Just as someone interested in matters such as the UFO Phenomenon and the so-called “paranormal” aspects of reality begins to conclude that these topics will always remain on the very fringes of both our collective radar and our collective curiosity, a startling piece of news comes to the fore, demonstrating that, as painstakingly slow as it may feel to those of us deeply invested in these matters, the collective imagination does eventually come around, finally entertaining and investigating these fascinating dimensions of reality.

Such news emerged with fresh, startling clarity in recent weeks with the publication of a trailblazing new book titled Skinwalkers at the Pentagon: An Insiders’ Account of the Secret Government UFO Program. The book, penned by James, Lacatski, Colm Kelleher, & George Knapp, details a truly ground-breaking program known as AAWSAP – the Advanced Aerospace Weapon System Applications Program, that approached the topic of UAP – unidentified aerial phenomena – with a refreshingly broad lens, recognizing the uncanny but unmistakable connection between the UFO Phenomenon and what has come to be referred to as “high strangeness” or “the paranormal”.

It is one thing for a forward-thinking private think tank or some paradigm-challenging corner of academia to explore these matters. It is something else entirely for an official government body to do so. And yet, this is exactly the story we learn about in this book. The DIA – the Defense Intelligence Agency – steered 22 million dollars in tax-payer funds towards precisely this endeavor.

And, as is stated in the book, “AAWSAP personnel chose to launch the UAP program with as broad a scope as possible” and to “research paranormal phenomena that co-locate with UAPs and to examine psychic effects in UAP witnesses in addition to scrutinizing the core UAP technology itself.”

While this broad-reaching net was as ambitious as it was unorthodox, to say the least, ultimately the data it produced proved revelatory. And while the program seemingly opened up more new questions than it ever managed to answer, the findings are nevertheless essential, because they help to define the direction such research needs to take in the months and years to come.

It should not be surprising, however, that so many new questions emerged at the culmination of the AAWSAP program. Because, ultimately, these findings point towards the undeniable necessity to expand our current model of reality. But what were these revelations? And what do they hint towards in regards to the very fabric of what we call “the real”? These are precisely the matters we’ll seek to engage with in this, the 44th episode of the Point of Convergence podcast.

Ever since the release of videos showing images of strangely behaving vehicles officially classified as “unidentified aerial phenomena” entered the public sphere in 2017, there has been a rising tide of public and even government interest in what have more commonly and historically been referred to as UFOs – unidentified flying objects. This rise in interest crescendoed in a DoD report delivered to Congress recently, which has resulted in further speculation here in the United States, and right around the world. Not surprisingly, the speculation tends to revolve around the nature and origin of these vehicles.

As I and others predicted, the final UAPTF report delivered to the public – i.e., the unclassified version – is nebulous enough to, at times, seemingly talk out of both sides of it’s proverbial mouth. And, because of that deliberate, meticulously crafted nebulousness, conversation near and far does still touch on the possibility of these craft being those of foreign adversaries, though no one “in the know” in the government really believes that anymore, because the leap in technology is simply too great. That said, because the extraterrestrial possibly was not excluded from consideration in the report, even those who have historically steered away from speculation about non-human “visitation”, are now bridging that conversation, all across the globe.

That is in itself something to celebrate. This marks a turning point never before seen in the history of our civilization. And we really should take a moment to recognize and revel in that new reality, even if most of us who’ve been looking at the data for years, if not decades, will argue that this is of course, well overdue. But a win is a win, and we’ll take it. The conversation – which those of us really immersed in this topic know is mystifying and multifaceted – is just beginning for much of the general public, and even for many of our elected officials. But it is beginning. And again, that’s worth celebrating. One can’t finish what one hasn’t begun.

That said, when one pays close attention to the conversations that are being had, all around the world, one thing becomes clear, when the “non-human origin” possibility is breached, it is almost solely in the form of so-called extra-terrestrial visitors – i.e. physical beings who’ve travelled here from some far-flung star system in sophisticated spacecraft. In this sense, the conversation quickly jumps into the well-grooved category of “space aliens” which has been served up time and time again via our society’s entertainment industry. The “space alien” notion in media is so ubiquitous now, in fact, that most people can’t even consciously separate fact from fiction in their mind’s eye anymore – as Diana Pasulka argued in her book American Cosmic.

But those of us who’ve studied the UFO Phenomenon in a dedicated and granular way have long realized that this familiar category – namely that of “space aliens” – may only represent one small piece of a much larger puzzle. Indeed, the revelations that inevitably arise from a close study of this phenomenon seemingly give birth to a whole new set of questions for every one that it – often only tentatively – answers.

Knowing that is the case, we might ask: is the general public ready for these revelations? Can they “handle the truth” – as complex and convoluted as it apparently is? And can they stomach entering into a conversation that has not yet served up clear, unequivocal answers, even after decades of underground study? Do they even have the attention-span to do so? Unlikely, I would argue, for vast swaths of the population, anyway.

Modern human societies are simply not accustomed to this degree of unclarity about the nature of reality. And make no mistake, that’s exactly where these revelations lead – to questions about the very fabric of all that exists, and to how it is all connected. The current models of reality will not only have to be revised as a result, but they will need to be re-categorized as understandings that only apply to micro-environments, seen at a certain, local level. That, in light of the totality of all that is, these notions are almost trite and simplistic.

These are vast issues, giving way to bewildering, discombobulating questions the likes of which our civilization has never yet had to deal with in a direct way. How will this be handled? What will the process look like as it rolls out in the months and years ahead? These are the thorny – and yet, fascinating – topics we’ll endeavor to address in this, the 28th episode of the Point of Convergence podcast.