The Paracast

Continuing our coverage of the revolutionary UFO book, UFOs: Reframing the Debate.” We welcome another contributor to the book, MJ Banias. He is a writer, blogger, and theorist with a background in Critical Theory, History, and Cultural Studies who critically and philosophically examines the weird, the strange and the anomalous. He was a former field investigator with MUFON, has been featured on multiple podcasts, and contributes to Mysterious Universe and RoguePlanet. Another contributor to the book, our own Curt Collins, is our guest co-host. During this episode, MJ will reveal his reasons for quitting MUFON, and the panel will discuss the impact of the Roswell case on UFO culture.

Continuing an ongoing discussion, Gene and Chris present two of the people responsible for a fascinating and insightful book, “UFOs: Reframing the Debate.” Featured guests include Robbie Graham, the book’s editor, and one of the authors, Robert Brandstetter, known in The Paracast Forums as Burnt State. From the description of the book: “If ever we are to further our understanding of the UFO enigma, we must fundamentally reframe our debate. We must wipe the board clean and fill it with new ideas, new theories, even new language. We must be willing to start from scratch when the field stagnates. We must be critical, sober, and free of dogma—ready to rinse away the residue of our own beliefs.”

Gene and Chris present a reality check for the UFO field with none other than Greg Bishop of “Radio Misterioso.” Greg’s latest book, “It Defies Language,” illustrated by noted blogger and artist Red Pill Junkie, is a collection of essays about the UFO subject and related phenomena. During this segment, Greg will join the panel in providing a hard look at the toxic state of the UFO field and what ought to be done to take research to the next level, a way to actually find solid answers to what is really going on. Gene will also bring up recent problems involving MUFON.

Gene and guest co-host J. Randall Murphy present Canadian UFO researcher Chris Rutkowski to talk about a new book about a classic UFO encounter that he wrote with Stan Michalak, “When They Appeared — Falcon Lake 1967: The inside story of a close encounter.” Just what really happened? Did a UFO land and cause thermal and/or radiation injuries to the lone witness? Chris Rutkowski, BSc, MEd, is a Canadian science writer and educator, with a background in astronomy but with a passion for teaching science concepts to children and adults. Since the mid-1970s, he also has been studying reports of UFOs and writing about his investigations and research.

Gene and guest co-host J. Randall Murphy present a return visit from Walter Bosley. He’s an  author, blogger, former AFOSI agent and a former FBI counterintelligence specialist. He has researched mass shootings, breakaway civilizations, lost civilizations and more. On this episode, Walter will discuss one of his books, “Shimmering Light: Lost In An MKULTRA House of Anu.” You’ll learn about his father’s bizarre story involving Roswell and a 1958 UFO retrieval operation in Arizona — and the curious role Operation Paperclip and the subsequent CIA MKULTRA mind control program may have played behind the scenes. Walter will also cover some of the mysteries of Antarctica.

There’s rarely a time when there’s not a recent book from Nick Redfern to talk about. As much as we want to avoid bringing up Roswell, Nick has reopened the subject in a big way with “The Roswell UFO Conspiracy: Exposing a Shocking And Sinister Secret.” It’s the long-awaited sequel to one of his previous thought-provoking volumes, “Body Snatchers in the Desert: The Horrible Truth at the Heart of the Roswell Story” In short, Nick says that the reports of wrecked flying saucers and dead aliens in Roswell were actually cover stories to hide “the far more disturbing picture of what really happened…” It’s a fascinating journey into what may have occurred in the years after World War II, and how the truth has been buried all these years.

We’ve asked the question: Where are the young paranormal researchers, the next generation of people to take over after our generation passes on? Then we heard from Colin Schneider, a 16-year-old cryptozoologist from Ohio, who appears in a live Internet radio show as “The Crypto-Kid.”  Colin says,” I have researched extensively include folklore of dwarves around the world; connections between fairy lore and cryptids; cryptid attacks of livestock; and Ohio Dogman reports.” After you listen to this brilliant young man on this fascinating episode, you’ll feel reassured that these fields of study are in good hands.

Gene and Chris present veteran anomalist Allen Greenfield. He is a published author on Masonic rites, UFOs, esoteric spirituality and psychic phenomena. Having done considerable field research and lab work in all of these areas he subscribes to the “Many Worlds” interpretation of Quantum Theory, and thinks that the explanation for phenomena as diverse as ghosts, Near Death Experiences, spontaneous cases of the reincarnation type, men in black, shadow people, cryptids etc. is in the overlap among so called “branes” (that’s b-r-a-n-e-s) or alternate worlds impinging upon our consciousness, a concept he has advocated since the late 1960s. Gene and Allen have been close friends for well over five decades.