Timothy Good Credible or Crap?

[Ron Collins]

Is Timothy Good credible anymore? I used to think he was but I now think he is indicative of the problem in this field. He does absolutely no vetting or investigation into his questionably organized menagerie of events. After reading his books, yes all of them, I walk away with the sense that he will swallow just about anything. Then go listen to his interviews and the feeling is overwhelming. His books have more anonymous sources than 20 years of the Washington Post. How many insider friends can one former classical musician have? Its, and I may be crossing the line here, but dare I say Greeresque?

Or maybe is it just my cynicism barking again. What do you think?

 

[Siani]

I think Good is well-intentioned, but I get the feeling he's slightly lost the plot in recent years. Although an open mind is important in this field, I get the impression he's a bit too trusting and too willing to believe what others tell him. I wouldn't go so far as to compare him to Greer - I think the latter deliberately misleads, in order to profit. Good, on the other hand, seems genuine to me, if somewhat naive and misguided.

 

[Gareth]

Hes credible IMO.

 

[Stillborn]

I don't pay attention to him anymore. But I'm not aware of any deceit on his part. He's just bit the believer bullet too much for my taste.

 

[Frootloop]

Undecided, but whenever ive seen him in interviews, he comes across of just going-with-the-flow

 

[dorkbot]

From my non-omniscient vantage point it appears to me that Good does two things: He collects stories and he retells them. I'm not entirely sure it would be appropriate to call him an investigator as it seems that one ufo story is as good as the next to him. I couldn't call him either credible or crap exactly. He's one of the people that I try to briefly scan now and then to see what he is saying and then see who else is saying the same things.

He seems like an interesting character and seems to actually have some good contacts but I wonder if he is viewed by his sources as a willing conduit for any story they want to run up the flagpole. Coming from him they take on a bit of a Masterpiece Theater air of credibility.

I have absolutely no evidence whatsoever of this but Good as a character always kind of struck me as somehow being the intelligence type what w/ being the globetrotting violinist that somehow manages to keep scoring private interviews with high level military officials. Just taking him as a fictional character in a novel I kind of think that Good has elements of the Miles Copeland archetype somehow. Then again I am probably unduly influenced by all those spy movies I've watched.

 

[Poi]

I find Good credible, but probably naive. Seems to me that all too often, some ufo researchers go over the edge. Almost anything seems possible to some of them. Even Richard Dolan sports some belief I find questionable so maybe it can be the downside of investigating, having one's head cracked open too often or too long. They lose perspective?

But if I were Good, his experience in that hotel, the one where he asks anyone alien to come to him and show himself and one does, (!) I'd probably have my head cracked open permanently too.

By the way, I've asked that same question silently in crowds and not one handsome dude as bothered to show himself.

 

[Rocketsauce]

I have not heard or read much of his stuff, but........... I did hear an interview where he said he has met aliens because at a hotel someone sat next to him and when he asked for a sign telepathically from them to confirm they were an alien this person moved their hand or something of that nature which is something he should probably keep to himself if he ever has any intentions of gaining credibility outside a small niche. If that's the type of evidence he requires to believe something, that is not saying much.

 

[Poi]

Odd. I find that particular story credible because it happened to Good rather than coming from another source.

In more detail, he was sitting in the hotel on a couch, he mentally asked that anyone (of an alien nature) in New York show himself and prove his understanding of Good's request.

A fine looking well dressed man entered the hotel with a briefcase which he opened after sitting down near Good. They made eye contact at some point. Good then mentally asked for proof that the gentleman might give by putting his finger upside his nose. The man did so as he gazed into Good's eyes. Good then sort of mentally freaks. I don't think he thought the thing through, probably because he didn't think he would have success.

Anyway, the man puts his reading material back in his briefcase, goes to some area where he does a bit of business, (I've forgotten just exactly what Good relates about this, but it sounds like busywork) shares one last look with Good and then exits the hotel.

My guess is the episode probably drives him to this day, just as many of our wacked out experiences do.

 

[Rocketsauce]

Odd. I find that particular story credible because it happened to Good rather than coming from another source.

In more detail, he was sitting in the hotel on a couch, he mentally asked that anyone (of an alien nature) in New York show himself and prove his understanding of Good's request.

A fine looking well dressed man entered the hotel with a briefcase which he opened after sitting down near Good. They made eye contact at some point. Good then mentally asked for proof that the gentleman might give by putting his finger upside his nose. The man did so as he gazed into Good's eyes. Good then sort of mentally freaks. I don't think he thought the thing through, probably because he didn't think he would have success.

Anyway, the man puts his reading material back in his briefcase, goes to some area where he does a bit of business, (I've forgotten just exactly what Good relates about this, but it sounds like busywork) shares one last look with Good and then exits the hotel.

My guess is the episode probably drives him to this day, just as many of our wacked out experiences do.

I can't judge anyone else's experience for sure and I don't know much about Good. But..... I'll just say this story comes off very weak to me and for him to say in interviews that he has encoutered an alien in this very under whelming coincidence makes me automatically seriously question anything else he says.

It's one thing to dissappear for several hours and have scars on you etc... it's another for someone who is obsessed with UFO's to interpret a seemingly trivial everyday coincidence into being an encounter with ET.

I wonder how many guys have walked into a bar and said in their head, "Hey girl, if you want me to hit on you, scratch your head". Just because a girl scratches her head doesn't mean she can read minds IMO and certainly I'm not going to say I can speak telepathically in radio interviews.

Having said that, I'm not Good and if the same thing ever happens to me, I reseve the right to change my mind

 

[Ron Collins]

I wonder how many guys have walked into a bar and said in their head, "Hey girl, if you want me to hit on you, scratch your head". Just because a girl scratches her head doesn't mean she can read minds IMO and certainly I'm not going to say I can speak telepathically in radio interviews.

I had nearly the same analogy running in my head when I first heard this in an interview with him. Personally, I find it very suspect. Of course I have never been standing in a hotel thinking, "Any aliens around? If your here put your finger in your ear!". It sounds to much like space brother, new agey pseudo "proof" to me.

I think it kind of funny that the first quote on his website on the "Book Reviews" page is:

I do not know how many trees were cut down to produce this 590-page diatribe, but I wish they had been left standing. Above Top Secret is an evil book . . . Mr Good's ideas are those of a maniac."
The Spectator

I think he needs a PR person.

 

[Poi]

LOL! Maybe I won't read the next book!

Seriously though, how many people place their fingers on the sides of their noses like that? (Putting fingers up the nose don't count!) Especially when they've been asked telepathically?

Oh, alright. It does sound ludicrous.

But so do my ufo sightings and I stand by them. Betcha ol' Tim stands by his encounter too. More power to him.

 

[Rocketsauce]

LOL! Maybe I won't read the next book!

Seriously though, how many people place their fingers on the sides of their noses like that? (Putting fingers up the nose don't count!) Especially when they've been asked telepathically?

Oh, alright. It does sound ludicrous.

But so do my ufo sightings and I stand by them. Betcha ol' Tim stands by his encounter too. More power to him.

Poi,

I would much rather stand by your UFO sightings then Tim's wishful thinking any day!

Seeing a UFO as millions of others have and experiencing that multiple times IMO is way more likely to be something paranormal than someone touching their nose. You are in the company of some of the most credible and intelligent minds of our times - Presidents, Astranauts, Scientists. Meanwhile, Tim is in the company of .............. 3rd base coaches

How many times have we all thought of someone totally out of the blue and then 2 minutes later they call you. Does't mean there isn't some type of real mass consciousness/psychic phenomena behind these types of experiences, but also not something that would stand up to any type of scrutiny of a paranormal event, and that's not even considering the ET aspect. This doesn't mean Good is intentionally lying though, in fact I believe he is being honest about what he thinks.

But, if you dig his books, you should buy them for sure! I've read a lot of very seemingly non credible books and enjoyed them and feel I got something out of them - whitley's "Master of the Key" was pretty cool I thought, even Jim Sparks book was a fun read for me, although I hope he includes in the next 'unedited version' the chapter on where the bathroom was Just don't buy Bill Knell's books or you are contributing to Felony FAPF (Flagrant Advanced Puppy Fraud).

 

[Poi]

Don't worry, Bill Knell was never a consideration.

The thought does occur though, has anyone ever "put" a question to the supposed anonymous ET like Good did? Never would have occurred to me, but I don't necessarily incorporate their walking amongst us in my belief system. (Which may be why no one does the finger/nose trick for me! )

Seems to me that if Good could think of doing what he did, it's already a part of his belief system therefore questionable, yes. He could say otherwise, but I don't think I'd buy that.

Still, strange things have happened to Jeff Ritzman and Davied B. that don't fit into a model populated by a lot of experiencers either. I can't discount them just because they aren't common. Good also has a venue for reporting his strange events so we don't really know how many people may have had the same sort of experience who will never mention them.

So I can't toss Good's experience out completely. I do buy his sincerity.

 

[Rocketsauce]

Don't worry, Bill Knell was never a consideration.

The thought does occur though, has anyone ever "put" a question to the supposed anonymous ET like Good did? Never would have occurred to me, but I don't necessarily incorporate their walking amongst us in my belief system. (Which may be why no one does the finger/nose trick for me! )

Seems to me that if Good could think of doing what he did, it's already a part of his belief system therefore questionable, yes. He could say otherwise, but I don't think I'd buy that.

Still, strange things have happened to Jeff Ritzman and Davied B. that don't fit into a model populated by a lot of experiencers either. I can't discount them just because they aren't common. Good also has a venue for reporting his strange events so we don't really know how many people may have had the same sort of experience who will never mention them.

So I can't toss Good's experience out completely. I do buy his sincerity.

Yeah, once we all accept that indeed the paranormal and high strangeness is real stuff, it's hard to know what stories people tell are likely real and which ones are likely not. I agree, just from the brief Good interview I heard, I don't get the vibe he is lieing, I think he really believes what he says and is sincere.

 

[7 String]

Well,,,, when you google his name the first thing that pops up is a link to his site,,,and it does state: "Timothy Good - UFO Authority.... must be true .

 

[Rocketsauce]

Well,,,, when you google his name the first thing that pops up is a link to his site,,,and it does state: "Timothy Good - UFO Authority.... must be true.

That's kind of strange that he labels himself 'UFO Authority', is there such a thing?

 

[Zandroid]

That's kind of strange that he labels himself 'UFO Authority', is there such a thing?

good point

 

[Chuckleberryfinn]

I once bought a used copy of "Above Top Secret," by Tim Good. I read some of it and, when a friends birthday came around with me lacking a gift for him, gave it away as a present. I have since read the entire book and realize that there is a lot of garbage in it. The friend, a skeptical lawyer, is now firmly convinced that Timothy Good and all of UFOlogy is filled with lunatics, and also that I am a moron for suggesting that he was a credible researcher. So, there you have it. Before you give away UFO books as gifts, be sure to read the entire thing, otherwise you could end up looking like a jackass.

 

[Stillborn]

That's kind of strange that he labels himself 'UFO Authority', is there such a thing?

Actually, it's better than expert in many people's minds. I recall Sagan saying there are no experts, only authorities. Or was it the other way around?