MUFON

[[File:WhitleyAnne3.jpg|thumb|right|165px|Anne and [[Whitley Strieber]] appearing at MUFON in 2012]] 
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{{cquote|The Scientific Study of UFOs for the Benefit of Humanity|||MUFON's website motto}}
The '''Mutual UFO Network''' or '''MUFON''' is one of the largest [[UFO]]-chasing organizations in the [[USA]]. Despite their claims of being "[[scientific]]", they are not terribly [[skepticism|skeptical]].

MUFON was founded in 1969 as the Midwest UFO Network. Its headquarters, previously in Cincinnati, [[Ohio]], are now in Irvine, [[California]]. In addition to their website, they publish the ''MUFON UFO Journal''.

==MUFON's sadly unscientific method==
MUFON has gotten a reputation as a haven for the credulous and gullible. More than a few MUFON members who were surveyed believe they have [[psychic]] abilities.<ref>[http://www.skepticfiles.org/ufo1/beliefsu.htm A SURVEY OF UFOLOGISTS AND THEIR BELIEFS IN UNEXPLAINED PHENOMENA] Skepticfiles.org</ref>

According to their website, "MUFON strives to use the [[scientific method]]." (So far, so good…) "Data is collected through online reports…" (Wait. Someone online saying they saw a UFO is considered ''data''?) "A MUFON Field Investigator then interviews the witnesses who made the report…" (Ah. At MUFON, [[anecdotal evidence]] = science).<ref>[http://www.mufon.com/the-scientific-method.html ''The Scientific Method''] Mufon.com</ref>

==Online alien abduction quiz==
More clues to MUFON's approach to science can be found at their online "Experiencer Questionnaire"… which soberly advises: "If you answered 15 or more questions in the affirmative, you might be an [[Extraterrestrial|ETI]] contact experiencer."<ref>[http://www.mufon.com/abductee-questionnaire.html ''Fill out the following questionnaire to see if you may be an experiencer''] Mufon.com</ref>

==But wait, there's more==
Want to be an official MUFON Field Investigator? Just purchase their mandatory MUFON training materials at $99.95, <ref>[http://store.mufon.com/ProductDetails.asp?ProductCode=DFieldInvTrain MUFON Field Investigator Training Full DVD Set ONLY AVAILABLE THROUGH MUFON] Mufon.com</ref> score 80% on the MUFON exam — and you're in! They'll even sell you a cool Official Field Investigator photo ID badge that's sure to impress the gang at the next [[Star Trek]] convention.<ref>[http://www.mufon.com/become-a-field-investigator.html Become a MUFON Field Investigator] Mufon.com</ref>

==Oh, and so much more==
In 2018, evidence of wide-spread anti-[[Undocumented immigration|immigrant]], [[Transphobia|anti-trans]] and [[Islamophobia|anti-Muslim]] sentiments among MUFON officials and Inner Circle donors emerged. Going for a trifecta, the organization is also reportedly unwilling to adequately address sexual harassment.<ref>Andrew Whalen [http://www.newsweek.com/ufo-sightings-mufon-2018-john-ventre-alien-extraterrestrial-905060 What If Aliens Met Racists? MUFON Resignations Highlight Internal Divisions in UFO Sightings Organization] Newsweek, April 2018</ref> Most embarrassingly, in 2020 MUFON head Jan Harzan was arrested for allegedly trying to arrange sex with an undercover police officer whom he believed was a 13-year-old.<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20200715144850/https://www.vice.com/en_us/article/3azpj9/head-of-major-ufo-organization-arrested-on-child-solicitation-charges M.J Banias and Anna Merlan, "Head of major UFO organization arrested on child solicitation charges," ''VICE'', Jul. 14, 2020, accessed Jul. 15, 2020.]</ref>

==Conspiracy==
{{main|Conspiracy theory}}
[[True believers]] in global conspiracies say that MUFON has been "heavily infiltrated" by [[CIA]] and the [[NSA]] in an effort to suppress evidence of UFO/[[Extraterrestrial|alien]]/[[New World Order]] activity.<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20140410193207/https://projectcamelotportal.com/interviews/video-interviews/28-video-interviews-and-presentations-by-name/2029-new-release-mufon-exposed New Release! MUFON EXPOSED!]  by Bob Fiske (27 Feb 2014 05:49) ''Project Camelot'' (archived from April 10, 2014).</ref><ref>[https://archive.org/details/pdfy-fK_LIU_yIP8YBTfX/page/n83/mode/2up ''Behold a Pale Horse''] by Milton William Cooper (1991) Light Technology Publishing. ISBN 0929385225.</ref>{{rp|230-231}}

==External links==
*[http://www.mufon.com/ Official website]
*[http://www.ufostalker.com UFO Stalker], a MUFON website that overlays UFO sighting reports over a map of the US, with separate icons for landings and [[black triangle]]s
*[https://www.washingtonpost.com/nation/interactive/2021/ufo-conspiracy-theorist/ The lonely journey of a UFO conspiracy theorist] — profile of Douglas Wilson, the current MUFON director

==References==
{{reflist}}

[[Category:California]]
[[Category:Ohio]]
[[Category:Ufology]]

Categories: California, Ohio, Ufology