Scientific Study of Unidentified Flying Objects (the Condon Report, complete, three volumes)

an evpryJay explanation avai:able to them.
We sought to hold to a minimum delay', in ~lrriving at the sit;;" of
an uro report, even where it was clear that 't was going to b~ impossi-
ble to get there in time actually to see the r~ported UFO. Once an
observer made a report, the fact of his having done so usually becomes
known to friends and neighbors, local new'5papermcp, and local Ui;O
enthusiasts. The witness becomes the center of attention and will
u~uall)' have told his story over and over aguin to such Ii steners, before
th(' field teall\ \~an arrivE'. With e:lch telling of the story it j:;, apt
tD he- varied 1 tors fron outer space that \"as probabl~'
not there in the first telling.
Al\other kind of diffio-ulty arises in interviewing mUltipL, associ-
ated \dtl1esse~, that is, \~ltlles~es who were together :l't tIL) time that
all of tlw11I ~ought to hold to a mini!l\um delay', in "x-riving at the sit" of
an UFO report, even where it was clear that 'l was going to br impossi-
ble to get !here in time actually to see the r:ported UFO. Once an
observer made a report, the fact of his having done so usually becomes
known to friends and neighbors, 10.:a 1 new',papermep, and local Ui:O
enthusiasts, T~e witness becomes the center of attention and wjll
usually have told his ,,, \VI.' all like t(~ toll ~tJ1 interl",;ting ~t()ry. We would rathpr
nnt bore \'111' listeners if "IP can help it. ~c (;'ll'neJ.1lshrnent is som{,··
times ::ddeJ tD m:lximizE' th«inteT'c~t va.luc of the Ir;nratiOI1.
It :is not t':l~)' to dctect how a story lws ~~rowl1 UJlueJ n·tcHing in
this Wil\', Listencr':; usually wi 11 ltav~' asked leading questions and the
stor)' Will have dec'eloped In response to sliGh suggest ion~;, so tha-c it
900n becomes impossihle for the field team to hcar the witness's story
as he told it the first time. In ~;Onh) cases when the witness had heen
interviewed tn this \·my hy local UFO ('nthusiasts, his story was larded
with vivid language ahout visitors frOM outer space that was probabl~
not there in the first tcllin~.
Another kind of di ffi(ulty arise:; in interviewing mult ipj,;, a~;,soci.
ated \dtnf'sse~, that is, wItnesses who wen' together :Jt th.) time that
all (If th(,111 ~a\, the llrn. Whenever several individuab go through an
exciting t:'xpl"rit'nc(' top,cth('I', they art:' ~1J1t tl) spcJld ;1 good deal of
tilll"" di~cussillg it ~lfterwal'J ()lnoop, tl1('JIl~eJve:-;, telllJ1g ;Jnu 1'l'teJLn~
it to each other, lIn,:o!\:-;dtlusIy irDning out ui:;cl'l'}Jancies hetween tlll'l}'
\'ari(1l1~ recollections, :lJ1d gradually conv(.'J'giTlI~ OJI :t :dnf:lt unifor!1l
:In'llunt of the C'xl)(~ricn(:l'. }lo,jrin<lnt pcrson~Jlities will have cOlltributed
mlln' ttl th" fina 1 Vt'I";lOl\ than the les:; dOl1linant. Thus lhe o.:t~)r)' t(11d
bv a !o!rDlip of ;ISS(lI:intC'd I'itnl's:;('~ \~ho tl;)Vl' had ilmple- opportunity to
'\:omparC' notes" \.;i It he lIlore uni t'O!'l1\ than the :!c-,'oU1Hs th~sc individual:;