CRITICAL QUESTIONS THAT SURROUND UFO EVIDENCE
CRITICAL QUESTIONS THAT SURROUND UFO EVIDENCE
Behind the Scenes at BUFORA
BUFORA has had a busy 2025 and, so far, 2026 at the time of writing. Several hundred sightings, photographs and video footage have been reported to BUFORA. In the region of 550 last year (2025) and several hundred this year so far.
This has created a very busy 22 months so far for each of our volunteers in investigation and research, image analysis, media, website management and finance. In addition BUFORA receives many enquiries for historical sightings, and from universities, colleges, writers, the media and many questions relating to UFO research, to name but a few.
On behalf of BUFORA, I would like to take this opportunity to recognise and extend my thanks and appreciation for the work of all the BUFORA Committee, Carolyn, John, Tony, Mark and James. BUFORA is very fortunate to have each of you in your roles working together to bring an understanding of the reality of the UFO subject despite the continued speculation, conspiracy theories, and rumours surrounding the subject, which continue unabated. Last, but not least, a huge thank you to our BUFORA investigators for all your work, including the committee investigators and researchers.
On behalf of all the BUFORA Committee, I would like to extend our thanks and appreciation to all of you who contact BUFORA with your sightings, photographs and video footage. You are all a part of how we continue to learn and understand the continued fascination with the subject. We are all students and teachers together, learning from each other.
BUFORA's ethos remains rigorous and objective in its investigative methods, always following closely the BUFORA Code of Practice and duty of care to the witnesses.
This now takes me to the title of this article in addressing the crucial questions of what constitutes UFO evidence? These questions are of major significance in considering what is required in how investigation is conducted within a meticulous framework of critical thinking in identifying human error, beliefs, memory and interpretation based on all of these. This can sometimes result in inconclusive evidence and only a probable or possible explanation can be given.
The question of what constitutes UFO evidence is one that has been debated and discussed on social media, within UFO groups, conferences, and in mainstream media for many years. Yet this question is still surrounded by the background noise of human perception, memory, beliefs and individual interpretation based on each of these factors.
We are looking at reports made by people who have observed a light or object, in the sky which they cannot identify. Even when all the information is collated, we are depending on the accuracy of the description of the sighting by the witness. Considering how people describe a light or object at night can often be incorrect when trying to judge height, distance, movement and shape in the darkness. Even in daylight, this can be difficult and errors can be made in identifying what has been observed as unidentified by the observer. These are then translated into a visual image for an understanding of the object they saw.
High strangeness reports can be even more complex, and we can be in uncharted waters in endeavouring to bring together an extraordinary narrative as experienced and understood by the witness.
The UFO subject embraces a huge and diverse landscape, which is multifaceted, and central to all of this is the human factor influencing every part of this subject, and in many ways creating the subject. This is why objective and rigorous investigation is such a significant factor when following up reports to BUFORA. Critical thinking is always an essential component in UFO investigation and research.
Over several decades, there have been many writers, forums and discussions on social media and within the main media sources addressing the questions of perceived mysterious sightings. But it is objective and meticulous research that creates a reality check in our fascination with the subject.
There have been many thoughtful and credible researchers through the decades and as UFO narratives gathered pace through these years, it evolved into the modern-day understanding of the mysteries around this. The subject has now embraced huge diversity as today’s technology and AI have dramatically changed our access to information.
This has created many new dynamics and allowed UFO reports and stories to become even more controversial, highly charged with many conspiracy theories and powerful beliefs within the public domain, including some investigators and researchers. This has resulted in two camps of thought through the years. The idea that there is a massive cover-up by governments of UFO crashes, alien abduction and the existence of extraterrestrials amongst us, and the critical thinkers in ufology who conduct more objective and meticulous investigative methods. We need to use logic to process information and to question if it is true, instead of accepting it at face value, and always to question if the source is reliable.
The Influence of the Media and Internet
The media is a powerful force in how UFO sightings are understood and how media entertainment on the subject lacks’ clarity and information on the truth as it exists, rather than how it is imagined, desired, or appears to be. This leads to significant misunderstanding of the subject and the inaccuracy of statistics on numerous sighting reports. The figure for identification or probable cause is high, up to 98% when reported within 48 hours.
This can then give a false narrative to the public of how a UFO sighting or high strangeness report should be investigated, with extreme care and total attention to details. Sometimes keeping it simple serves the investigator well, and at other times all may not be as it seems. Investigation and research need to be objective and scrupulously conducted.
Added to the complexities in the subject are the high-profile podcasters and influencers who can be a substantial force in their impact and persuasion with their viewers and listeners. They can drive trends across groups and digital audiences across the world.
To illustrate how powerful the media, documentaries and social networks can be, let us address last year’s documentary ‘The Age of Disclosure with lengthy interviews with the director in a huge promotion for the film. This raised the profile of the documentary and reached extensive world-wide audiences, which then influenced media interest, reviews and discussion.
It appeared that this documentary had little of anything new to report on alleged government cover-up of non-human intelligence, crash landings of UFOs, reverse engineering of so-called alien technology and various ex-intelligence military personnel, who have ‘inside information’. There never appears to be any definitive proof of this, or empirical and verifiable observation.
Over the thirty years that I have been involved in ufology, the idea of government ‘disclosure' has been rife. Year after year there would be rumours abounding that disclosure was imminent and the government would be making a critical announcement next week, next month, next year - and on and on ad nauseam. Not one of these announcements ever came to fruition (except for the NASA meetings in 2023). Even then there was nothing of substance to suggest or definitively prove the extra-terrestrial hypothesis, and on 14th September 2023 NASA’s official independent study report formally announced that no evidence of extraterrestrial origins was found.
American Ufology is a little different to the UK and conspiracy theories abound in the States regarding this subject and many other subjects, including one that we did not land on the Moon, and other nonsense! This usually results in many discussions with little real evidence or information to back it up.
So much of the idea of back engineered alien technology and extraterrestrial visitation and 'abduction' together with 'UFO crashes' was created in America. The abduction narrative became a powerful force in the idea of non-human visitation way back in the 50s and then the Betty and Barney Hill’ abduction’ in 1961 developed a huge profile with books and movies about their encounter.
American abduction researchers developed high profiles within UFO research and led the way through the 70s, 80s and 90s in the idea that human beings were being abducted by beings of non-human origin. They used hypnosis as a method to elicit the truth of these stories by witnesses, which muddied the water even further, as hypnosis used in this way is very problematic and does not elicit an objective truth about a high strangeness experience and can be dangerous to the wellbeing of the witness.
Meanwhile, in the background there were weird and wonderful tales coming from the secret Area 51 about back-engineered alien technology, UFO crashes, aliens found in the desert and military secrets about military personnel having access to classified information about UFOs. The rumour mill was rampant with inconsistent information, which could change by the day. In addition, there was never any substantial evidence, only second-hand reports.
However, there are critical thinkers within ufology, either individually or within credible UFO groups who are much more sceptical, and they use meticulous and robust investigative methods, with a duty of care to the witness in trying to find rational explanations for sightings, photographs and high strangeness experiences.
In addition, the media comes into sharp focus creating more drama and confusion as to the reality of the subject. Of course, the media has an ever-expanding influence in this subject with disingenuous, and supposedly 'substantial evidence' for the reality of UFOs.
The link between UFOs and mythology and folklore is compelling. My feeling is that today's UFOs will become the folklore of tomorrow, maybe 20 years into the future, when other mysteries and extraordinary human experiences and encounters will develop under a different banner.
There is no doubt that there are many mysteries, some that science will be able to explain, but others that may remain as part of that folklore. It would be a very positive force to see much more informed reporting and research. The problem with the media is that there is very limited knowledge and understanding about the subject and has been since the modern dawn of UFOs over seventy years ago.
In fact, some of the terms used in ufology have been created by the media and ufology. An example of this initially came from a private pilot, Kenneth Arnold, who reported seeing nine bright fast-moving objects flying in formation near Mount Rainier. He told reporters that the objects moved like a saucer if you skip it across water. The Press then misinterpreted this description as meaning the objects themselves were saucer-shaped and so the term flying saucer was born. This then resulted in a huge wave of similar sightings across the United States and triggered the idea of extraterrestrial spacecraft.
It is my experience that part of the UK media can be more objective in some cases as to how they present this subject. The American press can be more credulous than the UK press with the UFO subject. They appear to take so much at face value. The problem is that how the subject is presented in the media by most countries, misses the depth and breadth of a meaningful and substantial understanding of the many pieces that are part of the UFO ‘jigsaw puzzle’. We need to present this subject in a way that allows people to ask questions and contribute to the UFO narrative that engages their critical thinking outside of the UFO box.
I think that Jacques Vallee’s words from his book, Forbidden Science, show great wisdom when he wrote:
“…the only thing that counts in this life is to question the mystery of it, with all the means at our disposal, with every moment of awareness, with every breath.”
Gloria Heather Dixon
November 2026