In today’s episode we explore the intriguing history of UFOs in Spain. Over the past seven decades, UFOs have captured the imagination, spawning diverse interpretations ranging from religious devotion to scientific exploration. Amidst conflicting government narratives, the allure of UFOs persists, blending confusion with fascination.

My guest, Ignacio Cabria, an esteemed authority on the history of Spain’s UFO history, leads us through the intricate tapestry of Spanish ufology. From esoteric contactee movements to formal research groups, Spain's UFO landscape is rich with varied perspectives and beliefs.

Together, we focus on a pressing question: How do societal frameworks shape our understanding and perception of UFO phenomena? Join us as we unravel the layers of ufology's cultural significance in Spain and beyond.

More on Ignacio Cabria’s work: https://independent.academia.edu/IgnacioCabria

Get in touch with the show

Twitter/X: @EuropeanUFOs

Instagram: europeanufos [https://www.instagram.com/europeanufos/#]

Facebook: European UFOs

Email: europeanufos@gmail.com

Support the podcast to keep it ad-free: https://www.buymeacoffee.com/europeanufos

12: The history of ufology in Spain

In this episode, we delve into the enigmatic realm of UFO abductions, focusing particularly on how they unfold  in France. Since the groundbreaking Betty and Barney Hill incident in 1961, the phenomenon of UFO abductions has captured public fascination, although it remains contentious within ufology. We confront two primary challenges: the surreal nature of abduction accounts, often involving inexplicable experiences like missing time, and the reliance on eyewitness testimony, which introduces inherent complexities.

Despite these hurdles, exploring the abduction phenomenon unveils a fascinating psychological landscape. Our guest, Hélène Lansley, a Clinical Psychologist and Ph.D. student at the University of Lorraine, brings valuable insights from her research. Hélène's work involves analysing accounts of UAP and alien abductions, as well as providing support to individuals who report paranormal encounters through her role at CIRCEE (Center for Information, Research, and Consultation on Exceptional Experiences).

Join us as we navigate the intricate terrain of UFO abductions, probing the intersection of extraterrestrial encounters and human psychology.

Get in touch with the show

Twitter/X: @EuropeanUFOs

Instagram: europeanufos [https://www.instagram.com/europeanufos/#]

Facebook: European UFOs

Email: europeanufos@gmail.com

Support the podcast to keep it ad-free: https://www.buymeacoffee.com/europeanufos

Links mentioned in this episode

Interpsy, Université de Lorraine: https://interpsy.univ-lorraine.fr/eng/

CIRCEE (Center for Information, Research and Consultation on Exceptional Experiences): https://www.circee.org [https://www.circee.org/experiences-anomales-sante-mentale-et-creativite/]

11: Alien abductions in France

In this episode, we enter the world of UFO crash retrievals, a fundamental aspect of ufology. Following the significant developments of 2023 when terms like reverse engineering, exploitation programs, and non-human technology became popular, we turn our attention to European UFO crash retrievals. Our focus centres on the recently launched European Crash Retrieval Initiative (ECRI), aiming to map and analyse alleged UFO crash sites in Europe, both contemporary and historical. Join me and E.T. Persson, Senior Advisor to ECRI, as we discuss the initiative's background, setup, and objectives.

Get in touch with the show

Twitter/X: @EuropeanUFOs

Instagram: europeanufos [https://www.instagram.com/europeanufos/#]

Facebook: European UFOs

Email: europeanufos@gmail.com

Support the podcast to keep it ad-free: https://www.buymeacoffee.com/europeanufos

Links mentioned in this episode

ECRI’s website: https://www.ecr-initiative.org/

To report a UFO crash site: https://vascoproject.org/report-a-ufo-crash/

10: European UFO crash retrievals

In today's discussion, we take a deep dive into a critical aspect of ufology: the concept of evidence. Together with Dr. Jean-Michel Abrassart, a psychologist and UFO researcher, we explore the challenges associated with eyewitness accounts and their reliability.

Dr. Jean-Michel Abrassart advocates the Psychosocial Model, proposing that many UFO sightings can be explained by mundane factors. We examine specific cases, such as the Belgian UFO wave of the late 1980s and early 1990s, to illustrate the complexities surrounding UFO evidence. Throughout our conversation, we engage in a friendly disagreement regarding the significance of alternative forms of evidence, like official government documents, in indicating anomalous phenomena.

This episode goes beyond the sceptics vs. believers debate, prompting a thought-provoking question: what is UFO evidence, and how can we study it objectively?

Interesting links

Dr Abrassart’s Academia.edu page: https://independent.academia.edu/JeanMichelAbrassart

Support the podcast to keep it ad-free: https://www.buymeacoffee.com/europeanufos

9: Do you know what you saw? UFOs and the Psychosocial Model

I am joined by Clas Svahn, international director of UFO-Sweden and chairman for Archives for the Unexplained, one of the largest UFO archives in the world. Together we explore the riches of this archive, with a particular focus on how it is currently used by researchers from across the world. In the second half of this episode we take a look at the Ghost Rockets phenomenon and two crash retrieval expeditions conducted by Clas.

Interesting links/references:

Archives for the Unexplained (AFU): https://www.afu.se/

AFU’s online archive: https://files.afu.se/Downloads [https://files.afu.se/Downloads/]

UFO Sweden: https://www.afu.se/

Clas Svahn’s new book: UFO. Närkonktakterna Som Skakat Världen

8: Sweden. Archives for the Unexplained and Ghost Rockets

I am joined by Heikki Kulju, a veteran UFO researcher and Chairman of the Finnish UFO Research Association, to discuss UFO research in Finland as well as a particularly thrilling case.

In this episode you will learn about

 * The history of UFO research in Finland
 * The Rovaniemi Airforce incident of 1971: this case involves a closer encounter by military staff, several credible witnesses, physiological traces and official documents
 * Some key aspects of UFOs in Finland
 * The public and government attitude towards UFOs in Finland
 * The future of UFO research in Finland

More about Heikki Kulju’s work

Website of the Finnish UFO Research Association (includes a digital database of sightings):  https://www.fufora.fi/

TV show: https://areena.yle.fi/1-62511247

7: Finnish UFOs

I am joined by Dr Eltjo Haselhoff, a well published physicist and long-term researcher into the crop circle phenomenon, to discuss some key aspects of his work in the Netherlands and beyond.

In this episode you will learn about

 * Why some crop circles are hard to explain in terms of human hoaxes or known natural phenomena
 * The recurrent biophysical and mathematical anomalous properties of some crop circles
 * The relationship between crop circles and orbs/balls of light
 * How to approach the question of what crop circles may mean

More about Dr Haselhoff’s work:

RearchGate: https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Eltjo-Haselhoff-2/research

Website: https://www.simplerelativity.info/news.html

Book on crop circles: The Deepening Complexity of Crop Circles: Scientific Research & Urban Legends. Frog Ltd. Berkeley, California. 2001

6: Dutch crop circle research

I am joined by Dr Eamonn Ansbro, Director and Research Astronomer at Kingsland Observatory in Ireland, to discuss his more than 30 years of research into UFOs. Based on the systematic and critical analysis of thousands of UFO reports Dr Ansbro was able to develop a scientific theory to model UAP activity on a global scale. This theory could be successfully verified by fieldwork.

In this episode you will learn about

 * How Earth may be under automated surveillance by hundreds of probes, following orbital tracks
 * UFO hotspots in Ireland
 * How academia, in particular SETI, and the media reacted to Dr Ansbro’s theory
 * The significance of developing a science-backed way of communicating with forms of extraterrestrial intelligence

Dr Ansbro on ResearchGate: https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Eamonn-Ansbro

5: Modelling UFO activity in Ireland and beyond

I am joined by Andreas Müller, a well-known and highly respected researcher and journalist, to discuss Germany’s UFO files. The epicentre of the Cold War for more than 40 years, Germany provides a historically complex and rather unique example of government involvement with UFOS.

In this episode you will learn about:

 * The current media and government attitude towards UFOs in Germany
 * The UFO file of the German intelligence service (BND) documenting different types of UFOs
 * The documentation of UFOs in the GDR
 * How the geopolitical situation of the Cold War may have influenced Germany’s documentation of UFOs

Amazon com link to Andreas Müller’s book on Germany’s UFO files (discussed in this episode): https://www.amazon.com/Deutschlands-UFO-Akten-politischen-UFO-Ph%C3%A4nomen-Betrachtungen/dp/3754306804/ref=sr_1_1?crid=102W9UHD4IAB9&keywords=andreas+M%C3%BCller%2C+deutschlands+ufo+akten&qid=1690037489&sprefix=andreas+m%C3%BCller%2C+deutschlands+ufo+akten%2Caps%2C168&sr=8-1

Amazon de link to Andreas Müller’s new book on Germany’s historical UFO files: https://www.amazon.de/-/en/gp/product/3757806867/ref=dbs_a_def_rwt_bibl_vppi_i1

Andreas Müller’s news website on anomalous phenomena: https://www.grenzwissenschaft-aktuell.de/

4: Germany's UFO files

I am joined by Erling Strand, researcher and Assistant Professor at The Department of Computer Science and Communication, Østfold University College, to discuss the Hessdalen Lights -  a series of strange luminous phenomena concentrated in a small valley in rural Norway. The Hessdalen Lights started to appear in the early 1980s and have since become the subject of international scientific research. Exhibiting characteristics that are seemingly irreconcilable with the current laws of physics, the Hessdalen Lights continue to puzzle researchers up to the present day.

In this episode you will learn about:

 * The history of Project Hessdalen, of which Erling Strand is the co-founder
 * The out-of-this world characteristics of the Hessdalen Lights
 * Potential interactions between the phenomena and field investigators
 * The role of the military
 * The future of Project Hessdalen

Website of Project Hessdalen with lots of data, photos and articles: https://www.hessdalen.org/index_e.shtml

3: The Hessdalen Lights

UFO sightings are a global phenomenon. However, for more than 70 years discussions and research surrounding UFOs have mainly focused on sightings in the US. This podcast aims to shift the balance by focusing on European UFOs and related phenomena. Researchers, scientists, witnesses and experiencers will each provide their own unique perspective on UFOs across Europe.

Please support the podcast so that I can keep it ad-free for all: https://www.buymeacoffee.com/europeanufos