\New Thinking Allowed with Jeffrey Mishlove Aug 19, 2026 New Thinking Allowed Audio Podcast Ralph Blumenthal, a staff reporter for The New York Times from 1964 to 2009, is the author of The Believer: Alien Encounters, Hard Science, and the Passion of John Mack. Here he reviews the history of alien abductions, starting with the 1961 case of Betty and Barney Hill. Many related phenomena are addressed, including implants, physical evidence, and cattle mutilations. Of particular interest are the claims of those who maintain they can initiate contact themselves with aliens. He also reviews recent U.S. Navy sightings of UFOs. New Thinking Allowed host, Jeffrey Mishlove, PhD, is author of The Roots of Consciousness, Psi Development Systems, and The PK Man. Between 1986 and 2002 he hosted and co-produced the original Thinking Allowed public television series. He is the recipient of the only doctoral diploma in “Parapsychology” ever awarded by an accredited university (University of California, Berkeley, 1980). He is also the Grand Prize winner of the 2021 Bigelow Institute essay competition regarding the best evidence for survival of human consciousness after permanent bodily death. He is Co-Director of Parapsychology Education at the California Institute for Human Science. (Recorded on April 23, 2021)
Tag Archives: ETs
Phoenix Extraterrestrial flyover (in 1997)
- Google AI Overview
The “Phoenix extraterrestrial flyover” refers to the historic Phoenix Lights on March 13, 1997, when thousands of people across Arizona and Nevada witnessed a silent, massive V-shaped or boomerang-shaped formation of lights gliding across the night sky. It remains one of the most famous and debated mass UFO sightings in U.S. history. [1, 2, 3]
The 1997 Event
- The Sighting: Between 7:30 p.m. and 10:30 p.m., lights were seen moving from the Nevada state line, passing through Phoenix, and hovering near Tucson. [1, 2]
- The Craft: Many witnesses, including trained pilots and law enforcement, described a massive, solid, slow-moving object (sometimes said to be miles wide) that floated completely silently. [1, 2, 3, 4]
- High-Profile Witnesses: Arizona Governor Fife Symington and celebrity pilot Kurt Russell publicly acknowledged witnessing the inexplicable spectacle. [1, 2]
Official Explanations vs. The Mystery
Despite civilian accounts of a massive alien spacecraft, the military and government offered earthly explanations for both occurrences that night: [1, 2, 3]
- The V-Shaped Lights: The Air National Guard identified this as a formation of A-10 Thunderbolt II aircraft performing night training exercises. [1, 2]
- The Stationary Lights: The subsequent glowing orbs that hovered over Phoenix were identified as long-burning parachute illumination flares dropped during a pilot training operation at the Barry Goldwater Range. [1, 2]
Many researchers, witnesses, and skeptics continue to debate whether the flare explanation adequately accounts for the immense, solid structure described by thousands of onlookers. [1, 2]
For a closer look at the footage captured by witnesses on that evening and the enduring debate around what hovered above the city:
Phoenix Lights and UFO Sightings Investigative … The CW Network YouTube · Dec 20, 2025
(Contributed by Clint Lambert)