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The High Art Of Crop Circles
Who has not marvelled at the Crop Circle enigma? Those wondrous patterns elegantly laid in the fields each year continue to enthral us. But who or what is the cause? That question has occupied me for over eight years now. After hundreds of hours of passionate study, field research and enquiry I now feel I have the answer.
Who can predict where the crop circle phenomenon will take us or what new wonders will appear in the fields? Each year we are newly surprised, awed and thrilled by what has taken place. Who has not been inspired to passionate debate by the circles? Who has not been mistaken time and again by their need to arrive at and affirm their "answers"? Who has grasped this mystery?
Many believe strongly and almost violently what the truth is. Others keep quiet, seemingly unconcerned. But who has not been touched in some way by the crop circles?
Like thousands of others my addiction to this subject came about through the media and most especially through hearing the bold proclamations of one man, Colin Andrews.
Colin's innocence and passion and his eloquent voicing of a mystery that had baffled him and turned his life upside down and inside out communicated strongly to me. Here was a man with whom I had a fond identification. But something was wrong. A nagging feeling saying "Careful now, careful." But how I wanted to believe!
Then came Doug and Dave. Really!! These two old fools responsible for the greatness and grandeur of the corn circle mystery? Oh, come on!! I remember watching the 10 O Clock News and ringing my girlfriend afterward to tell her that they are "liars" and how I was able to persuade her a little of my "advanced" perception and that it was "obvious".
However, a serious doubt had arisen. "What If"?
The crop circle world was shaken. Dreams were being shattered. Depression started to rear its ugly head.
But what of now? Where are we now, now that poor Dave has passed on and only Doug remains? We are left with Doug and Dave's children- Team Satan and their like trampling the crop at the dead of night.
Is that it then? Human beings after all? Is that all there is to this? A deeper question might be "What are human beings and why do they do the things they do?" It is now clear to me that human beings are very much involved in the construction of these formations but it has not, as yet, taken away the mystery, wonder and beauty of the circles. Why? Because something else is occurring.
Something unthinkably sacred. Something stupidly mundane. Something unbelievably profound. An experiment. Of sorts. One could view it as a sociological experiment. It is rather like throwing a pebble into a pond and watching the ripples.
Does that imply that there is someone or something controlling the experiment? I don't think so. We are in free fall. This phenomenon is unable to be controlled. Or will it? Only time will tell.
It is unfortunate that the circlemakers are not embraced for their work. The very same people who swoon in ecstasy in a formation will attack with much venom the human beings responsible. The farmers who could, if they were smart, make good money out of these extraordinary works of art; by charging admission, quite understandably want the "hoaxers" shot.
It is becoming increasingly difficult for the circlemakers to create their art with the farmers offering rewards and teams of people intent on discovering them "at it". Not to mention hoodwinked and embarrassed researchers desperate to lay the blame.
A little while ago at a Crop Circle Conference in Andover George Wingfield publicly accused me of being a hoaxer for daring to call what amounts to "criminal damage" as art. I didn't know whether to puff my chest in pride at being thought responsible for these formations or to react with angry indignation. I did neither. But it is unfortunate how much of the crop circle community is obsessed with arrogant and fascistic beliefs which when questioned arouse scorn.
Years ago Pat Delgado stated that the crop circles seemed to be bringing people together and in some formations it is true to say there can be a wonderful feeling of comradeship, of us being all together in this mysterious affair of life and death. But how often this is so painfully shattered by our insistence otherwise!
It has been and remains a wonderful gift to humanity from humanity. Long may it endure!
G J Pritchard .
