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Editor’s Note:
The following article is presented as an opinion piece and reflects the personal views and interpretations of the author. It does not necessarily represent the political, spiritual, or editorial views of Quantum Portals, The Starseeds and Lightworkers Collective, or its contributors.
This piece is shared in the spirit of thoughtful inquiry, open discussion, and respectful exploration of the UFO/UAP question.
HUD of U.S. Navy fighter aircraft tracking UAP, or Unidentified Aerial Phenomena
Unidentified Flying Objects, or UFOs, have been featured prominently in the news recently. Usually considered a fringe topic and often subject to ridicule, this matter has begun to be reported on seriously by respected journalistic sources such as The New York Times and 60 Minutes. Steven Spielberg’s latest film, Disclosure Day, has also contributed to growing public interest.
Unidentified Flying Objects, or UFOs, have been featured prominently in the news recently. Usually considered a fringe topic and often subject to ridicule, this matter has begun to be reported on seriously by respected journalistic sources such as The New York Times and 60 Minutes. Steven Spielberg’s latest film, Disclosure Day, has also contributed to growing public interest.
By W.C. Johnson
The inset image is taken from a United States combat aircraft. It comes from a Navy video of a 2015 UFO encounter and was recorded aboard a Navy fighter jet from the nuclear aircraft carrier USS Theodore Roosevelt, off the eastern seaboard near the Florida coast. The image shows a “target lock” on a UFO displaying incredible maneuverability that appears to far exceed our present technological capabilities.
This and other similarly provocative videos and still images have created renewed interest in the phenomenon.
UFO enthusiasts and the public at large have begun to demand answers and explanations for the apparent rise in sightings. The U.S. government recently released previously classified videos and images of UFOs and UAP, or Unidentified Aerial Phenomena. Unfortunately, this “new information” has been rightly criticized by both UFO researchers and skeptics as largely inconsequential, offering little that is truly new regarding answers to the UFO/UAP phenomenon.
Let us consider, for the sake of this essay, that this and other data gathered by the government is proof of alien technology of extraterrestrial origin. Is the U.S., or the world at large, ready for “first contact” with an extant alien civilization that is vastly superior to humankind?
The unfortunate answer to this question is an unequivocal and resounding no.
Based on the chaotic, paranoid, and violent American psyche, as well as the general disunity of the rest of the world, there is no chance that our present society and human civilization could bear the weight of such a colossal revelation.
The question of whether humankind is ready for first contact has been considered and researched for many years. There is at least one historical incident in which an alien invasion was thought to be taking place in real time. In this particular case, we did not handle it very well.
In 1938, a radio play production of H.G. Wells’ War of the Worlds reportedly created widespread panic across America when many believed that the radio drama was an actual alien invasion by creatures from Mars. Even though the program was regularly interrupted by broadcasters explaining that the drama was not an actual news report, people still believed they were listening to real-life events.
Reportedly, people panicked, flooded authorities with calls, and took to the road to escape “the impending Martian onslaught.” All this occurred even though the network often stated that the broadcast was merely a radio drama.
In the eighty-eight years since the War of the Worlds broadcast, much has changed. Advances in numerous fields have resulted in astonishing technological progress and incredible human achievements. The Moon landings, advances in medicine, and broadcast media are realities that very few people of that time could have imagined. Never have so many human beings been so interconnected, and never has access to information been so easily granted.
Despite these facts, much of human civilization is still bound by violence, superstition, fear, and paranoia. A cursory review of the daily news shows this to be true.
Perhaps one of the greatest paradoxes regarding those who clamor for the release of information about extraterrestrial life visiting Earth arises from the United States of America.
With respect to democratic, industrialized nations, one is hard pressed to find a more regressive, violent, xenophobic, and anti-science nation. From radical right-wing religion, wild conspiracy beliefs, pervasive bigotry, and racism, many still believe that, despite all this, they are well equipped to embrace the reality that humanity is not alone in the universe.
Nationalist fervor, religious extremism, paranoid conspiracists, and systemic racism make the U.S. a poor candidate for “first contact.”
This assessment is nothing new, and the current U.S. administration is more a symptom of general human shortcomings than the cause. However, these facets of the country’s psyche seem to have been exacerbated during the Trump years.
Indeed, history provides countless examples of the human tendency toward violence and self-destruction, making the question of possible alien contact questionable and problematic at best.
First, let us consider the fact that there are very few places where extraterrestrials could land and not immediately find themselves in conflict with the humans at hand, or with other humans who fear that the visitors favor their sworn enemy instead of themselves.
Presently, there are approximately 200 nation-states in the world and over 2,000 religious sects. Among them exist complex religious and political spheres of influence, armed conflict, and internal social, theological, and economic upheavals.
It seems unlikely that any extant non-human civilization that has mastered its own evolved shortcomings and acquired advanced knowledge of the laws of physics to travel to other star systems would willingly put itself in harm’s way to engage such a violent species as Homo sapiens.
To this end, it is probably unlikely that they would seek broad disclosure. The transitory nature of the phenomenon and the evidentiary reality suggest that this is probably the case. I imagine that they would likely prefer a more subtle, personal, one-on-one engagement with humans and other species here on Earth. Additionally, they would probably prefer to observe the planet as human scientists observe and study other species within their own minimally disturbed habitats.
Many of the anecdotal stories of those known as “experiencers” — those who claim that they have been abducted by aliens — state that the “visitors” are aware of humankind’s violent tendencies and limit their contact with us accordingly. This follows, as most sensibly minded individuals do not ignore the warning signs posted in zoos and choose to engage the lions within their enclosure.
Other, better-documented and verifiable reports of the phenomenon have involved interaction with military personnel. Those who are not well acquainted with the UFO subject may find it interesting that the current revelations by U.S. armed forces are not the first time extraordinary and unexplained incidents have been reported.
A CBS News story dated September 28, 2010, described a 1967 incident at Malmstrom Air Force Base in Montana. Former Air Force Captain Robert Salas was on duty when 10 ICBMs, or Intercontinental Ballistic Missiles, he was overseeing suddenly became inoperative. At the same time, base security informed him of a mysterious red glowing object in the sky.
UFO researcher Robert Hastings of Albuquerque, New Mexico, who organized the National Press Club briefing where this affair was disclosed, said more than 120 former service members had told him they had seen unidentified flying objects near nuclear weapon storage and testing grounds.
Malmstrom AFB, Montana
Captain Salas stated that he was on duty when the ICBMs he was overseeing suddenly became inoperative, at the same time that base security informed him of a mysterious red glowing object in the sky. Robert Jamison, a retired USAF nuclear missile targeting officer, told of several occasions when he had to go out and “restart” missiles that had been deactivated after UFOs were sighted nearby.
Captain Salas stated that he was on duty when the ICBMs he was overseeing suddenly became inoperative, at the same time that base security informed him of a mysterious red glowing object in the sky. Robert Jamison, a retired USAF nuclear missile targeting officer, told of several occasions when he had to go out and “restart” missiles that had been deactivated after UFOs were sighted nearby.
Astonishingly, these types of occurrences were reportedly happening in the former Soviet Union as well. “Hastings believes that UFOs are piloted by visitors from elsewhere in the universe who, for whatever reason, have taken an interest in our long-term survival. He contends that these beings are occasionally disrupting our nukes to send a message to the American and Soviet Russian governments that their possession and potential large-scale use of nuclear weapons threaten the future of humanity and the environmental integrity of the planet. In short, Washington and Moscow are being warned that they are playing with fire.”¹
This is an interesting and sensible conclusion to draw if one considers these incidents in their entirety. It is a salient point that we will further expand upon within this essay.
Another component of the UFO contact question asks us to consider the religious and theological impact. There are indications that the idea would most certainly be judged as heresy in some religious circles and welcomed in others.
Some religious doctrines accept the idea of an evangelical mission with respect to alien visitors. They would consider baptism and participation in the Sacraments for the faithful. If aliens have a detailed and accurate account of religious history on this planet, one imagines that this arrangement would be received with a high degree of skepticism.
To those whose ancestors were subjugated, and perhaps enslaved, by those who professed a belief in a loving God, the idea that these beings would be treated kindly for not choosing or adopting human religious practices would seem unlikely.
If they are indeed powerful and immune to human attempts to control them, it is probably more likely that these beings would be characterized by some as fallen angels or demons sent here to sway the faithful. Within certain evangelical sects, this is the prevailing belief. How would peaceful coexistence be established with a view such as this? Obviously, it could not.
One could consider this the religious version of the alien threat narrative that some within and outside of the government advocate for. In one sense, this view could be helpful in generating interest in the phenomenon and fostering serious investigation into these encounters. However, if not managed well, it could create an atmosphere of fear and hysteria.
Some have taken a paranoid, conspiratorial stance regarding the government’s apparent openness and serious consideration of the UFO question. The irony here is astonishing and amusing. For years, many within the UFO research and disclosure field have clamored for and demanded that the government relent and admit it has guilty knowledge of extraterrestrials. When the government begins to do this, albeit ever so slightly, the reaction from UFO enthusiasts is both excitement and cynicism. On one hand, many are encouraged that the government is finally opening its files on the subject. On the other hand, if the prevailing belief is that the government has been lying about UFOs for eighty years, then why would they begin to tell the truth now? Perhaps their knowledge is nearly as limited as that of the public.
Admittedly, one would not be judged too harshly for believing that the government has not been totally forthright in its dealings with its citizens. The U.S. has a long history of secret projects of questionable morality, at best. In this case, it appears that the respective world governments may only possess data that deepens the mystery.
If the U.S. does indeed have alien technology in its possession, reverse engineering is almost certainly impossible. It would be akin to presenting an iPhone to a primate and expecting them to replicate it.
Some take the position that there is some type of “truth embargo,” but is there actually an embargo when whistleblowers like David Grusch are testifying under oath before Congress? Consider the account shared before Congress and on the television show 60 Minutes by Commander David Fravor regarding his squadron’s UAP encounter in 2004 while operating from the USS Nimitz. If there were a true embargo, these stories would never have seen the light of day.
So where does all this take us?
What is the final answer to the question of whether we are ready for first contact, and what should we do going forward?
It appears that we certainly are not ready. We are a global civilization wholly unprepared for the reality of advanced alien intelligence.
The Earth as seen from Apollo 17. Courtesy of Wikipedia.
Where do we go next? For this answer, let us assume that an alien presence is here and has been here for centuries, but has not engaged us in such a way as to make its presence known to all as an undeniable fact. The best way to proceed would be to follow its lead. If they are undeniably more advanced than us, as they apparently are, would it not be logical to pace ourselves as they have seen fit?
Where do we go next? For this answer, let us assume that an alien presence is here and has been here for centuries, but has not engaged us in such a way as to make its presence known to all as an undeniable fact. The best way to proceed would be to follow its lead. If they are undeniably more advanced than us, as they apparently are, would it not be logical to pace ourselves as they have seen fit?
There should be no landings on the White House lawn, at the Kremlin, or in Tiananmen Square. There should also be no expectation that they are here to help humanity solve its man-made problems.
Aliens have not created the disunity that humanity experiences today, nor should they represent an existential threat that brings humankind together only to bring destruction to another species. If human beings are ever to be worthy of engaging at an interspecies level, then we must decide to change ourselves first.
Unfortunately, we are still unable, at times, to coexist with other species here on Earth. For that matter, we still struggle with different ethnicities and genders within our own species.
It appears that we must adopt some type of universally accepted means of accurate self-appraisal, or a deeper spiritual and more profound relationship with ourselves and other beings. Perhaps “the visitors” and some more evolved, spiritually attuned humans are presently engaged in such an exchange. That would not be too surprising, in the opinion of some.
Not only is this key for first contact, but our very survival as a species may depend upon it.
References:
Photo Credit — Malmstrom:
https://www.amazon.com/UFOs-Nukes-Secret-Link-Revealed/dp/B06XWPK9RK
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