THE PARACAST NEWSLETTER
April 1, 2018
www.theparacast.com
UFO Researcher Stanton T. Friedman is Retiring From the Lecture Circuit
The Paracast is heard Sundays from 3:00 AM until 6:00 AM Central Time on the GCN Radio Network and affiliates around the USA, the Boost Radio Network, the IRN Internet Radio Network, and online across the globe via download and on-demand streaming.
SUPPORT THE SHOW AND ENJOY A PREMIUM PARACAST EXPERIENCE! We have another radio show and we’d love for you listen to it. So for a low subscription fee, you will receive access to an exclusive podcast, After The Paracast, plus a higher-quality version of The Paracast free of network ads, when you sign up for The Paracast+. We also offer a special RSS feed for easy updates of the latest episodes, the Paracast+ Video Channel, episode transcripts, Special Features, Classic Episodes and there’s more to come! We also feature selected podcasts and videos from Paul Kimball’s “Other Side of Truth,” and we are now offering special access to the first two episodes of the ghost haunting show he cohosts, "Haunted." Check out our new lower rates, starting at just $1.49 per week, plus our “Lifetime” membership and special free print and eBook book offers! For more information about our premium package, please visit: https://plus.theparacast.com/.
This Week's Episode: Gene and guest cohost J. Randall Murphy feature a wide-ranging interview with the “dean” of UFO researchers, Stanton T. Friedman, who is retiring from lecturing on the subject. He reminisces about his many years of research in the field, and the key issues he still believes should be explored. You’ll also get a rare look at his personal life, such as his stint as a waiter in the Catskills in his youth, and the fact that he had to take dancing lessons. Gene and Randall make a special effort to attempt to take Stanton out of his usual comfort zone to widen the discussion to new areas.
Chris O’Brien’s Blog: Our Strange Planet
Stanton T. Friedman's Site: Stanton Friedman - Physicist, Lecturer, UFO Researcher
After The Paracast -- Available exclusively for Paracast+ subscribers on April 1: Yet another eclectic episode featuring guest cohost J. Randall Murphy and Greg Bishop, which begins with a brief discussion of rocker Todd Rundgren and his anti-ELO album. The crew next focuses on their respective interviews with Stanton T. Friedman and the efforts to turn him from UFOs to his private life, before moving to Rick Doty and Greg’s remembrances about writing “Project Beta,” his book about the Paul Bennewitz case. In talking about his forthcoming book, coauthored with Adam Gorightly, about the contactee movement, Greg focuses on such characters as Andy Sinatra, the “Mystic Barber,” and other memories from the golden age of Ufology.
Reminder: Please don't forget to visit our famous Paracast Community Forums for the latest news/views/debates on all things paranormal: The Paracast Community Forums. Check out our new YouTube channel at: The Official Paracast Channel
Living in a Bubble
By Gene Steinberg
It’s comforting to believe that things seldom change, that once you have reached a set of conclusions about something, it remains in a state of suspended animation, more or less. All is right with the world.
Now I have known UFO researcher Stanton T. Friedman for some 35 years or so. I have disagreed with him from time to time, and I remember some correspondence he wrote that was published in my late magazine, Caveat Emptor, in early 1990s. Without ready access to those back issues, I think it may have been about some of Stan’s pet topics, such as Roswell and those controversial MJ-12 documents.
I’ve heard him lecture many times over the years, and to some degree he reminds me of a variation on the classic vaudeville entertainer. He delivers the same routine, replete with such stock phrases as “Cosmic Watergate.” He has his spiel down pat, and it rarely changes.
In a short time, Stan will give up the rat race and stop traveling around the world giving lectures. He will still be in the game, however, and I’m sure he’ll appear on radio and TV from time to time.
I have little doubt that he’s absolutely sincere in what he says, consistently and unaltered all these years, that we are being visited by advanced beings from another star system. No doubt the government has solid evidence of what is going on, along with the wreckage of the spaceship recovered from Roswell. The chances that we have reverse engineered alien technology are probably slim to none, though, but you can certainly speculate on their propulsion system.
As a former nuclear physicist, you can bet where Stan’s speculation falls. But one theory is as good as another, as it may take decades or even centuries for primitive Earthlings to even begin to comprehend the means of travel to our planet employed by those extraterrestrials. As a means of comparison, imagine handing an iPhone X to someone in Shakespeare’s time.
Are the UFO occupants friendly, indifferent, or do they mean us harm?
Stan points to episodes where ET has apparently fired back at Earthlings engaging in warlike behavior towards them. It brings to mind one of the early scenes in the classic sci-fi movie, “The Day the Earth Stood Still,” in which a frightened soldier takes aim and shoots the space visitor, Klaatu, wounding him. His robot protector, Gort, strikes back with advanced weaponry.
It sort of makes sense. Even if ET doesn’t mean us harm, that doesn’t mean they will not defend themselves should the situation require an appropriate response.
If you heard Stan speak in 1985, you can be sure that his lecture in 2018 will be quite similar in its basic focus. During our interview with Stan, when my guest cohost, J. Randall Murphy, asked him whether he has ever had occasion to change one of his conclusions about a case, the answer was no.
I wish I could be so certain of my beliefs.
When you ask Stan whether he has ever had reason to change his views about the controversial MJ-12 documents, allegedly revealing the existence of a secret government group considering Roswell and other UFO events, his answer was no. There is plenty of reason to be skeptical, such as the characteristics of the document, and the fact that a number of related documents are regarded as obvious fakes.
According to former Air Force agent Rick Doty in a recent Paracast interview, MJ-12 was based on genuine material, but was basically a composite. He denies any participation in its creation. Yes, I can certainly understand that fake documents might be created for the purpose of disinformation. But why base it on genuine material? Perhaps to make it seem authentic?
Of course, Stan doesn’t believe any of this. MJ-12 was real in the 1980s, and it’s still real.
UFO abductions?
Well, they are genuine encounters with aliens, who kidnap humans and perform sometimes painful physical experiments on them. I can see it happening from time to time to gather more data about the locals, but why should this process be repeated over and over again? Indeed, you’d think an advanced race of aliens ought to are able to gather such data without engaging in primitive and painful experiments. It might even be possible to accomplish the task with advanced scanning systems, without the need to touch anyone.
I wonder if Stan considers the contradictions.
To be sure, he knows how to play to his audience. The image of the UFO as a visitor from another planet was formulated in the 1950s. The Roswell crash from 1948 only appears to buttress the theory, as do abductions.
Over the years, other researchers have had reason to change their views. Kevin D. Randle, who also has a long history with the Roswell case, has come to be less certain of the evidence. The presence of alien bodies is less certain, as is the possibility that it was an alien spacecraft.
Stan’s views have not changed in the slightest, so far as I can see.
But that doesn’t mean he’s making it all up, that he’s pandering to an audience of UFO believers. He clearly came to his views early on, and the evidence he’s explored has evidently confirmed those views. He is less willing to consider other possibilities, not because he has kept his head in the sand, but because he believes his views are right on the mark.
I do not expect Stan to write a tell-all book admitting that he was just putting us on, or selling a product. In his worldview, the UFO mystery is unchanging, and, some day, if the evidence is fully and objectively explored, the rest of the world will come to agree with him.
To me, it’s not far afield from living in a bubble of certainty. I don’t disbelieve in the extraterrestrial theory. But it’s also clear to me that there are troubling questions that will have to be answered before there’s a final conclusion. Indeed, there may never be a final conclusion.
Then again, maybe Stanton T. Friedman is 100% correct. If only that were true.
Copyright 1999-2018 The Paracast LLC. All Rights Reserved.
Privacy Policy: Your personal information is safe with us. We will positively never give out your name and/or e-mail address to anybody else, and that's a promise!
April 1, 2018
www.theparacast.com
UFO Researcher Stanton T. Friedman is Retiring From the Lecture Circuit
The Paracast is heard Sundays from 3:00 AM until 6:00 AM Central Time on the GCN Radio Network and affiliates around the USA, the Boost Radio Network, the IRN Internet Radio Network, and online across the globe via download and on-demand streaming.
SUPPORT THE SHOW AND ENJOY A PREMIUM PARACAST EXPERIENCE! We have another radio show and we’d love for you listen to it. So for a low subscription fee, you will receive access to an exclusive podcast, After The Paracast, plus a higher-quality version of The Paracast free of network ads, when you sign up for The Paracast+. We also offer a special RSS feed for easy updates of the latest episodes, the Paracast+ Video Channel, episode transcripts, Special Features, Classic Episodes and there’s more to come! We also feature selected podcasts and videos from Paul Kimball’s “Other Side of Truth,” and we are now offering special access to the first two episodes of the ghost haunting show he cohosts, "Haunted." Check out our new lower rates, starting at just $1.49 per week, plus our “Lifetime” membership and special free print and eBook book offers! For more information about our premium package, please visit: https://plus.theparacast.com/.
This Week's Episode: Gene and guest cohost J. Randall Murphy feature a wide-ranging interview with the “dean” of UFO researchers, Stanton T. Friedman, who is retiring from lecturing on the subject. He reminisces about his many years of research in the field, and the key issues he still believes should be explored. You’ll also get a rare look at his personal life, such as his stint as a waiter in the Catskills in his youth, and the fact that he had to take dancing lessons. Gene and Randall make a special effort to attempt to take Stanton out of his usual comfort zone to widen the discussion to new areas.
Chris O’Brien’s Blog: Our Strange Planet
Stanton T. Friedman's Site: Stanton Friedman - Physicist, Lecturer, UFO Researcher
After The Paracast -- Available exclusively for Paracast+ subscribers on April 1: Yet another eclectic episode featuring guest cohost J. Randall Murphy and Greg Bishop, which begins with a brief discussion of rocker Todd Rundgren and his anti-ELO album. The crew next focuses on their respective interviews with Stanton T. Friedman and the efforts to turn him from UFOs to his private life, before moving to Rick Doty and Greg’s remembrances about writing “Project Beta,” his book about the Paul Bennewitz case. In talking about his forthcoming book, coauthored with Adam Gorightly, about the contactee movement, Greg focuses on such characters as Andy Sinatra, the “Mystic Barber,” and other memories from the golden age of Ufology.
Reminder: Please don't forget to visit our famous Paracast Community Forums for the latest news/views/debates on all things paranormal: The Paracast Community Forums. Check out our new YouTube channel at: The Official Paracast Channel
Living in a Bubble
By Gene Steinberg
It’s comforting to believe that things seldom change, that once you have reached a set of conclusions about something, it remains in a state of suspended animation, more or less. All is right with the world.
Now I have known UFO researcher Stanton T. Friedman for some 35 years or so. I have disagreed with him from time to time, and I remember some correspondence he wrote that was published in my late magazine, Caveat Emptor, in early 1990s. Without ready access to those back issues, I think it may have been about some of Stan’s pet topics, such as Roswell and those controversial MJ-12 documents.
I’ve heard him lecture many times over the years, and to some degree he reminds me of a variation on the classic vaudeville entertainer. He delivers the same routine, replete with such stock phrases as “Cosmic Watergate.” He has his spiel down pat, and it rarely changes.
In a short time, Stan will give up the rat race and stop traveling around the world giving lectures. He will still be in the game, however, and I’m sure he’ll appear on radio and TV from time to time.
I have little doubt that he’s absolutely sincere in what he says, consistently and unaltered all these years, that we are being visited by advanced beings from another star system. No doubt the government has solid evidence of what is going on, along with the wreckage of the spaceship recovered from Roswell. The chances that we have reverse engineered alien technology are probably slim to none, though, but you can certainly speculate on their propulsion system.
As a former nuclear physicist, you can bet where Stan’s speculation falls. But one theory is as good as another, as it may take decades or even centuries for primitive Earthlings to even begin to comprehend the means of travel to our planet employed by those extraterrestrials. As a means of comparison, imagine handing an iPhone X to someone in Shakespeare’s time.
Are the UFO occupants friendly, indifferent, or do they mean us harm?
Stan points to episodes where ET has apparently fired back at Earthlings engaging in warlike behavior towards them. It brings to mind one of the early scenes in the classic sci-fi movie, “The Day the Earth Stood Still,” in which a frightened soldier takes aim and shoots the space visitor, Klaatu, wounding him. His robot protector, Gort, strikes back with advanced weaponry.
It sort of makes sense. Even if ET doesn’t mean us harm, that doesn’t mean they will not defend themselves should the situation require an appropriate response.
If you heard Stan speak in 1985, you can be sure that his lecture in 2018 will be quite similar in its basic focus. During our interview with Stan, when my guest cohost, J. Randall Murphy, asked him whether he has ever had occasion to change one of his conclusions about a case, the answer was no.
I wish I could be so certain of my beliefs.
When you ask Stan whether he has ever had reason to change his views about the controversial MJ-12 documents, allegedly revealing the existence of a secret government group considering Roswell and other UFO events, his answer was no. There is plenty of reason to be skeptical, such as the characteristics of the document, and the fact that a number of related documents are regarded as obvious fakes.
According to former Air Force agent Rick Doty in a recent Paracast interview, MJ-12 was based on genuine material, but was basically a composite. He denies any participation in its creation. Yes, I can certainly understand that fake documents might be created for the purpose of disinformation. But why base it on genuine material? Perhaps to make it seem authentic?
Of course, Stan doesn’t believe any of this. MJ-12 was real in the 1980s, and it’s still real.
UFO abductions?
Well, they are genuine encounters with aliens, who kidnap humans and perform sometimes painful physical experiments on them. I can see it happening from time to time to gather more data about the locals, but why should this process be repeated over and over again? Indeed, you’d think an advanced race of aliens ought to are able to gather such data without engaging in primitive and painful experiments. It might even be possible to accomplish the task with advanced scanning systems, without the need to touch anyone.
I wonder if Stan considers the contradictions.
To be sure, he knows how to play to his audience. The image of the UFO as a visitor from another planet was formulated in the 1950s. The Roswell crash from 1948 only appears to buttress the theory, as do abductions.
Over the years, other researchers have had reason to change their views. Kevin D. Randle, who also has a long history with the Roswell case, has come to be less certain of the evidence. The presence of alien bodies is less certain, as is the possibility that it was an alien spacecraft.
Stan’s views have not changed in the slightest, so far as I can see.
But that doesn’t mean he’s making it all up, that he’s pandering to an audience of UFO believers. He clearly came to his views early on, and the evidence he’s explored has evidently confirmed those views. He is less willing to consider other possibilities, not because he has kept his head in the sand, but because he believes his views are right on the mark.
I do not expect Stan to write a tell-all book admitting that he was just putting us on, or selling a product. In his worldview, the UFO mystery is unchanging, and, some day, if the evidence is fully and objectively explored, the rest of the world will come to agree with him.
To me, it’s not far afield from living in a bubble of certainty. I don’t disbelieve in the extraterrestrial theory. But it’s also clear to me that there are troubling questions that will have to be answered before there’s a final conclusion. Indeed, there may never be a final conclusion.
Then again, maybe Stanton T. Friedman is 100% correct. If only that were true.
Copyright 1999-2018 The Paracast LLC. All Rights Reserved.
Privacy Policy: Your personal information is safe with us. We will positively never give out your name and/or e-mail address to anybody else, and that's a promise!