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There’s a thread bopping about UFO updates entitled’\u201cWhat Should Ufology Be Focusing On Today” There has been some interesting commentary. Wendy Conner’s says that UFOlogest should develop a textbook –”<\/p>\n
“to teach younger generations of who, what, when, where and how the subject developed. If a person interested in the subject doesn’t know the history, they are wasting their time on anything new. “<\/p><\/blockquote>\n
Much of the time I don’t agree with Ms Connors, this is an exception. A historical perspective is necessary when approaching most any field. A history of UFology is not only necessary but vital. But, the history needs to be objective. It must focus on people and events, not wild hypothesis-as-fact the way most UFO literature reads.<\/p>\n
The question in my mind is not, What Should Ufology Be Focusing On Today? It’s “What should UFOlogests focus on to get UFOlogy out of the silly-circuit and get it established as a more main-stream field of study?” The short answer is for UFologests to start taking the subject seriously themselves. Stop treating it like a carnival. Begin applying the rigors of science to the subject and stop expecting certain results.<\/p>\n
UFOlogy is a joke in academia, a circus side-show. It’s the world’s largest pig, the bearded lady and the Montana Iceman all rolled up in one ugly-shrieking package. Like the Iceman In a long power failure, it’s melting even as we speak, a puddle of stale smelling water is congealing inside the tent causing most people to move towards the door and into fresh air.What will be left is an unappetizing latex carcass, smelling to high heaven and the only question will be, who foisted this fake on an otherwise interesting subject?<\/p>\n
Is it desirable to take UFOlogy out of it’s present state and formalize it? I think so. Despite the carnival-like atmosphere there is still a core of weirdness driving the whole thing. People do see strange stuff in the sky. It would be nice to be able to explain all of it but we can’t.<\/p>\n
In its current state, UFOlogy is rapidly becoming more of a religious movement than a field of study. It’\u00a2s becoming a church, the church of the unscientific, a church of the believers where faith and a loud insult are the only credentials one needs to have influence. Oh, it helps to have a self-published book too.<\/p>\n
Instead of the nativity and Bethlehem we have Mount Rainer. For Nazareth we have Roswell, for Gethsemane we have the Internet which is puzzling, one would think a less restrictive media would foster better understanding and a free exchange of information.<\/p>\n
Instead, free speech of some people is being shouted down by the free-shrieking of others. The lunatic fringe in UFOlogy is so intent on squashing any ideas that go against cannon that they demonstrably will stop at nothing to silence people.<\/p>\n
Does that really further the goals of UFOlogy? Is that really the direction the field wishes go? Every time it happens, UFOlogy gets nudged further into the abyss. Each time someone gets silenced, UFOlogy shrinks just a little bit and becomes more extreme, more silly until one day only the clowns will hold center stage.<\/p>\n
UFOlogy requires a more serious attitude, more discipline, a scientific bent and that means allowing the data to drive hypothesis and not the other way around. It means a truly free exchange of information, not condemning people just because they have a different opinion than yours. It means taking a more centrist view than the luminaries of UFOlogy. It means becoming truly open-minded, not pretending to be while chasing off people you don’t like. It means listening once and a while, even if you don’t like the message.<\/p>\n
With some people in UFOlogy this will truly be impossible. Too jaded, too bitter and too angry, they will continue to lash out at the things they don’t like. Too tied up in their own situation they will seek out others to blame their problems on. These people are truly the driving force behind UFOlogy.<\/p>\n
Driving the good people away.<\/p>\n
And in an empty ring of sawdust and trash, the clowns hold counsel on how many flying saucers can dance on the end of a needle.<\/p>\n
This is the future of UFology. They can continue to embrace this future, and probably end up as a religious movement in a few years. The ground work for this has already begun. Or, Ufology can begin taking a good, critical look at itself. Compare it with other fields (psychology is a good one, it’s real field of study that returns actual results.)<\/p>\n
As with anything, the choice will be with the people who participate. They (as always) are the final arbitrators to their own reputation. No government, media installation or business will do it for them.<\/p>\n
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There’s a thread bopping about UFO updates entitled’\u201cWhat Should Ufology Be Focusing On Today” There has been some interesting commentary. Wendy Conner’s says that UFOlogest should develop a textbook –” “to teach younger generations of who, what, when, where and … Continue reading