Introduction
The “Oz Factor” describes a sense of altered reality often reported during UFO sightings and paranormal events. It is linked to theories of time distortion, psychic experiences, and government mind control.
Origins
First coined by UFO researcher Jenny Randles in the 1980s, the Oz Factor is named for the feeling of being “somewhere over the rainbow” — outside normal reality.
Key Examples
- Witnesses report silence, slowed time, or hyper-reality.
- Theorized as a psychological defense or a sign of genuine anomaly.
- Linked to otherworldly encounters in folklore and abduction stories.
Critical Analysis
Skeptics call it dissociation or suggestion. Others believe it signals true contact with the unknown.
Influential Literature: Pro & Contra
- Jenny Randles – “The Oz Files” – Piatkus, 1996. Randles, The Oz Files. Piatkus, 1996.
- Jacques Vallée – “Passport to Magonia” – Daily Grail, 2014. Vallée, Passport to Magonia. Daily Grail, 2014.
- John A. Keel – “The Mothman Prophecies” – Tor Books, 1975. Keel, The Mothman Prophecies. Tor, 1975.
- Michael Barkun – “A Culture of Conspiracy” – University of California Press, 2013. Barkun, A Culture of Conspiracy. UCP, 2013.
- Jan Harold Brunvand – “Encyclopedia of Urban Legends” – W.W. Norton, 2001. Brunvand, Encyclopedia of Urban Legends. Norton, 2001.
- Lynne Kelly – “The Skeptic’s Guide to the Paranormal” – Allen & Unwin, 2004. Kelly, Skeptic’s Guide to the Paranormal. Allen & Unwin, 2004.
- Colin Wilson – “The Occult” – Random House, 1971. Wilson, The Occult. RH, 1971.
- Chris Aubeck & Martin Shough – “Return to Magonia” – Anomalist Books, 2015. Aubeck & Shough, Return to Magonia. Anomalist, 2015.
- David Clarke – “Supernatural” – Hodder & Stoughton, 2011. Clarke, Supernatural. Hodder, 2011.