Jeff Crowell
Paranormal Annoyance
In a recent episode of The Paracast, Leslie Keane expressed dismay and disappointment in the pop culture and woo-woo elements that were prominent at a UFO conference she attended within the last few weeks. It concerned Leslie that these other two elements of UFO publicity were set side-by-side with serious UFO researchers, however this trio of worlds regarding UFO’s may be more self-sustaining that many of us want to consider. Specifically the three are; serious UFO research, UFO pop culture, and the woo-woo factor.
Serious Research
…offers us hope of discovering the origins and sourcing of the UFO/UAP events reported globally. Regardless of the chances of that hope being realized, anybody who’s even touched on this topic possesses that hope, and serious study into the phenomenon may, someday yield some answers. Also there is another hope that the actual sourcing of UFO experiences may actually reveal itself to the human species based on our persistence in its study alone. The downside of serious research, however is raw, cold, hard cash. There really isn’t any of it contributed to this cause. To add to the deficit in funding for such research there is a severe lack of trained personnel and equipment that’s assigned to the cause. Essentially, even if you have the money that doesn’t mean you have the equipment or the training to use it in a genuinely scientific manner.
UFO Pop Culture
War of the Worlds, ET, and Battle: Los Angeles , countless other movies, books, comics, radio shows and podcasts…the list goes on and on. UFO’s permeate pop culture and offer an aspect of escapism in a public assaulted by high taxes, higher unemployment, a failing government, and down-right misery. Ultimately UFO pop culture is fun. I recently watched the alien movie Paul and very much enjoyed the vision of driving across the American Southwest visiting all of the UFO and alien hotspots. Also, as Leslie admitted in the episode, UFO pop culture tends to rake in money. There is profit to be made there, and the right kind of entreprenure can blend UFO pop culture with UFO research into a perpetual system with one paying for the other. Of course the downside to pop culture is the laugh-factor associated with it. Just mention “aliens” or “UFO’s” to a member of the general public and you’re bound to get responses along the line of “phone home!” or “na-nu, na-nu.” Because of this “silliness” surrounding UFO pop culture it should be segregated from serious research and discussion. If both are to exist in a conference, the vendor booth and conference rooms displaying pop culture aspects of UFO entertainment should be completely separate from the conference rooms where serious discussions and serious forums are taking place so that participants of one could completely avoid the other if desired. Ultimately serious research, however, is just going to have to learn to live in harmony with its more popular sibling.
The Woo-woo Crowd
It’s not too much of a stretch to say that most people involved in UFO research wouldn’t mind if the woo-woo crowd up-and-disappeared completely. Unfortunately that’s unlikely. Of all three elements of the UFO phenomenon, the woo-woo element offers the least benefit and the greatest detriment. In a nut-shell (pun intended) the woo-woo crowd considers UFO’s and aliens along the lines of a religious belief system. This goes far beyond pop culture into the realm of belief and religious fervor, from channeling alien intelligences to the idea that members of the government are actually evil reptilian aliens, such gullible people make even the pop culture enthusiast look bad. In regards to the woo-woo crowd about the only thing you can do is roll them out of the serious UFO conferences and force them into their own conferences and events where such like-minded people can gather and ‘woo-woo’ to their hearts desire.
Sometimes the line is pretty thin between these three aspects of UFO ideals in the public eye but that line needs to remain defined. I believe this will help ease the frustration and disappointment felt by serious researchers such as Leslie Keane and others, while at the same time allowing general, unintelligent folk like me to engage in the fun of the pop culture, even while I sneak into one of Leslie’s presentations while wearing an aluminum foil hat!
Peace.
Serious Research
…offers us hope of discovering the origins and sourcing of the UFO/UAP events reported globally. Regardless of the chances of that hope being realized, anybody who’s even touched on this topic possesses that hope, and serious study into the phenomenon may, someday yield some answers. Also there is another hope that the actual sourcing of UFO experiences may actually reveal itself to the human species based on our persistence in its study alone. The downside of serious research, however is raw, cold, hard cash. There really isn’t any of it contributed to this cause. To add to the deficit in funding for such research there is a severe lack of trained personnel and equipment that’s assigned to the cause. Essentially, even if you have the money that doesn’t mean you have the equipment or the training to use it in a genuinely scientific manner.
UFO Pop Culture
War of the Worlds, ET, and Battle: Los Angeles , countless other movies, books, comics, radio shows and podcasts…the list goes on and on. UFO’s permeate pop culture and offer an aspect of escapism in a public assaulted by high taxes, higher unemployment, a failing government, and down-right misery. Ultimately UFO pop culture is fun. I recently watched the alien movie Paul and very much enjoyed the vision of driving across the American Southwest visiting all of the UFO and alien hotspots. Also, as Leslie admitted in the episode, UFO pop culture tends to rake in money. There is profit to be made there, and the right kind of entreprenure can blend UFO pop culture with UFO research into a perpetual system with one paying for the other. Of course the downside to pop culture is the laugh-factor associated with it. Just mention “aliens” or “UFO’s” to a member of the general public and you’re bound to get responses along the line of “phone home!” or “na-nu, na-nu.” Because of this “silliness” surrounding UFO pop culture it should be segregated from serious research and discussion. If both are to exist in a conference, the vendor booth and conference rooms displaying pop culture aspects of UFO entertainment should be completely separate from the conference rooms where serious discussions and serious forums are taking place so that participants of one could completely avoid the other if desired. Ultimately serious research, however, is just going to have to learn to live in harmony with its more popular sibling.
The Woo-woo Crowd
It’s not too much of a stretch to say that most people involved in UFO research wouldn’t mind if the woo-woo crowd up-and-disappeared completely. Unfortunately that’s unlikely. Of all three elements of the UFO phenomenon, the woo-woo element offers the least benefit and the greatest detriment. In a nut-shell (pun intended) the woo-woo crowd considers UFO’s and aliens along the lines of a religious belief system. This goes far beyond pop culture into the realm of belief and religious fervor, from channeling alien intelligences to the idea that members of the government are actually evil reptilian aliens, such gullible people make even the pop culture enthusiast look bad. In regards to the woo-woo crowd about the only thing you can do is roll them out of the serious UFO conferences and force them into their own conferences and events where such like-minded people can gather and ‘woo-woo’ to their hearts desire.
Sometimes the line is pretty thin between these three aspects of UFO ideals in the public eye but that line needs to remain defined. I believe this will help ease the frustration and disappointment felt by serious researchers such as Leslie Keane and others, while at the same time allowing general, unintelligent folk like me to engage in the fun of the pop culture, even while I sneak into one of Leslie’s presentations while wearing an aluminum foil hat!
Peace.
I just had my reasons for seeing spiritual confirmation. Can't even really remember much about it now. My friend is a scientist complete with a legitimate PHD. Not a fake one from M.I.T. He explained the rainbow is caused by the reflection and refraction of sunlight through water droplets in the atmosphere. I knew that. Point is the thing I was describing was different than the thing he was seeing. Was he right? Absolutely. Was I right? Of course. But, I can never, ever prove that to my friend with a test tube. Of course he will never, ever prove to me that we are here by chance and there is no higher purpose in the world. He later studied Buddism so I guess I had some affect. I later became much more agnostic so I guess he had some effect. Anyway, I'm afraid some subjects may always be in danger of falling into woo woo land.
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