing to insider spying can sometimes include moral and ethical concerns about U.S. society and the U.S. government.

Luria is quoted in the Newsweek article as explaining that this motivational matrix “as CIA’s case officers know, is a complex one, usually embracing a host of factors, but the one to which I believe your paper gives short shrift is the conscious and deliberate willingness to risk and sacrifice oneself for ideological reasons.”

According to the Newseek article, Luria wrote Charney that, “It is what drove [the Russian moles] Popov, Penkovsky, Tolkachev, Kuklinski and a host of others to volunteer their services to CIA. It was the insufferable disparities of Britain’s social order that motivated Kim Philby and the Cambridge Five [to spy for the Soviet Union]. It was the U.S. carpet bombing of non-strategic North Korean villages that tipped [British double agent] George Blake to volunteer to serve the KGB.”

Luria is also quoted as saying that some U.S. personnel may be disillusioned by “the shameful atrocities of Abu Ghraib” and could be “motivated to work secretly to undermine an unconscionable foreign policy.”

He also notes that, “The joblessness, the ever-growing income disparity, the seemingly reckless excesses of NSA’s intercept programs, the greed of Wall Street and the total paralysis of Congress provide plenty of reasons for disaffection.”

Luria may have a point. The "more perfect union” that our founding fathers aimed for is still a work in progress. 

From the pre- and post-Revolutionary War land-grab from Native Americans and destruction of Native American societies to African-American slavery to multi-ethnic discrimination to exploitation of working Americans and ongoing injustices of many kinds, with millions of Americans (including children and adolescents) living in poverty and hopelessness, there are plenty of legitimate reasons for dissatisfaction with American society.

The Vietnam War era certainly was a wake-up call for many Americans about the serious mistakes our government and military can make. More recently, the invasion of Iraq immediately after the 9/11 events as well as the way that invasion and occupation were conducted raised many serious questions and much soul-searching by many patriotic Americans, including those inside the defense and intelligence community.

Moving forward toward “a more perfect union,” two elements of interest may provide insight and give us more ideas about possible solutions: 

1) A concept called “transcendent warfare” put forth in a graduate-level academic research paper by a former Navy SEAL officer and more recently by a U.S. State Department professional

2) The experiences of the World War II U.S. Army 442^nd Regimental Combat Team, 100^th Infantry Battalion and Military Intelligence Service (MIS) – Army units mostly comprised of Japanese-Americans

TRANSCENDENT WARFARE EMERGING

“Transcendent warfare” refers to the concept proposed by a now-retired SEAL officer in his 2001 graduate paper at the Marine Corps War College, Marine Corps University, Marine Corps Combat Development Command, Quantico, Virginia. The paper was titled “Unconventional Human Intelligence Support: Transcendent and Asymmetric Warfare Implications of Remote Viewing.”

The SEAL officer’s paper explored the discoveries in human consciousness that resulted from research and operational activities in the 1970s, ‘80s and ‘90s and funded by the U.S. defense and intelligence community. After a series of classified code names for the program, it has generally come to be known as Project STAR GATE.

This was leading-edge and forward-leaning research at the time (and still is), much like Charney’s NOIR concept. And, like Charney’s proposals, the nature of human psychology and human consciousness was the key element.

The idea of using advanced consciousness to gather intelligence using methods that came to be known as “remote viewing” was so far-out that many people doubted the validity and usefulness of such an approach. Many people still have trouble accepting the validity of the research findings and operational successes (many of which remain classified).

An updated view of Project STAR GATE activities was presented in a 2010 graduate paper by a U.S. State Department professional. It was titled “Anomalous Human Cognition: A Possible Role within the Crucible of Intelligence Collection.” The paper was submitted as part of academic requirements at the National Defense Intelligence College and was cleared for open publication in 2010 by the Department of Defense Office of Security Review.

These papers and a robust amount of open-source information about remote viewing and Project STAR GATE provide ongoing insight for us about human nature, human consciousness, advanced scientific discoveries and how these and many other puzzle pieces might fit together.

The research from Project STAR GATE appears to be directly applicable to Charney’s NOIR concept. Advanced human consciousness involves getting good intelligence information and then making intelligent decisions.

This is key to Charney’s ideas of reaching out to the defense and intelligence community and U.S. government decision-makers and hoping they will also make intelligent decisions based on the credible intelligence about human psychology that Charney puts forth.

PATRIOTS UNDER PRESSURE

On the challenging issue of the low morale that many Americans sometimes feel about our checkered history as a nation, our leadership in Washington, DC, missteps of our defense and intelligence activities, the functioning of our society and other problems, it might be helpful to look at the experience of a unique group of American patriots during WWII.

After the Pearl Harbor attack, first- and second-generation Japanese-Americans in Hawaii and California faced tough scrutiny by our defense and intelligence community. Were there spies and saboteurs among them? Were they loyal to America or Japan, or torn between the two?

In Hawaii, where Japanese-Americans were well-integrated into the community, there reportedly were fewer attempts to randomly suspect or imprison them. However, in California, in part due to racial prejudice and hate-mongering, patriotic Japanese-American farmers, merchants and professionals, and their families were forced into harsh detention camps for the duration of the war.

Meanwhile, many young men from these families and communities joined the U.S. military, in part to prove their patriotism. Many ended up in the famed and highly-decorated Army 442^nd Regimental Combat Team and 100^th Infantry Battalion, fighting in Italy and elsewhere in Europe.

Others were assigned to a top-secret Army intelligence outfit called the Military Intelligence Service or simply the “MIS.” MIS personnel were sent to the Pacific theater, where they served in nearly all major campaigns and battles including in China and Burma.

MIS personnel were involved in many types of intelligence and counterintelligence activities. These included interrogating prisoners, intercepting and translating radio messages, and translating captured maps and documents.

They infiltrated enemy lines and helped flush out the island caves where Japanese soldiers and civilians hid. They helped convince many Japanese troops to surrender. MIS personnel also were active in psychological operations and information operations.

They did all this while many of their family members were behind barbed-wire fences in detention camps located in harsh and remote environments back in the U.S.

After the war, more than 5,000 MIS personnel worked in Japan during the occupation by the U.S. from 1945 to 1952. They were assigned to the occupation military government in disarmament, intelligence, civil affairs, finance, education and land reform. The MIS also helped develop the Japanese constitution.

The story of the 442^nd RCT/100^th and the MIS tells us that Americans and others can be conflicted and can have grave concerns about the actions of the U.S. government and its many moving parts at any given time.

And many of these concerns can be very legitimate. Injustices and inappropriate activities by elements of the U.S. government and within American society are very real indeed.

But, the more perfect union awaits us. It may be within our grasp. We must look for it, visualize it, use our perception and situational awareness to see and feel it.

As the retired Navy SEAL officer noted in his research paper when addressing the current issue of unconventional warfare, “The real challenge for the United States is not asymmetric warfare, but rather what this writer calls transcendent warfare, the ability to conceptualize and subsequently actualize an entirely new form of warfare that transcends all previously known models." 

The SEAL is correct. We need to transcend the old models, recognizing and acting on new intelligence obtained from innovative and state-of-the-art research. And this is where Charney’s NOIR concept seems to fit in.

…………….

For more information about NOIR, visit their website and read the Newsweek article.

For more information about remote viewing and Project STAR GATE,  read the research paper by the State Department author, the report by Hal Puthoff, PhD, and visit the International Remote Viewing Association website.

For more information on the 442^nd/100^th and MIS, visit the Go For Broke National Education Center website.

Heavenly views: Sedona, Arizona, joins ‘Dark Sky’ towns

By Steve Hammons

Sedona, Arizona, just got more beautiful, if that is possible. Sedona is home to the world-famous “red-rock country” of magnificent stone formations and welcoming red earth located in the high desert of central Arizona.

On Monday, Aug. 4, the International Dark-Sky Association (IDA) notified the city of Sedona and Keep Sedona Beautiful that Sedona had earned the rare designation as an International Dark Sky Community. There are only six communities in the U.S. who have achieved this designation.

Now, residents and visitors can enjoy the fantastic red-rock beauty during the day and appreciate to a greater degree the nighttime views of the stars and planets, and behold other sights as well.

According to an Aug. 6 news report in the Phoenix-based Arizona Republic newspaper, IDA representative John Barentine said the criteria for earning the Dark Sky Community status are challenging but do-able for many communities.

"We keep the bar set pretty high. That's the reason there aren't thousands of them," Barentine was quoted as saying.

But communities can start looking at the issue of nighttime light pollution and start making changes, he told the Republic. "We think that the solutions are simple, and that first people just have know that there's a problem to address," Barentine said. He added that improving the view of the night skies can be achieved by communities of many sizes.

INTELLIGENT LIGHTING

The Arizona Daily Sun newspaper in Flagstaff, Arizona, noted in an Aug. 7 article that the eight communities worldwide that have achieved the IDA’s Dark Sky Community rating are Flagstaff, Borrego Springs, Calif.; Homer Glenn, Ill.; Beverly Shores, Ind.; Dripping Springs, Texas; Isle of Coll in Scotland; and Isle of Sark in the Channel Islands, UK, and now, Sedona.

The IDA website points out that, “Once a source of wonder – and one half of the entire planet’s natural environment – the star-filled nights of just a few years ago are vanishing in a yellow haze.”

“Human-produced light pollution not only mars our view of the stars; poor lighting threatens astronomy, disrupts ecosystems, affects human circadian rhythms, and wastes energy to the tune of $2.2 billion per year in the U.S. alone,” the IDA claims.

The Daily Sun article also noted that Flagstaff will be the site of the Dark Skies and Emerging Technology Conference Aug. 18-20. The event “will bring together Southwest dark-sky advocates, municipal and business officials, the outdoor lighting industry and public land managers,” the Daily Sun reported.

“The goals include identifying new lighting technology and evaluating its cost and safety, along with developing a framework for collective dark skies protection across the Southwest,” the article explained.

Night lighting in communities, towns and cities can be used wisely or unwisely, according to the IDA. Their website points out that, “We promote one simple idea: light what you need, when you need it. We know some light at night is necessary for safety and recreation.”

“We work with manufacturers, planners, legislators, and citizens to provide energy-efficient options that direct the light where you want it to go, not uselessly up into the sky.”

"IDA is the recognized authority on light pollution," according to their website. "Founded in 1988, IDA is the first organization to call attention to the hazards of light pollution, and in 24 years of operation our accomplishments have been tremendous.”

“Our approach of public awareness and extensive partnerships is improving nighttime lighting on six continents. IDA acts on numerous issues to create a platform as expansive as the sky itself.”

Sedona’s recent accomplishment in being designated an International Dark Sky Community may have benefits beyond those noted by Sedona community leaders, the IDA and those working to reduce light pollution in the U.S. and worldwide.

MYSTERIOUS CONNECTIONS

The moon, stars, planets, meteors, comets and amazing views of our Milky Way galaxy may not be the only fascinating things in Sedona’s night skies. The area has long been known for interesting and unusual energy phenomena emanating from the red earth and red rock as well as unidentified lights and objects in the region’s skies.

And there could be a connection.

Research has indicated that the Sedona area rests on unique geological formations that include high levels of iron oxide in the region’s sandstone and limestone, combined with volcanic basalt embedded with high quantities of quartz. This combination is believed to affect Earth's natural magnetic energy in the Sedona region. Quartz crystals themselves emit magnetic forces as well.

Additionally, ancient volcanic activity in the Sedona region has created tunnel-like “plugs,” now filled with a different mineral composition, which “tend to produce intense, somewhat ‘circular’ magnetic anomalies,” according to the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS).

In Sedona, "Geologic structures often produce small magnetic fields that 'distort' the main magnetic field of the Earth," according to the USGS.

These geological and magnetic conditions are believed by some people to be the source of the so-called energy “vortexes” in Sedona. Visitors from around the U.S. and around the world come to Sedona to explore and experience these alleged unusual forces which are believed by some to affect human consciousness.

The vortexes may be the outflow and inflow of Earth's natural magnetic energy, changed by the iron oxide and quartz in the region, then emerging through the volcanic plugs and returning to the ground nearby. That's the view of some researchers like electrical engineer Benjamin Lonetree. He has examined Sedona’s geology and its apparent effect on human consciousness.

Could the factors affecting Sedona’s magnetic fields also have traits similar to a natural transistor, transmitter or receiver? Lonetree speculates that this is possible.

If that is the case, other unusual or anomalous sightings in Sedona’s skies could be connected in some way.

One thing seems certain – Sedona residents and visitors looking up into the night sky will have an excellent view of whatever is above, from the glorious cosmos to interesting anomalous lights and objects that we are learning more about.

What better place for such a connection than planet Earth’s newest International Dark Sky Community?

Future of human consciousness involves ‘third eye’ pineal gland?

By Steve Hammons

The pineal gland is a small, pine cone-shaped gland variously reported to be about the size of a grain of rice or a pea, and located in the center of the human brain between the two hemispheres, above and behind the pituitary gland.

It is also referred to as the pineal body, epiphysis cerebri, epiphysis and "third eye." The name “pineal” is derived from the root word “pinea,” Latin for “pine cone.” 

From ancient human history to modern scientific research, the pineal gland is linked with human consciousness, special awareness and perception. It has been explored as part of various spiritual traditions throughout human history.

René Descartes, the French philosopher (1596-1650), called the gland “the seat of the soul” and referenced it in some of his writings.

The gland contains photoreceptor cells and tissue, rods and cones, like those in the eye. And, reportedly, like the eye, it is connected to the brain’s visual cortex.

INNER VISION

The pineal is involved in the production of the hormone melatonin, a chemical that responds to, and regulates our responses to light and darkness, the seasons and sleep patterns. The gland is also associated with the production of the important neurotransmitter serotonin.

Other species of animals also have a parallel gland. The pineal gland contains magnetite, the magnetic material found in birds and other animals that is believed to be associated with navigation. The pineal appears to be possibly or partially inactive or dormant in other species too, like it is in many or most humans.

The so-called “opening of the third eye,” or increased activation of the pineal, is associated with an alleged neurological phenomena often called “the rising of the kundalini” in the Yoga tradition. 

This process is suspected to be the manifestation of some type of cohesive energy that integrates and rises within and around the spinal cord and in the brain and human consciousness. It apparently involves some type of sub-neurological quantum energy.

Medical researcher Rick Strassman, MD, of the University of New Mexico, has conducted research suggesting to him that the pineal gland may be associated with the neurotransmitter dimethyltryptamine (DMT), nicknamed “the spirit molecule.” The pineal is also associated with other neurotransmitter chemicals linked to certain types and levels of consciousness.

In addition, the gland is believed to be connected with aging. The pineal goes through phases of transition in childhood, puberty and adult aging. The pineal may become less active as we age.

The accumulation of certain chemicals in the body and other factors in our modern environment might also play a role in diminishing the healthy functioning of the gland, some researchers claim. However, there are theories about how healthy activity of the pineal gland can be restored.

HEALTHY FUNCTIONING

Various forms of meditation, Yoga, health practices and other innovative approaches are reported to help activate the pineal gland. Many people believe that these kinds of activities assisting with the stimulation of the pineal help people perceive and tap into spiritual and quantum dimensions and realities. General psychological, emotional and physical health might also be improved. 

During the opening of the third eye a number of cascading physiological, neurological, biochemical, psychological and emotional effects may occur, according to some researchers.

The process may occur sporadically and intermittently, and it may have components that are disorienting, confusing or even upsetting to the person experiencing them.

At the same time, many of these effects may be quite pleasant or even blissful, giving the experiencer the feeling of connectedness and wholeness with larger spiritual realities that can reportedly be very comforting and insightful.

What each of us has become accustomed to as our “normal” consciousness might be changed in significant ways by the activation of the pineal gland and the kundalini process.

If increased healthy activity of the pineal gland were to occur within the human population at a more robust rate and scope, and effective perception of spiritual and quantum realities also increased as a result, human evolution could take a leap forward.

Such a development might be helpful in getting us to, and past an important tipping point in the development of our species. 

Largest UFO conference in US wraps up in Phoenix

By Steve Hammons

It’s not just about unidentified flying objects (UFOs) and the beings reportedly aboard some of them. It’s bigger, wider, deeper.

That is one of the insights gained by many of the people who attended the five-day 23^rd annual International UFO Congress conference near Scottsdale and Fountain Hills, Arizona, Feb. 12-16.

From national security considerations to spiritual perspectives, from the far reaches of the Universe to our struggling planet Earth here and now, speakers and attendees explored dozens of key aspects of, and possible connections to the UFO phenomena.

Hundreds of people from around the country and other countries attended the fascinating presentations by speakers, panel discussions, evening gatherings and other activities. Visitors also enjoyed perfect weather – sunny days with highs in the mid-80s and mostly clear nights for sky watching (night-vision equipment was also available).

Approximately 1,000 people attended each day with a total of about 2,500 probably attending, according to local news reports. Many other people around the U.S. and around the world learned about the conference on the International UFO Congress website.

The conference organizers, Open Minds Production of Tempe, Arizona, recruited speakers who covered a variety of topics ranging from mainstream scientific views to very forward-leaning perspectives about what could be going on.

MORE THAN FLYING OBJECTS

The many unknowns and mysteries associated with the UFO situation create wonderful opportunities for professional, paraprofessional and amateur researchers to try to learn more and gain more understanding. This appeared to be happening at the International UFO Congress in significant ways. The sharing of experiences, information and perspectives provided plenty of food for thought.

While some talks at the conference embraced some very mind-expanding concepts, other speakers tackled the nuts and bolts of the recent history of UFOs in somewhat more conventional historical terms.

Conference attendees were told that, yes, a very special craft of some kind crashed near Roswell in July 1947 and was promptly flown to Wright-Patterson Air Force Base in southwestern Ohio for examination by top engineers, scientists and defense officials.

In the 1950s and ‘60s sightings of a variety of types of UFOs continued to be seen in the U.S. and internationally. As a result, semi-open public investigation programs such as Project BLUE BOOK were put in place. Behind the scenes other research and response activities also reportedly were implemented.

The situation has continued to develop to the present day. How has it developed? That seems to be the complex question at hand.

The UFO phenomena provided an overarching fabric of the International UFO Congress, yet that topic also served as a way to approach possible other new discoveries that could be related in certain ways.

Several speakers examined unusual, anomalous phenomena that do not always appear to be directly connected to the many kinds of UFOs that have been reported. Yet, there are indications of various types of connections, according to some views.

For example, physicists and others speculate that there could be hidden dimensions in our Universe. And there might be points of connection and interaction between our “normal” world and other worlds. Portals, doors, wormholes, star gates and pathways may exist.

If so, where are they? What do they do and how do they work? Where do they go? Who uses them, and why?

Some conference speakers noted that our planet and human societies are in trouble. There are a significant number of serious challenges and problems of many kinds facing the human race and this planet we are living on. Of course, the human race itself is a huge part of the problem, certain presenters noted.

One view is that there may be intelligent beings – of several kinds – who might be able to assist us. According to some of the speakers, this help may be available and has been in the pipeline and in the form of discreet and mysterious interventions currently underway.

TOWARD A BREAKTHROUGH

Can new discoveries and insights help us? And are there serious dangers that we should also be aware of and prepared for? What roles do the media play? If kind and friendly beings are nearby and can provide help, why is so much suffering and destruction continuing on Earth?

These are some of the questions considered by speakers and attendees at the conference.

However, if we look around our world in new ways, look to Nature and Mother Earth, look to the skies and into ourselves, there are solid clues and indications worth paying attention to, according to several of the speakers.

These clues may involve a variety of phenomena from discoveries in physics to crop circles, from the theorized dimension of Heaven to healing miracles here on Earth. And from odd coincidences to meaningful signs and messages in our daily lives. There are also other existing and emerging phenomena that are fascinating and maybe hopeful, the conference audience was told.

Some speakers counseled attendees to keep their eyes open for these realities. They may show themselves through Nature, through our relationships and through the human heart.

Fundamental to the discussion at the conference was the issue of how our human consciousness can try to accurately understand what might be going on in these areas. How can we determine what is true and what might be the best paths to follow to make more progress?

More questions … a few answers … and then more mysteries.

But by asking these questions and looking honestly into the many puzzle pieces involved in the UFO phenomena, those at the International UFO Congress, and all of us, might someday make further discoveries and a significant breakthrough.

UFO situation awareness: Phoenix conference hosts scientists, researchers, media, public

By Steve Hammons

An upcoming conference in the Phoenix, Arizona, region next week seems to have the potential to expand knowledge and understanding about an apparently challenging, sensitive and complex situation … visitation to Earth by intelligent beings from elsewhere.

The 23^rd annual International UFO Congress begins Wednesday, Feb. 12 and continues through Sunday, Feb. 16. The conference has become a significant research and educational platform where updated perspectives are shared and opportunities for further insight are identified. 

Ripples outward from the conference into the media and general public about the UFO situation and related subjects also serve these interesting and important educational efforts.

Speakers include an astrobiologist, astrophysicist, theologian, Army colonel, university professors, journalists, photographers, filmmakers, media personalities, researchers and respected authors. 

Some of the speakers wear more than one hat as they leverage their unique backgrounds to learn more, and communicate more, about the UFO situation and other forward-leaning research into interesting and important emerging developments.

Do conference speakers, attendees and the general public have “a need to know” about these kinds of topics?

Some people might be surprised by how much information on the situation is already public. But for those at the leading edge of research into these subjects, there always seems to be more information to gather and interpret, more research to be conducted, more mysteries to try to understand, more puzzle pieces to try to put together.

REAL SITUATION

The 2014 conference is being held at the Fort McDowell Resort and Casino, with the Fort McDowell Radisson next door as the host hotel. These facilities are located on the Fort McDowell Yavapai Nation, a local Native American community near north Scottsdale and Fountain Hills in the northeast corner of the metropolitan Phoenix area.

The public is invited to attend some or all of the conference and film festival. Various rates are available for those wishing to enjoy parts of the conference and related activities and events. More information on attendance pricing is available on the International UFO Congress website. The website also includes information on the speakers, schedule, film festival and related topics.

This year’s speakers have significant backgrounds, as have those in previous conferences. Some well-known TV, radio and media personalities will be speaking. Researchers and authors from the scientific and defense fields will also give presentations. Other speakers approach UFOs and related interesting phenomena from their own unique perspectives and backgrounds.

Attendees at this year’s International UFO Congress will no doubt arrive in Phoenix from around the country and around the world. The UFO phenomenon is truly a global situation and is a subject of keen interest of millions of people, including national governments and their defense organizations.

From all indications based on the decades of research by determined and dedicated investigators (those we know about and those we don’t), there seems to be a real situation on our hands that is vitally important for the human race and planet Earth.

As a result, we might be wise to try to improve our “situation awareness” about these kinds of subjects.

Hope springs eternal for many of those researching the UFO topic. Over the years and decades, a vast amount of information has been released, discovered or put forward in various ways that inform, educate and prepare people about what is going on … or at least parts of what is going on.

Some researchers seem to see light at the end of the tunnel, or at the end of the wormhole or star gate.

However, there have been many reports about aspects of the situation that could be very concerning, and impact public health and safety, as well as national and global defense. It may be a very mixed situation, with many elements in play, some investigators indicate.

ONGOING DEVELOPMENTS

The International UFO Congress will provide a valuable opportunity to improve public understanding about the apparent spacecraft and other phenomena in the sky (and sometimes on the ground) as well as who is responsible for them (or aboard them).

The UFO situation impacts the human race and our nations and societies in many ways, credible researchers have stated. Even though it has allegedly been regarded as a top-secret matter in the U.S. and internationally for decades, there reportedly have been parallel activities to gradually educate and prepare us for certain surprising and challenging developments. 

The International UFO Congress in Phoenix will probably be quite helpful in this regard.

Spring comes early in the Arizona Sonoran Desert, where Phoenix is located. The short and mild winter season will just be winding down in February and warmer spring temperatures are sure to follow in March. Conference speakers and attendees might be able to enjoy sunny days in the 60- and 70-degree range. Locals have noted that, so far, the Sonoran Desert winter this year has been beautiful, with weeks of sunny days in the mid-70s.

Generally clear nights should provide excellent scanning of the starry skies, especially away from the city lights on the outskirts of the metro area where the conference is being held.

Some conference visitors may want to take the short drive up the I-17 freeway to Sedona and the beautiful “Red Rock Country.” There they can experience the mysterious magnetic energy “vortexes” that are reportedly part of larger geologic and magnetic anomalies in the Sedona region. Plenty of odd encounters and sightings have been reported in the Sedona area over the years.

The fact that the well-known “Phoenix lights”  case occurred right over the metropolitan Phoenix “Valley of the Sun” back on March 13, 1997, will no doubt be on the minds of conference speakers and attendees.

Could something like that happen again? Or, might some other significant development or multiple developments take place in conjunction with the 23^rd annual International UFO Congress conference? 

Science of Sedona: Electrical engineer explores magnetic energy ‘vortexes’

By Steve Hammons

For many years, stories and reports about the Sedona, Arizona, region have included claims of “vortexes” or energy streams and fields that affect people and the environment there in various ways. 

Many people claim they experience unusual and sometimes beneficial effects on their mental, emotional, spiritual and physical states when exposed to these energies.

But these reports have been anecdotal and experiential. That is, people have reported interesting personal experiences, but there was little scientific evidence to support or explain such statements.

Phoenix-based electrical engineer Benjamin Lonetree has examined these claims using various scientific instruments and methods for more than a decade. He concludes that there are measurable outflows and inflows of magnetic energy in the Sedona area that do affect the environment of the region, including human consciousness.

As has been reported by others, Lonetree agrees that the Sedona area’s geology is a key factor. High content of iron oxide (causing the red rock and soil there) combined with substantial quartz deposits in the area seem to play important roles in this phenomena, he says.

EARTH ENERGIES, HUMAN CONSCIOUSNESS

Lonetree also has attempted to correlate connections between magnetic energy activities in the Sedona area and human consciousness.

By measuring human brainwaves of people (including himself) in the vortex areas using a portable EEG device, and matching that data with real-time measurements of environmental magnetic energies using a magnetometer, Lonetree says there appear to be clear relationships between the vortex energy and human brainwaves.

Since the human body (and that of many other mammals) contains magnetically-sensitive magnetite, there is a logical mainstream explanation for some of the possible effects on people from Sedona’s magnetic energies, Lonetree explains.

The composition of the geology in the Sedona area includes the high iron oxide in the sandstone and limestone, in combination with volcanic basalt embedded with high quantities of quartz (referred to as latites which contain 5 percent to 20 percent quartz).

Lonetree and others theorize that the Earth’s magnetic energy is being significantly affected by this geology.

In his research, Lonetree notes that a U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) report about an aerial survey of the Sedona region found magnetic anomalies throughout the entire area. On his website he includes the following three excerpts from the USGS report:

- "The Precambrian crystalline basement is the most likely source of the broad magnetic high in the Sedona area. The long-wavelength nature of the magnetic high indicates that the source of the anomaly is buried."

- "The latites, on the other hand, often are extruded from volcanic plugs and thus tend to produce intense, somewhat 'circular' magnetic anomalies (often as magnetic lows, because the latites are generally reversely polarized)."

- "Geologic structures (such as faults or igneous intrusions) often produce small magnetic fields that 'distort' the main magnetic field of the Earth."

In addition, the quartz crystals themselves also emit magnetic forces, Lonetree states. So, there may be combinations of sources for, and effects of the magnetic fields in the Sedona area, he indicates.

TRANSMITTERS AND RECEIVERS

How do these magnetic forces, fields and flows affect humans? Do they simply affect the magnetite in our bodies? Or, are there more profound connections too?

Lonetree speculates that there could be effects that we do not yet fully understand.

The layers and combinations of natural minerals and other factors could result in the region having characteristics similar to a type of natural transistor, transmitter or receiver of some kind, Lonetree points out.

Additionally, he notes that there are ancient volcanic lava shafts or tubes with distinct mineral composition in the region. These may provide channels for the geomagnetic energy being emitted from within the Earth resulting in a spinning or vortex form of energy.

That outflow of magnetic energy then returns to Earth nearby as an inflow vortex, Lonetree says. These outflows and inflows may affect humans in different ways.

And what about the idea put forth by many that Sedona may actually be connected to other dimensions through unique combinations of Earth energies and other natural forces? Could that explain the many other reports over the decades about unusual sightings, encounters and experiences in the Sedona area?

Lonetree does agree with what a Navajo man once told him … that Sedona is a place where Mother Earth speaks to us. Lonetree’s research has proven to him that this viewpoint is scientifically valid.

Sedona may truly be a unique place where our connectedness to this planet, Nature and ourselves is especially strong and clear.

For more information, read about Lonetree’s research on his website SedonaAnomalies.com.