Tag Archives: international ufo congress

2015 IUFOC – from a patron

Jim-Zen-Liz-Cliff

Jim Dilettoso, Zen, Liz Alpert, Clifford Mahooty

A moment in time…

Many years ago the gentleman on the far left in photo, Jim Dilettoso, along with Ret. Col. Wendelle Stevens (RIP) organized the first International UFO Congress in Tucson, AZ. I was quite fortunate to have been able to be there, arriving in a limousine owned by a mutual friend, Roy Haddix (RIP), along with the future mother of Jim’s awesome daughter.. now a teenager. Some really amazing things have happened over the years.

The event today brings people from all over the world. Mine is a personal experience of connecting with others and sharing what we’ve found in our personal direct experiences and relationships forged from internal and external perspectives, something that is not particularly shared on stage by the presenters. Most of that information is perhaps more linear and, quite honestly, polarized in one perspective or another. Below is a series of interviews I did at an event in Sedona in 1992, which includes Jim Dilettoso and others. It’s a veritable synopsis of what is and has been going on for decades.

This year was probably the most profound shift I’ve noticed in the willingness of people to share openly, mostly patrons rather than actual presenters. The shift has been in their ability to question and the willingness to see things from an inner perspective, free of polarization. This demonstrates the growth in awareness and consciousness among the collective of experiencers. The morning and evening gatherings of experiencers in a facilitated session by Yvonne Smith brought out the fact that many are still grappling with the intense juxtaposition of fear and freedom in experiencing non-linear and non-local events of their own.

Rey-Zen-Rich

Rey Hernandez, Rev Zen, Richard Dolan

There is a new organization called FREE (Foundation for Research of Extraterrestrial Encounters) that has taken the environment to a new level of investigation. Rey Hernandez and I shared a table during the event and got to know each other well, another unexpected joy for me particularly. FREE’s work, began by folks like John Mack (RIP) some years ago, is bring an opportunity for contactees to share their experiences and study the commonality. Academic studies of the phenomena of long been plagued by the reluctance of the scientific community to explore.

Today, the work of FREE is forging a new path in the acceptance and corroboration of a common theme in the awareness of experiencers, that of a congruent understanding of the helpfulness garnered toward the actualization of an openness toward our Star Families, revealing the potential of many who have found their lives to be integrated with a massive movement toward evolving consciousness. Dr. Edgar Mitchell and Dr. Rudy Schild are co-founders of FREE. Dr. Mitchell and I had conversations about this possibility when we met at the Prophets Conference in Phoenix in 1997.

Travis-ZenThe common perception among nearly all the folks I was able to meet and speak with for any length of time over the 5-day event was that we are learning how to move beyond our internal fears prompted by the induction of various philosophies and religions, Travis’ recent shift is one of the most notable. Of course there are those who still seek to polarize the public for personal and profitable reasons. The great thing is that the discussion of personal discernment is growing and the suspension of old, worn out belief systems is occurring throughout this environment. Some folks are still gullible and want to believe what they are hearing from these proponents of polarity. Indeed the conduit is closing, though, as the seekers of truth are reflecting their awareness more openly.

Perhaps there is a desire for harmony among people and planet, promoted by the majority of contactees, that is encouraging those who’ve felt like they were ‘abducted’ to look at their experience from a larger view, one of an expanded consciousness that is being offered by our extraterrestrial neighbors. The natural process of chaos to order is certainly being recognized.

2014 IUFOC Recap

iufocThe 33rd International UFO Congress was February 12 – 16. It’s the largest conference of its kind in the world. The International UFO Congress is an organization in Arizona dedicated to the dissemination of information related to many areas in Ufology. It was established in 1991 and hosts an annual conference. While previously held in Laughlin, Nevada, the conference moved to the Phoenix, Arizona area in 2011.

The IUFOC features presentations given by authors, researchers, experts, enthusiasts, and those who have witnessed paranormal or anomalous phenomena from all over the world. It also provides a forum to discuss the experiences and findings. This week long event usually has over thirty speakers, a film festival, vendors, and experiencer sessions. Topics generally covered are alien abduction, UFO sightings, UFO crashes, crop circles, paranormal experiences, government conspiracy and much more.

This is probably the premier UFO-focused event in the world. John Rao and crew really do it up right. We’ve reported on the Open Minds team earlier. The quality of the venue, the quality of the mini-events within the IUFOC, like the EBE Awards, the Mixer and Dinner and the Sky Watch are all top notch. If you ever get the opportunity to attend, it will be one of the best experiences you’ll have of meeting folks that come from all over the world who are interested in or have experiences with UFOs.

We did manage to have conversations with many of the speakers and vendors during the event. We even got a few on video endorsing UfologyPRSS, including Ben Hansen, Dr. Lynne Kitei and Kim Carlsberg. We are truly appreciative of their support. Click on the video below for all the endorsements. We know it will help us continue to grow. We also want to express our appreciation for the folks at Open Minds and their exquisite production of the International UFO Congress.

The nature of the UFO phenomena covers a plethora of possibilities. There is as much consideration for conspiracy as there is for objectivism, regardless of Ayn’s introduction. Does our government really have involvement with other worlds? Some say yes and some say no, but we really do not know for sure. What would it matter, anyway?  Is there something that our government could offer the public as some kind of gesture in disclosure? Perhaps the revelation of the off-planet visitors is simply that we need to learn to get along. That alone is more challenging now than any engagements with extraterrestrials.

There were some new folks speaking at the IUFOC this year including Kawaunee Lapseritis, speaking about psychic Sasquatches; Mike Clelland, speaking on Owls and synchronicity regarding contact experiences; and David Marlen, who spoke on the triangular-shaped craft that frequents our skies. Some of the old favorites were there as well, including Steven Bassett, Patty Greer, Rob Simone and Dr. John Alexander. The former hopes for government disclosure, the latter doesn’t think the government knows much at all.

One of the highlights of the festivities was Ben Hansen’s hosting of the Sky Watch on Friday evening. Ben has been a popular figure since the Fact or Faked television show and is now representing Night Vision Ops, an inexpensive line of night vision equipment. It was reported by some that later that night there was a mysterious UFO that hovered over the location for some time. You might search the web for them.

DonWare

If you’ve been to any of the IUFOC events over the years, you will have noticed Don Ware, who consistently brings interesting bits of information to share. Don has been a regular for as long as we can remember. He combines his understanding of Ufology with tidbits from the Urantia Book. Speaking of, this was the first year the Urantia Foundation was part of the festivities and their books were flying out the door. Maybe there is a new source of information that Ufologists haven’t explored yet.

Although the gathering draws attention from all over the world, there hasn’t been much ‘new’ news in decades regarding the phenomena. There does seem to be a bit more of an inquiry into the possibility of extraterrestrials living among us, though. There was a lively discussion between several fellows one evening, patrons and another ‘regular,’ that included a few retirees – detective, human resource manager and an engineer. We overheard them discussing the possibilities of ETs living among us and what that might be like, especially if the ET didn’t know they were and grew up as an orphaned human with a penchant for discovering his or her lineage. We’ll see what develops.

Open Minds Team

Open Minds Production is based in Tempe, Arizona. The Open Minds team consists of internationally-recognized journalists, researchers and media specialists who have worked in the UFO arena for decades.

ALEJANDRO-ROJAS_142_1Magazine Editor, Open Minds UFO Radio Host

Alejandro Rojas is the host for Open Minds UFO Radio, editor and contributing writer for Open Minds magazine as well as OpenMinds.tv. For several years Alejandro was the official spokesperson for the Mutual UFO Network as the Director of Public Education. As a UFO/Paranormal researcher and journalist, Alejandro has spent many hours in the field investigating phenomena up close and personal. Alejandro has been interviewed by media organizations around the world, including the largest cable and network news agencies with several appearances on Coast to Coast AM.

antonio_2012Contributing Writer, Open Minds Magazine

J. Antonio Huneeus has covered the UFO field from an international perspective for over 30 years. His articles have appeared in dozens of publications in the U.S., Latin America, Europe and Japan. He was also the co-author of the Laurance Rockefeller-funded “UFO Briefing Document – The Best Available Evidence” and edited the book “A Study Guide to UFOs, Psychic & Paranormal Phenomena in the USSR.” Huneeus studied French at the Sorbonne University in Paris and Journalism at the University of Chile in Santiago in the 1970s. He has lectured at dozens of UFO Conferences all over the world and been interviewed by many media outlets including The Washington Post, the Sy-Fy and History Channels, Nippon-TV, etc. He received the “Ufologist of the Year” award at the National UFO Conference in Miami Beach in 1990 and the “Courage in Journalism” award at the X-Conference in Gaithersburg, Maryland, in 2007.

jason_2012_teamMagazine Editor, Spacing Out! Host/Producer, Web Content Manager

Jason McClellan is an editor and staff writer for Open Minds magazine. Jason is also the producer and co-host of the web series Spacing Out!, web content manager and staff writer for OpenMinds.tv, and co-organizer and technical producer of the International UFO Congress.

maureen_2012_teamMarketing Director, Spacing Out! Host/Associate Producer

Maureen Elsberry is the Marketing Director, Co-host and Associate Producer for Spacing Out!, and Co-Organizer of Open Minds Events. She is also a contributing writer for OpenMinds.tv and Open Minds magazine. With a degree in Journalism and Media Production, Maureen has spent over 8 years working in Internet Media, Marketing and Radio. She now spends her time investigating, reporting and spreading news related to the UFO phenomenon.

tom_2012_teamTelevision Executive Producer

Tom Ruffin began his career in television in 1984, with a BA degree in Broadcast Journalism from Cal State Long Beach. Working for a small, and at the time unknown, show called Entertainment Tonight. As the popularity of the show grew he began to climb the ladder. After 21 years he was the only one employed who was a member of the Directors Guild of America (DGA) and the International Alliance of Theatrical and Stage Employees (I.A.T.S.E.) . In the summer of 2009 Tom was hired by Open Minds to develop a television show for broadcast television. He looks forward to this challenge and learning more about this interesting and vital topic.

michael_cline_avatar21Video Editor, Segment Producer

Michael Cline has a diverse background with more than ten years of video production experience at multiple TV stations and ad agencies, along with his own freelance endeavors. A strong interest in the unknown motivates him to research, write, and edit video segments on a variety of UFO related topics.

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Mike Clelland and Hidden Experience

Mike Clelland is a ufology blogger and Hidden Experience is his creation. He is an unassuming guy when you first get to know him. He’s considerate and conversant on a number of topics, including his love of hiking. His bright eyes are both observant and present as he engages others in conversation. I met him some years ago for the first time at an International UFO Congress. He seemed a really likeable guy whose interest in Ufology was a little deeper than most.

Since then, I’ve come to know Mike as a stand-up guy that does his best to stay rooted in inquiry without judgment. That’s a tough one to find in Ufology as most folks have some kind of agenda they are pushing, whether it’s book sales or some newfangled device. Mike is just a real down-to-earth guy who does his homework and presents what he finds with as clear and articulate a method as he can muster. His blog, Hidden Experience, is a great read.

Of course that doesn’t mean he stays in areas that are comfortable or convenient within Ufology. Far from it. His recent article on Roger Marsh questions the status of addressing the abduction and contactee phenomena. Roger had been recently interviewed and stated that he had to set that topic aside, essentially. Now to put that in perspective he is the editor for the monthly MUFON Journal. Traditionally MUFON is focused on physical phenomena and not on individual/subjective experiences. So it stands to reason that he has to put his opinions aside when functioning as a professional representing MUFON.

Mike still explores the question of abduction and contactee events, though. Roger was not offended by Mike’s inquisition at all. It wouldn’t surprise me if Roger even appreciated that Mike brought up the subject in the first place. So what of abductions and/or contactee experiences? Do they deserve more research and scrutiny with an open yet objective perspective? It would seem so. After all, wouldn’t we want to know what the ETs are saying?

I have to admit, though, that this brings up a vastly more subjective and often surreptitious field of play. There is tremendous polarization amongst the constituents of ufology from alien take-overs for control of resources, human and material; to a new world order of harmony among people and planet facilitated by humankind with ET help. Thrown in to the mix is the constant call for disclosure that seems almost anticlimactic now. What are your thoughts?

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