Alien Mail in Madrid
In 1965, Fernando Sesma, head of Spain’s Society of the Friends of Space, received typed letters, not from Earth, but claiming to be from Ummo, a planet orbiting the star Wolf 424, 14.6 light-years away. These weren’t simple notes, they detailed an advanced civilization, its physics, biology, even retractable mushroom-like homes called XAABIUANNAA. Sent to scientists, UFO enthusiasts across Spain, France, the letters described Ummo’s arrival on Earth in 1950, sparked by a 1934 Norwegian radio signal, landing near Digne, France. By 1983, over 1,300 pages, some with colored diagrams, piled up, predicting UFO sightings, like one near Madrid on June 1, 1967, where a craft with a curious symbol, three lines crossed by a bar, appeared on schedule. Believers see a mystical intelligence, an otherworldly dialogue, whispering truths beyond our grasp.
The letters’ depth stunned recipients, discussing network theory, cosmology, even a twin-universe model, ideas that inspired French scientist Jean-Pierre Petit’s magnetohydrodynamic research. Anonymous phone calls, cryptic messages added to the enigma, with Ummites claiming underground bases, isolated cities. Yet, no direct contact, only mail, typed with eerie precision. Believers wonder if these were messages from a transcendent civilization, watching us, studying us, their words a bridge to the stars. The 1967 sighting, photographed by an anonymous source, showed a saucer with the Ummo symbol, fueling speculation of an extraterrestrial presence, a mystery that gripped Europe’s UFO scene.
Sightings and Symbols
On February 6, 1966, near Aluche, Spain, José Luis Jordán Peña sketched a saucer with a symbol, three vertical lines, outer ones curved, crossed by a horizontal bar, resembling Uranus’s astrological sign. A year later, on June 1, 1967, Sesma’s predicted sighting unfolded near San José de Valderas, Madrid, seven photos capturing a craft with the same symbol, sent anonymously to a newspaper. Small cylinders, found after the sighting, contained polyvinyl fluoride, a military-restricted material, baffling Spain’s National Institute of Aerospace Technology. Believers see this as evidence of a mystical technology, an otherworldly craft leaving tangible traces. A flyer, signed Henri Dagousset, sought more cylinders, one sent to UFO author Marius Leuget with the Ummo symbol inside, deepening the enigma.
The photos, later deemed hoaxes by Ground Saucer Watch, showed a small object, possibly an eight-inch plate, but the photographer stood by them. The letters’ volume, over 6,700 pages by 1983, described Ummo’s society, from telepathic abilities to a unified field theory, ideas too advanced for a lone hoaxer, believers argue. Online discussions muse, “No human could craft such knowledge in the 1960s, it’s a transcendent signal.” The sightings, symbols, debris suggest a presence beyond Earth, a civilization teasing contact through cryptic clues, haunting Spain’s skies with questions of what, or who, lingers unseen.
A Hoax Confessed, or a Deeper Truth?
In the 1990s, José Luis Jordán Peña confessed to orchestrating the Ummo Letters, claiming he fabricated them to test UFO enthusiasts’ credulity, a psychological experiment. His admission, detailed in interviews, pointed to the 1967 photos as staged, the cylinders planted, the letters his creation. Yet, believers balk, noting Peña’s confession was vague, inconsistent, and came decades later, while the letters’ scientific content, like references to magnetohydrodynamics, was obscure in the 1960s. French scientist Jean-Pierre Petit credited Ummo texts with inspiring his cosmological theories, suggesting a knowledge beyond Peña’s grasp. Was Peña a lone genius, or a scapegoat hiding a mystical truth? The letters’ volume, their global reach, even a 1985 letter from New York, suggest an effort too vast for one man.
Peña’s confession didn’t end the mystery, new letters surfaced into the 21st century, some in the internet age, fueling cults like Bolivia’s Daughters of Ummo. Hollywood director Darren Bousman, filming 11-11-11 in Spain, reported eerie disturbances tied to Ummo lore, hinting at a lingering presence. Believers see a transcendent intelligence, perhaps still active, their messages a puzzle of otherworldly intent. Skeptics argue Peña’s hoax, or a group effort, explains it all, but the letters’ sophistication, their predictive accuracy, whisper of something beyond human, a dialogue from the stars that refuses to fade.
Clues to an Otherworldly Riddle
The Ummo Letters leave traces that captivate believers:
- Scientific Depth: Over 1,300 pages detail advanced physics, biology, cosmology, inspiring real-world research, suggesting a mystical intelligence beyond 1960s knowledge.
- Predicted Sightings: The June 1967 Madrid sighting, announced in advance, matched the letters’ description, hinting at an otherworldly orchestration.
- Physical Evidence: Cylinders with military-grade polyvinyl fluoride, found after the 1967 sighting, defy easy explanation, pointing to a transcendent technology.
- Persistent Mystery: Letters continued post-Peña’s confession, even in 2014, suggesting a primal force, or group, sustaining the enigma across decades.
These clues fuel speculation of a civilization watching Earth, their messages a bridge to a reality we can’t yet grasp, an enigma that lingers.
Believers vs. Skeptics
Believers see the Ummo Letters as evidence of an extraterrestrial presence, a mystical intelligence communicating through typed pages, UFO sightings, cryptic symbols. The letters’ advanced concepts, like network theory, cosmology, seem too sophisticated for a 1960s hoax, inspiring scientists like Jean-Pierre Petit, who tied them to breakthroughs in magnetohydrodynamics. The predicted 1967 sighting, the cylinders’ military material, and letters persisting into the 21st century suggest an otherworldly agenda, perhaps a test of human readiness. Online communities argue, “No single person could sustain this for decades, it’s a transcendent signal.” The Ummo case, compared to Cicada 3301’s cryptic puzzles, hints at a pattern of hidden intelligences reaching out.
Skeptics, led by Peña’s confession, call it a masterful hoax, possibly by a group of scientists or a disinformation campaign. Jacques Vallée likened the letters to a well-crafted science fiction novel, plausible in the 1960s but dated by 1990s standards. The photos’ debunking, Peña’s psychological motive, and the lack of direct contact fuel their case. Yet believers counter, the letters’ volume, over 160,000 pages by some estimates, and their global spread defy a single hoaxer. The Ummo symbol, the eerie accuracy of predictions, suggest a primal truth, a mystery that haunts, daring us to question what lies beyond our skies.
A Lasting Enigma
Decades after the first Ummo Letters arrived, the mystery endures, gripping UFO enthusiasts, inspiring books, films, even cults. Over 1,300 pages, translated into French, Spanish, English, detail a civilization claiming to watch us since 1950, their craft landing in France, their bases hidden beneath our world. The 1967 Madrid sighting, with its photographed saucer, the cylinders’ strange material, and letters continuing into 2014, keep the enigma alive. Believers see a transcendent dialogue, an alien mind testing humanity’s limits, perhaps still active, as a 1985 New York letter suggests. Skeptics point to Peña’s confession, yet the letters’ complexity, their scientific prescience, whisper of something more, a mystical force from Wolf 424. The Ummo Letters, like a signal from the stars, haunt Spain’s shadows, daring us to believe in the unknown.