FLYING
SAUCER
TO THE
CENTER OF
YOUR MIND
Books by Andy Colvin
The Mothmans Photographer: The Work of an Artist Touched by the Prophecies of the Infamous Mothman
The Mothmans Photographer II: Meetings With Remarkable Witnesses Touched by Paranormal Phenomena, UFOs, and the Prophecies of West Virginias Infamous Mothman
The Mothmans Photographer III: Meetings With Remarkable West Coast Witnesses Touched By The Anomalous Activities Of Interdimensional Entities, Archetypal Avatars, And The Eerie Yet Enlightening Phenomenon Known Infamously As Mothman
The Mothman Speaks: Candid Conversations Concerning Cosmic Conundrums - Cryptic Creatures, Chimeras, Contactees and the Cleverly Coded Coincidences and Correspondences of the Collective Unconscious
The Mothman Shrieks: Controversial Conversations Concerning Cosmic Conundrums - Cryptic Creatures, Chimeras, Contactees and the Cleverly Coded Coincidences and Correspondences of the Collective Unconscious
Flying Saucer to the Center of Your Mind: Selected Writings of John Keel
ISBN-13: 978-1492206606
ISBN-10: 1492206601
2013 Metadisc Books, All Rights Reserved
PUBLISHED BY: Metadisc Books and The Seattle Conceptual Art Museum
FOR MORE INFORMATION ON JOHN KEEL: WWW.JOHNKEEL.COM
FRONT COVER: JOHN KEEL AT THE MOTHMAN STATUE UNVEILING CEREMONY, PT. PLEASANT, WV, SEPT. 2003 (PHOTO BY ANDY COLVIN)
BACK COVER ILLUSTRATION: SELF-PORTRAIT IN PHOTO BOOTH BY JOHN KEEL, NEW YORK CITY, CIRCA 1966
CONTENTS
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
Thanks to the following researchers who have either shared their personal insights about John Keel with the editor, or have helped promote recent popular interest in Keels work particularly regarding the seeming connections between Mothman, UFOs, and the occasional conspiracy. This book would not have been possible without their help:
-Skylaire Alfvegren | -Christopher Knowles |
-Greg Bishop | -Regan Lee |
-Walter Bosley | -Clyde Lewis |
-Mike Clelland | -Jim Marrs |
-Tessa B. Dick | -James Moseley |
-John and Tim Frick | -James Evan Pilato |
-Adam Gorightly | -Jeffery Pritchett |
-Rosemary Ellen Guiley | -Nick Redfern |
-Jerry Hamm | -Phil Reynolds |
-Keith Hansen | -Doug Skinner |
-David Houchin | -Kenn Thomas |
-George Knapp | -Jeff Wamsley |
Special thanks to my team of Mothy proofreaders truly a sacred brain trust. Their enthusiasm, thoughts, and advice during the past two decades of research into Keel has been invaluable:
-John Bonanno
-Ben Camp
-Lisa Neesvig
-E.E. Parker
-Harriet Plumbrook
-Ted Torbich
INTRODUCTION
BY TESSA B. DICK
In his own work, Andy Colvin digs deeper than the headlines when he comes across a story. Inspired by personal experience with the Mothman phenomenon, he delves into realms of mysterious and fascinating events which, according to common sense, ought not happen. From phantom armies of angels (which have been reported as recently as the 6 Day War in Israel) to fantastic creatures that morph into something even more strange, Colvin has taken on the decades-long task of documenting, compiling, and theorizing about the evidence for Mothman, UFOs, and earthly conspiracies.
Along the way, Colvin has archived and re-popularized the lost works of John A. Keel. Keel is one of our best sources on the history of Mothman, since he was there, onsite, and interviewed the witnesses at the time of their sightings. Keel also happens to be perhaps the top UFO and Fortean investigator of the late 20 th century.
This volume, which explores the writings and thoughts of John Keel , goes deep into the flying saucer mystery and other strange phenomena. It is a fascinating read.
Although much of Flying Saucer to the Center of Your Mind was written decades ago, this book sheds new light on UFOs and other mysterious phenomena. For those who are not already familiar with Keels work, it will be a mind-opener. For those who have read Keel , this volume not only provides a useful refresher course, but also includes rare material from now-defunct magazines and other obscure sources that many have never read or even heard of before.
One tale in particular caught my attention: three teenagers who swear they saw a huge bird transform into a golden boy. This tale is reminiscent of El Dorado, the legendary Inca chief who used to bathe in gold dust until he shone like the sun.
It also brings to mind Philip K. Dicks story, The Golden Man. If you saw the movie Next, which was purportedly based on that story, you have no idea what Phil really wrote. The story was about the dangers of eugenics programs. (Although within the story, the biological mutations are caused by nuclear contamination.)
Of course, the chapter on Philip K. Dick interests me the most, since I was married to Phil. This chapter accurately describes bits and pieces of my husbands experience and his attempts to deal with it intellectually.
The most striking experience that Phil and I shared was with what he and I called Firebright. This name occurred to him because of the bright lights that danced around our apartment, and it formed a significant part of the inspiration for his novel VALIS. He referred to the experience with Firebright and other entities as VALIS, which is an acronym for Vast Active Living Intelligence System. Firebright was a blue electrical arc the size of a tennis ball that flitted around the room as if it were a moth. At one point, it landed on Phils forehead. (This was some time after his pink light experience, which also targeted his forehead.)
Firebright seemed to be a friendly creature which possessed some intelligence or instinct, such as that of a bird. Birds are actually very intelligent, but that is another story. (The supernatural king of birds in Asia, which is known as the Garuda, is depicted in ancient texts and carvings as a bird-man hybrid. The Garuda was at the top of Keels list of possible explanations for Mothman.) Firebrights physical movements seemed moth-like, too, which might connect it with Mothman (the nickname that the media gave the West Virginia Birdman). My experiences with Phil and Firebright did seem similar to those described by Keel as experienced by UFO and Mothman witnesses in the Ohio Valley.
Firebright appeared in the midst of a period of harassment of an electromagnetic nature. For example, sometimes at night our little bedside radio could not be turned off, not even when it was unplugged. The first time that happened, we asked the guys next door, who shared a common wall with us, if they had left their radio on in the kitchen that night. They said they had not. A short time later, after they moved out, workmen in gray coveralls emerged from a yellow Ford Econoline van and carried large cardboard boxes into the vacant apartment next door. After that, the strange electromagnetic phenomena in our apartment increased in frequency and intensity. When we found the door to that apartment unlocked, we investigated and found electronic equipment in the kitchen, which shared a common wall with our bedroom, as well as in the hall closet. Phil recognized some of the devices as ham radio equipment and tape recorders. When we eventually moved, Phil stated that he was going to miss the little air spirits that visited our apartment because they would not move to the house that we rented.