Philip J. Imbrogno withdrawing from paranormal research!

[Will Penguin]

The issue is that he probably lied and did so for years. Bold faced. In front of audiences, on podcasts and radio shows, and to T.V. producers. He did so to make himself more authoritative. So why should I believe that when it came to accurately reporting or conducting research he suddenly found and adhered to high moral and ethical standards? Why should I believe that he didn't embellish, overstate, or outright make up some of his "research". Can you discern which bits are true and which bits are false? If so, please share the algorithm.

Let's also consider this for the sake of argument: What if some (or even all!) of what Imbrogno has said regarding his experiences is absolutely true? What if his theories are actually onto something really big and insightful?

Nobody's going to take his findings seriously, because he's falsified his background. They're seen as tainted by anyone with good judgement. So even if Imbrogno has done some good work, he's done the field a huge disservice by sullying his own good information.

Anyhow, whole thing is sad and dissapointing.

 

[paul reddington]

Lots Of Liquor.

 

[Ron Collins]

Since this is causing such a mini storm here I thought I'd google Imbrogno alumni and see what I found. I did find this but I don't know if this is him.

http://www.alumni.iup.edu/s/894/index2col.aspx?sid=894&gid=1&pgid=208&cid=75&album=319316&photo=1245

Anyway, I'm just finishing up my lunch break and thought I'd google Imbrogno and alumni just to see what would come up. I think you have to acutally contact a school to be sure of an aumni. I've also googled (yeah, I'm lazy but I don't call myself an investigator.) Sealed Degree and can't find any such degree listed.

This is a photo album for the 2010 Indiana University of Pennsylvania Football Allumni golf outing. Though I can't see super well I don't think the guy on the far right is him.

 

[fitzbew88]

I am more than a little startled by this turn of events.

To me, Phil always sounds (sounded) too certain about his claims and explanations...that always made me uneasy.

Although I have had to deal with posers in other venues, I certainly never saw this coming...

 

[trainedobserver]

Go to 6:45 and listen to Phil talk about how his degrees in astro-physics from UT and particle physics, and theoretical chemistry from M.I.T. make him believable. The conversation that follows with the host illustrates why this is so bad. Ironically this is on something called the Universal Truth Evolution. At around 12:20 the irony continues as Phil makes the comment that he is a member of "The Invisible College." I'd say so Phil, I'd say so.

 

[Ron Collins]

That is a great find and illustrates exactly what we have been saying. Listen to that lecturing tone. That, "I am not a crackpot I have degrees" tone. aaaaarrrrggggghhhh The balls on this guy!

I now have Imbrogno's DOB (A very big thank you to the provider of that information) and have resubmitted the search to MIT, UT, and Boston College just to be sure.

 

[icculus]

Phil contacted Jeremy from Paratopia, and according to Jeremy, gave an explanation that provides an alternate take on the situation that is not as terrible as one might think. Unfortunately, nothing more could be said at this point for some reason. Just thought I would mention that here in fairness. Perhaps there is more to the story?

 

[Gene Steinberg]

Phil contacted Jeremy from Paratopia, and according to Jeremy, gave an explanation that provides an alternate take on the situation that is not as terrible as one might think. Unfortunately, nothing more could be said at this point for some reason. Just thought I would mention that here in fairness. Perhaps there is more to the story?

Curious that he never bothered to contact us with his alleged explanation, or even justified his position with his co-author.

I have never heard of someone attending a university and that university having no record of their attendance, let alone the degrees they claim to have received. A sealed degree indeed!

 

[tyder001]

How about Rosemary Guilley as a guest? Gene, have you or Chris reached out to "Phil" and offered an interview? I hope he at least says something and doesn't just disappear. Although, only a small fringe of the population would notice. It's still a possible good show for this "fringe" audience.

---------- Post added at 12:13 PM ---------- Previous post was at 11:59 AM ----------

I have to disclose something and I don't want to many folks to get mad at me. "I don't feel personally betrayed at all." Now, as a consumer I feel gyped cause I bought a couple of his books. Maybe it's because I don't put much stock in what people tell me they have seen or done or witnessed. It's the same reason that I didn't simply jettison my faith for all time when I found religious charlatans. It's the reason I'm not bowled over and disalussioned at the Slyvia Browns of the world.

I'm not a big believer in U.F.O.'s so I have no "inner need" for them to be spacemen/women visiting our planet. I'm not a debunker so I have no worldview or inner need to "prove how stupid people are who believe in such things."
All of my life I've had an ongoing inner dialog and my own way of looking at spiritual matters. I've always loved "ghost stories" even as a kid I would devour "ghost and mystery stories." I grew up and found Alan Ryan, and Jere Cunningham and T.R. Wright and Barrie Wood," Don't bother looking for those names cause they are very unknown horror writers from a certain period of time and some names I can't even remember. Then I found Stephen King and I was off to the races. I grew up in the Bible Belt and the "church" but always questioned "why do you believe this or that?" I even questioned God during my meditations and prayers. I wasn't devestated when I found some of the answers just didn't hold up.
I got into the paranormal as an outgrowth both of my "spritual" questions and also my love of things that go bump in the night. But, I don't put my heart and soul into a long ago event such as Rosewell or the debate bout twin girls hearing or performing '"rappings" on the wall. I don't say "well, it's all bunk" just because a magician does a magic trick and I don't swoon because a dude bends a spoon.
I have fun with the "possibilites" but never, ever drink all the kool aid.
I got into reincarnation (and am still interested in it) and the Shirley Mclain books of the eighties and early ninties were interesting to me. The fact that Shirley can be a bit of a "kook" didn't cause me to throw away my search in horror and disgust. I'm just saying some of you folks are taking this much to personally.
If you have such a "hard on" to debunk or such a "need" to believe then maybe you are in a place where you need to see if you could put those talents and that hard work into things that really matter. Such as activism for changing society or working on your inner life. But, that's a judgement and I don't have the right to go there. Anyway, I'm just gonna chill and see what comes next. It works for me.

 

[trainedobserver]

I'm just saying some of you folks are taking this much to personally.
If you have such a "hard on" to debunk or such a "need" to believe then maybe you are in a place where you need to see if you could put those talents and that hard work into things that really matter. Such as activism for changing society or working on your inner life. But, that's a judgement and I don't have the right to go there. Anyway, I'm just gonna chill and see what comes next. It works for me.

It sounds to me you are in the UFO and Paranormal is a carnival sideshow camp where no accountability or responsibility is expected or required to enjoy the show. Which is cool. I'm almost there myself. However, there are those of us who have had a serious interest in these subjects for a very long time. Some have a respect for the serious researchers and writers on the subjects and the history of Ufology. Many of us are still trying to view this as something other than a passing amusement.

Aren't you one of those folks who has asked various skeptics on the forum why they are participating in a forum discussing paranormal subjects? I think it's because we are interested in it, care about truth, and want to elevate the subject of UFOs and the paranormal above that of the carnival sideshow. I'm extremely pessimistic myself. However, I do believe that a relatively major figure such as Phil Imbrogno or anyone else for that matter, being exposed as a fraud, could provide a catalyst for change that could help bring the field some of the respectability (and all that follows that) that it desires.

The folks paying the money and taking the time to work this issue should be commended and appreciated for what they are doing. I certainly appreciate it.

 

[Gene Steinberg]

This is one of those situations where he'd have to agree to tell the truth and nothing but the truth, if you know what I mean, not silly stories about sealed degrees. Also, what if he also falsified his credentials to his employer, which would portend a serious legal issue? If anything, that would be motive to say nothing.

 

[tyder001]

Trained, it is a sideshow. I consider it all including the folks such as Randi, Schermer, Friedman, Klass, Birnes, Greer, Vaini, Ritszman, all of em a carnival sideshow. Nobody knows nothing and yet they all act like they have the "truth." I try to pick and choose and when one of em sounds sane I consider it. Most of it goes in my grey box. I don't in anyway think that the talk show circuit and the pop science an the woo woo clan is going to unveil any great truth.

 

[ALPHA ROMEO UNIFORM]

Rather stick with Professor Michio Kaku at least he has an open mind and life is a sideshow which we all are on the stage. Some like to perform while others sit back and eat popcorn

 

[dr.abbadon]

I'm new to the paracast forums. I cannot condone Mr Imbrogno's actions if he in fact did lie, who am I anyway? Do I have a right to pass judgement? Before I begin let me say I'm not related to this guy or am I his agent

This might end up being a boring post to most...I've got a feeling it will be quite a lengthy post get yourselves a cup of coffee...

It seems as though there are a few 'forumites' on here that enjoy the blood sport or the "thrill of the kill" more than opening their minds to someone else's experiences. I know it may not be true for most on here but for me, the paranormal landscape is a mind boggling soup, filled with dead ends one minute then a sparkling or almost mind bending or blinding revelation or insight from somebody you listened to or read about.

To me, it's all about knitting little bits of information from here and there together, until a tapestry of information starts to take shape and reveal something to YOU individually that you may be able to then pass on to someone else. All the while keeping a level head and believing that a scientific approach brought by hard facts, evidence, research and observation is the only method to to this legitimately.

I'm the complete antithesis of a new age nutter, but looking back at my life, I stumbled across information about many things. It seemed at the time by chance. It may be so. I think I've heard some of you call it sychronicity? Do I believe it? I don't know more like coincidence. A week would pass then another piece of the jigsaw puzzle, a month, a year a decade...little pieces one by one, right now I think I have the top right hand corner of my tapestry thats about 5 cm x 5 cm and the tapestry is an infinite size...

I was focused on working 9-5(actually 8-anytime) buying my 1st house, getting married, having kids a FWD taking the kids to sport ...that was what I thought the world was about...then someone gave me a book, Mark Lane's book on the Kennedy Assassination, I'm from Australia and so I thought what does the assassination of a president half way around the world have to do with me? Why did this guy give me this book? Well...It was like someone smashed me in the face with a sledge hammer! How, why,WTF!!?? If this happened in the world's equivalent of Camelot (US) of the 1960's wtf was going on in the rest of the world?

I didn't know this person who gave me the book very well. I was surprised that he gave me the book. I actually stumbled across him 15 years later in another city in an airport lounge and we laughed about that!

So I started to question governments and their apathetic approach to moral and ethical governance of me and my family... the world. You read another book which leads you to a website which leads you to a book etc etc..Which brought me to the paranormal.

I thought for a long time the whole UFO thing was cut and dry, Intelligent life forms from another planet, the government(s) know, they are keeping the technology to themselves until oil runs out and they can find a way to charge for what ever the new energy source is! This is of course...Humbug!

Reading, listening to podcasts, watching doco's, has changed my view, it may not be correct but I don't think that any-more and I'm sure my opinion will change again in the future, that is the great thing about having a belief in a sourcing information from a scientific approach on everything in the universe, once you find out something isn't what you thought it was, you apologise and then move on. Not that anything in the paranormal has been proven or ..disproved

So when it comes to Imbrogno's little cough cough predicament, if you'll indulge and and allow me to use the following very simplistic analogy; it's like an adult who has a 5 or 6 year old child you don't want to spoil christmas, so you shut your mouth and make an excuse everytime the kids ask you, "daddy is santa real?" you turn to your wife and smile, all the while thinking "I could save myself some time here, why don't I tell the kid about the tooth fairy, the easter bunny and jesus(just joking, my wife is very religious) and save my self a hassle....but you CAN'T!

You can't because you are like superman to your kid and the truth is you're just a dad and that would be like kryptonite! Your kid thinks the sun shines out of your proverbial and sooner or later they are going to find out that you are not superman, that they can beat you in a race to the picket fence and you don't know everything about algebra, calculus and physics! You tell them you were the state soccer golden boot winner to give them something to aspire to and that the javelin was like a rocket when it left your hand to win the gold medal in the inter high school track and field games. You see his/her smile and you....feel like...SuperDAD, better than any gold medal or golden boot, had you actually won one!

I feel reading some the vitriolic attacks on many of the guests who bravely put their reputations on the line hoping to never make a singular slip or god forbid embellish a fact! Because some of the listeners are just like those little kids, looking up to superdad hoping that he or she is the greatest and best dad in the universe about to solve all their problems and unlock the holy grail of knowledge......but when we find out that they told a few 'stories' to perhaps embellish a story or two or more than likely to make themselves feel better(you can see Ibrogno now, imagining that he is Caesar in the roman Colosseum.."ibrogno, ibrogno, ibrogno" The walls come crashing DOWN! We feel hurt and upset so we try and tear them to pieces...all the while forgetting that they probably did more good than bad to us in that time?

Is it too hard to believe that this guy had his heart in the right place, but let his ego get the better of him? Can we dismiss everything he did? I can't be the judge... In the end everyone wants to believe in Santa but the truth is he's not real and everyone wants to be superman...but the truth is we can't be!

 

[Gene Steinberg]

Sad to say, fabricating one's credentials isn't confined to the realm of the paranormal. It happens far too often in so-called mainstream businesses as well. People don't expect to get caught, or hope to get a larger paycheck if they fudge.

 

[exo_doc]

I'm new to the paracast forums. I cannot condone Mr Imbrogno's actions if he in fact did lie, who am I anyway? Do I have a right to pass judgement? Before I begin let me say I'm not related to this guy or am I his agent

This might end up being a boring post to most...I've got a feeling it will be quite a lengthy post get yourselves a cup of coffee...

It seems as though there are a few 'forumites' on here that enjoy the blood sport or the "thrill of the kill" more than opening their minds to someone else's experiences. I know it may not be true for most on here but for me, the paranormal landscape is a mind boggling soup, filled with dead ends one minute then a sparkling or almost mind bending or blinding revelation or insight from somebody you listened to or read about.

To me, it's all about knitting little bits of information from here and there together, until a tapestry of information starts to take shape and reveal something to YOU individually that you may be able to then pass on to someone else. All the while keeping a level head and believing that a scientific approach brought by hard facts, evidence, research and observation is the only method to to this legitimately.

I'm the complete antithesis of a new age nutter, but looking back at my life, I stumbled across information about many things. It seemed at the time by chance. It may be so. I think I've heard some of you call it sychronicity? Do I believe it? I don't know more like coincidence. A week would pass then another piece of the jigsaw puzzle, a month, a year a decade...little pieces one by one, right now I think I have the top right hand corner of my tapestry thats about 5 cm x 5 cm and the tapestry is an infinite size...

I was focused on working 9-5(actually 8-anytime) buying my 1st house, getting married, having kids a FWD taking the kids to sport ...that was what I thought the world was about...then someone gave me a book, Mark Lane's book on the Kennedy Assassination, I'm from Australia and so I thought what does the assassination of a president half way around the world have to do with me? Why did this guy give me this book? Well...It was like someone smashed me in the face with a sledge hammer! How, why,WTF!!?? If this happened in the world's equivalent of Camelot (US) of the 1960's wtf was going on in the rest of the world?

I didn't know this person who gave me the book very well. I was surprised that he gave me the book. I actually stumbled across him 15 years later in another city in an airport lounge and we laughed about that!

So I started to question governments and their apathetic approach to moral and ethical governance of me and my family... the world. You read another book which leads you to a website which leads you to a book etc etc..Which brought me to the paranormal.

I thought for a long time the whole UFO thing was cut and dry, Intelligent life forms from another planet, the government(s) know, they are keeping the technology to themselves until oil runs out and they can find a way to charge for what ever the new energy source is! This is of course...Humbug!

Reading, listening to podcasts, watching doco's, has changed my view, it may not be correct but I don't think that any-more and I'm sure my opinion will change again in the future, that is the great thing about having a belief in a sourcing information from a scientific approach on everything in the universe, once you find out something isn't what you thought it was, you apologise and then move on. Not that anything in the paranormal has been proven or ..disproved

So when it comes to Imbrogno's little cough cough predicament, if you'll indulge and and allow me to use the following very simplistic analogy; it's like an adult who has a 5 or 6 year old child you don't want to spoil christmas, so you shut your mouth and make an excuse everytime the kids ask you, "daddy is santa real?" you turn to your wife and smile, all the while thinking "I could save myself some time here, why don't I tell the kid about the tooth fairy, the easter bunny and jesus(just joking, my wife is very religious) and save my self a hassle....but you CAN'T!

You can't because you are like superman to your kid and the truth is you're just a dad and that would be like kryptonite! Your kid thinks the sun shines out of your proverbial and sooner or later they are going to find out that you are not superman, that they can beat you in a race to the picket fence and you don't know everything about algebra, calculus and physics! You tell them you were the state soccer golden boot winner to give them something to aspire to and that the javelin was like a rocket when it left your hand to win the gold medal in the inter high school track and field games. You see his/her smile and you....feel like...SuperDAD, better than any gold medal or golden boot, had you actually won one!

I feel reading some the vitriolic attacks on many of the guests who bravely put their reputations on the line hoping to never make a singular slip or god forbid embellish a fact! Because some of the listeners are just like those little kids, looking up to superdad hoping that he or she is the greatest and best dad in the universe about to solve all their problems and unlock the holy grail of knowledge......but when we find out that they told a few 'stories' to perhaps embellish a story or two or more than likely to make themselves feel better(you can see Ibrogno now, imagining that he is Caesar in the roman Colosseum.."ibrogno, ibrogno, ibrogno" The walls come crashing DOWN! We feel hurt and upset so we try and tear them to pieces...all the while forgetting that they probably did more good than bad to us in that time?

Is it too hard to believe that this guy had his heart in the right place, but let his ego get the better of him? Can we dismiss everything he did? I can't be the judge... In the end everyone wants to believe in Santa but the truth is he's not real and everyone wants to be superman...but the truth is we can't be!

Dr.abbadon, I'm not trying to be a dick, but I think you're missing the major point on here.
If you think we shouldn't throw out all his work, then I vote that you be the one who sorts through all his books, articles, and lectures......and YOU pick what is fiction and what is fact.
Then please explain what criteria you used in your sifting process.

IF and I stress IF once again, this turns out to be true about Phil, not only will his reputation be blown, but so will any credibility he had. And in any investigative endeavor, credibility is everything.
So. Which subjects and events are fiction? Which are not?

 

[tyder001]

It seems as though there are a few 'forumites' on here that enjoy the blood sport or the "thrill of the kill"

this struck me because I remember thinking something similar just yesterday reading the forums. I remember thinking that some folks here "smelled blood in the water." I just don't give that much credence to the believers or the debunkers in this so called "field." Also, maybe he really does feel bad about it. He seems to have just dropped out of site. Maybe he will speak up and own up to his lies or maybe he will give a good reason. Not likely but ya never know. I don't know much about him but was he arrogant? Did he bully people? Who did he hurt in the long run? Maybe you, I don't know. I do know that politicans that some of you come on here and scream "racist" at others in defense of, have more "blood" on their hands than Phil Ibrogono ever will. I do know that some folks have been accused of everything from extortion to child molestation to fudging data and you look the other way. But, this guy lied! I think your right! He should be executed at sundown. (note sarcasm, since I don't want anybody to actually be executed.) Anyway, just my two cents.

 

[The Pair of Cats]

I recently bought two of his books. After what has happened i was going to shelve them. Now i think i will read them just to see if there is anything in them that seems relevant, fact or fiction. Maybe he has done me a favor. In the end he is a symptom of life in general, especially when it comes to UFOs and the paranormal. I'm not losing too much sleep over it.

 

[dr.abbadon]

Dr.abbadon, I'm not trying to be a dick, but I think you're missing the major point on here.
If you think we shouldn't throw out all his work, then I vote that you be the one who sorts through all his books, articles, and lectures......and YOU pick what is fiction and what is fact.
Then please explain what criteria you used in your sifting process.

IF and I stress IF once again, this turns out to be true about Phil, not only will his reputation be blown, but so will any credibility he had. And in any investigative endeavor, credibility is everything.
So. Which subjects and events are fiction? Which are not?

This is going to turn into a 50 page thread.

I agree that now you can't tell what is true or false. He poured the sewage into the crystal clear glass of water that was his reputation...now he has to somehow clean the thing if he wants to enter the field again. For those who have the time..I don't, there MUST be one or two valuable insights and research that will now be lost, that is jist of what I'm saying. What are those important scientific observations? I don't know, and I understand that is your point. I just think ...sometimes you can't throw the baby out with the bath water.

It seems the you have a smattering of scientific zealous as well as paranormal devotees. Never the twain shall meet.

Mr Imbrogno isn't the pure white vessel you all thought he was so now you have to discount EVERYTHING because in the construct of the scientific universe he has betrayed you and the values that are set?

I am saying, tha it would be a shame if something he has discovered in his time as a researcher lead to something extraordinary with further study, but the opportunity was lost because all of his work was completely discounted.

 

[mike]

This is going to turn into a 50 page thread.

I agree that now you can't tell what is true or false. He poured the sewage into the crystal clear glass of water that was his reputation...now he has to somehow clean the thing if he wants to enter the field again. For those who have the time..I don't, there MUST be one or two valuable insights and research that will now be lost, that is jist of what I'm saying. What are those important scientific observations? I don't know, and I understand that is your point. I just think ...sometimes you can't throw the baby out with the bath water.

It seems the you have a smattering of scientific zealous as well as paranormal devotees. Never the twain shall meet.

Mr Imbrogno isn't the pure white vessel you all thought he was so now you have to discount EVERYTHING because in the construct of the scientific universe he has betrayed you and the values that are set?

I am saying, tha it would be a shame if something he has discovered in his time as a researcher lead to something extraordinary with further study, but the opportunity was lost because all of his work was completely discounted.

The precident is pretty clear, we see it in the courts all the time, if someone is shown to be telling lies, then they are deemed an unreliable witness, and all their testimony is discarded.
To give you an example, if its true he lied about his formal qualifications, so then we hear him talk about a cave he visited where his guide runs screaming when green smoke starts billowing up from within....... did it happen ? or did he make this tale up ?

Thats the problem here, when you start telling lies, everything you present as "facts" are tainted.
Anyone who is happy to lie to you about one aspect of their research, may also lie to you about other aspects, how do you tell which is true and which is lies ?
You cant, so you have to deal with the lowest denominator, is this person honest or not.
If the answer is not....... then nothing they say has any value