The frequently published Roy Jennings 1961 photograph of alleged ball lightning is once more causing controversy and confusion (Magonia 12). Stuart Campbell [1] and concluded that the picture was not intentionally faked by Jennings, but his faulty camera had superimposed a trace of light across the film after he had finished taking his picture of a normal lightning flash and as he moved away from his bedroom window.
In the previous issue of Magonia (No. 12) appeared a long letter from Paul Devereux which was devoted to attacking my review of his book Earthlights (EL) which was published in Magonia 11. He seems annoyed that his work did not inspire me to write pages of gushing prose in fulsome praise of it. However, he more than makes up for my ‘bored and dismissive’ review in his letter. Its bludgeoning, rhetorical style may make it a good read but I hardly think that it will convince many of our readers.
After reading through the book Earthlights by Paul Devereux and his article in Magonia 12 in defence of his theory, I suggest that another, more neutral, opinion about it should be expressed within the pages of Magonia. I found Earthlights a most interesting and absorbing work, carefully done, with much thought given to it by its author, who I have no doubt is a most sincere and devoted researcher.
‘I saw it with my own eyes!’ How many times we have listened to this statement designed to avoid doubt, to reinforce certitude.Usually, but erroneously, one believes that the witness is a perfect recording apparatus, that all that passes before his eyes is recorded and may be plainly reproduced through well-contrived questions. Numerous experiments show, however, that testimony is remarkably subject to error.
This paper is a longer version of my intervention at the Anglo/French UFO meeting in Boulogne (19-20 February 1983). I quote particularly French-speaking authors, partly to make them better known, partly because I don’t know very much about the enormous English literature. I thank Jacques Scornaux and Dominique Behar for their aid with the translation, but only I am responsible for all the mistakes!