European Journal of UFO and Abduction Studies

Abstracts from Volume 2(1)

The EMBLA 2000 Mission in Hessdalen

Massimo Teodorani, Stelio Montebugnoli & Jader Monari

In August 2000 a team of Italian physical scientists, working in collaboration with Norwegian colleagues from Ostfold College, carried out an instrumental expedition in Hessdalen (Norway), which was just the first of a series of future scientific missions planned by the joint Italian-Norwegian EMBLA Project. The expedition was aimed at studying unexplained anomalous atmospheric luminous phenomena occurring in the Hessdalen valley since about 20 years, and it was particularly focussed to the study of radio spectrum in the UHF, VLF and ELF wavelength ranges. The employed radio spectrum analysers, which were automatically in function all the time for 25 days, permitted to discover highly anomalous periodic signals which were detected in the VLF radio range. Moreover, during the many planned skywatching sessions, it was possible to sight repeatedly luminous atmospheric phenomena of both plasma-like and structured types in various points of the Hessdalen valley; some photographs were also taken and subsequently analysed. This paper represents a preliminary report on this mission, in which both radio and visual phenomena are described. Some speculative physical models explaining some aspects of the recorded anomalous radio signals are discussed.

European Journal of UFO and Abduction Studies, Vol 2(1), p.3-24: 2001

Evaluation of Witness Reliability in the Trans-en-Provence UFO Event: The Results of an Italian Enquiry

Paolo Fiorino & Matteo Leone

Among the UFO events with ground traces (Close Encounters of the 2nd Kind in the so-called Hynek Classification) a particular attention has been devoted to a single-witness sighting that happened in Trans-en-Provence (France) on January 8th, 1981. Extensive investigation reports had been published in the past. Analysis of biochemical properties of samples collected upon the landing site were carried out in a French Biochemical Laboratory. Apart from the physical evidence correlated with the trace, the witness reliability had been called into question by several French researchers. On September 4th, 1998, a field investigation had been accomplished at the witness' place. As the witness is of Italian origin and doesn't speak French well, a special attention was devoted to the linguistic and psychological sides. It was discovered that the contradictions in what the witness told the enquirers along the years are due to lack of care and misinterpretations on the part of the ufologists rather than the real internal contradictions of the witness in itself. Further, it came afloat that alleged witness half-confessions were mere witty remarks turned in worrying bad faith hints due to linguistic and psychological misunderstandings. Another sighting explanation - based on a hypothetical altered state of consciousness triggered by a specific drug - turned out to be a rumour entirely without foundation. As our field investigation didn't give rise to item of proof such as to call in question the witness trustworthiness and frankness, we conclude that the witness is a reliable one.

European Journal of UFO and Abduction Studies, Volume 2(1), p.25-38: 2001

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