Yes or No question

[TClaeys]

Time for a general consensus. We have heard the stories, listened endlessly to the bobbleheads, watched pure hoaxes arise in our culture, made our own conclusions. Now I ask the question.

Has Earth been visited by intelligent beings that don't originate here?

It's difficult to word the question so it doesn't just encompass ETH. This could be ultra-dimensional, ETH, but I suppose not crypto's unless they voyaged here long ago and have rooted down somewhere.

You have the right to be wrong and to change your view but at this point what do you think?

The only acceptable answers are YES or NO. Panspermia doesn't count as a YES, I think that is a different topic altogether.

 

[Rick Deckard]

I see no 'barriers' that would prevent that possibility - so I say, in all probability, yes.

Perhaps the question should be "Have any advanced non-human intelligences visited or inhabited the Earth in it's long history"?

 

[fitzbew88]

Has Earth been visited by intelligent beings that don't originate here?

Yes (with a *personal* 90% confidence level)

/not 100%
//something is messing with us
///I'm skeptical about crypto-terrestrial, but open-minded
////not sure we will ever know with certainty

 

[Rick Deckard]

Has Earth been visited by intelligent beings that don't originate here?

Of course, there is also the possibility that the human race originated elsewhere...

 

[Ankhes]

I am not an expert in this subject by any means but am very interested and wanting to learn more. But from what I am aware of so far from this show, some books, and various documentaries (which I know are biased one way or the other) if I am pressed for an answer I would say "no." To me this is the more likely answer. I am definately open to the possibility that we have been visited, whether by extra-terrestrials or crypto-terrestrials but the jury is still out for me.

I am aware I am in the minority here. But I am definately open to being wrong!

 

[Rick Deckard]

I am aware I am in the minority here. But I am definately open to being wrong!

That's exactly the attitude to have - I don't mind being proven wrong, I see it as an opportunity to 'grow'.

 

[mike]

Yes. i think so

 

[JAS]

I don't need the "Roswell Incident" to be proven authentic to know that an intelligence from beyond our realm is interacting with this world. Firsthand experiences throughout my life, let alone the testimony of so many others, tell me that this is so.

I'm hesitant to classify the beings as "aliens" because I'm not sure from where they originate. Perhaps they were here before we humans.

Sometimes I wonder whether humanity is merely a science fair experiment that is being conducted by a higher intelligence -- or if the essential purpose of human life is to be a transmission system of DNA from one generation to the next, like a fire brigade passes buckets of water, for the ultimate benefit of another intelligence.

The subject of extraterrestrials and UFOs is a huge metaphysical challenge to comprehend. I continually try to make sense of it all and search for explanations.

 

[Ankhes]

This is such a difficult subject for me to take a stance on, even if only for the moment. I will likely change my views with the more knowledge that I gain but chose "no" for now. For now the very idea of cryptos, alien visitors, and grand conspiracies are akin to fairies in the bottom of my garden - they seem very fanciful. I'm not saying they are not possible, but for my present view just not very likely. But heck...sometimes I think they are quite possible and likely. I truly am on the fence for the moment. But that is what I appreciate by being skeptical. Not "skeptical" as in the common usage where people use the word when they really mean "cynic," but skeptical in that I am happy to change my mind as credible evidence emerges. To me that is what a being skeptical is all about.

And as Rick Deckard says, it gives a great opportunity to grow. I enjoy that. And that is one reason I enjoy the Paracast so much. I can hear different sides to the issue and not only get the die-hard cynics and the die-hard believers. This is a much better way to get closer to the truth, I think.

 

[Rick Deckard]

This is such a difficult subject for me to take a stance on, even if only for the moment. I will likely change my views with the more knowledge that I gain but chose "no" for now. For now the very idea of cryptos, alien visitors, and grand conspiracies are akin to fairies in the bottom of my garden - they seem very fanciful. I'm not saying they are not possible, but for my present view just not very likely. But heck...sometimes I think they are quite possible and likely. I truly am on the fence for the moment. But that is what I appreciate by being skeptical. Not "skeptical" as in the common usage where people use the word when they really mean "cynic," but skeptical in that I am happy to change my mind as credible evidence emerges. To me that is what a being skeptical is all about.

About 12 months ago, I posted my views on 'the middle ground' and true-skeptics versus fanatical/psuedo-skeptics.

I try not to have a 'polar' opinion on anything - for me, that is the only position a true skeptic can take. It sounds like a cliché, but I really do believe that you cannot be 100% sure of anything.

So, I maintain a 'shades of grey' approach on everything.

I'm about 90% convinced that other intelligences exist and therefore see no reason why they wouldn't arrive here at some point. I'm about 95% sure that there is no God in the biblical sense while at the same time being about 60% sure that something god-like in nature may connect us all.

It's a difficult stance to maintain when the majority of people (outside of these forums at least) seem to have made up their minds (or had it made up for them) about every important issue. Media, Governments (through the scientific and educational institutions), peers and family are all shaping our personal perceptions of reality. Some beliefs are arrived at, some are taught and some are handed down.

I think that the more people that realise this, the easier the transition from one paradigm to another will be - i.e. Full Disclosure.

 

[CapnG]

Given that the Earth is 4 billion years old and the universe is theoretically infinite (to say nothing of other dimensions) I would have to say the odds of the answer being "no" would be remote in the extreme, so YES.

 

[schticknz]

Nope ... sorry its neither a yes nor no answer for me. For me its only 'possibly' ... since the universe is 3 or so times older than the earth/solar system it is indeed possible that another civilisation became space-faring at a much earlier stage of the universe's history and visited the earth at some point.

Until anyone comes up with definite proof that another civilisation visited the earth at some point during its history, I have to sit on the fence. For me its not a black and white question.

schtick

p.s. all those anomalous artifacts found over the years (the ringed spheres etc) may be possible proof of visitation but until someone has 100% proof that they are, I cannot say 'yes' or 'no'.

 

[Rick Deckard]

Given that the Earth is 4 billion years old and the universe is theoretically infinite (to say nothing of other dimensions) I would have to say the odds of the answer being "no" would be remote in the extreme, so YES.

Nothing wrong with that logic. I think it's very fair to suggest that it is far more like that we are not the only advanced race in the universe than it is to suggest that we are.

p.s. all those anomalous artifacts found over the years (the ringed spheres etc) may be possible proof of visitation but until someone has 100% proof that they are, I cannot say 'yes' or 'no'.

Good - any ideas about what would constitute 100% proof? Really, I am being serious - I've no idea how you would prove something like that.

 

[TClaeys]

Nope ... sorry its neither a yes nor no answer for me. For me its only 'possibly' ... since the universe is 3 or so times older than the earth/solar system it is indeed possible that another civilisation became space-faring at a much earlier stage of the universe's history and visited the earth at some point.

Until anyone comes up with definite proof that another civilisation visited the earth at some point during its history, I have to sit on the fence. For me its not a black and white question.

Come on Schtick!! It's not like there is a right and wrong answer. Well, then again I suppose there is, but we'll likely never know. In the meantime it's just a best guess at this point and time. I mean, what do you think yes or no?? You don't have to subscribe to any lifelong definite answer, you can even change your mind tomorrow.

Well, don't mean to be hard on you cuz Im in the same boat. I have such a hard time answering this question that I thought I would start this poll. I'm a little surprised there aren't more NO's(thanks Ankhes for your honesty, it's a terribly tough question). And since I'm calling you out, I guess I better answer as well.

Even as I'm getting ready to answer I'm having a hard time. I'm that much on the fence. But I'll have to say Yes for now. It's more a philosophical answer than maybe even realistic. The major hurdle as I see it is travel (assuming ETH). However, there may be some things about the universe that we don't fully know. Imagine that right?

Anyway given the fact that our entire civilization is but a blip in time between ice-ages and we are, ourselves, traversing space it seems reasonable, perhaps very likely, that other life may do it as well. And had we got an earlier start, an earlier death to the dinosaurs, we might be in a much different position.

How we would get somewhere else in a cosmically realistic timeframe is another discussion. Like I said it is a philosophical answer. I think life has to be abundant throughout the universe even though we haven't yet detected it. So for now, even though it pains me to answer even my own question I'll have to lean slightly to saying YES we have been visited. There, see that wasn't too terrible.

Care to reconsider answering the question Schtick?? It's all in fun and I won't hold you to it. Trust me I'm nearly as close to a no as a yes. But if you had to answer, .......

 

[Ankhes]

Thanks for that, TClaeys! I was getting a bit nervous being the only "no" on here. It is sort of lonely. : ) But I'm glad I jumped in. The water's fine.

 

[Rick Deckard]

I think life has to be abundant throughout the universe even though we haven't yet detected it.

Well, you could look at it this way - if the evolution of the human race was a totally natural process (i.e. no divine intervention) then that fact alone must tell us that life has probably evolved in a similar way on planets with characteristics similar to our own.

In other words, you could argue that our existence alone is proof enough that intelligent life exists elsewhere.

 

[mike]

scroll down...........
Enhance.............

Well, you could look at it this way - if the evolution of the human race was a totally natural process (i.e. no divine intervention) then that fact alone must tell us that life has probably evolved in a similar way on planets with characteristics similar to our own.

The science of past performance Mr Deckard ?

that fact alone MUST tell us ?

i have this horrible realisation ive been preaching to the choir.........

 

[schticknz]

Care to reconsider answering the question Schtick?? It's all in fun and I won't hold you to it. Trust me I'm nearly as close to a no as a yes. But if you had to answer, .......

Ok ... well here goes ... ummm yeeee ... noooo

Is that sufficient ?? ... only kidding

Actually I'm more towards the yes end of the spectrum I guess ... I think its more probable than not that we've been visited at some time ... so ... go on ... I'll say yes for now.

(blimey talk about extracting and answer with extreme intent to cause injury )

And ... also if Joseph Farrell is right about his hypothesis, and that the Giza Pyramids were indeed an ancient form of super-weapon ... count me in as a definite 'yes'

(p.s. must cut down on the number of smilies ... starting to get a bit addicted ... damn ... damn again ... damn ... arrghhh caught in a looop ...)

 

[Miah]

The question leaves open the possibility of demons/angels as well, just sayin. So any Bible believer would answer yes to this poll.

I can't answer anything I don't know for sure.

 

[Rick Deckard]

The science of past performance Mr Deckard ?

that fact alone MUST tell us ?

i have this horrible realisation ive been preaching to the choir.........

Well, not really. I'm offering a possible argument that you could put forward - that's not the same as me stating that fact with 'certainty'.

I think I need to say this more about myself and why I use these forums:

I am not CERTAIN of anything. I participate here to throw around ideas and see what sticks. I'm not here to persuade anyone of anything or change anyone's mind about anything - I'm here to see if MY mind can be changed. I sometimes take a contrary stance to my own beliefs in order to test them. I often find myself questioning my own understanding. I often find myself defending ideas that I don't necessarily agree with or support, just to see how firm those ideas are. I think people sometimes misunderstand my approach and become either frustrated or confused when I appear to 'flip flop' from one side of an argument to another. The reality is that I don't have any answers; only questions.