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Modern Mysteries

UK police kept secret files about sci-fi fans

By T.K. Randall
May 19, 2015 · Comment icon 20 comments

A jovial looking Klingdon attending a Star Trek event. Image Credit: CC BY-SA 2.0 Brett Weinstein
Scotland Yard once believed that Star Trek fanatics had the potential to go mad and turn against society.
On the face of it there would seem to be nothing threatening at all about the stereotypical 'Trekkie', yet back in the 1990s police in the UK had found it necessary to keep a special dossier documenting the potential for fans of TV shows such as Star Trek and the X-Files to suddenly go mad and kill either themselves or other people at the turn of the millennium.

Lesser known shows such as Dark Skies and Roswell also prompted similar concerns from law enforcement.

The dossier, which was entitled "UFO New Religious Movements and the Millennium", was created in the wake of the mass suicide of the Heaven's Gate cult back in 1997.
"The documents show the police and security services were concerned about the export of some new religious movements concerning UFOs and aliens from the USA in the aftermath of the mass suicide by followers of the Heaven's Gate," said author Dr Dave Clarke.

The main concern was that people hooked on these TV shows had the potential to act out in relation to the plots and themes of the episodes and subsequently form their own suicide cults.

"Fuel is added to the fire by television dramas and feature films mostly produced in America," the dossier read. "These draw together the various strands of religion, UFOs, conspiracies, and mystic events and put them in an entertaining storyline."

"Obviously this is not sinister in itself, what is of concern is the devotion certain groups and individuals ascribe to the contents of these programmes."

Source: Telegraph | Comments (20)




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Recent comments on this story
Comment icon #11 Posted by freetoroam 10 years ago
Imagine all the sh#t going on currently that we dont even know of They are probably monitoring this website and all of us They would not need to monitor the web if it were free of scammers, paedophiles, cyber bullies etc etc etc. If you are doing nothing wrong, whats the problem? Its the web, no one forces anyone to join a forum. We have moderators monitoring this website, no need for the police to waste their time on here when there are other sites out there which do need watching. I am glad they are watching the web, too many nasty people on it for it to be left unwatched.
Comment icon #12 Posted by godnodog 10 years ago
Clearly no one at the British police forces and politicians watched star trek, if they had perhaps we would have a better world
Comment icon #13 Posted by freetoroam 10 years ago
This has nothing to do with the politicians, they are being watched too...and rightly so.
Comment icon #14 Posted by Sir Wearer of Hats 10 years ago
As well they should! I mean, just sampling Trek, Wars and Who it's all about freedoms and ideals, standing up against oppression and basically being a general nuisance to the people in power if they're even slightly corrupt or don't live up to your ideals. In Who the entirely show is built around a bloke who said "nope, your laws aren't for me" and promptly toddled off to see what was over the next hill, and wilfully and constantly thumbing his nose at any and all authority except his own morality. Can't have that now in a well controlled and "civilised" society.
Comment icon #15 Posted by paperdyer 10 years ago
Have you got Leonard Nimoy`s email address, I want to know what the terms and conditions are. Ah, Dude! He's dead so try lnimoy@heaven.net.
Comment icon #16 Posted by paperdyer 10 years ago
Yeah, blame the Americans..... Yes, we are the cause for all of the world's problems. Just ask anyone that hates us.
Comment icon #17 Posted by freetoroam 10 years ago
Ah, Dude! He's dead so try lnimoy@heaven.net. wow, heaven`s gots its own email account...cool.....emailing him now.
Comment icon #18 Posted by Athena1979 10 years ago
I would keep tabs on the guy in that picture, too! jk
Comment icon #19 Posted by Border Collie 10 years ago
Scotland Yard once believed that Star Trek fanatics had the potential to go mad and turn against society. Read More: http://www.unexplain...out-sci-fi-fans Go mad and turn against society? I can believe that. Thats why we call them fanatics! Beam me up, Scotty.
Comment icon #20 Posted by Xenojjin 10 years ago
Imagine all the sh#t going on currently that we dont even know of They are probably monitoring this website and all of us As long as we don't post any evidence that is too damning our governments just view us a random quacks. For me at least, it's best things stay that way.


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