'A Shared Fear Response': Exploring the Psychology of Mysterious Drone Observations Across Europe

The troubling question occupying the thoughts of many who have spotted them above is: what's behind them?

Vegard Rabban felt confident about what appeared before him when a mysterious scarlet illumination appeared between his residence and outbuilding on Norway's west coast one cold Friday night in the end of September.

The parent of three children, a salmon fisher and firefighter, had just driven his teenage son home from athletic practice when they paused suddenly by an aerial phenomenon in the cloudless Scandinavian sky.

"Between the garage and the house I notice an unusual illumination that doesn't typically appear. My son and I instantly identify it's an unmanned aircraft," he stated. "We stand for two minutes and look and we see the red lights. It was apparent to me it was a very big drone. Roughly 150 centimeters in width."

As a regular drone user, he knew perfectly well of the regulations near his residence close to Ørland airport, an important facility for the international defense organization and Norway's aerial defense.

Increasing Worries

It was unusual to witness a flying device moving through nighttime skies. Yet only after the next morning, when he learned of the drone incursions at the country's aviation facilities, that he began considering about it.

His sons were nervous. He attempted to reassure them. "At present, we are far away from the fighting that's happening but I suspect we're being observed and attempting to gauge how we react to drones," he said.

Rabban says he doesn't feel frightened yet, but the sightings have already produced various emotional consequences on the Norwegian population. He suspects the circumstances in the European continent could intensify quickly. "With increasing sightings the flying devices, growing numbers question what's taking place. They are curious."

Widespread Incidents

After multiple unmanned aircraft were destroyed in the skies over Poland last month, observations of remotely piloted aircraft have spread across Europe, including those that have halted operations at significant aviation facilities.

Denmark's leader made a national statement subsequent to the suspension of the main Danish aviation facility. "We're at the start of a multifaceted confrontation against the European continent," she stated.

A violation over the German airfield in the past week forced air traffic control to cease functions, leading to the termination of numerous aircraft movements and interrupting transportation for approximately three thousand travelers.

Past Precedents

The violations in Scandinavia display relevant past precedents, commented an academic expert in the study of psychological impacts.

"There's a common saying that history doesn't repeat itself, but it demonstrates similarities – and what we're now observing over the Nordic countries is the rhyming of history," he stated. "There is a long history of UFO scares over this region where the responsible party was suspected to be either the eastern neighbor or the previous communist state."

In the nineteen-thirties it was "phantom aircraft" that created anxiety, suspected as Russian reconnaissance planes on surveillance operations as preceding armed conflict.

"Various observations match familiar celestial bodies like Venus low in the horizon," noted the expert. "No airplane of that era could have continued flying for the periods that it was frequently seen. Fast forward to 1946 and Nordic states were experiencing anxiety about mass sightings of 'mysterious projectiles'."

Psychological Impact

Furthermore, there's a psychological impact that is less appreciated, said a research lead studying aerial systems and society.

"I think the intrusions are a way to spook and to provoke," she explained. "Thus unmanned aircraft typically work in this grey zone where they assert their presence, their capabilities, they indicate that there are weaknesses, but they haven't yet crossed into total armed conflict that we're observing in Ukraine and Russia."

Another expert who worked on the project explained that since man used flight in war, an important result was to "transform calm airspace into a source of persistent threat."

Contemporary Context

The drone sightings of this period cannot be described a figment of anyone's imagination but they were being experienced amid an ideal combination of global pressures fueled by foreign provocation and anxieties over the unpredictability of historical military associate the US.

"Unexpectedly, various European states including smaller countries are feeling more vulnerable than they have in recent memory," he said.

"Within this atmosphere, the current situation is a widespread fear response where the airspace has become a social barometer of the times, caused by imperfections in visual interpretation and anxiety."

It's almost autumn and the days are getting shorter, which means increased nighttime which should not be underestimated as it contributes to the ambiguity of the situation.

"It's unlikely beneficial for individuals suffering from anxiety," noted the academic.

James Beck
James Beck

Certified fitness coach and nutritionist passionate about helping others lead healthier lives through sustainable practices.