Crop Circle Mania Waves Summary

When it comes to the topic of crop circles, most of us will readily agree that they are simply hoaxes and made by human beings. Where this agreement usually ends, however, is on the question of how a human could create the perfect crop patterns in secrecy without leaving any traces. Whereas some are convinced that crop circles are only hoaxes, others maintain that there is a deep meaning and unnatural involvement.

In the introduction to Crop circle mania waves: an investigative update, Joe Nickell provides evidence that many men have claimed responsibility for many of the different crop patterns created over the years. Specifically, Nickell argues that the incidences of crop circles have significantly decreased since popular crop circle creators confessed their nocturnal activity. Doug Bower and Dave Chorley admitted in 1991 to creating much of the “giant graffiti” formed over the years in England’s cornfields. These finding challenge the work of earlier researchers, who tended to assume that crop circles are caused by extraterrestrial visitation or even wind vortices. Over the years, crop circles escalated in frequency year after year and became more elaborate. These happenings support Nickell’s idea that humans are yearning for the spotlight and making their creations more detailed to draw attention. But, as the author himself put it, “(even) some cerealogists have become disillusions and have given up pursuit of the elusive ‘genuine’ phenomenon.” In sum, Nickell’s view is that new evidence over the past few years is all supporting that crop circles simply have little meaning and are human creations.