John Greenewald presents the product of a successful FOIA request and analyzes the results of The Inspector General, U.S. Department of Defense "Whistleblower Resprisal [sic, p. 28/67] Investigation" that John convincingly argues concerned David Grusch. While this "whistleblower" DoD IG complaint was rejected, a Personnel Security Appeals Board action later reinstated the individual's eligibility for access to Sensitive Compartmented Information. But heavy redactions and apparent confusion within DoD about "whistleblowing" limit John's analysis (and our understanding); it will be interesting to see what other analysts divine from this and other data. But we note (p. 44/67) that one assessment was that the individual "was far from a poor performer, and no one had provided [deleted] with any credible evidence that the Complainant was a threat to national security." The investigation uncovered nothing "unusual" to the case save that he "did not use the full amount of time allotted to take advantage of being paid on administrative leave." In a similar case linked to UFO-related information reprisals, we have it that Americans for Safe Aerospace has published a "white paper" on Pilot Career Consequences for UAP/UFO Reporting. Here the information of interest is "rarely disciplinary firing for 'seeing a UFO'"; rather "the medicalization of sightings through FAA regulations that can classify unverified aerial observations as evidence of psychological instability." The result of the UFO-reporting stigma, institutionalized by this "medicalization," is "suppression of legitimate safety and national security data." The answer, Americans for Safe Aerospace contends, is their proposed legislation, reintroduced in September 2025, as described. (WM)

Shakespeare's Hamlet described death as "the undiscovered country, from whose bourn no traveller returns" but NDEs (Near Death Experiences) certainly challenge his belief. Author Michael Prescott speculates that "consciousness can operate outside the brain [and] it operates at a significantly higher level," thereby allowing "deathbed visions" which currently defy scientific explanation. Michael quotes from NDE accounts in his own book Life and Afterlife, along with those written of by other authors. But to reduce this vast, perplexing topic to bite-size dimensions, Greg Taylor of The Daily Grail lists The Top Five Phenomena That Offer Evidence For An Afterlife. Happily, he offers us a "more detailed discussion of all these fascinating topics" in his book Stop Worrying! There Probably Is An Afterlife. (LP)

Two very interesting dialogues pertaining to noteworthy UFO cases—and more—from Martin Willis. Joshua Bertrand covers a novel theory about "aerogel" and its possible use in reverse-engineered flying craft since time immemorial—even back as far as the Nazca "Linemakers." While Martin (and we) perceive several obvious weak (or at least requiring more clarification) points in Joshua's theory, his history of lighter-than-air vehicles is quite intriguing, and his 2004 "Tic Tac" tale truly provocative. It's a pleasant, even fun, exchange, even though a potentially-challenging proposition. The Dave Schindele Interview takes us back to September of 1966, when a then-First Lieutenant Minuteman Intercontinental Ballistic Missile Launch Control Officer at Minot AFB reported to his November Flight post. He saw with his own eyes what he'd been somewhat prepared for—the stunning fact that all ten of the missiles in his flight had been mysteriously rendered offline during the apparent presence of a UFO. Schindele says secrecy surrounding such events has since been broken by Robert Salas' courageous reporting, and that such externally-caused shutdowns are much more numerous than generally understood. And Dave's remarks regarding how his life was changed by the mystery and then by "coming out" about it publicly are memorable. (WM)

Tim Binnall gives us three recent Latin American photographic cases, this one involving an unsettling sound component. While our first (and maybe second) explanations are fully human-caused, there's a part of us that would prefer it was really a Witch acting "Wicked." South to South America, was a Flying Saucer Spotted in Photo from Argentina? Here we have a named witness and that oft-noted matter of an anomaly only noticed after the fact. It therefore seems rather more likely that María Inés Navarrete inadvertently captured a blurred bird than a UFO. For "Door Number Three," the Question is "Was a Flying Saucer Spotted in Brazil?" (Okay; it's been a while since we watched game shows!) We also believe Michelli Azuma's story, which seems Tim's most interesting offering, but lean towards human agency behind the object. And Coast to Coast asks itself if higher holiday season UFO reporting is due to Christmas Lights or Close Encounters? (WM)

We know that an NDE changes the experiencer profoundly. But what happens when a group of NDE'rs get together at a conference to share their experiences? Follow the author of this report, Jessica Grose, through the annual conference organized by the International Association of Near Death Studies as she studies the common characteristics of experiencers and marvels at their newfound ability to grasp life with a certain wild abandon. Next we look at Consciousness Beyond the Brain—and Why It Matters Now in this episode of Connecting with Coincidence, where guest Laurel Waterman, "a Canadian researcher and educator working to bring consciousness studies into the classroom," specifically "how different perspectives on the source and nature of consciousness shape ways of being, knowing, teaching, and learning." The discussion centers around the evolution of the worldview of consciousness and how we can begin to look within to examine what we think we know on the subject. (CM)

New discoveries and continuing controversies. An ongoing international excavation has produced "essential clues about the last common ancestor of Homo sapiens, Neandertals, and Denisovans." Next: Archaeologists Uncovered a Strange Carving of a Terrifying Mythical Figure in a Roman forum in Turkey. Tim Newcomb says "The more welcoming side of Medusa turns typical mythology upside down," explaining how this Greek goddess' oddly-childlike, smiling face argues a "kinder, gentler" side to an East Mediterranean Roman city. Elizabeth Rayne notes Archaeologists Unearthed an Ancient Face Where It Wasn't Supposed to Be. Seems a 2500-year-old kore statue head shows Attic Greek influence on the Etruscans at Vulci, around 50 miles northwest of Rome. Philip Chrysopoulos asks Did Ancient Greeks Reach America Long Before Columbus? Featuring a comparison of "Greek key" (meander) patterns from the Roman Ara Pacis and Mayan Uxmal in his Greek Reporter article, Chrysopoulos unrolls two theories based partly on the Greek Plutarch's dialogue De Facie, written around 100CE. Jason Colavito rather doubts a deep European exploration of North America in Canadian Documentary Series Searches for Viking Explorers in Minnesota, Elsewhere. But Jason's "not, in theory, opposed to the idea that the Norse explored farther inland than the current evidence of their settlements suggests." For a seminal and highly readable work on this aspect of exploration see Anomalist Editor and Webmaster Patrick Huyghe's Columbus Was Last: From 200,000 BC to 1492, A Heretical History of Who Was First. (WM)

Two key figures in ufology discuss their UFO-related work, its reception, and hopes for the future. Here Matt Ford and Stanford University's Garry Nolan review Garry's involvement, how some of the "stigma" surrounding anomalous subjects has lessened, his own methodology, and why "debunkers" may be more on the defensive now. Yet 80 years of history teaches us that Government remains dedicated to controlling a UFO narrative it does not fully comprehend, and journalists and mainstream media aren't necessarily out for the facts. Nolan again strongly recommends the book UFOs and Government: A Historical Inquiry, eds. Michael Swords and Robert Powell, published by Anomalist Books. Ford passionately argues that Congressional staffers, not the elected officials they serve, are behind the continued quashing of UAP Disclosure Act legislative provisions. Jason Colavito focuses unkindly upon some lesser topics (though rather emphasized) in the Ford-Nolan dialogue in Garry Nolan Outlines Bizarre Conditions for a Potential Interview with Mick West. Similarly, The News International headlines UFO Expert Makes Startling Revelation About Interaction with Aliens. Jacques Vallée's over-two-hour conversation with George Knapp and Jeremy Corbell gets basically just this snippet (minus additional "qualifiers" Vallée makes to this "revelation") from near the end of Jacques Vallée - The Bizarre Nature of UFOs. Here Vallée covers his career, so well-illuminated by his Forbidden Science journals from 1957 to 2009, also from Anomalist Books. Vallée believes Government reacts to, but doesn't control, the Phenomenon, describes how his "Control Theory" developed and how any major "disclosure" needs a Leader people can trust, and requires us to think long about our warlike posture and general cultural development—as living beings hoping to populate the stars. (WM)

Back in November of 2025, a woman in California took her family camping at Mount Baldy. Their trip took a turn for the strange that night when rocks the size of softballs began landing in the area surrounding their tent. They also noted considerable coyote howling as well as one long, unusual howl from Something Else. Those types of howls may become much easier to identify after listening to Bigfoot and coyote sounds at BFRO List of Bigfoot/Sasquatch Media. (The original link for this story,BFRO Sounds of Bigfoot with Matt Moneymaker, is no longer available.) Never again will you mistake an anomalous howl for coyotes, or wolves.(CM)

Senior CUFOS colleague George Eberhart has published his annual by-date rundown and summary of significant UFO events, with live links to related sources, excerpted from his massive catalogue of 597 CE: UFOs and Intelligence: A Timeline. This remarkable and critically-useful resource for more information on what's Behind the Headlines is consistently updated and improved. A major 2025 event from July 1st, 2025 onwards has a 2026 requiem in Robert Lea's Interstellar Comet 3I/ATLAS Isn't an Alien Spacecraft, Astronomers Confirm. 'In the End, There Were No Surprises.'. A well-illustrated and informative article, with links to other space.com features on the Interstellar Visitor. Conspicuously unmentioned here, Avi Loeb responds to the general news with If 3I/ATLAS is a Comet, Why Would the CIA “Neither Deny, Nor Confirm” the Existence of Records on It? Loeb challenges Lea's "no surprises" claim upfront as well as questioning the Feds' response to a John Greenewald FOIA request. Compared to the US experience, a German UFO Centre Logged Record Number of Sightings in 2025, but "CENAP" explained them all away. Its Director, Hansjürgen Köhler, was strongly criticized as a debunker in Silencing the Skies: Germany’s Unique Scepticism in the Age of UFO Disclosure, an article we reviewed at the end of the year. (WM)

John Greenewald's very-well-described FOIA success illustrates "how external narratives...were compiled and elevated within the Department of Defense." Writes Greenwald: "While the FOIA request targeted UAP-related keywords, the release does not include internal correspondence or direct discussions by General Wilson regarding UAPs. However, the broader compilation does include media commentary touching on unidentified aerial phenomena." In Vatican City, we have the Pope 'Preparing' For First Contact With Aliens This Year, Says UFO Researcher Mark Christopher Lee. No surprise here; there have been numerous books on the subject of the Catholic Church and the "many worlds" hypothesis through time. But Bernie O'Connor's access initially surprises in his We Spoke with Pope. Nope, not Chicago-born Leo XIV, but Nick Pope, who from 1991-1994 was the British Ministry of Defence's "Fox Mulder." Bernie's interview with Pope (Nick) brings out many interesting points. The Observer editor also "observes" how excellent Bernie's new book The Official History of UFO Magazine really is, while listing just a few of its many highlights. Staying in Great Britain for a moment, we find only Three UFO Reports to PSNI in 2025 But True Number Of Sightings ‘May Be Higher’. Rebecca Black takes us to the Police Service of Northern Ireland for the paltry data and remarks by Pope (Nick) as to why the numbers are so low. And back in the USA, a USAF Nuclear Specialist Claims Donald Trump 'Could Release Bombshell UFO Pictures Soon'. Sure 'nuff, but will he? is the question. Nonetheless Gene Sticco's personal perspective is quite interesting. (WM)

David Luke, whose research focuses on transpersonal experiences, anomalous phenomena, and altered states of consciousness, especially via psychedelics, has finally been awarded full professorship, choosing the title Professor of Exceptional Experience. At the same time he has been awarded "the position of Perrott-Warrick Senior Researcher—an old, obscure and prestigious award administered to just two or three scholars every decade or so through Trinity College, Cambridge, for the specific and sole pursuit of parapsychological research." He has also launched the Psychedelic and Exceptional Experience Lab (PEEL) "to specifically explore the weirder side of human experience." Unfortunately, these new roles have required Dr. Luke to set aside his leadership of the Psychology of Exceptional Human Experience undergraduate module and pass the baton to a former Ph.D student, who is no doubt thrilled to be given this opportunity. Meanwhile, Dr. Luke will be spending more time in nature and focusing on the construction of a "dream temple" in the woodlands surrounding his home, "rekindling some of the ancient traditions of healing and the origins of Western medicine." (CM)

Philosopher Michael Grosso offers a couple of thought-provoking pieces for the New Year. In the first he wonders whether reading could actually be regarded as a psychic phenomenon, arguably stretching the term but raising useful questions. He highlights the worrying decline of reading as it loses out to more palatable media in the attention economy, suggesting that our capacity to attend to not only the written word but the world itself is being eroded by modern technologies. His second post holds an even bleaker diagnosis Are We Facing a Final Choice? Grosso points to both the climate crisis and nuclear saber‑rattling as existential threats to humanity and the Earth. He then pivots unexpectedly to the mystery of consciousness, suggesting that our minds may “emerge through” the body from a wider, transpersonal field. The piece closes as a brief, apocalyptic New Year’s meditation, inviting readers to “ignite the divine kernel” within as an antidote to collective despair and the contemporary death‑drive. (JS)

The Threat potential and "possibility of technology acquisition" figured large in some British Ministry of Defence documents in the 1990s. Those real concerns as well as "Little Green Men," "the fringe element of ‘crazies’ and the lack of conventional intelligence information” as hindrances to studying UFOs sound so familiar today, in spite of the MoD's current position, as Marc Home observes. Australian researcher Keith Basterfield notes some recent US examples of Academic Funding for UAP Research. Keith remarks: "Both lines of funding are unprecedented in the academic study of UAP." Moving to a private organization, Håkan Blomqvist tells us This Is How It Happened When UFO-Sweden Was Formed. It forms an interesting comparison to other countries while noting the vagaries of preservation of UFO-related materials worldwide. Baton Rouge's The Advocate Robin Miller takes us further afield from UFOs and Government officialdom by asking Did A Rash of 1940s Sightings Lead to Plans For a National UFO Conference in Louisiana? Supposedly, "central Louisiana was called the UFO Capital of the World in 1947"—at least in the Pelican State. And Paola Harris sums up a general theme in The History of UFOS Is the History of People Not Crafts! (WM)

It may be said that cryptids are symbols of those things about which we feel fear or guilt. This makes sense, given how they are so often connected to tragedies. Mothman became a harbinger of doom after the Silver Bridge collapse. Bigfoot is thought to be responsible in certain missing persons cases. Goatman is blamed for teens meeting their demise from a train bridge in Pope Lick. Worse, these terrible events are often celebrated as excuses to drive up local tourism. How is a cryptid supposed to catch a break? In related, very sad news, Bigfoot Forensic Artist Harvey Pratt, 84, Dies. After 40 years in law enforcement using his forensic drawing skills, Pratt not only solved countless criminal cases but was also responsible for many of the images we now have of Bigfoot. A Native American, Pratt assisted David Paulides with Bigfoot cases on the Hoopa Reservation in California. His accomplishments are too numerous to list here, but Loren Coleman's obituary and homage to the man do his work justice. Rest in Peace Mr. Pratt. (CM)

Different looks at the UFO Year Past and What's to Come, starting with the "post-2017" generation of podcasters. That UFO Podcast Host Andy McGrillen and Dan Zetterström consider some relative "letdowns" in 2025 and continuing issues with whistleblower protections. They praise the September 9th House hearing, particularly George Knapp's testimony. Segueing to George and Jeremy Corbells' Real Stranger Things - The UFO Year In Review. This focuses upon their roles in making happen what did happen, despite "pushback" from different sources. Even detractors must admit that their "behind the scenes" efforts and George's hearing performance deserve acknowledgment and respect. On Need to Know, Bryce Zabel and Richard Dolan Turn The Page To 2026. Theirs is perhaps the clearest listing and discussion of the major moments of "a year defined less by breakthroughs and more by normalization, confusion, and institutional digestion of the UAP issue." They believe that—absent "an undeniable event that forces the issue into the open"—"Big D" Disclosure won't happen in 2026. And in Eric Burlison on the Lue Elizondo Controversy & the UFO Disclosure Effort in 2026 Pavel Ibarra Meda and the Congressman from Missouri discuss what Burlison stresses is "not a sprint" towards more governmental institutional openness on UFOs/UAP. Burlison is candid and measured in his remarks. There's a potentially major new witness and "short list" of about five individuals who might be called to testify under subpoena if necessary. A good insight from the actual legislative trenches. (WM)

UFO encounters from the late '60s through '80s, both lesser-known and famous. Host Martin Willis has Len Filppu describe his seminal 1967 sighting and the years of UFO "stigma" that followed, and how it altered his whole life. As often happens to people who experience such an anomalous episode, this one opened Len to other, different adventures into the Unknown. It's particularly an interesting "listen" for those who have worked with paranormal witnesses in the past. We move to 1976 and The Skyline-Sea Island Sighting, a Vancouver, British Columbia very early morning occurrence. UFO Talker host Michael Ryan and Commentator Christine Scott pore over a strange encounter that badly frightened two teenagers, whose RCMP interviews are read extremely well by Joy, Michael Ryan's wife. One wonders how/whether the girls' ordeal left a lasting impact upon their lives. The Saucers and Saints website has a John Burroughs Rendlesham UFO Bombshell. Burroughs details his side to that 1980 sensation and its aftermath, and shares his personally involved perspective on the current state of ufology. Britain's Roswell: Alien ‘Corpses’, RAF Cover-Ups & Royal Nuclear Bunkers… Inside Eerie Top-Secret UFO Research Base Dubbed ‘UK’s Area 51’ is less a Roswell-type story than an interesting and eerie look at a piece of RAF and British government post-WWII history. We conclude with a quirky but enjoyable "walk through the woods" regarding The 1986 UFO, Man Breaks 40 Years of Silence. North Yorkshire, England, paranormal investigator/author Paul Sinclair relates a tale that hits many of the same notes as do our previous cases. (WM)

In this slightly meandering piece, Larry Kravitz, MD, reflects on Near Death Experiences of a type less vaunted than the usual comforting and peaceful kind. For some, the NDE is dark and terrifying and is one from which the experiencer may, or may not suffer emotionally in later years. Meanwhile, Professor Jesse Bering of Otago University, New Zealand, tells A Tale of Two Introverted Afterlife Researchers, one of them himself and the other is the subject of his forthcoming biography The Incredible Afterlives of Dr Stevenson. Bering draws some parallels between his own academic life and experiences and those of the late University of Virginia parapsychologist Stevenson, who "desperately sought" an answer to the question of the afterlife. (LP)

Several very different views on the paranormal, beginning with a discussion between Whitley Strieber and researcher and author Grant Cameron, whose The Big Game - The Supernatural Blueprint: Investigating PSI, ESP and the Afterlife, co-authored with Desta Barnabe, came out in late September. This challenging interview moves quickly from concept to concept, but Grant's gist seems to be that to truly apprehend Reality, Consciousness must be viewed as primary and Matter only as secondary—and that efforts founded only on material science and data, and for material purposes, will therefore flounder. Australian researcher Bill Chalker covers The UFO Religion Nexus, in an essay occasioned by the first trailer for the Steven Spielberg movie Disclosure Day, projected for a June 12, 2026, release. Remarking "religious and consciousness aspects" to that trailer, Bill reviews some Australian ufological history, finding "a lot of religious impulses of differing creeds." And a co-participant with Bill in a February 2025 Australian radio program gets consideration in Bryan Sentes' Shadow Play: Jacques Vallée’s Control System Hypothesis and D. W. Pasulka on the Social Engineering of the UFO Mythology. Bryan suggests that the mantra of an advanced extraterrestrial technological cause for UFOs is a natural byproduct of (and reaction to) Western technological civilization and worldview. Well argued, though "swamp gas" was infamously connected to the 1966 Dexter and Hillsdale, Michigan, sightings. (WM)