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.