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1961, BROWN MOUNTAIN, NORTHERN CAROLINA, USA, RALPH LAEL:

Brief summary of the event and follow-up:

Born in 1909 in the US, Ralph "Lael" operated a small furniture factory in Hickory in 1928, run for Congress there for the "progressive party" in 1948 but was not elected, and opened the "Outer Space Rock Shop Museum" on highway 181 near Brown Mountain, North Carolina, where he displayed for example an "alien mummy" in a glass-covered coffin.

In 1965, Ralph Lael wrote a book, "The Brown Mountain Lights" in which he tols that he investigated the mysterious nocturnal lights often seen on Brown Mountain, near Morganton, North Carolina.

He claimed that he made contact with the lights by mentally asking questions to which they would respond "yes" by moving up and down "no" by moving laterally. At one time in 1961, one of the lights beaconed him to approach a concealed door in a large rock at the mountainside. There, "intelligent beings" producing the lights were based. He went in, the door disappeared and he walked a tunnel with crystal walls to a small room with walls "clear as glass."

Suddenly a voice said, "Do not fear; there is no danger here" and told him he had been chosen to tell others about the true story of the lights. The voice claimed humanity's origin in planet Pewam, which exploded when scientists from there split the electron and all that remains now is the asteroid belt between Mars and Jupiter.

In October 1961, Lael entered the invisible door again, and this time he was offered and accepted a ride to Venus. The trip took two days, he described how planets and stars "flew by" as he watched the outer space from the spaceship. On Venus, which is said was made of pure crystal, he met the direct descendants of people from Pewam. He described their weird clothing, their furniture, and an attractive female named Noma, showinf herself in bra and panties.

While on Venus, he was shown newsreels of the destruction of Pewam, along with scenes of early humans on Earth, and of course given a message for humankind, apparently about the dangers of splitting the electron which could destroy the Earth just as it destroyed planet Pewam.

The so-called "Brown Mountain Lights" were mentioned as soon as 1913, and are a legend and tourists' attraction now. Many people still claim to have seen them or videotaped them, although to others they are just airplanes and cars headlights, and others still put up complex explanations by "hot glowing air" coming from the valley or "earthlights" caused by tectonic pressure. There was even an X-Files episode about them.

Basic information table:

Narratives:

[Ref. bh1:] ROBERT E. BARTHOLOMEW AND GEORGE S. HOWARD:

The authors indicate that approximately in 1961, investigating the source of mysterious nocturnal lights often seen on Brown Mountain, near Morganton, North Carolina, at night, Ralph Lael made contact with aliens.

By asking questions, the lights moved up and down for "yes" and side to side for "no." Lael says one of the lights indicated that he should approach a concealed door in the mountainside. There, "intelligent beings" producing the lights were based. Inside the mountain, he was led to a room (eight feet square) with walls "clear as glass." Suddenly a voice said, "Do not fear; there is no danger here." The voice said Lael had been chosen to tell others about the true history of the lights. Lael says the voice claimed humans were created on the planet Pewam, which, he explained, is now a waste of asteroids between Mars and Jupiter.

In October 1961, Lael visited the mountainside and entered the invisible door again. This time he was offered and accepted a ride to Venus. He arrived on Venus two days later and met direct descendants of people from Pewam. He described an attractive female named Noma, scantily clad in a bra and panties.

While on Venus, he was also shown what appeared to be newsreels showing the destruction of Pewam, along with scenes of early humans on Earth.

The authors indicate that the sources are Milt Machlin and Timothy G. Beckley, "UFO", New York: Quick Fox, 1981, p.108.

[Ref. mk1:] MARTIN KOTTMEYER:

Martin Kottmeyer listed predictions made by people who claimed contact with aliens, and included that Ralph Lael said that beings from a pure crystal Venus revealed to him in 1962 that man is on the verge of splitting the electron. Kottmeyer indicates that this is correct, since electron-positron annihilation is now a common research tool in nuclear physics, but that Lael spoiled it by adding that when man "completes the process he could start a chain reaction that will blow up the whole planet." He added that Venusians said it happened once before when mankind used superweapons while on Pewam.

[Ref. bh1:] LINDA WOLFF:

Ralph Lael was the uncle of the father of Linda Wolff, who thus wrote an article about him.

She remembers he was a wonderful man, gentle, kind and very generous, who owned and operated the "Outer Space Rock Shop Museum" near Brown Mountain, North Carolina, a rather unique shop with an alien mummy display. Linda remembers peering into the glass covered "casket" and staring in awe at the tiny teeth.

She remembers that according to her father, Ralph Lael ran for Congress under the "Progressive Party" in 1948, and while standing on Main Street in Hickory, N.C. giving his political speech, people threw eggs at him but he did not stop his political speech.

Ralph Lael wrote a book in 1965, called "The Brown Mountain Lights". It tells the story of the lights and goes into great detail about his close up encounter with them, how he experienced the movement of them across his body and felt their vibration. The lights communicated with him and beckoned him to follow them to a large rock, where a a door appeared. He stepped in and once inside, he turned to look back at the door and it was no longer there.

The solid crystal walls led into the mountain and he went alone, perceived voice communication from an alien who explained why earth was chosen to be observed and how life on our planet once was, and urged man to change for the sake of the planet's future. The voice said that what we call "space ships" are really vessels used by aliens from the planet Venus to patrol the Universe.

He was taken by the aliens to visit Venus and described description of the planets and stars [!] flying on the route to Venus. He described his visit to Venus in great detail, the people he met, their odd manner of dress, the food, furniture and how they observe the planet earth on large screens. He was returned safely to earth with a message for all mankind.

Linda explains that her grandmother did not believe a word about all this, but herself does, as he dedicated his book to his own mother, which a son would not do if the book was not true.

Points to consider:

• A French contactee, in 1973, might have made up his space ambassador name from the name of Mr. "R. Lael".
• When you fly to Venus, you can't see stars flyby's during the trip like you hear in such stories or see in that time's science fiction movies.

Left: Ralph Lael, as on the back-cover of his 1965 book.

Left: The "Space Mummy" as displayed in Ralph Lael's "Outer Space Rock Shop Museum". It was said to be 3 or 4 feet tall and to have "mysteriously" disappeared after Mr. Lael's death.

List of issues:

Evaluation:

"Contactee" type tall tale.

Sources references:

* = Source I checked.
? = Source I am told about but could not check yet. Help appreciated.

• [---] ? "The Brown Mountain Lights", book by Ralph Lael, USA, 1965.
• [---] ? "UFO", book by Milt Machlin and Timothy G. Beckley, Quick Fox publisher, USA, page 108, 1981.
• [bh1] * "UFOs and Alien Contacts - Two Centuries of Mystery", book by Robert E. Bartholomew and George S. Howard, Prometheus Books publisher, New York, USA, page 315, 1998.
• [mk1] * "Still Waiting: A List of Predictions from the 'UFO Culture'", article by Martin S. Kottmeyer, in the Fortean magazine The Anomalist, USA, 1998.
• [lw1] * "Remembering Ralph Lael and The Brown Mountain Lights, article by Linda Wolff, in Alternate Perceptions magazine online, USA, April 2004, at http://www.mysterious-america.net/ralphlaelandbrow.html

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This page was last updated on August 20, 2007