Phenomena on Trial: Crop Circles



(This is going to be a series putting different phenomena into the spotlight and testifying both for and against its existence in the unexplained realm. We will call forth witnesses, present evidence and give both the defense’s and prosecution’s viewpoints)

DEFENDANT:
Crop circles.

DEFENSE: Crop circles are a phenomenon that has been experienced in many countries, for many centuries, and found to have very unique qualities. We hope to prove how exceptionally amazing these creations are and the means unavailable to man to make so many circles in so many places on such large scale and with the mutations found within.

DEFENSE EXPERT: (full account from witness at this link) From Nancy Talbott of the Burke, Levengood and Talbott Research Team (BLT) of crop circle investigation reported this encounter in Holland from an upstairs bedroom window she gazed out of because the cows were being noisy.

“Then, at about 3:15am, a brilliant, intense white column, or tube, of light - about 8” to 1’ in diameter - from my vantage point-flashed down from the sky to the ground, illuminating my bedroom and the sky as brilliantly as if from helicopter searchlights. My room was so bright I can't, in retrospect, understand how I could so very clearly see the "tube" of light outside - its distinct edges - but I could, for about a full second, and there seemed to be a slight bluish tinge along the sides of the tube. Then this tube of light disappeared and both my room and the outside went dark. While the tube of light was there it was so bright I couldn't see exactly where it was touching down and wasn't sure how close it was.

”Approximately one second of total darkness elapsed and then a second tube of the same brilliant white light, slightly edged in a bluish tint, appeared slightly to the left of where the first tube had been. Again the room and the outside lit up spectacularly, somehow leaving the intense tube of light clearly visible for about one second. Then, after another second's darkness the third and final tube descended to the ground. There was no sound at any time during the light incident (the neighbour’s cattle were now quiet), nor did I smell anything out of the ordinary at all. There was also no physical sensation of exposure to increased electromagnetic energy (such as the tingling I had experienced a few years prior in this same house during an earlier encounter). The entire light display took 5-6 seconds; if the bawling cattle are considered to be part of this situation the total time would be about 10 minutes.”

EVIDENCE: Those who have observed the circles up close, report such strange phenomenon as weaving of the plant matter as it is pressed down, plant nodes that are elongated but not broken, plant nodes that have blown out, unusually dry land compared to the rest, intense heating supposedly making the plant size swell, unbendable plants being bent, altered seeds that grow abnormal crops, increased crop formation in areas where a circle existed, unexpected microscopic cellular changes in the plants, effect on electric equipment, electromagnetic changes within, unexplained 5 kilohertz sound, radioactive isotropes, physical side effects to people who have entered a circle.


PROSECUTION:
The witness above is in the field of studying crop circles and the people who have gathered evidence are in the field of crop circle research. Now, should a prominent university be the first to approach a crop circle and perform an educated and objective review of the “evidence” those results would definitely be more trustworthy and accurate.

EVIDENCE:
Self-described pranksters Doug Bower and Dave Chorley claimed to have started the crop circle phenomenon in 1978. Their work is continued by other groups of crop circle makers such as the circlemakers arts collective founded by John Lundberg in the early 1990s.

PROSECUTION WITNESS: Doug Bower, professed circle hoaxer, “You must remember that our circles were quite small compared to what's happening today. And although we were trotting down a lot of farmers' corn, we knew what we were doing as far as a bit of vandalism was concerned, but the bit of fun that we got out of the small circles we created, we didn't seem to mind that very much. And as I said, I would never dream of doing 700 hundred or 800 hundred or a thousand foot long patterns and things freely, because I mean, after all, it is a form of vandalism, it is vandalism isn't it?

"As the years rolled by, it was getting more and more difficult. For instance, in the early days, you could back your car into the farmer's field, in his gateway, pop out, do the circles, get back in the car again and have a cup of coffee, still staying were you where all the time. But nowadays, the last few years, it would be impossible for you to leave a car, an empty car, if a police car came by and noticed an empty car at one o'clock in the morning they would certainly stop, but going back to these early days, no one seemed to take any notice at all."

PROSECUTION’S EVIDENCE: Presenting this website by the perpetrators of circle hoaxes on large-scale by artists and others.

PROSECUTION’S CLOSING ARGUMENT:
As this evidence found in the fields is studied by crop circle studiers and not by universities and scientists, it is of questionable value. Since it has already been accepted that crop circles have been made by hoaxers and their methods exposed, we cannot find any crop circles to be of extraordinary means, but of earthly ones.

DEFENSE’S CLOSING ARGUMENT:
The first crop circle was found in the 1600s. This was long before the admitted hoaxers showed up on in the countryside. Given the evidence of altered crops and unusual electromagnetic findings, it is inescapable that this huge-scale magnificent art work is carved into our crops by a source that is not of this earth.

Comments

  1. Terrific post. And love how you framed it as a trial.

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  2. Thanks. I think it's best to just put them side by side and let people see what they think.

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  3. I just watched an in-depth story on, perhaps, Discovery? about crop circles. Thanks for providing each side of the story. I haven't decided how I actually feel about them. While I think that some are pranks I don't think it's possible for all of them.

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  4. What an amazingly interesting phenomenon! I do not believe in aliens(not in a form with spaceships and stuff) but things like that make you wonder!
    Brightest blessings!

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  5. crop circles are fascinating! i don't believe that little green men are doing them either. some i'm sure are pranks, but the others, hmmm?

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  6. Sandra;
    Yeah, I've never really bought the alien thing, but one part of it I have trouble with is just the amount of them and sometimes and the size and intricacy. I'm sure it's like skiing in unmarked areas and braving potential avalanches, there's probably some fools who find a whole subculture of outdoing each other's circles. You never know. The one thing I really don't believe is the "natural" explanation that somehow weird winds cause them. If wind can do that, I want it styling my hair! It's really precise.

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  7. Interesting way to do a post.

    The defense might want to add to their closing statement, "Just because it can be hoaxed doesn't mean it is hoaxed."

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  8. Jeff;
    Yup. You know, I thought I wrote that in there some time about the vast amount of them, but I might have edited it out. Good point! I hope to be doing more in this series on other paranormal subjects.

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  9. Not really sure what to think about crop circles...the jury is still out on that one (at least where I am concerned!)

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  10. So, Jeanne, we can technically say you're in "deliberation?" :-)

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  11. You're so funny. This was sure a different presentation of the facts. Love it! Very clever.

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