GIFI – The Portuguese Association for Investigation is a private, nonprofit association created in November 1976 whose purpose is scientific research and the public dissemination of topics within the limits (or beyond the limits) of current scientific knowledge.
We are a wholly independent association both socially and economically, as well as in terms of political, philosophical or religious orientation. Through teamwork, constructive criticism, and constant debate, we seek to open the way for a common approach to controversial issues, without contending with the convictions of each of our associates.
The uncanny, the mystery, and the imaginary are the catalysts of our curiosity and desire to know, both from a factual perspective and in the full revelation of human nature.
Early field research has made us skeptical, given the evidence of the uniqueness of true mysteries; however, scientific culture has kept us open-minded, attentive, and permanently interested in everything that remains unexplained.
Much of what we do today qualifies as an anthropology, because it is Man – his yearnings, beliefs, traditions, and symbolic dimension – that is at the heart of much of our studies, both in the present dimension and in the perspective of History. But we continue to devote our attention to anomalies and other phenomena on the “frontier of science,” especially in the context of ufology and paranormal phenomena.
Our multiple travels across the country and some other parts of the world have helped us to know and respect the differences, better identifying the assumptions and prejudices of our native cultural context. They have also enhanced our appreciation for History, and GIFI’s commitment to protecting and promoting the Heritage, which over the years have been added to our association’s core purpose.