按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！
Could it be that some people are programed to love by this mysterious force？
II
A public relations officer for the United Nations； Donald Estrella； acpanied me on one of my trips to West Virginia in 1967。 In those days the UN was keenly interested in the UFO enigma。 Mr。 U Thant； then secretary general of the organization； held private meetings with author John Fuller and Dr。 J。 Allen Hynek； two leading UFO authorities。 The late Drew Pearson created a sensation when he revealed that Mr。 Thant regarded flying saucers as second in importance after the war in Vietnam。 （Thant later denied the Pearson story。）
When Don Estrella saw all the bizarre things I was investigating； things which…to his surprise…seemed to have little relevance to wonderful spaceships from another planet； he told me about three unrelated events that had happened to him over a span of several years。
〃Seven or eight years ago；〃 he said； 〃I was taking a vacation trip with four friends through the New England states。 We were riding in a high…powered car along a deserted country road somewhere in New Hampshire； I believe。 We were going quite fast when suddenly we hit something。 This was in broad daylight and it was as if we suddenly crashed into an invisible brick wall。 The whole front of the car was smashed in。 Luckily； none of us were hurt but we were a bit stunned。 We got out and looked around。 There was absolutely nothing on the road。 We never could figure out what had happened。〃
Experience had taught me that paranormal events are often interlaced with puzzling yet seemingly normal things like strange phone calls。 Had he ever received any odd calls？
〃There was one thing；〃 he said slowly。 〃About five years ago I took a train out to see a friend of mine on Long Island and when I got there he accused me of playing a hoax on him。 He said he'd received a phone call about half an hour before I arrived。 A voice that sounded very distant had said； 'Hello； Don。' My friend told him that I hadn't arrived yet。 The voice then began to recite a series of numbers meaninglessly。 My friend thought it was some kind of gag and hung up。〃
Finally I asked him if he had ever had any really odd encounters with peculiar strangers。 He looked at me bewildered and astonished。
〃There's one that's always bothered me。 It happened around the time of that phone call thing。 One night when I was walking home to my apartment I became aware of a man following me。 When I looked at him； he stopped and grinned at me 。。。 but there was an air of evil about him。 I can't pinpoint it exactly。〃
〃Was he possibly seme kind of sex deviate？〃 I suggested。
〃No 。。。 I don't think so。 He was short and slight； and wore a black coat and black trousers。 His face was dark and foreign…looking。 I don't know why； but that evil grin is burned into my memory。〃
Don said he hurried into his apartment and never saw the man again。 A mere chance encounter on a busy New York street。 Perhaps。
The foolishly grinning man is a staple item in psychic lore。 Black…suited with a dark plexion and craggy foreign face； he has been described to me in many places by many people。
As for strange phone calls； I have investigated so many that I am now practically a telephone engineer。 They are hard to nail down because there are so many cranks； hoaxers； and 〃phone phreaks〃 out there today。 But the calls that interest me most fall into patterns that exclude natural explanations。
At 8 A。M。 on March 24； 1961； two women in Prospect； Oregon； a town of about three hundred people； were talking together on the phone when suddenly a strange man's voice broke into the line and snapped； 〃Wake up down there！〃 One of the ladies regarded this as an affront and she proceeded to express a very strong opinion。 The voice started to rattle on in a rapid…fire language that sounded like Spanish but the line seemed to be dead。 The two women could not hear each other。 After the man suddenly stopped； the line became live again。
The next day； at the same hour； the women were on the phone again； and again the strange voice interrupted with； 〃Wake up down there！〃
This time the women listened quietly as the voice said something in the foreign language； and then it recited the numbers forty and twenty…five over and over。 No one in Prospect spoke Spanish。 There was no accounting for the incident。
Voices counting off meaningless numbers also cut in on TV reception in UFO flap areas。 Usually people who experience this sort of thing dismiss it as police calls or the work of some Ham radio operator。 They don't realize that TV sound is broadcast on FM channels reserved for the purpose and there is little chance that a shortwave or CB （Citizen's Band） transmission could interfere。
But the phenomenon is not always restricted to electrical apparatus。 After I published a couple of pieces about it I received dozens of letters from people throughout the country recounting their own experiences。 To my surprise； most of these people had heard the voices late at night； usually waking them up with a sharp mand。 For example； a man in the Southwest claimed he had been jarred awake on several different nights by the sound of a deep male voice ordering； 〃Wake up； number 491！〃 A woman in Ohio heard the voice while driving； 〃873。。。。 You are 873。〃 And another woman in Kansas wrote； 〃Please tell me who these people are that keep reading numbers to me。 They sound as if they are standing right next to me but there is no one there。〃
Do we all have a number tattooed in our brains？ Hardly。 There are three billion people so some of them should be numbered 2；834；689；357。 But all of the numbers that have e to my attention contain only two or three digits。
Another version of this phenomenon are the Morse code…like beeps that blast out of car radios； telephones； and TV sets when UFOs are active。 On January 31； 1968； a woman in California called me long distance to tell me of a string of unusual events around her home。 Her phone was 〃going crazy；〃 the house lights were flashing on and off periodically and the electricians couldn't find the source of the problem； and other weird things were happening。 As she talked I recognized certain patterns which suggested that a repeatable experiment might be possible。 So I gave her some advice which would have sounded insane to anyone overhearing the conversation。 I instructed her to go outside at exactly 9 P。M。 that night with a flashlight and if she saw anything in the sky to signal to it。
The next day she called me back excitedly。 Her husband； who had been skeptical of the whole UFO business； had been converted； she announced； with delight。 She had followed my instructions and； sure enough； at 9 P。M。 that night a large orange sphere appeared directly over her home。 She flashed the light three times but there was no response from the object。 After a few moments it scurried off。 She and her husband re…entered the house where the television was on。 As soon as they entered the living room three loud； very loud beeps shot out of