Science confirms: flying saucers do exist! Secret conversation with U Thant, former UN Secretary-General

Folha Espírita – October 1975

The plenary room of the Chamber of Federal Representatives in Brasilia was fully occupied for Dr. Allen Hynek’s presentation on flying saucers.  Dr. Hynek, who serves as director of the Department of Astronautics and Astrophysics at Northwestern University in Chicago, is also president of the United States UFO Center. He has established twelve research centers for unidentified objects across multiple countries.

In addition to his roles as a scientist, researcher, and scholar in the field, Professor Hynek also served as an advisor to the United States Air Force.  He presided over the first World Congress of Ufology, which is now the term used for flying saucers.

Science missteps

Professor Hynek, accompanied by an interpreter and assistants, delivered a presentation featuring a selection of slides drawn from the 40,000 cases catalogued by the data bank under his supervision in the United States.  The event was introduced by Congressman Brigido Tinoco, President of the House, and General Alfredo Moacyr Uchôa, a professor at Agulhas Negras Military Academy (AMAN) and an experienced researcher in the field of UFO studies.

When introducing the speaker, General Uchôa referred to the seven years he has dedicated to research in this field.  He considered the problem of flying saucers to be the greatest of the century because of its implications for various fields of human activity.

He observed that science advances intermittently.  In the past, the scientific community did not acknowledge meteorites, as the concept of stones falling from the sky was not accepted.  He rejected the claim that flying saucers couldn’t exist due to speed-of-light limits; arguing this assumes current knowledge defines all of reality.  General Uchôa noted that science is already talking about parallel universes, which could interact or intersect.

Ridicule has no place in science

For Spiritism, relations with other planets and communication between inhabitants of our planet and inhabitants of other worlds is not a new concept.  Camille Flamarion scientifically addressed the “plurality of inhabited worlds,” and it would be absurd to imagine that we are the only inhabited planet in the entire Universe, which has no beginning and no end…

Professor Hynek spoke of the hope of tomorrow’s science, probably recognizing, being a scientist, the current limitations of science today.  For this very reason, he emphasized that “ridicule is not part of science” and that, on a cosmic scale, only the fantastic can be real.

It is a worldwide phenomenon

He showed that flying saucer sightings are a global phenomenon, sharing similar traits in places like Trindade, Barra da Tijuca, Mexico, Argentina, Chile, the United States, and Africa.  Over 40,000 cases have been studied.  He noted that except for China and Russia, where reports are hard to obtain, UFO sightings have occurred worldwide.

The apparitions and objects are identical

Professor Hynek noted that flying saucer reports are consistent across countries.  In the U.S., 51% of the public is aware of the issue, which has an extensive bibliography.  Hynek sees the topic gaining importance, highlighted by a recent French Defense Minister’s statement.  In 1953, a CIA panel chose to observe the matter privately rather than disclose findings.

The idea of life and intelligence

Reports under review, from over 40,000 cases, often emphasize the concept of life and intelligence in space — a topic that resonates deeply with many.  The speaker asserted that ridicule around these phenomena is outdated, highlighting credible witnesses and noting that more than 50 American scientists have observed flying sauces.  He also argued that ongoing sightings across various locations further disprove dismissive attitudes.

Characterístics

Using slides, he presented visual documentation of flying saucers observed at night, daytime sightings, and thirteen instances classified as “close encounters.” For these cases, he displayed photographs and illustrations of landing sites, including direct observations from distances up to 300 meters, evidence of ground markings, and accounts of extraterrestrial beings present in some incidents.

He further reported that the Center for UFO Studies and Research recently published a study detailing the physical characteristics of entities associated with these crafts. Drawing on hundreds of documented cases, the report included illustrations, tracks, circles, burn marks, and damaged trees. The Center comprises scientists from multiple universities, and cases are approved for publication only after a comprehensive technical evaluation.

They do exist, no doubt!

From the audience, a question broke out:

“Do flying saucers exist?  What are they?”

The professor replied, “These objects exist, but if we knew what they were, they wouldn’t be ‘unidentified.”  They pose questions not just for science, but also for society and politics.  Fear of the unknown is a challenge we must confront — as it was during historic explorations by Italians, Portuguese, etc.  Now, our curiosity extends into space.”

Confidential meeting with U Thant, former UN Secretary-General

Professor Hynek disclosed a private meeting where U Thant expressed interest in flying saucers.  U Thant suggested that small African nations could be used for espionage by major powers and proposed that flying saucers might be manipulated on Earth for political reasons.  He noted that large nations might use such phenomena to distract people from other issues, highlighting the gap between scientific research and political considerations on this topic.

“Forget everything, hide the cases”

In 1953, the CIA recommended disregarding and concealing related cases when the topic was considered a fad. However, 15 years later, interest persisted, and some radar systems reported detecting unusual objects. Professor Hynek has suggested that an influential nation could propose the issue to the United Nations to establish a committee dedicated to gathering and cataloging information and sharing it with research centers.

The professor raised his voice, declaring an end to ridicule and a start to serious research. Hynek explained that the Center for Flying Saucer Studies works closely with all US police stations, so any relevant information reported to police is quickly passed to the Center, helping them gain useful research material.

This report, which summarizes findings from the lecture and interview we participated in, highlights that imagination can contribute meaningfully to scientific inquiry and that all possibilities should be considered in the pursuit of knowledge.  According to Spiritist perspectives, the universe is not limited to the observation of Earth alone, and the occurrence of flying saucers may suggest attempts by extraterrestrial beings to communicate with us.  To think that Earth is the sole inhabited planet is a ridiculous pretention on our part! (FN).