Reality Checking—Alternate Perceptions Magazine, June 2026
Long time Ufologists speak out on the current Government Disclosure movement
by: Brent Raynes
“We should stay out of Washington and look at the rest of the country,“ acclaimed French born scientist Jacques Vallee told Ross Coulthart in a NewsNation interview last year. He stated that he could introduce us to some farmers out in Kansas for example who’ve known this stuff was real some twenty years ago, if disclosure is indeed about proving that something anomalous is in our skies, is something real. As a boots on the ground scientist, who has traveled far and wide around the globe personally interviewing UFO witnesses in the field, Vallee is convinced that the UFO phenomenon is real.
Recently also, in The Daily Grail, Vallee’s remarks included: “I’m very concerned about what’s happening now, where…all the ufologists have stopped going in the field to talk to farmers. Instead, they get on the internet, and they want to talk about a general or lieutenant-colonel who has an idea about UFOs.”
“…In one of the Sol conferences with Dr (Garry) Nolan I showed a curve that had two bumps: there’s a small bump, which is military reports of pilots – you know the Nimitz, that kind of thing. And then a huge hill, which has all the normal reports from normal people in the field. We underestimate the size of that hill, because only 1 out of 10 for example is ever reported.”
“You don’t need a security clearance to approach these people, and if you’re lucky, they’ll give you a cup of coffee. So that’s what I want to go back to.”
Those seasoned individuals in the UFO field who have devoted decades tackling this enigma have long recognized its reality. The academic establishment has arrived late on the scene, suffering from armchair bias and prejudice. From the very beginning there have been credible reports from both civilians and military personnel. And even scientists who have often remained silent in fear of doing irreparable damage to their careers. Vallee himself is a UFO witness along with many others in the field of science.
Recently dedicated ufologist Rich Hoffman of SCU (Scientific Coalition for UAP Studies}, who has been studying the UFO matter since 1964, noted:
“Second tranche of UFO files were added today by the Department of War. Besides documents, audio and video records were released. While videos with metadata are redacted, you can enjoy watching them. Without data, the objects cannot be properly analyzed and could be anything from balloons, sensor defects, reflections and more. Of all the videos the instant acceleration seen in the Syria video was most interesting and compelling. Too bad, we do not have the Data. https://www.war.gov/UFO/...
“Many of the files were correspondence, memos, but the recent statement about an encounter involving a helicopter, orbs and objects splitting is a good one and it would be nice to have additional data to properly investigate it, otherwise it is just anecdotal and gets us nowhere.”
“Many of us are demanding Disclosure. We want the government to announce that ‘aliens are here.’ They mistakenly believe that this paper chase will provide this confirmation. Don't hold your breath. None of these records will be the ‘smoking gun.’
“Why not?
1. Why would the government admit to lying to the public for decades.
2. The files are all being sanitized and not by independent non-government staff.
3. Evidence is not going to be believed by many. We have many who do not trust anything the government says.
4. We only recently saw the government and our politicians get interested in UAP/UFOs. They show ignorance about the phenomena mainly due to the decades of disinterest. We had to convince them that there was a "threat" to get them interested.
5. It is my long held opinion that the government knows little and the defense contractor firms hold the real intelligence. They hold the data and information. They do not have to respond to FOIAs. They do not have to respond to a Presidential request. This gives the government plausible deniability.
“I watch with interest as the media drums up interest in these "new" releases, claiming a transparent administration, and fail to acknowledge the tens of thousands of already released government documents which most of the public has never read. Also, failing to note that many of the records are old and were already known by researchers. NASA is releasing transcripts and audio of sightings already known and available.”
Rich provided the following Link.
Robert Goerman has been on the UFO beat for a long time as well. We corresponded on UFO matters way back as teenagers and I even paid him a visit at his home in Pennsylvania way, way back in April 1972. Thus far he’s not overly impressed with the government released UFO documents. He recently explained: “I have been asked, ‘What does Goerman think about this flap called Disclosure?’
“I am still reviewing this drip of UAP releases. I wonder, where are the crashed UFOs and biologics? We are such a long way from the dark secrets whispered by the whistleblowers and some elected officials. We need to move beyond "stories." Photos and video by competent witnesses of things not easily explained are not concrete physical evidence of UFOs and nonhuman intelligences.
“I know what I want… At the very least, I am waiting for recovered technology and biologics.
“The gatekeepers know what I want.”
“I am being patient. If ‘dark secrets’ emerge, I may comment more. If nothing Earth-shattering materializes, I may comment. Right now, too much is being said over too little. Can't see the NHI (nonhuman intelligences) for the hype."
MSN reported: “New footage released: Pentagon video shows a Minnesota Air National Guard F-16 shooting down a UAP over Lake Huron in 2023. Likely balloon: Infrared imagery suggests the octagonal object with dangling wires was a balloon, though its purpose remains unknown.”
Thus far not the kind of confirmation long-standing civilian ufologists have long been waiting for.
Long-time Pennsylvania ufologist Stan Gordon offered the following: My interest in the UFO mystery began in 1959. Since then, I have investigated thousands of UFO cases from across Pennsylvania. I continue to receive current UFO sighting reports from the public on a regular basis.
I eagerly awaited the release of the first collection of government UFO documents on May 8, 2026. As I looked through the materials it became apparent that a lot of the information that appeared was of historical nature. Many of the cases were well known to experienced UFO researchers and the public. There were some interesting details about astronaut observations of unusual objects from the early days of the space program that many in the public may not have been aware of.
There were lots of newspaper articles from past years and a variety of other materials, some of which I recalled viewing long ago. There were videos of objects released from military sources, some of which were of interest. As I scrolled through the material, I realized that this was what I had expected. There was nothing in this first batch of reports that was going to convince readers that some of these objects were not manmade.
The second release of government documents was more interesting. Yes, there were more historical UFO reports, but also interesting accounts from military personnel of observations of unusual objects in the sky. There were also releases of videos from military sources, some of which were indeed more intriguing than what we saw previously. The reports of sightings of orbs became more prevalent and some of the military orb encounters were indeed very fascinating and important.
The orb cases were of personal interest to me. In more recent years I have seen an increase in close to the ground encounters with balls of light (orbs) occurring in daylight in clear weather conditions and approaching witnesses within a few feet or closer. The public is reporting an increase in these objects appearing inside of homes. There was a case last year during the early morning hours when three basketball-sized glowing spheres were seen on the ground about twenty-five feet away from the witness. The objects joined into one object, and it got brighter as it rose straight up into the sky. In some cases, physiological effects have been reported.
So far what we are seeing in the two releases of public UFO documents is not disclosure. While some of these reports are fascinating, they are not vastly different from what the public has heard about for years. There will never be actual disclosure until evidence is provided that confirm that objects that were not manmade have been recovered and studied by our government.
It is my opinion from the countless UFO cases I have investigated for over 66 years, that there is more than one origin for the unknown category of the UFO mystery. While some of these objects may have originated from an ET source, many incidents have an even stranger component to them. For example, there are incidents even in recent years where these objects seen in daylight and at exceptionally low level, change physical form in front of witnesses. For a lack of a better term, they are interdimensional. We are dealing with a mystery that is beyond our present scientific understanding. I do not think the government understands these ongoing anomalous phenomena, and they cannot tell that to the public at this time. As I stated long ago, “the phenomenon is so strange it protects itself.” Stan Gordon www.stangordon.info
Bernard O’Connor, the founding editor of Official UFO magazine back in 1975, contributed his personal reflections on Ufology, past and present, the role of civilian ufology and the government UFO disclosure movement.
My interest in UFOs crystallized in 1966 with my reading Frank Edward’s seminal book on the subject, Flying Saucers - Serious Business. I was not the only reader that the book had such an affect on. It could be said that Edward’s book “Launched a 1000 Ufologists.” The events he reported on were exciting, mesmerizing and most importantly, challenging. And the challenge that the phenomenon was posing was “Solve me! Go ahead, you’re so smart, solve me, if you can!” And with that, the UFO community was born. Although organizations like A.P.R.O. and N.I.C.A.P. were already established, dozens of UFO Clubs literally popped up overnight. It was exciting because we all felt we were embarking on a great adventure of discovery. We took to the field, interviewing witnesses, taking measurements, collecting data and what we considered evidence. We clipped newspaper articles, read FATE magazine religiously and subscribed to Flying Saucer Review magazine. In our determined minds, we knew that the next case would be the big one that would solve the mystery. We were all actively and with much determination playing “extraterrestrial detective.”
So, what happened? Times change, social media came along and screen addiction and distraction took over. It’s much easier these days to depend on the UFO question to be settled by the whistleblower du jour. Of course, it’s much easier to watch the endless stream of uploaded phone camera captured UFO videos than skywatch yourself. Let someone else do the work. And as for distraction, disclosure is just around the corner and finally the government will come clean about what UFOs really are. Thus, the majority of so-called Ufologists have become spectators to the media circus that is conveniently forming their opinions for them. Dedicated researchers such as members of MUFON and independent investigators are still taking part in the great adventure. They are out there in the field, obtaining firsthand testimony from witnesses, and creating meaningful databases for quantitative and qualitative analysis. Today UFOlogy desperately needs more adventurers willing to challenge the phenomenon and the mainstream. You never know the next big case they stumble upon just might do it!
We’ll continue to watch and see what happens as this disclosure movement continues to evolve and whether deep state extraterrestrial secrets are indeed what’s revealed. As for myself, after more than 59 years immersed in the UFO story, and after all the past claims of “the truth is about to finally be disclosed,” I know not to hold my breath.
Time will tell. In the meantime, the civilian ufological community has a responsibility to keep the home fires burning and to continue to investigate, research, document and archive all of the thousands of cases that it has managed to preserve over these nearly eight decades.
