The First Church of Ufology

In many churches all over America, no matter the religion or denomination, you will likely see a similar scenario play out. A speaker is at the front of a group of people, he is passionately waxing philosophical about some topic that is pertinent to the believers. Perhaps he is admonishing them that the end of days is upon them, or that they are all sinful and in need of salvation. But whatever the message is about, if you were to look out amongst the crowd of faithful you would see heads nodding in solemn agreement. Whatever the particulars of the talk may be, all of the members of the audience likely already believe what is being spoken is 100 % valid and true. For many it is a confirmation of their beliefs.

I bring this up because earlier today I was listening to the Paracast while at work. (I fortunately have the good luck to work at a company that allows us cubicle zombies to at least listen to music in order to pass the otherwise monotonous hours away). I was listening to the episode from about two weeks ago, when Gene and Chris had on Grant Cameron a Ufologist that operates Presidential UFOs. Cameron is definitely what I would consider a 'mainstream' member of ufology, as ironic as something like that is to say. Even so Cameron accepts as fact that the Earth is being visited by Extraterrestrials and that the Government is not only covering it up, but somehow is simultaneously letting some information out as a means of allowing for the gradual disclosure of the 'Other' to your average Joe Shmoe on the street.

A little over two years ago I would have been sitting down listening to that podcast (which I recommend you taking a listen to by the way), and just like the people from my earlier example I would have sat nodding my head at some of the things discussed. Majestic 12 was a secret group set up to liaison with the Extraterrestrials or other assorted activities. The Government was keeping the secret from the people because it would only cause panic. The best way to avoid the panic, it was thought, would be to gradually disclose the reality of the ET's to mankind.

After having read such classic Fortean writers like Jacques Vallee and John Keel, reading all of Mac Tonnies work, and listening to people such as Greg Bishop, Paul Kimball, and Nick Redfern, I slowly came out of my 'believer' paradigm that I had been trapped in. Up until I was introduced to these great thinkers, I was just like the attendants at the church. I just nodded in solemn agreement with what was said. Whenever someone spoke of Roswell, I knew automatically they were talking about the recovery of a flying disc that was piloted by diminutive Greys from Zeta Reticuli. Now however I let my mind wander and realize that the possibilities are endless for what may, or may not, have occurred that summer night in July back in 1947.

Cameron on the other hand sounded to me like a 'true believer'. He was still like one of those attendants at the religious meetings. From the interview it sounded to me like Cameron already knows the reality that is attendant with the UFO phenomena, but as those Fortean writers/thinkers have pointed out in their work we still don't really have any idea what is going on. If we already 'know' the answer's to what is behind the phenomena, why keep asking questions?