Paolo Guizzardi's blog (PaoloG)

Tiki, the puffologist

Some considerations on ufology

QUESTO ARTICOLO HA UNA VERSIONE ITALIANA  

April 5 2024 Paolo Guizzardi

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NO ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE TOOLS WERE USED TO WRITE THIS ARTICLE 

    I had been thinking for some time about writing an article where I would express some general considerations about ufology. By this term I mean research into that specific phenomenon commonly known by the acronym UFO. A phenomenon that for more than three quarters of a century has been artificially relegated outside the realm of reality, covered in discredit and ridicule, despite an impressive body of empirical data. In this extended period, only a few scattered curious, enthusiasts along with a few rare scientists have had the courage to approach this non-discipline to try and understand something about it. For the past few years, however, the situation regarding the UFO phenomenon has been changing. After more than three-quarters of a century of disinterest, the phenomenon, now renamed UAP, is beginning to be taken seriously. In short, things are really changing. This is why reflections on the role of ufology as we have known it so far are called for, and this little story is designed to serve just that.

We are in the second half of the 19th century on an island in New Guinea. A great flat-topped stack, an enclosed world from which no one could get away, the island having no landing place to the sea. The arch that in ancient times connected it to the mainland must have been destroyed by an earthquake, effectively making the island inaccessible.

A small, quiet and safe world from which its inhabitants, though unable to leave, could admire the vastness of the ocean on one side and the lush vegetation on the mainland on the other. A mainland separated by little more than a hundred meters of sea, as close as it was inaccessible. The nearly vertical walls made both descent to the sea and landing on the island impossible.

Tiki was a proud member of his tribe. Ever since he was a boy, he had manifested a keen curiosity that drove him incessantly to explore his small but interesting world and to ask why things happened, without necessarily taking commonly accepted opinions at face value.

At some point, rumors began to circulate about strange things happening across the sea, on land, or rather over the forest. There was talk of strange white clouds appearing out of nowhere and walking above the forest trees as if they were alive, a kind of evanescent flying snake. Then these rumors were joined by others who reported strange bird sounds and other noises that resembled roars, which they had never heard before. Some claimed that those noises must have had some connection with those strange living clouds, because they seemed to come from where the clouds appeared.

A curious person like Tiki could not ignore such persistent and recurring voices.

Tiki thus set out to try to gather as much information as possible about these strange rumors. Armed with a lot of patience and a good dose of courage, he lurked as high as he could in the trees on the side facing the mainland, hoping to catch a glimpse of something about this mysterious phenomenon. His patience was rewarded, and after many attempts he actually got to observe to his amazement those white clouds walking alone above the trees. As he continued, he also got to hear even those strange noises and roars.

It was evident that something was happening, but what?

Much was made in the tribe about these strange facts. A few, very few to tell the truth, followed Tiki's invitation and lurked in the tall trees on the land side thus having the opportunity to observe themselves those mysterious phenomena. In the tribe a general agreement was soon reached that these must be manifestations of some new kind of forest spirits. Some were indifferent while others never wanted to give credence to any of these stories, although they always refused to climb the trees to check for themselves.

There were many evenings when, sitting with the elders around the fire, Tiki tried to get as much information and opinions as he could. But not even the elders with their great wisdom could get to the bottom of it, let alone provide anything useful for the investigation. The mystery remained.

He also sought the help of Aiuku, the tribe's shaman. Initially reluctant, the spirit of service that distinguishes shamans nevertheless prevailed and prompted him to try to satisfy Tiki's curiosity.

He thus made some 'journeys' from which he brought back a coherent but incomprehensible vision. He 'saw' or perceived something that he could only explain by comparing it to two endless shining bamboo canes running side by side in the forest in a narrow, plant less strip, joined at regular intervals by thick, straight, flat trunks. "Endless shining bamboo canes, flat trunks, plant less strip-what nonsense!" thought Tiki as he listened to the story.

Aiuku claimed that his perception was clear, but he had no idea what it could be about.

Aiuku's perception - Photo by Yoal Desurmont on Unsplash

Endless shining bamboo canes laid on the ground, white clouds that appeared out of nowhere and walked or flew now to one side or the other above the trees. Strange noises that now resembled those of certain birds now resembled roars. They seemed nonsense, yet by now he himself had observed the walking clouds many times and heard those strange noises. Aiuku had also confirmed that his perception was solid. What could they be? What was going on in the thick of the forest, across the land?

He also made many drawings on a smooth-walled rock near his hut to try to keep in mind the shapes of those mysterious clouds, and to try to explain them to the not many members of the tribe willing to discuss them.

The years passed inexorably; the living clouds continued to occur as did those strange noises. In time the tribe reached a tacit agreement, a consensual explanation that spirits of a different kind had at some point manifested in the forest on the mainland. Then after a certain point no one paid any more attention. All in all, the phenomena remained confined across the sea and posed no danger to the tribe.

As he grew up, Tiki started a family but did not give up and continued to keep an eye on the phenomena. He thus spent hours and hours regaling his children and grandchildren with tales of the mysterious phenomena on land.

He ended his physical life after seeing some forty springs, but without ever being able to solve the mystery.

He could never understand that those strange manifestations were due to a railroad, a system that allowed people and things to be transported with the help of puffing and roaring mechanical steam-powered beasts that, as they traveled over those endless shining bamboos, emitted those clouds that seemed to be alive and those noises that sounded like animal roars.

Of course, the puffs that looked like living clouds were nothing but a product of the operation of these machines, and the strange noises, the whistle of the locomotive and the puffing of the steam engine.

A technological system that a man belonging to a Neolithic level civilization could never have understood.

Photo by Roland Lösslein on Unsplash

Those familiar with the UFO phenomenon and its manifestations have surely found many familiar issues in Tiki's story. Those who are unfamiliar with it, on the other hand, I recommend keeping it in mind because it contains the main elements that they will sooner or later encounter as they advance in their research.

Coming to Tiki's story and its moral, we can say that UFOs are like the 'living clouds' mystery above the trees in the forest. That is, they seem to be an observable but mysterious part of a much larger and more complex system that is not easily observable and may prove difficult, if not impossible, to understand.

So, the question is: now that the UFO subject is being taken more and more in serious consideration, is it worthwhile to continue to be "puffologists" like Tiki, that is, to devote oneself to investigating puffing -i.e., UFOs- or is it better to devote oneself to figuring out whether there is indeed a larger picture, of which UFOs constitute nothing more than a small part?

Certainly, the technological component in the overall picture of the manifestations of the UFO phenomenon is interesting. So, nothing wrong with focusing on it, let's be clear. I just think it's appropriate to always keep in mind that the technological aspect of UFOs is not everything, and UFOs themselves are not everything, but most likely a part of something much larger and more complex.

So, ok, let us concentrate on the study of UFOs in what is called 'nuts and bolts ufology', but let us not forget that this is not everything.