The Gralien Report

The much anticipated new book by the late Mac Tonnies has been released by Anomalist Books, titled The Cryptoterrestrials: A Meditation on Indigenous Humanoids and the Aliens Among Us. This book deals with a number of bizarre concepts, but placed forthright by Tonnies, accompanied by his usual intellect and powers of reason, they are afforded what is possibly the best interpretation of aliens as indigenous beings from Earth to-date. Nick Redfern, who in addition to providing the foreword for Tonnies’ book offered this excellent review, had this to share:

Mac was a very good friend of mine; and like all his friends I was shocked to the core when he passed away suddenly and tragically in October 2009, at the age of only 34.

But, I am pleased to say, Mac’s latest – and, inevitably, final – piece of work ensures that his memory, legacy and ability to think outside of the conventional ufological box will live on. That work is The Cryptoterrestrials: A Meditation on Indigenous Humanoids and the Aliens Among Us.
Read the rest of this entry »

Commenting on the way that researchers in the modern Internet era use the web to outsource tools for monitoring even the most esoteric studies, Jon Thompson at TechRadar.com discussed how Ufology is also going through “great changes” thanks to newly available technology.

“The Internet,” he says, “has certainly brought it chaos, but it has also been a catalyst for new life and opportunities. It’s now easier to be taken seriously if you have what you believe is an extra-terrestrial experience—and the very organisations you might try to contact in this case have also had to adapt to change brought about by the internet.”

True, the new methodology applied to the study of UFOs encompasses everything from using programs and utilities like Google Earth to “map” UFO hotspots, to capturing occasional airborne anomalies using outdoor webcams. More simply, however, social networking sites like Facebook and Twitter are making waves in the field, with online fan groups, networking forums, and even syndicated feeds that bring relevant news to our news collectors and cell phones without anyone having to look for them. Thanks to the web, mankind has all but created a filter that catches the summation of our ideas and interests, categorizing and capitalizing on them in new, exciting, and accessible ways.

Read the rest of this entry »

In a statement appearing in the New York Daily News on Thursday, the release of an additional 6000 pages in the British Ministry of Defense’s ongoing disclosure of UFO documentation elicited the usual response: passive dismissal of acknowledged UFO activity. “Our only concern,” reads a letter from 1994, “is to establish whether or not they pose a threat to the security of the United Kingdom. Unless we judge that they do, and this has not been the case so far, we do not attempt to investigate further, or to identify whatever might have been seen.” (Image, right, by Markus Ram / Markusram).

One must ask if, in the event something were to have been conclusively identified as some kind of natural phenomenon (i.e. ball lightning, etc), wouldn’t this have helped the MoD reach the same ultimate conclusion that the activity warranted no special concern? Granted, part of the process used to judge what sorts of activity might pose a threat would have to entail some measure of inquiry into the nature of the phenomenon itself. Still, it is stunning how dismissive officials can be of something which may represent, at most, some kind of non-human intelligence engaging in activity here on Earth. Had the MoD attempted to investigate further, might details pertaining to future potential dangers or aggressive activity have been uncovered?

Read the rest of this entry »

Recently, I’ve begun posting short commentaries on esoterica and the paranormal at the fabulous website Mysterious Universe, based out of the very beautiful Land Down Under of Australia. Today, my new featured article, “Like Minds, Like Times: Would Recessions Affect Aliens Too?” is available for you to check out. Here’s the link: Micah Hanks at Mysterious Universe

Also, below is a quick excerpt from the piece:

Many times throughout history, especially in recent times as modern technological advances continue to push the boundaries of our capabilities as humans, we have asked, “if other civilizations exist out there in the cosmos, are they like us?”

Less frequently do we ponder whether this is something that should concern us; with humanity’s history of conquest, capture and colonialism, if alien beings were anything like us, what if they decided to act in this manner toward humans if they visited Earth?

During an evening flight in June of 1954, Captain James Howard was en route from New York to London piloting a BOAC Stratocruiser when something remarkable—and frightening—occurred. According to the testimony of he and his flight crew, an amorphous, black “jellyfish-shaped” object appeared on the horizon (similar to the Danish “Flying Gople” pictured, right), remaining visible at a distance above the Labrador coast. Several dark “blob-like objects” accompanied what Howard called a “mothership.” “I think there’s no question that it was no illusion,” he stated in an interview shortly after the encounter, “and that it was being intelligently handled.” Fighter aircraft were sent to investigate shortly after the sighting, and as they approached, the smaller UFOs were absorbed by the larger object, which then suddenly disappeared.

More than fifty years have passed since the appearance of Howard’s “jellyfish,” prompting many to assume the strange encounter would be left to speculation in the annals of Ufology. However, Scottish UFO investigator Martin Shough now believes he has solved the half-century-old mystery. According to a new article in Fortean Times, Shough has gathered weather data and primary evidence taken from the crews’ statements shortly after the incident. At the FT website, the following conclusions are drawn:

Shough concludes there can be little doubt the crew and passengers saw an unusual mirage. And far from being rare, he discovered this sighting was just one of “an unrecognised class of very similar mirage observations from aircraft”. His definitive study proves it is poss¬ible to resolve even the most perplexing UFO reports with enough time and effort. It also shows there is valuable scientific data lurking within the noise that constitutes the UFO enigma.

Case closed? Perhaps… but the elements of esoterica that nonetheless swarm around this unique story are only beginning to come to light. Read on, dear seekers of supernatural lore…

Read the rest of this entry »

According to an article that appeared in the Pacific Free Press this weekend, Canadian Defense Minister Peter MacKay is expressing a rather flippant attitude toward the recent “Harbour Mille UFOs” photographed last week, which resemble rockets or missiles producing a large amount of smoke.

Of the reports concerning missiles fired from the ocean near the Southern coast, journalist C.L. Cook quoted MacKay, who said “We [the Canadian government] will provide money to build a landing strip for UFOs at Harbour Mille.” The Defense Minister quickly added that this was a joke, and assured news agencies that he had “checked with foreign countries,” claiming there is “no cause for panic.”

Late last week, a few key witnesses suggested that Royal Canadian Mounted Police officials may have advised that a missile launch had taken place, but a spokesperson, Sgt. Wayne Edgecombe, quickly asserted that these were only rumors. Statements issued later were even less conclusive, merely explaining they had “gotten to the bottom” of the mystery, and forwarded further requests to Public Safety Canada. What is known, however, is that the RCMP is in charge of the official investigation.

Read the rest of this entry »

It’s finally here… the inaugural edition of a brand new feature you’ll be seeing more of here at the Gralien Report: “Gradio Podcasts.” By following this link you can learn more about the new show, as well as download the latest edition featuring special guest Timothy Green Beckley. Tim (aka Mr. UFO) shares his legendary insights pertaining to UFOs, subterranean mysteries, MIBs, late-night radio and a huge number of other esoteric subjects… not an interview you’ll want to miss!

Click here to visit the new “Gradio Podcast” page!

Residents of Newfoundland have reported seeing a strange fireball-like object emerging from the ocean near their homes in Harbour Mille on the south coast. Many folks in the area reported the object, but Darlene Stewart, who was photographing the sunset when the object appeared, managed to capture an image as the thing–whatever it was–streaked across the sky. To view the photo and read the story that appeared at the website cbc.ca:

UFO Sighting Puzzles N.L. Residents

The photograph appears to show a missile or other elongated object, emitting flames or what has been described as “heavy smoke” illuminated by the light of sunset (keep in mind, the Trident II missile in the image to the right is merely for illustrative purposes). Another witness, Emmy Pardy, stated that “It appeared to come out of the ocean,” and “was like it was in the middle of the bay.”

This alone may be the most curious aspect of the sighting; however, if what it entails is of any merit, it may also be the most frightening. Gralien Report correspondent Christopher McCollum, who sent the story along, referred to the object as a “USO,” borrowing the term used by the late Fortean scholar Ivan T. Sanderson which denotes an “Unidentified Submerged Object.” Submarines with the Russian Navy operating in international waters throughout the Atlantic have reported an overwhelming number of “USO” encounters, as described in recently declassified documents released by naval officials in 2009. However, if this object weren’t some kind of “USO” or other unidentified object, what are the alternatives?

Read the rest of this entry »

The popular film District 9 that appeared in theaters last year, in addition to being a brilliant sci-fi story, also became well known for its social commentary on living conditions in the very real District Six during apartheid-era South Africa. In the film, a gang of alien “refugees” (called “prawns” by humans) appear in a gigantic spacecraft hovering over Johannesburg, stranded without a leader or a command module able to pilot the massive craft. In spite of their advanced technological weaponry and spacecraft, the aliens are rather subordinate to  humans; almost allowing themselves to be “herded” into the cluttered ghettos that comprise “District Nine.”

In reality, if aliens with advanced anti-gravitational aircraft and plasma blasters ended up stranded on Earth and didn’t attempt to attack us, would it seem strange to you? According to one expert, it’s not only strange… it’s highly unlikely.

Extra-terrestrials, according to Cambridge University Professor Simon Conway Morris, would have all-to-human “foibles,” which he doesn’t doubt would include greed, violence and similar tendencies to gathering up and exploiting resources that humans have shown for centuries. Morris says that, although they could in fact show up more-or-less peacefully searching for a place to live like the Prawns in District 9, they would inevitably become squatters, and in acting out colonialism similar to our past expansive conquests, they would “help themselves to water, minerals and fuel.”

“In short,” Morris says, “if there is any life out there, then it is likely to be very similar to us.” That being the case, should we be worried?

Read the rest of this entry »

Late last year, a series of encounters taking place in Texas began to spur interest in a “new wave” of possible UFO activity, constituting the most consistent rash of similar reports since the events that transpired in the Stephenville area two years ago. Now, the Texas MUFON group has released information pertaining to a more recent report that points to dubious activity which, almost without a doubt, renders previous reports from the area to mere fiction.

Two days ago, Roger Marsh bragged on the work of Fletcher Gray, a Texas MUFON Field Investigator who uncovered the evidence pertaining to an alleged January 9th encounter, at his UFO Examiner page. Below is an excerpt that details a bit of Gray’s detective work:

Read the rest of this entry »