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perspective on reality that is limited and incomplete, better replaced by options that both include and transcend these outdated notions.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.

For anyone who’s spent any degree of time and energy researching the collective enigma known as the UFO Phenomenon one thing is clear, this topic is as elusive – almost absurdly so – as it is obsessively fascinating. Not only do the manifestations of these phenomena, in and of themselves, tantalize, mesmerize and bewilder anyone who’s paying close attention to the bizarre array of feats performed by the apparently non-humanly crafted aerial vehicles coined “UFOs” or “UAP”, but the way the intelligences behind this phenomenon are able to manipulate human perception and/or experience, only further complicates this already murky – if astonishing and invigorating – subject matter.

Regardless of how someone enters this conversation – whether that be as a result of a personal “nuts n’ bolts” interest in next-gen technology and/or an interaction with an intelligent, non-human biological species, or via a profoundly spiritual personal encounter with entities that are perceived as so superior and “otherworldly” that an expression like “celestial being” seems more appropriate than a blunt and crude term like “alien”, this subject matter quickly expands into a wide-reaching and profound mystery; one that inevitably leads to questions about the very nature of reality itself.

With decades of data now behind us, there have been no shortage of hypotheses put forth to try to explain the nature, meaning, and origin of this phenomenon. Of course, sometimes a particular hypothesis put forward will say as much about the worldview of the group proposing it, as it does the nature of the encounters themselves. And this is of course because – regardless of how discombobulating these experiences can be for witnesses and contactees/abductees – at the end of the day, as with anything, we have to try to make sense of them by slotting them into pre-ordained possibilities dictated by our reality paradigm.

Even when a researcher tries to focus on a singular aspect of the data, often an honest, thorough assessment of reports will quickly lead the inquiry into another area altogether. And that often creates understandable confusion. For instance, oftentimes these events are so complex that one is left wondering if the psychological aspect somehow manifests the apparent physicality, or vice versa.

By way of example, when physical phenomena are observed – that supposedly violate our very notions of physics – of how we assume the world works – we’re left wondering: does this mean our perception is being played with somehow, or that our very understanding of reality is being exposed as woefully incomplete – if not almost wholly misguided?

As mentioned already, over the last several decades a wide variety of hypotheses have been advanced to try to make sense of the UFO Phenomenon. So many possible explanations have emerged, in fact, that any attempt to keep track of the plethora of proposed explanations can in itself be dizzying. That said, one way one can organize these various hypotheses into a digestible and comprehensible whole is to view them from three different “high altitude” perspectives: the psychic, the physical and the transphysical. And that’s exactly the approach we’ll employ to make sense of this enigmatic topic in this, the 25th episode of the Point of Convergence podcast.