‘Demons in the Dark’

This article has some merits, yes; perhaps some sightings are based upon our ancestry. However, the ability to travel from place to place in our vast universe may or may not be possible. In the 50 years I???ve been on this earth science has achieved more than any ancient would have believed possible. Although, I have never had a personal experience as did those people in this Texas town, I will not discount that some time in the future even our science may be able to find a way to travel vast distances in a short amount of time, as stated there is much we do not understand.
Simply, I do believe that these folks experienced some thing.
As for the comment on taking photo???s, well??? it???s a bit like an auto accident, different folks react differently to the situation, I would not have the ability in such a situation to find, let alone take a picture, my mind would not allow it, the shock would be to much for me to overcome. This I do know from experience.
Yes, we walked on the moon, yes, we all have PC???s in our homes, and yes, a mass sighting is possible, no matter how improvable it may seem.

This article has some merits, yes; perhaps some sightings are based upon our ancestry. However, the ability to travel from place to place in our vast universe may or may not be possible. In the 50 years I???ve been on this earth science has achieved more than any ancient would have believed possible. Although, I have never had a personal experience as did those people in this Texas town, I will not discount that some time in the future even our science may be able to find a way to travel vast distances in a short amount of time, as stated there is much we do not understand.
Simply, I do believe that these folks experienced some thing.
As for the comment on taking photo???s, well??? it???s a bit like an auto accident, different folks react differently to the situation, I would not have the ability in such a situation to find, let alone take a picture, my mind would not allow it, the shock would be to much for me to overcome. This I do know from experience.
Yes, we walked on the moon, yes, we all have PC???s in our homes, and yes, a mass sighting is possible, no matter how improvable it may seem.

so i guess the dozens of people who actually witnessed the incident were either stimulated or all of them misinterpreted what they saw. after doing a little research i find no evidence of anyone coming forth and saying "hey, it was just lights caused by an earthquake"

Critiques of the Newsweek article aside, and not delving into the piles of accounts of credible witnesses and historic references to unidentifiable objects, be they creatures or machines, just settle into the thought of observing something---anything. At the quantum level, the Uncertainty Principle rules that we cannot know the position AND velocity of any particle. The more we know of one aspect, the less of the other. The act of observing itself has effect on the particle. Take it a step or two further beyond Schrodinger's cat, and you end up with a weak anthropic view of the universe, and that is to say that the universe as we see it is the way it is because if it were any different, we wouldn't be around to see it. Toss in some severe reductionism and you can get to "things aren't the way they are, they are the way WE are." There aren't enough psychologists in the world to stave off the mass hysteria and rampant solipsism THAT might suggest.

So, while we wait for the Second Coming, or perhaps some enlightened entity to perform a few miracles, we seek to prove or disprove an occurrence of a highly unusual nature, for a mixed audience of people wanting to embrace or fervent to debunk. I say, "Keep those cards and letters coming, folks, because it is certainly more interesting and productive than obsessing over Britney's personal life."

The article is a genuine load of bull, and these behavioral scientists are way out of their league. Also, as an Astrophysicist at UC Berkeley, I can say with certainty that we can???t say anything with certainty about the possibility of interstellar travel. At best this article is na??ve, at worst it is misleading. Regarding their theory of perceptual illusions, consider these cases: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1976_Canary_Island_UFO_sighting http://www.freedomofinfo.org/science/Callahansummary.pdf http://www.ufoevidence.org/topics/jalalaska.htm
There are many more.

This is a bunch of bull. I was in the Air Force for a number of years, and I know alot of pilots who have seen UFO, even as far as chased a few. The same with Airline pilots, both are told not to report them, and if they do in the Air Force they can get grouned and Airline Pilots can as far as loose their jobs(no one wants to fly with someone who is seeing things) I have seen things my self, even after a good nights sleep, I do love to sleep. Even Scientists have seen them but if they cant explane it they make up some other reason for what they seen are far as telling themself that they seen nothing at all. Open your eyes we are not alone.

"In one famous encounter, Persinger tried to induce a religious experience in the mind of atheist Richard Dawkins. Alas, Dawkins apparently has a low level of temporal-lobe sensitivity, so his brain did not react as much as others???) to the magnetic stimulation." I love this part...It did'nt work so lets blame it on this instead. Basically lets change the control to meet the results we want.

Their explanation has to be the weakeast I have ever seen. Projecting our fears and etc. onto things. Give me a break. UFO's are real, but the government doesn't want to say that. Euchner can stay in his room at Yale and dream up a few more reasons.

Sounds like the government does not want us to believe in something that is obviously there; how else to explain a group a scientists pushing on us the notion that man has hallucinated since the beginning of time.

I find it amazing that so many people in Stephenville Texas saw this thing, yet no one took a picture or captured some video. So many people have digital cameras and cell phone cameras. Take a picture next time, please! I don't doubt they saw something. I just wish that one of those people would come forward with a picture.

They're out there man! They have to be. Like the man said. The rest of the galaxy was not put there for us the admire on a cloudless night. Life exists in many forms and in many stages of evolution in different parts of he universe. Some so advanced that they can and do travel to other planets who have yet to find a way to do the same thing. And we will. Maybe we'll even get a lesson or two from them on just how it should be done.
Alone in this endless vastness..............Now really.

Let's look at the tremendous sources the writer offers up on this topic within the article. "How scientists talk about UFO sightings" - Let's look at the "scientists" presented: Theodore Schick - Muhlenberg College Liberal Arts? Ludwig Wittenstein - Austrian Philosopher 1889-1951? Samuel Braunstein - Computer Science Professor University of York ? Michael Shermer - Author? Robert Park Physicist Univ Maryland? Michael Persinger - Behavioral neuroscientist? What are their credentials on this topic? Did the writer pull these expert "scientists" from some lottery? Which of the above "scientists" stated that "evolution provides a good starting point for explaining why people have paranomal experiences"? Does Mr. Park really believe that hundreds - perhaps thousands - of people simultaneously "projected" images from "The Twilight Zone" and "The Matrix" etc. during the Phoenix Lights incident? Perhaps better "logic" here would be that Ludwig Wittgenstein's followers performed a massive "duck-rabbit" experiment in Phoenix that night? Could the writer of this article please present the facts behind the claim "Many UFO sightings come during a period of earthquakes" ? Where are the documented facts of this claim? Please present evidence of an earthquake the night of 1997 Phoenix Lights phenomena, 2006 UFO Chicago O'Hare phenomena, or in Stephensville TX or any one of the documented cases in the French association COMETA report. Just the facts please. This article is a fascinating example of "Stupid Skeptic Tricks" - please refer to http://www.ratbags.com/rsoles/comment/skeptictricks.htm . None of the content in the article disprove any of the claims of the Stephensville TX witnesses. Also, please review the French COMETA report - it's worth the review. In the mean time - "Demons in the Dark" is just another "unremarkable" and "mundane" "Newsweek Web Exclusive".

How can we as human be so arrogant to think we are the only intelligent life. DA! That's just stupid. There are many species of life out there. We are very young compared to the rest of the galaxy so why shouldn't there be other life visiting our planet. We send people to the moon and probs to Mars and as soon as we can we plan on other voyages. Do you honestly think we are the only ones here. M. L. Fischer Tulsa OK

I love how those "scientists" try to rationalize everything. A mile long craft moving at 20,000 mph holds much more weight than these "psychological" problems that the "scientists" come up with. Just like restless leg syndrome. What a crock of ***. Anything to sell those drugs and keep the masses hypnotized. Not 1 single point the "scientists" came up with in this article sounds convincing or proven. Seems like science is a religion these days too... Ignoring any possibilities outside of the narrow vision of today???s American society, and naming it a "Mental Illness". Whatever is marketable. Wake up, just like brugvu said. Back in 1991, I seen something that definitely wasn't a plane or helicopter too. And weather balloons don't stay exactly still, then accelerate away faster than a bullet 20 seconds later either. So I feel your pain (When people just simply won't accept anything outside of the media's scope as a possibility. Or what the media is told to tell you...)

What a load of crap. My mother and a neighbor that she was not acquainted with saw a UFO in South Texas in 1978. Their reports to the authorities were identical. Neither pointed the UFO out to the other, yet they both saw it simultaneously. For them to have experienced the same "imagining" would be just as bizarre as two people sharing the same dream. But, I suppose scientists somewhere could probably make a case for that, too. I have seen UFO's twice. I've met countless people who have seen them, and they were honest, believable individuals, some in high positions. They had no reason whatsoever to "imagine" or make up what they saw, and risked being thought crazy by their colleagues and peers. I doubt they would take that risk unless what they experienced was genuine. If there's something that someone wants to debunk, there's a scientist out there willing to do so. All it takes is a deep pocket.

I love how those "scientists" try to rationalize everything. A mile long craft moving at 20,000 mph holds much more weight than these "psychological" problems that the "scientists" come up with. Just like restless leg syndrome. What a crock of ***. Anything to sell those drugs and keep the masses hypnotized. Not 1 single point the "scientists" came up with in this article sounds convincing or proven. Seems like science is a religion these days too... Ignoring any possibilities outside of the narrow vision of today???s American society. Whatever is marketable. Wake up, just like brugvu said. Back in 1991, I seen something that definitely wasn't a plane or helicopter too. And weather balloons don't stay exactly still, then accelerate away faster than a bullet 20 seconds later either. So I feel your pain (When people just simply won't accept it as a possibility).

So, you are coming up with a new way to convince people that really didn't see a UFO. I saw two on different occasions and I was neither sleep deprived or hallucinating. In fact I was watching something else when I saw the UFO's and neither experience was associated with imaging alien lifeforms or space craft. I was watching the sunrise on one occasion and a lighting storm on the other. So, make that out as you will because,