Circling Wagons in Defense of Alien ‘Crop’ Theory

I can well understand the fair critique Kenneth Turan made of “Crop Circles: Quest for Truth” (“Humorless ‘Crop Circles: Quest for Truth’ Finds Only Believers,” Aug. 23). However, having conceptualized and arranged financing for this film that producer-director William Gazecki assumed control over and radically changed, I want to respond to Turan’s complaint that the filmmaker relied too heavily on “true believers” and did not adhere to the journalistic practice of letting “each side of an issue have its say.”

Fair enough, given the mistaken subtitling of the film as “Quest for Truth,” which it never was supposed to be. Rather, the intention was to celebrate this awesome phenomenon, in the course of which the audience would come to see that, indeed, it is a real mystery.

That aside, it would in fact be impossible to present what Turan missed, because there is no evidence-based “other side.” The people who claim to have created crop circles as hoaxes never have made any explanation of how they do complex formations--they merely claim that they do and that’s that. To have had any of these people or those who sympathize with them speaking in the film would not have served to present anything to grapple with.

But what could have been done in much more detail, in order to squelch troublemaking, unfounded hoaxer claims, was to have given so much evidence of what could not be hoaxed that faking all circles would have been seen as the impossible thing it is.

In addition to what was presented in the film--laboratory analysis that reveals biological and chemical changes to the crop, the presence of bends in brittle plants, the complex supra-human geometry with which formations are designed, the fact that many of them are next to well-traveled roads and public gathering places and yet people never are caught making formations--here are some other omitted or barely touched-on indications of crop circles that can’t be done by people:

* The absolutely parallel, carpet-like lay of the stalks.

* Lays made up of innumerable parallel bundles of several strands wrapped by pieces of straw.

* Single stalks, which somehow have not been affected by the energy, left standing in downed crop.

* Tightly woven features like nests and tents, plus basket weaves and half-tone effects.

* Adjustments for hilly terrain so patterns are symmetrical from the air.

* The failure of electronic and magnetic equipment inside and above circles.

* The fact that it would take surveyors days to lay formations out.

* Downed crop in lines far too narrow for people to pass through.

* Circles that are in the middle of fields, with no means of access.

The mind of humanity being met by something like itself does not fall in any known category for identification in our world, and so it is natural to be skeptical about the otherworldly nature of this phenomenon. But to close one’s eyes to overwhelming evidence that indicates the formations are outside human bounds is something else again.

Having been hooked by the genuineness of the circle phenomenon years ago, and believing them to be humanity’s greatest hope for changing its mind-set at a time when we have become so dangerous to ourselves, I was grateful that the film’s shortcomings did not pop Turan into the skeptics camp. In addition to letting readers know that the formations “look lovely and amazing from the air,” and that the film is “interesting in spite of itself,” kudos for his having the chutzpah to say, “Frankly, some of these crop patterns are so amazing that alien assistance seems a distinct possibility.”

Indeed.

Suzanne Taylor was one of the executive producers of “Crop Circles: Quest for Truth.” A resident of Los Angeles, she is the founder of Mighty Companions Inc., a nonprofit organization dedicated to encouraging the awareness of humanity’s oneness. She can be reached at suzanne@mighty companions.org.