Rob Dekker wrote:

"Randall Schulz" <sinkhole@tarpit.net> wrote in message
news:pan.2004.07.25.22.26.45.285621@tarpit.net...

Hi,

Recently it occurred to me to wonder what is the latest date in
Earth history when an extraterrestrial visit (a non-clandestine
visit, i.e.) could have occurred without having been recognized as
such?

In asking the question, I am, of course, assuming that prior to
some date (now passed) an extraterrestrial appearing openly, to an
individual or in a community, would be explained as some kind of
supernatural being or simply a rare form of sentient but indigenous
life.

Naturally, I'm also assuming these etraterrestrials could not be
mistaken for or somehow pass as humans themselves.


Any ideas?

Randall Schulz

I think it all depends on what the alien does, or does not do.

It it appears to just one human, saying HIUGFDTUOSGP HSIPHP HUIPH,
and then disappears, then that human probably thinks he is
temporarily
out of his mind. If he talks about it with his peers, then they will
surely think he was temporarily out of his mind, and that is it.
There have been periods in human's history where freedom of
expression was absolutely forbidden, so the poor (wo)man would
actually end up being burned or so
if he/she would talk about such a weird experience.

Sure, but anyone seeing an alien would explain the event in terms he is
familiar with. In the 8th century one would explain an alien visit in terms
of demons from the sky or something. We would never recognise a basic thing
like that in the records that are left by witnesses. There are loads of
stories from the past of strange beings and things from the sky that could
have been alien visits. But the terms in wich they are described are so
vague to us, that there is no telling what it actually was.

How about the star of Bethlehem? Flying saucer? Comet? Supernova? Spaceship?
Airplane? Hot air balloon? Bird set on fire by the romans?
Impossible to make certain now what it was.

Compare the stories about the mythical succubis, alien visitations to
bedrooms and sleepparalisis. Humans explain things in words of their own
time.

But, if the alien appeared to a group, and makes regular appearances,
then there would surely be some record of that, as written by the
group's 'accountant', 'artist' or 'writer'. I'd think that record
from about 1000 years back are reasonably accurate, and a regular
appearance
of an alien would be noticed in their documents or artifacts.

1000 yrs? That is for Europe. It is different for China, India, the
Americas.

Anything further back than a few thousand years would not really be
verifiable
now, because we really do not know the context in which any artifacts
or stories were created.

Any way, even if aliens visited us in the distant past, there is no
indication
that they stayed here, or otherwise left any proof of their
existence or visit.
(such as a small radio beacon on the moon or so).

Indeed. There is no proof, so there is no reason to assume they did.