The Paracast

Gene and Chris are joined by veteran UFO researcher Jerome Clark to interview David Booher, author of “No Return: The Gerry Irwin Story, UFO Abduction or Covert Operation?” The book includes a foreword from Jacques Vallee. In 1959, two years before the Betty and Barney Hill UFO abduction, a young soldier had a mysterious experience on a lonesome road in Utah, where the arrival of a blazing object was followed by a 24-hour blackout. Just what did happen to Irwin? As Booher details this incredible experience and its possible implications, Clark provides the historical perspective and asks compelling questions to help flesh out this amazing tale and how it impacted Irwin’s life.

With the help of a section called “Saucer Club News” in Ray Palmer’s Flying Saucers magazine in the 1950s and 1960s, enterprising young people got together to form their own UFO clubs, or just looked to meet up with others with the same interests. That’s where such people as your humble host of The Paracast and such notables as Tim Beckley, Jerome Clark, Allen Greenfield and Rick Hilberg got their starts. In a single virtual room, Gene’s old friends will reminisce about their early work in the UFO field. The political and cultural climate, how both may have impacted early research efforts, are also debated. Guest co-host is J. Randall Murphy.

Gene and guest co-host J. Randall Murphy present James E. Clarkson, the former Washington State Director of MUFON and a highly skilled UFO investigator. During this episode, the outspoken former law enforcement officer will explain, in detail, the reasons why he decided to leave MUFON, for the second time! He’ll also discuss his approach to investigating the UFO mystery, and about some of the cases he’s investigated over the years. For the last 30 years he has studied the mystery of UFOs with the same attention to detail that he applied to criminal investigations. His most recent book is the 2015 edition of “Tell My Story — June Crain, the Air Force and UFOs.”

Gene and guest co-host J. Randall Murphy present Dr. Irena Scott, author of “UFOs Today: 70 Years of Lies, Disinformation, and Government Cover-Up.” She takes us on a fascinating journey through the early days of the UFO mystery dating from the Kenneth Arnold sighting to later events, and how the government has treated these reports over the years. The book also covers the complexity of the phenomena, which has contributed to the difficulty and controversy in conducting this field of research. Dr. Scott’s work experience includes stints at the Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA) and the DMA Aerospace Center. She has also written numerous articles for UFO and paranormal publications.

We welcome investigative writer and researcher Peter Robbins. We’ll be discussing an assortment of subjects, including his investigation into the origins of the UFO ridicule factor; Peter’s theory about how the mainstream press may have been encouraged by the authorities to make fun of flying saucer reports rather than take them seriously. Peter will also discuss the current state of UFO research, where we go from here, and related subjects. In discussing the prospects for disclosure, he’ll offer a balanced view of the body politic and the loss of the age-old spirit of bipartisanship. But does anyone in authority have control over how — or if — the truth about UFOs may be revealed?

Gene and documentary filmmaker Ron James are in debate mode. Ron is an accomplished figure in the field for his award-winning films and his TV Show “Bigger Questions.”  He also runs MUFON television as an independent joint venture with MUFON. According to Ron: “There is a vision for the organization and the important role it can play in moving truth forward. MUFON is still the largest organization dedicated to the scientific understanding of the ET phenomenon in the free world.” With MUFON in the crosshairs, dealing with several recent controversies, the group’s future and the possibility of solving the UFO mystery are front and center.

Gene, Chris and special guest co-host Goggs Mackay present Dr. Joseph G. Buchman, who recounts his fascinating odyssey through the highways and byways of UFO research over the years. He also talks extensively as to how he connected his interest in UFOs with his interest in libertarian politics, and his efforts to help organize the Citizens Hearing on Disclosure, in 2013, which featured ex-members of the U.S. Congress and Senate. Says Chris about Dr. Buchman “He’s really bright, articulate, up to speed and has a fun, wry sense of humor. Plus, he speaks fluent Paracast.” And. no, this episode is not about politics.

Gene and guest co-host Curt Collins present Mark O’Connell, author of “The Close Encounters Man: How One Man Made the World Believe in UFOs,” a biography of Dr. J. Allen Hynek. You’ll learn about the amazing personal history of a scientist who, at first, tried hard to dismiss the possibility that UFOs were real, but eventually discovered, by the weight of the evidence, that there was something real behind this phenomenon. During this episode, Gene will discuss the time he introduced Dr. Hynek to best-seeing author Charles Berlitz. And just how much money did Dr. Hynek receive for the work he did on Steven Spielberg’s sci-fi classic, “Close Encounters of the Third Kind?”