Ufology

Ufology is the study of UFO reports, sightings and other related phenomena.

While many ufologists strive for legitimacy and some are respected scientists in other fields, ufology has never been fully embraced by the scientific community, for a number of reasons. Some ufologists consider the general attitude of mainstream academics as arrogant and dismissive, or bound to a rigid World view that disallows any evidence contrary to previously-held notions.

Ufologists embrace a wide spectrum of approaches, beliefs and attitudes, from those regarded by some as quacks or kooks (i.e. David Icke); to respected mainstream scientists like Carl Sagan, some of whom argue that UFO reports are as worthy of study as any topic, and deserve case-by-case analysis using the scientific method. Study of UFO sightings this way has yielded very interesting and important results, although generally about weather phenomena and human perception.

Most critics consider ufology a pseudoscience or protoscience.

Broadly, there are four schools of thought to explain UFO sightings:

• The self-explanatory Extraterrestrial hypothesis.
• The Psychosocial Hypothesis.
• Various occult, paranormal, supernatural or religious explanations, such as the "Bloody Virgin Mary hypothesis".
• The notion that UFO's are best explained as advanced, secret or experimental aircraft.

For a list of major UFO sightings and related reports, see List of major UFO sightings

Ufological Groups or Individual

• Committee for the Scientific Investigation of Claims of the Paranormal, or CSICOP
• Erich von Däniken's theories, where he tries to combine what he considers historical proof of extraterrestrial visits with a theory on extraterrestrial help in the evolution of humanity.
• Edward Condon
• J. Allen Hynek
• UFO Norge, a Norwegian project dedicated to collect all material on observations and physical traces of UFO activity in Norway.
• United States Air Force Project Blue Book
• Jacques Vallée;