UNSOLVED MYSTERIES OF THE WORLD

Mystery:
Mystery can be defined as anything that is kept secret or remains unexplained or
unknown.

any affair, thing, or person that presents features or qualitiesso obscure as to arouse
curiosity or speculation

A profound secret; something wholly unknown, or something kept cautiously concealed,

and therefore exciting curiosity or wonder; something which has not been or can not be
explained; hence, specifically, that which is beyond human comprehension.

Our world is full of certain mysteries which sustain to challenge the horizons of logic and
knowledge here is a glimpse of some of the great unsolved mysteries of the world.

THE BERMUDA TRIANGLE:

The Bermuda Triangle, also known as the Devil's Triangle, is a region in the western
part of the North Atlantic Ocean where a number of aircraft andsurface
vessels allegedly disappeared under mysterious circumstances. Popular culture has
attributed these disappearances to the paranormal or activity by extraterrestrial beings.
Documented evidence indicates that a significant percentage of the incidents were
inaccurately reported or embellished by later authors, and numerous official agencies
have stated that the number and nature of disappearances in the region is similar to that
in any other area of ocean.
The Area

The "Bermuda or Devil's Triangle" is an imaginary

area located off the southeastern Atlantic coast of
the United States, which is noted for a high
incidence of unexplained losses of ships, small
boats, and aircraft. The apexes of the triangle are
generally accepted to be Bermuda, Miami, Fla., and
San Juan, Puerto Rico. However, The U. S. Board of
Geographic Names does not recognize the Bermuda
Triangle as an official name and does not maintain
an official file on the area.
An area called the "Devil's Sea" by Japanese and
Filipino seamen, located off the east coast of Japan,
also exhibits the same magnetic characteristics. It is
also known for its mysterious disappearances.

Theories

Countless theories attempting to explain the many disappearances have been offered
throughout the history of the area. The most practical seem to be environmental and
those citing human error. The majority of disappearances can be attributed to the area's
unique environmental features.

It has been said that the "Devil's Triangle" is one of the two places on earth that a
magnetic compass does point towards true north. Normally it points toward magnetic
north. The difference between the two is known as compass variation. The amount of
variation changes by as much as 20 degrees as one circumnavigates the earth. If this is
the case and a compass variation or error is not compensated for, a navigator could find
himself far off course and in deep trouble.

Another environmental factor is the character of the Gulf Stream. It is extremely swift
and turbulent and can quickly erase any evidence of a disaster. The unpredictable
Caribbean-Atlantic weather pattern also plays its role. Sudden local thunder storms and
water spouts often spell disaster for pilots and mariners. Finally, the topography of the
ocean floor varies from extensive shoals around the islands to some of the deepest
marine trenches in the world. With the interaction of the strong currents over the many
reefs the topography. Not to be under estimated is the human error factor. A large
number of pleasure boats travel the waters between Florida's Gold Coast and the
Bahamas. All too often, crossings are attempted with too small a boat, insufficient
knowledge of the area's hazards, and a lack of good seamanship.
Gas    

                                                   
Dr. Ben Clennell, of Leeds University, England,  is not the first to make note of the
possibility of methane hydrates as a source for causing ships to disappear, he has
become identified with the theory which, on September 21, 1998, at the Festival of
Earth Sciences at Cardiff, Wales, he proposed methane hydrates as the future of
energy.
As a part of his elaborate dissertation he claimed that methane locked below the sea
sediments in the Bermuda Triangle can explain the mysterious disappearances. He told
how subterranean landslides can unlock the vast beds of methane hydrate. This would
be disastrous, he told the audience, because large amounts of methane would reduce
the density of the water. “This would make any ship floating above sink like a rock.” He
went on to explain how the highly combustible gas could also ignite aircraft engines and
blow them to pieces. Although I believe a certain percentage of flammable gas to air is
required for the atmosphere to become combustible.

Aliens and time    

 There is another school of thought regarding the disappearance of people along with
their craft, it is thought that they are "trapped in-between time dimensions," of which
there is "no way out." These disappearances are accidental and not intentional. The
victims were in the wrong place, at the wrong time.
The "Bermuda Triangle" is one of two portals, used by the "human-like" aliens, to travel
from their planet to ours. The "Bermuda Triangle" is not actually a triangle. When it is
"in-phase," it is constantly in motion and in intensity (between one to one and a half mile
wide). The disappearances occur when caught in the center or within the first two
outward radiating rings.
The occurrence takes place 25 times a year and lasts for 28 minutes, for the "Bermuda
Triangle." The "Pacific Triangle," takes place only 3 times a year. The "Bermuda and the
Pacific Triangles" are linked to other triangles that exist throughout the universe. The
"human-like" aliens technology enable them to use "time compression, solar power and
the ability to reduce friction," for travelling across vast distances. It takes them
approximately 24 hours to travel from their planet to Earth.
These "time holes" can be described as an "accordion in motion." When the "time hole"
is compressed, the craft enters one end and when the "time hole" expands itself, the
craft is at the opposite end exiting one "time hole" and entering another. The "human-
like" aliens know exactly which "time hole" is compressed, at any given time.
Atlantis & crystals                                  

the U.S.'s most prominent advocate of a factual Atlantis. Widely known as "The
Sleeping Prophet," Cayce claimed the ability to see the future and to communicate with
long-dead spirits This theory was helped along in more recent years by the psychic
Edgar Cayce (1877-1945) who became from the past. He identified hundreds of
people...including himself ...as reincarnated Atlanteans.
Cayce said that Atlantis had been situated near the Bermuda island of Bimini. He
believed that Atlanteans possessed remarkable technologies, including supremely
powerful "fire-crystals" which they harnessed for energy. A disaster in which the fire-
crystals went out of control was responsible for Atlantis's sinking, he said, in what
sounds very much like a cautionary fable (what is that about history repeating itself ?)
on the dangers of nuclear power. If still intermitently active beneath the ocean waves,
damaged fire-crystals send out energy fields that interfere with passing ships and  
aircraft...which is how Cayce accounted for the Bermuda Triangle.
Cayce prophesied that "elements of Atlantis would rise in 1968 and 1969". The Bimini
Wall or Road was discovered off the coast of Bimini in 1968.

Ray brown's crystal                               

In 1970, Dr. Ray Brown, a naturopathic practitioner from Mesa, Arizona, went scuba
diving with some friends near the Bari Islands in the Bahamas, close to a popular area
known as the Tongue of the Ocean (This was depicted in the television show, "In
Search Of...Atlantis," originally made in 1979. 

During one of his dives, Brown became separated from his friends and while searching
for them he was startled when he came across a strange pyramid shape silhouetted
against the aquamarine light. Upon investigating further, Brown was surprised by how
smooth and mirror-like was the stone surface of the whole structure, with the joints
between the individual blocks almost indiscernible. Swimming around the capstone,
which Brown thought might have been lapis lazuli, he discovered an entrance and
decided to explore inside. Passing along a narrow hallway, Brown finally came to a
small rectangular room with a pyramid-shaped ceiling. He was totally amazed that this
room contained no algae or coral growing on the inner walls. They were completely
spotless! In addition, though Brown had brought no torch with him, he could
nevertheless see everything in the room with his normal eyesight. The room was well lit,
but no direct light source was visible. Brown's attention was drawn to a brassy metallic
rod three inches in diameter hanging down from the apex of the center of the room and
at its end was attached a many-facetted red gem, which tapered to a point. Directly
below this rod and gem, sitting in the middle of the room, was a stand of carved stone
topped by a stone plate with scrolled ends. On the plate there was a pair of carved
metal bronze-colored hands, life-sized, which appeared blackened and burnt, as if
having been subjected to tremendous heat. Nestled in the hands, and situated four feet
directly below the ceiling rod gem point, was a crystal sphere four-inches in diameter.
Brown tried to loosen the ceiling rod and red gemstone but neither would move.
Returning to the crystal sphere, he found, to his amazement, that it separated easily
from the bronze hand holders. With the crystal sphere in his right hand he then made
his way out of the pyramid. As he departed, Brown felt an unseen presence and heard a
voice telling him never to return! 
Fearing, rightly, that his unusual prize might be confiscated as salvage-treasure by the
American Government, Dr. Brown did not reveal the existence of his strange crystal
sphere, nor did he relate his experiences until 1975, when he exhibited his crystal for
the first time at a psychic seminar in Phoenix. 

Since that time, the crystal sphere has made only a very few public appearances but on
each occasion people who have seen it have experienced strange phenomena directly
associated with it. 
Deep inside the crystal form, one gazes upon three pyramidal images, one in front of
the other,in decreasing sizes. Some people who enter a deep meditative state of
consciousness are able to discern a fourth pyramid, in the foreground of the other
three. 
Elizabeth Bacon, a New York psychic, claimed while in trance, that the crystal sphere
had once belonged to Thoth, the Egyptian God who was responsible for burying a
secret vault of knowledge in Giza, near the three great Pyramids. Perhaps the positions
of the three pyramidal images in the crystal sphere hold the long-sought key to finding a
fourth, as yet unfound, subterranean pyramid that will lead us to the Hall of Records?
Who knows? 
Looking at the crystal sphere from the side, the internal images dissolve into thousands
of tiny fracture lines. Brown feels that these may prove to be electrical in nature, like
some form of microscopic circuitry.
Dr. Brown's crystal sphere has been the source of a wide variety of paranormal and
mysterious occurrences. People have felt breezes or winds blowing close to it. Both
cold and warm layers surround it at various distances. Other witnesses have observed
phantom lights, heard voices or felt strange tingling sensations surrounding it. A
compass needle, when placed next to the crystal sphere, will spin counter-clockwise,
then commence turning in the opposite direction when moved only inches away. Metals
become temporarily magnetized when they come into close contact with the sphere. 

There are even recorded instances where healing has taken place by merely touching
the sphere. 
We may only speculate as to why the crystal sphere was created and what part it once
played within the underwater Bahamas pyramid discovered by Ray Brown.
Notable incidents

Flight 19

US Navy TBF Grumman Avenger flight, similar to Flight 19. This photo had been used by
various Triangle authors to illustrate Flight 19 itself. (US Navy)

Flight 19 was a training flight of TBM Avenger bombers that went missing on December
5, 1945 while over the Atlantic. The squadron's flight path was scheduled to take them
due east for 120 miles, north for 73 miles, and then back over a final 120-mile leg that
would return them to the naval base, but they never returned. The impression is
given that the flight encountered unusual phenomena and anomalous compass
readings, and that the flight took place on a calm day under the supervision of an
experienced pilot, Lt. Charles Carroll Taylor. Adding to the intrigue is that the Navy's
report of the accident ascribed it to "causes or reasons unknown."

Adding to the mystery, a search and rescue Mariner aircraft with a 13-man crew was
dispatched to aid the missing squadron, but the Mariner itself was never heard from
again. Later, there was a report from a tanker cruising off the coast of Florida of a visible
explosion] at about the time the Mariner would have been on patrol.

While the basic facts of this version of the story are essentially accurate, some
important details are missing. The weather was becoming stormy by the end of the
incident, and naval reports and written recordings of the conversations between Taylor
and the other pilots of Flight 19 do not indicate magnetic problems.
Mary Celeste
The mysterious abandonment in 1872 of the 282-ton brigantine Mary Celeste is often
but inaccurately connected to the Triangle, the ship having been abandoned off the
coast of Portugal The event is possibly confused with the loss of a ship with a similar
name, the Mari Celeste, a 207-ton paddle steamer that hit a reef and quickly sank off
the coast of Bermuda on September 13, 1864. Kusche noted that many of the "facts"
about this incident were actually about the Marie Celeste, the fictional ship from Arthur
Conan Doyle’s short story "J. Habakuk Jephson's Statement" (based on the real Mary
Celeste incident, but fictionalised).

Ellen Austin
The Ellen Austin supposedly came across a derelict ship, placed on board a prize crew,
and attempted to sail with it to New York in 1881. According to the stories, the derelict
disappeared; others elaborating further that the derelict reappeared minus the prize
crew, then disappeared again with a second prize crew on board. A check from Lloyd's
of London records proved the existence of theMeta, built in 1854 and that in 1880
the Meta was renamed Ellen Austin. There are no casualty listings for this vessel, or
any vessel at that time, that would suggest a large number of missing men were placed
on board a derelict that later disappeared.

USS Cyclops
The incident resulting in the single largest loss of life in the history of the US Navy not
related to combat occurred when USS Cyclops under the command of Lt Cdr G.W.
Worley, went missing without a trace with a crew of 309 sometime after March 4, 1918,
after departing the island of Barbados. Although there is no strong evidence for any
single theory, many independent theories exist, some blaming storms, some capsizing,
and some suggesting that wartime enemy activity was to blame for the loss.
Theodosia Burr Alston
Theodosia Burr Alston was the daughter of former United States Vice President Aaron
Burr. Her disappearance has been cited at least once in relation to the Triangle. She
was a passenger on board the Patriot, which sailed from Charleston, South
Carolina to New York City on December 30, 1812, and was never heard from again.
The planned route is well outside all but the most extended versions of the Bermuda
Triangle. Both piracy and the War of 1812 have been posited as explanations, as well
as a theory placing her in Texas, well outside the Triangle.

Schooner Carroll A. Deering as seen from the Cape Lookout lightvessl on January 29,

1921, two days before she was found deserted in North Carolina. (US Coast Guard)

Carroll A. Deering
A five-masted schooner built in 1919, the Carroll A. Deering was found hard aground
and abandoned at Diamond Shoals, near Cape Hatteras, North Carolinaon January 31,
1921. Rumors and more at the time indicated the Deering was a victim of piracy,
possibly connected with the illegal rum-running trade duringProhibition and possibly
involving another ship, S.S. Hewitt, which disappeared at roughly the same time. Just
hours later, an unknown steamer sailed near the lightship along the track of
the Deering, and ignored all signals from the lightship. It is speculated that
the Hewitt may have been this mystery ship, and possibly involved in the Deering crew's
disappearance.[
Douglas DC-3
On December 28, 1948, a Douglas DC-3 aircraft, number NC16002 disappeared while
on a flight from San Juan, Puerto Rico, to Miami. No trace of the aircraft or the 32
people onboard was ever found. From the documentation compiled by the Civil
Aeronautics Board investigation, a possible key to the plane's disappearance was
found, but barely touched upon by the Triangle writers: the plane's batteries were
inspected and found to be low on charge, but ordered back into the plane without a
recharge by the pilot while in San Juan. Whether or not this led to complete electrical
failure will never be known. However, since piston-engined aircraft rely
upon magnetos to provide spark to their cylinders rather than a battery powered ignition
coil system, this theory is not strongly convincing.

Star Tiger and Star Ariel

G-AHNP Star Tiger disappeared on January 30, 1948 on a flight from the Azores to
Bermuda; G-AGRE Star Arill disappeared on January 17, 1949, on a flight from
Bermuda to Kingston, Jamaica Both were Avro Tudor IV passenger aircraft operated
by British South American Airways. Both planes were operating at the very limits of their
range and the slightest error or fault in the equipment could keep them from reaching
the small island. One plane was not heard from long before it would have entered the
Triangle.

KC-135 Stratotankers
On August 28, 1963 a pair of US Air Force KC-135 Stratotanker aircraft collided and
crashed into the Atlantic. The Triangle version (Winer, Berlitz, Gaddis of this story
specifies that they did collide and crash, but there were two distinct crash sites,
separated by over 160 miles (260 km) of water. However, Kusche's research [ showed
that the unclassified version of the Air Force investigation report stated that the debris
field defining the second "crash site" was examined by a search and rescue ship, and
found to be a mass of seaweed and driftwood tangled in an old buoy.
SS Marine Sulphur Queen
SS Marine Sulphur Queen, a T2 tanker converted from oil to sulfur carrier, was last
heard from on February 4, 1963 with a crew of 39 near the Florida Keys.  Marine
Sulphur Queen was the first vessel mentioned in Vincent Gaddis'
[8]
1964 Argosy Magazine article,  but he left it as having "sailed into the unknown",
despite the Coast Guard report, which not only documented the ship's badly-maintained
history, but declared that it was an unseaworthy vessel that should never have gone to
sea.

Connemara IV
A pleasure yacht was found adrift in the Atlantic south of Bermuda on September 26,
1955; it is usually stated in the stories (Berlitz, Winer ) that the crew vanished while the
yacht survived being at sea during three hurricanes. The 1955 Atlantic hurricane
season shows Hurricane Ione passing nearby between the 14th and 18th of that month,
with Bermuda being affected by winds of almost gale force. It was confirmed that
the Connemara IV was empty and in port when Ione may have caused the yacht to slip
her moorings and drift out to sea
THE JFK ASSANINATION:

John Fitzgerald Kennedy the thirty-fifth President of the United States was

assassinated at 12:30 p.m. Central Standard Time (18:30 UTC) on Friday,
November 22, 1963, in Dealey Plaza, Dallas, Texas. Kennedy was fatally shot while
traveling with his wife Jacqueline, Texas governor John Connally, and the latter's
wife, Nellie, in a Presidential motorcade.

The ten-month investigation of the Warren Commission of 1963–1964 concluded that

the President was assassinated by Lee Harvey Oswald acting alone and that Jack
Ruby acted alone when he killed Oswald before he could stand trial. These conclusions
were initially supported by the American public; however, polls conducted from 1966 to
2004 found that as many as 80 percent of Americans have suspected that there was a
plot or cover-up.

Contrary to the Warren Commission, the United States House Select Committee on

Assassinations (HSCA) in 1979 concluded that President John F. Kennedy was
probably assassinated as a result of a conspiracy. The HSCA found both the original
FBI investigation and the Warren Commission Report to be seriously flawed. While
agreeing with the Commission that Oswald fired all the shots which caused the wounds
to Kennedy and Governor Connally, it stated that there were at least four shots fired and
that there was a "high probability" that two gunmen fired at the President. No gunmen or
groups involved in the conspiracy were identified by the committee, but the CIA, Soviet
Union, organized crime and several other groups were said to be not involved, based on
available evidence. The assassination is still the subject of widespread debate and has
spawned numerous conspiracy theories and alternative scenarios.

ASSASSINATION AND CONSPIRACY THEORIES:

Ever since November 1963 the motives for the assassination of John F. Kennedy have
been the subject of wild speculation. What is clear is that the young President was
about to steer his own course strongly opposed to the mighty political and financial
interest of the establishment. He was not a good “collaborator”, and one of the reasons
for the murder was the sacking of the overly powerful CIA chief Allen Dulles – after the
fiasco at the Bay of Pigs in April 1961, shortly after he took on the job. Furthermore, he
prepared to call back some U.S. advisors from Vietnam. This order was issued in
October 1963. Another thorn in the flesh of the Illuminati was the plan to curb CIA
military activities in Southeast Asia. On July 18, 1963 he had told Congress that he
wanted to implement certain measures to remedy the balance of payments deficit of the
U.S. He wanted to support exports of industrial goods and an interest balancing tax on
foreign accounts of American citizens. On capital invested abroad up to 15% tax would
have to be paid. That the international bankers didn’t want to put up with that is obvious.
Kennedy would have been the right man as the people’s representative! But to find an
even more important reason we have to leave politics for a moment. It concerns
the Roswell Incident.

Conspiracy theorists state that the government had JFK assassinated in an effort to
destroy the dream of space travel. Since the Roswell incident they had remained very
mysterious about the truth of that day’s events, thereby enjoying a measure of power
over an unwittingly ignorant and vulnerable public. It follows, then, that the government
would not be keen for society to learn the truth as a result of space travel, as whatever
secret they had been harboring could finally be exposed. 

On July 22, 1947 a “non-terrestrial” flying machine had crashed at Roswell, New
Mexico. There were ninety-two witnesses, thirty-five of which were Air Force personnel,
and four humanoid beings were found. The next space vehicle was found on February
13, 1948 near Aztec, New Mexico, followed on March 25 by a further crash in the same
area, at Heart Canyon. This disk had a diameter of thirty-three meters, was made from
an unknown metal and was occupied by sixteen beings, about 120 cm high and all
dead. Another crash happened near Roswell in 1949, and here one being survived.

An Air Force officer was ordered to bring him to Los Alamos, at that time the best-
guarded institution of the U.S. Armed Forces. The being was described as a reptiloid
humanoid with certain insectoid characteristics. He was simple called EBE
(Extraterrestrial Biological Entity). He came from a double-star system, that their planet
was now a desert planet, that their sun was dying and that they had underground
facilities in several countries of the world. EBE taught the young colonel who looked
after him about reincarnation, that the soul lives on and that this was the law of the
Universe. All this was recorded and stored under the code-name YELLOW BOOK.
Under the project SIGMA (Part of Operation Majestic-12) they tried to contact EBE’s
race, but without success.

At the end of 1951 EBE became very ill. Since his biological body functions were
chlorophyll-based, the botanist Dr. Guillermo Mendoza was called in to treat EBE. EBE
stayed in Los Alamos until June 18, 1952 when he died for “unknown reasons”. It is said
that the colonel looking after him cried when he died. He apparently had loved him like a
child. Under the project ROBERTSON PANEL this event was later filmed as “ET” to
accustom the public slowly to reality. On December 6, 1950 a thirty-meter saucer
crashed near Laredo, Texas. In the debris the charred remains of a being of about 130
cm in height with a very large head was found. When the photographs were released,
this event caused quite a stir.

On May 20, 1953 a further saucer of only ten meters across was recovered in Kingman,
Arizona. Here there were four dead beings who were brought like all the others to the
Wright Patterson Air Force Base, Hangar 18. As the Americans like to say: Reality is
sometimes stranger than fiction. After the first crash already several
secret organizations were founded to deal with the presence of UFOs. The most
important one was the Operation Majestic 12 that was founded on September 24, 1947,
by President Harry Solomon Truman and under which all the other projects ran
(MAJESTY is the code name for the President). Among its twelve members were Dr.
Vanevar Bush, the scientific advisor of the President, Defense Secretary Forrestal and
later also Nelson Rockefeller, Allen Dulles, Head of the CIA, and J. Edgar Hoover, Head
of the FBI. The rest were all members of the CFR. All twelve were also members of the
Jason Society or Jason Scholars, the elite from the Skull & Bones order. The group’s
headquarters in Maryland is only accessible by air and is called the “Country club” by
insiders.

On February 20,1954 the time had come. This event has been confirmed by films and
several witnesses among them Geralt Light of the mighty media group CBS, the Earl of
Clancerty, member of the House of Lords, the former secret service man, William
Cooper, Paul Solomon of the Air Force and many others who at that time had been
stationed at Edwards/MURDOC. Apparently on this day something happened that had
all officers including the commander run to the observation tower. From there they saw
a disk with a diameter between sixty and one hundred meters that hovered directly
above the runway. The object was observed for hours, literally until the last man on the
base knew about it. The disk flew patterns that defied all laws of physics, up and down,
from one side to the other, right angles, etc. Later there were five objects, three disk-
shaped and two cigar-shaped.
Eisenhower who at that time was resting at Palm Springs was fetched. The air base
personnel and Eisenhower then watched as a small group of the occupants stepped out
and came toward them. They looked like human beings, had about the same height,
were blond and spoke English. They offered help in the spiritual development of
humanity. Their main condition was the destruction of all nuclear arms. They were not
prepared to share their technology with us since spiritually we were not even ready to
deal responsibly with the technology we already had. They believed that we would use
any new technology only to destroy each other. This race declared that we were on the
way to self-destruction and that we had to stop killing each other, polluting the Earth,
exploiting the natural resources and that we should live in harmony with Creation. Most
importantly we had to understand and to learn to see ourselves as citizens of a
planetary family and that we were committed and should start behaving as members of
that family. We would have to quickly let go of the idea that we could do as we pleased.
Only then could we start to behave like citizens of a planetary system and start relations
with them. They are part of the same family and should be treated accordingly, and that
is also how we should see the people of our Earth.

As soon as we would have learned to interact peacefully with other nations, we could
start interplanetary relations. This was met with skepticism, especially the demand for
nuclear disarmament. One didn’t believe that disarmament was in the interest of the
U.S. and feared to stand defenceless before the extra-terrestrials.

The offer was refused! The aliens then declared that they would continue to contact
individuals until the humans were used to their presence. Then the extra-terrestrials
showed to the President , who stood paralyzed, and his entourage their authoritative
technical possibilities. They showed the President their craft and proved that they could
make themselves invisible. This made Eisenhower fell most uncomfortable, because
although they knew that they were still there, they couldn’t be seen. Then the aliens
boarded their ships and took off. This landing was also confirmed by the U.S. astronaut
Gordon Cooper who recalls that during his service a film was shown that showed the
landing of a UFO on a California airforce base in the Fifties.

The whole story in detail, with answers to every why and how-come is found in Michael
Hesemann’s UFOs Die Beweise (the proofs) and UFOs-Die Kontakete (the contacts).
He painstakingly collected the data from more than fifty books, especially from the U.S.,
and he added many pictures of very good quality. UFOs- Die Beweise contains the
secret CIA documents that were released after thirty years due to the “Freedom of
Information Act”. There were more contacts with governments, but one should read it all
in one go to get an overview of the many facets of the subject of UFOs. There are also
videos available that among other things show the landing in 1964 on the Holloman Air
Force Base.

Now back to Kennedy. After he became President and was told about the retrieved
UFOs and the secret projects that also contained the study of the survivors, he wanted
to make this information public. Defense Secretary Forrestal, who was a Majestic 12
member, had tried to do just that, too, and on May 22, 1949 he was thrown out of his
hospital room window with a bed sheet tied around his neck. Kennedy fared no better.
He was murdered at Dallas on November 22, 1963.

The first shot actually did come from the roof of the storehouse, but it was not lethal.
The killing shot came from the driver of the President’s limousine. A CIA agent who shot
Kennedy in the head with a special weapon developed by the CIA. If we look at the
original film of the assassination in slow motion and watch the driver, then we can
clearly see that he turns around with a gun in his hand, shoots, and the back of
Kennedy’s head bursts.

The films shown in most Western countries have the driver cut out. On November 21,
1993, the German TV channel ARD sought in its program Spiegel-TV in a ridiculous
way to tell the viewers that there was no CIA involvement in the assassination, at almost
the same time RTL showed a program claiming the opposite. Apart from the differing
commentaries both programs showed the film only once full-frame, afterwards the driver
was again cut out. But in the full-frame version the shooting driver and the gun were
clearly visible to those who knew where to look. John Lear, the son of the founder and
today owner of Lear Aircraft and once decorated as the best pilot of the U.S. Air Force
(seventeen world records), found three original films, e.g. in Japan, that he had
computer analyzed and checked for authenticity. Both he and William Cooper, former
member of Naval Intelligence and author of the book Behold a Pale Horse, today give
lectures in the U.S., and they supply the original films, too (address in the list of
literature). Because of this film William Cooper lost one leg when the CIA tried to
assassinate him. Japanese television later showed the original footage several times
during the main news.
The computer analysis also allowed to recognize the weapon as a special caliber
developed by the CIA. The bullet, too, was a CIA special bullet that only exploded after
entering the body and thus annihilated Kennedy’s brain. The assassination was
prepared by the CIA members Orlando Bosch, E. Howard Hunt, Frank Sturgis and Jack
Rubinstein (aka Jack Ruby) for whose collaboration the CIA paid his huge gambling
debts. Lee Harvey Oswald had also been a CIA member, but at the time of the
assassination he had been working for Jack Ruby. His death had been planned. Jack
Ruby shot Oswald before he could prove his innocence. Thus they had a culprit who
could no longer prove the truth.

Lee harvey Oswald

The CIA hated Kennedy. In its eyes he was responsible that neither the Vietnam, the
Cuban nor the UFO projects went the way the CIA wanted. When the news about
Kennedy’s death broke, writes a CIA operative who had also been involved in the “Bay
of Pigs” operation, all the people in his department rose and applauded. Many of these
facts had been uncovered during the special hearings by the committee for
assassination, but according to U.S. security law they remain secret until 2029. After the
hearings the CIA was prohibited from undertaking any undercover operations within the
U.S. It is hard to believe that they ever followed that order. All the witnesses of the
conspiracy were either killed or died of fast-growing cancer that they had injected – the
deadly marksman in the car three weeks after the deed, for example.
The official story of the Kennedy assassination according to the report by the Warren
Commission was that Lee Harvey Oswald had been the only person responsible, and it
was printed nine hours later in all newspapers of the U.S. The true story of the CIA
Committee of 300 conspiracy was never told. And once again a whole nation is
misinformed for decades until a brave researcher takes the trouble to dig deep.

His brother, Robert F. Kennedy who stood also in the way of the Illuminati had to die on
June 5, 1968, as he was about to win the presidential elections. In this case the single
attacker was Sirhan Sirhan. He was under the influence of a drug that was developed
by the CIA especially for cases like this. To be sure that Sirhan Sirhan was not going to
miss, one of the bodyguards of Howard Hughes fired an “extra bullet” that later was
found in Kennedy’s head. As the examining magistrate found, the ballistic tests showed
that the mouth of the weapon had to have been about five to eight centimeters from
Kennedy’s head, Sirhan’s weapon though was never nearer than thirty centimeters.
This story, too, was kept from the public.

The independent publications with the CFR and the Skull & Bones order contained this
information. As section 12 of the Protocols says, persons who oppose the “plan” should
be brought nearer to death.

THE LOCHNESS MONSTER:

The Loch Ness Monster (Scottish Gaelic Niseag) is a cryptid that is reputed to
inhabit Loch Ness in the Scottish Highlands. The most frequent speculation is that the
creature represents a line of long-surviving plesiosaurs. It is similar to other
supposed lake monsters in Scotland and elsewhere, though its description varies from
one account to the next.

Popular interest and belief in the animal has varied since it was brought to the world's
attention in 1933. Evidence of its existence is anecdotal, with minimal and much-
disputed photographic material and sonar readings. The scientific community regards
the Loch Ness Monster as a modern-day myth, and explains sightings as a mix
of hoaxes and wishful thinking. Despite this, it remains one of the most famous
examples of cryptozoology. The legendary monster has been affectionately referred to
by the nickname Nessie

Origin:
The term "monster" was reportedly applied for the first time to the creature on 2 May
1933 by Alex Campbell, the water bailiff for Loch Ness and a part-time journalist, in a
report in the Inverness Courier. On 4 August 1933, the Courier published as a full news
item the claim of a London man, George Spicer, that a few weeks earlier while motoring
around the Loch, he and his wife had seen "the nearest approach to a dragon or pre-
historic animal that I have ever seen in my life", trundling across the road toward the
Loch carrying "an animal" in its mouth.Other letters began appearing in the Courier,
often anonymously, with claims of land or water sightings, either on the writer's part or
on the parts of family, acquaintances or stories they remembered being told. These
stories soon reached the national (and later the international) press, which described a
"monster fish", "sea serpent", or "dragon",[ eventually settling on "Loch Ness
Monster".] On 6 December 1933 the first purported photograph of the monster, taken by
Hugh Gray, was published and shortly after the creature received official notice when
the Secretary of State for Scotland ordered the police to prevent any attacks on it In
1934, interest was further sparked by what is known as The Surgeon's Photograph. In
the same year R. T. Gould published a book the first of many that describe the author's
personal investigation and collected record of additional reports pre-dating the summer
of 1933. Other authors have claimed that sightings of the monster go as far back as the
6th century

Photographs and films:

"Surgeon's Photograph" (1934)

Surgeon's Photograph

One of the most iconic images of Nessie is known as the "Surgeon's Photograph". Its
importance lies in the fact that it was the first photo and only photographic evidence of a
“head and neck” – all the others are humps or disturbances Dr. Wilson claimed he was
looking at the loch when he saw the monster, so grabbed his camera and snapped five
photos. After the film was developed, only two exposures were clear. The first photo
(the more publicised one) shows what was claimed to be a small head and back. The
second one, a blurry image, attracted little publicity because it was difficult to interpret
what was depicted. The image was revealed as a hoax in 1994. Supposedly taken by
Robert Kenneth Wilson, a London gynaecologist, it was published in the Daily Mail on
21 April 1934.] Wilson's refusal to have his name associated with the photograph led to
it being called "Surgeon's Photograph". The strangely small ripples on the photo fit the
size and of circular pattern of small ripples as opposed to large waves when
photographed up close. "But science cannot rule out it was just a blemish on the
negative", he continued. Additionally, analysis of the full photograph revealed the object
was quite small, only about 60 to 90 cm (2 to 3 ft) long.

In 1979 it was claimed to be a picture of an elephant (see below). Other sceptics in the

1980s argued the photo was that of an otter or a diving bird, but after Christian
Spurling's confession most agree it was what Spurling claimed – a toy submarine with a
sculpted head attached.] Details of how the photo was accomplished were published in
the 1999 book, Nessie – the Surgeon’s Photograph Exposed. Essentially, it was a toy
submarine with a head and neck made of plastic wood, built by Christian Spurling, the
son-in-law of Marmaduke Wetherell, a big game hunter who had been publicly ridiculed
in the Daily Mail, the newspaper that employed him. Spurling claimed that to get
revenge, Marmaduke Wetherell committed the hoax, with the help of Chris Spurling (a
sculpture specialist), his son Ian Marmaduke, who bought the material for the fake
Nessie, and Maurice Chambers (an insurance agent), who would call to ask surgeon
Robert Kenneth Wilson to offer the pictures to the Daily Mail The hoax story is disputed
by Henry Bauer, who claims this debunking is evidence of bias, and asks why the
perpetrators did not reveal their plot earlier to embarrass the newspaper. He also
claimed that plastic wood did not exist in 1934 (when actually it was a popular DIY and
modelling material in the early 1930s).

Alastair Boyd, one of the researchers who uncovered the hoax, argues the Loch Ness
Monster is real, and that although the famous photo was hoaxed, that does not mean
that all the photos, eyewitness reports, and footage of the monster were as well. He
also argues that the hoaxed photo is not a good reason to dismiss eyewitness reports
and other evidence.

Taylor film (1938)

In 1938, G.E. Taylor, a South African tourist, filmed something in the loch for three
minutes on 16 mm colour film, which was in the possession of Maurice Burton.
However, Burton refused to show the film to Loch Ness investigators (such as Peter
Costello or the Loch Ness Investigation Bureau). A single frame was published in his
book The Elusive Monster; before he retired. Roy P. Mackal, a biologist and
cryptozoologist, declared the frame was "positive evidence". Later, it was shown also to
the National Institute of Oceanography, now known as the National Oceanography
Centre, Southampton.
Dinsdale film (1960)
In 1960, aeronautical engineer Tim Dinsdale filmed a hump crossing the water in a
powerful wake unlike that of a boat. JARIC declared that the object was "probably
animate". Others were sceptical, saying that the "hump" cannot be ruled out as being a
boat,] and claimed that when the contrast is increased a man can be clearly seen in a
boat.

In 1993 Discovery Communications made a documentary called Loch Ness

Discovered that featured a digital enhancement of the Dinsdale film. A computer expert
who enhanced the film noticed a shadow in the negative that was not very obvious in
the positive. By enhancing and overlaying frames, he found what appeared to be the
rear body, the rear flippers, and 1–2 additional humps of a plesiosaur-like body. He said
that: "Before I saw the film, I thought the Loch Ness Monster was a load of rubbish.
Having done the enhancement, I'm not so sure" Some have countered this finding by
saying that the angle of the film from the horizontal along with sun's angle on that day
made shadows underwater unlikely. Believers (and some non-believers) claim the
shape could have been undisturbed water that was only coincidentally shaped like a
plesiosaur's rear end. But the same source also says that there might be a smaller
object (hump or head) in front of the hump causing this. Nonetheless, the enhancement
did show a smaller second hump and possibly a third hump.
Holmes video (2007)
On 26 May 2007, Gordon Holmes, a 55-year-old lab technician, captured video of what
he said was "this jet black thing, about 45 feet (14 m) long, moving fairly fast in the
water." Adrian Shine, a marine biologist at the Loch Ness 2000 centre in Drumnadrochit,
has watched the video and plans to analyse it. Shine also described the footage as
among "the best footage [he has] ever seen. BBC Scotland broadcast the video on 29
May 2007.[ STV News' North Tonight aired the footage on 28 May 2007 and interviewed
Holmes. In this feature, Adrian Shine of the Loch Ness Centre was also interviewed and
suggested that the footage in fact showed an otter, seal or water bird

Holmes's credibility has been doubted by an article on the Cryptomundo website,[ which

states that he has a history of reporting sightings of cryptozoological creatures, and
sells a self-published book and DVD claiming evidence for fairies. His video also has no
other objects for size comparison. The Monster Quest team investigated this video as
well in their TV episode "Death of Loch Ness", where they examine evidence that
Nessie has died, as well as other photos. A CNN news report showing the footage and
an interview with Gordon Holmes is available here.

Sir Edward Mountain Expedition (1934)

Having read the book by Gould, Edward Mountain decided to finance a proper watch.
Twenty men with binoculars and cameras positioned themselves around the Loch from
9 a.m. to 6 p.m., for five weeks starting 13 July 1934. Some 21 photographs were taken,
though none was considered conclusive. Captain James Fraser was employed as a
supervisor, and remained by the Loch afterwards, taking cine film (which is now lost) on
15 September 1934.] When viewed by zoologists and professors of natural history it was
concluded that it showed a seal, possibly a grey seal. [
Loch Ness Phenomena Investigation Bureau (1962–1972)
The Loch Ness Phenomena Investigation Bureau (LNPIB) was a UK-based society
formed in 1962 "to study Loch Ness to identify the creature known as the Loch Ness
Monster or determine the causes of reports of it. It later shortened the name to Loch
Ness Investigation Bureau (LNIB). It closed in 1972. The society had an annual
subscription charge, which covered administration. Its main activity was for groups of
self-funded volunteers to watch the loch from various vantage points, equipped with
cine cameras with telescopic lenses. Its founders included MPDavid James and
naturalist Peter Scott. From 1965 to 1972 it had a caravan camp and main watching
platform at Achnahannet, and sent observers to other locations up and down the
loch.]According to the 1969 Annual Report of the Bureau, ] it had 1,030 members, of
whom 588 were from the UK. Its directors were listed as Norman Collins (Chairman),
Lord Craigmyle, Prof. Roy P. Mackal, R. S. R. Fitter, David James, MP, and Peter Scott.
LNPIB sonar study (1967–1968)
Professor D. Gordon Tucker, chairman of the Department of Electronic and Electrical
Engineering at the University of Birmingham, England, volunteered his services as
a sonar developer and expert at Loch Ness in 1968. The gesture was part of a larger
effort helmed by the LNPIB from 1967–1968 and involved collaboration between
volunteers and professionals in various fields. Tucker had chosen Loch Ness as the test
site for a prototype sonar transducer with a maximum range of 800 m (2,600 ft). The
device was fixed underwater at Temple Pier in Urquhart Bay and directed towards the
opposite shore, effectively drawing an acoustic 'net' across the width of Ness through
which no moving object could pass undetected. During the two-week trial in August,
multiple animate targets 6 m (20 ft) in length were identified ascending from and diving
to the loch bottom. Analysis of diving profiles ruled out air-breathers because the targets
never surfaced or moved shallower than midwater. A brief press release by LNPIB and
associates touched on the sonar data and drew to a close the 1968 effort:

Andrew Carroll's sonar study (1969)

In 1969 Andrew Carroll, field researcher for the New York Aquarium in New York City,
proposed a mobile sonar scan operation at Loch Ness. The project was funded by the
Griffis foundation (named for Nixon Griffis, then a director of the aquarium). This was
the tail-end (and most successful portion) of the LNPIB's 1969 effort
involving submersibles with biopsy harpoons. The trawling scan, in Carroll's research
launch Rangitea, took place in October. One sweep of the loch made contact with a
strong, animate echo for nearly three minutes just north of Foyers. The identity of the
contact remains a mystery. Later analysis determined that the intensity of the returning
echo was twice as great as that expected from a 10-foot (3 m) pilot whale. On returning
to the University of Chicago, biologist Roy Mackal and colleagues subjected the sonar
data to greater scrutiny and confirmed dimensions of 20 feet (6 m).

Submersible investigations
Earlier submersible work had yielded dismal results. Under the sponsorship of World
Book Encyclopedia, pilot Dan Taylor deployed the Viperfish at Loch Ness on 1 June
1969. His dives were plagued by technical problems and produced no new data.
The Deep Star III built by General Dynamics and an unnamed two-man submersible
built by Westinghouse were scheduled to sail but never did. It was only when
the Pisces arrived at Ness that the LNPIB obtained new data. Owned by Vickers, Ltd.,
the submersible had been rented out to produce The Private Life of Sherlock Holmes, a
film featuring a dummy Loch Ness Monster. When the dummy monster broke loose
from the Pisces during filming and sank to the bottom of the loch, Vickers executives
capitalised on the loss and 'monster fever' by allowing the sub to do a bit of exploring.
During one of these excursions, the Pisces picked up a large moving object on sonar
200 feet (60 m) ahead and 50 feet (15 m) above the bottom of the loch. Slowly the pilot
closed to half that distance but the echo moved rapidly out of sonar range and
disappeared.

"Big Expedition" of 1970

During the so-called "Big Expedition" of 1970, Roy Mackal, a biologist who taught for 20
years at the University of Chicago, devised a system of hydrophones (underwater
microphones) and deployed them at intervals throughout the loch. In early August a
hydrophone assembly was lowered into Urquhart Bay and anchored in 700 feet (210 m)
of water. Two hydrophones were secured at depths of 300 and 600 feet (180 m). After
two nights of recording, the tape (sealed inside a 44 gallon drum along with the system's
other sensitive components) was retrieved and played before an excited LNPIB. "Bird-
like chirps" had been recorded, and the intensity of the chirps on the deep hydrophone
suggested they had been produced at greater depth. In October "knocks" and "clicks"
were recorded by another hydrophone in Urquhart Bay, indicative of echolocation.
These sounds were followed by a "turbulent swishing" suggestive of the tail locomotion
of a large aquatic animal. The knocks, clicks and resultant swishing were believed were
the sounds of an animal echo-locating prey before moving in for the kill. The noises
stopped whenever craft passed along the surface of the loch near the hydrophone, and
resumed once the craft reached a safe distance. In previous experiments, it was
observed that call intensities were greatest at depths less than 100 feet (30 m).
Members of the LNPIB decided to attempt communication with the animals producing
the calls by playing back previously recorded calls into the water and listening via
hydrophone for results, which varied greatly. At times the calling patterns or intensities
changed, but sometimes there was no change at all. Mackal noted that there was no
similarity between the recordings and the hundreds of known sounds produced by
aquatic animals. "More specifically," he said, "competent authorities state that none of
the known forms of life in the loch has the anatomical capabilities of producing such
calls."

Robert Rines's studies (1972, 1975, 2001 and 2008)

In the early 1970s, a group of people led by Robert h. Rines obtained some underwater
photographs. Two were rather vague images, perhaps of a rhomboid flipper (though
others have dismissed the image as air bubbles or a fish fin). The alleged flipper was
photographed in different positions, indicating movement. One of the flipper photos is
available here. On the basis of these photographs, British naturalist Peter
Scott announced in 1975 that the scientific name of the monster would henceforth
be Nessiteras rhombopteryx (Greek for "The Ness monster with diamond-shaped
fin"). Scott intended that this would enable Nessie to be added to a British register of
officially protected wildlife. Scottish politician Nicholas Fairbairn pointed out that the
name was an anagram for "Monster hoax by Sir Peter S".

The underwater photos were reportedly obtained by painstakingly examining the loch
depths with sonar for unusual underwater activity. Rines knew the water was murky and
filled with floating wood and peat, so he made precautions to avoid it. A submersible
camera with an affixed, high-powered flood light (necessary for penetrating Loch Ness's
notorious murk) was deployed to record images below the surface. If he detected
anything on the sonar, he would turn the lights on and take some pictures. Several of
the photographs, despite their obviously murky quality, did indeed seem to show an
animal resembling a plesiosaur in various positions and lightings. One photograph
appeared to show the head, neck and upper torso of a plesiosaur-like animal. The body
photo can be seen here. A rarely publicised photograph depicted two plesiosaur-like
bodies. Another photo seemed to depict a horned "gargoyle head", consistent to that of
several sightings of the monster. Some believe the latter was a tree stump found during
Operation Deepscan. The head photo can be seen here.

A few close-ups of what would be the creature's diamond-shaped fin were taken in
different positions, as though the creature was moving. But the "flipper photograph" has
been highly retouched from the original image. The Museum of Hoaxes shows the
original unenhanced photo.

On 8 August 1972, Rines' Raytheon DE-725C sonar unit, operating at a frequency of

200 kHz and anchored in Ness at a depth of 35 feet (11 m), identified a moving target
(or targets) estimated by echo strength to be 20 to 30 feet (6 to 9 m) in length.
Specialists from Raytheon, Simrad (now Kongsberg Maritime\), and Hydroacoustics,
Inc.; Marty Klein of MIT and Klein Associates (a producer of side scan sonar); and Dr.
Ira Dyer of MIT's Department of Ocean Engineering were all on hand to examine the
data and come to this conclusion. Further, P. Skitzki of Raytheon suggested that the
data showed a protuberance, 10 feet (3 m) in length, projecting from one of the echoes.
Mackal proposed that the shape was a "highly flexible laterally flattened tail" or the
misinterpreted return from two animals swimming together.

In 2001, the Robert Rines' Academy of Applied Science videoed a powerful V-shaped
wake traversing the still water on a calm day. The AAS also videotaped an object on the
floor of the loch resembling a carcass, found marine clam-shells and a fungus not
normally found in fresh water lochs, which they suggest gives some connection to the
sea and a possible entry for Nessie.

In 2008, Rines theorised that the monster may have become extinct, citing the lack of
significant sonar readings and a decline in eyewitness accounts. Rines undertook one
last expedition to look for remains of the monster, using sonar and underwater camera
in an attempt to find a carcass. Rines believes that the creature may have failed to
adapt to temperature changes as a result of global warming
Operation Deep Scan (1987)
In 1987, Operation Deepscan, the biggest sonar exploration of Loch Ness, took place.
Twenty-four boats equipped with echosounder equipment were deployed across the
whole width of the loch and they simultaneously sent out acoustic waves. BBC News
reported that the scientists had made sonar contact with a large unidentified object of
unusual size and strength. The researchers decided to return to the same spot and re-
scan the area. After analysing the echosounder images, it seemed to point to debris at
the bottom of the loch, although three of the pictures were of moving debris. Shine
speculates that they could be seals that got into the loch, since they would be of about
the same magnitude as the objects detected.

Darrell Lowrance, sonar expert and founder of Lowrance Electronics, donated a number
of echosounder units used during Operation Deepscan. After examining the echogram
data, specifically a sonar return revealing a large moving object near Urquhart Bay at a
depth of 600 feet (180 m), Lowrance said: "There's something here that we don't
understand, and there's something here that's larger than a fish, maybe some species
that hasn't been detected before. I don't know."
Discovery Loch Ness (1993)
In 1993 Discovery Communications began to research the ecology of the loch. The
study did not focus entirely on the monster, but on the loch's nematodes (of which a
new species was discovered) and fish. Expecting to find a small fish population, the
researchers caught twenty fish in one catch, increasing previous estimates of the loch's
fish population about ninefold.

Using sonar, the team encountered a kind of underwater disturbance (called a seiche)
due to stored energy (such as from a wind) causing an imbalance between the loch's
warmer and colder layers (known as the thermoclin). While reviewing printouts of the
event the next day, they found what appeared to be three sonar contacts, each followed
by a powerful wake. These events were later shown on a program called Loch Ness
Discovered, in conjunction with analyses and enhancements of the 1960 Dinsdale Film,
the Surgeon's Photo, and the Rines Flipper Photo.
Searching for the Loch Ness Monster BBC (2003)
In 2003, the BBC sponsored a full search of the Loch using 600 separate sonar beams
and satellite tracking. The search had enough resolution to pick up a small buoy. No
animal of any substantial size was found whatsoever and despite high hopes, the
scientists involved in the expedition admitted that this essentially proved the Loch Ness
monster was only a myth
Near death experiences and afterlife:

A near-death experience (NDE) refers to a broad range of personal experiences

associated with impending death, encompassing multiple possible sensations including
detachment from the body; feelings of levitation; extreme fear; total serenity, security, or
warmth; the experience of absolute dissolution; and the presence of a light.

These phenomena are usually reported after an individual has been

pronounced clinically dead or otherwise very close to death, hence the term near-
death experience. Many NDE reports, however, originate from events that are not life-
threatening. With recent developments in cardiac resuscitation techniques, the number
of reported NDEs has increased Many in the scientific community regard such
experiences as hallucinatory, while paranormal specialists and some mainstream
scientists claim them to be evidence of an afterlife.

Popular interest in near-death experiences was initially sparked by Raymond Moody's

1975 book Life After Life and the founding of the International Association for Near-
Death Studies (IANDS) in 1981. According to a Gallup poll, approximately eight million
Americans claim to have had a near-death experience. Some commentators, such as
Simpso claim that the number of near-death experiencers may be underestimated,
mainly because some such individuals are presumably afraid or otherwise reluctant to
talk about their experiences.

NDEs are among the phenomena studied in the fields

of parapsychology, psychology, psychiatry, and hospital medicine
Characteristics

Gustave Doré depiction of the highest heaven as described by Dante Alighieri in the Paradiso

The earliest accounts of NDE can be traced to the Myth of Er, recorded by Plato's The
Republic (10.614-10.621). In this story, Plato describes a mythical soldier telling of his
near-death experiences about an afterlife and reincarnation.

Researchers have identified the common elements that define near-death

experiences. Bruce Greyson argues that the general features of the experience include
impressions of being outside one's physical body, visions of deceased relatives and
religious figures, and transcendence of ego and spatiotemporal boundaries. The
experience may also follow a distinct progression, as illustrated below.

The traits of a classical NDE are as follows:

 Receiving messages in telepathic form.

 A sense/awareness of being dead.
 A sense of peace, well-being and painlessness. Positive emotions. A feeling of being
removed from the world.
 An out-of-body experience. A perception of one's body from an outside position.
Sometimes observing doctors and nurses performing medical resuscitation efforts
 A "tunnel experience". A sense of moving up, or through, a passageway or staircase.
 A rapid movement toward and/or sudden immersion in a powerful light. Communication
with the light.
 An intense feeling of unconditional love.
 Encountering "Beings of Light", "Beings dressed in white", or other spiritual beings. Also,
the possibility of being reunited with deceased loved ones.
 Being given a life review.
 Being presented with knowledge about one's life and the nature of the universe.
 A decision by oneself or others to return to one's body, often accompanied by a
reluctance to return.
 Approaching a border.
 There also seems to be a link between the cultural and spiritual beliefs where one lives.
These seem to dictate what is experienced in the NDE or how it is interpreted afterwards
(Holden, Janice Miner. Handbook of Near-Death Experiences. Library of Congress
Cataloging in Publishing Data, 2009.).

Kenneth Ring (1980) subdivided the NDE on a five-stage continuum. He stated that

60% experienced stage 1 (feelings of peace and contentment), but only 10%
experienced stage 5 ("entering the light").

Clinical circumstances associated with near-death experiences include cardiac

arrest in myocardial infarction (clinical death), shock in postpartum loss of blood or in
perioperative complications, septic or anaphylactic shock, electrocution, coma resulting
from traumatic brain damage, intracerebral hemorrhage or cerebral infarction, attempted
suicide, near-drowning or asphyxia, apnea, and serious depression In contrast to
common belief, Kenneth Ring argues that attempted suicides do not lead more often to
unpleasant NDEs than unintended near-death situations.

The distressing aspects of some NDEs are discussed more closely by Greyson and
Bush. Karlis Osis and his colleague Erlendur Haraldsson argued that the content of
near death experiences does not vary by culture, except for the identity of the
personages and religious figures seen during the experiences; ] however Yoshi Hata and
his team reported NDEs with substantially different contents than those described
above
Research
Contributions to the research on near-death experiences have come from several
academic disciplines, among these the disciplines of medicine, psychology and
psychiatry. Interest in this field of study was originally spurred by the research of such
pioneers as Elisabeth Kübler-Ross, George Ritchie, and Raymond Moody Jr. Moody's
book Life After Life, which was released in 1975, brought a lot of attention to the topic of
NDEs.] This was soon to be followed by the establishment of the International
Association for Near-death Studies (IANDS) in 1981. IANDS is an international
organization that encourages scientific research and education on the physical,
psychological, social, and spiritual nature and ramifications of near-death experiences.
Among its publications are the peer-reviewed Journal of Near-Death Studies and the
quarterly newsletter Vital Signs.]

Later researchers, such as Bruce Greyson, Kenneth Ring, and Michael Sabom, helped
to launch the field of Near-Death Studies and introduced the study of near-death
experiences to the academic settingNeuro-biological factors in the experience have
been investigated by researchers in the field of medical science and psychiatry. Among
the researchers and commentators who tend to emphasize a naturalistic and
neurological base for the experience are the British psychologist Susan
Blackmore (1993), with her "dying brain hypothesis", ] and the founding publisher
of Skeptic magazine,Michael Shermer (1998).

In September 2008 it was announced that 25 UK and US hospitals will examine near-

death studies in 1,500 heart attack patient-survivors. The three-year study, coordinated
by Dr. Sam Parnia atSouthampton University, hopes to determine if people
without heartbeat or brain activity can have an out-of-body experience with veridical
visual perceptions. This study follows on from an earlier 18-month pilot project. On a
July 28, 2010 interview about a recent lecture at Goldsmiths, Parnia asserts that
"evidence is now suggesting that mental and cognitive processes may continue for a
period of time after a death has started" and describes the process of death as
"essentially a global stroke of the brain. Therefore like any stroke process one would not
expect the entity of mind / consciousness to be lost immediately". He also expresses his
disagreement with the term 'near death experiences' because "the patients that we
study are not near death, they have actually died and more over it conjures up a lot of
imprecise scientific notions, due to the fact that itself is a very imprecise term".

Among the scientific and academic journals that have published, or are regularly
publishing, new research on the subject of NDEs are Journal of Near-Death
Studies, Journal of Nervous and Mental Disease, British Journal of
Psychology, American Journal of Disease of Children, Resuscitation, The
Lancet, Death Studies, and the Journal of Advanced Nursing.

Variance in NDE studies

The prevalence of NDEs has been variable in the studies that have been performed.
According to the Gallup and Proctor survey in 1980-1981, of a representative sample of
the American population, data showed that 15% had an NDE. Knoblauch in 2001
performed a more selective study in Germany and found that 4% of the sample
population had experienced an NDE.

Perera et al., in 2005, conducted a telephone survey of a representative sample of the

Australian population, as part of the Roy Morgan Catibus Survey, and concluded that
8.9% of the population had experienced an NDE. In a more clinical setting. They found
that 62 patients (18%) had an NDE, of whom 41 (12%) described a core experience.

According to Martens the only satisfying method to address the NDE-issue would be an

international multicentric data collection within the framework for standardized reporting
of cardiac arrest events. The use of cardiac-arrest criteria as a basis for NDE research
has been a common approach among the European branch of the research field.

Biological analysis and theories

In the 1990s, Dr. Rick Strassman conducted research on

the psychedelic drug Dimethyltryptamine (DMT) at the University of New
Mexico Strassman advanced the theory that a massive release of DMT from the pineal
gland prior to death or near-death was the cause of the near-death experience
phenomenon. Only two of his test subjects reported NDE-like aural or visual
hallucinations, although many reported feeling as though they had entered a state
similar to the classical NDE. His explanation for this was the possible lack of panic
involved in the clinical setting and possible dosage differences between those
administered and those encountered in actual NDE cases. All subjects in the study were
also very experienced users of DMT and/or other psychedelic/entheogenic agents.
Some speculators consider that if subjects without prior knowledge on the effects of
DMT had been used during the experiment, it is possible more volunteers would have
reported feeling as though they had experienced an NDE.

Critics have argued that neurobiological models often fail to explain NDEs that result
from close brushes with death, where the brain does not actually suffer physical trauma,
such as a near-miss automobile accident. Such events may however have
neurobiological effects caused by stress.

In a new theory devised by Richard Kinseher in 2006, the knowledge of the Sensory

Autonomic System is applied in the NDE phenomenon. His theory states that the
experience of looming death is an extremely strange paradox to a living organism—and
therefore it will start the NDE: during the NDE, the individual becomes capable of
"seeing" the brain performing a scan of the whole episodic memory (even prenatal
experiences), in order to find a stored experience which is comparable to the input
information of death. The theory also states that out-of-body experiences, accompanied
by NDEs, are an attempt by the brain to create a mental overview of the situation and
the surrounding world. The brain then transforms the input from sense organs and
stored experience (knowledge) into a dream-like idea about oneself and the surrounding
area.

Whether or not these experiences are hallucinatory, they do have a profound impact on
the observer. Many psychologists not necessarily pursuing the paranormal, such
as Susan Blackmore, have recognized this. These scientists are not trying to debunk
the experience, but are instead searching for biological causes of NDEs. [

According to Engmann, near-death experiences of people who are clinically dead are

psychopathological symptoms caused by a severe malfunction of the brain resulting
from the cessation of cerebral blood circulation. An important question is whether it is
possible to "translate" the bloomy experiences of the reanimated survivors into
psychopathologically basic phenomena, e.g. acoasms, central narrowing of the visual
field, autoscopia, visual hallucinations, activation of limbic and memory structures
according to Moody's stages. The symptoms suppose a primary affliction of
the occipitaland temporal cortices under clinical death. This basis could be congruent
with the thesis of pathoclisis—the inclination of special parts of the brain to be the first to
be damaged in case of disease, lack of oxygen, or malnutrition—established eighty
years ago by C. and O. Vogt. According to that thesis, the basic phenomena should be
similar in all patients with near-death experiences. But a crucial problem is to distinguish
these basic psychopathological symptoms from the secondary mental associated
experiences which may result from a reprocessing of the basic symptoms under the
influence of the person's cultural and religious views.

An article by Netherlands researchers Pim van Lommel et al., argues, "With a purely

physiological explanation such as cerebral anoxia for the experience, most patients who
have been clinically dead should report one." Accordingly, a lack of predictable
experiences should cast doubt on wholesale explanations of NDEs

REM state
It is suggested that the extreme stress caused by a life threatening situation triggers
brain states similar to REM sleep and that part of the near death experience is a state
similar to dreaming while awake. People who have experienced times when their brains
behaved as if they were dreaming while awake are more likely to develop the near
death experience. Further stimulation of the Vagus nerve during the physical and/or
psychological stress of a life threatening situation may trigger brain conditions where the
person is in a dream-like state while awake.

Lucid dreaming
Some sleep researchers, such as Timothy J. Green, Lynne Levitan and Stephen
LaBerge, have noted that NDE experiences are similar to many of the experiences
reported during lucid dreaming. Lucid dreaming occurs when the individual becomes
lucid and realizes they are in a dream. Often these states are so realistic as to be barely
distinguishable from reality, even including the ability to feel very realistic textures.

In a study of fourteen lucid dreamers performed in 1991, people who perform wake-
initiated lucid dreams operation (WILD) reported experiences consistent with aspects of
out-of-body experiences such as floating above their beds and the feeling of leaving
their bodies. Due to the phenomenological overlap between lucid dreams, near death
experiences, and out-of-body experiences, researchers say they believe a protocol
could be developed to induce a lucid dream similar to a near-death experience in the
laboratory.

Other similarities include seeing oneself from the outside (an out of body experience),
floating or flying, heightened awareness, and feelings of joy or peace. Some
researchers believe this is caused when the mind is deprived of the majority of its main
five senses and relies on the expectational processing. In this regard one experiences
what one would expect to happen in their current circumstance. This could explain
experiences caused by mental trauma such as a near miss accident in which the mind
may close itself off at least partially to the senses and ones caused by physical trauma
in which again the mind closes itself off to the world. At present, there exists no clear
physiological or psychological basis for any relationship between lucid dreaming and
ND

Computational psychology
Modeling of NDEs using artificial neural networks has shown that some aspects of the
core near death experience can be achieved through simulated neuron death. In the
course of such simulations, the essential features of the NDE, life review, novel
scenarios (i.e., heaven or hell), and OBE are observed through the generation of
confabulations or false memories, as discussed inConfabulation (neural networks). The
key feature contributing to the generation of such confabulatory states are a neural
network's inability to differentiate dead from silent neurons. ] Memories, whether related
to direct experience, or not, can be seeded upon arrays of such inactive brain cells. To
date, no extant computer has reported a near-death experience. Furthermore, the total
operations performed by the human brain cannot even be closely approximated by
current computer systems.
Effects
Near-death experiences can have a major impact on the people who have them, and
they may produce a variety of after-effects. NDE subjects have increased activity in the
left temporal lobe. NDEs are also associated with changes in personality and outlook on
life. Kenneth Ring has identified a consistent set of value and belief changes associated
with people who have had a near-death experience. Among these changes one finds a
greater appreciation for life, higher self-esteem, greater compassion for others, a
heightened sense of purpose and self-understanding, desire to learn, elevated
spirituality, greater ecological sensitivity and planetary concern, and a feeling of being
more intuitive. Changes may also include increased physical sensitivity; diminished
tolerance to light, alcohol, and drugs; a feeling that the brain has been "altered" to
encompass more; and a feeling that one is now using the "whole brain" rather than just
a small part.] However, not all after-effects are beneficial and Greyson[ describes
circumstances where changes in attitudes and behavior can lead to psychosocial and
psychospiritual problems.[ Often the problems have to do with the adjustment to
ordinary life in the wake of the NDE.
]Afterlife viewpoints

Many view the NDE as the precursor to an afterlife experience, claiming that the NDE
cannot be adequately explained by physiological or psychological causes, and that the
phenomenon conclusively demonstrates that human consciousness can function
independently of brain activity.] Many NDE-accounts seem to include elements which,
according to several theorists, can only be explained by an out-of-body consciousness.
For example, Michael Sabom states that one of his contacts accurately described a
surgical instrument she had not seen previously, as well as a conversation that occurred
while she was under general anesthesia. In another account, from a
prospective Dutch NDE study,] a nurse removed the dentures of an unconscious heart
attack victim, and was identified after his recovery as the one who removed them. This
surprised her, as he had been in a deep coma and undergoing cardio-pulmonary
resuscitation at the time.

Dr. Michael Sabom reports a case about a woman who underwent surgery for
an aneurysm. The woman reported an out-of-body experience that she claimed
continued through a brief period of the absence of any EEG activity. If true, this would
seem to challenge the belief held by many that consciousness is situated entirely within
the brain.

Many individuals who experience an NDE see it as a verification of the existence of an

afterlife.] This includes those with agnostic/atheist inclinations before the experience.
There are examples of ex-atheists, such as the Reverend Howard Storm, adopting a
more spiritual viewpoint after their NDEs. Storm's NDE may also be characterized as a
distressing near-death experience.

Likewise, individuals who do not experience an NDE after going into cardiac arrest
frequently lose any preexisting belief in an afterlife. Both processes, like most of the
psychological transformations associated with a close brush with death, take place
gradually over several years.

It should be noted that a lack of predictable NDEs casts doubt on explanations that rely
on a single mechanism. Greyson claims that: "No one physiological or psychological
model by itself explains all the common features of NDE. The paradoxical occurrence of
heightened, lucid awareness and logical thought processes during a period of impaired
cerebral perfusion raises particular perplexing questions for our current understanding
of consciousness and its relation to brain function

Another account by a student nurse named Jeanette Atkinson from Eastbourne, who
experienced a near-death experience, says that, "There is no doubt in my mind that
there’s life after death because I’ve seen the other side. I don’t believe in a benevolent
God. I’ve seen too much suffering for that but I’m very spiritual." A recent study by Dr.
Sam Parnia (despite his acknowledgment that he was initially a skeptic), shows that
such patients are "effectively dead", with their brains shut down and no thoughts or
feelings possible for the complex brain activity required for dreaming or hallucinating;
additionally, to rule out the possibility that near-death experiences resulted from
hallucinations after the brain had collapsed through lack of oxygen, Parnia rigorously
monitored the concentrations of the vital gas in the patients’ blood, and found that none
of those who underwent the experiences had low levels of oxygen. He was also able to
rule out claims that unusual combinations of drugs were to blame because the
resuscitation procedure was the same in every case, regardless of whether they had a
near-death experience or not. According to Parnia, "Arch sceptics will always attack our
work. I’m content with that. That’s how science progresses. What is clear is that
something profound is happening. The mind – the thing that is ‘you’ – your ‘soul’ if you
will - carries on after conventional science says it should have drifted into nothingness." [

A few people feel that research on NDEs occurring in the blind can be interpreted to
support an argument that consciousness survives bodily death. Dr. Kenneth Ring claims
in the book Mindsight: Near-Death and Out-of-Body Experiences in the Blind that up to
80% of his sample studied reported some visual awareness during their NDE or out of
body experience.] Skeptic] however question the accuracy of their visual awareness,
and indeed of all sensory awareness of people undergoing NDEs.

There are many religious and physiological views of near-death experiences. The NDE
is often cited as evidence for the existence of the human soul, the afterlife,
and heaven and hell, ideas that appear in many religious traditions. On the other hand,
skeptical commentators view NDEs as purely neurological and chemical phenomena
occurring in the brain. From this perspective NDEs are the result of purely physiological
and neurobiological mechanisms. The imagery in the experiences also varies within
cultures

There has been recent research into afterlife conceptions across cultures by religious
studies scholar Dr. Gregory Shushan. This suggests that the authors of these ancient
religious texts were familiar with NDE or something similar (e.g. shamanic-type
experiences). Cross-cultural similarity, however, can be used to support both religious
and physiological theories, for both rely on demonstrating that the phenomenon is
universal. Others dispute that there are cultural similarities. The following accounts
appear to demonstrate that the cultural background of the victims determine the nature
of the NDE.

Personal experiences
 Return from Tomorrow by George G. Ritchie, MD with Elizabeth Sherrill (1978). George
G. Ritchie, MD held positions as president of the Richmond Academy of General Practice;
chairman of the Department of Psychiatry of Towers Hospital; and founder and president of
the Universal Youth Corps, Inc. He lived in Virginia. At the age of twenty, George Ritchie
died in an army hospital. Nine minutes later he returned to life. Ritchie's story was the first
contact Dr. Raymond Moody, PhD (who was studying at the University of Virginia, as an
undergraduate in Philosophy, at the time) had with NDEs. It inspired Moody to investigate
over 150 cases of near-death experiences, in his book Life After Life, and two other books
that followed.
 Embraced by the Light by Betty Eadie (1992). One of the most detailed near-death
experiences on record.
 Saved by the Light by Dannion Brinkley. Brinkley's experience documents one of the
most complete near death experiences, in terms of core experience and additional
phenomena from the NDE scale. Brinkley was clinically dead for 28 minutes and taken to a
hospital morgue.
 Placebo by Howard Pittman (1980). A detailed record of Mr. Pittman's near-death
experience.
 The Darkness of God by John Wren-Lewis (1985), Bulletin of the Australian Institute for
Psychical Research No 5. An account of the far-reaching effects of his NDE after going
through the death process several times in one night.
 Bahá'í Reinee Pasarow has presented her experiences and an extended talk which was
filmed Part 1, Part2, with a partial transcript, and analyzed from a religious point of view in
acommentary and analyzed as part of the paper The Exploration of Life After Death.
Pasarow was interviewed by Dr. Kenneth Ring.
 Anita Moorjani, an ethnic Indian woman from Hong Kong, experienced a truly
remarkable NDE which has been documented on the Near Death Experience Research
Foundation (NDERF) website as one of the most exceptional accounts on their archives.
She had end-stage cancer and on February 2, 2006, doctors told her family that she only
had a few hours to live. Following her NDE, Anita experienced a remarkable total recovery
of her health.[75]
 Goldie Hawn, while giving a speech at the Buell Theater in Denver, Colorado, reflected
upon her near-death experience. When she was younger, and starting out as an actress,
she and a group of friends were in a severe car crash together. While she was unconscious,
she remembers looking over herself while the paramedics were trying to revive her. She
also mentioned seeing a bright light and being told it was not her time soon before she
awoke.
 Kiki Carter, a.k.a. Kimberli Wilson, an environmental activist and singer/songwriter,
reported a near-death experience in 1983. The day after the experience, her mother,
Priscilla Greenwood, encouraged her to write it down. Priscilla Greenwood published the
story in September 1983 in a local metaphysical journal. For 24 hours after the experience,
Kimberli had an aftervision which was a catalyst for her interest in quantum physics and
holograms.

 90 Minutes in Heaven by Don Piper, is Piper's account of his own near-death

experience. EMTs on the scene determined Piper had been killed instantly after a tractor-
trailer had swerved into his lane, crushing his car. Piper survived, however, and later
claimed that he saw loved ones and friends as well as magnificent light; he reportedly felt a
sense of pure peace. Piper had a very difficult and painful recovery.