In 1945, Robert Oppenheimer and the planet’s best brains summoned hellfire from the lab and wrote intentional auto-extinction into the arsenal of human potential.
In 1978, while working on an issue dedicated to the subject of UFOs, the staff of the long-defunct DUDA magazine summarized the thoughts of author Trevor James Constable on the subject of our inability to grasp the phenomenon. "New interpretations on the UFO phenomenon arise on daily basis," wrote editor Guillermo Mendizábal, "some of them feasible, other merely curious. In this issue we are presenting those which, due to their research methods, truly provide a new hope at unmasking the UFO enigma."
The article goes on to say:
Trevor James Constable, whose research provided the basis for this issue, has set forth the reasons for which humanity, from his perspective, has been unable to properly study the UFO phenomenon. They are as follows:
1. The rejection of the soul and matters spiritual by science;
2. The infusion of suspicion and contempt in humans against anything that implies a spiritual concern;
3. Humanity's adoration of the material;
4. Denial of the existence of invisible realms;
5. The worship of numbers, illustrated by the computer age, which has further dehumanized life, and
6. Official science's obsession with measuring everything and only accepting that which can be rendered in numerical form.
Thoughts which could be considered no less valid in 2021.
I have always laughed at the similarities between religious fundamentalists and pseudo-skeptic atheists, and have pointed them out to both on numerous occasions.
Maybe I focused on the wrong bit, but isn't dismissing the idea of historical ET influence, the same as dismissing the possibility of the ETH?
'UFO' accounts include close encounters and sometimes apparent telepathic communication. If some UAP represent ET technology or even vessels for beings, then doesn't ET intervention in human affairs become a matter of degree? Images relayed to a shaman, flybys over large population centres, the odd drop-in visit, perhaps a prolonged stay, advice on best practices, a little cosmology.
The fact that our cultures include UFOs and aliens shows how much influence they could (or perhaps do) wield.
Humanity would act like a curious sponge if it engaged in a cultural exchange with an alien civilisation or its representatives; perhaps one more reason why they generally keep us at arms length.
A matter of degree -- absolutely, and I might've worded it better. Peters was referring strictly to ET actually constructing, say, pyramids. I don't think he was trying to dismiss the idea of a constant presence.
When I was a kid the image presented of evolution was that of pure fluke due to random mutation. (Is the this the original idea of 'failing upwards'?) But our universe, as a whole, tends towards greater complexity over time (negentropy - energy dissipating, but fuelling the process); a process that saw gas transform into stars then planets - some of the latter being *very* complex structures, upon which life could thrive (unbelievably complex structures).
Also during my lifetime, we're seeing the future possibility of producing true AI; so even if space travel turns out to be a bad idea for organic beings, then machines would fill the void, literally.
Given all of the above, it seems relatively insane, an extreme view, to hold a position that we're all alone, or permanently cut off from everyone else. But if we're not alone and not cut off then the implications are astounding, at least from our point of view at the bottom, looking up.
That's a long-winded way of saying that at one time, the SETI people were the most optimistic, outward looking bunch of scientists one could find. Now they seem to represent the most pessimistic. If ufology wasn't a thing, you can bet SETI would be promoting the idea of 'vastly advanced, ancient alien civilisations', as a means to grab attention and raise money for research.
I wonder if whether or not we believe in God/higher power is more a refection of our ego or self centeredness. If such an entity exists it's quite irrelevant whether or not I believe it.
Is that something you "know" or is it just your "belief"? While we're at it let's debate how many angels can fit on the head of a pin. Ah, visions of being a sophomore in college and those all night bull sessions. I'll just focus on never losing my sense of humor, keeping a sense of perspective and being kind. I'll leave all that other stuff to you young'uns. Take care. Peace.
My guess I'm a few more years past my college days than you. I graduated in 1954. Were you even born then? As far as Angels are concerned do they even want to be on the head of a pin? On a serious note what does it mean everything is an illusion? Not to be explained in posts and I probably wouldn't understand anyway. Hope you are well and laugh at least once a day.
"If radiation having a frequency in the visible region of the EM spectrum reflects off an object, say, a bowl of fruit, and then strikes our eyes, this results in our visual perception of the scene. Our brain's visual system processes the multitude of reflected frequencies into different shades and hues, and through this insufficiently-understood psychophysical phenomenon, most people perceive a bowl of fruit."
The reason it is considered by science to be an "insufficiently-understood psychophysical phenomenon", is because scientists don't have the knowledge required to understand why that is the case.
Larry, I may be 2 years older than you but you are 2 eons smarter than I. BTW I didn't say how old I was when I graduated so you can't really know our age difference. I was 21, a safe assumption for the time. Making me 88. I wouldn't be surprised if you graduated at 12! :-) I truly appreciate your trying to explain something to me that my brain is incapable of understanding. I used to think it was because I was a "left" brain versus a "right" brain thinker but I understand that left/right brain hypothesis?, theory? is no longer valid. So glad you are a "laugher". It's not an illusion, I've enjoyed our virtual conversation.
Harry Reid stated the same opinion regarding religious fundamentalists in a short televised interview a few years ago.His reference was not to Pentagon officials but rather to some of his peers in congress , which is/was a stumbling block to holding hearings regarding the UFO phenomena.
Very interesting post. Reminds me of a Pew Research survey from 2009 (https://www.pewforum.org/2009/11/05/scientists-and-belief/), where a huge majority (95%) of the general public believed in God or a higher power compared with 51% of scientists who believed likewise. The number 51% is identical to the number of Americans in the Pew survey quoted here who believe that military sightings of UFOs represent evidence of life on other planets.
I'm sure it's a coincidence. What I'd like to see is whether there's a correlation between belief in God or a higher power and belief that military sightings represent evidence of life on other planets. What percentage of the former also believe the latter?
An excellent and thought provoking piece. I wonder how the collective human mind-set will splinter if/when the high strangeness aspect linked to the Phenomena is exposed by a main-steam media outlet. How will the atheist/scientists and uber-religious react when the NYT or 60 Minutes goes to press/airs a piece that the government is investigating or confirms alien abductions? Both groups will lose it. Perhaps it'll be a story about official investigation into the possibility people are being snatched from their beds and probed by entities of unknown origin. Or maybe something about hitch-hikers spooking the bejesus out of Navy pilots who spot UAPs. We're only starting to scratch the surface here.
I would think that if we ever communicate with a more advanced and " evolved" civilation, we may discover that they deny or never considered a spiritual God entity, .in their belief system..... that is , if they hold beliefs like ours
In 1978, while working on an issue dedicated to the subject of UFOs, the staff of the long-defunct DUDA magazine summarized the thoughts of author Trevor James Constable on the subject of our inability to grasp the phenomenon. "New interpretations on the UFO phenomenon arise on daily basis," wrote editor Guillermo Mendizábal, "some of them feasible, other merely curious. In this issue we are presenting those which, due to their research methods, truly provide a new hope at unmasking the UFO enigma."
The article goes on to say:
Trevor James Constable, whose research provided the basis for this issue, has set forth the reasons for which humanity, from his perspective, has been unable to properly study the UFO phenomenon. They are as follows:
1. The rejection of the soul and matters spiritual by science;
2. The infusion of suspicion and contempt in humans against anything that implies a spiritual concern;
3. Humanity's adoration of the material;
4. Denial of the existence of invisible realms;
5. The worship of numbers, illustrated by the computer age, which has further dehumanized life, and
6. Official science's obsession with measuring everything and only accepting that which can be rendered in numerical form.
Thoughts which could be considered no less valid in 2021.
7. The fear of death, and the unknown.
Billy, on 30 July 2021, a major UFO incident occurred over Eastern Canada.
https://ufointel.wordpress.com/2021/08/22/ufo-news-article-22/
I have always laughed at the similarities between religious fundamentalists and pseudo-skeptic atheists, and have pointed them out to both on numerous occasions.
Atheism is also a religion.
Maybe I focused on the wrong bit, but isn't dismissing the idea of historical ET influence, the same as dismissing the possibility of the ETH?
'UFO' accounts include close encounters and sometimes apparent telepathic communication. If some UAP represent ET technology or even vessels for beings, then doesn't ET intervention in human affairs become a matter of degree? Images relayed to a shaman, flybys over large population centres, the odd drop-in visit, perhaps a prolonged stay, advice on best practices, a little cosmology.
The fact that our cultures include UFOs and aliens shows how much influence they could (or perhaps do) wield.
Humanity would act like a curious sponge if it engaged in a cultural exchange with an alien civilisation or its representatives; perhaps one more reason why they generally keep us at arms length.
A matter of degree -- absolutely, and I might've worded it better. Peters was referring strictly to ET actually constructing, say, pyramids. I don't think he was trying to dismiss the idea of a constant presence.
Thanks for the clarification :)
When I was a kid the image presented of evolution was that of pure fluke due to random mutation. (Is the this the original idea of 'failing upwards'?) But our universe, as a whole, tends towards greater complexity over time (negentropy - energy dissipating, but fuelling the process); a process that saw gas transform into stars then planets - some of the latter being *very* complex structures, upon which life could thrive (unbelievably complex structures).
Also during my lifetime, we're seeing the future possibility of producing true AI; so even if space travel turns out to be a bad idea for organic beings, then machines would fill the void, literally.
Given all of the above, it seems relatively insane, an extreme view, to hold a position that we're all alone, or permanently cut off from everyone else. But if we're not alone and not cut off then the implications are astounding, at least from our point of view at the bottom, looking up.
That's a long-winded way of saying that at one time, the SETI people were the most optimistic, outward looking bunch of scientists one could find. Now they seem to represent the most pessimistic. If ufology wasn't a thing, you can bet SETI would be promoting the idea of 'vastly advanced, ancient alien civilisations', as a means to grab attention and raise money for research.
I wonder if whether or not we believe in God/higher power is more a refection of our ego or self centeredness. If such an entity exists it's quite irrelevant whether or not I believe it.
What someone believes is irrelevant.
What someone knows is not.
The 1st and most important knowledge is that everything is an illusion.
Which is why what humans call "science", is nothing more than a security blanket designed to uphold our illusion.
Is that something you "know" or is it just your "belief"? While we're at it let's debate how many angels can fit on the head of a pin. Ah, visions of being a sophomore in college and those all night bull sessions. I'll just focus on never losing my sense of humor, keeping a sense of perspective and being kind. I'll leave all that other stuff to you young'uns. Take care. Peace.
Unfortunately (yet fortunately), I'm a very long way past my college days, Rhana.
As to the Angels and pin question.
That depends on who's doing the fittin.
My guess I'm a few more years past my college days than you. I graduated in 1954. Were you even born then? As far as Angels are concerned do they even want to be on the head of a pin? On a serious note what does it mean everything is an illusion? Not to be explained in posts and I probably wouldn't understand anyway. Hope you are well and laugh at least once a day.
Rhana, you're 2 years older than me, and I laugh far more than once a day.
Regarding illusion. A basic example.
Humans can only see a very small percentage of the light wave spectrum with their eyes?
https://energeticsynthesis.com/index.php/library/science-of-ascension/2211-visible-light-spectrum
"If radiation having a frequency in the visible region of the EM spectrum reflects off an object, say, a bowl of fruit, and then strikes our eyes, this results in our visual perception of the scene. Our brain's visual system processes the multitude of reflected frequencies into different shades and hues, and through this insufficiently-understood psychophysical phenomenon, most people perceive a bowl of fruit."
The reason it is considered by science to be an "insufficiently-understood psychophysical phenomenon", is because scientists don't have the knowledge required to understand why that is the case.
Larry, I may be 2 years older than you but you are 2 eons smarter than I. BTW I didn't say how old I was when I graduated so you can't really know our age difference. I was 21, a safe assumption for the time. Making me 88. I wouldn't be surprised if you graduated at 12! :-) I truly appreciate your trying to explain something to me that my brain is incapable of understanding. I used to think it was because I was a "left" brain versus a "right" brain thinker but I understand that left/right brain hypothesis?, theory? is no longer valid. So glad you are a "laugher". It's not an illusion, I've enjoyed our virtual conversation.
Harry Reid stated the same opinion regarding religious fundamentalists in a short televised interview a few years ago.His reference was not to Pentagon officials but rather to some of his peers in congress , which is/was a stumbling block to holding hearings regarding the UFO phenomena.
I'd love to see that clip! Will look for it...
Very interesting post. Reminds me of a Pew Research survey from 2009 (https://www.pewforum.org/2009/11/05/scientists-and-belief/), where a huge majority (95%) of the general public believed in God or a higher power compared with 51% of scientists who believed likewise. The number 51% is identical to the number of Americans in the Pew survey quoted here who believe that military sightings of UFOs represent evidence of life on other planets.
So what do you infer from the data??
I'm sure it's a coincidence. What I'd like to see is whether there's a correlation between belief in God or a higher power and belief that military sightings represent evidence of life on other planets. What percentage of the former also believe the latter?
An excellent and thought provoking piece. I wonder how the collective human mind-set will splinter if/when the high strangeness aspect linked to the Phenomena is exposed by a main-steam media outlet. How will the atheist/scientists and uber-religious react when the NYT or 60 Minutes goes to press/airs a piece that the government is investigating or confirms alien abductions? Both groups will lose it. Perhaps it'll be a story about official investigation into the possibility people are being snatched from their beds and probed by entities of unknown origin. Or maybe something about hitch-hikers spooking the bejesus out of Navy pilots who spot UAPs. We're only starting to scratch the surface here.
I would think that if we ever communicate with a more advanced and " evolved" civilation, we may discover that they deny or never considered a spiritual God entity, .in their belief system..... that is , if they hold beliefs like ours
Or maybe they come to a math-based understanding of consciousness and solve for God.
I recommend Tegmark's multiverse theory. The Mathematical reality is Type 4
Interesting question!
Barely!!