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would 〃lose〃 my passport for days at a time while they checked me out forward and backward。 In Baghdad； and again in Singapore； I was actually grilled by the authorities who were apparently convinced I was after state secrets or was planning to overthrow the government。 Since I knew very little about the CIA in those days I was perplexed by all this attention。
Eventually I learned that the CIA had a habit of enlisting very young people between the ages of seventeen and twenty…five； frequently involving them in bizarre scenarios。 Considerable evidence exists indicating that Lee Harvey Oswald was a CIA pawn early on。
Today the CIA has an annual budget in excess of 11 billion； and it doesn't have to account to the president or Congress。 A large part of this budget is probably wasted on bureaucratic nonsense； and another large part is spent on what can only be termed malicious mischief。 Technically； the CIA has no legal authority or responsibilities within the continental United States； but if you open a phone book for any moderate…sized U。S。 city you will find a local CIA office listed。 They also maintain thousands of 〃fronts；〃 offices disguised as legitimate businesses； throughout the country。
During the recent Watergate debacle investigating reporters documented the fact that some of the participants were not only longtime CIA agents； but also that these same men had been involved in the abortive Bay of Pigs invasion of Cuba in 1961； and some had been present in Dealey Plaza in Dallas on the day President Kennedy was assassinated。 It is noteworthy that reporters； editors； and citizens engaged in the investigation of President Kennedy's death suffered harassment and telephone problems identical to those experienced by UFO researchers。 Some of these tactics will be examined in detail further on。
However； I cannot accuse the CIA as being the source of the weird incidents outlined here。 Rather； the phenomenon is imitative。 This paranormal mimicry is difficult for many to understand but I e across constant examples。 Early in January 1973； for instance； a reliable witness in Ohio observed an unusual…looking helicopter which she was able to describe in detail。 When she sketched it for a local UFO enthusiast he was flabbergasted。 He was an aeronautical engineer specializing in helicopters and he knew the thing she drew was a new secret helicopter that was still on the drawing board！
Even Closer to home； a few days after Tad Jones's sighting on Route 64； True magazine hit the stands with an article of mine about flying saucers。 It was illustrated with drawings of all kinds of odd…shaped objects； many of them the pure products of the artist's imagination。 It included an exact replica of Jones's sphere； plete with wheeled legs and propeller。 An object exactly like this had never been described in the UFO literature before 。。。 or since。 The artist had produced his layout many weeks before。 Somehow the phenomenon had mischievously duplicated the artist's conception for Jones's benefit。
9 … 〃Wake Up Down There！〃
I
A young couple； very much in love； sprawled together in the back seat of an old jalopy on a deserted dirt road in the isolated back hills east of Ravenswood； West Virginia。 It was a starlit； moonless night in the spring of 1967； just warm enough so the pair were able to strip to the buff fortably。 Things were rather pleasant on that squeaky back seat until about 10：30 P。M。 when a blinding bluish light poured in through the windows of the parked car。
〃At first； I thought it was the police；〃 the young man told me later。 〃Then we both felt a funny tingling sensation that scared us half out of our wits。 I jumped up and stared into the light。 It wasn't a flashlight or spotlight。 It was more like a big ball of bluish fire hovering a couple of feet off the ground directly alongside the car。 There was a funny sound； too； like a low hum。〃
His girlfriend screamed； he reported； and the light seemed to back away slightly while the humming increased in volume。
〃The next thing we knew；〃 the young man continued； 〃it was gone。 Just like that。 We jumped into our clothes and got the hell out of there。 Another funny thing； when we got into town it was after 12：30。 We couldn't figure it out。 It seemed like we only looked at that light for a couple of seconds。 But somehow it must have taken two hours。〃
Their first inclination was to run to the police but they decided against it； since they weren't supposed to be on that road doing what they were doing in the first place。
（〃Her old man would've killed me！〃） They drove around for several minutes until their hysteria subsided and then he dropped her off at home。
The next morning both the boy and the girl woke up to find themselves heavily 〃sunburned〃 from head to foot。 The boy's eyes were almost swollen shut for two weeks afterward。 It was not an easy matter for them to explain how they managed to get a total； and quite painful； sunburn at night in the early spring。
Shortly afterward he heard that I was in the area and sought me out to tell me the story。 His skin was still reddish and his eyes were still bothering him when I met him。
The actinic ray burns were proof of his story。 And I knew that UFOs often zero in on lovers in parked cars。 Many…most…of the monster episodes in my files took place in remote lovers' lanes。 Young love has to run enough hazards without the fear of a hairy weirdo hammering on the windshield。
What concerned me was the two…hour tune lapse or spell of lacunal amnesia which apparently took place。 What could have happened to the pair during that forgotten period？
The phenomenon has an almost pornographic preoccupation with our mating practices。 One of it's most celebrated games is the manipulation of romantic relationships。 Early investigators of the fairy episodes； such as novelist Sir Walter Scott； noted that fairies seemed to delight in bringing people together and fostering love； or； conversely； indulging in conspiracies to force lovers apart。 The Bell witch of Tennessee is supposed to have manipulated the love life of a Bell daughter； almost tragically。 Brad Steiger； one of America's best…known investigators of the paranormal； has been involved in several poltergeist cases in which the mischievous poltergeists tried to wreck romances and marriages。 （1） Nothing can quite affect a new groom's virility like being physically hurled from his wedding bed by an unseen force and pelted with flying ashtrays thrown by invisible hands。 Unbelievable though it may seem； such things do happen。
Flying saucer contactees often have their marriages disrupted； even destroyed； after they begin their liaisons with the space people。 And there are many cases in which flying saucer enthusiasts have been brought together…literally hurled together…through their mutual interest。
＇1＇ Brad Steiger； Haunted Lovers （New York： Dell； 1971）。
Could it be that some people are programed to love by this mysterious force？
II
A public relat