They’re tired of the ‘giggle factor’
By Janene Scully/Associate Editor
When a UFO symposium lands in Santa Maria, don’t expect participants to wear tinfoil hats, but do count on debate about mysterious sightings, crop circles and alien implantations.
The Central Coast Science-UFO Symposium will be Aug. 16 to 17 at The Historic Santa Maria Inn.
Organizers William and Alice Leavy of Santa Maria know the stereotypes that people have about believers in UFOs, but they stress that’s not what this conference will depict.
“I want the giggle factor to be gone and the awareness to come in,” said Alice Leavy, who says she has been abducted by aliens and has had foreign objects implanted into her body.
She wants people to keep open minds scientifically about the local presentations by UFO researchers and scientists.
“There’s a lot of things happening out there — from sightings to abductions to crop circles,” she added.
The organizers contend that the UFO conference is a first for the Central Coast, and say this is the first time scientists will speak on the dais with some of the world’s leading UFO researchers.
“This has never been done before,” said Dr. Roger Leir, a Ventura County-based podiatric surgeon who says he has surgically removed alien implantations from people. “The reason for that is to stimulate a debate between academic scientists and ufologists, and to expose the public to the debate.
“I think if the public gets wind there are some real folks ... attached to academic science who are not laughing about the subject of UFOs, they might not laugh either,” he added.
For instance, panel discussions will pair:
n Barbara Lamb, a crop circle researcher who has made trips to England for 18 years to study the phenomenon, with Dr. Horace Drew, who received his doctorate at Caltech in 1981 for DNA related studies and has maintained low-key interest in extraterrestrial visits. He later became involved in studying crop circles, including who might be making them.
n Yvonne Smith, a hypnotherapist, and physicist Gary Wade. Smith will share recollections of UFO abductions gathered during hypnotherapy while Wade will tell how physics would make the incidents possible or impossible.
“It should make for some very spirited discussions,” Leir said.
Other expected high-profile personalities from the world of UFOs include William Birnes, publisher of UFO Magazine, and George Noory, host of the national radio show “Coast to Coast AM.”
Tickets range from $25 for individual presentations to $45 for a George Noory “meet and greet” session to $95 for a one-day pass or $299 for an inclusive admission.
A psychic will give audience readings at the Saturday night banquet.
IF YOU ATTEND
— The Central Coast Science-UFO Symposium will be Aug. 16-17 at The Historic Santa Maria Inn, 801 S. Broadway.
— The Web site is at www.centralcoastscience-ufosympo sium.com, where tickets can be purchased through PayPal.
— For symposium information, call (877) 937-7836.
janscully@theadobepress.com
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