The Paracast Newsletter
August 25, 2024
www.theparacast.com
Join Curt Collins for a Fearless UFO Roundtable Covering Luis Elizondo's Book, "Imminent," Pop Culture and More on The Paracast!
The Paracast is released every Sunday and available from our site, https://www.theparacast.com, your favorite podcast app, and the IRN Internet Radio Network. All episodes from 2022, 2023 and 2024 now feature better audio and fewer ads. We are also re-releasing some of our most popular classic episodes.
WHAT DO YOU MEAN YOU HAVEN'T SIGNED UP FOR THE PARACAST+ YET? PLEASE SUBSCRIBE TO THE PARACAST+ SO YOU CAN SUPPORT THE SHOW AND ENJOY THE ULTIMATE PARACAST EXPERIENCE AT A SPECIAL LOW PRICE! We have another radio show and we’d love for you listen to it. So for a low subscription fee, you will receive access to an exclusive bonus podcast, After The Paracast, plus a special version of The Paracast with all the ads removed, when you join The Paracast+. We also offer a special RSS feed for easy updates of the latest episodes on your device. Episodes are now released 12-24 hours earlier. Flash! Take advantage of our lowest rates ever! Act now! It's easier than ever to susbcribe! For the easiest signup ever, please visit: https://www.theparacast.plus
This Week's Episode: Gene and cohost Tim Swartz welcome guest cohost Curt Collins to a fearless UFO Roundtable. The main item on the agenda is the arrival of "Imminent: Inside the Pentagon's Hunt for UFOs" from Luis Elizondo, a former intelligence officer and a former part of a Pentagon UAP project. And what about the serious errors reported in the book? There will also be a discussion of the influences of flying saucers on pop culture. After a career in retail management Curt began writing about UFOs, with a special interest in re-investigating the paradoxical 1980 Texas Cash-Landrum case. He is the author behind the website The Saucers That Time Forgot, along with Claude Falkstrom, focused on unearthing “tales that UFO history has overlooked, or would rather forget.” Curt's work has been featured in documentaries and television shows, and he made a brief appearance in the 2015 documentary "Cosmic Whistleblowers" by Simon Sharman, and was an uncredited consultant for: Hangar 1 episode “UFOs Over Texas” 5/22/15, History Channel and NASA’s Unexplained Files episode “Top Secret Terror” 3/5/15, Science Channel.
After The Paracast — Available exclusively for Paracast+ subscribers on August 25: Our fearless UFO Roundtable continues with guest cohost Curt Collins joining Gene and cohost Tim Swartzto discuss a variety of topics. Included are: The sci-fi and UFO connection and the negative reaction by some sci-fi authors, Gene's reaction to the rock books discovered by Richard S. Shaver, pop culture influences, TV commercials featuring flying saucers, and how we might adapt to the presence of alien visitors. And what if they have a bad odor? After a career in retail management Curt began writing about UFOs, with a special interest in re-investigating the paradoxical 1980 Texas Cash-Landrum case. He is the author behind the website The Saucers That Time Forgot, along with Claude Falkstrom, focused on unearthing “tales that UFO history has overlooked, or would rather forget.” Curt's work has been featured in documentaries and television shows, and he made a brief appearance in the 2015 documentary "Cosmic Whistleblowers" by Simon Sharman, and was an uncredited consultant for: Hangar 1 episode “UFOs Over Texas” 5/22/15, History Channel and NASA’s Unexplained Files episode “Top Secret Terror” 3/5/15, Science Channel.
Reminder: Please don't forget to visit our famous Paracast Community Forums for the latest news/views/debates on all things paranormal: The Paracast Community Forums.
The UFO topic is not unique in that many others contain a mix of truth and falsehoods. Unsupported by facts, sensational news stories have driven unreal things to accepted as genuine, even by authorities. The 2023 book, The Reliability of UFO Witness Testimony, is a collection of essays edited by V.J. Ballester-Olmos. Dr. Richard Noll, Associate Professor of Psychology at DeSales University in Pennsylvania, wrote chapter 10, “Satanists, Aliens and Me.” Noll approaches the UFO discussion informed by his experience of the public’s hysteria about satanism, ritualistic abuse, and memories “recovered” using hypnosis in the 80s and 90s.
“In 1990 many psychiatrists, psychologists and social workers, police and judges and prosecutors, feminist scholars and child abuse experts, and a large section of the general public…all believe[d] in the reality of these satanic cults.…I concluded then – and stand by it now – that [satanic ritual abuse] beliefs and claims are evidence of a modern version of a paranoid mass delusion – and one in which all too many clinicians and law enforcement officials also share.”
The “experts” and politicians duped into believing caused the public to be misled, perpetuating the superstitions and witch hunts. Something similar is in play today with the second-hand testimonies of UFOs and aliens.
Recently, a casual acquaintance, a well-educated professional, emailed me. He’s a military reservist, who’d become interested by media attention to reports of Navy UFO encounters. He had worked with Admiral Tim Gallaudet while he was stationed in the state and found him to be a “Great guy and a patriot.” Gallaudet appeared on a podcast (the Shawn Ryan Show, May 28, 2024) talking about UAPs, and the acquaintance was interested in my thoughts on the discussion. Tim Gallaudet is a PhD, a retired U.S. Navy Rear Admiral, and former Administrator at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). He’s currently the CEO of Ocean STL Consulting, and is connected with three UAP organizations, as a research affiliate for Avi Loeb’s Galileo Project, an Advisory Board member for Ryan Graves’ Americans for Safe Aerospace, and also for Garry Nolan’s Sol Foundation.
The interview had much in common with the paper Gallaudet had written on unidentified submersible objects (USOs), “Beneath the Surface: We May Learn More about UAP by Looking in the Ocean.” The problem is he uses UFO books, magazines and videos as sources. (Link Beneath the Surface: We May Learn More about UAP by Looking in the Ocean – The Sol Foundation)
After watching the podcast, my reply:
“Thank you for the tip on the tip on the Admiral Gallaudet interview. It’s always interesting when prominent and credible figures take an interest in the topic.
“Unfortunately, he’s relying on some weak figures with credibility deficits, and it’s caused him to accept and operate on some faulty premises. He admits he’s only been involved in the topic for two years, and I’d expect before long he’ll reevaluate some of the propaganda he’s been fed by Lue Elizondo and Chris Mellon.
“The UAP situation is not a new one, but since 2017, agenda-driven activists have propelled public interest and even driven legislation to investigate the topic. On the face of it, a good thing, but sadly, a lot of it has been backed by false and misleading information. At first, it was supported by legitimate (but inconclusive) videos, but in the years since, it’s been largely supplanted by a cult-like following of Lue Elizondo, now driven more by belief than reason.
“I’m optimistic that the people with a legitimate interest in a scientific study of the UAP topic will hang on and not be too distracted by the charlatans, hucksters, and myth-makers.”
I’d hoped this was the beginning of the conversation, but so far, no. Gallaudet was persuaded by hearsay from credentialed authority figures, and now he’s persuading others. His role in the UAP organizations boosts their credibility. Using celebrities and authority figures to promote a product is an old advertising technique still in use. A 1946 ad stated, “More doctors smoke Camels than any other cigarette.”
Many UFO advocates feel that anything that brings attention to the topic is positive, like the old saying, “There’s no such thing as bad publicity.” Having government and military figures become celebrities does make the UFO topic easier to package and promote in the media. It does little or nothing to promote investigation and understating of the phenomena, though. We seemed to reach a point where UFOs were being taken seriously by scientists, but that’s being overshadowed by individuals and organizations vying for attention and dollars. The show business side of Ufology has been there from the start, and above anything else, “The show must go on.”
Curtis L. Collins is the author behind Blue Blurry Lines, the website focused on the UFO mystery, as well as its legends and hoaxes. After a career in retail management Curt began writing about UFOs, with a special interest in re-investigating the paradoxical 1980 Texas Cash-Landrum case.
In 2015 Curt was on the investigative team, the Roswell Slides Research Group, that exposed the BeWitness alien photo fiasco. In 2017 he launched The Saucers That Time Forgot with Yvan Defoy, focused on unearthing “tales that UFO history has overlooked, or would rather forget.” Curt lives in the southern United States, near Jackson, Mississippi.
Copyright 1999-2024 The Paracast Company. All Rights Reserved.
Privacy Policy: Your personal information is safe with us. We will positively never give out your name and/or e-mail address to anybody else, and that's a promise!
August 25, 2024
www.theparacast.com
Join Curt Collins for a Fearless UFO Roundtable Covering Luis Elizondo's Book, "Imminent," Pop Culture and More on The Paracast!
The Paracast is released every Sunday and available from our site, https://www.theparacast.com, your favorite podcast app, and the IRN Internet Radio Network. All episodes from 2022, 2023 and 2024 now feature better audio and fewer ads. We are also re-releasing some of our most popular classic episodes.
WHAT DO YOU MEAN YOU HAVEN'T SIGNED UP FOR THE PARACAST+ YET? PLEASE SUBSCRIBE TO THE PARACAST+ SO YOU CAN SUPPORT THE SHOW AND ENJOY THE ULTIMATE PARACAST EXPERIENCE AT A SPECIAL LOW PRICE! We have another radio show and we’d love for you listen to it. So for a low subscription fee, you will receive access to an exclusive bonus podcast, After The Paracast, plus a special version of The Paracast with all the ads removed, when you join The Paracast+. We also offer a special RSS feed for easy updates of the latest episodes on your device. Episodes are now released 12-24 hours earlier. Flash! Take advantage of our lowest rates ever! Act now! It's easier than ever to susbcribe! For the easiest signup ever, please visit: https://www.theparacast.plus
This Week's Episode: Gene and cohost Tim Swartz welcome guest cohost Curt Collins to a fearless UFO Roundtable. The main item on the agenda is the arrival of "Imminent: Inside the Pentagon's Hunt for UFOs" from Luis Elizondo, a former intelligence officer and a former part of a Pentagon UAP project. And what about the serious errors reported in the book? There will also be a discussion of the influences of flying saucers on pop culture. After a career in retail management Curt began writing about UFOs, with a special interest in re-investigating the paradoxical 1980 Texas Cash-Landrum case. He is the author behind the website The Saucers That Time Forgot, along with Claude Falkstrom, focused on unearthing “tales that UFO history has overlooked, or would rather forget.” Curt's work has been featured in documentaries and television shows, and he made a brief appearance in the 2015 documentary "Cosmic Whistleblowers" by Simon Sharman, and was an uncredited consultant for: Hangar 1 episode “UFOs Over Texas” 5/22/15, History Channel and NASA’s Unexplained Files episode “Top Secret Terror” 3/5/15, Science Channel.
After The Paracast — Available exclusively for Paracast+ subscribers on August 25: Our fearless UFO Roundtable continues with guest cohost Curt Collins joining Gene and cohost Tim Swartzto discuss a variety of topics. Included are: The sci-fi and UFO connection and the negative reaction by some sci-fi authors, Gene's reaction to the rock books discovered by Richard S. Shaver, pop culture influences, TV commercials featuring flying saucers, and how we might adapt to the presence of alien visitors. And what if they have a bad odor? After a career in retail management Curt began writing about UFOs, with a special interest in re-investigating the paradoxical 1980 Texas Cash-Landrum case. He is the author behind the website The Saucers That Time Forgot, along with Claude Falkstrom, focused on unearthing “tales that UFO history has overlooked, or would rather forget.” Curt's work has been featured in documentaries and television shows, and he made a brief appearance in the 2015 documentary "Cosmic Whistleblowers" by Simon Sharman, and was an uncredited consultant for: Hangar 1 episode “UFOs Over Texas” 5/22/15, History Channel and NASA’s Unexplained Files episode “Top Secret Terror” 3/5/15, Science Channel.
Reminder: Please don't forget to visit our famous Paracast Community Forums for the latest news/views/debates on all things paranormal: The Paracast Community Forums.
UFO Endorsements from Celebrities and Authority Figures
By Curt Collins
By Curt Collins
The UFO topic is not unique in that many others contain a mix of truth and falsehoods. Unsupported by facts, sensational news stories have driven unreal things to accepted as genuine, even by authorities. The 2023 book, The Reliability of UFO Witness Testimony, is a collection of essays edited by V.J. Ballester-Olmos. Dr. Richard Noll, Associate Professor of Psychology at DeSales University in Pennsylvania, wrote chapter 10, “Satanists, Aliens and Me.” Noll approaches the UFO discussion informed by his experience of the public’s hysteria about satanism, ritualistic abuse, and memories “recovered” using hypnosis in the 80s and 90s.
“In 1990 many psychiatrists, psychologists and social workers, police and judges and prosecutors, feminist scholars and child abuse experts, and a large section of the general public…all believe[d] in the reality of these satanic cults.…I concluded then – and stand by it now – that [satanic ritual abuse] beliefs and claims are evidence of a modern version of a paranoid mass delusion – and one in which all too many clinicians and law enforcement officials also share.”
The “experts” and politicians duped into believing caused the public to be misled, perpetuating the superstitions and witch hunts. Something similar is in play today with the second-hand testimonies of UFOs and aliens.
Recently, a casual acquaintance, a well-educated professional, emailed me. He’s a military reservist, who’d become interested by media attention to reports of Navy UFO encounters. He had worked with Admiral Tim Gallaudet while he was stationed in the state and found him to be a “Great guy and a patriot.” Gallaudet appeared on a podcast (the Shawn Ryan Show, May 28, 2024) talking about UAPs, and the acquaintance was interested in my thoughts on the discussion. Tim Gallaudet is a PhD, a retired U.S. Navy Rear Admiral, and former Administrator at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). He’s currently the CEO of Ocean STL Consulting, and is connected with three UAP organizations, as a research affiliate for Avi Loeb’s Galileo Project, an Advisory Board member for Ryan Graves’ Americans for Safe Aerospace, and also for Garry Nolan’s Sol Foundation.
The interview had much in common with the paper Gallaudet had written on unidentified submersible objects (USOs), “Beneath the Surface: We May Learn More about UAP by Looking in the Ocean.” The problem is he uses UFO books, magazines and videos as sources. (Link Beneath the Surface: We May Learn More about UAP by Looking in the Ocean – The Sol Foundation)
After watching the podcast, my reply:
“Thank you for the tip on the tip on the Admiral Gallaudet interview. It’s always interesting when prominent and credible figures take an interest in the topic.
“Unfortunately, he’s relying on some weak figures with credibility deficits, and it’s caused him to accept and operate on some faulty premises. He admits he’s only been involved in the topic for two years, and I’d expect before long he’ll reevaluate some of the propaganda he’s been fed by Lue Elizondo and Chris Mellon.
“The UAP situation is not a new one, but since 2017, agenda-driven activists have propelled public interest and even driven legislation to investigate the topic. On the face of it, a good thing, but sadly, a lot of it has been backed by false and misleading information. At first, it was supported by legitimate (but inconclusive) videos, but in the years since, it’s been largely supplanted by a cult-like following of Lue Elizondo, now driven more by belief than reason.
“I’m optimistic that the people with a legitimate interest in a scientific study of the UAP topic will hang on and not be too distracted by the charlatans, hucksters, and myth-makers.”
I’d hoped this was the beginning of the conversation, but so far, no. Gallaudet was persuaded by hearsay from credentialed authority figures, and now he’s persuading others. His role in the UAP organizations boosts their credibility. Using celebrities and authority figures to promote a product is an old advertising technique still in use. A 1946 ad stated, “More doctors smoke Camels than any other cigarette.”
Many UFO advocates feel that anything that brings attention to the topic is positive, like the old saying, “There’s no such thing as bad publicity.” Having government and military figures become celebrities does make the UFO topic easier to package and promote in the media. It does little or nothing to promote investigation and understating of the phenomena, though. We seemed to reach a point where UFOs were being taken seriously by scientists, but that’s being overshadowed by individuals and organizations vying for attention and dollars. The show business side of Ufology has been there from the start, and above anything else, “The show must go on.”
• • •
Curtis L. Collins is the author behind Blue Blurry Lines, the website focused on the UFO mystery, as well as its legends and hoaxes. After a career in retail management Curt began writing about UFOs, with a special interest in re-investigating the paradoxical 1980 Texas Cash-Landrum case.
In 2015 Curt was on the investigative team, the Roswell Slides Research Group, that exposed the BeWitness alien photo fiasco. In 2017 he launched The Saucers That Time Forgot with Yvan Defoy, focused on unearthing “tales that UFO history has overlooked, or would rather forget.” Curt lives in the southern United States, near Jackson, Mississippi.
Copyright 1999-2024 The Paracast Company. All Rights Reserved.
Privacy Policy: Your personal information is safe with us. We will positively never give out your name and/or e-mail address to anybody else, and that's a promise!