BUFORA Bulletin No. 14, Oct/Nov 1999

This document is the October/November 1999 issue (No. 14) of the BUFORA Bulletin, the official journal of the British UFO Research Association. The bulletin serves as a platform for the organization's news, research, and investigative updates. The editorial by Steve Gamble discusses the challenges of funding 'pure' scientific research in the UK, noting that SETI programmes and UFO studies face significant hurdles in obtaining official sponsorship. The 'From Here and There' section provides organizational updates, including the appointment of new council members, the redesign of the BUFORA website, and the passing of conspiracy researcher Jim Keith. A significant portion of the bulletin is dedicated to the SETI@HOME project, explaining how BUFORA members are contributing to the multinational effort to detect extraterrestrial radio signals by utilizing idle computer processing power. The bulletin also features an article by Anthony Eccles, 'The Good, the Bad and the Downright Ugly,' which examines the history of media portrayal of UFOs, specifically focusing on the 'ghost rocket' sightings in Scandinavia during the 1930s and 1940s, and the Roswell incident of 1947. Eccles argues that the media was manipulated by military authorities to downplay these events. Kate Taylor contributes an article on 'Hypnagogia, Lucid dreaming, and the Bed-based abduction scenario,' proposing that many reported alien abductions are actually manifestations of sleep-related phenomena rather than paranormal events. Brian P. James provides a critical look at 'Visual Evidence,' discussing the limitations of photographic and video evidence in UFO research, noting that many 'anomalous' images are often the result of camera artifacts, poor focus, or digital manipulation. The bulletin concludes with meeting news, a bookshop list, and lecture announcements for the upcoming months.