MAY 2012

"There's a UFO over New York, and I ain't too surprised." -- John Lennon *** S.P.A.C.E., marking its 20th anniversary in 2012, has served hundreds of contact experiencers with free support through private gatherings and secure individual meetings since March 25, 1992 in Metro-NYC, employed exploration and empowerment tools, published newsletters by contact explorers and witness supporters in print and online continuously for 20 years, engaged in proactive field experiments in the Hudson Valley region, and provided public educational seminars and media services. *** "SPACE Is The Place" - Sun Ra

The "Search Project for Aspects of Close Encounters" WEBSITE NEWSLETTER Explores the UFO-Interface Borderlands -- Observing 20 YEARS in NYC in 2012!

"S.P.A.C.E. CONTACT NEWS" is the current e-newsletter of the Search Project for Aspects of Close Encounters [S.P.A.C.E.] of New York City, founded here in March 1992, a free public educational service of experiencer research dedicated to the freely-given support of close encounter witnesses and engaging in proactive investigations of close encounters, helping to empower witnesses as contact explorers.

The "S.P.A.C.E. Newsletter" under various mastheads, in print from March 1992 through 2000 and on-line from November 1999 through this year, is the OLDEST, LONGEST-RUNNING AND CONTINUOUS UFOLOGY PUBLICATION in NYC on close encounters written by contact experiencers and educators, now clocked at 20 YEARS and 2 MONTHS.

Look for "S.P.A.C.E.-AT-20 NOTES & FEATURES" in this newsletter throughout this anniversary year, a new interactive "MESSENGERS IN THE UFO BOTTLES" site with plans to include our own videos, and a 20th anniversary event.

[NOTE: The S.P.A.C.E. website graphic was created in 1999 for the launch of our main website as a gift by artist and abductee JOHN VELEZ of NYC. Thanks! --- JOHN LENNON's song lyrics quoted above (copyright©John Lennon) are from his "Walls & Bridges" album. And in his album liner notes Lennon wrote: "On the 23rd of August in 1974 at 8 o'clock I saw a UFO-JL."]

"The truth is that contactees are the ones who REALLY know what is going on -- NOT the government." Whitley Strieber, Nov. 10, 2011.

DISCLOSURE NETWORK-NY PRESENTED JAMES CARMAN's "THE HIDDEN HAND: ALIEN CONTACT & THE GOVERNMENT COVER-UP" ON MAY 6 AT LGBT CENTER

Moviemaker James Carman presented his award-winning, riviting, thoughtful and excellently crafted well-told documentary "The Hidden Hand: Alien Contact & the Government Cover-up" [www.hiddenhandthemovie.com] at the monthly meeting of the Disclosure Network of NY on the afternoon of May 6 at The LGBT Community Center in Greenwich Village. For full details, admission information and a film review by Harold Egeln, Jr. visit www.dnny.org. This was the third opportunity since October in NYC to view this essential documentary. [Flying saucer illustration courtesy of David Twidle.]

SPACESHIP BUZZES NYC! It's an IFO

NYC skies have long been the arena for flying saucers and UFOs, with Civilian Saucer Watch first actively scanning its skies back in the 1950s. But on April 27 a spaceship was seen by many people here, the prototype Space Shuttle Enterprise atop a NASA Boeing 747 jet in its well-publized arrival, bound for a berth at the Intrepid Sea, Air and Space Museum here this July.

In Bay Ridge, Brooklyn, Harold Egeln viewed it coming low over the Verranzano Narrows Bridge less than a thousand feet up directly over Shore Road by the Narrows a block from his place, capturing the thrilling sight on video until his camera batteries died.

Below is an AP story that appeared in the "Brooklyn Daily Eagle" online newspaper on April 27, 2012 about the historic overflight of the IFO, an Identified Flying Object.

NYC, by the way, is the hometown of at least 12 astronauts, including the first space tourist who flew as a passenger on the International Space Station.

1958 CELEBRATED ROCKET-PLANE PILOT ON UFOS

In his 1958 book "THE FASTEST MAN ALIVE: 1,900 Miles Per Hour... The Personal Story of America's Famous Rocket-Plane Pilot," as told by aviation writer John Guenther, USAF Lt. Col. Frank Everest, Jr., who flew the experimental Bell X-2 on July 23, 1956 from Edwards Air Force Base to the then highest supersonic speed ever attained, has a final chapter on "The Race to Space" that mentions flying saucers and his one apparent UFO sighting.

He mentioned his chasing unknown aircraft, most of which turned out to be known, such as high flying weather balloons and classified aircraft. However, on one occassion, from a ground based observation, he could not identify one unknown aircraft, Everest wrote.

Although not believing in UFOs, he wrote, "However, I am openminded on the subject, and as such time we make contact with visitors from other planets, I will not be surprised to learn that they have been using the mysterious objects we call flying saucers."

Rocket-plane test pilot Everest, whose widely reported feat about his supersonic rocket-powered flight earned him the accolade as one of "the pioneers of space exploration," wrote, "I believe there is life on other planets, possibly quite advanced than our own, and it is possible that we have been observation for many years by people from other worlds. But this belief is my opinion and not based on any evidence."

This statement was published in his 1958 book from E.P. Dutton and Company here in NYC, and republished in a Pyramid Books-NY paperback edition in 1959.

Pilots, especially commercial airliner pilots, publically spoke freely and frequently in the 1940s-1950s of their UFO sightings, and media often publized military aircraft chasing UFOs since at least the January 1948 Capt. Mantell incident that ended in his fatal crash.

In the Space Age we live in a time when lunar astronauts have traveled 25,000 mph to another world nine times, space-station crews continually orbit the Earth at 17,500 mph, and UFO abductees, as "stealth astronauts," may have traveled faster and further far longer than Everett and the astronauts.

[jetcraft illustration here is not of the Bell X2.]

S.P.A.C.E. & THE SPIRITUALTY ISSUE: A S.P.A.C.E.-AT-20 NOTE By Harold Egeln The spirituality element and positive aspect in UFO contact has been an issue and debate subject throughout the modern UFO era, especially in regards to UFO occupant close encounters and abductions. It is one of the primary aspects of close encounters that is explored within S.P.A..C.E. since its "search project" for answers and solutions began 20 years ago, hence our title, the Search Project for Aspects of Close Encounters. Originally the "S.P.A.C.E." letters stood for the Support Program for Abductees' Contact Encounters, and evolved in response to the reality that emerged from contact witness accounts within the expanding and growing group structure. Spiritual in the contaxt of contact usually is a non-relgious based concept, with the conversation on the agent that causes the spiritual element, such as its source being the UFO occupants will as a part of their realm or manipulation of human subjects for their own purposes. Or it is something the human contactees develop on their own through a transformation or enlighenment process in response to their experiences, as a coping mechanism or a true awakening to "cosmic consciousness." S.P.A.C.E. was called "the spiritual renegade" support system in NYC by Dr. John Mack in conversation with me back in 1995. Budd Hopkins' support system seemed mostly focused on victimhood and the emotional disturances caused by abductions and developing coping, an essential and vital service to which he was admirably committed. As well as his focus on recovery and healing mechanisms. But in his marvelously riviting and enjoyable last book "Art, Life & UFOs" memoir, Hopkins' mentioned the issue of spirituality developing from or in response to UFO abductions. The debate over the influence of UFO abduction researchers who have been seen as essential "gurus" by critics with Mack's "positives" and Hopkins-Jacob's "negatives" in regard to the informatiion and its impacts shows how powerful the issue of spirituality and positive encounters can be in this UFO field. In both researcher and researchee, the question of contact brings in the who is in the control factor, applied to the investigator, the contactee/abductee and the nonhuman UFO occupants. By a few, I have been harshly judged and criticized by some for whom I have much respect outside S.P.A.C.E. in my role as the S.P.A.C.E. facilitator as not pursuing and promoting spiritual venues within the group, and for failing to be spiritual myself, while others have called my role as a promoter of the spiritual contact concept deplorable and, at worst, getting my kicks out of the alien-human web of vicitimization. The narrow focus ignores my lifetime experience as a peace and nonviolence activist, both in voluntary roles since the 1960s and as a professional organizer in the 1980s, seeking empowerment for those trying to make a better world and a peaceful future for humanity. That is all a matter of record, fact and truth. As always, within our numerous support exploration meetings we listen to the full range of responses to UFO nonhuman contact experiences, with witnesses in suffering, in ambilivance, in confusion, in curioursity and in wonder, We comfort those who fear and dislike their contacts and allow those who pursue their transformation pathways their own development, and all those in between those ranges, all with respect and understanding without judgement. We nor I cannot dictate responses, nor develop belief systems, or set up a biased mindframe to interfer with UFO occupant contact responses, as best as we can. It is all up to persons to pursue their own road, and refer them to professional help if they request it. Always, the basic question is: What do we do with our contacts? Can we explore our relationships with the UFO occupants or find methods to avoid the abductions or at least coping skills to handle them, if possible in those circumstances. In my own way, I have had various responses over time to my own contacts, never allowing fear to enter and disempower. I travel the roads less traveled and the contact experience seems to be confirmation with what I truly feel and think, and who I really am and can be in a solitary life for greater potential for trying to do good, as best as I can and as my will can muster. Each and everyone of us is unique and special in our ways, nobody below or above us, on this Spaceship Earth. *********************************************************

S.P.A.C.E.-at-20 NOTES "S.P.A.C.E.-at-20 NOTES" are a few accounts of the origins and beginning of S.P.A.C.E., the title from the prime initials of the Search Project for Aspects of Close Encounters. Click on the hyperlink below for the webpage with these "Notes" that include "March 25, 1992, the First Meeting: How & Why It Happened" -- "Whitley Strieber & the Genesis of S.P.A.C.E." -- "S.P.A.C.E. Contact Explorers Books, Films, Art and Plays, & on TV and Radio." -- "S.P.A.C.E. & Diner Chats: A Cup of Coffee on a Flying Saucer."

"THE SUPER-STORY METANARRATIVE" IN ACTION.... "The visitors are not trying to 'convince' us. They are rewriting and retelling us... (H)uman beings will have to work for what they get out of the contact experience, that they will have to 'make it on their own' through the active interpretation of symbolic material and conscious cultural constructions that are themselves hybrids or synthesizing constructions...." -- Jeffrey Kripal in "Mutants & Mystics: Science Fiction, Superhero Comics, and the Paranormal" on page 300 in a chapter on Whitley Strieber.

"There is probably no author more illustrative of our myththemes and the experiential paranormal currents that they fictionalize within American popular culture than the novelist Whitley Strieber.... (who) has related his traumatically transformative experiences with such psychological detail, obvious honesty, and philosophical subtilty, while 'keeping the question open'," writes Kripal, a professor of philospohy and religious thought at Rice University, tagging Strieber as "an ideal figure." It is how Kripal began his last chapter in his "Mutants and Mystics" titled: "The Third Kind -- The Visitor Corpus of Whitley Strieber," pages 292-293.

"ASTRO-GAIA NEWS of NYC" Reports on Space, Astronomy & Environmental News & Events in Metro-NYC

Cosmic Ecology Media [CEM], the overall working title for the free informational Internet service by journalist and activist Harold Egeln on MSN-WEB TV, produces this "S.P.A.C.E. CONTACT NEWS of NYC," the various S.P.A.C.E. websites, journals and newsletters, and the space program and environmental news websites, 18 websites in all. A regular CEM space program news-site service is the "ASTRO-GAIA NEWS of NYC" featuring space and astronomy news and events in the Metro-NYC region, with a front page link to the environmental newsletter "HOMEPLANET NEWS of NYC." The links to both current non-UFO topic newsletters are below. [Exo-planet illustration courtesy of NASA.]

METRO-NYC EVENTS, GROUPS, MEETINGS & RESOURCES....

NEW YORK CITY IS "UFO CITY!" Besides S.P.A.C.E. being based in NYC since March 1992, there are many other groups and people in the Metro-NYC region that have meetings, seminars, resources, events, support services, and investigations. Among them are Budd Hopkins' Intruders Foundation that has had public seminars [www.intrudersfoundation.org], Disclosure Network-New York with monthly Sunday afternoon meetings at the LGBT Center in Greenwich Village [www.dnny.org], the NY UFO Meetup Group by Joseph Capp with monthly Sunday lunch meetings at a Manhattan diner [www.meetup.com/ufos-207], UFO Roundtable by Paul Greco that meets on the first Wednesday evening of the month at the Will Library in Yonkers [www.meetup.com/ufos-237], The NY Strange Phenomena Investigations team [www.ny-spi.com], Culture of Contact [http://blog.valiens.com], Paratopia weekly podcasts and magazine [www.paratopia.net], Carol Rainey [www.carolrainey.com ], National UFO Center-George Filer-Filer's Files [www.nationalufocenter.com], UFO Magazine [www.ufomag.com], Farah Yurdozu [www.farahyurdozu.com ], Leslie Kean [www.ufosontherecord.com], former New Yorker Whitley Strieber's Unknown Country [www.unknowncountry.com], "Alien Rock" author Michael Luckman's Center for Extraterrestial Research and the Cosmic Majority [www.atlanticcoastufos.com/Bios/michael_luckman.html], Joe Capp's UFO Media Matters [http://ufomedia.blogspot.com], Richard Dolan [www.keyholepublishing.com], New Realities Television-Alan Steinfeld [www.newrealities.com], Posey Gilbert [www.templeoftheinfidel.com] who hosts monthly Moonstruck Group meetings in Manhattan, "UFO Digest" online with editor Robert Morningstar of NYC [www.ufodigest.com], "Crystal Links" by Ellie Crystal has a section of ETs and UFOs [www.crystalinks.com/extra.html], the Edgar Cayce Association for Research & Enlightenment (A.R.E.) in mid-town Manhattan hosts occassional UFO topic programs [www.edgarcaycenyc.org], and NY UFO Reports [www.nyufo.com] of up-to-date sighting reports in the city and state. In the greater Metro-NYC region there are many resources, researchers and events. Bill and Nancy Birnes, recent New Jersey residents from California, publish and edit the essential "UFO Magazine" [www.ufomag.com]. Two yearly UFO conferences, founded by Pat Marcattilio, are held in Bordentown, NJ [www.drufo.org.]. In nearby Philadelphia is historian and longtime investigator David Jacobs, who has long dealt with New Yorkers, whose International Center for Abduction Research [www.ufoabduction.com] is an information resource. In Connecticut is longtime crop gylph researcher Colin Andrews [www.colinandrews.net]. Back in New Jersey Timothy Green Beckley ("Mr. UFO") of Global Communications currently lists a potluck mix of resources [www.ConspiracyJournal.com]. PLEASE SAVE OUR S.P.A.C.E. NEWS SITE AND REGULARLY CHECK OUT THESE METRO-NYC WEBSITES FOR INFORMATION ON MEETINGS, EVENTS, RESOURCES AND REPORTS.

METRO-NYC UFO SIGHTINGS REPORT HOTLINE!

Seen a possible UFO? Who are you gonna call? The NY UFO MEETING GROUP HOTLINE, that's who! The group, founded in September 2007 by UFO witness advocate Joseph Capp of Brooklyn and UFO MEDIA MATTERS (Capp has ben mentioned twice in articles in the Brooklyn Daily Eagle newspaper), recently announced its new UFO SIGHTINGS REPORT HOTLINE @ 1-347-298-9020.

NEW YORK STATE & NYC UFO SIGHTING REPORTS

For many years the National UFO Reporting Center in the Northwest USA founded and operated by Peter Davenport has collected reliable UFO sighting reports. The clearinghouse maintains a state index of reports and below is a link, thanks to Davenport's work, of UFO sighting reports in NY State and NYC.

First-Time Visitor Counter, activated here on Feb. 22, 2012, is provided by the www.digits.com web counter services. Repeat visitors are not counted nor are visitors prior to this activation date. Thank you for visiting "S.P.A.C.E. CONTACT NEWS." You are S.P.A.C.E. CONTACTEE number....

"S.P.A.C.E. CONTACT NEWS" DEDICATION

"S.P.A.C.E. Contact News" is dedicated to journalists and media that have treated the UFO and close encounter subject and witnesses with fairness, objectivity and respect. Among such journalists out of several are the late Jack Anderson ["Millenium" author], the late C.D. Bryan ["Close Encounters of the Fourth Kind" author], Ed Conroy ["Report on Communion" author], the late Frank Edwards ["Flying Saucers - Serious Business" author], the late John Fuller ["Incident at Exeter" & "The Interrupted Journey" author], J. Antonio Huneeus, the late New Yorker John Keel [author of several key books], Tom Towes of the "LA Examiner" [played Al Chop in "UFO: The True Story of Flying Saucers" - 1956 movie, Leslie Kean ["UFOs: Generals, Pilots & Government Officials Go on the Record"], John Lester [UFO investigative series in "Newark Star-Ledger" in 1959], the late Drew Pearson, the late New Yorker Bob Pratt ["Hudson Valley UFO Sightings" co-author], former NY Times reporter Howard Blum ["Out There" author], "UFO journalist" Sean Casteel, Michael Lindemann with his CNI news website in the 1990s, New Yorker Peter Robbins with his "UFO City" news site in the last two decades, Curt Sutherly ["UFO Mysteries: A Reporter Seeks the Truth" author]. the late Frank Scully ["Behind the Flying Saucers"] although some of his sources were flawed, and even the fictional "Clark Kent" [of "Superman"].

FOR THE NEWS WEBSITE TABLE OF CONTENTS, "THE EXPERIENCERS' MANIFESTO," RECOMMENDED RESOURCES & EDITOR HAROLD EGELN INFORMATION, CLICK-ON "NEXT PAGE" BELOW:

"THE EXPERIENCER'S MANIFESTO" states the mission and purpose of S.P.A.C.E. --- The NEWS TABLE OF CONTENTS has the internal links to this site's recent and previous featured news. The RECOMMENDED RESOURCES SECTION includes "Kay Wilson's The Alien Jigsaw: True Accounts of Alien Abduction" with What's New, Elsie Conner's Out of the Darkness Blog and Kathleen Marden's website. --- JAR: "The Journal of Abduction-Encounter Research" online journal with current and past issues. --- The NYC UFO Meetup Group's 24/7 NY UFO SIGHTING HOTLINE PHONE NUMBER. --- And the NUFORC--the National UFO Reporting Center's New York UFO Sighting Reports, current, recent and past. --- The John E. Mack Institute (JEMI) website with updates. --- AND MORE RECOMMENDED RESOURCES!