"Wonders in the Sky" - New Jacques Vallée/Chris Aubeck book coming in October

[Trajanus]

True, but one should also be cautious about overthinking things to the point of distorting them. Sometimes a duck is just a duck.

Was reading over Kelly Cahill's account again earlier today and I can't even decide what the answer for that one case is let alone the entire phenomenon. There are aspects of it that seem to argue for ETs and ones that seem to point in the direction of something as bonkers as demons. Why would angels or demons cavort around in a flying saucer of all things? And why might ETs drop clues insinuating they are something spiritual? Beats me. This subject is infinitely confusing. The only thing I feel fairly certain about is that the phenomenon gets a kick out of keeping us guessing.

And much more. Like I said before, keeping us guessing keeps us immobilized. As long as there's apparent uncertainty about what we're dealing with, there's no final conclusion, hence no action based on it. They've kept us going around in circles, arguing the same stuff endlessly, while they proceed with their agenda.

 

[Sean Elifritz]

And much more. Like I said before, keeping us guessing keeps us immobilized. As long as there's apparent uncertainty about what we're dealing with, there's no final conclusion, hence no action based on it. They've kept us going around in circles, arguing the same stuff endlessly, while they proceed with their agenda.

Ha ha, your language there is almost identical to the way mine was a couple of years ago. My thinking on this subject goes in phases. Talk to me in 6 month intervals and my opinions can be very different.

---------- Post added at 10:50 AM ---------- Previous post was at 10:37 AM ----------

I watched a documentary yesterday called The Quantum Activist. Really got me thinking about this subject and wondering if UFOs and all other paranormal subjects might not relate to the ideas put forward in that film. I'm not a religious person but another thing I liked about that movie is that it reflected my instincts about what spirituality might be if there really is a soul better than established religion does. I look at Christianity, the Muslim faith, etc., and I just tune out instantly. Immediately my gut says, "That can't be right."

 

[Trajanus]

I think it makes a difference. Aliens from outer space, particularly ones that distort and lie and are secretive, seem to pack quite a bit of potential for hostility. But something that is connected to the Earth and has been around forever seems less threatening to me. After all, if something like that has been playing tricks on humanity for thousands of years then it seems likely that they will continue to do so for thousands more with no sort of endgame in sight. But I think that with actual ETs the potential to reach some sort of conclusion is higher, and that could be bad or good.

I think the key difference is that aliens i.e. beings like us just farther ahead, are "playing on our chessboard." They have the same basic needs, and could fulfill them at our expense, just like europeans displaced primitive natives. Beings from an altogether different realm of existence could manage fine without our earth, genes or what not; we're less likely to face competition from them. ETs, in contrast, may compete with us for the same world or worlds, someday.

Then you've got the spiritual angle. Some people think these are angels or demons. Either would be evidence for a possible afterlife of some sort and I think just about everybody is hopeful something like that exists. But plain ol' aliens from space offers no such comfort.

Unless, as some suggest, there's a technological solution, maybe downloading our consciousness into an immortal android.

 

[trainedobserver]

Unless, as some suggest, there's a technological solution, maybe downloading our consciousness into an immortal android.

An interesting novel that explores that is Mind Transfer by Janet Asimov.

 

[Trajanus]

An interesting novel that explores that is Mind Transfer by Janet Asimov.

On some other board they've been discussing research into a "post-biological existence."

 

[trainedobserver]

On some other board they've been discussing research into a "post-biological existence."

I think that is all fantasy. The human mind and personality are part and parcel the actual physical structure of the brain. The mind emerges from the activity within that physical structure and is not a set of data constrained by rules like a software program that you can download into a machine and run or otherwise "hosted." But what do I know?

 

[NTS]

Agree. If we somehow duplicated a brain, the new brain would have its own consciousness. It might THINK its mind had been transferred from the original though because it would have the same memories.

 

[Kieran]

of some sort.



I've seen that video a dozen times or more. I've got the entire program on disc and in an .avi on my computer. Those images are just a recreation, of course.

So the video shows a different image of the alien seen by Kelly, a recreation to me can still be a portrait of what she actually saw, so that is were I was confused. It late here so half asleep as it is!

 

[Artyom]

FYI it's available on the iBooks store for $17.00 I'm reading the free sample now