Podcast UFO

Near the end of the 20th century, human abducting, cattle mutilating, Grey aliens flying sport-model saucers dominated the popular UFO narrative. However, there are reports that differ greatly from such accounts that offer insight into what might be an even stranger phenomenon. In the September 12, 1999, edition of the Trenque Lauquen paper, La Opinión, there is an article (page 16 of the pdf) headlined “Extraterrestrial Encounter?” It tells the tale, mostly in the words of the witness, Carlos Colón, a resident of Trenque Lauquen, who said he had a strange encounter on August 25th. During a follow-up investigation by a Spanish UFO...

by UFO History Buff & Author, Charles Lear 

On January 20, 2026, Francis Lee Ridge passed away. His contributions to UFO investigation and research spanned six decades, and thanks to his efforts, a treasure trove of historical UFO-related material is available to anyone with an internet connection.According to Ridge’s bio at nicap.org, he was born on October 13, 1942. In 1960, he became an active investigator as head of the National Investigations Committee on Aerial Phenomena Indiana Subcommittee and remained in that position until 1970.

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In this fascinating conversation, Martin Willis speaks with Jay Hammen, a school psychologist and longtime UFO researcher, about a theory that attempts to connect UAP sightings, entities, consciousness, trauma, telepathy, altered states, and other high-strangeness phenomena into one larger framework. Drawing from thinkers such as Jacques Vallée, Carl Jung, and Terence McKenna, Jay lays out the idea of a “field” of consciousness that may help explain why the phenomenon can appear physical at times, yet deeply psychological or interdimensional at others. Jay also shares personal experiences that shaped his thinking, including an unusual UAP sighting in Florida, synchronicities, meditation exper...

by UFO History Buff & Author, Charles Lear 

In 1969, Passport to Magonia by Jacques Vallée was published. Its central thesis is that there may be a link between folklore, particularly stories of the Fae folk, and UFO lore. In the Vol. 25, No. 6, issue (page 25 of the pdf) of Flying Saucer Review, there is an article by Eileen Morris headlined “The Winged Beings of Bluestone Walk” covering a case that certainly seems to support Vallée’s ideas.According to Morris, a “necessarily brief” version of the story told by Jean Hingley first appeared in the January 12, 1979, edition of The Dudley Herald...

Martin Willis welcomes Jeff Selver to discuss experiences that Jeff says began in adolescence and continued over many years. In this interview, Jeff recounts alleged encounters with Grey beings, memory suppression, regression sessions, unusual physical marks, and what he believes was a broader contact process connected to consciousness and spirituality. The conversation explores experiencer testimony, possible links between UFO encounters and altered states, the role of belief and interpretation, and Jeff’s view that the phenomenon may involve dimensions or realities not yet understood by science.

SHOW NOTES

Martin Willis welcomes Christopher Sharp of Liberation Times, and formerly the Daily Mail, for a wide-ranging conversation on UFO/UAP journalism, disclosure, secrecy, and why this subject is finally being taken seriously by more mainstream reporters. Because of the UK–U.S. time difference, this interview was pre-recorded, but the discussion is timely and deeply relevant to where the topic stands today. Christopher talks about how his interest in the phenomenon evolved, from childhood curiosity to serious investigative reporting, and explains why the post-2017 landscape changed everything for journalists and the public alike. He and Martin also explore the psychology be...

The cattle mutilation mystery and its association with UFO activity didn’t get the attention of researcher investigators until the 1970s. There is an article on page 2 of the March 1975 APRO Bulletin, headlined “More on Mutilations,” discussing the findings of APRO Field Investigators Bill Pitt, Lee Spiegel, and Kevin Randle. It was the opinion of APRO at the time that “no satisfactory evidence has emerged which links UFOs to mutilated animals.” The first mutilation to get the public’s attention was that of a horse named Snippy found by its owners in the San Luis Valley of Colorado on September 8, 1967. Shortly after t...

Martin Willis and co-host UFO Jack welcome author and musician Mike Fiorito to discuss the intriguing relationship between music, consciousness, and the UFO phenomenon. Fiorito suggests that music may be a universal form of communication, pointing to birdsong and the presence of music in every human culture as evidence that intelligent life naturally expresses itself through sound. The conversation explores how music creates wordless connections between people, whether through performing, dancing, or shared listening. Fiorito describes music as a “thought form” that carries cultural history and emotional depth, often communicating ideas and feelings that language cannot easily express. The discussion then...

by UFO History Buff & Author, Charles Lear On October 7, 1977, Prime Minister of Grenada Sir Eric Gairy gave a 90-minute speech during the 32nd session of the General Assembly of the United Nations urging the organization to create an agency that would monitor UFOs. This led to a presentation and panel discussion over one year later, organized and produced by Lee Speigel, that included Dr. J. Allen Hynek, Dr. Jacques Vallée, and Col. Gordon Cooper. While this was considered a high point at the time in terms of gaining respectability for the UFO Waldheim Meeting. Credit: ICUFON Archives subject (Grenada issu...

by UFO History Buff & Author, Charles Lear For many people growing up in the 1970s (of which this writer is one), seeing a UFO documentary was their first in-depth look into the subject. These films often came along with books tied in, and major publishers such as Bantam were getting onboard. More and more people were willing to accept the idea that UFOs were worthy of serious consideration, and this meant that more and more people were willing to spend money on movies and books covering the subject. What had formerly been mostly confined to a subculture of enthusiasts, was no...

Bryce Zabel and Brent Friedman, creators of NBC’s Dark Skies, join Podcast UFO to discuss the strange real-life event that sparked their new investigative podcast, Sound, Light & Frequency. They share how their personal interest in UFOs began (including Bryce’s childhood discovery of the McMinnville “Trent Farm” photos, and Brent’s startling “aliens are real” disclosure from a Reagan-era family friend), plus Brent’s more recent UFO-style sighting during the Perseid meteor shower on Vancouver Island, tiny star-like lights moving erratically and seeming to drop into the ocean. The conversation turns to why witnesses stay silent, including stories Bryce heard from stran...

by UFO History Buff & Author, Charles Lear 
Brazil has a history of official UFO investigation almost as long as that of the United States. However, it has an official policy on disclosure that predates the U.S.’s by more than a decade. In 1954, the Brazilian Air Force started The First Confidential Inquiry into Unidentified Aerial Objects in response to the first major flap in that country. In 1969, the Sistema de Investigação de Objetos Aéreos Não Identificados (SIOANI) was established, and nearly 100 detailed case files were accumulated up until its termination in 1972. After this, in 1977, in response...

Did Barack Obama slip — and then walk it back? In a recent interview with political commentator Brian Tyler Cohen, Obama was asked point-blank: Are aliens real? His response: “They’re real… but I haven’t seen them.” He followed with laughter, referencing conspiracy theories about extraterrestrials being hidden at Area 51, suggesting such a secret would be impossible to conceal — even from a president. Later, he clarified that he framed part of his answer humorously. But was that clarification damage control? Tonight, Martin and UFO Jack go deeper. We revisit Obama’s earlier appearance on Jimmy Kimmel Live!, where he was pressed on the s...

by UFO History Buff & Author, Charles Lear The first feature-length UFO documentary was titled, appropriately, Unidentified Flying Objects with the subtitle, The True Story of Flying Saucers. It was produced by Clarence Greene and released in 1956. Researcher Robert Barrow devoted a blogspot.com site to it titled UFO: The True Story of Flying Saucers and posted from June 2008 until July 2025. In his June 12, 2008, post, “The Driving Force: Clarence Greene,” Barrow includes a statement “signed” by Greene, but he tells the reader that he found it on the web “uncredited.”According to Greene in his July 26, 1967, statement titled, “UFO: Why I Made Unidentifie...

For fun, Martin has a direct conversation with Grok about UFOs, Elon Musk, and Starlink. We examine Musk’s claim that with thousands of Starlink satellites in orbit, none have ever had to dodge an alien craft — and whether that actually proves anything given the vastness of space.

The discussion moves into some of the most compelling UFO cases on record, including the 2004 Nimitz encounter, the Phoenix Lights, and the 1994 Ariel School incident in Zimbabwe. Another great Grok opinion: "Maybe those kids got a backstage pass to something bigger!"

We explore pilot testimony, mass sightings, centuries-old repo...

**NOTE: This show contains AUTHENTIC LEAKED ORIGINAL AUDIO of the Frederick Valentich incident. It may be disturbing to some. Australian UFO researcher George Simpson joins Martin Willis to discuss decades of frontline investigation into some of Australia’s most compelling UFO cases. George began his work in the late 1980s with the Victorian UFO Research Society and later became Victorian Director of the Australian UFO Research Network, organizing public conferences and hosting international figures including Steve Bassett. With more than 30 years immersed in field investigations, committee leadership, and case analysis, George brings a rare long-term perspective to the subject. He is...

by UFO History Buff & Author, Charles Lear | In the Volume 26, Number 6, March 1981 Flying Saucer Review, there is an article (page 7 of the pdf) by Russian UFO investigator Nikita A. Schnee headlined, “Contact Reported Near Pyrogovskoye Lake.” It tells the tale of an unnamed Red Army officer who said he was taken aboard a craft by “two men in dull-coloured cellophane like garments,” who told him they wanted to have a talk. In his introduction, Schnee explains that Soviet UFOlogists were of the belief that there were no Russian CE-3 cases. He cites Felix Y. Zigel, an assistant professor at the Moscow Ins...

by UFO History Buff & Author, Charles Lear 

In 2019, U.S. Navy pilot Lt. Ryan Graves began speaking publicly about regular encounters by flight teams starting in 2013 with UFOs. On July 26, 2023, he testified before congress and said that on one occasion, two jets were forced to make evasive maneuvers to avoid a collision with an object he described as a clear sphere with a black cube inside. By the time of the hearing, the All-domain Anomaly Resolution Office headed by Dr. Sean Kirkpatrick had looked into these types of reports, and in May of 2023, Kirkpatrick informed NASA’s UFO adviso...

by UFO History Buff & Author, Charles Lear While June 24, 1947, marks the beginning of the modern-day UFO mystery, claims of earlier encounters and incidents, Maury Island for example, are found throughout the literature. One such case is that of Udo Wartena, a Dutch immigrant working as a miner for the Northwest Mining Syndicate in Broadwater County, Montana. Wartena claimed that in 1940, an alien invited him to go on board a huge flying saucer.The case came to light in the 1990s, and is based on the testimony of Wartena just before he died in 1989. Prior to this, he reportedly kept the story...

U.S. Air Force Colonel (Ret.) Fred Claussen joins Podcast UFO for an in-depth conversation following the January 20 UAP press conference in Washington, DC. At that event, he was among the military and intelligence professionals who came forward publicly to address unresolved questions surrounding Unidentified Aerial Phenomena, including observed capabilities, possible origins, and implications for national security and air safety. In the upcoming interview, Colonel Claussen expands on themes raised at the press conference and provides additional context drawn from his professional background and firsthand experience. He discusses a defining incident from his service, when he was scrambled to investigate...

by Albert Wain

In 2015, while handling an inspection claim for damaged furniture in Buffalo, New York, I met with a client at his home. He was around eighty years old and wore a cast on one arm. As we walked through his condo inspecting the damaged pieces, he explained that he was battling bone cancer in his arm and that his wife of many years had recently passed away.At one point, he brought me into a room lined with photographs of various aircraft. He told me he was a retired Air Force officer who had flown many...

by UFO History Buff & Author, Charles Lear | For many people growing up in the 1970s (of which this writer is one), seeing a UFO documentary was their first in-depth look into the subject. These films often came along with books tied in, and major publishers such as Bantam were getting onboard. More and more people were willing to accept the idea that UFOs were worthy of serious consideration, and this meant that more and more people were willing to spend money on movies and books covering the subject. What had formerly been mostly confined to a subculture of enthusiasts, was o...

In this episode of Podcast UFO, we are joined by Dr. Robert McGwier, widely known as “Science Bob,” for a deep, technical discussion on UAP and USO detection through automated sensor data gathering. Dr. McGwier brings decades of experience in applied mathematics, signal processing, and national-security–level data analysis. This conversation moves beyond speculation and focuses squarely on how real-world sensor systems—such as radar, sonar, electro-optical/infrared platforms, acoustic sensors, and passive detection arrays—are used to identify, correlate, and evaluate anomalous objects operating in air and undersea environments. We explore how modern sensor fusion works, what automated detection pipelines...

by UFO History Buff & Author, Charles Lear 
Throughout 1954 in France, there was a wave of humanoid reports that received national and international press coverage. That same year, Italy experienced a wave of its own that didn’t get nearly as much attention, although one particular case has since become a classic. A detailed account (page 12 of the pdf) of the case and a follow-up investigation 18 years later is presented in the Vol. 18, No. 5, Flying Saucer Review. Jacques Vallée included a brief account in his catalogue titled Une Siècle d’Atterisages” (a Century of Landings) published as a series in Lu...

Join attendees of the historic Washington, DC press conference organized by filmmaker James Fox, focused on the 1996 Varginha, Brazil UFO incident. In this roundtable discussion, Martin Willis is joined by fellow attendees Sarah Gamm & Anthony Miller, of Fire in the Cosmos to reflect on what it was like to be present at this landmark event held at the National Press Club. The group shares firsthand impressions of the atmosphere inside the room, the significance of the testimony presented, and the experience of meeting and speaking directly with Brazilian witnesses connected to the Varginha case. From emotional moments to broader implications...

Longtime UFO investigator Allan Lavigne joins Martin Willis for a deep-dive into the “boots-on-the-ground” era of UFO research—when cases were tracked by phone calls, paper files, and relentless field work. Allan recounts his time with APRO (Aerial Phenomena Research Organization), the pioneering civilian group founded by Jim and Coral Lorenzen, and explains how APRO’s investigations accelerated after Project Blue Book ended. Along the way, he shares what it was like working some of the most talked-about cases of the 1970s and beyond—abductions, crash-retrieval lore, and major sightings that still divide researchers today. Allan also provides a rare first-pers...

We apologize in advance for any audio issues during the livestream, as this is a live press event with multiple speakers. Please note that some witnesses are speaking in Portuguese, with English translation provided. (two sessions) 

Martin attended and livestreamed a historic press conference at the National Press Club in Washington, DC, on January 20, 2026. For the first time publicly, Brazilian neurosurgeon Dr. Italo Venturelli described his 1996 hospital encounter with a living, non-human intelligent being connected to the Varginha incident. Organized by investigative journalist and filmmaker James Fox, the event featured Brazilian witnesses, medical and forensic testimony, and new e...

Journalist Leslie Kean joins Martin Willis at the National Press Club following the UAP/UFO press conference to share her candid reaction to the historic event. Kean reflects on the emotional testimony of witnesses, the extraordinary effort behind organizing the press conference, and why the case presented is one of the most important she has encountered. She emphasizes the credibility of the witnesses, the significance of international cooperation, and the urgent need for access to hard data such as photographs, videos, flight logs, and medical records that remain sequestered by authorities. In this conversation, Kean also discusses the alleged involvement...

Martin reconnects with journalist and producer Chrissy Newton for a concise, wide-ranging discussion that traces her path into UAP reporting—from early PR work and influential documentaries to the personal experiences that sustain long-term interest in the subject. Chrissy recounts her father’s Ontario UFO sighting and how firsthand encounters often become the spark that turns curiosity into a lifelong pursuit, even as friends and family react very differently to the topic. The conversation then shifts to bigger themes shaping today’s UAP landscape: overlapping rabbit holes in national security, politics, science, and media; the ebb and flow of public attent...

Martin Willis welcomes back Erling Strand, founder of Project Hessdalen, for an in-depth discussion on one of the world’s most enduring and scientifically studied unexplained phenomena—the Hessdalen Lights of Norway. In this wide-ranging conversation, Strand reflects on his first encounters in the early 1980s and how an initial curiosity evolved into a decades-long, instrument-based research program. He explains the four primary categories of observations reported in the Hessdalen Valley, ranging from brief flashing lights to long-duration luminous objects, radar-tracked targets traveling at extreme speeds, and rare daylight sightings of structured craft-like forms. The discussion explores hard data collected over...

In last week’s blog, we looked at a case from Spain that involved three airmen who were stationed at a Spanish Air Force base near Talavera La Real. It was investigated by Juan José Benítez who wrote a report (page 4 of the pdf) and sent it to Flying Saucer Review. The report was translated into English by Gordon Creighton, and it was published in the Vol. 23, No. 5, February 1978 issue.According to Benítez, the three airmen, José María Trejo, Juan Carrizosa Luján, and José Hildago were on guard duty after midnight on November 12, 1976. Trejo and Carrizosa were in their s...

In the Vol. 23, No. 5, February 1978 Flying Saucer Review, there is a report (page 4 of the pdf) out of Spain headlined, “Encounter at Talavera.” It was written by Juan José Benítez and translated by Gordon Creighton. Benítez got the story from the main witnesses who were three airmen stationed at a Spanish Air Force base near Talavera la Real, close to the Spanish-Portuguese border. He describes the case as “simply staggering.”Benítez explains that the incident occurred on November 12, 1976, and that he got the story firsthand from the witnesses, but kept the details to himself because the three men involved had...

In this in-depth conversation, Martin Willis is joined by Anna Brady-Estevez, a senior technology investor and former government innovation leader, for a wide-ranging discussion on UAP, scientific rigor, and the future of advanced research. Anna shares her personal journey into the UAP topic—from early curiosity and cultural stigma to firsthand sightings and high-level exposure through government, science, and finance. Drawing on her experience funding hundreds of advanced technology companies across energy, space, and national security, she explains how UAP-related questions increasingly overlap with real, cutting-edge research already underway.Topics explored include:Why UAP remained stigmatized for decades—and what has...

Filmmaker and investigator James Fox returns for an in-depth discussion of his latest release, Moment of Contact: New Revelations of Alien Encounters. The conversation revisits the 1996 Varginha, Brazil incident—often called “Brazil’s Roswell”—and examines new testimony that has emerged since the film’s premiere. Fox shares updates from recent travels to Brazil, including additional witness accounts, hospital testimony, and details involving alleged creature encounters and military involvement. The discussion also broadens to government secrecy, whistleblowers, crash-retrieval programs, and why the Varginha case remains one of the most complex and controversial UFO investigations on record.

SHOW NOTES

by UFO History Buff & Author, Charles Lear ~ This past week, I found myself in the position of having two co-workers who are UFO witnesses and decided to take advantage of this and have them tell their stories for this blog.The first story is that of Ilya Vett, 54, who has been with the organization for over three years, and he first told it to me not long after I met him. He grew up in the area of New Paltz, New York, which is near Pine Bush and the Hudson Valley. Both of those areas are notorious for UFO flaps i...

Martin Willis with UFO-Jack co-hosting react to the newly released Steven Spielberg Disclosure Day teaser, which Martin says “gave me the willies” and immediately compelled a discussion. They cue up the teaser and then break down its most striking lines—“If you found out we weren’t alone…,” “People have a right to know the truth,” “You wouldn’t believe me if I told you… so I’m gonna show you,” and the nun’s reflection on why a vast universe would exist “yet save it only for us.” Martin and Jack highlight how the teaser leans into suspense and emotion, avoids showing aliens or...

In last week’s blog, we looked at the beginning of the modern crop circle phenomenon that first got the attention of the media and UFO researchers in 198o. This was described in the 1986 report compiled by Paul Fuller and Jenny Randles (written by Randles) for the British UFO Research Association titled Mystery of the Circles. According to Randles, the idea that UFOs had something to do with the mystery came from the fact that the first circles appeared in the West Country in the area of Warminster, which had become famous in the 60’s as a UFO hotspot. When we left...

Within UFOlogy, there are several areas of specialization, such as abductions, landing traces, humanoids, contactees, military encounters, etc. They often have their own specialized literature put out by individual researchers or organizations, and many have come and gone in terms of popular fascination and press coverage. One aspect that has fallen by the wayside is crop circle research, also known as “cereology.” Its early history, and the reasons for it falling out of favor with the press, and even among UFOlogists, is summed up neatly in the 1986 report, Mystery of the Circles, “compiled by” by Paul Fuller and Jenny Randles (Randles is...

In this in-depth episode of Podcast UFO, host Martin Willis is joined by Len Filppu, a lifelong experiencer whose 1967 Brockport, New York UFO sighting became a pivotal moment that reshaped his understanding of reality, consciousness, and the unexplained. Len recounts witnessing a low-flying, fiery orange object, accompanied by a smaller white orb, moving silently across the sky—an event corroborated by multiple police officers and dozens of civilian witnesses across western New York. The sighting later inspired the animated short documentary Psychedelic in the Sky, which explores not only the event itself, but the deeper psychological and spiritual impact it ha...

In this special round-robin episode, Podcast UFO host Martin Willis is joined by an exceptional panel to review one of the most consequential years in modern UFO/UAP history. Filmmaker Dean Alioto, Surprise guest, Matt Ford of The Good Trouble Show, UFO Jack, and Allie & Justin, hosts of UAP Society’s UAP News Show, come together to discuss the major strides, controversies, and revelations that shaped the UAP conversation throughout 202 controversies, and revelations that shaped the UAP conversation throughout 2025. Topics covered include: Congressional hearings, whistleblowers, and renewed legislative efforts surrounding UAP disclosure Scientific re-evaluation of historical and modern UAP data In...