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Challenges for the Volunteer Ufologist
Sheryl Gottschall
©
In a previous
issue of UFO Encounter (issue # 207 Aug/Sept 2003) I
explored four of the sometimes annoying and often
disheartening aspects of Ufology that face all UFO researchers
at some time, namely – lack of funding, egotism, extreme
idealism and burn-out. Quite stressful at various stages in
one’s own development as a researcher, over a period of time
these challenges often cause us to stop and question why we do
what we do and if it is even sane to keep doing it? Although
many people from mainstream society hold the notion that those
who inhabit the UFO community are probably on their way to
developing some form of mental health problems, it is when we
call ourselves into question that we can feel quite uncertain
and hesitant about our role.
Researchers can
often be plagued with doubts about their contributions and
achievements and whether it all makes a difference, with the
most pressing doubt of all being: is it really worth the
sacrifice? My advice for anyone who gets to this point, as
many have done, is to either take a vacation or go do
something else for a while. Once you get back on track you can
prepare yourself to face the challenges once again.
Of course the
best way to shortcut any of the previous mentioned situations
would be to receive more spontaneous acts of appreciation from
our peers, particularly by those the younger generation of
Ufologists may consider as mentors. Up and coming researchers
need to receive a pat on the back (preferably publicly) when
they make valuable contributions and a gentle and kind
suggestion out of public view when they might be venturing
down a shadowy path. However, traditionally the UFO research
arena is not like this at all. Most displays of back patting
are done privately and suggestions of people falling short of
the mark are very public indeed. So here we have our fifth
challenge – the need to grow a “thick skin”.
This is not a
field for those who have low self esteem and look for
encouragement at every turn as they will not get it.
Unfortunately when this doesn’t happen there are those who
will resort to slapping themselves on the back, which is very
discouraging – particularly for those new to the field,
something the subject just cannot afford.
One should also
be aware that although many derisive public comments about
fellow researchers appear to be ego driven, there are those
who set themselves up as researchers that are actually members
of the cover-up brigade, whose intention it is to discourage
us from pursuing certain paths of inquiry or collaboration.
Since Disclosure witnesses have spoken out, some have
confirmed what researchers always expected: there are
debunkers peppered within the UFO community whose job is not
only to throw shadows of doubt over the UFO subject but also
to create division where possible. Researchers need to be
aware of this and observe those within the UFO community that
may be creating the most division. This may just be their goal
and another reason why we need to develop a thick-skinned
approach in our work.
The sixth
challenge we are faced with is a lack of skills and training.
While it is not imperative for UFO researchers to have a
background of professional training, it is appropriate for us
to cultivate some skills or expertise that will help us
understand the object of our research more clearly. This will
also help us decide whether we feel it useful to cooperate
and/or collaborate with those who do have relevant training.
If we choose to do so we may possibly develop a deeper
appreciation for those skills and work harder to attract
people who have them. Unfortunately those who underestimate
contributions from a professional perspective are often those
who least understand what they can offer. Consequently, this
leaves Ufology suffering generally from “professional cringe”,
particularly towards scientists. Although some scientists may
be deserving of this attitude, it does not change the fact
that a scientific model serves us well as a starting point.
Although there
is consensus among some that to bring this subject into the
public’s awareness it will be necessary to adopt scientific
models, and while those models may be useful, we also have to
maintain a holistic approach to this often times bizarre
subject. Hence the added need to read broadly and develop an
eclectic knowledge-base complete with its own set of tools
that, when brought together with mainstream tools, will aid in
making breakthroughs in the UFO arena. Researchers need to
grow their own tools so they can quantify the basic hard
evidence but also deal with the subjective evidence that may
be of an esoteric nature. The current piecemeal approach of
many researchers only serves to keep this subject in the dark
longer than necessary.
The seventh
challenge is the “extremist” sub-culture that exists in
Ufology. There are those in this field that are easily led
into fuzzy thinking by randomly gathered and often
unsubstantiated pieces of information that only serves to set
up the gatherer as the “in house” guru on a particular
subject. Those who follow their guru jump onto the swing of a
pendulum that carries them to an extreme way of approaching
this subject, with very little or no evidence to back up their
newly adopted “belief”. Often they fool themselves into
thinking they have discovered the “latest and greatest” in
understanding, yet have really only cast off one set of
unquestioned beliefs to take on another. Attempting to “get
through” to these people is usually a waste of time as their
minds have been narrowed and objectivity abandoned while they
“buy into” what appears to serve a purpose in their lives.
Sadly, those of guru status often have quite a strong
following, which creates division within the UFO community and
breaks down any form of consensus that might serve to move our
understanding forward.
Then there is
the reverse swing of the pendulum where others have a
completely opposite objective, that is, to stubbornly refuse
to look at anything new. These types adopt great “scientific”
scepticism and turn a blind eye to the paranormal nature of
the UFO phenomenon. When we view the phenomenon from a
perspective that goes beyond the hard data only, we are left
with the question – what does it all mean? We cannot answer
this without exploring beyond that data. Refusing to go beyond
the scientific approach will also leave us in a state of
confusion, chasing our tails and getting nowhere, which is
precisely what has happened over the last five decades.
The eighth
challenge is that of the UFO community’s “high consumption
rate.” For the last few decades there has been a prolific
amount of writing on this subject, which has left many in the
habit of demanding new information to satisfy their “hunger”.
However, recently the amount of new literature available has
dwindled, at least in Australia, and the provision of new
information has decreased. This has caused a tremendous
pressure on researchers to “come up with the goods”.
Consequently this has seen the emergence of “infotainment”
within the UFO community.
While
infotainment offers "knowledge-through-sensationalism" under
the guise of keeping people informed, this trend causes one to
wonder about its impact on the UFO community at large.
Although the idea of educating and entertaining people
simultaneously is not a new idea, when applied to UFO research
it sometimes falls short of being done well. As an example, a
conference in the US recently advertised two speaker topics as
"Vampires From Outer Space" and " Goodbye Mermaids Hello UFO
Crop Circles." Is it any wonder the public does not take the
subject seriously? Could it be that the human intrigue with
unending sensational story lines such as above, or alien
abductions and conspiracies is beginning to take its toll?
There is no
doubt that the UFO community has a lingering fascination with
these stories and they are never in short supply. There is
hardly a UFO conference today that does not include a hearty
smorgasbord of these morsels. If we want people to take this
subject seriously, then perhaps the UFO community might have
to consider making some compromises to achieve some of it’s
goals.
Although
infotainment may bring some people to the UFO subject that
otherwise may not pay attention to it, one wonders whether its
emergence may have accelerated the decline of interest in the
UFO subject, at least here in Australia. This causes one to
ponder at what price good material is displaced for "bums on
seats" at UFO conferences or increased readership of UFO
magazines, and whether we are infotaining the subject to
death?
Such a steady
stream of tabloid UFO news items will eventually have adverse
effects on public perceptions of the subject, creating
distorted perceptions, levels of distrust, widespread
confusion, perpetrating ignorance rather than learning and
possibly further creating a diminished public interest, which
basically is what has happened in recent times. Long-term
interests in this subject are maintained not by entertainment
or for its shock value but through a balanced reporting of all
aspects of Ufology. An interest in the UFO subject takes years
to cultivate and years to diminish, but once diminished it is
not easily restored. This is why UFO researchers, UFO
magazines and UFO conference organisers need to look at their
subject matter and present it in a balanced way so the UFO
“consumer” will stay with its reality.
So here we have
more challenges that constantly fall across our path, whether
we like them or not. Perhaps one day when we truly gain an
extraterrestrial perspective of this third rock from the Sun
we might actually be able to overcome them.
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