Trondant- UFO poll

OK, I have read a lot of theories and conspiracies on this site, and I am looking for something more. I would like to just simply ask- how many people have had a UFO/ alien experience? Also, how many people believe in the phenomenon, but have not had a personal experience? It is interesting that in 1991, a poll was taken in England, and perhaps here as well, but the author of this book I am reading is Nick Pope (The Uninvited) and he was (or still is?) a British UFO researcher. It brought back some interesting results, and if they are applied to a greater population, it showed there are tens of thousands of people that have had a paranormal experience of some sort or believe in the phenomenon.
This site seems to have a lot of skeptics, and that is OK, but I am not looking for the skeptical threads- I want to see how many believe and want to share why. I am not trying to just discount the skeptics-please don't blast me, because I think the skeptics are necessary to help weed out the "fantasy" from the "facts". TO be fair, I will start a second thread for the skeptics as well.
I believe because I have seen "craft", and I put it in quotes because they were really far above me to make them button-sized dots in the sky. But, it was a crystal-clear day in Sedona, AZ and I looked up to see three "craft" in the sky, hovering there. I didn't know they were craft until they started moving in the ziggy-zaggy way they do, so fast moving across the sky until just disappearing. My friend and I watched this for about three minutes before they disappeared. The movement was amazing and I can't possibly guess the speed, but an airplane that is that far up to be "button-size" seems to move very slowly and in a straight line. THis was jerky movement that was incredibly fast.
I also vaguely remember something moving slowly across the sky and then disappearing, but I was like 8 years old, so my memory of this is a bit hazy.
I am interested in hearing other people's stories. Skeptics, I believe in the phenomenon, so don't bother telling me your theories as to why this is not real. I want to hear what people have seen, and try to get a rough estimate of the magnitude of this thing.
THanks to anyone who responds...

Originally posted by TheMayor
It is interesting that in 1991, a poll was taken in England, and perhaps here as well, but the author of this book I am reading is Nick Pope (The Uninvited) and he was (or still is?) a British UFO researcher. It brought back some interesting results,

Hi TheMayor,

I realise you probably are more interested in obtaining personal stories from members of ATS than in the poll that you mention, but I thought it worth pointing out that the relevant poll was in the USA rather than England and is highly controcersial.

From your mention of "Trondant" it is clear that you are referring to Nick Pope's discussion (probably in his “The Uninvited” (1997) at pages 126-129 (in Chapter 7) of the Simon and Schuster hardback edition, with the same page numbering in the Pocket Books paperback edition) of the so-called "Roper Poll".

The Roper Poll was actually a series of 3 polls conducted by The Roper Organization, with funding provided by Robert Bigelow relating to “alien abductees”. The polls were conducted during July, August and September 1991.

The Roper Poll is highly controversial. If you do a Google Search on it, you'll find lots of criticisms of the conclusions that some researchers have drawn from it (including claims that 1 in 50 people have been abducted by aliens).

It has also been discussed in quite a few books (in addition to the one by Nick Pope), including in particular by the following researchers:

7 page discussion by Donderi, Don C in “Alien Discussions: Abduction Study Conference Held at M. I. T.” (1994) (edited by Andrea Pritchard et al.) at pages 225-231 (in Chapter 3, unnumbered sub-chapter entitled “Validating The Roper Poll: A Scientific Approach to the Abduction Experience” and subsequent question and answer section) of the North Cambridge Press hardback edition.

7 page discussion by Jacobs, David in his “The Threat” (1998) at page 19 (in Chapter 1), 122-127 (in Chapter 7) of the Simon & Schuster hardback edition.

6 page discussion by C D B Bryan, with quote of relevant 11 questions, in his “Close Encounters of the Fourth Kind: Alien Abduction, UFOs, and the Conference at MIT” (1995) at pages 43-47 (in Chapter 3), 236 (in Chapter 8) of the Weidenfeld & Nicolson hardback edition (with the same page numbering in the Knopf hardback edition and the Penguin Arkana softcover edition) at pages 57-62, 319 of the Orion paperback edition.

6 page discussion by Nyman, Joe in “Alien Discussions: Abduction Study Conference Held at M. I. T.” (1994) (edited by Andrea Pritchard et al.) at pages 218-223 (in Chapter 3, unnumbered sub-chapter entitled “Follow-Up Of Diagnostic Positives”) of the North Cambridge Press hardback edition.

5 page discussion by Hopkins, Budd in “Alien Discussions: Abduction Study Conference Held at M. I. T.” (1994) (edited by Andrea Pritchard et al.) at pages 215-218, 223 (in Chapter 3, unnumbered sub-chapter entitled “The Roper Poll On Unusual Personal Experiences” and subsequent question and answer sections) of the North Cambridge Press hardback edition.

Kind Regards,

Isaac

Welcome to ATS TheMayor!

I would at first glance come across to you as a skeptic perhaps, but I really am not, not in common vernacular at least. I simply insist on bludgeoning cases and evidence with a healthy dose of critical thinking before swallowing any story - I am not a hook, line and sinker type irregardless of my experiences in the past or how sensational any given testimony is. I even question to this date my own "UFO" encounters to one degree or another.

3 encounters in my life, short and sweet. I had one when I was 5-6-7ish and the only reason I really remember it was because my grandfather was freaking out and hence I did as well. 3 bright lights in tri pattern falling behind a low hill at night in winter NY State. My grandfather thought it may have been a helo crashing. No idea what it may have been. Too young to percieve it correctly IMO. Could have been a stupid dream for all I know.

Another when I was 16-17 night late fall mid 80's, backyard saw a small prop plane travel from my left to my right with a red light and yellow light pacing it about 1/4 mile behind it. Soon after a fast moving blue light comes up to from the the other two from behind me very quickly to form a triangluar pattern. Thought one of my brothers whipped a rock at my head, that sound of air being cut. What it was who knows....

Third was just a silver dart zipping in and out of cumulus clouds near our local airport so it could have been a plane of some type....

No matter where you go there you are....

I do think that there are many very good unexplainable events out there but every single one of these stories need to be hammered to death until the only thing that drips out of them is a stream of question marks.....

[edit on 19-2-2007 by Lost_Mind]

Isaac,
I was referring to Nick Pope's version, that is the book I am currently reading. Thanks for all of info, but what about you? It may be outlandish to think that 1 in, what did you say, 50? are abductees, but the numbers are still staggering. Lost_Mind is right about hammering the evidence, we should look at everything again and again. Two people witness a car crash and have two distincly different stories, and that is something terrestrial with hard evidence. There just seems to be so much info out there that people could come to some logical conclusion. It is frustrating to read and read and still, I don't have an ETs calling card or T-shirt that says "I was abducted, taken across the galaxy, and all I got was this stupid T-shirt". Just alittle ET humor.
But yes, I am interested in hearing about what people have seen and experienced, I am losing interest in theories. THeories and opinions are like A--holes, everybody has them!

[edit on 19-2-2007 by TheMayor]

I have seen several "UFOS" in my life. As far as being abducted or any direct contact, no, I have never had that experience.