When the general public thinks about the crop circle phenomenon, people usually generate the idea of some freaky green alien hovering over a wheat field in a Podunk rural town making magnificent pictures with their extraterrestrial powers.
But when 58-year-old Chet Snow, who has a Ph.D. in history, thinks about crop circles, he sees something more.
"When I walked into my very first circle, I could feel the energy," Snow says. "The hair stood up on the back of my neck, and there was an electrical quality to it. This is something that went beyond a picture."
Snow and his wife, Kallista, have been hooked on the freaky subject ever since.
The couple is hosting the Signs of Destiny II conference in Tempe this weekend, which will bring in speakers and guests from more than 20 U.S. states as well as folks from England, Holland, Canada and possibly Germany.
The three-day conference will cover paranormal subjects ranging from crop circles to deeper looks into the predictions of Nostradamus, a medieval philosopher.
More than 250 people are expected to show up at the conference, and according to Snow, it's no wonder why.
"Crop circles appeal to people from all walks of life: from mathematicians to physicists to people from the Hopi tribe," he says. "They draw people in at different angles."
For more information or tickets to the Signs of Destiny II conference, contact Chet Snow at (928) 204-1962 or visit www.chetsnow.com for details.
Initially, Snow didn't have much of an interest in the paranormal; he was in academia working as a professor. But when he turned 38, Snow began having dreams, which eventually started coming true.
His dreams of reincarnation "changed (his) life forever."
"I realize this may sound strange," says Snow of his experience, "but I became aware that I was still living things from my recent past life. When you realize what you did in the past, it makes you want to do something new."
So Snow decided to travel and begin his attempt to decipher the truth behind the circles.
Snow had taken pictures of early crop circles (the first sighting occurred less than 24 years ago) and showed them to various groups. One of the most interested groups was the Hopi tribe.
"The reaction of the Hopi elders was very powerful," Snow says. "They recognized symbols in the circles, and I realized these were very serious. There was no hoaxing, nobody pulling anyone's leg."
In 1998, Snow and his wife began taking people on tours to England where they would spend time exploring the circles.
Though the tour only lasts for a week, Snow and his wife stay for a month and have the opportunity to visit about 15-20 circles a year.
Just like serious journalists, the group of crop circle congregators is seeking to find out the who, what, when, where, why and how of the circle phenomena.
"'What, where and when' are easy. 'Why' is more iffy, but 'who' is the biggest mystery," Snow says.
"I don't think these are extraterrestrial green guys," he says, "but we are dealing with some sort of intelligence that has the possibility to manipulate energies that we are beginning to understand."
During the conference, speakers will explore the many aspects of the currently unexplainable phenomenon. Nancy Talbott, head of BLT Research Inc. will talk about soil samples that prove something paranormal definitely occurred where the circles were created.
"We've noticed that next year's crops grow better where the circles were formed. We have evidence of microscopic changes in the plants and soil that could not be hoaxed," Snow says.
Other speakers, like Andy Thomas, will talk about the psychic interactions they've had with crop circles.
It may sound nutty, but to Snow, these objective comments are taken with a grain of salt.
"I have no problem with people that think that I'm nutty - I think they are, too," he says. "To me, the thrill is not knowing," he says. "It's like chipping away at an iceberg: Soon enough you'll get a sculpture. That's why I think we're doing this work."
He adds, "I see the figure, but not everyone else may see it yet. We want to be able to show people where the current state of that art is."
Snow says the crop circles, sometimes up to 700 feet across, usually appear overnight in wheat fields and are messages from someone or something unknown about the particular times we are going through.
"All of these ancient prophesies have talked about these times with great importance," he says. "We get into some pretty hairy stuff."
Reach the reporter at erika.wurst@asu.edu.
