UFOs are strange aerial phenomena that puzzle everyone. Most people either think they are myths or that they may represent the beginning phases of what will eventually prove to be contact with advanced forms of life from outer space. Indeed, UFO reports today are increasingly associated with equally strange “entities” — beings that some people also believe represent advanced life forms from deep in space.
The UFO phenomenon encompasses a wide range of phenomena and experiences. For purposes of simplification in describing these phenomena, we will use a broad classification incorporating the following seven categories:
Distant Sightings (DS) involve observations of anomalous lights in the sky, nocturnal disks, etc., visually or on radar.
Close Encounters of the First Kind (CEI) constitute sighting a UFO, with or without occupants, at 500 feet or closer.
Close Encounters of the Second Kind (CEII) involve UFOs that leave physical effects on the environment such as “landing” marks, broken tree limbs, etc.
Close Encounters of the Third Kind (CEIII) comprise the sighting of UFOs with occupants, at very close range, including landed craft with occupants in or about the craft.
Close Encounters of the Fourth Kind (CEIV) involve alleged abductions by UFOs, where people claim to be involuntarily taken on board a UFO for experimentation, purposes of communication or other reasons. Such episodes are characteristically “forgotten” until a strange series of events leads to “uncovering” the “abduction” under hypnosis.
Close Encounters of the Fifth Kind (CEV) involve what are termed “contactees,” those persons who claim to be in personal contact with UFO entities, typically through occult means.
Close Encounters of the Sixth Kind (CEVI) include injuries or deaths resulting from a UFO close encounter.*
UFO phenomena are so complex that one leading researcher has advocated a 20-point classification system in order to better analyze the information (1). Nevertheless, the solution to the UFO mystery cannot be found where most people look for it — distant sightings or CEI-III categories. The events do not contain enough data to properly understand what is behind modern UFOs. Rather, the solution is found in the key “close contact” categories (CE IV-VI). Why? Because it is here that genuine details emerge concerning the nature and purpose of the UFO phenomena and the entities that accompany it.
*This is our own classification modeled after the CEI-III typology originated by Dr. J. Allen Hynek.