For those of us intimately familiar with the nuances of the so-called UFO Phenomenon, the question of if there is a “there” there or not is long settled. Those of us who’ve looked closely at the data gathered over the last 100 years or so – not to mention more ancient accounts that bear a striking resemblance to the descriptions of more modern encounters – have concluded that humanity is indeed being interacted with by intelligences that seem to arise from “elsewhere”.

Now, whether the nature of that “elsewhere” is another solar system or another dimension of reality is a matter of some debate. Here I will argue, as I have for some time now, that these categories are generated from a perspective on reality that is limited and incomplete, better replaced by options that both include and transcend these outdated notions. But, nevertheless, the evidence points not only to them having been here for pretty much as long as we’ve been around, but also to the very distinct likelihood that they played a major role in our seeding and later development as a species on this planet.

Beyond these often agreed upon notions comes the question regarding how many different groups of these others there are. Some will argue, based on a variety of factors, that what we may be observing is the actions of a single group or intelligence, merely presenting in different ways over time. John Keel, a very influential figure in this field, largely argued for this perspective. One of the key data points for this view is that high strangeness, psychic influence and elements of spacetime distortion are present in the vast majority of these cases. To some, startling overlap suggests a common source.

Is this the only way to square this evidence though? I would argue it is not. I believe a better fit for the data is that the ways by which these various groups of Others are traversing domains to get here is what accounts for these common elements in experiencer accounts. Truth be told, I think it is our bias towards reducing complexity whenever and wherever we can that leads many to draw upon these somewhat superficial commonalities in order to leap to the conclusion that humanity is being manipulated by some singular overarching metaforce.

Another reason why I think this being one group parading as many is not the best fit for the data is that the way these various Others interact with human beings is quite different. To speak in very broad terms, some of these groups seem to tread lightly, asking us not to fear them, and bringing messages of reconciliation and universal siblinghood. On the other end of the spectrum are groups that seem to view human beings more like how we view animals – as commodities to use towards their own ends, regardless of how much discomfort we may experience in the process. To be sure there are many interactions with groups that also fall somewhere in between these two extremes.

This variable treatment of human beings is a key data point demonstrating that these are different groups, often using similar means of “travel” – which, I will argue, is almost always interdimensional in nature. Does that mean so-called abductions are always conducted by groups of alien others who are malevolent – perhaps even the very source of evil described in ancient religious texts? Well, no I don’t think it’s quite that black and white.

Nuance will be required throughout this discussion, because, as with so much of reality, the details are complex. That said, I do believe one can begin to parse out the actions of different groups, not only working towards different aims, but motivated by very different underlying levels of consciousness development, from within the totality of the data available. And that very goal, the identification of specific patterns of contact and communication from within the overarching complexity of the data associated with the UFO Phenomenon that will be the focus of this, the 74th episode, of the Point of Convergence podcast.

As many of you may know, I recently had the opportunity to make a presentation at a very unique and powerful conference event held in the heart of Manhattan, titled “An Inquiry into Anomalous Experiences and the Phenomenon”. The event turned out to be a smashing success, both in terms of the inspiring quality of the presentations being made by a group of speakers that included yours truly, Garry Nolan, Mitch Horowitz, Tim Grieve-Calrson, and Sean Esbjörn-Hargens, but also – just as, if not more importantly – in terms of linking together a group of passionate researchers, experiencers and enthusiasts from all around the world. That feeling of a cosmic family coming together was palpable throughout.

The organizers of the event, James Iandoli of Engaging the Phenomenon, and Jay Christopher King of the Experiences Group – both good friends of mine – did a wonderful job in planning for and executing this unique event. In the end, I would say the event came off without a hitch. A great time was had by all, and – even more inspiringly – there is already a second event planned for December, and rumblings of other events of a similar nature to be held in places all across the country, and indeed overseas as well. I think this is exactly what many of us involved in the conference were hoping would happen- that this would be the catalyst for a movement, rather than just the hosting of a one-off event.

Speaking of my presentation at last weekend’s event in New York City, the event organizers have been kind enough to make the audio content of my presentation available so I can now share it with all of you, my regular audience on Point of Convergence. Much of the material will be familiar to many of you – based on previous podcast episodes. That said, this probably marks the occasion when I put it all together in the most comprehensive, overarching way yet, in terms of the implications for the ultimate nature of reality.

And with that said, let’s get to it: Here is the audio from my presentation at the “An Inquiry Into Anomalous Experiences and the Phenomenon” conference held last week in Manhattan, for this, the 73rd episode, of the Point of Convergence podcast.

In last week’s episode I postulated that part of the reason why it’s so difficult to make sense of the actions of the intelligence behind the UFO Phenomenon is because, in reality, that broad range of activity is not the result of a single actor. The data ends up looking nonsensical and contradictory to us because in one case a so-called “alien” intelligence says or does one thing, and then in the next case it does the seeming opposite. But as I argued, this apparent contradiction only exists when we assume a single intelligence and agenda is involved.

From my point of view the reality is anything but. I think what we’re dealing with is a multidimensional multiverse absolutely teeming with life. And while trickster phenomena are undoubtedly in the mix, that alone – from my point of view – doesn’t explain the bizarre mishmash of actions we see evidenced in the data. Again, I think the wide range of activity and messages attributed to these Others comes down to them being different groups – often with different agendas as well as, different sources/origins.

I also made the point in last week’s episode that, while various researchers tend to focus on one subset of the data, while ignoring, dismissing or downplaying the rest, this is the wrong approach – especially if our goal is to gain a greater understanding as to the totality of what’s going on, and to, more importantly, gain further clarity on the very fabric of ultimate reality.

I think our approach should be to attempt to identify patterns within the totality of the data. And as we do that, I think we’ll find that one particular hypothesis might better fit one aspect of the data while perhaps a different hypothesis better fits a different segment. In other words, in no way should we consider these various hypotheses to be mutually exclusive. In fact, I think it’s only in combining them within some overarching meta-conception that we can hope to achieve some semblance of clarity as to the source and nature of these various mysterious Others.

In addition to the confusion that can arise when we have data that effectively is a jumble of activity based on many different kinds of non-human intelligence, one aspect of that data that seems particularly confounding is the regularly reported humanoid form of these so-called aliens. Now, on the one hand, one might want to disregard these reports as being an anthropocentric tendency based on people who didn’t see very clearly during a certain contact or abduction experience, or who are suffering from a failing memory. And that might work, for one or a few cases. But as I already stated, these humanoid forms are described again and again and again in the UFO Phenomenon literature, so much so that we surely can’t explain this all away as blatant, inherent bias in this broad assortment of witnesses.

Not very long ago on this podcast we discussed the Future Human Hypothesis, and how this helps to elegantly explain why these Others so often appear to not only be humanoids, but actually hominids; in other words, biological beings directly descended from human beings.

But are there other possibilities that deserve consideration as a plausible explanation for their uncanny resemblance to us? I believe there are. And we’ll explore both those possibilities, as well as how various proposed hypotheses might weave together to form a fabric robust enough to contain the plurality of alien Others that have been reported over time, in this, the 51st episode of the Point of Convergence podcast.

When it comes to diving into the ultimum mysterium that is the UFO Phenomenon, someone new to the endeavor is likely to quickly find themselves surprised, and likely overwhelmed, by just how many directions this topic can quickly diverge into. In the simpler time of the early to mid 20th century, sightings of strange objects in the sky inspired earthlings to imagine the dawn of an era of visitation from other-planetary civilizations. Were these Martians or Venusians? The collective imagination of the time didn’t go much beyond that.

Of course, the nature of the conversation about the UFO Phenomenon today is in a very different place. A plain question with a few apparent options on the table – in terms of answers – has burgeoned into a much larger, multifaceted discussion not just about alien visitors traversing the immense distances of interstellar space (and we are talking interstellar at this point, because we now understand, unlike those in the early to mid 20th century, that the neighboring planets of our own solar system are decidedly lifeless and barren), but also one about parallel dimensions of reality, perhaps existing right alongside us, and – even more bewilderingly – perhaps consisting of entities that can hop back and forth between our and some of these other dimensions with the ease and regularity upon which we move from one room of a house to another.

As if that added complexity wasn’t already enough to juggle, in-depth investigations into the nature of the apparent contact experiences between these alien visitors and human beings suggest these Others, many of them anyway, are capable of manipulating human perception – and perhaps even human consciousness itself – somewhat like how we might control a puppet on a string – to the point where even the data we gather to examine the objective nature of our interactions with these Others is called into question. After all, if they can not only control what we see, taste, smell, feel and hear, but also apparently implant false memories that are indistinguishable from real events of our past, how much confidence can we have in any analysis of the data we do?

It does seem fair to say that whatever conclusions we do come to after combing through and collating this data is precisely the conclusions these Others are comfortable with us coming to. While some human beings who look into this Phenomenon find themselves feeling frustrated and helpless after having understood the degree of superiority these Others wield over us, other people are less concerned, and are perhaps even inspired and hopeful that a more advanced intelligence in our midst, perhaps here to help prevent us from rushing off the precipice of doom we’ve arrived at after centuries of self-inflicted violence and aggression.

Now, while this is undoubtedly a lot to take in, when we look at the amalgam of experiences of people who’ve had supposed contact with these Others, certain patterns do emerge – albeit with the caveat of perception control we mentioned earlier. In fact, common data points have become apparent to the point where some people have endeavored to catalog whole species of alien intelligences, resulting in so-called “almanacs of extraterrestrial species”. Of course, with such books we’re right back where we started, with a bold-faced assumption that the nature of these non-human intelligences is simply and solely extraterrestrial. A questionable conclusion, to be sure.

That said, it can be helpful to pause the process of examining new cases in order to look back at the data we’ve gathered thus far, peering over the information in its totality, to see what overarching perspectives may emerge – using both the tools of steel-toothed analysis and inspirational insight. And that ambition endeavor is exactly what we’ll embark upon in this, the 40th episode of the Point of Convergence Podcast.

Slowly but surely, and with increasing pace in recent years, the human population is waking up to the idea that our world is being visited by intelligence(s) from “elsewhere”. As our sensor systems grow ever more refined with each technological iteration, and the planet becomes increasingly populated with increasingly high definition cameras, the evidence for the presence of these “Others” will undoubtedly only grow – forcing, at some point – you would imagine – a true reckoning by human civilization. At some point, as a society, we’ll need to openly ask this question of the UFO Phenomenon: Who are they, and where do they come from?

At one point in human history the answer to the question as the origin of these visitors seemed obvious (almost to the point where the question didn’t even need to be asked, from many people’s perspective). If they weren’t human, then surely they must be from “out there”, meaning “outer space” — and more specifically, from some other planet located within some far-flung star system within the Milky Way galaxy, or perhaps some other galaxy entirely. This argument is known as the “ETH”: The Extraterrestrial Hypothesis.

But over time, several considerations combined to bring this assumption regarding the origin of these Others, into question. First there was the understanding that the sheer distances involved in such travel were so, pun intended — astronomical — that the notion of transversing that distance in something like a space craft seemed unlikely, even if such vehicles could approach the speed of light.

Secondly, the data regarding the nature of the appearances of these Others seemed peculiar. Sometimes they appeared as “nuts & bolts” craft – with rumors circulating even of crash retrievals from such vehicles, going back 70 years now – while at other times they seemed to appear more as manifestations of light, or of hyperspace kinds of objects that could transform shape right in front of an observer’s eyes.

And then thirdly, there is the contributing factor of our evolving sense of the nature of the Cosmos; the very fabric of reality itself. In the last 100 years or so, science has postulated not just the 3+1 dimensions of reality we’re familiar with, but something more like a matrix of 10 or more dimensions, as one finds described in String Theory. Thus the notion of reality being a fabric of fixed space, where “travel” always necessitated movement from one fixed space to another in one physical universe began to be called into question.

Add to the mix that these “Others” look rather humanoid, and that they — in some form of another — may have been here all along, going back into the depths of human history, and beyond — has led some to postulate the source of these Others as being not so much merely “extraterrestrial”, as “interdimensional”. But what does this term suggest, exactly? Is this a reference to the extra dimensions posited in String Theory, or to the notion of a multiverse, or something else entirely? These are issues that are perhaps just as complex to unravel as they are intriguing to engage with. But that’s exactly what we’ll attempt in this, the 10th episode of the Point of Convergence podcast.

Dr. Jacques Vallee is often considered ufology’s gold standard. By bringing the entire scope of human history to bear, he’s taken the discussion of the UFO Phenomenon to another level. While Vallee began his career as a UFO researcher championing the idea that these aerial vehicles were spacecraft being piloted either by beings from another non-human civilization, or via their representative artificial intelligence, he eventually grew to reconsider and doubt that hypothesis.

Today, while he doesn’t exclude the idea that, at least some of these UAPs represent space traveling civilizations who originate from some far-flung star system within our own physical universe, he’s come to believe — based on the mountains of data available, much of which he’s personally compiled and combed — that a much more complex and, in his words, “interesting” explanation is likely. This more interesting explanation involves interdimensional entities, and intelligences that may have been “here” all along, popping in and out of our own dimension and/or perception, and perhaps shaping human history along the way.

How does this non-human intelligence do this? How does it effectively manage human evolution? They do it via what Jacques refers to as a “control system”. Vallee’s control system hypothesis is the topic of this, the 7th edition of the Point of Convergence podcast.