Laura Mundo's Aversion to Psychics in Flying Saucer Research: A Probable Explanation

Laura Mundo and her inner circle's resistance to psychics in regards to flying saucer research was well-documented and public. One probable explanation has to do with a former member of the Study Group on Interplanetary Relations named Rose Phillips. Phillips, a Detroit-area based medium, served as the treasurer for the group according to FBI investigation internal documents.

During this same time period at the end of 1954 and into 1955, Phillips was, according to the book Alien Worlds, also actively advising the Doomsday cult The Seekers (sometimes called The Brotherhood of the Seven Rays) which was formed by Michigan State College staffer Charles Laughead and lead by Dorothy Martin (known as Sister Thedra) of Chicago. 

The Los Angeles Times, December 17, 1954

Their numerous predictions that flying saucers were coming to pick up The Seekers in the end times earned the group notoriety in the press with a cavalcade of newspaper articles decrying them and causing Martin to go on the run and Laughead to be fired from his position and forced to prove his sanity during a court examination. The bad publicity likely caused the schism that led Don Wysocki and Rose Phillips to form The Interplanetary Relations, which later became the Detroit UFO Research Group, and publish their newsletter called The Visitor and based out of Belleville, Michigan.

In a letter to the editor of UFO Newsletter on June 24, 1957 Wysocki wrote:

"First, we would like to state that THE VISITOR is not published by the Study Group on Interplanetary Relations. The SGIR was dissolved almost two years ago. The Interplanetary Relations has been formed by a group of independent civilian UFO investigators with headquarters in Detroit. This group did include a large number of members of the old SGIR who wished to take a continued active part in Flying Saucer research. The group's name (has led to) confusion as to the identification and affiliation. It now appears certain that this group will select a new name and we will announce this as soon as it has been decided upon."

Thus, the Detroit UFO Research Group was formed. Luckily, I stumbled an early edition of their newsletter and have published it in full in a previous post.

It's also worth noting that Mr. Laughead stated in the newspaper article above that "I know two fellows in Detroit who were picked up and given rides in flying saucers." Hopefully he names these fine gentlemen in other articles because that would be another great rabbit hole to venture down into.