Introducing: Encounters

Summary

Introducing: Encounters — A Deep Dive into UFO Phenomena

Podcast: American Scandal
Host/Author: Wondery
Episode: Introducing: Encounters
Release Date: January 13, 2025
Hosts: Andy McGrillin and El Scott

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Overview

In the inaugural episode of "Encounters," hosted by Andy McGrillin and El Scott, the duo embarks on an exploratory journey into one of the UK's most enigmatic UFO incidents—the Rendlesham Forest encounter of December 1980. This episode serves as both an introduction to the series and a foundational exploration of UFO phenomena, blending personal anecdotes, historical context, and investigative dialogue to engage listeners new and old to the subject.

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Hosts' Backgrounds

Andy McGrillin:
Andy brings a wealth of experience to the table as a journalist, podcaster, and dedicated UFO researcher. His passion for the unknown was sparked by a personal UFO sighting in the mid-1990s, which he describes in vivid detail.

Andy McGrillin [04:17]: "Imagine a Ferris wheel at a carnival, but spinning at the kind of rate a washing machine would."

El Scott:
El, a seasoned podcast producer with a background in physics and philosophy, approaches the topic from a more analytical and philosophical standpoint. Although initially skeptical about UFOs, her curiosity led her to co-host "Encounters," aiming to balance her methodical nature with an open-minded investigation.

El Scott [06:49]: "I've got one of those really obsessive brains and I know the second I get into the rabbit hole, I won't ever be able to get out."

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The Rendlesham Forest Incident

The centerpiece of the episode is the detailed examination of the Rendlesham Forest encounter, often dubbed the UK's equivalent of the Roswell incident. Over two nights in December 1980, US servicemen reported witnessing mysterious lights and an alleged alien craft in Suffolk, England. This event remains one of the most compelling and unresolved UFO sightings in history.

El Scott [00:00]: "UFO lands in Suffolk and that's official, said the News of the World. But what really happened across two nights in December 1980 when US servicemen saw mysterious lights in Rendlesham Forest and claimed to have had a close encounter with an actual alien craft?"

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Personal Anecdotes and Experiences

Andy shares his own unsettling UFO encounter from his youth, providing a personal lens through which listeners can connect with the broader narrative.

Andy McGrillin [03:34]: "I had my own sighting in the kind of mid-90s. About 10, 11, something like that. We saw this thing for a couple of minutes, and I remember we're about half a mile away from it."

This anecdote underscores the pervasive nature of UFO sightings and sets the stage for a deeper investigation into their validity and implications.

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Purpose and Approach of the Podcast

"Encounters" aims to bridge the gap between casual interest and dedicated ufology study. The hosts strive to present facts without bias, encouraging listeners to form their own opinions based on the evidence presented. This objective stance is intended to foster informed discussions and potentially prepare the audience for any future disclosures by governments or agencies regarding UFO phenomena.

Andy McGrillin [02:12]: "We want you to be as clued up as you can be. And that way, if governments or agencies did ever feel the need to disclose what they know, well, we'll all be ready."

El Scott [07:35]: "Because I've listened to a few of that UFO podcast and you've got this very kind of open, non-judgmental philosophy, don't you? But you always just present the facts or the facts as you know them and then allow people to make up their own minds."

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Defining UFOs: Beyond the Label

A significant portion of the discussion revolves around the definition of UFOs and the intrinsic question of their existence. The hosts differentiate between unidentified flying objects (UFOs) as merely unidentified and the broader implications of what these objects could represent.

Andy McGrillin [05:55]: "Do you believe in UFOs? It's not really a question because there are things unidentified in the sky that people see, but as to what they are now, that's the real question."

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Engaging the Audience

El emphasizes the series' dual appeal: catering to newcomers by building foundational knowledge and offering fresh perspectives to long-time enthusiasts. This dual approach ensures that "Encounters" remains accessible and intriguing to a diverse listener base.

El Scott [08:14]: "I feel like that's going to be happening for me in real time throughout the series, or that's the hope at least that kind of those who are new to the topic, like me, can learn along with me and make up their own minds as I make up my own mind and you continue to make up yours."

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Conclusion

"Introducing: Encounters" sets the stage for a comprehensive exploration of UFO phenomena, blending personal narratives with historical events to create an engaging and informative listening experience. Andy and El's balanced perspectives and commitment to presenting unbiased information invite listeners to delve into the mysteries of the unknown, fostering a community of curious and informed individuals ready to question and understand the enigmatic occurrences in our skies.

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Note: This summary excludes promotional content and focuses solely on the substantive discussions within the episode.

Transcript

[El Scott]

UFO lands in Suffolk and that's official, said the News of the World. But what really happened across two nights in December 1980 when US servicemen saw mysterious lights in Rendlesham Forest and claimed to have had a close encounter with an actual alien craft?

[Andy McGrillin]

Encounters, a new podcast available exclusively on Wondery, takes a deep dive into one of the most famous and still unresolved UFO encounters to ever take place in the uk. Featuring shocking testimony from first hand witnesses, journalists and senior military personnel. Hosts journalist, podcaster and UFO researcher Andy McVillan, that's me, and producer L. Scott take us back to the nights in question and examine all of the evidence and conflicting theories about what was encountered in the middle of a Snowy Suffolk Forest 40 years ago.

[El Scott]

I'm podcast producer El Scott and I've always been intrigued by that question. You know the one, Are we alone? The Rendlesham Forest encounter is often described as the UK's Roswell and does seem pretty unexplainable. But what actually happened back in 1980? If, like me, you're curious, come with us on this series and be prepared to question everything. Here's a Preview of episode one.

[Unknown]

Foreign.

[Andy McGrillin]

Hello and welcome to Encounters.

I'm Andy McGrillin.

[Unknown]

And I'm El Scott. And this is a show that investigates that which is so frequently dismissed. I'm talking of course about UFOs.

[Andy McGrillin]

UFOs indeed.

And as the name suggests, we'll be.

Deep diving into the most compelling UFO encounters history has to offer to figure out as best we can what it is we have been witnessing all these years.

[El Scott]

But why are we doing this and why now? Well, whether you're new to ufology like me, or more down the rabbit hole like Andy, we want you to be as clued up as you can be. And that way, if governments or agencies did ever feel the need to disclose what they know, well, we'll all be ready.

[Andy McGrillin]

Yeah, I agree a lot of the general public ill have a limited to no knowledge or interest in the UFO topic. However, for those listening who have been ardent followers of ufology for months, years or decades, we hope this podcast you find something that is either news to you, a different way of looking at the topic, or maybe something you've heard about a bit before and forgotten about in the years gone by.

[Unknown]

And on that note, what better story to begin with than the Rendlesham Forest incident? It's pretty much the UK's most talked about encounter event, isn't it Andy?

[Andy McGrillin]

Yes, El it's essentially the UK's Roswell and it has that moniker for a reason. But before we get to talking about Rendlesham, I think we have to take take it back a step. And this episode is an introductory episode to introduce some context, some background, some UFO history to bring folks up to speed to where we are now. And then we can jump back to 1980.

[El Scott]

But speaking of introductions, if you're in the UFO now, my fellow co host here really needs no introduction. He's a man behind one of the biggest UFO podcasts, that UFO podcast, and he's a walking, talking encyclopedia for all things UFOs and UFO news.

[Andy McGrillin]

Thank you very much. I think I know a lot about a lot, rather than a lot about a little.

[El Scott]

Regardless of the ratios, you clearly are into UFOs. So take us back to the genesis. Andy, when did it all start?

[Andy McGrillin]

I had my own sighting in the kind of mid-90s.

[Unknown]

How old were you?

[Andy McGrillin]

About 10, 11, something like that. And we left a kind of winter's night, October, November time in Scotland. And I remember looking along the road and to my left there's like a Chinese, a laundrette, a chip shop, you know, local shops, and to my right, just all houses, community center. There's no big fields. We're not in the middle of nowhere where a lot of UFO sightings commonly happen. And along the road there is this massive object that you can't see the bottom of it because it's so close to the ground and it's spinning on its side. So if you imagine like a Ferris wheel at a carnival, it was like that, but tilted at a really acute angle and spinning incredibly fast just to get this straight.

[Unknown]

This is the streets of Glasgow.

[Andy McGrillin]

Yeah. Imagine a Ferris wheel at a carnival, but spinning at the kind of rate a washing machine would. So if it was indeed a Ferris wheel and a carnival that we never knew was happening on our doorstep, everyone on that Ferris wheel would have been dead at the speed they were being thrown off of this object, or at least being spun around.

[Unknown]

So it's huge.

[Andy McGrillin]

And you can't make out a structure because of the lights. All you can kind of make out are spinning lights going around, no camera phones. It's the mid-90s, you know, unless you're carrying a massive camcorder on your shoulder, you weren't filming anything in public. And we saw this thing for a couple of minutes and I remember we're about half a mile away from it, people would have been driving past it. So there's a whole other conversation we'll maybe get to another time about did we see it because of where we were and were there folks much closer to it who couldn't see it, but remember we saw it, didn't report it to anyone, we don't phone the police, you know, there was no one to report it to. So there's every chance other folks saw this object and just never said anything about it either.

[Unknown]

So it was just you didn't see anyone else seeing it?

[Andy McGrillin]

Just the five of us, but we went one way, the object was another way. And really interestingly, the people that were with me, obviously mostly being family, they can't quite describe exactly what they saw, they just remember seeing something. I've probably got a more detailed recollection, despite it still being vague, of what I actually saw. I've asked my mum, for example, recently. She's got no interest in UFOs, thinks it's ridiculous. She can't even recall exactly what the object looked like, just that there was.

[Unknown]

Something there, and so she doesn't think that it was a ufo.

[Andy McGrillin]

I think that's a really interesting conversation to get into about, you know, what is a UFO? Like the age old question, do you believe in UFOs? It's not really a question because there are things unidentified in the sky that people see, but as to what they are now, that's the real question.

[Unknown]

So before that UFO podcast, throughout those years, were you just always on the side researching? Was it a hobby?

[Andy McGrillin]

Yeah, I've always had an interest, always fascinated with the UFO subject and we'll get into it, but in 2017, that kind of came back for a lot of folks in a big way, and that probably had a big impact on me trying to get involved back in the subject. So there's so many different people with so many passions involved in UFOs, and that, I suppose, draws me into it as well. El, you're coming at this from a completely different angle, aren't you? And am I right in thinking that you've also been purposely avoiding the topic of UFOs?

[El Scott]

Yes, I'm a podcast producer by trade, but I loved physics when I was younger, mainly just for the rare lessons on planets and the cosmos. At university I studied philosophy, so I've always kind of been interested in philosophical discussions about science and nature and what is possible. But when it comes to UFOs, they haven't really got on my radar, mainly because I haven't allowed them. I've got one of those really obsessive brains and I know the second I get into the rabbit hole, I won't ever be able to get out.

[Unknown]

So I'm like, oh, do I have enough time to deep dive into this? Because it will just take up every waking moment of my life.

[Andy McGrillin]

It's a very impassioned subject for a lot of folks, so I can totally appreciate that.

[Unknown]

So, because I've listened to a few of that UFO podcast and you've got this very kind of open, non judgmental philosophy, don't you? But you always just present the facts or the facts as you know them and then allow people to make up their own minds.

[Andy McGrillin]

Yeah, I would never want to impress my opinion upon someone else. The entire UFO subject is made up of, to various degrees, limited data sets. So for me, like you said, Elle, allow the audience to make up their own opinion, believe it, not believe it, or something in between, whatever that might be. And I think that's the kind of best way to broach the subject and move it forward.

[Unknown]

Yeah, I feel like that's going to be happening for me in real time throughout the series, or that's the hope at least that kind of those who are new to the topic, like me, can learn along with me and make up their own minds as I make up my own mind and you continue to make up yours. So yeah, with any luck, that's what this series will do.

[Andy McGrillin]

And if not, we can have some fun and interesting conversation along the way involving UFOs. And that's never a bad thing.

[El Scott]

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