The Paracast -- The Gold Standard of Paranormal Radio

If it's paranormal, Micah Hanks is covering it on his various blogs and his radio show, The Gralien Report. So you'll hear about his fundamental philosophy not just on UFOs, but about hauntings and the like. He'll also cover the latest scuttlebutt in the UFO field, such as the renewed MJ-12 debate with Stanton Friedman and Robert Hastings (with Stanton in for, Robert against), Mirage Men, sightings, disclosure, and lots more. We are joined by one of our friendly forum moderators and guest co-host, Goggs Mackay.

Gene and Chris welcome back Richard Dolan, who returns to talk about his new book "UFOs for the 21st Century Mind: A Fresh Guide to an Ancient Mystery," which is garnering rave reviews. Unlike other books on the subject, Dolan gives a thorough overview of the subject starting in the ancient past and working his way to the present day. He re-examines the classic cases and looks at the political, economic, religious, scientific and cultural implications of UFOs, not to mention the current state of ufology. The topic of disclosure is addressed at length. We'll cover a wide range of subjects and Dolan responds to questions from our listeners.

Gene and Chris present Ronald Regehr, who has been a UFO researcher for more than 50 years. Regehr is also a retired aerospace engineer with 36 years experience at Douglas Aircraft and Aerojet Electro Systems working in space and space surveillance systems. He is MUFON's Director of Documentation and a MUFON research specialist in space satellite technology. Two of his major areas of contribution in UFO research are satellite detection of UFOs and analysis of photos and other data associated with the Roswell case. Regehr is currently researching the Puebloan culture history and legends as recorded via their petroglyphs and pictographs.

Gene and Chris present Robert Salas, a former Air Force Captain, who will discuss his new book, "Unidentified: The UFO Phenomenon: How World Governments Have Conspired to Conceal Humanity's Biggest Secret." The subtitle of the book reflects the essence of Salas' position on the topic. In a classic case, Salas was on duty at Malmstrom Air Force Base on March 17, 1967 when two UFOs were seen flying near the base's nuclear missile sites. "Over the next half-minute, all ten of their missiles reported a 'No-Go' condition. One by one across the board, each missile had became inoperable." During this interview, Salas will also reveal details of his own UFO abduction experience.

Gene and Chris present Chris Aubeck, best known as the co-author (with Jacques Vallee) of the excellent book "Wonders in the Sky: Unexplained Aerial Objects from Antiquity to Modern Times" that "examines more than 500 selected reports of sightings from biblical-age antiquity through the year 1879-the point at which the Industrial Revolution deeply changed the nature of human society, and the skies began to open to airplanes, dirigibles, rockets, and other opportunities for misinterpretation represented by military prototypes, they reveal that unidentified flying objects have had a major impact not only on popular culture but on our history, on our religion, and on the models of the world humanity has formed from deepest antiquity." Aubeck was born in London. His interest in the historical and sociological aspects of unexplained aerial phenomena began at an early age.

Gene and Chris present Marc Dantonio, the chief photo and video analyst for the Mutual UFO Network (MUFON). Marc has been with MUFON since 1971 and has accumulated years of experience investigating UFO cases. He is also the owner of FX Models, a company that works with CGI and physical models for the entertainment industry as well as defense contractors and others. As a result of his FX work, Marc began collaborating with motion picture special effects guru Doug Trumbull ("2001: A Space Odyssey," Blade Runner," etc.) who has a keen interest in UFOs. Marc is working with Trumbull on UFOTOG building sensor arrays that scan the sky with a variety of gear in an attempt to properly document sighting events.

Gene and Chris present one of our most-requested guests, Travis Walton. Walton's 1975 UFO abduction encounter, where he disappeared for five days after encountering a flying saucer, has been the subject of back and forth discussions and controversy. His experiences were recounted in his book, "Fire in the Sky: The Walton Experience," and somewhat fictionalized in a 1993 movie of the same name. In November, 2014, Travis is hosting a conference, Skyfire Summit, in Heber, AZ (near where he was dropped off by the "aliens"). The event will feature Walton, Richard Dolan, Stanton T. Friedman, Peter Robbins, Kathleen Marden, Donald Schmitt, Linda Moulton Howe, Tracy Torme and others including Chris.

Our guest, Col. John Alexander, needs no introduction. He is easily one of the most enigmatic and intriguing figures in ufology today. He has recently completed another in a series of world-wide journeys and we've invited him to share his thoughts on the interconnectedness of paranormal phenomena. He writes, "There is no doubt about the physical reality of some UFOs. The hard evidence, however, suggests they are part of a far greater mystery; one that engulfs many phenomena. Traditional Western science has created blinders and ignores inconvenient facts that are accepted readily in other societies." Alexander has firmly established UFO existence and will "explore their relationship to wonders long known to indigenous shamans all over the world."

Gene and Chris once again switch gears, as we announce the return of everyone's favorite "good natured" skeptic, Benjamin Radford. During his last visit to The Paracast (April 17, 2011 — Benjamin Radford), we talked about his excellent book Tracking the Chupacabra. This time around we'll be discussing his latest book, Mysterious New Mexico: Miracles, Magic, and Monsters in the Land of Enchantment. We all know that New Mexico is the "Land of Enchantment," but what does Ben really think? Inquiring minds, like yours, will find out as we focus on all sorts of strange legends about possible unusual events, including the alleged Aztec, NM UFO crash.

Explore 25 years of UFO sightings in Canada with long-time investigator Chris Rutkowski. He and his colleagues have accumulated a huge archive containing some 15,000 UFO cases in Canada. The new survey covers the years 1989 through 2013. When you check the report at his Ufology Research site, you'll notice that the number of sightings increased in 2012 before settling down to a somewhat lower, but still historically high, level in 2013. Says his bio: "Chris Rutkowski, BSc, MEd, is a Canadian science writer and educator, with a background in astronomy but with a passion for teaching science concepts to children and adults. Since the mid-1970s, he also has been studying reports of UFOs and writing about his investigations and research."

Gene and Chris present a special episode featuring UFO/paranormal skeptic Robert Sheaffer. According to his Wikipedia bio, "Sheaffer writes for Skeptical Inquirer (for which he writes the regular "Psychic Vibrations" column), Fate Magazine, and Spaceflight. He was a founding member (with Philip J. Klass and James Oberg) of the UFO Subcommittee of the Committee for Skeptical Inquiry (formerly Committee for the Scientific Investigation of Claims of the Paranormal), and is a fellow of that organization. He is a member of MENSA." In other words, he's a real smart dude, and he'll be asking the hard questions about the potential reality of UFOs.

In response to a recent article from New York magazine about the alleged sad state of the UFO field, cutting-edge theorist Micah Hanks joins Gene, Chris and forum moderator Goggs Mackay to suggest that the most productive research is actually going underground. He expresses the thought in a recent blog, Micah Hanks | News From the Edge. So is it time to give up on Ufology and let it die a well-deserved death, or find ways to make it relevant all over again?

Gene and Chris present long-time UFO investigator Don Berliner. His books include "Crash at Corona," written with Stanton Friedman and, with Antonio Huneeus, "UFO Briefing Document: The Best Available Evidence." Berliner has, according to his bio, written 300 magazine articles and 25 books on aviation history and space, and also worked as a staff writer for NICAP back in the 1960s. He has a wealth of solid information to deliver about the UFO mystery, and he'll also be answering listener questions.

If there was ever a person who could be declared the "dean" of UFO researchers, it might very well be Stanton T. Friedman, a long-time UFO investigator and a nuclear physicist. Friedman is one of the key researchers into the Roswell crash and other events over the years, and has posited a strong case that the phenomenon is the result of extraterrestrials visiting Earth. His recent books include "Flying Saucers and Science" (2008) and "Science Was Wrong," (2010) co-authored with Kathleen Marden.

Gene and Chris present long-time paranormal researcher Stan Gordon. During this segment we'll be bringing you up to date on the December 9, 1965 Kecksburg, PA UFO crash. Was it possibly a test aircraft, and what about the weird hieroglyphic-style lettering on the alleged craft? Are there any new developments that will help advance research into this classic UFO case? You'll also hear about this year's Kecksburg UFO Festival, along with the extensive range of Bigfoot, UFO and other strange events that have occurred in Pennsylvania over the years.