Stavanger Aftenblad 26th of October 2003
CORNY OR CORRECT ABOUT CROP CIRCLES?
Mel Gibson makes a success in the film “Signs” (see the photograph) in Norway. The Norwegian Crop Circle Group, however, is not among the fans. They feel the film does not take the phenomenon seriously.
Mel Gibson stars a father of two children who one day discovers several crop circles in his field. It turns out that aliens have made them, and from there on it gets spooky. For those of you who have not seen the film, we’ll not give away the rest. But the basis is crop circles – and in Norway there is an association that takes this mystery seriously.
- “Signs” is definitely no crop circle film, just a flirt with spectators who enjoy horror films. Unfortunately crop circles are mixed with fear, aliens and UFOs. The positive side of “Signs” is that it lets the door to the mystery open, and concludes that the circles are not human made. The film has also led to interest in our association, says Eva-Marie Brekkestø in The Crop Circle Group.
Brekkestø feels that there are other explanations just as probable. That we ourselves send our thoughts out into the universe and that they return to us in the shape of crop circles. One way or another I’m sure there is a higher intelligence in the picture.
Research is going on to show how the circles are made, and one theory that might explain the UFO-like balls of light, involves microwaves.
- Serious and published research on 490 circles shows change in the appearance and the growth rate. The soil can also change. The theory is that this is caused by plasma vortices from the upper atmosphere. These attract magnetic particles that are not occurring naturally on the ground, and they emit microwaves. The researcher found that the only way to reproduce these changes in the grain, was to subject it to microwaves. Plasma vortices are what people observe as balls of light, Eva-Marie Brekkestø tells us.
Majority in England
Up till now 10.000 crop circles are registered around the world, the majority in England.
- It is there the largest number, the largest in size and the most complex formations are found. The majority concentrated in the vincinity of Stonehenge. Many ask if there is a reason why they appear in an area with a 5000 year old history. There is no answer to this yet, says Brekkestø.
The circles are known and documented since the 17 th century. At the end of the seventies the phenomenon developed. The circles increased in number and the patterns became more complicated.
The circles also appear in Canada, USA, Australia, New Zealand, Germany, Holland, Denmark and Russia. Here in Norway we have registered 18 circles since 1995. None have been found in Rogaland. (- The South West county in Norway, were the newspaper that printed this article is located.)
- We started our group in 2000. We phoned a lot of the local newspapers to obtain copies of crop circle stories they had printed. Probably many Norwegian circles have never have been reported. So if anybody knows about crop circles from previous years that we have not registered, please inform us, asks Eva-Marie Brekkestø.
Exposed farmers
Farmers are known to be conservative people. Maybe this is why they are the ones who are visited by the circles?
- Maybe, laughs Brekkestø, and tells about the first circle she visited in Norway. It was a beautiful circle that I saw in 2000. The crop was fresh and in no way harmed. A very dynamic lay. The farmer was surprised to find the circle, but reconed it must be a prank. But the weather had been wet for weeks and the farmer could not enter the field without having his boots covered in mud. Still there was not a single footprint to be found, and there was no mud on the flattened grain. The same farmer had a circle in his field again this year. He’s getting very exited about the phenomenon.
Eva-Marie Brekkestø works as a School Teacher in Oslo. What kind of reactions does your interest produce?
Most people say that crop circles are nonsense, and ask why I bother to be interested in such a thing. The circles are pranks. It’s a natural to think in this way. But than I respond: The largest circle ever appeared in England in 2001 and could contain 8 football fields. It formed in the maximum time span of two and a half hour. We know this because planes survey the area during the summer to look for new formations. This kind of information makes some reflect. But there are many who do not like mysteries. We know how the circles form, she says, but we can only speculate why and by whom.
- What is the big dream of a croppie?
- For most it would be to actually witness a circle form. And to spend a lot of time in England during summer time.
If you want to know more about crop circles, check out www.kornsirkler.org