Radiation Basics in a UFO Research Context

[Part 1] (I really couldn't think of a better title. We'll just have to live with it. Ha)
Hello everyone, I thought it would be a fun idea to go over the basics of what can and cannot occur as a result of human exposure to non-ionizing electromagnetic radiation (RF, microwave, etc), and ionizing radiation (the type that can be detected by a Geiger counter), explored in a ufology context!

Many UFO/high-strangeness/general anomaly witnesses claim to have sustained injuries as a result of their encounters (and have occasionally go so far as to photograph their injuries). Quite a few of these witnesses have appeared genuine and honest, and their reported injuries were found to have been consistent with exposure to either ionizing, non-ionizing, or both types of radiation.

Other witnesses have described injuries which were not consistent with any kind of radiation exposure, although they claimed to have been exposed to some form of radiation. This type of inconsistency could, in some cases, indicate that the witness is being less than truthful, or it could mean the witness simply does not understand what radiation can and cannot do, and further investigation into their case is necessary to determine whether or not anything of significance occurred.

As a researcher, having a lack understanding of radiation can make it difficult to characterize witness injuries (type of radiation, exposure characteristics, etc) and whether or nor they were caused by radiation exposure at all. A solid understanding of radiation injuries acts as one of the many tools that can help an investigator determine the credibility of a particular case, and also helps to spot (and 'weed out') reports in which the alleged witness may be being less than truthful. This is why it's important for anyone with a serious interest in UFOs to establish a significant understanding of the different effects of each type of radiation, both on humans and the environment.

So, on with it! Welcome to...

Radiation 101: Radiation for Ufologists

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Section 1: What is radiation?

(Quite a few of you may already have a solid understanding of the different types of radiation and what radiation can and cannot do. If that describes you, feel free to skip this section.If you need a crash course, memory refresher, or just want to read about radiation for no particular reason, read on!)

First, we have to understand what radiation is. Summed up simply by IAEA:

Andrea Galindo, IAEA Office of Public Information and Communication IAEA: What is Radiation?
Radiation is energy that moves from one place to another in a form that can be described as waves or particles. We are exposed to radiation in our everyday life. Some of the most familiar sources of radiation include the sun, microwave ovens in our kitchens and the radios we listen to in our cars. Most of this radiation carries no risk to our health. But some does. In general, radiation has lower risk at lower doses but can be associated with higher risks at higher doses. Depending on the type of radiation, different measures must be taken to protect our bodies and the environment from its effects, while allowing us to benefit from its many applications.

Right--so, generally speaking, the higher the dose, the higher the risk of injury. This is generally true for both non-ionizing and ionizing radiation. In other words, this is why your cell phone doesn't burn your skin when making a phone call, but powerful systems such as the US army's Active Denial System can cause significant pain.

Both of those devices use a form of non-ionizing electromagnetic radiation, but the frequencies, power levels, etc are entirely different. Similarly, regarding ionizing radiation, this is also why an x-ray at the dentist's office is considered relatively safe, but a day spent walking through the remains of Chernobyl carries a lot more risk. Both of these activities will expose you to ionizing radiation, but the exposure levels/times are completely different.

So, we know there are different types of radiation which can cause different effects at different degrees of exposure. But what are the different types of radiation, and what are the key differences between them?

Well, for starters, here's a basic explanation of radiation types:

•Electromagnetic Radiation (energy that travels in the form of waves at the speed of light--can be Ionizing or Non-Ionizing depending on its frequency.)

•Non-Ionizing Radiation (a type of electromagnetic radiation. Does not have enough power to detach electrons from atoms/molecules. Includes: visible light, infrared, microwaves, radiofrequency waves.)

•Ionizing Radiation (can be electromagnetic or particle radiation. Can detach (ionize) electrons from atoms/molecules. Includes electromagnetic waves, subatomatic particles.)

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Section 2. Non-Ionizing Radiation

Non-ionizing radiation doesn't carry enough energy to ionize atoms. To "ionize" is to detach an electron from an atom/molecule. Non-ionizing radiation does, however, have enough energy to 'excite' or vibrate those atoms to a higher energy state. That's how your microwave oven works--the non-ionizing radiation excites molecules in the food thus producing heat.

Besides heating your hot pockets, non-ionizing radiation can do a number of odd jobs ranging from radio transmissions and cellular communications, television, radar, etc; to unusual applications such as synthetic telepathy (Microwave Auditory Effect) and extremely low frequency (ELF)-based "mind control" devices (see an early machine designed for such practices here). Some applications use minimal power, other applications (such as over the horizon radar) use much higher power levels.

Non-ionizing radiation is generally considered a low health risk at low doses/low powers. Besides radio waves, visible light is a also a form of non-ionizing radiation.

[Part 2] Although exposure to common household sources of non-ionizing radiation such as wireless routers and cell phones can't burn your skin or make you violently ill, high levels of powerful non-ionizing radiation can cause varying degrees of physical effects and even injuries depending on the characteristics of the signal and exposure. A good list of effects and their relation to UAP-related exposure can be found on this paper (click here, opens PDF). These effects and injuries may include:

• Warming/prickly sensation over exposed glabrous skin
• Sensation of burning, no itching or small myelenation injury
• Erythema, which progresses top 2nd-degree burns in 72 hours
• Headache, temporal: effect lasting three weeks
• Dizziness/vertigo, often with nausea/ vomiting at 24-72 hours
• Cardiac palpitations at 48-72 hours
• Neurasthenia and peripheral neuropathy absent fasciculation
• Absent evidence of neuromuscular small fiber disease
• Absent evidence of alpha-motor neuron involvement
• Malaise and low-grade fever, emotional liability
• Severe anxiety with high exposure over 10 or greater minutes"'
• Corneal abrasion due to deoxygenating, "gritty eye syndrome"
• Scleral inflammation and iriditiis, photophobia

Examples

Those of you familiar with some well-known historic UFO cases such as the Colares, Brazil flap in the 1970s may recognize some of the above effects. Burning, itching, eye injuries, etc are all commonly reported in cases in which a UFO witness claimed to have been injured during their encounter(s).

Several more recent cases display similar injuries, such as this one investigated by Kim Shaffer from Tennessee MUFON from October 2, 2004 (Source)

(Paraphrased from website for brevity) The witness was driving home when he saw what first looked like a fire on a nearby ridge. As he drove, he got closer to the “fire” and realized that it was not a fire at all but a series of three red-orange lights affixed to the bottom of a huge triangular object. He drove towards an intersection and exited his car to watch the triangular craft as it approached from the north. The object moved directly towards him and he was overcome by fear. He ran away from his car but realized there was nowhere to go.
As the metallic triangle passed overhead, it blocked out all of the stars, and he estimated the size to be about 300’ in length. The bottom of the object was somewhat illuminated from the three symmetrical dome-like appendages which appeared to be filled with a violent, turbulent fire, and he described what appeared to be “ribs” running across the bottom of the triangle. As the object passed directly over his head, he was exposed to something which “reverberated” through his body. He described experiencing many sensations all at once, including burning and tingling skin. He perceived a pulsating “drumming” noise emanating from the object, which also passed through his body.
The object passed him before turning west, moving behind some nearby hills. The witness also described a metallic taste in his mouth and a nose bleed following the encounter. He later found a slight sunburn on his face and back. He also reported excessive hair loss and a temporary lethargic state. The witness noted 15 minutes of missing time during the incident.

In 2000, a BC Canada man experienced burning eyes, sunburn-like injuries, severe headaches, and other painful effects following two UAP encounters (a thimble-shaped object and later a "ghostflier"). Although this witness was found to have had a history of lightly embellishing his stories, he was visited multiple times by military and defence investigators following several of his reports over a span of 40 years and was determined to have witnessed "something" out of the ordinary. His reported injuries were consistent with exposure to non-ionizing radiation, although he mentioned a pair of investigators who visited him had also brought a Geiger counter to check for ionizing radiation.

(Paraphrased from the website for brevity) UFO BC: Strange, Strangers, Strangest
Surrey, BC Canada, November 18, 2000

The witness (Roy W.) saw a huge aircraft flying very low and very slowly over his home in Surrey, BC. The aircraft had a "block" hanging down from the front near where the undercarriage would be. It has eight "jet-type" engines, a V-shaped tail, and brightly lit windows. The witness estimated the wingspan to be about 300' and its length one city block, and he noticed the far right engine had what looked like smoke pouring out of it and there was a smell of sulfur in the air.
The aircraft emitted a roaring rumble "like a rumbling locomotive" as it floated along. The craft took a sharp right bank and disappeared after floating by for several minutes. Following the sighting, the witness had a sunburn on his face and neck, gritty/teary eyes (his doctor asked him if he had been exposed to a welding torch), and severe headaches.

The witness reported the incident to the airport and received a follow-up call from a military general asking questions about the sighting, such as location, description, and if the witness had any interference with television, radio, computers, etc. Several days later, two defence investigators visited the witness and interrogated him for the better part of the day. The investigators also scoured the ground around the witness's home with a Geiger counter, and showed up again a couple days later in white coveralls with a 12-16" parabolic dish, a headset, and another Geiger counter. They appeared to be "scanning" the sky where the aircraft was originally seen.

The above examples are similar to many UFO-related injury reports, and are consistent with what non-ionizing radiation can do. By now, we've discussed quite a bit about what non-ionizing radiation can do, but what about what it can't do?


Importantly, non-ionizing radiation does not leave a radioactive signature and can not be detected by a Geiger counter. Geiger counters can only detect ionizing radiation. Non-ionizing radiation does not make things "radioactive" (so, you can rest easy, your beloved microwaved leftovers are not radioactive).

[Continued in part 3]

[Part 3]
A quick recap:

• Non-ionizing radiation is a form of electromagnetic radiation that does not have enough energy to detach an electron from an atom/molecule.

• Non-ionizing radiation can be relatively harmless to fairly harmful depending on the characteristics of the source and the exposure.

• Non-ionizing radiation can cause a number of physical and mental effects including burning sensations, skin burns, gritty eyes, anxiety/emotional instability, nausea, headaches, and more.

• Non-ionizing radiation does not make things 'radioactive' and cannot be detected by a Geiger counter.

• Non-ionizing radiation type injuries are frequently reported by witnesses to anomalous phenomena.

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Section 3. Ionizing radiation

Ionizing radiation can ionize (detach electrons from) atoms/molecules. It can be in the form of electromagnetic radiation (as gamma rays, x-rays, and high-energy ultraviolet radiation), or the form of particle radiation (alpha particles, beta particles, and neutrons). Nuclear energy uses ionizing radiation. Other applications include x-ray machines and other medical and scientific equipment. Small doses of ionizing radiation (such as a dental x-ray) are typically not harmful. High exposure levels, on the other hand, are extremely dangerous.

Unlike non-ionizing radiation, ionizing radiation can be detected by a Geiger counter. This is the type of radiation associated with "radioactivity".

Exposure to excessive/dangerous levels of ionizing radiation can damage DNA and result in a number of negative physiological effects ranging from hair loss to multiple long-term severe diseases.

Short term exposure to extremely high doses of ionizing radiation (such during an atomic accident or blast) results in acute radiation syndrome (otherwise known as "radiation sickness") which generally consists of severe nausea and vomiting along with skin burns within the initial hours, and occasionally death within the next few days to weeks after the initial exposure. This illness is caused by an extremely high dose of ionizing radiation and generally only happens in the event of a nuclear disaster, blast, or mishandling of radioactive items.

Ionizing radiation is also not associated with the psychological effects that certain sources of non-ionizing radiation can produce (anxiety, unease, emotional instability, etc). Occasionally, ionizing radiation has been suspected to have been present alongside non-ionizing radiation in some UFO and/or high-strangeness cases (like the Canadian incident mentioned in section 2), and would be responsible for any traces of radiation detected by a Geiger counter.

More on Ionizing Radiation - Perdue


Examples of ionizing radiation reported along with a UFO encounter:

Mendoza, Argentina, July 22, 1968, 0120A
From Albert Rosales Humanoid Compilation 1968, originally from G J Gianza Paz & A M Baragiola
Note: this case appears to include both non-ionizing and ionizing radiation.
Adela Casalvieri, a night nurse at a neuropsychiatry hospital, heard a penetrating humming noise outside the hospital courtyard. She went out to investigate and saw a brightly luminous object shaped like two saucers edge to edge, about 20 meters away from where she was standing. She was struck by a luminous red beam and found her legs paralyzed. She attempted to protect her face with her hands, but found she could not move.
She remained immobilized for several minutes until the red beam disappeared. The luminous object ascended vertically, then departed to the south, barely clearing the wall around the courtyard. Just before the object disappeared, Casalvieri reported being able to observe several human-like figures through the square portholes which encircled the object. These figured moved back and forth, passing each other, and were visible only from the waist up.
She had first degree burns on her face and hands, and parts of her cap and clothing were burned. Her watch stopped at 0130A and was found to be radioactive, along with the ring she was wearing.

Red Rock Pennsylvania, March 5, 1965 (Paraphrased from source for brevity) ufologie.patrickgross.org...
From “Filer’s Files” by George Filer, a retired US Major
As told by a retired Air Force Chief Master Sergeant who was on the SAC Nuclear Disablement Team for many years. They would respond to any issues or incidents/accidents involving nuclear weapons. On March 5, 1965, at Benton Air Force Station in red Rock, Pennsylvania, one such incident occurred.
Benton was part of the Air Defense Command Interior Radar Defense zone. Two radar technicians (one was the Sergeant’s brother) were repairing the height finder radar antenna located northeast of the 648th Radar Squadron site. The brother saw a small disc-shaped object land nearby. The two technicians decided to investigate.
As they approached the object, it emitted a beam of light which “struck” the two men. That was the last they could remember, and they failed to report the event to their command post.
Air Policemen went out looking for the two technicians, but they could not be found. All of their tools were still near the antenna they were fixing. The Pennsylvania State Police began a search of the area. A state trooper found the two technicians walking along Route 487 sixteen hours later about 10 miles from the site south of Lopez. They were reportedly dazed and were transported to a hospital.
They were examined and found to be dehydrated and confused. No alcohol or drugs were found in their systems. They were later transferred to an Air Force Hospital at Steward AFB in New York. Trace amounts of alpha radiation were found on their clothing and strange marks were discovered on their necks.
Agents from the Office of Special Investigations interviewed the technicians. They told their story up to the point when the beam of light struck them. They were unable to remember anything after that. A psychiatrist wrote in the report that each technician experienced something they could not fully explain. They both spent two weeks in the hospital before being released back to their unit.

[continued in part 4]

Section 4: Wrapping up

Being able to distinguish ionizing from non-ionizing radiation when analyzing reports of injuries from anomalous encounters is important in any investigation--it can help an investigator to better characterize the injuries, the nature of the encounter, the amount/type of radiation involved (if any at all, providing the witnesses in question are truthful), and in some cases, even provide clues about the nature of the transmitter(s) involved.

Non-ionizing radiation is most likely the culprit in cases with reports of burns, psychological disturbances, itchy/watery eyes, unusual physical sensations (vibrations, buzzing sensations, etc), and acute pain.

Ionizing radiation is sometimes detected alongside non-ionizing radiation in these cases and usually presents few symptoms other than detection by equipment, but in rare cases with high doses can cause severe, long-term health issues and even death.

Non-ionizing radiation, again, cannot be detected by a Geiger counter.

Situations in which electronic equipment malfunctions along with other signs of radiation are usually associated with non-ionizing radiation.


Hopefully this can provide a handy reference or memory-refresher to anyone looking into UFO reports which contain any mention of radiation exposure and associated physical effects. The above "crash-course" contains the general scoop of what any enthusiast or researcher needs to keep in mind when analyzing reports of this nature. Thank you for stopping by, and happy researching!

Wave

a reply to: wavelength

• Warming/prickly sensation over exposed glabrous skin
• Sensation of burning, no itching or small myelenation injury
• Erythema, which progresses top 2nd-degree burns in 72 hours
• Headache, temporal: effect lasting three weeks
• Dizziness/vertigo, often with nausea/ vomiting at 24-72 hours
• Cardiac palpitations at 48-72 hours
• Neurasthenia and peripheral neuropathy absent fasciculation
• Absent evidence of neuromuscular small fiber disease
• Absent evidence of alpha-motor neuron involvement
• Malaise and low-grade fever, emotional liability
• Severe anxiety with high exposure over 10 or greater minutes"'
• Corneal abrasion due to deoxygenating, "gritty eye syndrome"
• Scleral inflammation and iriditiis, photophobia

Sounds like sunday morning to me

a reply to: Spacespider

Badum tssss

Love your content mate and know many ATS threads are being archived at the AFU (by Isaac) so have waited for you to finish posting lol.

Would say however that there's 'so many' freaky side effects to UFOs that the EMRFD aspect can only explain so much (if it explains anything at all).

Thread:

'Strange Effects From UFOs'

a reply to: karl 12

Thanks Karl! I'm a fan of your content as well--hours and hours of interesting reading.

Mhmm. Although electromagnetic explanations occasionally solve handfuls of cases in which human-made equipment was to blame (and are thus weeded out of the pile and put aside for defense to munch on), in cases in which "non-human" intelligence may have been a factor, electromagnetism is indeed a small part of an elaborate labyrinth...

a reply to: wavelength


Thank you for the information and context.

a reply to: wavelength

Excellent thread as usual, WL.

The Active Denial System got my dander up, so here is a video whereby we may be able to protect ourselves from The Man attacking us, or what to wear when UFO hunting.

This video is worth watching every minute.

a reply to: quintessentone

Thank you.
And thanks for sharing the video! Just watched it this morning. Good demonstrations and you're definitely right, worth watching the whole thing.
The US army tries to avoid using the ADS because of its cost, but it is still in service and ready to go whenever necessary. Naturally, Russia and China are suspected of having their own versions.

The DOD non-lethal weapons program is also developing hand held active denial technology for personal Soldier protection.

a reply to: wavelength

Nice post! Now I understand you much better. I PM you

a reply to: JJproductions

Thanks for bumping this

And thanks OP, I'm going to pop this to one side to savour later.

a reply to: BrucellaOrchitis

This is a great post!

a reply to: wavelength

Good job. Light and accessible, that's not easy to achieve.

a reply to: BrucellaOrchitis

a reply to: JJproductions

I appreciate your kind words!
When I wrote this, I was in the middle of doing a study on a number of UFO cases having to do with radiation exposure (of all kinds), and I had the notion that it would be handy to have a general guide for others studying similar cases. A "field guide", for lack of a better term.
Glad you got something out of it!

originally posted by: wavelength
a reply to: BrucellaOrchitis

a reply to: JJproductions

I appreciate your kind words!
When I wrote this, I was in the middle of doing a study on a number of UFO cases having to do with radiation exposure (of all kinds), and I had the notion that it would be handy to have a general guide for others studying similar cases. A "field guide", for lack of a better term.
Glad you got something out of it!

Still getting something out of it as I work my way back through your links

This one I'd read before but hadn't saved, so doing that now.

originally posted by: wavelength
A good list of effects and their relation to UAP-related exposure can be found on this paper (click here, opens PDF). These effects and injuries may include: