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True accounts of UFO encounters are the subject of this week’s Paranormal Podcast with our guest, Rosemary Ellen Guiley.
You can find her book on the subject at Amazon.com: The Road to Strange: UFOs, Aliens and High Strangeness
Thanks Rosemary!
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Two alien visitations, a dark presence pays a visit, a haunted family home and much more on this edition of Campfire!
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Ryan Sprague
Two of the most profound questions we find ourselves pondering when dealing with the UFO phenomenon. The often elusive nature of these mysterious objects, the almost mystical interactions with supposed extraterrestrials, and even the reports of abductions by non-human entities leave us wondering how in the world anything like this could ever be the work of humans. We then find ourselves searching the skies for many of the answers to these deeply complex inquires. But could the answers we seek actually be closer than we think? When we begin to move away from the magical and mystical, we see that maybe science, in all its methodical and unforgiving glory, could bring about proof that aliens do not only exist, but that we may be the aliens we seek.
A Feeling of Alienation
In his recent book, Humans are not from Earth: A Scientific Evaluation of the Evidence, noted ecologist, Dr. Ellis Silver, makes a rather controversial argument that human physiology could perhaps show signs that it isn’t suited properly for this blue planet we call home. Comparing us as human beings to that of most animals on the planet, Silver also says, in an interview with Yahoo! News, that “Lizards can sunbathe for as long as they like, and many of them do. We can just about get away with it for a week or two. But day after day in the sun? Forget it. You might as well just lie down on the freeway and wait for a bus to hit you.”
Going into greater detail, Silver also says that human beings have vastly more chronic illness than that of other mammals. “Indeed, if you can find a single person who is 100% fit and healthy and not suffering from some condition or disorder, I would be extremely surprised.” He also theorizes that because most adults seem to have bad backs or signs of onset scoliosis, this could be an indicator that humans may have evolved on a planet with much lower gravity.
Perhaps his most intriguing theory is that we innately feel almost prisoners to our own world. “There’s a prevailing feeling among many people that they don’t belong here or that something just isn’t right,” Silver continues. “One reason for this, is that the Earth might be a prison planet, since we seem to be a naturally violent species, and we’re here until we learn to behave ourselves.” This is a very interesting theory, and one I personally glean with a skeptical lens. Could there perhaps be a similar race of human-like beings, watching us from afar, shaking their heads at us as we kill, rape, and torture one another? Is this a penal colony of cosmic proportions? Maybe we should begin to entertain the possibility that we are being watched not by big brother in the form of three letter agencies here on Earth, but a perhaps by a galactic federation somewhere beyond the stars.
[clickToTweet tweet=”Ryan Sprague asks, Are We ET?” quote=”Ryan Sprague asks, ‘Are We ET?'”]So the real question is, does Silver have any proof to back up the sweeping claims above? “Recent scientific reports suggest that life itself might not be from Earth,” he explains. “…but might have arrived here on meteors or comets. This primitive form of life then evolved over billions of years into what we find on the earth today. My thesis proposes that mankind did not evolve from that particular strain of life, but evolved elsewhere and was transported to Earth (as fully evolved Homo sapiens) between 60,000 and 200,000 years ago.” Here we have one person’s opinion that we may in fact be alien to our own planet. But is there actual scientific evidence, as Silver suggests, that we stem from somewhere else? It’s actually much more possible than we may think.
Planting the Seeds
“Seeds everywhere.” This is the literal translation of the Greek word panspermia. It states that the seeds of life on Earth exist all over the universe and can be propagated through space. These seeds are mechanisms that include the deflection of interstellar dust by solar radiation pressure and extremophile micro-organisms traveling through space within asteroids, meteorites, and comets. There are several forms of panspermia such as Lithopanspermia (from one solar system to another) or Ballistic Panspermia (from one planet to another). This idea does not set out to explain evolution or the origin of life in the Universe, but it attempts solely to solve the mystery of the origins of life on Earth and the potential transfer of life throughout the Universe.
We see the first variations of this concept through the writings of the Greek philosopher, Anaxagoras, somewhere around 500 BC. Although it differs from what we consider panspermia today, it still remains relevant in terms of this ambitious way of thinking. Anaxagoras states that “All things have existed from the beginning. But originally they existed in infinitesimally small fragments of themselves, endless in number and inextricably combined. All things existed in this mass, but in a confused and indistinguishable form. There were the seeds (spermata) or miniatures of wheat and flesh and gold in the primitive mixture; but these parts, of like nature with their wholes, had to be eliminated from the complex mass before they could receive a definite name and character.”
The theory of panspermia was then touched on in the writings of French diplomat and natural historian, Benoit de Maillet. In 1743, de Maillet wrote that he believed life on Earth was seeded by germs in space that had descended to the oceans rather than ascending from abiogenesis (living cells emerging from chemical evolution on Earth.) Panspermia continued to theoretically evolve throughout the nineteenth century by many scientists such as Jons Jacob Berzelius and Hermann von Helmholtz. Then, in 1973, Nobel Prize winning molecular biologist, physicist, and neuroscientist, Francis Crick (along with British chemist, Leslie Orgel), brought forth the even more ambitious theory of directed panspermia, which consists of possible deliberate transport of microorganisms in space to planets that have no life whatsoever. Perhaps most ambitious in their theories is that an extraterrestrial civilization may have been responsible for our seeding on Earth.
NASA Gets Involved
As the theories on panspermia continued to evolve throughout the scientific community, it soon became clear that the official space program had to weigh in on the topic. This is when NASA eventually got involved. Dr. Michael Callahan, of NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center, once stated that: “People have been discovering components of DNA in meteorites since the 1960’s, but researchers were unsure whether they were really created in space or if instead they came from contamination by terrestrial life.”
But as time progressed, Callahan, along with other astronomers were able to deduce that the building blocks of life were most likely created in space. This discovery came on the tail end of evidence that suggests that the chemistry inside meteorites is capable of producing biological molecules. Therefore, it is also likely that the molecular structure of life on Earth could have been chemically created outside of the planet, and then were seeded when certain asteroids or meteorites crash landed on the planet itself.
Martian in the Mirror
So while many theorize that earth-based life could have potentially started in space, what about the possibility that it perhaps started on another planet? This is one theory brought to the table by chemist, Steven Benner, one of the leading experts on the origins of life. Benner postulates that because meteorites stemming from the planet Mars contain boron and molybdenum, these could be precursors to the formation of RNA, which is in essence, a molecule that takes on many biological roles, including expression, regulation, coding, and decoding of human genes.
Benner’s theories are strengthened by the work of Elizabeth Hausrath and Christopher Adcock, researchers from the University of Nevada. They discovered that Martian meteorites also contained phosphates, which is another vital chemical in the formation of RNA and DNA. They also discovered that proteins in these meteorites are vastly more water-soluble than proteins seen on Earth. They have deduced that since life supposedly began in the presence of water, Mars could have perhaps formed life much more efficiently than on Earth.
Conclusions
While the ambitious claims of Dr. Silver, Dr. Callahan, Elizabeth Hausrath, and Christopher Adcock are enticing, there simply isn’t irrefutable evidence to back up their claims to a point of certainty. But their theories remain in a hopeful state of evolution, resting on the shoulders of the many panspermia theorists before them. Only time will truly tell as we move forward in our exploration of both Mars and the many other planets within our reach.
The explosive budget increase in NASA missions to explore these planets could give us further insight into the possibility that we may have stemmed from somewhere other than this blue, rocky planet we call home. As we draw closer to manned missions to these potential planets, this could unlock many mysteries not only to the universe itself, but where we may lay in the cosmic agenda we call life. The potential to travel from planet to planet was once thought fantasy and science fiction. But as we’ve seen throughout the panspermia timetable, everything we once thought science fiction could slowly, but surely be turning to science fact.
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Ryan Sprague is a professional playwright & screenwriter in New York City. He is also an investigative journalist, focusing on the topic of UFOs. He is the author of the upcoming book, “Somewhere in the Skies: A Human Approach to an Alien Phenomenon”, published by Richard Dolan Press. He co-hosts the podcasts, Into the Fray and UFOmodPod, both available on iTunes. His other work can be found at: somewhereintheskies.com
Nick Redfern’s If It’s Weird It’s Here
What if one of Ufology’s most cherished cases turned out to be something very different? Something far more down to earth, but of a distinctly conspiratorial nature. Yep, I can see the daggers being drawn already. Too bad for the belief-driven. There’s nothing worse than a mind made up. And there’s nothing better than shaking things up and addressing alternative theories when it comes to the matter of UFOs. After all, none of us really know what the truth is, when it comes to the UFO phenomenon. So, thinking outside of the box is vital. All of which brings us to a certain, famous UFO event of late 1973.
On the night of October 10, 1973, two men – Charles Hickson and Calvin Parker – were fishing on the banks of Mississippi’s Pascagoula River. All was going fine. That is, until approximately 9:00 p.m. rolled around. That’s when all hell broke loose. Yet, it all began relatively calmly. It didn’t stay that way, however. As they fished, Parker and Hickson suddenly noticed a light in the distance. Not only that, it was following the river and appeared to be coming in their direction. Which was not necessarily a good thing.
As the light got closer, they could see it in its full glory: the light was actually a brightly lit, somewhat egg-shaped craft, from which came a deep, throbbing hum. Such was the intensity of the hum, it provoked intense nausea in both men. Confusion, and a sense of distinct unreality, quickly followed. The pair watched in horror and amazement as what was described as a “hatch” opened and a trio of very strange-looking creatures exited the hovering object. Even stranger, and much more unnerving, the three things floated from the craft, across the waters of the river, and towards Hickson and Parker.
The aliens were not of the famous large-headed, black-eyed, and dwarfish kind, however. They weren’t even of the benevolent-looking, so-called “Space Brothers” variety of the 1950s. Nope, this particular breed of E.T. was described later by the shocked and undeniably traumatized men as being humanoid, and with faces that appeared to be almost masked, and heads from which three carrot-style points protruded. On top of that, they had large crab-like or lobster-like claws.
Then matters got even worse: when the things from another world were practically on top of terrified Parker and Hickson, both men were rendered into a state of paralysis. Whether due to some technology of the aliens, or provoked by overwhelming fear, remains unknown. Maybe it was a combination of both. Suddenly, the entities seized the pair, who were manhandled onto the UFO. Like most abductees, Hickson and Parker were quickly reduced to the equivalents of lab rats. When the trauma-filled encounter was over, the pair was dumped back on the edge of the river.
The story, hardly surprisingly, became a UFO classic, and in quick time too. The media was soon on the case. As was the military. While Parker chose to keep out of the limelight, Hickson went on to write a book about his experience (UFO Contact at Pascagoula, co-written with William Mendez), and spoke about it on the lecture circuit. But, were the pair really abducted by aliens? Or, could something have occurred that was, in many ways, even stranger? Let’s see.
It’s a seldom discussed fact that only a handful of miles from where Parker and Hickson were “abducted by aliens” is a stretch of land called Horn Island. As one might expect, it’s a tranquil place, with clean sands, marshes, and a wide variety of birds, such as pelicans and herons. There are more than a few alligators, too. But, there’s something more about Horn Island that’s worth noting. In the latter stages of the Second World War, the military explored the possibility of using Horn Island as a place where both chemical- and biological-warfare research could be undertaken. The U.S. Army’s Chemical Corps did likewise in the early 1950s – specifically when its research into so-called “mind-control” and mind-manipulation drugs was taking off. We’re talking about work associated with the notorious MKUltra program.
The official line is that the research was cancelled, due to one quite understandable reason: with Horn Island being significantly windy at times, having mind-altering, aerosol-based cocktails affecting the local populace would most assuredly not have been a good thing! However, a different story comes from some of the people that call the area home. There are tales of covert operations and experiments into mind-manipulation that, apparently, did go ahead; many under the auspices of the aforementioned MKUltra, and as late as the early 1970s. In terms of what may have specifically been used in these operations, fingers point in the direction of BZ. Or, to give it its correct name: 3-quinuclidinyl benzilate. It’s most well-known name is “Buzz.” I hardly need to explain why. The nickname nails it. For more information, see H.P. Albarelli, Jr.’s book, A Terrible Mistake.
BZ, an extremely powerful hallucinogen, can provoke imagery of an incredibly graphic nature, very often of a highly frightening nature. On other occasions, the experience can even be uplifting. As is also so often the case with LSD, it’s the setting, the scene, and the mood that typically influence the nature of the BZ experience. The National Academy of Sciences notes that BZ “was investigated as a potential incapacitating agent for military applications,” adding that it produces “anticholinergic delirium, a non-specific syndrome of cognitive dysfunction, hallucinations, and inability to perform tasks…”
And let’s not forget that Horn Island is barely eight miles from where Calvin Parker and Charles Hickson were taken in October 1973. Might the “UFO” actually have been a helicopter? Could the references to the aliens having mask-like faces, and clawed hands, actually have down to earth explanations: full-body protection suits, helmets, and thick gloves, worn by the abductors and seen by two men rendered into states of mind in which hallucinations were running wild?
It’s worth noting this is not the first time such a story has surfaced. Back in the late 1970s long-time UFO researcher Rich Reynolds was given a very similar story regarding the equally famous abduction of a Brazilian farmer (and later a lawyer), Antonio Villas Boas. Rich’s source: a man named Bosco Nedelcovic, who we will return to very soon.
It was on February 22, 1958 that Villas Boas prepared for a Dr. Olavo Fontes – both a respected gastroenterologist at the National School of Medicine in Rio de Janeiro and a highly dedicated flying saucer investigator – a remarkable, and undeniably sensational, document that told of his, Villas Boas’, close encounter with an alien only eight days earlier. But, this was no sterile “take me to your leader”-style experience involving bug-eyed, spindly creatures. According to the twenty-three-year-old farmer, he went where, quite possibly, no man had ever gone before. So Villas Boas told Fontes, he did nothing less than get it on with a hot babe from the great and mysterious beyond. And aboard a UFO, no less.
Or did he?
That question brings us back to Bosco Nedelcovic. Now dead, he was a Yugoslavian who worked, in South America, for an outfit that ultimately became the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID). Rather notably, Nedelcovic later worked with the Department of Defense, as well on as a 1960s CIA operation to infiltrate the Washington, D.C.-based Institute for Policy Studies. The IPS is a think-tank which, at the time, was heavily involved in promoting civil-rights matters and the anti-Vietnam War movement.
Nedelcovic detailed for Rich Reynolds a scenario near-identical to that which I have suggested Parker and Hickson may have found themselves in. Namely, that of Villas Boas being exposed to hallucinogenic substances, taken on-board a helicopter, and then plunged into the heart of a faked alien encounter.
Rich says: “The story from Nedelcovic was that after Villas Boas had been subjected to various drugs, the part with the woman was literally acted out. So, there may have been a real woman. But in Villas Boas’ case, it could have been manipulation-induced. It gave me visions of the CIA employing people of an Asian-kind of demeanor and look. It’s in the realm of possibility that someone was concocting a scenario in that way.”
Interestingly, Nedolcovic told Rich that “…the men were participating in new forms of psychological testing that would eventually be used in military contexts.”
While many ufologists champion the Villas Boas affair, let’s take a look at what the man himself actually said about the “UFO” onto which he was taken. And, bear in mind, these are Villas Boas’ words. They are not mine. The craft was, he recalled, “…like a large elongated egg…on the upper part of the machine there was something which was revolving at great speed and also giving off a powerful reddish light.”
It rose “…slowly into the air until it had reached a height of some 30 to 50 meters…The whirring noise of the air being displaced became much more intense and the revolving dish began to turn at a fearful speed…At that moment, the machine suddenly changed direction, with an abrupt movement, making a louder noise, a sort of ‘beat.’”
So, we have an elongated, egg-like craft – not a flying saucer. It sounds not unlike a helicopter with a bulbous front. There was something atop the object which was “revolving at great speed.” Rotor-blades, perhaps? And, there was the noise coming from the craft: “a sort of beat.” Put all of those issues together and what we have is a classic description of a helicopter.
Is it possible that, for decades, new and revolutionary mind-altering substances have been utilized and tested – specifically undercover of a “UFO camouflage” – to determine just how extensively the human mind can be manipulated? It may not be what whole swathes of the UFO research community want to hear. But, that’s just too bad.
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One of the most prolific Fortean writers on the planet, Nick Redfern is the author of many books, including Men in Black, Chupacabra Road Trip, and The Bigfoot Book. He can be contacted at his blog, “World of Whatever,” at nickredfernfortean.blogspot.com
Dr. David Jacobs joins us to discuss his theory that aliens are walking among us and have a plan to control humanity.
You can find his book on the subject at Amazon.com: Walking Among Us: The Alien Plan to Control Humanity
Thanks Dr. Jacobs!
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A man tells of a childhood visit by some very strange entities, a woman gets a warning from an unusual source, loved ones make their presence known after their death and more on this edition of Campfire!
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Two women tell tales of being stalked by an unknown entity, ghost tales from the Old West, a beloved pet returns after his death, and a ghost boy haunts a museum. This and more on this edition of Campfire.
To tell your Campfire story and enter our storyteller contest for this winter, CLICK HERE
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News and notes from the world of the weird.
“Millenium Falcon” USO Wrecking Havoc On Diver Electronic Equipment – DailyMail.co.uk
1/3 Of Earthlings Believe In Aliens & Would Invite Them Over For A Beer – USAToday.com
Man Claims Model Of Titanic Haunted – WTRK.com
UFO Expert Nick Pope Creates “Alien War Plan” – Examiner.com
Virgina Caverns Said To Be Haunted – WSHV.com
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Could religious figures, aliens, ghosts and all matter of paranormal entities be, in actuality, not supernatural but simply “advanced beings” that are natural beings at a higher state of development than mankind? Author Paul Von Ward discusses this notion and his work on reincarnation in this episode of The Paranormal Podcast. We discuss two of Paul’s most recent books.
Check them out at Amazon.com:
God, Genes, and Consciousness: Nonhuman Intervention in Human History
The Soul Genome: Science and Reincarnation
Also, learn more about Paul Von Ward’s work at vonward.com and reincarnationexperiment.org
Thanks Paul!
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