I have often been asked whether I have ever been contacted. My answer is always, I believe so, for what is the truth, other than our individual beliefs? But my contact was not one of the typical encounters that one reads and hears about. No face-to-face meetings for this UFO lawyer.
There came a time in March 1982 when I became frustrated and disappointed with both the Aviary and the lack of progress in obtaining the release of the NSA documents. I questioned the efficacy of any continued future litigation. During this particular period of UFO soul-searching, I asked the Universe for a sign that would provide me with unequivocal evidence that I was still on the proper path. Within a few months, I had my sign in the form of two highly synchronistic messages. Each began with a telephone call.
Mr. Gersten, my name is Judy Benson. I am Tom Benson's wife, stated the voice when I picked up the telephone one night in early May of that same year. I don't know if you remember me, but I met you at a party at our home in New Jersey a few weeks ago. Sorry to bother you, but I thought you might be interested in what I just saw, she stated. Okay, I answered, trying to place the name with a face. She continued: I think you should pick up a copy of the latest issue of New Yorker magazine and look at page 41. I thanked her and hung up the telephone, now intrigued by the unusual advice.
Needless to say, I was up early the next day and off to the nearest magazine stand. Page 41 of the May 1982 issue of New Yorker magazine contained the typical fiction story while the upper right hand portion of the page contained the typical enigmatic cartoon/illustration. The story and the illustration are always unrelated and this page was no exception. The illustration pictured a man sitting behind a desk telling a man standing in front of the desk: “Gersten, how do you think you'd perform in zero-gravity environment?" Pretty interesting, I thought, considering the illustration made no sense in any context.
Also, I noticed with delightful fascination, that in the second paragraph of the story "Peter?" appears. The similarity in punctuation for both references did not escape my attention. To take matters to the edge of credulity, in the same paragraph as "Peter?" is Lainie which in the story is the nickname for a person named Elaine. As a friend pointed out to me several years later, Lainie is an anagram for I Alien.
A week later, another telephone call brought me face to face with the improbability of random chance and the strong probability that my wish of only a few months earlier was being granted. Whereas the first call mentioned was from a stranger, this one was from my brother, Dan: Take a look at the back cover of the current issue of Discover magazine," came the familiar voice. Excellent, I thought as I hung up the telephone after exchanging the usual pleasantries. First it was a call from a stranger and now a call from by brother – how bizarre I thought. I also went from page 41 of the New Yorker to the back cover of Discover. I just loved the symbolism.
The back cover of Discover contained an advertisement for United Telecom and featured the headline, Is anybody out there listening? United Telecom asked Isaac Asimov. The narrative of the advertisement had to do with our attempts at contacting intelligent life in the Universe. In the center of the narrative was a caricature of Asimov holding a typewriter with a robot sitting on it. On the typewriter was written one word: Gersten.
I found the fact that only one person has ever mentioned each magazine to me also revealing. Without either call, I would not have known about my sign. But then again, what is a message without a messenger? This other intelligence, whatever it is, can certainly influence, if not completely control, our reality.
I asked for a sign and received one that spoke my language and one that I could appreciate. Needless to say, I continued to pursue the CAUS.
Cya tomorrow. Same frequency/same channel
-.:PAG:.
