Issue 12: Focus On UAPs
Issue 12: Focus On UAPs
The symbolic display seen by the abductees is identical to the type of initiation ritual or astral voyage that is imbedded in the [occult] traditions of every culture - Jacques Vallée
The symbolic display seen by the abductees is identical to the type of initiation ritual or astral voyage that is imbedded in the [occult] traditions of every culture...the structure of abduction stories is identical to that of occult initiation rituals...the UFO beings of today belong to the same class of manifestation as the [occult] entities that were described in centuries past.—Jacques Vallée
So the US government is in full-on disclosure mode around Unidentified Anomalous Phenomena… or is it? Is it all just misinformation meant to distract us from what is REALLY going on? (See our issue about cults and conspiracy theories for more details). Of course anyone who has looked into this knows the rabbit hole is not only infinite, there are infinite rabbit holes.
What interests us here at The Elevator though, is not whether UFOs/UAPs are ‘real’, (in fact what does ‘real’ mean in this context anyway? Does one have to kick the tires/warp drive to verify their reality?) Rather, the question is: what implications does the apparently fairly regular human experience of encountering objects and beings which are apparently not of this world have for our basic ontology?
The very existence of UAPs is a persistent reminder to curious people that materialism can very likely not explain everything, and we must say we are grateful for that fact. Living in a world which, in the words of Alan Watts in his book On The Taboo Against Knowing Who You Are, we have scrubbed “clean of magic”, gets old pretty quickly.
If Analytic Idealism is correct and consciousness is the fundamental ‘substance’ of reality, maybe this makes it easier to explain edge cases like UAPs, mythical beings, crop formations, and the like. If DMT elves are in some sense, as ‘real’ as you or I (because we do not insist on them being measurable in the ordinary material realm), maybe anomalous phenomena which do not obey the regular laws of physics can also be considered as something which exists, as we do, within consciousness.
Jacques Vallée, in his classic book, Passport to Magonia, made a great case for legendary and mythical beings such as fairies, elves, leprechauns and so on, being the same phenomenon as what we now know as ETs. He was of course drawing on the previous work of CG Jung whose book ‘Flying Saucers: A Modern Myth of Things Seen In The Sky’ reframed the contemporary wave of UFO sightings as coming out of the collective unconscious of humanity, clothed this time in the mechanical trappings of the nascent space age rather than a more rural ‘faerie’ sensibility.
Terrence McKenna and Philip K. Dick took it a stage further of course, but I can feel we are starting to go down another rabbit hole here, so we’ll leave you with a selection of links meant to give an overview of thought on this matter, ranging from the strictly materialist to the wildly speculative. Enjoy the ride!
By the way, we have received another short transmission from the extraterrestrial dakini:
Finally, we took the plunge and joined TikTok! There may not be that much content about consciousness on there so maybe we’ll achieve the marketers’ dream and find a niche. If you’re on there too, please give us a follow at https://www.tiktok.com/@wearetheelevator
Table of Contents
Is the Hard Problem Really So Hard? - Nautilus
New computer will mimic human brain - and I'm kinda scared
Biological and cognitive underpinnings of religious fundamentalism - PMC
UAPs, NDEs, and foundations of physics: it all makes sense under Idealism
Congress Receiving Mysterious Classified Briefing About UFOs
It's Time to Hear from Social Scientists about UFOs | Scientific American
Ancient Ties: Indigenous Peoples and the Extraterrestrial | Atmos
Our Wild Kosmos! Introduction - Ufology Web
I Went Alien Hunting on Chile's Mountainous 'UFO Route'
How the Pentagon Started Taking U.F.O.s Seriously | The New Yorker
Richard Dolan: The Rise of UAP Discourse [Video]
Jacques Vallée: UFOs, Close Encounters, and Modern Myth [Video]
Spamming Us from Space: SETI, Flying Saucers and the Galactic Internet - Areo
Carl Jung's Fascinating 1957 Letter on UFOs | Open Culture
Fermi paradox: why haven’t we found aliens yet? - Vox
The 19th-Century Trippers Who Probed the Mind - Nautilus
"Invasion of the Body Snatchers" Comes to Life
Events
Consciousness Hacking To Enhance Focus, Creativity And Motivation
Wednesday, January 31 · 6 - 7:30pm CET. Online.
This workshop offers insights into the science of altered states and techniques to optimize brain function using various methods such as music, wearables, meditation, breathwork, and nootropics. The event aims to provide interactive sessions focused on brand storytelling, content marketing, and mindful productivity. The concept of consciousness hacking involves the use of non-tech, low-tech, and high-tech tools to expand human and planetary well-being, reflecting a growing movement toward transformative technology and its potential impact on human potential and performance.
DMT vs 5-MeO-DMT: Science, Conciousness & Therapeutic Applications
Mon 29th Jan 2024, 7pm – 9pm GMT (UTC +00:00), Online.
Dr Christopher Timmermann investigates the differences, and different uses of, the two most popular formulations of the DMT molecule among psychedelic explorers, including both brain imaging results and stories from trippers.
Addressing The Failure of Pharma: Exploring a New Model for Psychedelic Healthcare with Dr Bennet Zelner & Dr Rosalind Watts
Thu 8th Feb 2024, 8pm – 10pm CET (UTC +01:00). Online.
Business Professor Bennet A. Zelner and Psychedelic Therapist Dr Rosalind Watts will talk about the interplay between psychedelics, capitalism, and societal structures, and how we can create healthier and more ethical ways of boosting health through the use of psychedelics.
Links
Is the Hard Problem Really So Hard? - Nautilus
“The hard problem of consciousness” revolves around the inexplicable qualitative aspects of our conscious experience, or "qualia." These aspects elude scientific explanation due to their intrinsic nature, which can't be broken down or intellectually grasped. Various theories attempt to explain consciousness, but most are told from a third-person perspective, while the hard problem concerns the first-person perspective. Some philosophers and psychologists suggest that qualia feel intrinsic only because we don't give them further thought and that they are actually relational, which means they are directly amenable to the methods of science. This proposition implies that through greater self-awareness, we could learn to dissolve the hard problem of consciousness.
New computer will mimic human brain -- and I'm kinda scared
Physicist Sabine Hossenfelder explains what’s happening with the new super computer at the University of Western Sydney which is designed to mimic a human brain. The intention is to find out how the brain manages trillions of connections but only uses 20 watts of energy, rather than build a machine which can be used for actual computation.
Psychedelics and Buddhist meditation - fastest path to awakening or water and oil? | Evolute Institute
The Evolute Institute explores the relationship between psychedelics and Buddhist meditation, examining the potential for psychedelics to enhance spiritual growth and inner exploration. While some contemporary Buddhist teachers may criticize the use of psychedelics for these purposes, the institute delves into the historical connections between Western thought leaders of Buddhism and their early experiences with psychedelics. We can draw parallels between psychedelic experiences and Buddhist concepts such as presence, equanimity, and acceptance, and see that maybe the two paths are not as divergent as they may seem.
Biological and cognitive underpinnings of religious fundamentalism - PMC
This study investigates the biological and cognitive underpinnings of religious fundamentalism, particularly focusing on the impact of cognitive flexibility and openness in individuals with prefrontal cortex (PFC) lesions. The research, conducted on male Vietnam combat veterans with focal penetrating traumatic brain injury (pTBI), found that cognitive flexibility and openness play a significant role in explaining fundamentalism, with lesions to the ventromedial PFC (vmPFC) and dorsolateral PFC (dlPFC) influencing these cognitive factors, indicating that lesions to the vmPFC are associated with increased fundamentalism, mediated by cognitive flexibility and trait openness.
Focus On UAPs
“The current physical models of the universe require eleven dimensions, eleven integrated variables to describe. And that’s physical models of the universe. If we then turn our attention to mind and realize that we have no definition of what mind is, why then is there any mystery in the fact that we have no definition of what the UFO is? The mind is present at hand in every conscious moment. It has been our constant companion for fifty thousand years, and we haven’t a clue as to what it is. So therefore, a manifestation of the other — the superego, or the extraterrestrial other like the UFO — it is not surprising that it is a mystery. I always hark back to the words of J.B.S. Haldane, the great British enzymologist, who said ‘reality is not only stranger than we suppose, it may be stranger than we can suppose.’”- Terence McKenna, Aliens & Archetypes
UAPs, NDEs, and foundations of physics: it all makes sense under Idealism
Bernardo Kastrup and Hans Busstra discuss how only a form of objective/analytic idealism can account for UAPs, NDEs, and the latest discoveries in the foundations of physics and the neuroscience of consciousness while remaining consistent with the whole of science and rational inquiry. They introduce Analytic Idealism as a worldview that can make sense of anomalous phenomena, such as NDEs, altered mental states, or UAPs, while remaining 100% compatible with our current understanding of physics. The discussion explores the limitations of physicalism in explaining these phenomena and the potential for analytic idealism to build testable theories around them, emphasizing the mental nature of reality as suggested by the latest results in science and philosophy.
Congress Receiving Mysterious Classified Briefing About UFOs
Following the links in this article gives one an update on the current situation related to ‘UAP disclosure’. The House Oversight Committee is set to receive a classified briefing on unidentified anomalous phenomena (UAPs), also known as UFOs. The briefing will be held by the intelligence community's inspector general, and it is a response to a bipartisan effort to urge the government to disclose more information about UAPs. This upcoming closed-door hearing follows a series of events, including the establishment of new offices to track and report on UAP sightings and claims of ongoing government cover-ups. The briefing seems to have been prompted by a recent whistleblower, former Air Force pilot and intelligence community member David Grusch, who made allegations about the US government's involvement in reverse-engineering alien crafts.
It's Time to Hear from Social Scientists about UFOs | Scientific American
“We don’t conclusively know if UAP physically exist beyond the mundane, but we do know this: UFOs are social facts. Debate about them is transforming our politics and culture—with effects that are largely overlooked.” The debate surrounding UAP has significant implications for politics and culture, and social scientists are being called upon to contribute their expertise. There seem to be three pressing issues related to UAP: intelligence, trust, and research ethics. There is a role for social science in addressing concerns about the trustworthiness of witness testimony and the circulation of misinformation and conspiracy theories.
Ancient Ties: Indigenous Peoples and the Extraterrestrial | Atmos
The recent spotlight on Unidentified Anomalous Phenomena, and the alleged government cover-up regarding aliens and their vessels, may well be further evidence of ‘Indigenous erasure’. Indigenous communities globally have known of the existence of alien creatures for thousands of years, referring to them as "Sky People" or "Star People." These ties to UAPs and otherworldly beings are not just ancient history; reports of UAP sightings and interactions with seemingly alien creatures persist in Native communities to this day. The colonial viewpoint that investigates UAPs and extraterrestrials without considering Indigenous perspectives is extremely shortsighted and fails to grasp the possibilities of non-human intelligences present.
Our Wild Kosmos! Introduction - Ufology Web
"Exo Studies," created by Sean Esbjörn-Hargens, is a metadisciplinary field exploring anomalous phenomena and non-human intelligences (NHIs) beyond current scientific models. It advocates for a post-material and post-positivist scientific vision, integrating mainstream academic research, UFO and space studies, and esoteric literature to form a Complex Integral Realism. This approach aims to deepen understanding of UFOs, NHIs, and their cultural and societal impacts. Exo Studies transcends traditional UFO/NHI research by analyzing the interplay between mind, meaning, and matter, combining diverse schools of thought to pioneer novel insights into these phenomena.
I Went Alien Hunting on Chile's Mountainous 'UFO Route'
This Vice article discusses an experience exploring the UFO Route in Chile, a region known for supposed UFO hot zones. Nathaniel Janowitz describes the local legends and beliefs regarding UFO sightings and encounters, including references to a rumored incident of a fallen spacecraft in 1914. Local residents and the government promote the area as a destination for extraterrestrial-curious tourists. He also shares personal experiences and encounters during the visit, reflecting on the energy and atmosphere of the surroundings.
How the Pentagon Started Taking U.F.O.s Seriously | The New Yorker
In this New Yorker article, Tim McMillan discusses the Pentagon's increased focus on UFOs, or UAPs, in the last two years. The Pentagon's UAP investigators have reportedly shared two classified intelligence papers containing images and videos of unusual sightings, such as a cube-shaped object and a large equilateral triangle emerging from the ocean. While one report considered the possibility of "alien" or "non-human" technology, it also presented various mundane explanations.
As the Empire Crumbles ... Controlled UAP Disclosure? | The Richard Dolan Show
In this video long-time UAP researcher Richard Dolan explains how the discourse around Unidentified Aerial Phenomena (UAP) is gaining public traction, overcoming skepticism and historical barriers. A worldwide acknowledgement of UFOs' existence is on the rise. Key discussions focus on the controlled release of UAP information and its broader implications, underlining the need to delve into the history and context of these phenomena. Yet, there are still intricate layers of secrecy and potential cover-ups, with suggestions of a conspiracy thwarting full disclosure. This secrecy is deeply embedded within specialized access programs, posing challenges to information transparency.
Jacques Vallee: Implications of UFO Phenomena (excerpt) - Thinking Allowed w/ Jeffrey Mishlove
This clip is from an old ‘Thinking Allowed’ episode - the well-known UFO researcher Vallée explains his theory of three levels of the UFO phenomenon - the physical level, in terms of the phenomenon being a concentration of energy in a small space, the level of orientation within space and time, which is often confused in those experiencing ‘close encounters’, and the level of belief - which is where the theory about UFOs as a modern myth intersects with his work. “It really doesn't matter whether UFOs are real; only that if enough people believe that something is real, then it is real in its effects on social reality.” To accompany this, you might want to check out Terrence McKenna talking on the same program about the same subject in 1988: Terence McKenna - Aliens and Archetypes (on Thinking Allowed with Jeffrey Mishlove #S425) - 1988
Spamming Us from Space: SETI, Flying Saucers and the Galactic Internet - Areo
Steven Tucker discusses the concept of a "galactic Internet" proposed by Maccone and explores the potential risks associated with receiving messages from extraterrestrial civilizations. He delves into the idea of whether these messages could contain harmful content, akin to computer viruses, and raises questions about the intentions of these hypothetical alien communicators. He also touches on the broader cultural and societal implications of such a scenario, drawing parallels to human communication and media.
Carl Jung's Fascinating 1957 Letter on UFOs | Open Culture
Jung briefly explains his idea of UFOs as ‘a modern myth’, as explained more fully in his ‘Flying Saucers’ book, rather than necessarily being objects in the physical universe. “...there is no certainty about their very nature. On the other side, there is an overwhelming material pointing to their legendary or mythological aspect. As a matter of fact the psychological aspect is so impressive, that one almost must regret that the Ufos seem to be real after all.”
Fermi paradox: why haven’t we found aliens yet? - Vox
Researchers at the University of Oxford have proposed a new perspective on the Fermi paradox, which addresses the apparent lack of alien signals in the universe despite the expected existence of such signals. They released a paper that may provide a solution to this conundrum, suggesting that the discrepancy between our expected existence of alien signals and the universe’s apparent lack of them can be resolved by not simply plugging point estimates into the Drake Equation, which misrepresents our knowledge. The Drake Equation, formulated by Frank Drake, aims to estimate the number of intelligent civilizations in the Milky Way Galaxy based on various factors such as the rate of formation of stars and the fraction of those stars that have planetary systems. The Fermi paradox and the Drake Equation raise questions about the existence of extraterrestrial intelligence and the lack of evidence for it, prompting ongoing discussions and research in the field of SETI (Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence).
Nuggets From The Archive
The 19th-Century Trippers Who Probed the Mind - Nautilus
The 19th-century exploration of the effects of nitrous oxide, or laughing gas, led to a profound reevaluation of the relationship between the mind and the body. The experiments, conducted by chemist Humphry Davy and his circle, challenged the traditional distinction between the intellect and the passions, as the gas was found to stimulate both with equal intensity. The experiences induced by the gas were described as profoundly embodied, raising fundamental questions about how inhaling a chemical could affect not only physical aspects such as breathing and pulse, but also emotions, imagination, and the sense of wonder. The research, documented in Davy's report "Researches Chemical and Philosophical, Chiefly Concerning Nitrous Oxide and its Respiration," emphasized the need for a new "language of feeling" to express the unique and peculiar sensations elicited by the gas. This groundbreaking work not only contributed to the understanding of the physiological effects of nitrous oxide but also sparked a broader philosophical inquiry into the nature of subjective experiences and their relation to scientific knowledge.
Invisible Landscapes
The 2018 discovery of the interstitium, a new organ in the human body, has challenged long-held beliefs about the body's anatomy. This fluid-filled superhighway, previously unnoticed due to its dynamic and fluid nature, has the potential to revolutionize our understanding of the human body and its interconnected systems. The interstitium's existence has also given rise to the concept of "interstitionaries," individuals who work on all things in between, connecting insights, people, and resources across various domains and sectors. This discovery has broader implications, as it prompts a shift from viewing the world in terms of individual parts to recognizing the importance of currents, connections, and relationships in various fields, including economics, ecology, and social dynamics. This essay by Jennifer Brandel emphasizes the need to recognize and remunerate interstitionary work to address complex global challenges.
"Invasion of the Body Snatchers" Comes to Life
Paul Levy discusses the concept of wetiko in the context of people being influenced and controlled by external forces, leading them to parrot propaganda and become unwitting instruments for spreading a false narrative. He delves into the idea that individuals, under the influence of this "mind-virus," become possessed by unconscious forces, losing their ability for self-reflection and critical thinking. Levy emphasizes the pervasiveness of propaganda and its role in creating a collective psychosis, warning that the real danger lies in individuals identifying with a false, separate self. The text also touches on the impact of group dynamics on individual intelligence and the potential for mass stupidity.
Bigelow Essays
Continuing with our summaries of the winners’ and runners up entries in the Bigelow essay competition. This 2021 Bigelow Institute for Consciousness Studies (BICS) essay contest had the goal of establishing “that there is evidence beyond reasonable doubt for the survival of consciousness after permanent physical death”.
Beyond Death: The Best Evidence for the Survival of Human Consciousness by Sharon Hewitt Rawlette
This essay from Sharon Hewitt Rawlette presents compelling data and anecdotes collected over the past 150 years by scientists, doctors, and researchers, which suggest that human consciousness may persist after the death of the body. She systematically categorizes this evidence into two main types: Third-Person Evidence, consisting of observations by individuals who have experienced phenomena indicative of the continued consciousness of someone who has died (such as apparitions, dreams, and various forms of mediumship); and First-Person Evidence, derived from those who have had near-death experiences or claim to recall living past lives.
Hewitt delves into several forms of Third-Person Evidence, such as apparitions and mental mediumship. Apparitions, commonly reported as visual, auditory, or tactile experiences of the deceased, often provide verifiable information and sometimes occur before the observer is aware of the death, challenging the notion that they are mere hallucinations. Mental mediumship, where certain individuals claim to communicate with the dead, has been both historically and recently scrutinized, showing instances where mediums have relayed accurate and specific information about the deceased. These phenomena, along with interactive and goal-directed apparitions and validated dream encounters, present a strong case for the hypothesis of consciousness survival beyond physical death.
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