Western Pennsylvania resident John Ventre’s life changed after a series of paranormal and extra-terrestrial experiences altered his perception of the world around him. In 1998, he joined the Mututal UFO Network, or MUFON, to further research similar experiences.
Eighteen years later, Ventre is the state director of MUFON for Delaware, Maine, New Hampshire and Pennsylvania.
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On the stage at the group’s anniual conference at the Sheraton on Oxford Valley Road in Falls Township, he took his audience through a number of experiences that have continued to cement his position on the paranormal and supernatural. Setting scenes of mysterious tapping on walls, cardinals flying into his windows for 19 months and his son hearing threatening voices from behind his bed. The Philadelphia MUFON conference is the 9th annual gathering, and according to Ventre, nearly 250 were present for Saturday’s session.
The record attendance filled the lecture room and the lobby, as conference attendees gathered to hear big names in the UFO community speak on their expertise and experiences.
“We try to make it comfortable for people to report their experiences,” Ventre said after his speech.
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According to Ventre, the number of reports of UFOs have increased since 2008 and that claim is backed up by the National UFO Reporting Center Online Database.
“I am a person who went to a free library for a program and became entranced with the material,” explained Bambi Dudley of Radnor. Dudley has been involved with MUFON since 2010.
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“I’ve awakened to the idea that we aren’t alone,” Dudley said.
Although she has never had an encounter and is engrossed by the idea, Dudley said she would be terrified to ever have a true encounter.
Dudley is the publicist for “Travis,” the documentary about the Travis Walton’s disapearance in 1975.
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Jennifer Stein produced the film along with Bob Terrio. Also from Radnor, Stein first had an encounter when she was 19 in 1975. She didn’t give credence to the event until 2000 when a friend who was staying with her at the time brought the encounter up.
“The nice part of MUFON is that you don’t need to worry about what you talk about,” Stein said. “The ridicule factor is so powerful that it becomes a way to keep things hidden in plain sight.”
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Stein is also the director of Mainline MUFON, the local southeastern Pennsylvania MUFON branch.
MUFON is one of the largest and oldest UFO organizations in the United States. People interested in joining MUFON can go to mufonpa.com or mainlinemufon.com.
