Dale Bacon, research investigator for the Lincoln Fortean Research Center, investigates sightings of intelligent forces. “I think it would be vain to be
thinking we are the only beings inhabiting this planet,” Bacon said.
Lincoln researchers investigate mysterious encounters
By Bryan Pe»e«*son
Staff Reporter
The staff at Lincoln’s Fortean
Research Center has been
researching local unex
plained phenomena since 1982.
Founder Ray Boeche “fell a need
for organized research on unex
plained phenomena in the region,”
said Scott Colborn, current director
of the center.
Colborn, a 38-year-old Lincoln
native, is heavily involved in local
efforts to investigate claims of
unusual experiences such as UFO
sighti ngs and reports of ghosts a nd
poltergeists.
The Fortean Research Center,
P.O. Box 94627 Lincoln, Neb. 68509,
publishes a quarterly journal which
Colborn ediLs. Colborn also hosts
the KXIJM talk show "Exploring
Unexplained Phenomena” with Dale
Bacon, a former associate director
of the center.
Colborn also is the current state
director of the Mutual UFO Net
work Inc., or MUFON, which he
says is the world’s largest private
body of UFO investigators. The
Fortean center shares research with
MUFON, which has its headquar
ters in Seguin, Texas.
In all these efforts, Colborn secs
himself and fellow researchers a$
“open-minded skeptics doing open
minded research.”
Colborn describes the research
done on a typical report of a UFO
sighting: A researcher receives a
report, does subsequent research
and looks for alternate explana
Uoas such as the presence of weather
balloons, flocks of geese, cloud
formations or temperature inver
sions (weather conditions which
create the illusion of something
solid).
"We also try to evaluate the
person making the report,” Colburn
said. ‘‘What is our impression of
this person; is the person involved
in a big hoax?"
Referring to a recent poltergeist
case investigated by Colborn and
Bacon, Colborn said, ‘‘It is my be
lief that much ofwhat was reported
was a result of extreme stress on
that person — a recent job termina
lion and severe financial repercus
sions.”
Colborn said there often is a
rational explanation for what wit
nesses perceive to be UFOs. The
majority of reports can be explained
with a knowledge of flight pat
terns, meteorological conditions and
animal behavior.
"We try to explain UFO sight
ings in everyday terms,” he said.
But there arc reports that defy
explanation, Colborn said.
"Ten to 20 percent of worldwide
reports cannot be explained.”
Fellow researcher Bacon gave
his idea of open-minded research:
"I’ll listen to anybody Something
may have happened to these people;
what it is, I don’t know ”
Colborn also treats each report
with objectivity.
"We try to be tolerant and not
dismiss peoples’ reports out of
hand,” Colburn said "We dissoci
ate ourselves from UFO-bashers or
debunkers. They simply haven’t
taken the lime to look at the mate
rial.”
Fortean publishes a quarterly
journal that reports on a variety of
unexplained phenomena, with
topics ranging from ghosts and
poltergeists to claims of religious
miracles, archaeological anomalies
and UFO sightings.
‘‘Each issue ofthc center’s jour
nal tries to print a cross-section of
received reports. My own primary
interest is UFOs," Colborn said.
The journal, which usually runs
32 pages, is available locally and to
members of the center. The $15
annual membership is open to the
public.
Colborn said membersalsohave
quarterly dinners and share infor
mation about related topics. The
Coffee 1 louse, 132-1 P St., will host
the first of several planned monthly
discussions Feb. 25.
People interested in unexplained
phenomena also can listen to the
“Exploring Unexplained Phenom
ena” radio show on KZIJM at 10
Saturday mornings.
I his Saturday’s show vyill fea
ture author and UFO abduction
researcher Dr. Edith Fiore. Listen
ers are invited to call in to the
station during the hour-long talk
show.
“Many people will share UFO
experiences privately, but not in
the paper," co-host Bacop said. He
described how those who have
sighted UFOs often get a negative
response when they speak to oth
ers of their experience.
“After that they talk little," Ba
con said. "In private circumstances,
almost all arc willing to talk."
MUFON’s international director
Walter H. Andrusjr. said interest in
UFOs is growing daily and people
are reporting more sightings every
day.
He added that interest in UFOs
will be legitimized a.s reported sight
ings increase. Yet MUFON, like the
Fortean Research Center, finds that
about 90 percent of reported sight
ings can be explained after research.
It is the remainder, the 10 per
cent of the cases for which “no
earthly explanation can be found,"
which continues to intrigue research
ers and the general
public alike.
