Visitors From Hidden Realms: The Origin and Destiny of Humanity As Told by Star Elders, Shamen, and UFO Visitors

by Brent Raynes

Eagle Wing Books, Inc. • P.O. Box 9972 • Memphis, TN 38190 (Click for ordering details)

2004, 182 pages, $16.95 • ISBN: 094082938X

Reviewed by Berthold E. Schwarz, M.D.

In the early days of UFO research, attention was largely directed to purported mechanics-physics of the craft: the nuts and bolts of supersonic speed and immediate cessation of movement, acute angle turns and maneuvers, sudden appearance and disappearance of the craft, and visual and radar data. These and other manifestations dominated most of the serious literature. Yet this complex subject was much more involved and included often downplayed (or crowded out) concomitant, associated relevant phenomena in many cases. These “soft data” features involved the “human equation,” with deep roots in the history of humanity: his religion, culture, psychopathology, and in many instances the forbidden territory of orthodox science­spectacular psychic phenomena. Brent Raynes has been an inveterate researcher from near the beginning of the modern era of ufology. He has personally investigated many high-interest UFO cases. He has also read most of the literature on this subject and for years published an engaging newsletter pertaining to the same and, more recently, shared his thought-provoking electronic journal, Alternate Perceptions. Few people are as qualified and capable in synopsizing the best American and global UFO cases. Now, after many years of study, he presents his findings in an exciting book, Visitors From Hidden Realms, The Origin and Destiny of Humanity as Told by Star Elders, Shamen, and UFO Visitors, whose title perfectly portrays his deliberations, those often overlooked and sometimes recondite aspects which are frequently omitted, missed, or side-stepped.

As emphasized by renowned UFO-paranormal scholar Brad Steiger in his introduction to Visitors From Hidden Realms, Brent Raynes is open-minded in his wide ranging approach that touches upon data derived from disparate sources which often depends on accounts “as told to” and, sometimes, ancestral memories and legends. This makes Visitors From Hidden Realms especially engaging and fascinating reading. He includes experiences that are not the usual wish-fulfilling pabulum. He daringly probes the dark and oftentimes passed over UFO-related physical maladies, injuries and deaths, enigmatic Men in Black (MIB) cases, and associated Bigfoot and chupacabra encounters. In attempting to analyze and understand these, he has marshaled various UFO relevant hypotheses, including parallel universes, mystery vortexes, time traveling, and material derived from Native American archeology and anthropology.

For those readers and researchers who would like to sample numerous thoughts and ideas of the leading UFO investigators, experients, and abductees through the past decades to present, Brent Raynes has encapsulated their views. Expertly, he has extracted many pearls in vignettes featuring leading figures in ufology which include John A. Keel, the Lorenzens, Jacques Vallee, Ann Druffel, Raymond Fowler, Gordon Creighton, Bob Pratt, Greg Little, Leo Sprinkle, Scott Corrales, Virgilio Sanchez-Ocejo, and the grand doyenne of abductees, Betty Hill. He also mentions others deserving acclaim but who are not as widely known, such as the colorful Earl Neff (“Dean of Ufology”), Shirley Fickett (the Maine artist and discoverer of extraordinary cases), Eldon Byrd, Giorgio Piacenza, Ramona Hibner, and Jacque Booth.

Visitors From Hidden Realms is sensitively written, linking past with present, and at times projects into the future. From personal contacts, correspondence, and reading, author Raynes has opened new doors to this arcane subject which ought to encourage all of us to wonder about our origin, identity, purpose, and our role in possibly the most important story of all times. Visitors From Hidden Realms sparks a thirst for more knowledge and allows the reader to become spellbound at the unknown. As a follow-up to Visitors From Hidden Realms, it is hoped that Brent Raynes will soon share his collected interviews of various savants, experients, and researchers in ufology and related fields­a researcher’s banquet to anticipate and to behold.

Psi Physics: A Scientific Investigation of Recurrent Psychokinesis Related to Dr. Neihardt’s Sorrat (Society for Research on Rapport and Telekinesis)

by William Edward Cox

Penobscot Press

This book is available from: John Thomas Richards, PhD • 309 West Ninth Street • Rolla, Missouri 65401

1-573-364-5723 • 2004, 382 pages • ISBN: 0-89725-523-2

Reviewed by Brent Raynes

Dr. John G. Neihardt, Ph.D., a Professor of English at the University of Missouri, came up with the idea for creating SORRAT back in the late 1950s. His intent was to study first-hand paranormal occurrences within an experimental group of prepared participants. His interest in this subject had been sparked by what he had learned from the Omaha and Sioux Indians, of whom he became regarded as an authority upon. In fact his book Black Elk Speaks, originally published back in 1931, is today a much sought after classic. Black Elk was regarded as a powerful medicine man of the Oglala Sioux. Dr. Neihardt had witnessed Black Elk, at the height of the dust bowl period, “calling for rain.” Though none had fallen in weeks, and though there was none in the forecast, by “coincidence” or whatever, it began to rain after Black Elk’s ceremony. Dr. Neihardt was quite impressed by this event, noting that Black Elk had, among his people, the reputation for psychically predicting future events, healing the sick, and producing rain.

In the experiments that evolved around participants who became a close-knit group of friends, incredible and highly evidential examples of psychic phenomena were observed and carefully documented. Numerous and impressive instances of levitation, psychokinesis, unexplained “raps” (that occasionally spelled out messages), matter-through-matter phenomena, apportations of various objects, and episodes of apparent telepathic interaction and responses between participants and possibly discarnate intelligences.

One popular target of the mysterious rapping noises was Black Elk’s drum, which the elder medicine man had donated to Dr. Neihardt, and in several instances phenomenal rappings of long duration occurred as SORRAT participants gathered outside in the Sioux Prayer Garden, which was created in the form of a 15 foot wide circular area with a sapling in the center referred to as the “Tree of Life.” Here also, on a number of occasions, strange white glowing balls of light appeared in and around the prayer garden.

Black Elk and other alleged Plains Indians purportedly communicated messages to the SORRAT group. Though Dr. Neihardt passed away on November 3, 1973, the group still continued his work. William Edward Cox was closely involved with statistical psi experiments from 1947 until his passing in 1994. In 1957, he joined the staff at the Parapsychology Lab at Duke University in North Carolina. Cox was most interested in things like psychokinesis, mediumship, and poltergeist phenomena. Thus the SORRAT experiments held considerable fascination for him. He began to participate and devize controlled experiments, and after a few years even moved to Rolla, Missouri, in 1978, where he engaged in formal and active scientific studies of the SORRAT occurrences until his death on June 12, 1994.

In addition to describing in great detail his own bewildering and sometimes frustrating efforts to adequately document the SORRAT events (which included carefully locked and sealed “mini-labs”in which cameras were automatically activated when movements occurred, and as a result a wide-variety of apparent telekinetic activity was recorded), Cox also re-examined relevant historical events and psychic studies that might shed light and insight on the puzzling SORRAT cases. From the legendary Fox Sisters and D.D. Home of the early spiritualist movement back in the 1800s, to the early scientific studies of these mediums by distinguished scientist Sir William Crookes, it was clear to Cox that he was retreading old ground that others before him had traversed.

Cox, also a magician as well as a dedicated psychical researcher, described how he took great pains to safeguard against any hint or possibility of fraud in his psi experiments. In this book he describes the methodological problems as well as the harsh criticisms and charges of trickery that were leveled at SORRAT and its participants­and not just by traditional skeptics and critics like well-known magician James Randi, but also researchers from within the ranks of parapsychology itself. Cox seemed to respond to these charges with a seasoned insider’s patient perspective.

Also in this book we read how our long time friend and colleague Dr. Berthold E. Schwarz, his wife Ardis, and daughter Lisa have participated in some of the SORRAT events. In 1985, Lisa Schwarz had experienced first-hand the odd floor shaking phenomenon that had occurred from time to time with Cox and other participants. Comparing it to an earthquake she had experienced that was 5.6 on the Richter Scale, she stated that this had exceeded that natural seismic event in both intensity and duration. Perhaps at this point we should note that the mysterious balls of light seen around the prayer garden were felt by Cox to have been the same sort of lights traditionally associated with an ancient Native American ceremony called the “Shaking Tent.”

Dr. Schwarz wrote an account in Pursuit Magazine of a SORRAT incident that he and his family had witnessed. A Texas metallurgist with NASA provided two seamless separate metal rings that were placed in an envelope and laid on top of a table. Participants began to request that the metal rings be linked together. The paranormal raps ensued and soon the reply came that the rings would be linked. The table began vibrating and then tilted toward Alice Neihardt Thompson (the late Dr. Neihardt’s daughter), at which point she exclaimed that the rings were linked, and immediately taken out of the envelope they were indeed found to be inexplicably linked together. The rings were afterwards carefully examined by experts and no explanation was rendered for their linkage.

Such are the innumerable and incredible stories and testimonies that comprise the SORRAT legacy. Though many attempts have been made to dismiss, condemn, and disprove the legitimacy of these experiments, Cox stood firm and staked his hard-earned reputation on them. At his side stood John Thomas Richards, Ph.D., a man who had met and befriended Dr. Neihardt way back in 1959, and participated in the SORRAT experiments from their formal beginnings in 1961, and continues to be engaged in related paranormal studies to this day.

The Holy Grail Mystery Solved: A Full Illustrated Research Odyssey

by Frank C. Tribbe

Galde Press, Inc. • P.O. Box 460 • Lakeville, Minnesota 55044-0460

2003, 199 pages, $14.95 ($4.00 S&H) • ISBN: 1-880090-05-8

Reviewed by Brent Raynes

Thorough and wonderfully illustrated, this book embodies a tremendous measure of historical detective work into the whole complex and controversial Holy Grail riddle. With scholarly and painstaking research efforts, Tribbe carefully traces the Grail mythos down through history, pointing out how the term “Holy Grail” first surfaced around 1190 A.D. in French court poet Chretein de Troyes’s epic poem, Le Conte du Graal. From then till now it has undergone numerous variations. To Chretein it was a wide dish or platter of gold studded with precious gems, and produced a brilliant light. The second time the term “Holy Grail” was used was in a story written by Wolfram von Eschenbach, which appeared around 1207 A.D. Wolfram described the Grail as “a miraculous emerald...a stone of the purest kind...called lapis lazuli.” From 1190 to 1215 A.D., some two dozen writers variously described the Grail as a bowl, a cauldron, a fountain, a book written by Jesus himself, a jewel, an altar, a meteorite, a body part of an early saint, etc. Though these Grail stories became popular at that time in France and Germany, the central characters were borrowed from the romantic and heroic tales of the legendary King Arthur of England. These tales became quite embellished and from one account to another great inconsistencies arose. But the Arthurian legend, with its Holy Grail component, has endured down through the centuries, and even today has made its way into our motion pictures. Noted mythologist Joseph Campbell and Swiss psychiatrist Dr. Carl Jung perceived deep and symbolic meanings in these ancient stories. Jung saw the Grail as something comparable to the alchemist’s quest for the philosopher’s stone. It was hidden within the individual, and one had to meditate and become one with it. Wolfram’s early account in fact referred to elements of alchemy.

Tribbe though doesn’t stop there. He pulls back the veils of time even further and suggests that the Holy Grail symbolized Jesus Christ, whose image, known today as the Shroud of Turin, was supernaturally imprinted upon the very burial cloth of Jesus of Nazareth. Though one may wish to question the conclusion, Tribbe presents abundant historical evidence that indicates that the Shroud image was the original blueprint for many early great works of art portraying Jesus Christ. In fact, reportedly more than fifty faces of Jesus in artwork dating from around 35 A.D. to 1200 A.D. have been matched to the Shroud of Turin face with up to four times as many “points of congruence” as required in modern courts for a legal match. An artist/art researcher named Isabel Piczek has stated that fifty-two proven early copies of the Shroud face have been found. Dr. and Mrs. Alan M. Whanger of Duke University used an FBI technique of projecting onto a screen two separate images at the same time, superimposed one over the other, and then noting and counting the congruences. They found highly convincing matches between the Shroud face and other ancient works of art.

Tribbe’s exhaustive search for ancient answers also took him in search of the Ark of the Covenant, and besides noting the strange illuminations associated in accounts with both the Ark and the legendary Holy Grail, he also presents evidence that the Ark may still exist and possibly remains to this day under guard at a shrine in Axum, Ethiopia.

If you fancy yourself open minded and would like to take an alternative look at ancient truths, then this well-researched book should definitely be right up your alley.

The Convoluted Universe - Book One

by Dolores Cannon

Ozark Mountain Publishing, Inc. • Huntsville, AR 72740-0754

2001, 530 pages, $17.00 • ISBN: 1-886940-82-7

Reviewed by W. Ritchie Benedict

The use of hypnosis in UFO investigations has had a very mixed report card. On the one hand, you have cases like that of the Swiss psychic Helene Smith who conjured up fanciful Mars landscapes back in the 1890s that were people with equally colorful Martians, which of course had no basis in reality. On the other hand, hypnosis has been extremely useful in modern abduction cases for recalling details that the conscious mind has hidden due to fear. I cannot say that I was familiar with the work of Dolores Cannon, until I came across this book, but she has been active in exploring the unknown through hypnosis for over 30 years, and has a number of books to her credit, including one dealing specifically with UFO abduction (The Custodians). She has investigated the sites of UFO landings personally and also researched crop circles in Britain. Her interest in hypnosis began with reincarnation regression and developed into other areas. I was interested to learn that she had worked with Mr. Lucius Farish who has a sterling reputation in the UFO field.

This book is unusual in a number of ways as it concerns complex questions about the nature of reality and the universe(s), brought forth by questions directed to UFO abductees under deep hypnosis. It is likely the first time anyone has tried to establish the identities of the crop circle makers in this manner. Not that it is any more specific than what we already know, but there are some hints that whatever is behind it is not a space alien, but intimately related to ourselves.

The claim is made that the circles are somehow related to stabilizing the earth’s magnetic field, thereby preventing disaster, and are also altering human consciousness. There were major problems just getting the information, as one abductee named Janice encountered a good deal of discomfort during trance, and another named Phil said he felt positively ill when he was asked about the origins of the circles in the fields. There were also problems with tape recording the session, as the tape would alternately speed up to the point where it was impossible to transcribe, or else slow down to a crawl. A switch to another tape recorder proved that the difficulties were not mechanical in origin, as the energy flux occurred no matter which machine was used. A question directed to a subject named Linda by Ms. Cannon will give some idea of the type of material that was coming through:

D: Can I ask a question? We are very interested in the crop circles that are being made here in England. Do you have any information about how they are being constructed?

L: Yes, we have this information. They are being constructed as part of a pattern that is now being placed within th energy frequency of the Earth. The pattern will be shifted into the awareness of many people on the Earth plane. This will continue within the energy frequency around the Earth. As each and every person connects with this frequency pattern, so they will be charged up. Their own frequencies will interact with the patterns in the circle and other configurations.

There are sections on other mysteries that have puzzled mankind for a long time, including Stonehenge, Easter Island, Atlantis, the Yeti or Abominable Snowman, the Loch Ness Monster and Life After Death. The book is in a question and answer format as given above with explanatory segments by the author separating each section. I found the chapter on parallel universes particularly intriguing, as it is supported by results in modern physics, and even by material from other sources, such as the Seth material from the late medium Jane Roberts. In this connection, it is stated that UFOs come from physical space, but not space as we know it, as they alter their perception of reality to coincide with our perception of reality. This tallies with the impression by the woman Janice who said that she saw an image of a cat that gradually turned into a group of beings right before her eyes.

As you read these transcripts, you keep getting these odd resonances. An example of which is found on page 44, where supposedly aliens visited earth long ago. These beings utilized chambers or a sarcophagus to take energy baths to keep them alive and revitalized. I wondered where I had heard of this concept before, then it struck me­in science fiction. On Star Trek Voyager, Seven of Nine who was previously a half human cyborg had to enter an alcove to be recharged. Likewise in the series “Stargate-SG1," aliens who visited earth millenia ago used sarcophagus to heal. Now this does not mean this information simply came from television. It could mean that it originates deep in the subconscious mind and is then retrieved and crafted into popular entertainment by the minds of the writers. Likewise, some of the data about Atlantis reminds one of the H.G. Wells classic, “The Island of Dr. Moreau.” The description of some of the great flying machines in Atlantis reminds us of UFO sightings in the last century. I noted that the image of a cigar shaped machine with a powerful light in the nose matches the sighting of a UFO over Ottawa, Canada, I came across in the newspaper files. This dates back to 1891­long before science fiction was ever a factor in molding our impressions.

The reader can appreciate the integrity of the hypnotist in not asking leading questions. She asks questions that any one of us might want to know, just out of sheer curiosity. Ms. Cannon even worries that some of the more advanced items that come through might be too much fo the average reader to follow. While it is true that some of it does veer towards total abstraction, that is no more so than in other books that have dealt with similar subjects. Whatever is out there/in here may simply be beyond physical human comprehension, at least at our present level of knowledge.

It is not easy to sum up a book that works at so many different levels. If this much is covered in the first volume, goodness only knows what will be in the second. It certainly raises a number of fascinating questions, none of which have easy answers.