Ingo Douglas Swann, (b. 14 September 1933 in Telluride, Colorado^[1]) is an artist and author, best known for his work as a co-creator (according to his collaborators Russell Targ and Harold Puthoff)^[2] of the discipline of remote viewing, specifically the Stargate Project. He has written several books on remote viewing or related topics.

Biography[link]

Swann does not identify himself as a "psychic," preferring to describe himself as a "consciousness researcher" who had sometimes experienced "altered states of consciousness." Swann has stated, "I don't get tested, I only work with researchers on well-designed experiments."^[3] Swann is dissatisfied in a role as a passive subject. He feels he must contribute to the preliminary design of the research. According to Russell Targ and Harold Puthoff, there have been "Swann-inspired innovations" that have led to impressive results in parapsychology. Experiments not controlled by Swann have not been very successful. These are rarely mentioned, and if so, only in passing.^[4][5]

Swann helped develop the process of remote viewing at the Stanford Research Institute in experiments that caught the attention of the Central Intelligence Agency. He is commonly credited with proposing the idea of Coordinate Remote Viewing, a process in which viewers would view a location given nothing but its geographical coordinates, which was developed and tested by Puthoff and Targ with CIA funding.^[2] Due to the popularity of Uri Geller in the seventies a critical examination of Ingo Swann's paranormal claims was basically overlooked by skeptics and historians.^[6] Uri Geller comments very favorably on Ingo Swann. Geller says, "If you were blind and a man appeared who could teach you to see with mind power, you would revere him as a guru. So why is Ingo Swann ignored by publishers and forced to publish his astounding life story on the Internet?"^[7] Both Geller and Swann were tested by two experimenters, Russell Targ and Harold Puthoff, who concluded that Geller and Swann did indeed have unique skills.^[2] However, others have strongly disputed the scientific validity of Targ and Puthoff's experiments.^[8] In a 1983 interview magician Milbourne Christopher remarked Swann is "one of the cleverest in the field."^[9] Details and transcripts of the SRI remote viewing experiments themselves were found to be edited and even unobtainable.^[10]

Out of body experiment[link]

In 1972, in the American Society for Psychical Research Newsletter, Karlis Osis, director of research for the ASPR, described his personal controlled out-of-body experiment with Swann. The targets that Swann was to attempt to describe and illustrate were on a shelf two feet from the ceiling and several feet above Swann's head. Osis does not describe the height of the ceiling.^[11] Swann suggests, unclearly, the ceiling was 14 feet in height.^[3] The room was illuminated by two kitchen-style overhead fixtures. Swann sat alone in the chamber with wires from electrodes fastened to his head running through the wall behind him. Swann sat just beneath the target tray.^[3] He was given a clipboard to use for sketching. Any movement while drawing did not result in "artefacts" in the brain readout.^[12] Although his out-stretched hand might not have extended far enough to reach the suspended shelf, the clipboard that he used for sketching could have been employed as an extension. Perhaps with a mirror held by the clip at the high end, the lower end grasped by the fingers of his extended hand. In Swann's book To Kiss Earth Goodbye there is a photograph of the objects on the shelf. Swann wrote that he was aware of most of the objects on shelf above his head, but he did not know it held four numbers on a side. A side that would not have been visible if a reflecting surface had been angled near the end. Writing about this experiment master magician Milbourne Christopher asks the questions why were the target objects in the same room as the subject? Why were they so close to the subject? And finally, why wasn't an observer also in the room at the time of the experiment?^[13][14]

Psychological scales were developed for rating the quality and clarity (as subjectively described) by Swann of his OOB vision, which varied from time to time. The results were evaluated by blind judging. A psychologist, either Bonnie Preskari or Carole K. Silfen, was asked to match up Swann's responses without knowing which target they were meant for. She matched all the eight sessions. Osis stressed the odds about Swann being correct were forty thousand to one. There is no record of any experiments being performed in the dark.^[15]

Together, Silfen and Swann prepared an unofficial report of later out-of-body experiments and circulated it to 500 members of the ASPR, before the ASPR board was aware of it. According to Swann, Silfen has disappeared and cannot be located. He is searching for her and asks for your help.^[16] According to Swann, in April 1972 a move was made at the ASPR in New York to discredit him and throw him out because he was a Scientologist.^[17][18]

Magnetometer psychokinesis tests[link]

When Ingo Swann arrived at SRI Harold Puthoff decided he would first be tested for psychokinesis, PK. On June 6, 1972, the two men paid a visit to Dr. Arthur Heberd and his quark detector, a magnetometer, at the Varian Physics Building. The well-shielded magnetometer had a small magnetic probe in a vault five feet beneath the floor. The oscillation had been running silently, for about an hour tracing out a stable pattern on the chart recorder. Putoff asked Swann if he could affect the magetometer’s magnetic field. Swann says he focused his attention on the interior of the magnetometer and was getting nothing.^[5][19]

Then there are different versions of the following events. Puthoff states that after about a five-second delay,^[5] Heberd says it was a ten to fifteen minute delay, the frequency of the trace recorder oscillation doubled for about 30 seconds (reportedly a common occurrence due to variations in the shared helium line to the lab). Heberd continues, when the curve burped, Swann asked, "Is that what I am supposed to do?"^[20] Swann said he responded,"Is that an effect?"^[19] Then according to Heberd, Swann crossed the room taking his attention away from the chart recorder.^[20] Swann says he took his mind off the machine and was sketching.^[19] Others watched the recorder to see if the irregularity would be repeated. It was. Puthoff asked Swann, "Did you do that too?"^[20] Here Swann says he again responded, "Is that an effect?"^[19] According to Puthoff Swann said he was then tired and couldn’t “hold it any longer” and let go. The chart recorder pattern returned to normal.^[5]

More supportive sources say that Heberd supports Puthoff's version that in the second instance Heberd suggested he would be more impressed if Swann could stop the field change altogether. Heberd denies he told James Randi that he never suggested it.^{[5] [20][21]} Swann recalls he heard, “Can you do that again?” from Puthoff. Only Swann says his feats frightened some doctoral candidates, claiming that two "virtually ran" from the room and one collided with a "totally visible" structure support.^[19]

No evidence exists to support Puthoff's claim that the effect was repeated at will under observation.

Puthoff writes Dr. Heberd suggested all along there must be something wrong with the equipment. The following day it was certain the magnetometer was malfunctioning. "The equipment was behaving erratically; it was not possible to obtain a stable background signal for calibration." Therefore the experiment was not repeated. Swann relates this SNAFU in his book, Remote Viewing: The Real Story. ^[17] In his CIA report, paranormal expert, Dr. Kenneth A. Kress, does not record anything about Heberd's malfunctioning suggestions. Kress only writes, "These variations were never seen before or after this visit."^[22] Though Swann was to spend a year at SRI, in their book, Targ and Puthoff present no further data and, Swann does not mention he was involved in, any other PK experiments with the magnetometer than those that occurred and were recorded on June 6, 1972.^[5]

Immediately after Puthoff wrote a brief paper in a draft form. Rather than publishing the results in a scientific journal inviting peer review, this paper was circulated hand to hand throughout research and academic institutions across the U.S.A., and Puthoff accepted invitations to speak.^[23] This paper caught the attention of the CIA and two spooks paid a visit to Hal Puthoff at SRI and met Ingo Swann. Later this paper was published as a part of a conference proceedings.^[24][25]

[edit] Early Coordinate Remote Viewing experiments

Targ and Puthoff write about their pilot experiments, "We couldn't overlook the possibility that perhaps Ingo knew the geographical features of the earth and their approximate latitude and longitude. (It is Swann who suggests these Coordinate Remote Viewing tests, not the experimenters. He is in control.) "Or it was possible that we were inadvertently cueing the subject (Swann), since we as experimenters knew what the answers were." ^[26]

Soon Targ and Puthoff perform more experiments with Swann and the controls are tightened to eliminate the possibility of error. This time Swann is given the latitude and longitude of 10 targets, in the end there will be 10 runs for a total of 100. Only the evaluations of the 10 targets from the 10th run, the last, are disclosed. The results of the targets from the previous 90 (runs 1-9) are ignored. For the 10th run Swann has 7 hits, 2 neutral and 1 miss. The experiments come to a close. Targ and Puthoff are positive "Something was happening, but they are not clear what it is."^[27] (This method of selecting a small number of "guesses" from a larger, sometimes never disclosed larger number, is known as the free response method in remote viewing.)^{[28][29] [30]} According to Swann and Standford Research International, his RV has been correct probably 95% of the time. His personally trained students RV were 85% correct, 85% of the time.^[31][32] See:Stargate Project

Swann's Jupiter rings[link]

Ingo Swann proposed a study to Targ and Puthoff. At first they resisted, for the resulting descriptions would be impossible to verify. Yet, on the evening 27 April 1973 Targ and Puthoff recorded Swann's remote viewing session of the planet Jupiter and Jupiter's moons,^[33] prior to the Voyager probe's visit there in 1979.

Swann asked for 30 minutes of silence. According to Swann, his ability to see Jupiter took about 3-and-a-half minutes. In the session he made several reports on the physical features of Jupiter, such as its surface, atmosphere and weather. Swann's statement that Jupiter had planetary rings, like Saturn, was controversial at the time. The Voyager probe later confirmed the existence of the rings.^[34]

The following are Swann's exact statements:

6:06:20 "Very high in the atmosphere there are crystals... they glitter. Maybe the stripes are like bands of crystals, maybe like rings of Saturn, though not far out like that. Very close within the atmosphere."(Unintelligible sentence.) "I bet you they'll reflect radio probes. Is that possible if you had a cloud of crystals that were assaulted by different radio waves?" ^[35]

Analysis and observations[link]

The Rings of Jupiter are not inside the atmosphere and rather than being made of crystal, Jupiter's rings are formed by charged (dust) particles of various sizes. Most of these particles are very tiny (about 1 micrometre across). There are two forces that are exerted on these particles by Jupiter: a gravitational force and an electromagnetic force. The gravitational force is stronger than the electromagnetic force for particles with size of 1 micrometre and it provides the centripetal acceleration that is required to keep these particles in circular motion around Jupiter.

Throughout their lifetimes these particles are ground down by the energetic particles that are abundant in Jupiter's magnetosphere and eventually they become so small (about 0.03 micrometre across) that the electromagnetic force overpowers the gravitational force and the particles leave the rings and fall into Jupiter's atmosphere. The average lifetime of these particles is about 1000 years, a very short time by cosmological standards.

However, Jupiter's rings are a permanent feature because these tiny particles are regenerated continually by collisions of interplanetary Micrometeoroids with boulder-size objects within the rings.^[36]

Swann's total observations lasted for about 20 minutes. He made no mention of the many moons of Jupiter, which as of February 2004 counted 63.^[37] The raw data comprised only four pages. But according to Swann the confirmatory data appeared throughout the published scientific and technical articles and papers. It was decided that all of these should be included in their entirety to ensure that no scientific passage was inadvertently used out of context. The feedback data therefore amounted to about 300 pages.^[35] Swann states, "Only the mountains remained unconfirmed. When skeptics elected to amuse themselves regarding the Probe it was this single item they focused on." ^[38]

An examination by Randi of the 65 statements made by Ingo Swann and Harold Sherman concluded that 37 percent of the statements were incorrect.^[39] Of the statements, 7 were correct yet obvious, 11 were correct and available widely in reference books, 5 were probably true (scientific speculation), one was correct but not available from reference books, 9 were too vague to verify, 2 were probably incorrect and 30 were certainly incorrect.^[39] Randi's evaluation of the 31 claims about Jupiter by Swann identified 6 as true, 1 as very likely, 3 as probable, 4 as obvious, 1 as "probably not," 11 as wrong, 1 as "not known," and 4 criticized for being vague or nonspecific in various ways, e.g., "it's liquid" and "surface gives high infrared count, and heat is held down."^[40]

Brain activity during remote viewing[link]

In November 2001, there was an article by Michael Persinger published in The Journal of Neuropsychiatry & Clinical Neurosciences. The results with Ingo Swann suggested that during his remote viewing there were associated measurable changes in brain activity. There was bipolar electroencephalographic activity over the occipital, temporal and frontal lobes. Persinger concluded that there was "significant congruence" between the stimuli and Swann's electroencephalographic activity.^[41]

Psychic detectives[link]

Swann reported that out of the twenty-five criminal cases he worked between 1972-1979 twenty-two were flops and three were successes.^[42][43] According to Swann, Gerard Croiset ^[44] and Peter Hurkos ^[45] were super sensitive sleuths. ^[46] Authors Arthur Lyons and Marcello Truzzi, Ph.D., also a founder of the International Remote Viewing Association,^{[47][dead link]} wrote the Croiset and Hurkos cases were "pure bunk" in their 1991 book The Blue Sense: Psychic Detectives and Crime.

Ufology[link]

Ingo Swann is a supporter of ufology and Saucer Smear. Swann, writing "in appreciation of 'Saucer Smear' and its Esteemed Editor", writes that "although many of its readers might view 'Saucer Smear' merely as a droll ufology gossip rag, in the larger picture it is rather more accurately a profound 'window' opening up onto the sociology of ufology. Therefore its cumulative issues constitute a precious historical archive."^{[48][dead link]}

In his 1998 autobiography Penetration: The Question of Extraterrestrial and Human Telepathy, Swann describes his work with individuals in an unknown agency who study extraterrestrials, his remote viewing of a secret E.T. base on the hidden side of the moon and his "shocking" experience with a sexy scantily dressed female E.T. in a Los Angeles supermarket. He concludes that extraterrestrials are living on earth in humanoid bodies. A friend warns him that there are many extraterrestrials, that many are "bio-androids", and that they are aware their only foes on earth are psychics. While Swann and an individual known as "Mr. Axelrod" are secretly watching a UFO appear and suck up the water of a lake, they are discovered and attacked by the UFO. Swann is injured but is dragged to safety by his colleagues.^{[49][50][51][52]}

Swann's books[link]

• To Kiss Earth Good-bye: Adventures and Discoveries in the Nonmaterial, "Recounted by the Man who has Astounded Physicists and Parapsychologists Throughout the World",
• Self-help books: Everybody's Guide to Natural Esp: Unlocking the Extrasensory Power of Your Mind, Your Nostradamus Factor - Accessing Your Innate Ability to See Into the Future,^[53] Psychic sexuality: The bio-psychic "anatomy" of sexual energies,^[54]
• 1980 book on future world events: What Will Happen to You When the Soviets Take Over?^[55]
• Autobiography: Penetration: The Question of Extraterrestrial and Human Telepathy.^[52][56]

References[link]

Further reading[link]

• Swann, Ingo, Penetration: The Question of Extraterrestrial and Human Telepathy, Ingo Swann Books, 1998 http://archive.alienzoo.com/conspiracytheory/ingoswann.html
• Ronson, Jon, The Men Who Stare at Goats Simon & Schuster, 2004, ISBN 0-7432-4192-4, The military budget cuts after Vietnam and how it all began.
• Schnabel, Jim, Remote Viewers: The Secret History of America's Psychic Spies, Dell, 1997, ISBN 0-440-22306-7
• Buchanan, Lyn, The Seventh Sense: The Secrets Of Remote Viewing As Told By A "Psychic Spy" For The U.S. Military, ISBN 0-7434-6268-8
• Smith, Paul H, Reading the Enemy's Mind : Inside Star Gate—America's Psychic Espionage Program, Forge Books 2005, ISBN 0-312-87515-0
• McMoneagle, Joseph, The Stargate Chronicles: Memoirs of a Psychic Spy, Hampton Roads 2002, ISBN 1-57174-225-5

External links[link]

• BioMindSuperPowers.com: Superpowers of the Human Biomind - Swann's comprehensive site
• Rviewer.com: Swann's research work
• Ingo Swann speaks on YouTube
• BioMindSuperPowers.com Swann's reworked (12 Sept 1996) presentation to the Members of the Society for Enlightenment and Transformation at the United Nations. Delivered 21 Mar 1994.

This article needs additional citations for verification. Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. (April 2012)

"The Man" is a slang phrase that may refer to the government or to some other authority in a position of power. In addition to this derogatory connotation, it may also serve as a term of respect and praise.

The phrase "the Man is keeping me down" is commonly used to describe oppression. The phrase "stick it to the Man" encourages resistance to authority, and essentially means "fight back" or "resist", either openly or via sabotage.^[1]

History[link]

The earliest recorded use^{[citation needed]} of the term "the Man" in the American sense dates back to a letter written by a young Alexander Hamilton in September 1772, when he was 15. In a letter to his father James Hamilton, published in the Royal Dutch-American Gazette, he described the response of the Dutch governor of St. Croix to a hurricane that raked that island on August 31, 1772. "Our General has issued several very salutary and humane regulations and both in his publick and private measures, has shewn himself the Man." ^{[2][dubious – discuss]} In the Southern U.S. states, the phrase came to be applied to any man or any group in a position of authority, or to authority in the abstract. From about the 1950s the phrase was also an underworld code word for police, the warden of a prison or other law enforcement or penal authorities.

It was also used as a term for a drug dealer in the 1950s and 1960s and can be seen in such media as Curtis Mayfield's "No Thing On Me", William Burroughs's novel Naked Lunch, and in the Velvet Underground song "I'm Waiting for the Man", in which Lou Reed sings about going to Uptown Manhattan, specifically Lexington Avenue and 125th Street, to buy heroin.

The use of this term was expanded to counterculture groups and their battles against authority, such as the Yippies, which, according to a May 19, 1969 article in U.S. News and World Report, had the "avowed aim ... to destroy 'The Man', their term for the present system of government". The term eventually found its way into humorous usage, such as in a December 1979 motorcycle ad from the magazine Easyriders which featured the tagline, "California residents: Add 6% sales tax for The Man."

In present day, the phrase has been popularized in commercials and cinema, featuring particularly prominently as a recurring motif in the 2003 film School of Rock.^[3][4][5][6]

Use as praise[link]

The term has also been used as an approbation or form of praise. This may refer to the recipient's status as the leader or authority within a particular context, or it might be assumed to be a shortened form of a phrase like "He is the man (who is in charge)." One example of this usage dates to 1879 when Otto von Bismarck commented, referring to Benjamin Disraeli's pre-eminent position at the Congress of Berlin, "The old Jew, he is the man."^{[7][dubious – discuss]}

In more modern usage, it can be a superlative compliment ("you da man!") indicating that the subject is currently standing out amongst his peers even though they have no special designation or rank, such as a basketball player who is performing better than the other players on the court. It can also be used as a genuine compliment with an implied, slightly exaggerated or sarcastic tone, usually indicating that the person has indeed impressed the speaker but by doing something relatively trivial.

See also[link]

• Absentee landlord
• Big Brother (Nineteen Eighty-Four)
• New World Order (conspiracy theory)
• Ruling class
• The Establishment
• Power elite
• Corrections officer
• YTMND

Notes[link]

References[link]

• Lighter, J.E. (Ed.). (1997). Random House Dictionary of American Slang. New York: Random House.

Arthur W. "Art" Bell, III (born June 17, 1945) is an American broadcaster and author, known primarily as one of the founders and the original host of the paranormal-themed radio program Coast to Coast AM.^[2] He also created and formerly hosted its companion show, Dreamland. Semi-retired from Coast to Coast AM since 2003, he hosted the show many weekends for the following four years. He announced his retirement from weekend hosting on July 1, 2007 but occasionally serves as a guest host. He attributed the reason for this latest retirement to a desire to spend time with his new wife and daughter, born May 30, 2007. He added that unlike his previous "retirements," this one will stand, while leaving open the option to return. Classic Bell-hosted episodes of Coast to Coast AM can be heard in some markets on Saturday nights under the name Somewhere in Time.

Bell founded and was the original owner of Pahrump, Nevada-based radio station, KNYE 95.1 FM. His broadcast studio and transmitter were located near his home in Pahrump while he hosted Coast to Coast AM except from June to December 2006, when he lived in the Philippines. He returned to the Philippines March 10, 2009 with his family after having significant difficulties obtaining a U.S. visa for his wife Airyn.^[3]

Early life[link]

Bell was born in Jacksonville, North Carolina to Arthur Bell, Jr., a United States Marine Corps Captain, and Jane Gumaer Bell, a Marine drill instructor. Arthur Bell, Jr. died in 2000 and Jane Bell died December 23, 2008.

Art Bell III was always interested in radio and at the age of 13 became a licensed amateur radio operator. Bell now holds an Extra Class license, which is in the top U.S. Federal Communications Commission license class. His call sign is W6OBB.

Bell served in the U.S. Air Force as a medic during the Vietnam War and in his free time operated a pirate radio station at Amarillo Air Force Base. He would go out of his way to play anti-war music (like "Eve of Destruction" and "Fortunate Son") that was not aired on the American Forces Network.^[4]

After leaving military service he stayed in Asia, living on the Japanese island of Okinawa where he worked as a disc jockey for KSBK, the only non-military English-language station in Japan. While there, he set a Guinness record by staying on the air for 116 hours and 15 minutes. The money raised there allowed Bell to charter a DC-8, fly to Vietnam, and rescue 130 Vietnamese orphans stranded in Saigon at the war's end. They were eventually brought to the United States and adopted by American families.^[5]

Bell returned to the United States and studied engineering at the University of Maryland, College Park. He dropped out and returned to radio as a board operator and chief engineer, and had opportunity to be on the air a few times. For several years he worked behind and in front of the microphone. After a period of working in cable television, in 1989 the 50,000-watt KDWN in Las Vegas, Nevada offered Bell a five-hour time slot in the middle of the night. Syndication of his program to other radio stations began in 1993.

Broadcasting career[link]

Art Bell was living in Watsonville, California and worked for KIDD 630 AM in Monterey, California during the early 70s.^{[citation needed]} He also owned a dating service^{[citation needed]} and worked for KMST channel 46.^{[citation needed]}

First a rock music jockey before moving into talk radio, Bell's original 1978 late-night Las Vegas program on KDWN was a political call-in show under the name West Coast AM.^[1] In 1988, Bell and Alan Corberth renamed the show Coast to Coast AM and moved its broadcast from the Plaza Hotel in Las Vegas to Bell's home in Pahrump.^[1]

Bell abandoned conventional political talk in favor of topics such as gun control and conspiracy theories, leading to a significant bump in his overnight ratings. The show's focus again shifted significantly after the Oklahoma City bombing in 1995. Many in the media did not want to be blamed for inciting anti-government or militia actions like the bombing. Subsequently, Bell discussed off-beat topics like the paranormal, the occult, UFOs, protoscience and pseudo-science. During his tenure at KDWN Bell met and married his second wife, Ramona, who later handled production and management duties for the program.

According to The Washington Post in its February 23, 1997 edition: Art Bell was at the time America's highest-rated late-night radio talk show host, broadcast on 328 stations. According to The Oregonian in its June 22, 1997 edition, Coast To Coast AM with Art Bell was on 460 stations. At its initial peak in popularity, Coast To Coast AM was syndicated on more than 500 radio stations and claimed 15 million listeners nightly. Bell's studios were located in his home in the town of Pahrump, located in Nye County, Nevada; hence the voiceover catchphrase, "from the Kingdom of Nye."

Critical reputation[link]

Fans regard Bell as a master showman, noting that he calls his show "absolute entertainment"^[6] and expressly says he does not necessarily accept every guest or caller's claims but only offers a forum where they will not be openly ridiculed. Bell was one of only a few talk show hosts who did not screen incoming calls, but this changed in 2006. On the October 31, 2006 edition of Coast to Coast AM, (renamed for the night to Ghost to Ghost AM), Bell was asked why he was now using call screeners. The explanation given was that for him to use unscreened open phone lines while in the Philippines would require listeners to call there directly at enormous cost to them. Art admitted that he should have chosen New Zealand instead of the Philippines as an alternative to the USA. He said, "It was a bad choice, and I'll regret it, one day, in the near future." He subsequently stopped screening calls upon his return to the United States.

His calm attitude, patient questions, and ability to tease substance from nebulous statements of callers and guests gave his show a relaxed yet serious atmosphere. This earned him praise from those who declare the paranormal deserves a mature outlet of discussion in the media as well as the approval of those simply amused by the nightly parade of bizarre, typically fringe topics. Ed Dames, Richard C. Hoagland, Terence McKenna, Dannion Brinkley, David John Oates, and Robert Bigelow have all been regular guests. Some of Bell’s regular guests, particularly Hoagland, continue to be regular guests on Coast to Coast AM now hosted by George Noory.

Bell's own interests, however, extend beyond the paranormal. He has interviewed singers Crystal Gayle, Willie Nelson, Merle Haggard, Eric Burdon and Gordon Lightfoot, comedian George Carlin, writer Dean Koontz, hard science fiction writer Greg Bear, X-Files Writer/Creator Chris Carter, TV talk host Regis Philbin, Star Trek actor Leonard Nimoy, actor Dan Aykroyd, former Luftwaffe pilot Bruno Stolle, actress Jane Seymour, actress Ellen Muth, actor and TV host Robert Stack, human rights lawyer John Loftus, legendary disc jockey Casey Kasem and frequent guests physicist Michio Kaku and SETI astronomers Seth Shostak and H. Paul Shuch.

Beginning in late 1996, Bell was criticized for reporting rumors that Comet Hale-Bopp was being trailed by a UFO. It was speculated that members of the Heaven's Gate group committed mass suicide based on rumors Bell aired, but others dismissed the idea, noting that the Heaven's Gate website stated: "Whether Hale-Bopp has a "companion" or not is irrelevant from our perspective."^[7] Susan Wright notes, however, that Bell was also "one of the first to publicize expert opinions refuting the 'alien companion'" said to have been shadowing Hale-Bopp.^[8]

Political views[link]

Bell chooses not to discuss his political views on Coast to Coast AM though occasionally he has brought them up. He has expressed support for the right to bear arms and same-sex marriage. He also used to be, in his own words, a "staunch" supporter of the death penalty, though has changed his mind at least to some extent, due to innocent people being put to death.

Bell has completely dismissed the 9/11 conspiracy theories, having uploaded an image stating "God Bless George W. Bush and the U.S.A." to his website following the September 11 attacks. ^[9]

Bell is a member of the U.S. Libertarian Party. Originally, Coast to Coast AM was a conservative political talk show, but in recent years Bell has expressed both conservative and liberal views on the air. On air, Bell has shown support for immigration reform and decriminalizing marijuana. He has also criticized humankind's role in facilitating the onset of global warming. Bell has also stated that he opposes abortion, believes the U.S. should finish the job in the war in Iraq and supports a free market economy.

Callers and guests[link]

• In April 1996, Bell received a package of what would be known as "Art's Parts." These parts were allegedly pieces of debris from the 1947 Roswell UFO crash. Extensive analysis of the metals indicated they were made of an odd bismuth material.^{[citation needed]}
• One of Art Bell's Coast to Coast interviews occurred in 1997 with Mel Waters who discussed what is known as "Mel's Hole" in rural Washington State. The mysterious opening is said to be a fantastically deep vertical shaft which possesses extremely bizarre properties. No such hole has ever been physically located by anyone attempting to verify this story.
• On May 23, 1997, Bell interviewed a man who called himself "Victor", who claimed to have been at S-4 (near Area 51) and was responsible for the release to the public of a nearly three-minute video commonly called the "alien interview." For almost two hours, Victor described the ebe (extraterrestrial biological entities) program at S-4, verifying most of Bob Lazar's claims.
• On September 11, 1997, Bell took a call from a frantic man claiming to be an ex-Area 51 employee who grew progressively more upset as the call wore on, culminating in the show's going temporarily off the air because of "satellite failure."
  • This incident formed the basis of the song "Faaip de Oiad" by the rock band Tool, which features said interview (with Art Bell's part cut out), over frantic drumming and buzzing static.
  • The interview was also sampled in Konkhra's track "Religion is a Whore" and The Faceless's "Planetary Duality." It was also featured as a hidden track on the Agent 51 album "Red Alert" released in 1998.
    • Yet another song featuring the call was "It's Out There and It's Gonna Get You" by experimental Texas quartet The Paper Chase on their 2006 album Now You Are One Of Us.
• J.C. Webster the Third, or "J.C." – J.C. began calling in 1996, and has since been on the air over 50 times. He purports to be a Baptist Revival preacher, and believes Art to be "the Devil's Mouthpiece." He has continued to call George Noory and guest hosts. Although some listeners have expressed a disbelief that someone like J.C. could exist, Art Bell and George Noory have repeated their beliefs that J.C. is real, and is neither a "put-on" nor a "plant."
• On the night of October 23, 1997, Art interviewed Harlot the Witch (Patsy).
• In 1997 Cusco's Michael Holm, the group's leader, revealed that a song on Apurimac III - Nature Spirit Pride - "Pahrump-Big Water" was titled in recognition of Art Bell and Coast to coast.^{[10][not in citation given]}
• In 1998, Bell spoke with John Titor, a self-proclaimed time traveler from 2036 who made all kinds of fantastic predictions and discussed time travel.
• In the mid to late 1990s, a regular caller named "Fritz" would call in and give his view on various matters.
• In the mid to late 1990s, another regular caller known only as "Charlie Liberal" used to call with his perspectives on current events.
• "Bugs" – An aging farmer who has repeatedly told of his account of shooting and burying two Bigfoot creatures back in the 1970s in the Texas Panhandle, initially thinking they were bears. Bugs has mailed a map of the location of this "burial" to Art Bell, to be released to the public upon Bugs' death. During his first appearance in 1996, Bugs said he had taken a dozen Polaroid photos of the creatures he would be willing to send to Bell. None of the alleged photos have yet been made available.
• A caller in 2000 named "Daniel Murray" claimed he was a Majestic agent from Downey, California.^{[citation needed]}
  • This call served as the inspiration for the alternate reality game Majestic.^[11]
• In 2003, Chris Clements, a freelance writer with the Washington Post, called Art Bell to tell him he had evidence of a financial connection between the Bush family and the Bin Ladens. Clements went on further to tell of how his research showed that 9/11 may have been orchestrated by the Bush family and hinted at proof of a coming police state with secret prisons and the chipping of citizens. Clements promised to forward all of his information to Bell but it was reported^{[by whom?]} that Clements died in a suspicious car crash in the weeks after his call.
• In October 2003, Bell interviewed Temple of the Vampire founder George "Nemo" Smith. Smith spoke about the Temple of the Vampire's beliefs and practices.
• In February 2005, Bell received a call from a person calling himself "Oscar", proclaiming to be "the Son of Satan." Oscar had since also called George Noory, but disappeared after a June 2007 on-air confrontation with J.C.
• In March 2005 a man also called about disturbing events on Kwajalein and Johnston Atoll about a weapon that only targeted certain people and could leave others unhurt. He indicated he had been on both islands (that are US military only) and that these weapons had been tested in 1993. Art lost the call after another voice came on the line with a click saying "Shelton, terminate the call from A-6." Art tried to call the man back but was unsuccessful.
• In 2009, David Van Dyke, a photojournalist with Metro News Canada, called into Coast-to-Coast (guest hosted by Art Bell that night) and warned listeners that Toronto would become a testing ground for police tactics and subverting citizens at a soon to be announced global summit. Weeks after the call Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper announced that Toronto would play host to the G20 summit. Van Dyke, also a Toronto citizen, returned to the show after the announcement and declared that Toronto's downtown would be "stripped of everything not bolted down. Even trees and sticks will be removed, so that the oligarchy could not be touched." Van Dyke went missing shortly after the second call. Van Dyke resurfaced in mid-2010 following the G20 Summit in Toronto and was interviewed on local news channel CP24 while protesting outside a court hearing for G20 detainees. Van Dyke claimed he was held against his will in a stone-block room for "what felt like years" while being subjected to various psychological stress tactics. "German industrial metal music blasted frequently. A bright strobe light came on intermittently, and when it wasn't on a TV constantly played a loop of interracial porn", Van Dyke told CP24. He also claimed he was only fed raw steak and agents "dressed in pink bunny costumes" shouted anti-Marxist slogans at him. At this point the interview was abruptly ended by the reporter.^{[citation needed]}

Amateur radio[link]

Bell became a licensed amateur radio operator at the age of 13. His first call sign was KN3JOX, first listed in the Winter 1959 edition of the Radio Amateur Callbook. He soon upgraded to K3JOX, and he later held W2CKS, first listed in the Spring 1967 Callbook. Bell holds an Amateur Extra Class license, which is in the top U.S. Federal Communications Commission license class. His call sign is W6OBB.

Bell is well known in the world of amateur radio. He and many of his ham friends could be heard nightly on the 80 meter amateur radio band at a frequency of 3840 kHz (before he moved to the Philippines). While there he could occasionally be heard on 3678 kHz via EchoLink. When Bell resides in the USA, he can be heard on 3830 kHz. Bell has also run a nightly online amateur radio stream at Smeter.Net from 7:00 PM Pacific time until 3:00 am.

According to QRZ.Com,^[12] Bell took and passed the Philippines amateur radio exams and became a Philippine Class A amateur radio operator with the call sign of 4F1AB. While in the Philippines, Bell is active on 40-10 Meters, as well as 144.600 MHz simplex in Manila.

Honors[link]

In 1998, Bell was named as recipient of the less-than-prestigious Snuffed Candle Award. The CSICOP Council for Media Integrity cited Bell "for encouraging credulity, presenting pseudoscience as genuine, and contributing to the public's lack of understanding of the methods of scientific inquiry."

In 2005, the City of Las Vegas renamed a portion of 11th Street in the downtown area "Art Bell Drive."

On March 10, 2007, Bell received a Lifetime Achievement Award from the trade publication Radio & Records in Los Angeles.

In July 2008, it was announced that Art Bell would be inducted into the National Radio Hall of Fame. The ceremony took place on November 8, 2008, in Chicago.

Marriages[link]

• Airyn Ruiz, April 11, 2006 – present. Children: Asia Rayne Bell
• Ramona Lee Hayes, August 4, 1991  – January 5, 2006 † (see below)
• Vickie L. Baker, married March 1, 1981, divorced, July 3, 1991. Children: Arthur William Bell^{[citation needed]}
• Sachiko Toguchi Bell Pontius, married 1965, divorced 1968. Children: Vincent Pontius,^[13] Lisa Pontius Minei.^{[citation needed]}

Retirements and comebacks[link]

Bell has retired and returned to Coast to Coast AM several times.

Retirement: His first retirement, highly unexpected, was announced on October 13, 1998. Bell: I told you that there was an event, a threatening terrible event occurred to my family, which I could not tell you about. Because of that event, and a succession of other events, what you're listening to right now is my final broadcast on the air. Coast To Coast AM is broadcast on more than 400 stations and is the country's most listened to overnight radio show, heard by some 15 million listeners. (That from "The Seattle Times" 10-13-98.) Hilly Rose filled in after Bell's departure.

Return: He returned on October 28, 1998. Bell asserted that the brief departure was brought on by threats made against his family. On May 29, 1999, Art Bell explained that this retirement was due to an allegation made by hosts of WWCR shortwave radio that Bell had paid to cover up a criminal indictment. (Announcement date from "The Washington Post" 5-29-99, where Bell's show was said to be on 460 stations.)

The facts of the matter became public knowledge with Art Bell's second retirement in 2000, when it was revealed that an actual criminal indictment was filed against a person who had assaulted a member of Bell's family. Because of the nature of the crime, Bell had wanted to keep the matter private. The hosts at WWCR shortwave radio had accused Bell of the crime. (Bell took legal action against the hosts and stations, which was settled in 2000.^[14])

Retirement: On April 1, 2000, Bell once again announced to his audience his retirement, which would occur on April 26, 2000 (that from "The Washington Post" 4-1-00), but he offered no details other than expressing intentions to "resolve a family crisis." On April 11, 2000, Mike Siegel was introduced as the new host of Coast To Coast AM. On April 27, 2000, Siegel took over the program which at this time had an estimated 22 million listeners. (That from "The Seattle Times" 4-12-00.) It was later explained he had left to deal with the aftermath of a sexual assault against his son. Brian Lepley, a substitute teacher, was convicted of sexual assault and attempted transmission of HIV and was sentenced to 10 to 25 years.^[15]

Return: On January 24, 2001, it was announced (in Vancouver, Washington's "The Columbian" newspaper), Art Bell would return to Coast To Coast AM on February 5, 2001. Bell noted that since his departure the show had lost a number of affiliates, commercial content had risen to an unbearable level, and Siegel had taken the program in a "different direction" of which Bell disapproved. He retained some authority over the program as its creator and thus felt his return was necessary.

Retirement: On October 23, 2002, Bell announced he would be retiring because recurring back pain (the result of a fall from a telephone pole during his youth) forced yet another departure, and Bell was permanently replaced by George Noory as weekday host of Coast to Coast AM on January 1, 2003. It was also said that Barbara Simpson would host weekends and that Bell planned to be an occasional guest host for Noory. (Most information from "The Seattle Times" 10-26-02.)

Return: Bell again on September 23, 2003, announced (in Vancouver, Washington's "The Columbian" newspaper) would return as a weekend host on September 27, 2003, having missed the microphone, this time replacing Barbara Simpson and Ian Punnett as host of the Saturday and Sunday evening broadcasts. In June 2005, he scaled this schedule back a bit (a "semiretirement"), deciding to host only the last two Sundays of every month. Bell went back to hosting every weekend show as his schedule permitted after his wife Ramona’s death a few months later.

Retirement: on July 1, 2007, Bell announced his retirement again, stating that he wished to spend more time with his new wife and daughter. He made it explicitly clear that, unlike the circumstances surrounding previous retirements, this one was an entirely positive and joyful decision and that he would not disappear completely—he would occasionally substitute for other hosts and host "special" shows. According to George Noory, Bell is on board to do 15 shows per year. Art Bell confirmed this fact in a post on the Fantastic Forum fan site.

Events of 2006[link]

Bell's life took some dramatic twists in the beginning of 2006:

Death of Ramona Bell[link]

Ramona Bell, his wife of 15 years, died unexpectedly,^[16] at the age of 47, of what appeared to be an acute asthma attack on January 5, 2006 in Laughlin, Nevada, where the couple was taking a short vacation.

The events surrounding Ramona's death were described in great detail by Art Bell during the January 22 broadcast of Coast to Coast AM. For weeks thereafter, callers would express their sadness and sympathy for Art Bell to George Noory, who had taken Art Bell's place weekdays in 2002.^[17]

Change in schedule[link]

On January 21, 2006, just days after the unexpected death of his wife Ramona, Bell announced he would host Coast to Coast AM every Saturday and Sunday evening, and that former weekend host Ian Punnett would work a new live prefeed program for the four hours preceding Bell's slot on Saturday nights (9:00pm – 1:00am ET). Punnett's show was titled Coast to Coast Live with Ian Punnett. When returning to the show the following day, Bell spent the first hour recounting the death of his wife.

Remarriage[link]

By the end of January, Bell began hinting that he was making a significant life decision, but that he would keep it a secret for at least one year, asking listeners to remind him in 2007 to let them in on it. By March, he was saying that he would soon take a "huge risk" and "do something rash." On April 15, 2006, he ended the mystery and, to the mild surprise of listeners, revealed that, after several weeks of mourning, he had recently gone to the Philippines and married Airyn Ruiz,^[18] whose name is pronounced like the name "Irene," but Art likes to pronounce her name as "Arin." This is because during their Internet dating Art imprinted the spelling of her name with that pronunciation. Airyn Ruiz Bell is a recent college graduate. Ruiz — given Bell's private e-mail address by an amateur radio friend — had contacted Bell to offer condolences shortly after Ramona's death. After "dating" via Internet videoconferencing for "hundreds of hours," the two married one week after Bell arrived in the Philippines to actually meet her in person. Bell also paid for his friend — who was courting Airyn's sister — to accompany him to the Philippines and marry her. The two couples wed in a double marriage ceremony on April 11, 2006.

On October 7, 2006, Bell announced on Coast to Coast that Ruiz was pregnant with the couple's first child. Art told listeners that the couple's child was indeed a girl as many listeners suspected. He noted that they had been hoping for a girl and had announced only a girl's name for their unborn child in hopes of receiving a girl.

Art and Airyn's baby girl, Asia Rayne Bell, was born by caesarean section on May 30, 2007.

Relocation to the Philippines[link]

At the same time, Bell announced he would be leaving his longtime homestead in Nevada and relocating to the Philippines, near Makati, Metro Manila, intending to continue hosting Coast to Coast AM weekend editions via an ISDN connection. He departed the United States on April 29, 2006, stating an intention to remain abroad for at least a year, while maintaining ownership of his property in Nevada and of the radio station KNYE. Bell resumed hosting on June 18, 2006 but then encountered technical problems that kept him off air until July 23, 2006, when the ISDN line was finally installed.

In July 2001, the Philippine Daily Inquirer printed an email letter purportedly from Bell that made derogatory statements about Filipinos. This letter was subsequently demonstrated to be a hoax perpetrated upon Bell, who in fact had a publicly loving relationship with his Filipina wife and his previous wife Ramona, who was also Filipina, and who often spoke openly about his admiration for the Filipino people on his radio show. Subsequently, the Philippine Daily Inquirer printed a retraction and apologized for printing the statement upon their verification of the hoax.

In October 2006, Bell threatened Rogers Cadenhead with a lawsuit for some allegedly libelous comments posted on Cadenhead's blog, which Cadenhead has said he will defend himself against under Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act.^[19]

Return to "the High Desert and the Great American Southwest"[link]

Bell opened his December 28 program by disclosing to his stunned listeners that he had just relocated back to Pahrump, Nevada, with Ruiz, who had obtained the necessary paperwork for immigrating to the United States. Bell had not disclosed on any previous show his plans to return to the High Desert. Despite feeling jet-lagged after a 15-hour flight from the Philippines via Vancouver, British Columbia, he did the full show. Bell was aloft returning to the States when an earthquake cut off undersea cables that would have prevented his broadcasts from the Philippines.^{[clarification needed]} Bell indicated on his December 30, 2006 show that among the reasons for his return were a recent recirculation of the infamous fake anti-Filipino email,^[20] and his homesickness for his elaborate stateside Amateur Radio station.

Events of 2007[link]

On May 30, 2007, at 12:51 p.m. PDT, daughter Asia Rayne Bell was born by planned caesarean section.

On July 1, 2007 at 10:10 p.m. PDT, Art Bell announced his retirement from regular hosting effective that day, expressing a desire to spend more time with his family. Bell stated that he will only host occasionally on Coast to Coast.

Events of 2008[link]

On May 23, 2008, Bell, while hosting Coast to Coast AM, stated that there would be a change in the artbell.com Web site in July 2008. Within a few weeks the Web site was no longer responding to requests and has even dropped from DNS.

On May 29, 2008 Bell sold KNYE to Station Manager Karen Jackson.^[21]

On September 8, 2008, Noory stated that he would be hosting the annual Ghost to Ghost AM Halloween call-in show rather than Bell, who normally returns to the Coast to Coast to host it (along with the New Year's prediction shows). On September 19, Noory explained that Bell would be unavailable because he was on a cruise during that time this year.

On November 30, 2008, Bell hosted Coast to Coast AM. Michio Kaku was the guest. This was the first time Bell had hosted the show since May 23, 2008.^[22] On December 23, Bell's mother, Jane, died. George Noory informed Coast to Coast listeners of her death during that night's show, with a number of callers offering Bell their condolences regarding the death of Bell's mother.

On December 30 and 31, 2008, Bell once again hosted his annual New Year's predictions special of Coast to Coast. Bell remarked on his mother's death and stated that he was very happy that she got to spend time with his daughter, Asia, before she died.

Events of 2009[link]

Art Bell Returned to Coast to Coast AM on February 20, 2009, for a discussion on the global financial crisis with Wall St. insider Michael J. Panzner. Bell and Panzer agreed the United States was headed for an economic depression.

Art Bell was scheduled to return to Coast to Coast AM on April 24, 2009, to host an evening of open lines, but because of engineering problems in Manila, Art was rescheduled to a later date.^[23]

On May 17, 2009, Bell returned to host Coast to Coast AM live from Manila. His guest was Professor Peter Ward. Topics of discussion were mass extinctions, earth's "self-destructive" phenomena, and life beyond planet earth. While on the air, Art answered an email question from a listener who asked why he was in the Philippines again and how long he'd be there. Art replied that he'd address it on "Friday" and hinted that his move might be permanent.

As of May 20, 2009, the Coast to Coast website listed that Art Bell would be filling in for George Noory on Friday, May 22, 2009 to interview Dr. Bob Koontz. However, Art Bell did not do that show. The Coast to Coast website, again, cited technical difficulties in Manila and that his interview would be postponed. Bell interviewed Koontz on Saturday, June 6, 2009.

Friday June 26, 2009 Art Bell hosted Coast to Coast AM from Manila with guest Dr. Dean Radin. He also commented on the death of Michael Jackson and how he had lived in Pahrump, Nevada not too far away from where Art lived.

Friday November 20, 2009 Art Bell hosted Coast to Coast AM from Manila with guest Starfire Tor, psi researcher and experiencer who discussed time shifts and time slips, and other strange occurrences of time. During the first 90 minutes, they were joined by Whitley Strieber, who shared his take on Tor's research.^[24]

On Wednesday, December 30 and Thursday, December 31, 2009, Bell once again hosted his annual New Year's predictions special of Coast to Coast, noting that a number of the predictions this year were of an unusual and interesting nature and not mere repeats of many that had come before, though he also took several callers to task for seemingly veiling their obvious political agendas or wishes in the form of predictions, rather than offering up something from their "psychic center," which is what he repeatedly asks for during the prediction show. He also suggested that maybe Coast To Coast AM should institute some sort of prize or acknowledgment for listeners whose predictions are particularly accurate or astute.

Immigration Controversy[link]

In late 2008, Bell filed an I-751 with the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Service in order to get his wife a green card. In early 2009 the USCIS responded that they would need additional evidence to prove that Bell's marriage to a Filipina national and subsequent green card application therefore was in good faith. Bell responded with evidence including their marriage license, their daughter's birth certificate, Bell's last will and testament, bank records, family photos, and Social Security forms. Bell sent the package to the USCIS by return receipt mail, and he subsequently received the return receipt stamped "USCIS RECEIVED JAN-15-09."^[25]

On March 10, 2009, Bell and his wife and daughter left Nevada for Manila to deal with some family business including the disposition of a condo they owned. Shortly thereafter, the USCIS denied the application on the grounds that the documentary evidence was never received, and further stipulated that Airyn Bell is not permitted to re-enter the United States, which is why Bell remains in the Philippines. Moreover, since the Bells were out of the country when the application was denied, they must start the process all over again.^[26]

On his June 6 broadcast, Bell explained the situation and asked his listeners to send emails on his behalf to the White House.

Recently, George Noory announced that he has heard from Art, that the immigration controversy is over, and that Airyn has been granted permanent residency.^{[citation needed]}

Events of 2010-12[link]

Art Bell hosted 10 episodes in 2010, 5 short of his publicly-announced, contractually-specified quota of 15 shows per year. His last hosting gig was his annual Ghost To Ghost show on Halloween night (this was the first show ever wherein Art used call screeners). At the end of that broadcast, Bell said "When they next call my name we'll come back and we'll do this one more time."

As of December 2010 Art Bell was no longer listed as a host on the Coast to Coast website; his shows were no longer searchable under his name; and the only references to Bell on the site were of an historical/archival nature. However, the weekly "Somewhere In Time with Art Bell" broadcasts of classic Bell-hosted episodes (which have aired before the live show on Saturday nights since 2006) were not discontinued.

On 12/21/10 the "HamCam" on Art's ham radio website^[27] featured an image with the following cryptic wording: "The Wind No Longer Blows, in the End it was Without Direction. Long Live the Hot Air. 30"^[28] "-30-" is journalistic shorthand for "end of story."

It was announced in late December 2010 that Ian Punnett would host Art's annual two-part New Year's Eve prediction shows. Initially, Noory had said that Art was unable to host them because he would be traveling, but on 12/24/10 Noory said: "We had asked Art to do his predictions show; he's going to spend time with his family. He's winding down, folks, he's winding down....I don't anticipate he'll do any more shows." On the first of the two nights (12/30/10), Punnett made a brief, oblique reference to his having the honor of "picking up (Art's) fallen mantle." On the 01/01/11 show, Punnett stated he was "looking forward to doing the follow-up a year from now."

In email interactions with fans who have written in to inquire about Bell's absence, Coast personnel have confirmed that Art Bell has retired. According to Coast webmaster Lex Lonehood: "Art Bell decided he no longer wished to do live C2C shows, and asked that his name be removed from the host listings accordingly. Classics and Somewhere in Time shows will continue as is."^[29] Coast producer Lisa Lyon told another fan that Bell "has chosen to retire," but that "Art Bell will always be associated with our show, and he is welcome back to the mic whenever he feels the need."^[30]

Despite the above remarks from Punnett, Noory, Lyon, Lonehood and Bell, as of 01/06/11, an official public statement formally confirming Bell's departure from Coast to Coast AM has yet to be made via press release, website announcement or on-air, by any party with the authority to do so--the show's producers, Premier Radio Networks, Clear Channel Communications, or Art Bell himself. This lack of information has led to rampant speculation among Bell's fanbase as to the motivations and circumstances behind Bell's sudden absence; whether he has given his last live broadcast; and what--if anything--he may decide to do next.

During a chat on February 8, 2011, events became even more confusing for Bell's fans as George Noory, during a public chat responding to a question on Art Bell, stated that Art Bell isn't responding to his emails. The questioner, "Coalspeaker," asked "Have you spoken to Art Bell lately? And if so is he and his family doing well?" Noory responded by saying, "No I haven't. Art has decided to retire for good this time. I assume all is well for him and his family. He has gone through many ups and downs. I sent him a very lengthy email a few months ago, and he never responded. Though he normally would." ^[31] There was no further explanation beyond that point on why Art Bell did not respond to Mr. Noory's email, although it only led Bell's fanbase to speculate further.

In March 2011 a Facebook profile appeared claiming to be the legitimate page of "Arthur W. Bell III," who posted hints that there would be a "big announcement" at the end of April 2011. After much speculation and debate among fans and friends on that page and various Bell forums, and finally after direct intervention from a verified Art Bell account, the "Arthur W. Bell III" page was proven to be a hoax, with no "big announcement" imminent.^[32]

On July 20, 2011, Art Bell announced via his Facebook page that he had relocated with his family to Pahrump, Nevada. Subsequent posts indicate Art and his family initially focusing on resettling his house and making it "fit for human habitation" again, giving no indication about his radio plans, if any (beyond maintaining his HAM activity). However, on July 30, Bell posted the following: "There is so much to do and only so many hours in the day. There are things going on in the background that I will talk about at the proper time. The move was a big one and we need time to adjust."

On August 19, 2011 Art Bell announced via Facebook "Phrase for the day......Stay tuned!", followed on August 31 by the message "Sorry for so few posts but we are working on this house every day like dogs, much more soon." Some Bell fans voiced speculation that the phrase "stay tuned" may have been meant to indicate Art's return to broadcasting in some form, but 2011 ended with no such announcement forthcoming, though shortly before Christmas he did report that a malfunctioning fire extinguisher in his radio room caused tens of thousands of dollars worth of damage to his equipment and house.

Finally, on February 2, 2012, Bell commented on the subject via a post on the Coastgab forum: "Hi there, I thought it would be ok to stop in here and say hi from the High Desert! I have had so many people send me links in email that refer to a post on this site. All is well with the Bell Family and we are doing just fine in Pahrump. As far as retirement is concerned it has been great having time with my family and my hobby. I have learned to 'never say never' but I am enjoying life."^[33] The following day he elaborated: "As for Coast, the show has changed, which from my point of view is a shame, but it is the right of the host doing the show to take it in the direction they see fit. I have had many offers to join other networks to compete if I wished BUT I have decided that I do not wish to destroy what I built, or what is left of it. I really am enjoying being retired, I can be part of my daughter's life as she grows, and it is a blast. I do miss all of you though. I am not saying I will not pick up a mic one day, just not this day. I learned long ago, never say never.--Art"^[34] Finally, when asked directly by a fan on his Facebook page if he would be returning to Coast, he stated definitively: "No I will not be on Coast."^[35]

Books[link]

Bell has written, or co-written, several books. They include The Quickening: Today's Trends, Tomorrow's World; The Art of Talk (an autobiography); The Source: Journey Through the Unexplained; The Edge: Man's Mysterious Past & Incredible Future; and The Coming Global Superstorm, which became the basis for the popular movie, The Day After Tomorrow.

Other work[link]

In 1996 Bell appeared in an episode of the NBC science fiction series Dark Skies as William S. Paley, head of CBS.

On September 30, 1998 NBC's Today Show aired a taped segment of reporter Fred Francis interviewing Bell. Francis questioned Bell about Hale-Bopp, Area-51, eccentric callers claiming to be "six-fingered alien hybrids" as well as the UFO sighting experienced by Bell and his wife Ramona. The segment also featured members of Bell's audience reacting to topics being discussed.

In 1999 Bell appeared as himself on the Chris Carter-created series Millennium. The episode, called "Collateral Damage," aired in the third season and dealt with a former U.S. soldier who claimed the government he fought for was indeed responsible for horrendous tests on soldiers and Iraqi civilians. (This episode was broadcast on January 22, 1999. The Washington Post, 1-22-99.)

In 1999 Bell was interviewed on Larry King Live. (This was broadcast on March 5, 1999. The Washington Post, 3-5-99.)

Progressive rock band Tool's 2001 album, Lateralus, featured a track entitled "Faaip de Oiad" (Enochian for "The Voice of God"), which includes a clip of the "distraught and terrified" Area 51 employee call from September 11, 1997.

In 2005 Bell and then-wife Ramona were featured on the ABC news special: Peter Jennings Reporting: UFOs — Seeing Is Believing, which reported on the entire scope of the UFO experience, from the first famous sighting by Kenneth Arnold in 1947 to the present day. (This was broadcast on February 24, 2005. The Washington Post, 2-20-05.)

In 2005 snippets of Bell and callers to his show were featured on the song "Conspiracy Radio" on Sean Hogan's album "Catalina Sunrise": Bell is credited for "voice overs" on this track.

In 2006 Bell was featured in the video game "Prey" and played himself. He hosts, as in real life, Coast to Coast AM, and the player is able to listen to the broadcast at several terminals throughout the game. The broadcasts describe what is happening on Earth as the game unfolds. The game plot centers around a massive space ship and alien abductions. Bell receives a number of calls about people who have seen smaller craft as they abduct people. The protagonist is one of these people and listens to the radio while on the space ship.

In 2007 Bell appeared as himself in the movie I Know Who Killed Me.

See also[link]

Biography portal

• George Noory.
• Coast to Coast Topics: 9/11 Conspiracy theories, Albert Einstein, Biodiesel, Carl Sagan, Central Intelligence Agency, Chemtrail theory, Classified information in the United States, Electronic Voice Phenomena, Ghosts, Global Warming, Amateur Radio, Lucid Dreaming, Near-death experience, New World Order, Nikola Tesla, Out-of-place artifacts, Peak Oil, the Paranormal, SETI, the Solar system, String theory, Time travel, Ufology, the Undead, and the United States Department of Defense.
• Coast to Coast personalities: Nick Begich, Dannion Brinkley, Ed Dames, Richard C. Hoagland, Linda Moulton Howe, Michio Kaku, Seth Shostak, Mel Waters.
• Radio: Coast to Coast AM, List of radio programs.
• Other: Pahrump, Nevada, United States Libertarian Party.

Notes[link]