The Crop Circle Phenomenon - a brief guide
Andy Thomas
Author of Vital Signs Huge, complex and beautiful patterns are being found swirled into crop fields around the world every year. Their origin and purpose remains a complete mystery. Despite attempts to dismiss them as the work of human artists, some believe the evidence points to a much stranger explanation. Wherever they come from, these spectacular designs often display very clear symbolism, scientific, esoteric and astronomical, and demonstrate some extraordinary unexplained effects.
How many appear? Around 250 crop designs around the world appear each year on average. Several thousand have been documented since records began. Where do they appear? Crop circles are a global phenomenon, but predominantly appear in the Northern Hemisphere with Southern England as the main centre of activity, particularly Wiltshire. When do they arrive? Off-season formations have occurred, but most appear during the three main summer months of any given country. What crops do they appear in? Any crop can be a potential target for the phenomenon: wheat, barley and oilseed rape (canola), as the main crops grown, are the most common in England, at least, but they have also been reported in rye, oats, flax, peas, potatoes, sweetcorn maize and many other mediums, including rice paddy fields in Japan. Formations have also been found in wild grass and undergrowth. A Brief History of Crop Circles When two retired English pranksters, Doug Bower and Dave Chorley, claimed in 1991 to have invented the crop circle phenomenon as a joke a decade or so earlier, they couldn't have been aware that almost 300 documented formations predated their alleged exploits. Reports go back centuries and a seventeenth century illustration even shows the figure of the Devil creating what certainly looks like the type of marking in fields which began to attract serious attention from the 1980's onwards. Swirled into growing crops, these circular indentations of carefully flattened stems looked at first like the result of freak whirlwinds. Some were a few feet across, but others were the size of tennis courts. It wasn't long before the appearance of symmetrical patterns and other unusual variations began to throw the weather theories into doubt.
By the late 80's, rapidly increasing numbers and seemingly evolving designs, still based largely on circles, had begun to capture the public imagination. Tantalised by reports of glowing lights and other bizarre phenomena associated with the circles, everyone from UFO buffs to eminent scientists was trying to unravel the mystery. In 1990, the arrival of 'pictograms', long symbolic chains of circles, rectangles and rings gave the crop circles their place in history. Newspapers and television channels eagerly reported these astonishing patterns. But the claims of Doug and Dave and other supposed hoaxers soon left the media disillusioned. Despite this, crop formations continue to be discovered in designs of growing sophistication and size which leave many convinced that there is an unexplained force at work.
Theories and Evidence There has been intense debate over the circles' origins. Some believe they are communications from Extra-Terrestrials, pointing to the many sightings and videos of aerial phenomena seen in connection with formations. Others feel the lights may be the properties of an unknown natural energy which produces complex ground patterns. Others still have cited everything from Mother Earth to nature spirits being responsible. Experiments with the power of the mind have suggested it is possible to influence the creation of certain shapes, leading some to believe psychic forces are involved. Beyond this, most other popular explanations for the crop circles have revolved around human activity, either involving satellite technology or, more usually, the simple actions of pranksters and landscape artists. However, in demonstrations, human teams have struggled to reproduce designs as geometrically complex as many seen in the fields or have taken many hours to produce anything approaching them. Certain formations have been shown to have appeared within very short periods of time and the geometrical calculation and construction required for some simply could not be carried out in one night.
Some of the patterns have shown breathtaking symbolic qualities. In 1994, several galaxy-shaped glyphs displayed a conjunction of planets over the star constellation Cetus as it will be in April 2000, and in 1995 an accurate diagram of the Earth's inner solar system was discovered. Other shapes have been more obscure, but may yet be interpreted. Work by laboratories on circle-affected crop has shown biological changes taking place at a cellular level, suggesting the involvement of microwave energy. Other physical tests have shown anomalies not yet replicated by man-made experiments. These, together with the lights, eye-witness accounts, reports of malfunctioning electronic equipment and health effects on people visiting circles, suggest the phenomenon should be looked at more closely. Whether the crop formations are warnings, messages of greeting or abstract doodles remains to be seen. As they amaze and frustrate in equal measure with their stunning beauty, no doubt they will continue to create further controversy. Circular Stories, Facts and Figures Eye-witnesses: There are around two dozen eye-witness accounts of crop circles forming. All describe similar events; an invisible force coming out of nowhere in otherwise calm conditions and spinning the crops down within seconds, usually with surprising violence - yet little damage is found in the laid crop. Tornado-like funnels, light phenomena and high-pitched whistling sounds have also been reported. Quick on the draw: In July 1996, a 915' spiral of 151 circles appeared in full view of the busy A303 road, opposite England's ancient monument Stonehenge, Wiltshire, within a 45 minute period one Sunday afternoon. A pilot, gamekeeper and security guard confirmed it had not been there before 5.30pm - yet shortly after 6.00pm, the massive formation was spotted. Much smaller man-made designs have taken several hours to complete. Longest crop formation: This occurred at Etchilhampton, Wiltshire, in 1996 - a chain of circles and pathways approximately 4100' long crossed from one end of a field to another. Most circles in one formation: The record is currently held by a motif at Windmill Hill, Wiltshire, in 1999 - 288 small circles made up a cross design held within a standing square. Largest expanse of laid crop in one design: The seven-petalled mandala which appeared at Alton Barnes, Wiltshire, in 1998 contained an unbroken flattened area 300' across. Most geometrically perfect formation: Most would agree that the formation at Windmill Hill, Wiltshire, in 1996 takes this award - an endless procession of perfect equilateral triangles, from large to small, could be drawn by overlaying geometrical shapes onto a 1000' triple-armed spiral of 194 circles. If just one of the main circles or arms had been even slightly misplaced, this geometry would not have worked. Most visited formation: Stonehenge, 1996 - it is estimated around 10,000 people entered this pattern, very visible next to such a major landmark.
Most publicised formation: Alton Barnes, 1990 - many global newspapers and TV stations reported the appearance of this, the first of the large pictograms. Scientific tests: Work by Dr W C Levengood, a respected Michigan-based biophysicist, has shown notable biological changes taking place inside circle-laid stalks, which could be attributable to some kind of microwave energy. No man-made test formation has ever produced these results, yet 90% of the hundreds of crop circles sampled have proved positive in this regard. Dr Levengood’s papers have been published in scientific journals. In 1995, tests on crop formation soil samples were conducted by ADAS, a division of the English Ministry of Agriculture. Although preliminary, they showed distinct anomalies in the nitrogen/nitrate ratios which could not be explained. There have been other scientific tests carried out by different bodies over the years which have produced peculiar unexplained qualities. Strange effects: There have been many reported effects on people’s health, sometimes of cures, sometimes of ailments, which have come on while within crop circles. Electronic and mechanical equipment, videos cameras and even combine harvesters have also been known to malfunction in very odd ways, far above the average one would expect from chance. Conclusions What would happen if respectable science were to show once and for all that crop circles were being made by methods beyond the means of hoaxers? Would this ever be fanfared by the establishment or would such an announcement simply be ignored? Alternatively, how would authorities react if enough people were to very publicly witness the creation of a formation appearing seemingly from nowhere - and have evidence for it? To accept that the crop circles were coming from beyond human realms would mean reassessing many things traditionally accepted as 'normality'. It would mean taking seriously the big question of what or who is making the patterns. Some believe we already have enough evidence to have reached that point, but the general public seems happier to treat the phenomenon as harmless art. Those who make our rules for us also seem to prefer it that way! Many others feel, however, that the circles are heralds of some major changes for our planet and civilisation, marking either a tumultuous era of upheaval or some kind of spiritual renaissance. Whatever the truth, there is no doubt they have left an indelible mark upon our culture. © Andy Thomas 2000
What if everything is an illusion and nothing exists? In that case, I definitely overpaid for my carpet.
Woody Allen