4 Steps to Becoming a MUFON Field Investigator
If you have not already done so, please join MUFON at www.mufon.com/joinnow or renew your membership at www.mufon.com/renewnow. Only current members in good standing (current membership dues paid) can be promoted to MUFON Field Investigator status. Read an article and see a video here
Step 2:
Purchase a copy of the MUFON Field Investigator’s manual .To ensure that only competent investigators conduct witness interviews, on-site investigations, and collateral contacts with public agencies and others, formal Field Investigator training is essential. The MUFON Field Investigator’s Manual is the basic reference for training. All trainees must possess an original copy of the Manual and become completely familiar with its contents.
Step 3:
Self study the MUFON Field Investigator Manual or attend a training class conducted by your local area state director (if available). To find your local contact visit: Find my State Director by clicking on your state. Then complete the open book MUFON Field Investigator’s exam, a copy of which is included in the Field Investigator’s manual. Send your completed exam for grading to the address listed on the exam. Also, please make sure you either email a professional portrait photo of yourself (.jpg format 448H X 336W pixels at 300dpi) to MUFON.com or by mail to MUFON, 18023 Sky Park Circle, #F-2, Irvine CA 92614. Please include your name and MUFON ID # If you have it already.
In order to be promoted to the position of Field Investigator, every member must achieve a favorable score on the MUFON Field Investigator’s Exam (passing overall score of at least 80%). The purpose of administering the exam is to evaluate the individual’s practical knowledge in respect to both potential UFO and IFO (identifiable flying object) reports from the public. The exam consists of one-hundred questions in twelve specific areas: light and optics; sound; electromagnetic properties; measurements; physical traces; photography; radio and radar; celestial objects; atmosphere and weather; conventional vehicles; witness reactions; and the recent history of UFO experiences.
Before engaging in actual investigation stemming from a UFO report, the Field Investigator Trainee needs a thorough grounding in the following areas:
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•Investigative Ethics. Most importantly, the Trainee must understand and adhere to the tenet of anonymity (withholding witness identifiers from persons who are not part of the UFO report investigation or its evaluation within MUFON).
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•Interviewing Methods. Preparation, controlling the setting, the sequence of obtaining a complete account, recognizing sensory perceptions, analyzing witness body language, active listening, interpreting the oral account, and drawing conclusions are all vitally important.
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•Collateral Contacts. In a given circumstance, the Trainee must be aware of which public officials and/or others to contact in order to potentially resolve the report as a misperception, determine the person’s reliability as a witness, or identify others who may have witnessed and reported the same event.
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•Technical Background. A working knowledge should be conveyed to the Trainee on the subjects of weather anomalies, astronomy, conventional aircraft (especially lighting configurations), space satellites, photographic equipment and methods, and the soil sciences.
Step 4:
Although it is not required, it is highly recommended that once you pass your exam and achieve Field Investigator status that you accompany a current experienced MUFON Field Investigator on several live investigations before attempting an investigation on your own. Please contact your MUFON State Director to coordinate mentoring opportunities.
You can find your State Director’s contact information at www.mufon.com/statedir (click on your state).
For Pennsylvania please Contact :
Chief Investigator for Pennsylvania
Dan Medleycott , Overseeing PA MUFON Field Investigators in Pennsylvania.
Email: Dan Medleycott Visit MUFON PA for more details
To begin to learn about this most interesting subject, a good reading list is a good start.
A recommended book list lifted directly from writer Richard Dolan’s wonderful web site:
Richard Dolan is a friend and excellent speaker and educator on the subject of UFOs. Below he writes:
“Listed in chronological order, here are over 50 the English-language books that I feel are important to a good understanding of the UFO phenomenon. There are many others, but this is not a comprehensive list; just a practical one. Although several of the authors have multiple books that are of value, I am trying to keep this list simple and so have generally included their best book only. In a few cases (including my own), I have included an author more than once due to the unique contributions of their multiple books.”
Frank Scully. Behind the Flying Saucers (1950). The first mass market American book on the subject, and still very insightful. Discusses the Aztec case, which was publicly debunked, but the recent book by the Ramseys offer much intelligent discussion on Frank Scully.
Donald E. Keyhoe. Flying Saucers from Outer Space (1953). Still a good read and in fact a great piece of investigative journalism. Keyhoe was able to obtain unique information about the UFO mystery. His other books are also valuable.
Edward Ruppelt. Report on Unidentified Flying Objects (1956). By a former head of Project Blue Book--the Air Force's official UFO investigative body, this remains among the most important books ever written about UFOs.
Richard Hall. The UFO Evidence, Vol. 1 and Vol. 2 (1964 and 2001). Indispensable collection of UFO sightings and analysis.
Ivan T. Sanderson. Uninvited Visitors (1967). A brilliant and unique scientific analysis of UFOs.
Jacques Vallee Passport to Magonia: From Folklore to Flying Saucers (1969). Very important work which helped open up the study of ancient folklore and its possible connections to UFO phenomena.
Ivan T. Sanderson. Invisible Residents (1970). Another classic by Sanderson, an early study of unidentified submersible objects (USOs).
J. Allen Hynek. The UFO Experience: A Scientific Inquiry (1972). Very important book presenting many UFO cases through the perspective of a professional scientist who had started as a debunker, but became persuaded otherwise.
Jacques Vallee. The Invisible College: What a group of scientists has discovered about UFO influences on the human race (1975). Where Vallee first suggested that UFOs were a kind of `control system' on human consciousness. Brilliant out-of-the-box thinking.
Coral and James Lorenzen. Encounters with UFO Occupants (1976). Frankly, all of their books are worthwhile. This one is an indispensable collection of abduction and encounter cases. They were way ahead of the curve.
Budd Hopkins. Missing Time (1981). Groundbreaking study on the abduction phenomenon, arguing not only that it's real, but much more common than previously thought.
Cynthia Hind. UFOs: African Encounters (1982). A rare early study of African UFO encounters.
Paul Dong. UFOs Over Modern China (1983). Sheds light on many fascinating UFO cases that became available following the death of Mao Zedong in 1976. Very important study.
Budd Hopkins. Intruders (1987). Extended study of one family experiencing apparent alien abductions, with the likelihood that bloodlines are of great importance.
Whitley Strieber. Communion: A Novel (1987). Historically significant first-person abduction narrative. Also recommend Majestic: A Novel (1989).
Timothy Good. Above Top Secret: The Worldwide UFO Cover-Up (1987). A classic, and the book that brought me into the UFO subject. Good's many other books are also worthwhile.
Linda Moulton Howe. An Alien Harvest: Further Evidence Linking Animal Mutilations and Human Abductions to Alien Life Forms (1989). An early and important study of the animal mutilation mystery.
David Jacobs. Secret Life (1992). A groundbreaking analysis of the alien abduction experience. Based on many cases, Jacobs put together a minute-by-minute recreation of a "typical" abduction.
Karla Turner. Into the Fringe: A True Story of Alien Abduction (1992). Gripping account of apparent abductions, both alien and military.
Jacques Vallee. Forbidden Science (1993). Fascinating diaries of Vallee during the 1960s, giving a glimpse into the UFO controversies of that era.
Linda Moulton Howe. Glimpses of Other Realities, Vol. 1 and Vol. 2 (1993 & 1998). Should be more widely read than it is. Contains riveting detail of many of LMH's fearless investigations.
John E. Mack. Abduction: Human Encounters with Aliens (1994). A profound investigation and analysis of the alien abduction phenomenon.
Paul Hill. Unconventional Flying Objects: A Scientific Analysis (1995). Classic analysis by a NASA scientist of how flying saucers might function.
Don Berliner. UFO Briefing Document (1995). A superb collection of many of the best documented UFO cases. Reprinted as paperback in 2000.
Stanton T. Friedman. Top Secret/Majic (1996). This is Stan Friedman's fundamental statement on the UFO cover-up. Includes his analysis of the MJ-12 documents and much more.
Bob Pratt. UFO Danger Zone: Terror and Death in Brazil--Where Next? (1996). Not very well known, but important for its discussion of Brazilian UFO/alien cases involving injury and death.
Kevin Randle. Conspiracy of Silence (1997). My favorite book by Randle, a good overview for its time of the UFO coverup and discussion of internal debates among researchers.
Nick Redfern. A Covert Agenda: The British Government's UFO Top Secrets Exposed (1997). Many good books by Nick Redfern, but this has always been my favorite. Great material on the UK government's role in the UFO cover-up.
Jerome Clark. The UFO Book. Encyclopedia of the Extraterrestrial (1997). A good resource for serious researchers, although becoming a bit out of date as I was published in the 1990s.
Jim Marrs. Alien Agenda: Investigating the Extraterrestrial Presence Among Us (1997). Prior to my own UFOs for the 21st Century Mind, this was the best easy-to-read overview of the UFO phenomenon. Still a great book.
Illobrand von Ludwiger. Best UFO Cases: Europe (1998). An excellent compendium of some of the best European UFO cases through the 20th century.
Ingo Swann. Penetration: The Question of Extraterrestial and Human Telepathy (1998). Discusses Swan's remote viewing experiences of the Moon, and his encounters with the mysterious "Mr. Axelrod." Famously rare and expensive; I was lucky to be given Ingo's personal copy. I did write about this book in V2 of UFOs and the National Security State.
Helmut Lammer. MILABS: Military Mind Control and Alien Abduction (1999). Not very well known but important early study on the military abduction phenomenon.
Terry Hansen. The Missing Times: Media Complicity in the UFO Cover-Up (2000). Classic analysis of mainstream media's role in the UFO Cover-up by a recently deceased friend.
Richard M. Dolan. UFOs and the National Security State, Vol. 1 and Vol. 2, (2000 & 2009). The most thorough treatment so far of the UFO cover-up.
Steven Greer. Disclosure: Military and Government Witnesses Reveal the Greatest Secrets in Modern History (2001). An invaluable collection of testimony from many military and government insiders relating to UFOs. I consider this a very important book with generally very compelling statements.
Ryan Wood. Majic Eyes Only: Earth's Encounters with Extraterrestrial Technology (2004). The best collection and analysis of alleged crash retrievals of UFOs.
Bill Chalker. Hair of the Alien: DNA and Other Forensic Evidence of Alien Abductions (2005). Fascinating analysis of one of the most bizarre apparent encounters with "Others" ever discussed.
Joseph P. Farrell. The SS Brotherhood of the Bell: Nasa's Nazis, JFK, And Majic-12 (2006). Research and analysis of the Nazi connection, among other things, to UFOs.
Kathleen Marden and Stanton T. Friedman. Captured! The Betty and Barney Hill UFO Experience (2007).The definitive account of the most famous UFO abduction.
Robert Hastings. UFOs and Nukes. Extraordinary Encounters at Nuclear Weapons Sites (2008).Important collection of accounts of UFO incursions over nuclear installations.
Donald Schmitt and Tom Carey. Witness to Roswell (2009). Probably the best of the Roswell books, benefiting from years of research by many investigators, and very well put together.
Michael Salla. Exposing U.S. Governmental Policies on Extraterrestrial Life (2009). Often filled with very good analyses of the probable US government attitude toward UFOs and ET.
Richard M. Dolan & Bryce Zabel. A.D. After Disclosure (2010). Analysis of the end of UFO secrecy and the likely repercussions.
Leslie Kean. UFOs: Generals, Pilots, and Government Officials Go on the Record (2010). A well-researched and put-together collection of UFO accounts from highly credible sources.
Scott and Suzanne Ramsey. The Aztec Incident: Recovery at Hart Canyon (2011). An important book, persuasively making a case for the long-dismissed claims of a UFO crash in Aztec, New Mexico in 1948.
Michael Swords (ed.). UFOs and Government: A Historical Inquiry (2012). Detailed analysis by different researchers of official documentation on UFOs from several nations.
Richard M. Dolan. UFOs for the 21st Century Mind (2014). Up-to-date appraisal and analysis of the entire UFO phenomenon.
Christopher O'Brien. Stalking the Herd: Unraveling the Cattle Mutilation Mystery (2014). The latest and best analysis of the animal mutilation mystery.
Roger Leir. UFOs Do Not Exist: The Greatest Lie That Enveloped the World (2014), Posthumously published, Dr. Roger Leir's best statement on the reality of alien implants and much more.
Below is a reading list provided by Main Line Mufon participant Paul Schubert
Edgar Cayce's "Story of the Origin and Destiny of Man," 1972.
"AmerIndian Myths & Mysteries," Vincent Gaddis. 1977.
"Living the Sky: The Cosmos of the American Indian" - Ray A. Williamson. 1984.
"1491: New Revelations of the Americas Before Columbus" - Charles C. Mann. 2005, 2006.
"American Indian Prophecies: Conversations with Chasing Deer" - Kurt Kaltreider, PhD. 1998.
"The View From the Center of the Universe: Discovering Our Extraordinary Place in the Cosmos," Joel Primack & Nancy E. Abrams. 2006.
"The Sacred Balance: Discovering Our Place in Nature" - David Suzuki with Amanda McConnell & Adrience Mason. (Updated & Expanded). 1997, 2002, & 2007.
"The Fabric of the Cosmos: Space, Time & the Texture of Reality," Brian Greene. 2004.
"The Web of Life: A Scientific Understanding of Living Systems" - Fritjof Capra. 1996.
"Symmetry: A Journey Into the Patterns of Nature" - Marcus du Sautoy. 2008.
"The Third Chimpanzee: The Evolution & Future of the Human Animal" - Jared Diamond. 1992.
"Coming of Age in the Milky Way," Timothy Ferris. 1998.
"The Day We Found the Universe: The 1925 discovery that the actual universe is far larger than our Milky Way galaxy, inclusive of the multiple scientific processes that produced this discovery" - Marcia Bartusiak. 2009.
"Gallileo's Mistake," Wade Rowland. 2001.
"Seeing Further: The Story of Science, Discovery & the Genius of the Royal Society," Bill Bryson. 2010.
"Life Everywhere" (The Maverick Science of Astrobiology) - David Darling. 2001.
"The Illustrated History of Time (Updated & Expanded Edition)/The Universe in a Nutshell" - Stephen Hawking. 2001.
"Einstein: His Life & Universe" - Walter Isaacson. 2007.
"The Making of the Atomic Bomb" - Richard Rhodes. 1986.
"Dark Sun: The Making of the Hydrogen Bomb" - Richard Rhodes. 1995.
"Collapse: How Societies Choose to Fail or Succeed" - Jared Diamond. 2005.
"Black Swan: The Impact of the Highly Improbable" - Nassim Nicholas Taleb. 2007.
"Complexity:The Emerging Science at the Edge of Order & Chaos" - M. Michael Waldrop. 1992.
"At Home in the Universe: The Search for the Laws of Self-Organization & Complexity" - Stuart Kauffman. 1995.
"Contact" - Carl Sagan. 1985.
"Cosmos" - Carl Sagan. 1980.
"The Illustrated Atlas of the Universe" - Mark A Garlick & (Star Maps - Wil Tirion) 2006.
"The Earth Machine: The Science of a Dynamic Planet" - Edmond A. Mathez & James D. Webster. 2004.
"The Lost Language of Plants: The Ecological Importance of Plant Medicines to Life on Earth" - Steven Harrod Buhner. 2002.
"Smithsonian Earth: The Definitive Visual Guide to Our Planet" - Editor in Chief James F. Luhr. 2005.
"Extinction: How Life on Earth Nearly Ended 250 Million Years Ago" - Douglas H. Erwin. 2006.
"The Search for Solutions: How We Know What We Know About the Universe & How We Know It's True" - Horace Freeland Judson. 1980.
"Stephen Hawking:Unfettered Mind" - Kitty Ferguson. 2012.
"Egypt: Child of Atlantis: A Radical Interpretation of the Origins of Civilization" - John Gordon. 1997, 2004.
"The Egyptian Miracle: An Introduction to the Wisdom of the Temple" - R.A. Schwaller de Lubicz. 1963.
"The Keys of Egypt:The Race to Crack the Hieroglyph Code" - Lesley & Roy Adkins. 2000.
"Pyramid Quest: Secrets of the Great Pyramid & the Dawn of Civilization," Robert Schoch. 2005.
"Serpent in the Sky: The High Wisdom of Ancient Egypt," John Anthony West. 1979.
"Mysteries of the Mexican Pyramids (Dimensional Analysis of Original Drawings by Hugh Harleston & Historic Illustrations From Many Sources)" - Peter Tompkins. 1976.
"Lost Technologies of Ancient Egypt: Advanced Engineering in the Temples of the Pharoahs" - Christopher Dunn. 2010.
"The Egypt Code: Unveiling a Sacred Landscape/Developing the Pyramind/Star Correlation" - Robert Bauval. 2008.
"Forgotten Civilizations: The Role of Solar Outbursts in Our Past & Future" - Robert Schoch, PhD. 2012.
"Journey Into the Light," Isha Schwaller de Lubicz. 1960. A modern Hermetic Philosophy approach.
"The Politics of Experience," - R.D. Laing. 1967. Laing's work is one of the most exploratory psychological series of essays of his time. Please mainly look into his chapter on "The Ten Day Voyage," pages 102-117/Chapter 7.
"The Untethered Soul: The Journey Beyond the Self," Michael Singer. 2007.
"The Second Half of Life: Opening the Eight Gates of Wisdom," Angeles Arrien. 2007.
"With Purpose: Going From Success to Significance in Work & Life" - Ken Dychtwald PhD & Daniel J. Kadlec. 2009.
"Voluntary Simplicity: Toward a Way of Life That Is Outwardly Simple, Inwardly Rich" - Duane Elgin. 1981, 2010.
"The Seven Habits of Effective People: Powerful Lessons In Personal Change" - Stephen R. Covey. 1989 & 2004. Note: Covey has since come out with a new book on what he considers to be a beneficial 8th habit of personal change.
"The Age of Miracles: Embracing the New Middle Age" - Marianne Williamson. 2008.
"Making It All Work: Winning at the Game of Work & the Business of Life" - David Allen. 2008.
"Do What You Love, the Money Will Follow: Discovering Your Right Livelihood" - Marsha Sinetar. 1987.
"In Pursuit of Elegance:Why the Best Ideas Have Something Missing" - Matthew E. May. 2009.
"Super-mind/Ultimate Energy: How to Awaken Your Super-mentality for a More Productive Future" - Barbara B. Brown. 1980.
"The Wisdom Paradox: How Your Mind Can Grow Stronger As Your Brain Grows Older" - Elkhonon Goldberg, PhD. 2005.
"New Passages: Mapping Your Life Across Time" - Gail Sheehy. 1995.
"Deep Survival/Who Lives, Who Dies & Why: True Stories of Miraculous Endurance & Sudden Death" - Laurence Gonzales. 2003.
"Callings: Finding & Following An Authentic Life" - Gregg Levoy. 1997.
"The Dark Side of the Light Chasers: Reclaiming Your Power, Creativity, Brilliance & Dreams" - Debbie Ford. 1998.
"Working Smart: How to Accomplish More in Half the Time" - Michael Leboeuf. 1979.
"Your Greatest Strength" - Grant Lewi. (An intensive look at personal zodiac signs. These individual chapters describe the central strength of each sign together with its opposite, but closely related weakness.) 1946, 1973.
"Focusing: A guide/technique for personal transformation" - Eugene J. Gendlin, PhD. 1978, 1981.
"The Storm Before the Calm: A New Human Manifesto (Book #1 in the New Conversations With Humanity Series)" - Neale Donald Walsch. 2011.
"The Amazing Power of Deliberate Intent: Living the Art of Allowing" - Esther & Jerry Hicks (The Teachings of Abraham). 2006.
"The Intention Experiment: Using Your Thoughts to Change Your Life & World" - Lynne McTaggart. 2007/2008.
"The Neuro Revolution: How Brain Science Is Changing Our World" - Zach Lynch with Bryan Laursen. 2009, 2010.
"Present at the Future: From Evolution to Nanotechnology, Candid Conversations on Science & Nature" - Ira Flatow (Host of National, Public Radio's Science Friday). 2007.
"Steve Jobs" - Walter Isaacson. 2011.
"World Changing: A User's Guide for the 21st Century," Edited by Alex Steffen. 2011.
"The End of the Long Summer: Why We Must Remake Our Civilization to Survive on a Volatile Earth" - Diane Dumanoski. 2009.
"Deep Future: The Next 100,000 Years of Life on Earth" - Curt Stager. 2011.
"Climate Change: Picturing the Science" - Gavin Schmidt & Joshua Wolfe. 2009.
"Dire Predictions/Understanding Global Warming: The Illustrated Guide to the Findings of the (United Nations) Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC)" - Michael E. Mann & Lee R. Kump. 2004.
"The Last Hours of Ancient Sunlight: The Fate of the World & What We Can Do About It" - Thom Hartmann. 1998, 1999, & 2004.
"Denialism: How Irrational Thinking Harms the Planet & Threatens Our Lives" - Michael Specter. 2009, 2010.
"Global Spin: The Corporate Assault on Environmentalism" - Sharon Beder. 1997, 2002.
"Hot, Flat & Crowded: Why We Need A Green Revolution & How It Can Renew America" - Thomas L. Friedman. 2008, 2009.
"The Story of Stuff: The Impact of Overconsumption on the Planet, Our Communities, & Our Health & How We Can Make It Better" - Annie Leonard. 2010.
"Coming Clean: Breaking America's Addiction to Oil & Coal" - Michael Brune (A Sierra Club book). 2008, 2010.
"Eating the Sun: Plants Power the Planet" - Oliver Morton. 2008.
"Living Like Ed: A Guide to the Eco-friendly Life" - Ed Begley Jr. 2008.
"The Sustainability Revolution: Portrait of a Paradigm Shift" - Andres R. Edwards. 2005.
"Sustainability by Design: A Subversive Strategy for Transforming Our Consumer Culture" - John R. Ehrenfeld. 2008.
"The Natural Step for Communities: How Cities & Towns Can Change to Sustainable Practices" - Sarah James & Torbjorn Lahti. 2004.
"The Hidden Connections: Integrating the Biological, Cognitive & Social Dimensions of Life Into a Science of Sustainability" - Fritof Capra. 2002.
"Green Gone Wrong: How Our Economy Is Undermining the Environmental Revolution" - Heather Rogers. 2010.
"Plan B Mobilizing to Save Civilization" - Lester R. Brown. 2009.
I also belong to a Chester County grass roots group on climate change - Chester County Citizens for Climate Protection. I have other books on this topic too.
"Witness to Roswell: Unmasking the Government's Biggest Coverup," Thomas Carey & Donald Schmitt. 2011.
"UFOs: Generals, Pilots & Government Officials Going on the Record," Leslie Kean. 2010.
"The Mayan Code: Time Acceleration & Awakening of the World Mind," Barbara Hand Clow. 2007.
"Supernatural: Meeting With the Ancient Teachers of Mankind," Graham Hancock. 2007.
"Extra Planetary Experiences: Alien-Human Contact & the Expansion of Consciousness," Thomas J. Streicher, PhD. 2012.
"Cosmic Voyages: A Scientific Discovery of Extraterrestrials Visiting Earth," Courtney Brown, PhD. 1996.
"2012 & the Galactic Center: The Return of the Great Mother," Christine R. Page, MD. 2008.
"The Healing Power of the Sacred Woman: Health, Creativity & Fertility of the Soul" - Christine R. Page, M.D. 2013.
"The Source Field Investigations: The Hidden Science & Lost Civilizations behind the 2012 Prophecies." - David Wilcox. 2011.
