Len Filppu

X: @MidlifeDad

Right Video: Psychedelic in the Sky | Animated Documentary about Alien Encounters By Matthew Salton

1) Childhood Interest

• Grew up in Brockport, NY (between Rochester & Buffalo).

• Read a compelling UFO article in Reader’s Digest around 7th–8th grade.

• Began clipping newspaper stories, taking notes, and became the “UFO kid” among friends.

2) Primary UFO Sighting – Brockport, NY (Age 16)

Date: August 1, 1967, around 2am
Setting: Sleeping outdoors with friends at the Hurley house.

What he saw:

• A large orange spherical fireball—close, about the size of the full moon visually.

• Altitude estimated around 200 feet and ~35 yards away.

• Moved slowly and horizontally, not like a meteor.

• Within the orange flame-like glow he could see a solid craft underneath, possibly “nose-cone” or acorn-shaped (similar to Kecksburg).

Escort object:

• A small white orb trailing it.

• Moved erratically—speeding up, slowing, weaving side-to-side.

• Seemed like it was trying to “catch up” or “re-dock.”

Personal impression:

• Felt oddly “personal,” almost like a friendly fly-by/acknowledgment.

• He felt compelled to report it, but then felt strongly to stay, watch, and appreciate.

Witnesses:

• Len

• Friend: Tim Hurley (both got clear view)

• Two others present but unsure how much they saw

Other corroborating witnesses (same night):

• Vice president of SUNY Brockport

• Theater group in nearby Fanchor, NY

• 2 Brockport police officers

• 2 Monroe County sheriff’s deputies

• Other locals

Newspaper confirmation:

• Article in the Rochester Democrat & Chronicle described:

  • Same object

  • The small white orb

• His dad: “Now I believe you.”

Psychological effect:

• Major life turning point

• Broke trust in official explanations (Blue Book, etc.)

• Felt like it expanded his worldview and intuition

3) Linked Local Case – “Zipkin incident”

4 hours before his sighting

• Park guard Sidney Zipkin reported:

  • Encountered two small beings in shiny black uniforms

  • Started by car headlights

  • Entered saucer, took off

• Zipkin ridiculed, fired, spiraled into trouble

• NICAP later judged:

  • Brockport sighting = credible

  • Zipkin case = not supported

• Len now believes Zipkin may have been telling the truth.

4) Follow-on Regional Sighting

• Friend Patty Goodnow later reported:

  • Orange orb sighting in Holly, NY (5 miles away)

  • Similar characteristics

  • With three witnesses

5) Other Anomalous Events Afterward

Len reports that after the 1967 UFO, further anomalous events appeared throughout his life.

A) Poltergeist – Tulsa, Oklahoma

• At a commune

• House known to be haunted

• During a casual conversation, someone mentioned the ghost’s name (“George”)

• At that instant:

  • French doors blew open

  • Curtains flew horizontally

  • Strong sense of presence—Len describes it clearly

• Years later, he sought corroboration

• After nearly giving up, a friend called out of nowhere and remembered the incident, describing it independently

B) Kundalini-like spiritual awakening

• No deep detail given in the transcript

• Len places this among the major milestones in his life

C) Experience involving Archbishop Fulton J. Sheen

• Some kind of visitation the night Sheen died

• Written about by Diana Pasulka in Encounters

D) Ongoing synchronicities

• Notable, repeated patterns throughout life

• He sees these as part of his “expanded consciousness” post-sighting