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The relevance of these ideas to crop formations is in their basic circular shape, which provides the ideal vehicle for the projection of unconscious contents. The appearance of these shapes may affect people at a deep level, because of a collective hunger for signs of order amongst the chaos of the world. Their circular shape corresponds to a pre-existing ‘template’ in the psyche and, consequently, just as 'flying saucers’ do, the circles are capable of exercising an attraction which can amount to a compulsion. They are events which are neutral in themselves, but which we invest with meaning. The process, whereby events occurring in the natural world are interpreted and given significance has an ancient history, stretching back to our origins. Flights of wild birds, the movements of animals, shooting stars and so on have traditionally been understood as ways of predicting the future. The inter- relationship between human consciousness and the natural world has been explored by Paul Devereux, in his book Earth Lights (see Further Reading), where he proposes a natural explanation for many UFO Sightings, in terms of geophysical processes associated with fault lines. Sightings of coloured lights, in the form of balls or columns, which were sometimes seen to emerge from the ground. Devereux postulates that these were caused by ionized gases escaping from the major fault line in the area. He used an impressive amount of solid research to support his ideas, citing research by Dr Michael Persinger, a Canadian scientist, who has studied neuroscience, psychology and physiology. He has shown how exposure to magnetic fields and electrical charges can affect Barbury figure construction Human - Environment Interactions An example of this occurred in Wales, in 1904-5, when the area around Barmouth became known for