Our subject has fallen from grace in recent years, with a real lack of big cases to stimulate interest. Why is this?

I don't think for a minute UFO's have simply stopped appearing in our skies. The simple fact is, they have again become "uncool" since the X-Files etc stopped showing in any big way.
But the UFO's are still out there, and I'm sure, appearing over Scotland, if we can just get people to report them.

Either they're really still there, or a) they never were and this whole subject is a farce, or b ) they've decided to take a holiday for a few decades.
I don't think either of these scenarios are true.

But how can we convince people it's worthwhile reporting strange lights in the sky? How can we make them believe they won't be seen as weirdos for reporting a possible abduction?

Anyone got any ideas? Could we possibly attract the tabloids with an interesting case, to get things back in the headlines? I don't know. Do we have any recent ones here?

I'm asking you all to suggest ideas for us to get this subject back into the limelight, right here in Scotland.

Post your thoughts!

I would suggest that falling out of favour is exactly what the subject needs. I find that I pay more attention to historical cases when there weren't Gray faces appearing on bags, posters, shampoo bottles and every second shop window! :) In other words, any cases which now turn up are that much more convincing because they aren't potentially influenced by the media.

How much more interesting when a case has a little-known detail that hasn't gotten wide attention? Falling-leaf motion anyone? :)

It is difficult. We still hear of plenty of UFO reports, that may be just a drop in the ocean of course but it shows people are willing to come forward. The fact that few really interesting reports come through is probably just a result of the fact that few really are interesting to start with! Even someone with the greatest of enthusiasm for all things alien would still have to admit that most reports are just Venus seen through a cloud of swamp gas or something. I do also think UFOs have just gone out of fashion for a bit. Its all ghosts now, there are several pretty large groups in Scotland that go on ghost watches and so on.

I think what would really help is funding. It would allow people to spend time investigating reports, interviewing witnesses etc. It would allow for advertising in the press and perhaps even some decent, I said DECENT press exposure. Hang on, just spotted a flaw in my plan...

I can't think of where the funding might come from. Anyone have a rich eccentric relative?

I'm not so sure I agree. I've seen a figure quoted where something like only ten percent of people who see a UFO bother to report it. Which means when a UFO IS reported it's seen as an isolated case, something that is so rare it must be untrue - either a hoax, a headcase reporting it, or a stupid misidentification of Venus by some pilot with 30 years experience who should really know better...... <_<

What I mean is, is rather than only ten percent of people reported their sighting, say 70% reported it, the media would NEED to take notice of the subject and realise, "Hey, these people can't ALL be sad Roy Cropper type weirdos, something's going on here."

Unless of course, there IS a genuine global conspiracy involving all sections of the media, even local rags, which means they'll NEVER take it seriously.

I'm definitely leery of mass media, and tabloids in particular. Human nature being what it is, if 70% of sightings were reported instead of 10%, they'd be saying wow the 'weirdos' are really out in force right now.

I guess my point is that everyone now knows what a Grey is supposed to look like, how they are supposed to behave and that has become part of the zeitgeist. It became such a fad in the late 90s that it had to go the way of all fads. I first realised this when the UFO section in Waterstones vanished.

If someone reports a sighting in the midst of a UFO mania, is that worth more than if the subject is uncool, unpopular, unlikely to make them famous or notorious and they report it anyway?

Ghosts do indeed have the popular imagination right now, I can't quite imagine a UFO equivalent of Most Haunted!

Most Saucered? Most Alienated? :)

Funding would be excellent, but what are the chances? Maybe we could apply for Lottery Funding if it's in the public interest! (Hmm. That really would need for UFOs to become popular again!)

Well, to me, Waterstones would have a UFO section no matter what - as long as the books were selling and making money. The problem there is so many of them are utter crap!

The only answer for me is if people take the subject seriously enough to stop seeing it as a joke. How that can be achieved is beyond my un-Holmesian powers of reasoning! ;)

So far:

- Rich Relative
- Lottery Funding

In all honesty, I can't see serious investigation being seriously funded anytime soon. Assuming that money was available, the first step might be something like a Centre with a well-stocked library and being quite obviously and visibly the first point of contact for anyone. Quiet, dignified and serious! (Apart from casual Fridays of course :)

It's quite irritating really, because there was an upsurge of interest in the subject when the X-Files came along and I really thought things would get moving - they even had "proper" debates and stuff on UFOs on prime time telly. Such a thing seems unthinkable now!

I suppose like anything, this subject is cyclical. It'll be back in vogue sometime in the next 40 years. Until then, we need to hope on of us becomes an internet billionaire! ;)

Every single episode of the X-Files is being repeated at the moment on UK Living. I had forgotten how much I enjoyed it!

As for being a cyclical subject... shall we lay odds on contactees making a comeback in the next few years? :)