1 00:00:04,210 --> 00:00:30,040 [Music] 2 00:00:38,590 --> 00:00:36,270 [Applause] 3 00:00:40,549 --> 00:00:38,600 thank you Gary and thank you Peter I'm 4 00:00:42,510 --> 00:00:40,559 I'm going to read my paper and the 5 00:00:45,830 --> 00:00:42,520 reason I'm going to read it is when I 6 00:00:48,670 --> 00:00:45,840 speak casually with PowerPoints I 7 00:00:51,670 --> 00:00:48,680 suck and when I read a paper then there 8 00:00:52,470 --> 00:00:51,680 are ideas in it and I can communicate 9 00:00:56,790 --> 00:00:52,480 those 10 00:00:59,150 --> 00:00:56,800 ideas um I also I want to say 11 00:01:02,229 --> 00:00:59,160 um I'm speaking as someone who's trying 12 00:01:05,189 --> 00:01:02,239 to do this at another University um 13 00:01:06,990 --> 00:01:05,199 we've held two very large conferences 14 00:01:09,870 --> 00:01:07,000 with about 200 people in the room just 15 00:01:12,710 --> 00:01:09,880 like this at Rice called archives of the 16 00:01:15,630 --> 00:01:12,720 impossible and those conferences are 17 00:01:18,230 --> 00:01:15,640 based on an actual archive which was 18 00:01:20,149 --> 00:01:18,240 started by none other than Jac fet who 19 00:01:21,990 --> 00:01:20,159 who has been celebrated here and this 20 00:01:24,550 --> 00:01:22,000 was also my introduction to you Gary 21 00:01:27,910 --> 00:01:24,560 believe it or not it was about 22 00:01:29,469 --> 00:01:27,920 2014 and jacqu picked me up in Berkeley 23 00:01:32,990 --> 00:01:29,479 and was taking me to an airport and 24 00:01:35,950 --> 00:01:33,000 asked me for help placing his papers and 25 00:01:37,630 --> 00:01:35,960 his files in an archive and that was the 26 00:01:40,590 --> 00:01:37,640 beginning really of our of our 27 00:01:43,710 --> 00:01:40,600 collection since then uh Whitley streber 28 00:01:46,429 --> 00:01:43,720 gave us about 5,000 letters that came 29 00:01:49,190 --> 00:01:46,439 out of the communion um experience for 30 00:01:52,190 --> 00:01:49,200 the communion Affair in the 80s and 90s 31 00:01:54,789 --> 00:01:52,200 Diana Pula has helped us Leslie Kane has 32 00:01:57,709 --> 00:01:54,799 helped us we have John Max papers there 33 00:02:00,069 --> 00:01:57,719 now so there's a lot of major figures in 34 00:02:02,789 --> 00:02:00,079 the archive and we're trying to do do 35 00:02:06,789 --> 00:02:02,799 this at Rice but we're I think in terms 36 00:02:08,830 --> 00:02:06,799 of Jock's paper we're sort of in the 37 00:02:11,350 --> 00:02:08,840 categories five six and seven we're 38 00:02:12,589 --> 00:02:11,360 doing the weird and the strange at rice 39 00:02:14,350 --> 00:02:12,599 and I think we're trying to do the 40 00:02:16,710 --> 00:02:14,360 science and the public policy here which 41 00:02:17,540 --> 00:02:16,720 is a which is a different project but I 42 00:02:18,910 --> 00:02:17,550 I hope they're 43 00:02:21,430 --> 00:02:18,920 [Music] 44 00:02:23,309 --> 00:02:21,440 complimentary all right so here goes I'm 45 00:02:26,270 --> 00:02:23,319 going to start off with a couple 46 00:02:29,190 --> 00:02:26,280 selections actually from Jock's journals 47 00:02:31,550 --> 00:02:29,200 uh this is from volume two and from 48 00:02:34,990 --> 00:02:31,560 volume four War the first is a quote 49 00:02:38,190 --> 00:02:35,000 from am Michelle uh a French researcher 50 00:02:41,750 --> 00:02:38,200 um probably writing this sometime in the 51 00:02:44,790 --> 00:02:41,760 1960s he writes UF ufology is not a 52 00:02:47,149 --> 00:02:44,800 science but a process of 53 00:02:52,589 --> 00:02:47,159 initiation one starts with field 54 00:02:58,390 --> 00:02:56,550 Mystics this next quote is from volume 4 55 00:03:01,390 --> 00:02:58,400 somewhere in the 56 00:03:04,630 --> 00:03:01,400 1990s and the here refers to Spring Hill 57 00:03:05,910 --> 00:03:04,640 Observatory and library that um jacqu 58 00:03:08,830 --> 00:03:05,920 had 59 00:03:12,710 --> 00:03:08,840 built he writes my view of the 60 00:03:15,110 --> 00:03:12,720 phenomenon has evolved here Beyond 61 00:03:18,670 --> 00:03:15,120 classical physical and biological 62 00:03:21,710 --> 00:03:18,680 parameters to a reality in multiple 63 00:03:24,910 --> 00:03:21,720 layers it melts the pre-existing grid of 64 00:03:28,390 --> 00:03:24,920 its logic with the consciousness of the 65 00:03:31,670 --> 00:03:28,400 Observer manifesting a display of 66 00:03:34,750 --> 00:03:31,680 arbitrary complexity 67 00:03:38,229 --> 00:03:34,760 okay that that's the weird 68 00:03:41,110 --> 00:03:38,239 part all right here goes the paper I 69 00:03:43,270 --> 00:03:41,120 know we are tired I hope I can do 70 00:03:47,589 --> 00:03:43,280 something helpful and hopeful here at 71 00:03:50,309 --> 00:03:47,599 the end an accent perhaps or a 72 00:03:51,110 --> 00:03:50,319 caution perhaps even a superhuman future 73 00:03:54,270 --> 00:03:51,120 or 74 00:03:57,429 --> 00:03:54,280 two I want to begin by defining my 75 00:04:00,589 --> 00:03:57,439 perspective since it blinds me to some 76 00:04:02,750 --> 00:04:00,599 things especially technological 77 00:04:05,350 --> 00:04:02,760 possibilities even as it brings other 78 00:04:08,710 --> 00:04:05,360 things into sharp Focus especially 79 00:04:11,270 --> 00:04:08,720 religious or spiritual 80 00:04:12,670 --> 00:04:11,280 possibilities one cannot see a star 81 00:04:15,270 --> 00:04:12,680 through a 82 00:04:16,349 --> 00:04:15,280 microscope and one cannot see a cell 83 00:04:18,550 --> 00:04:16,359 through a 84 00:04:20,949 --> 00:04:18,560 telescope the lenses through which we 85 00:04:23,629 --> 00:04:20,959 see are focusing and limiting at the 86 00:04:25,629 --> 00:04:23,639 same time put differently both the 87 00:04:29,189 --> 00:04:25,639 telescope and the microscope possess 88 00:04:31,710 --> 00:04:29,199 lenses that are intentionally distorted 89 00:04:33,510 --> 00:04:31,720 so that we can see at a particular level 90 00:04:35,870 --> 00:04:33,520 for specific 91 00:04:38,230 --> 00:04:35,880 purposes so too with our professional 92 00:04:41,270 --> 00:04:38,240 Frameworks they are distortions of the 93 00:04:43,749 --> 00:04:41,280 lenses but these disciplinary fosi are 94 00:04:46,350 --> 00:04:43,759 also very helpful and in fact they are 95 00:04:49,150 --> 00:04:46,360 necessary to see anything at 96 00:04:52,790 --> 00:04:49,160 all what I will say today is a kind of 97 00:04:55,070 --> 00:04:52,800 massive hunch or overwhelming intuition 98 00:04:57,870 --> 00:04:55,080 based on reading thousands of pages of 99 00:04:59,909 --> 00:04:57,880 books and archival materials and 100 00:05:01,670 --> 00:04:59,919 engaging in hundreds of hours of 101 00:05:04,189 --> 00:05:01,680 conversations with 102 00:05:07,629 --> 00:05:04,199 experiencers and researchers from the 103 00:05:09,350 --> 00:05:07,639 Natural Sciences the social sciences the 104 00:05:11,950 --> 00:05:09,360 humanities and the 105 00:05:14,189 --> 00:05:11,960 Arts I come to this practice through the 106 00:05:15,870 --> 00:05:14,199 history of religions a discipline that 107 00:05:17,950 --> 00:05:15,880 concerns itself with Humanity's 108 00:05:20,830 --> 00:05:17,960 religious experience from the 109 00:05:24,270 --> 00:05:20,840 prehistoric cave paintings of Europe to 110 00:05:26,870 --> 00:05:24,280 today's near death or abduction 111 00:05:30,670 --> 00:05:26,880 experience with a special focus on 112 00:05:32,629 --> 00:05:30,680 Altered States of consciousness 113 00:05:34,189 --> 00:05:32,639 it is out of this historical comparative 114 00:05:37,510 --> 00:05:34,199 and altered perspective that I will 115 00:05:40,790 --> 00:05:37,520 speak of what Peter skafish calls signs 116 00:05:42,749 --> 00:05:40,800 that are given off by the x of the 117 00:05:45,110 --> 00:05:42,759 UFO X 118 00:05:48,670 --> 00:05:45,120 indeed signs 119 00:05:50,790 --> 00:05:48,680 indeed I have six things to say I will 120 00:05:53,270 --> 00:05:50,800 stick to the first three for the sake of 121 00:05:55,909 --> 00:05:53,280 time the Fuller statement is the full 122 00:05:57,430 --> 00:05:55,919 paper which I'm happy to share with you 123 00:06:00,590 --> 00:05:57,440 and my joke will be if you ask me 124 00:06:02,710 --> 00:06:00,600 anything I'll say oh that's in the paper 125 00:06:05,270 --> 00:06:02,720 um this is just really a it's just a 126 00:06:06,870 --> 00:06:05,280 slice through through what I want to say 127 00:06:08,510 --> 00:06:06,880 the first thing I want to say is it's 128 00:06:13,550 --> 00:06:08,520 about 129 00:06:16,029 --> 00:06:13,560 scale the first thing I want to say is 130 00:06:20,430 --> 00:06:16,039 that the signs of the UFO extend over 131 00:06:22,430 --> 00:06:20,440 immense ranges of space and time 132 00:06:24,670 --> 00:06:22,440 certainly across the entire globe and 133 00:06:27,710 --> 00:06:24,680 throughout that tiny slice of memory 134 00:06:29,710 --> 00:06:27,720 that we call human history any 135 00:06:31,510 --> 00:06:29,720 individual contact or abduction 136 00:06:34,950 --> 00:06:31,520 experience in the Contemporary world is 137 00:06:37,469 --> 00:06:34,960 a mere moment in this larger super 138 00:06:39,390 --> 00:06:37,479 presence we can only Intuit it something 139 00:06:43,550 --> 00:06:39,400 of its hyper presence from a larger 140 00:06:46,350 --> 00:06:43,560 perspective at once comparative and 141 00:06:49,670 --> 00:06:46,360 historical a number of corollaries 142 00:06:52,990 --> 00:06:49,680 follow one is that no single individual 143 00:06:55,230 --> 00:06:53,000 can fathom this thing this is why I so 144 00:06:58,390 --> 00:06:55,240 believe in the university and in a kind 145 00:07:00,150 --> 00:06:58,400 of intergenerational 146 00:07:03,950 --> 00:07:00,160 project 147 00:07:06,390 --> 00:07:03,960 the other thing is that no nation state 148 00:07:07,869 --> 00:07:06,400 or cultural identity can fathom what's 149 00:07:10,790 --> 00:07:07,879 at work as 150 00:07:13,309 --> 00:07:10,800 well the UFO after all does not appear 151 00:07:17,869 --> 00:07:13,319 to be restricted to any local politics 152 00:07:20,950 --> 00:07:17,879 or airspace our borders mean nothing to 153 00:07:23,869 --> 00:07:20,960 it this rather obvious fact need not be 154 00:07:26,390 --> 00:07:23,879 bad news it may in fact be very good 155 00:07:28,350 --> 00:07:26,400 news this relegation of our present 156 00:07:31,589 --> 00:07:28,360 National identities to a secondary 157 00:07:33,950 --> 00:07:31,599 status even a potential irrelevance is 158 00:07:35,869 --> 00:07:33,960 after all very much a piece with the 159 00:07:39,670 --> 00:07:35,879 UFO's consistent concerns over 160 00:07:41,869 --> 00:07:39,680 ecological collapse nuclear Armament and 161 00:07:44,430 --> 00:07:41,879 dystopian and 162 00:07:47,029 --> 00:07:44,440 apocalypse still public policies are 163 00:07:49,550 --> 00:07:47,039 important as working political 164 00:07:52,070 --> 00:07:49,560 responses what we desperately need is 165 00:07:54,990 --> 00:07:52,080 moral scientific and frankly spiritual 166 00:07:56,710 --> 00:07:55,000 leadership beyond our present borders 167 00:07:59,710 --> 00:07:56,720 and 168 00:08:01,909 --> 00:07:59,720 boundaries the US is poised to provide 169 00:08:04,749 --> 00:08:01,919 some leadership here but only if it can 170 00:08:07,430 --> 00:08:04,759 Embrace its Rich combinative logic with 171 00:08:09,390 --> 00:08:07,440 respect to religion no religion gets to 172 00:08:12,710 --> 00:08:09,400 speak for the whole and religious 173 00:08:14,390 --> 00:08:12,720 freedom guarantees new combinations and 174 00:08:16,550 --> 00:08:14,400 spiritual 175 00:08:19,909 --> 00:08:16,560 experiments it is also important to 176 00:08:22,149 --> 00:08:19,919 affirm The Immigrant or alien nature of 177 00:08:25,710 --> 00:08:22,159 the US remember the alien was used for 178 00:08:28,350 --> 00:08:25,720 the Immigrant for for still is I suppose 179 00:08:31,790 --> 00:08:28,360 and both acknowledge and mourn not 180 00:08:35,070 --> 00:08:31,800 celebrate and memorialize our colonizing 181 00:08:37,670 --> 00:08:35,080 and enslaving pasts and I don't say this 182 00:08:39,949 --> 00:08:37,680 for arbitrary reasons in fact a kind of 183 00:08:42,230 --> 00:08:39,959 postcolonial lens has been part of the 184 00:08:45,269 --> 00:08:42,240 UAP or UFO phenomena since at least 185 00:08:48,070 --> 00:08:45,279 Charles Ford in the 1920s who saw very 186 00:08:50,190 --> 00:08:48,080 clearly that the these things floating 187 00:08:52,230 --> 00:08:50,200 in the sky looked a lot like ships 188 00:08:54,150 --> 00:08:52,240 floating in the harbor that the Native 189 00:08:56,670 --> 00:08:54,160 Americans had no idea what was in store 190 00:08:59,269 --> 00:08:56,680 for them so there was a kind of colonial 191 00:09:01,110 --> 00:08:59,279 sensibility there and my African 192 00:09:04,269 --> 00:09:01,120 American colleagues point out to me 193 00:09:07,190 --> 00:09:04,279 constantly that strange ships showing up 194 00:09:09,750 --> 00:09:07,200 and abducting people is not unique to 195 00:09:12,069 --> 00:09:09,760 the UFO phenomena okay so there's a kind 196 00:09:15,150 --> 00:09:12,079 of History to this that I think we 197 00:09:16,269 --> 00:09:15,160 really need to to remember and and think 198 00:09:18,790 --> 00:09:16,279 [Music] 199 00:09:21,030 --> 00:09:18,800 through one can often detect something 200 00:09:24,030 --> 00:09:21,040 of this multifaceted leadership in the 201 00:09:25,670 --> 00:09:24,040 experiencers themselves I take it as 202 00:09:28,630 --> 00:09:25,680 significant for example that one of our 203 00:09:30,750 --> 00:09:28,640 most recent experiencers Matthew Roberts 204 00:09:33,790 --> 00:09:30,760 the US Naval service member who was 205 00:09:38,030 --> 00:09:33,800 stationed on the USS Theodore Roosevelt 206 00:09:40,150 --> 00:09:38,040 for the 2015 goast radar video and later 207 00:09:42,150 --> 00:09:40,160 transferred to the Office of Naval 208 00:09:45,350 --> 00:09:42,160 intelligence understands the phenomena 209 00:09:49,069 --> 00:09:45,360 to be fundamentally initiatory in its 210 00:09:51,509 --> 00:09:49,079 Dynamics and spiritual in nature whose 211 00:09:54,550 --> 00:09:51,519 aim is a kind of unconditional love for 212 00:09:57,430 --> 00:09:54,560 all human beings regardless of national 213 00:09:59,350 --> 00:09:57,440 politics ethnicity or 214 00:10:01,430 --> 00:09:59,360 religion this is the sour sort of 215 00:10:04,269 --> 00:10:01,440 leadership I'm talking 216 00:10:06,350 --> 00:10:04,279 about I fully understand that the vast 217 00:10:08,829 --> 00:10:06,360 majority of individuals are not ready 218 00:10:11,190 --> 00:10:08,839 for this type of flip into who they are 219 00:10:13,550 --> 00:10:11,200 before and beyond their constructed 220 00:10:15,590 --> 00:10:13,560 identities there is an 221 00:10:17,190 --> 00:10:15,600 understatement I understand that most 222 00:10:19,230 --> 00:10:17,200 people think that they are their 223 00:10:21,430 --> 00:10:19,240 psychological National and religious 224 00:10:23,790 --> 00:10:21,440 egos their surface 225 00:10:26,430 --> 00:10:23,800 selves this is probably the deepest 226 00:10:29,350 --> 00:10:26,440 provocation of the UFO its utter 227 00:10:31,710 --> 00:10:29,360 disregard for our constructed local egos 228 00:10:35,110 --> 00:10:31,720 and the degree to which it overcomes 229 00:10:36,790 --> 00:10:35,120 them there is immense potential here but 230 00:10:39,069 --> 00:10:36,800 only if we are willing to surrender 231 00:10:41,550 --> 00:10:39,079 these same righteous selves and create 232 00:10:45,990 --> 00:10:41,560 new public policy that constitutes a 233 00:10:49,269 --> 00:10:46,000 more Humane a more Humane and Global 234 00:10:51,230 --> 00:10:49,279 worldview number two it's about 235 00:10:53,190 --> 00:10:51,240 technology the second thing I want to 236 00:10:56,430 --> 00:10:53,200 observe is that the UFO has taken on 237 00:10:59,030 --> 00:10:56,440 special urgency because of our human 238 00:11:01,350 --> 00:10:59,040 technology with new advances in radars 239 00:11:04,310 --> 00:11:01,360 sonar and satellite capabilities we are 240 00:11:08,670 --> 00:11:04,320 seeing what was probably always there in 241 00:11:13,990 --> 00:11:11,389 invisible put more bluntly these things 242 00:11:15,069 --> 00:11:14,000 are not new but our abilities to see 243 00:11:18,509 --> 00:11:15,079 them 244 00:11:21,389 --> 00:11:18,519 are it also needs to be said many of our 245 00:11:24,030 --> 00:11:21,399 present Global crises around ecological 246 00:11:27,550 --> 00:11:24,040 degradation and nuclear Holocaust are 247 00:11:29,829 --> 00:11:27,560 precisely because of our sciences and 248 00:11:32,550 --> 00:11:29,839 Technologies I do not think it is an 249 00:11:35,310 --> 00:11:32,560 accident at all that the UFO shows such 250 00:11:37,350 --> 00:11:35,320 anxious interest in our nuclear 251 00:11:41,190 --> 00:11:37,360 installations so the statement it's 252 00:11:44,030 --> 00:11:41,200 about technology is doubly meant or 253 00:11:46,350 --> 00:11:44,040 triple the total UFO event after all 254 00:11:49,030 --> 00:11:46,360 seems to possess both a material or 255 00:11:52,069 --> 00:11:49,040 physical and a mental or spiritual 256 00:11:55,030 --> 00:11:52,079 Dimension the UFO clearly violates our 257 00:11:56,870 --> 00:11:55,040 present way of dividing reality up into 258 00:11:59,190 --> 00:11:56,880 mind and 259 00:12:01,629 --> 00:11:59,200 matter I continue to think that the this 260 00:12:03,949 --> 00:12:01,639 fundamental non-duality is the ultimate 261 00:12:06,590 --> 00:12:03,959 is its ultimate power and 262 00:12:08,509 --> 00:12:06,600 provocation any discussion of Technology 263 00:12:10,990 --> 00:12:08,519 then should take into account this 264 00:12:13,310 --> 00:12:11,000 fundamental both 265 00:12:15,470 --> 00:12:13,320 and I should also add here that our 266 00:12:18,110 --> 00:12:15,480 present realizations around AI will have 267 00:12:20,910 --> 00:12:18,120 a major impact in our ability to 268 00:12:23,949 --> 00:12:20,920 understand the UFO itself which has for 269 00:12:26,350 --> 00:12:23,959 decades now included descriptions of the 270 00:12:29,030 --> 00:12:26,360 robotic ways that the beings are said to 271 00:12:30,829 --> 00:12:29,040 move or interact with humans now other 272 00:12:32,990 --> 00:12:30,839 words there there have been there's been 273 00:12:34,910 --> 00:12:33,000 Ai and abduction accounts for decades 274 00:12:37,189 --> 00:12:34,920 it's not it's not a recent thing but I 275 00:12:40,189 --> 00:12:37,199 think our ability to see it and to talk 276 00:12:42,990 --> 00:12:40,199 about it is is fairly 277 00:12:46,150 --> 00:12:43,000 recent put a bit differently AI gives us 278 00:12:49,230 --> 00:12:46,160 a new way of imagining and picturing 279 00:12:51,990 --> 00:12:49,240 what may have been going on all 280 00:12:53,470 --> 00:12:52,000 along the present case of the UFO can be 281 00:12:55,949 --> 00:12:53,480 compared in some ways to the modern 282 00:12:58,310 --> 00:12:55,959 near-death experience which is also 283 00:12:59,670 --> 00:12:58,320 heavily dependent on recent biomedical 284 00:13:01,790 --> 00:12:59,680 technology 285 00:13:05,350 --> 00:13:01,800 the the phrase near-death experience 286 00:13:06,990 --> 00:13:05,360 dates to 1975 it's very it's very recent 287 00:13:08,590 --> 00:13:07,000 and it's definitely because of 288 00:13:11,230 --> 00:13:08,600 biomedical 289 00:13:14,269 --> 00:13:11,240 technology people are being brought back 290 00:13:16,030 --> 00:13:14,279 from much further into the death process 291 00:13:18,670 --> 00:13:16,040 as a consequence they are remembering 292 00:13:20,870 --> 00:13:18,680 more and so they are saying more one 293 00:13:24,189 --> 00:13:20,880 result is a new genre of literature of 294 00:13:26,430 --> 00:13:24,199 still unrealized potential that implies 295 00:13:29,829 --> 00:13:26,440 but never quite theorizes different 296 00:13:32,870 --> 00:13:29,839 types of bodies physical bodies that die 297 00:13:34,910 --> 00:13:32,880 and subtle or superbodies that do not 298 00:13:37,310 --> 00:13:34,920 another collapse of the Mind matter 299 00:13:39,990 --> 00:13:37,320 assumptions that we keep 300 00:13:42,389 --> 00:13:40,000 making the UFO and near-death experience 301 00:13:44,710 --> 00:13:42,399 then are in some sense unintended but 302 00:13:47,389 --> 00:13:44,720 quite real consequences of modern human 303 00:13:49,590 --> 00:13:47,399 technology to be more precise the two 304 00:13:52,189 --> 00:13:49,600 related phenomena cannot be reduced to 305 00:13:54,790 --> 00:13:52,199 the Technologies but they also cannot be 306 00:13:57,710 --> 00:13:54,800 experienced on a broad level without 307 00:14:01,030 --> 00:13:57,720 them okay number three it's about 308 00:14:04,990 --> 00:14:01,040 religion this is my my bigger Point 309 00:14:10,749 --> 00:14:07,550 about which brings me now to my third 310 00:14:14,189 --> 00:14:10,759 point the history of religions can be 311 00:14:15,829 --> 00:14:14,199 very helpful but also very misleading 312 00:14:19,110 --> 00:14:15,839 with respect to the 313 00:14:21,550 --> 00:14:19,120 UFO religion is the elephant in the 314 00:14:24,910 --> 00:14:21,560 living room 315 00:14:27,829 --> 00:14:24,920 obviously this rather obvious fact is 316 00:14:30,470 --> 00:14:27,839 dismissed under the intellectual cout 317 00:14:32,590 --> 00:14:30,480 that is woo 318 00:14:35,269 --> 00:14:32,600 to the extent that we use this word and 319 00:14:39,230 --> 00:14:35,279 what it represents we cannot grasp what 320 00:14:40,150 --> 00:14:39,240 is at stake what these events mean or P 321 00:14:46,110 --> 00:14:40,160 or 322 00:14:49,069 --> 00:14:46,120 is our answer I am not saying that I'm 323 00:14:51,829 --> 00:14:49,079 saying something doubled allow me to 324 00:14:53,829 --> 00:14:51,839 explain this 325 00:14:56,389 --> 00:14:53,839 doubleness first of all the history of 326 00:14:58,670 --> 00:14:56,399 religions is very helpful to the extent 327 00:15:00,590 --> 00:14:58,680 that the religions give powerful and 328 00:15:03,150 --> 00:15:00,600 consistent witness to something 329 00:15:05,790 --> 00:15:03,160 Transcendent to our ordinary Human 330 00:15:08,790 --> 00:15:05,800 Experience something other with a 331 00:15:11,030 --> 00:15:08,800 capital O than the social human or 332 00:15:14,470 --> 00:15:11,040 rational mind and so potentially 333 00:15:17,430 --> 00:15:14,480 transformative of society and the self 334 00:15:19,670 --> 00:15:17,440 cosmologically speaking in other words 335 00:15:21,910 --> 00:15:19,680 the the view of the of the universe the 336 00:15:25,790 --> 00:15:21,920 religions commonly place this other in 337 00:15:28,309 --> 00:15:25,800 the sky the heavens or the Stars which 338 00:15:31,309 --> 00:15:28,319 they often understand in physical terms 339 00:15:34,309 --> 00:15:31,319 not metaphorical 340 00:15:38,470 --> 00:15:34,319 terms the similarities to the UFO are 341 00:15:40,269 --> 00:15:38,480 obvious I often joke about quote weird 342 00:15:42,670 --> 00:15:40,279 beings coming down from the sky and 343 00:15:44,749 --> 00:15:42,680 screwing with humans that's called 344 00:15:47,150 --> 00:15:44,759 religion 345 00:15:48,590 --> 00:15:47,160 unquote the joke is meant as a joke 346 00:15:52,150 --> 00:15:48,600 thanks for 347 00:15:54,790 --> 00:15:52,160 laughing some of you did but there is a 348 00:15:57,829 --> 00:15:54,800 there is a comparative argument 349 00:16:00,509 --> 00:15:57,839 here but we have to be very careful and 350 00:16:02,350 --> 00:16:00,519 precise about that comparative argument 351 00:16:04,790 --> 00:16:02,360 and most people are not 352 00:16:06,790 --> 00:16:04,800 careful they assume their own belief 353 00:16:08,990 --> 00:16:06,800 system their own 354 00:16:11,910 --> 00:16:09,000 worldview whatever that worldview 355 00:16:14,110 --> 00:16:11,920 happens to be religious or 356 00:16:16,030 --> 00:16:14,120 secular it should be stressed at this 357 00:16:19,150 --> 00:16:16,040 point that many of the prodigies of the 358 00:16:20,470 --> 00:16:19,160 religions have been very aware of the 359 00:16:22,749 --> 00:16:20,480 basic 360 00:16:25,509 --> 00:16:22,759 incommensurability of a non-human 361 00:16:28,550 --> 00:16:25,519 intelligence and and very Adept at 362 00:16:31,069 --> 00:16:28,560 translation and mediation of what looks 363 00:16:32,389 --> 00:16:31,079 like a non-human or superhuman presence 364 00:16:35,030 --> 00:16:32,399 in other words this thing has been 365 00:16:37,309 --> 00:16:35,040 around as far as we can see back there's 366 00:16:40,030 --> 00:16:37,319 really nothing nothing particularly new 367 00:16:41,790 --> 00:16:40,040 about it it should also be stressed 368 00:16:44,710 --> 00:16:41,800 however that these very 369 00:16:48,350 --> 00:16:44,720 translations by these religious adepts 370 00:16:50,590 --> 00:16:48,360 are often not accepted by the believing 371 00:16:53,189 --> 00:16:50,600 public this is one reason the word 372 00:16:56,309 --> 00:16:53,199 mystical or mystico means quite 373 00:16:58,150 --> 00:16:56,319 literally secret it is not that there is 374 00:17:00,309 --> 00:16:58,160 some kind of whispered content that 375 00:17:03,590 --> 00:17:00,319 could be be shared but is held back some 376 00:17:06,710 --> 00:17:03,600 kind of power game I have the secret and 377 00:17:09,590 --> 00:17:06,720 you don't it is rather that this form of 378 00:17:12,029 --> 00:17:09,600 knowledge is simply not communicable 379 00:17:15,549 --> 00:17:12,039 unless the listener is ready has the 380 00:17:18,510 --> 00:17:15,559 requisite experience has ears to hear as 381 00:17:21,909 --> 00:17:18,520 the ancient Jewish rabbi once 382 00:17:24,029 --> 00:17:21,919 said as n put the same matter he called 383 00:17:27,390 --> 00:17:24,039 it esoteric by the way to get at the 384 00:17:29,990 --> 00:17:27,400 same idea what will be heard in most 385 00:17:32,630 --> 00:17:30,000 such cases is is nothing at 386 00:17:36,630 --> 00:17:32,640 all the teaching will sound 387 00:17:38,909 --> 00:17:36,640 nonsensical absurd in a word 388 00:17:42,110 --> 00:17:38,919 impossible that is because that which is 389 00:17:43,909 --> 00:17:42,120 being spoken is impossible within the 390 00:17:46,590 --> 00:17:43,919 categories of the reigning order of 391 00:17:49,270 --> 00:17:46,600 knowledge so there's a real Clash here 392 00:17:52,230 --> 00:17:49,280 that I really I really want to stress 393 00:17:54,510 --> 00:17:52,240 that I also think the physical aspects 394 00:17:56,110 --> 00:17:54,520 of the history of religions especially 395 00:17:58,990 --> 00:17:56,120 what I want to call the physics of 396 00:18:01,190 --> 00:17:59,000 Mystics have been vastly 397 00:18:04,630 --> 00:18:01,200 underestimated in the present regime of 398 00:18:07,390 --> 00:18:04,640 knowledge both in the humanities and the 399 00:18:10,230 --> 00:18:07,400 Sciences human bodies in the history of 400 00:18:12,070 --> 00:18:10,240 religions do all sorts of superhuman 401 00:18:14,710 --> 00:18:12,080 things they 402 00:18:17,270 --> 00:18:14,720 levitate they 403 00:18:19,510 --> 00:18:17,280 bilocate they know the physical 404 00:18:22,149 --> 00:18:19,520 future and they experience different 405 00:18:25,390 --> 00:18:22,159 types of conscious energy to name just a 406 00:18:27,230 --> 00:18:25,400 few I was once asked to lecture this is 407 00:18:30,630 --> 00:18:27,240 a true story believe it or not I was 408 00:18:32,909 --> 00:18:30,640 once asked to lecture at MIT by a former 409 00:18:36,710 --> 00:18:32,919 propulsion expert who worked in the 410 00:18:39,430 --> 00:18:36,720 classified division of a major Aerospace 411 00:18:40,789 --> 00:18:39,440 Corporation the colleague asked me to 412 00:18:45,110 --> 00:18:40,799 talk about two 413 00:18:47,630 --> 00:18:45,120 things human levitation and 414 00:18:49,789 --> 00:18:47,640 UFOs he was he was totally 415 00:18:52,029 --> 00:18:49,799 serious there was a there was a DARPA 416 00:18:54,390 --> 00:18:52,039 guy sitting right in the front row too 417 00:18:57,470 --> 00:18:54,400 um so I mean this was like totally 418 00:18:59,590 --> 00:18:57,480 serious so I did I think they are indeed 419 00:19:02,710 --> 00:18:59,600 related in their anti-gravitational 420 00:19:06,070 --> 00:19:02,720 properties people do levitate they do 421 00:19:08,190 --> 00:19:06,080 fly and they do so silently inexplicably 422 00:19:10,430 --> 00:19:08,200 almost always in Altered States Of 423 00:19:11,830 --> 00:19:10,440 Consciousness we have no way of 424 00:19:13,909 --> 00:19:11,840 understanding any of this in our present 425 00:19:17,310 --> 00:19:13,919 order of knowledge it is simply 426 00:19:19,630 --> 00:19:17,320 impossible and yet there it is and if 427 00:19:23,230 --> 00:19:19,640 you don't believe me I suggest a recent 428 00:19:25,590 --> 00:19:23,240 book that just came out called they flew 429 00:19:28,909 --> 00:19:25,600 from Yale University 430 00:19:31,909 --> 00:19:28,919 press my point that we have much to 431 00:19:34,549 --> 00:19:31,919 learn from what we already know that is 432 00:19:36,990 --> 00:19:34,559 from the historical past but we have to 433 00:19:39,110 --> 00:19:37,000 be very careful with that past very 434 00:19:41,590 --> 00:19:39,120 suspicious what we are often dealing 435 00:19:44,070 --> 00:19:41,600 with in the U ufological materials is 436 00:19:46,590 --> 00:19:44,080 what Christian theology would call 437 00:19:48,710 --> 00:19:46,600 demonology or in other more positive or 438 00:19:51,149 --> 00:19:48,720 transformative modes 439 00:19:53,710 --> 00:19:51,159 angelology basically entities that are 440 00:19:56,750 --> 00:19:53,720 not human beings have different types of 441 00:19:58,190 --> 00:19:56,760 bodies and are not God such entities 442 00:19:59,990 --> 00:19:58,200 have been given multiple inter 443 00:20:03,270 --> 00:20:00,000 interpretations in different religions 444 00:20:05,870 --> 00:20:03,280 and I really want to stress that I'm not 445 00:20:08,590 --> 00:20:05,880 assigning I'm not assigning my name to 446 00:20:11,110 --> 00:20:08,600 to the Christian 447 00:20:13,510 --> 00:20:11,120 interpretation but the Demonic beings in 448 00:20:16,230 --> 00:20:13,520 particular are generally seen as fairly 449 00:20:18,710 --> 00:20:16,240 low within the total Ecology of the 450 00:20:21,070 --> 00:20:18,720 religions even below the human the 451 00:20:23,750 --> 00:20:21,080 living human this is as true in Hindu 452 00:20:26,870 --> 00:20:23,760 South Asia as it is in Christian 453 00:20:29,110 --> 00:20:26,880 Europe this does not mean that this is 454 00:20:31,630 --> 00:20:29,120 what such entities in fact are I want to 455 00:20:34,510 --> 00:20:31,640 be really really clear here we also have 456 00:20:37,710 --> 00:20:34,520 to remember that both the soul and its 457 00:20:40,350 --> 00:20:37,720 double have been called Demons by Elite 458 00:20:43,230 --> 00:20:40,360 religious practitioners the demon or 459 00:20:45,870 --> 00:20:43,240 Dion as they called it in Greek is in 460 00:20:49,909 --> 00:20:45,880 fact an ancient R figure of immense 461 00:20:54,909 --> 00:20:52,789 Nuance things are different today but 462 00:20:56,990 --> 00:20:54,919 not that different in the modern 463 00:20:58,470 --> 00:20:57,000 ufological literatures for example the 464 00:21:01,710 --> 00:20:58,480 entities are often consider considered 465 00:21:03,789 --> 00:21:01,720 to be future humans an interpretation to 466 00:21:04,750 --> 00:21:03,799 which I am much drawn and actually find 467 00:21:07,029 --> 00:21:04,760 quite 468 00:21:09,110 --> 00:21:07,039 persuasive indeed I happen to think that 469 00:21:12,310 --> 00:21:09,120 one of our big mistakes is that we are 470 00:21:14,510 --> 00:21:12,320 Imagining the UFO in spatial terms so we 471 00:21:17,710 --> 00:21:14,520 say things like the distances are too 472 00:21:20,950 --> 00:21:17,720 great for Interstellar travel we are not 473 00:21:23,269 --> 00:21:20,960 considering a temporal imagination or a 474 00:21:26,630 --> 00:21:23,279 temporal Focus here these beings are 475 00:21:29,310 --> 00:21:26,640 from another time not another star 476 00:21:32,190 --> 00:21:29,320 system my point though is not to opt for 477 00:21:34,870 --> 00:21:32,200 a particular model Angels aliens or 478 00:21:36,310 --> 00:21:34,880 future humans my point is that even 479 00:21:38,070 --> 00:21:36,320 within the religious Traditions 480 00:21:39,830 --> 00:21:38,080 themselves far above the demons or 481 00:21:42,190 --> 00:21:39,840 aliens and very much within the reach of 482 00:21:45,269 --> 00:21:42,200 living human beings are the mystical 483 00:21:48,310 --> 00:21:45,279 experiences of unity communion emptiness 484 00:21:50,630 --> 00:21:48,320 Enlightenment Liberation 485 00:21:52,830 --> 00:21:50,640 deification and physical 486 00:21:55,549 --> 00:21:52,840 metamorphosis that are all understood to 487 00:21:58,590 --> 00:21:55,559 be the real purpose and goal of human 488 00:22:00,830 --> 00:21:58,600 life we do not need to sign our names to 489 00:22:02,350 --> 00:22:00,840 any of these particular belief systems 490 00:22:04,830 --> 00:22:02,360 but we should learn from their attempts 491 00:22:06,870 --> 00:22:04,840 at ordering the anomalies and affirming 492 00:22:08,590 --> 00:22:06,880 both the spiritual and physical nature 493 00:22:10,789 --> 00:22:08,600 of the beings 494 00:22:12,430 --> 00:22:10,799 involved many of the Altered States of 495 00:22:14,909 --> 00:22:12,440 the history of religious moreover are 496 00:22:15,990 --> 00:22:14,919 inherently apophatic that is they say 497 00:22:18,630 --> 00:22:16,000 away 498 00:22:20,990 --> 00:22:18,640 apases what has been said or believed by 499 00:22:23,870 --> 00:22:21,000 the surrounding public or culture within 500 00:22:25,830 --> 00:22:23,880 the religious register which generally 501 00:22:28,710 --> 00:22:25,840 understands the deity as an object or 502 00:22:30,789 --> 00:22:28,720 being that can be approached and engaged 503 00:22:33,029 --> 00:22:30,799 here we return to the basic non-duality 504 00:22:36,029 --> 00:22:33,039 of mind and matter I hinted at 505 00:22:38,750 --> 00:22:36,039 above these apophatic experiences are 506 00:22:41,430 --> 00:22:38,760 non-translatable into sensory or 507 00:22:43,630 --> 00:22:41,440 rational means which of course rely on 508 00:22:45,310 --> 00:22:43,640 this same subject object structure I 509 00:22:47,029 --> 00:22:45,320 think this is one of our most basic 510 00:22:50,430 --> 00:22:47,039 assumptions that we're a subject looking 511 00:22:52,950 --> 00:22:50,440 at a a collection of 512 00:22:56,230 --> 00:22:52,960 objects much less mathematical or 513 00:22:59,029 --> 00:22:56,240 scientific ones in a word these 514 00:23:01,149 --> 00:22:59,039 experiences are incommensurable 515 00:23:03,390 --> 00:23:01,159 secrecy here again is not about content 516 00:23:05,350 --> 00:23:03,400 it is about a kind of nosis or deifying 517 00:23:07,990 --> 00:23:05,360 direct knowledge that is simply not 518 00:23:09,909 --> 00:23:08,000 transactional or communicable because it 519 00:23:10,870 --> 00:23:09,919 cannot be slotted into any subject 520 00:23:12,990 --> 00:23:10,880 object 521 00:23:16,230 --> 00:23:13,000 structure that's the good 522 00:23:18,230 --> 00:23:16,240 news there's also some bad news what we 523 00:23:20,110 --> 00:23:18,240 today call religion is also profoundly 524 00:23:21,750 --> 00:23:20,120 unhelpful and that it is usually not 525 00:23:25,110 --> 00:23:21,760 like this at 526 00:23:27,110 --> 00:23:25,120 all it is not apophatic indeed religion 527 00:23:29,430 --> 00:23:27,120 inly leads to all kinds of belief 528 00:23:31,470 --> 00:23:29,440 systems or inter interpretations from a 529 00:23:33,830 --> 00:23:31,480 historical and comparative perspective 530 00:23:37,190 --> 00:23:33,840 none of these systems can be exclusively 531 00:23:38,870 --> 00:23:37,200 true for the species as a whole it is 532 00:23:41,390 --> 00:23:38,880 quite possible of course that they they 533 00:23:44,149 --> 00:23:41,400 are all true in some kind of inclusive 534 00:23:45,830 --> 00:23:44,159 or pluralist kind of way that is it is 535 00:23:48,190 --> 00:23:45,840 possible that all these belief systems 536 00:23:51,390 --> 00:23:48,200 give relative witness to a set of human 537 00:23:53,029 --> 00:23:51,400 responses to this super presence such a 538 00:23:55,390 --> 00:23:53,039 comparative practice is embedded for 539 00:23:58,350 --> 00:23:55,400 example in the ancient a Asian image of 540 00:24:00,510 --> 00:23:58,360 The Five Blind Men and the Elephant in 541 00:24:03,590 --> 00:24:00,520 this case literally in our living 542 00:24:06,909 --> 00:24:03,600 room all Five Blind Men feel a different 543 00:24:08,990 --> 00:24:06,919 part of the elephant the trunk the Tusk 544 00:24:11,470 --> 00:24:09,000 the leg The Ear The 545 00:24:14,070 --> 00:24:11,480 Tail they all describe it completely 546 00:24:16,149 --> 00:24:14,080 differently but it's the same elephant 547 00:24:23,190 --> 00:24:16,159 no one is 548 00:24:24,909 --> 00:24:23,200 correct either right but this is a very 549 00:24:27,110 --> 00:24:24,919 different kind of comparative argument 550 00:24:28,830 --> 00:24:27,120 and not and not one in favor of any 551 00:24:31,269 --> 00:24:28,840 particular religion or 552 00:24:33,269 --> 00:24:31,279 culture it is also possible by the way 553 00:24:35,789 --> 00:24:33,279 that a pluralism may be more radical 554 00:24:37,909 --> 00:24:35,799 still not a witness to a deeper Unity or 555 00:24:40,350 --> 00:24:37,919 elephant but to a fundamental plurality 556 00:24:43,149 --> 00:24:40,360 of being maybe what we think of as 557 00:24:46,630 --> 00:24:43,159 nature behaves differently in different 558 00:24:49,870 --> 00:24:46,640 cultural context because it really is 559 00:24:52,510 --> 00:24:49,880 different maybe nature is culturally 560 00:24:55,230 --> 00:24:52,520 conditioned maybe this is why people fly 561 00:24:58,230 --> 00:24:55,240 in some historical epochs and don't in 562 00:25:00,909 --> 00:24:58,240 others that would be weird but that's 563 00:25:02,350 --> 00:25:00,919 what it looks like so yes there is a 564 00:25:04,269 --> 00:25:02,360 deep connection between the history of 565 00:25:06,830 --> 00:25:04,279 religions and the UFO but we cannot use 566 00:25:08,909 --> 00:25:06,840 our present assumptions about Society 567 00:25:11,510 --> 00:25:08,919 science space exploration and 568 00:25:14,070 --> 00:25:11,520 extraterrestrials to understand the past 569 00:25:16,470 --> 00:25:14,080 within a kind of presentism as if our 570 00:25:18,470 --> 00:25:16,480 present worldview is somehow complete or 571 00:25:20,830 --> 00:25:18,480 infallible nor can we use the 572 00:25:23,149 --> 00:25:20,840 assumptions of the past about gods or 573 00:25:25,269 --> 00:25:23,159 God or Angels or demons to understand 574 00:25:27,870 --> 00:25:25,279 the present we have to be much more 575 00:25:31,110 --> 00:25:27,880 sophisticated than this kind of thinking 576 00:25:33,470 --> 00:25:31,120 whichever way the arrow 577 00:25:35,230 --> 00:25:33,480 flies there is simply no debate for 578 00:25:36,950 --> 00:25:35,240 example that the UFO is related to 579 00:25:39,750 --> 00:25:36,960 psychical Paras pychological and 580 00:25:41,630 --> 00:25:39,760 paranormal phenomena serious researchers 581 00:25:43,909 --> 00:25:41,640 have been saying this for over half a 582 00:25:46,710 --> 00:25:43,919 century how many times do we need to 583 00:25:49,230 --> 00:25:46,720 hear this before it becomes common 584 00:25:51,029 --> 00:25:49,240 knowledge before perhaps the technology 585 00:25:53,630 --> 00:25:51,039 affects or projects the Paranormal 586 00:25:55,909 --> 00:25:53,640 display like some kind of movie 587 00:25:57,950 --> 00:25:55,919 projector perhaps these anomalies are 588 00:25:59,870 --> 00:25:57,960 expressions of Consciousness itself 589 00:26:02,149 --> 00:25:59,880 perhaps Consciousness itself is the 590 00:26:03,909 --> 00:26:02,159 projector perhaps as I have argued for 591 00:26:06,190 --> 00:26:03,919 over a decade such events show us in 592 00:26:08,990 --> 00:26:06,200 dramatic terms that there is no final 593 00:26:11,310 --> 00:26:09,000 separation between mind and matter this 594 00:26:13,190 --> 00:26:11,320 could be good news if we can but accept 595 00:26:15,990 --> 00:26:13,200 our Sciences for what they are and can 596 00:26:17,710 --> 00:26:16,000 do and what they are not and cannot do 597 00:26:19,269 --> 00:26:17,720 and then integrate those other in 598 00:26:21,470 --> 00:26:19,279 intellectual disciplines like 599 00:26:23,750 --> 00:26:21,480 anthropology philosophy and the history 600 00:26:26,510 --> 00:26:23,760 of religions that have Rich histories of 601 00:26:29,269 --> 00:26:26,520 theorizing Consciousness or mind and its 602 00:26:31,430 --> 00:26:29,279 relationship to the physical 603 00:26:32,710 --> 00:26:31,440 World related here and I'm going to 604 00:26:35,310 --> 00:26:32,720 close with this thought but this is a 605 00:26:37,350 --> 00:26:35,320 big thought related here is the question 606 00:26:40,590 --> 00:26:37,360 of how the religions might react or 607 00:26:42,909 --> 00:26:40,600 respond to what is sometimes called 608 00:26:45,070 --> 00:26:42,919 disclosure there appear to be two basic 609 00:26:47,669 --> 00:26:45,080 positions in the literature we've heard 610 00:26:49,350 --> 00:26:47,679 them both one position argues that the 611 00:26:51,470 --> 00:26:49,360 religions more likely the religion of 612 00:26:54,269 --> 00:26:51,480 the author in question can assimilate 613 00:26:56,029 --> 00:26:54,279 and integrate such disclosure the other 614 00:26:58,070 --> 00:26:56,039 position argues that the religions are 615 00:27:00,389 --> 00:26:58,080 expressions of previous eras and forms 616 00:27:02,389 --> 00:27:00,399 of knowledge not this one and so they 617 00:27:04,990 --> 00:27:02,399 are incapable of the radical change that 618 00:27:07,350 --> 00:27:05,000 would be necessary hence it is concluded 619 00:27:08,750 --> 00:27:07,360 the necessity of secrecy or in some 620 00:27:11,070 --> 00:27:08,760 cases gradual 621 00:27:13,990 --> 00:27:11,080 disclosure speaking such a secret out 622 00:27:15,830 --> 00:27:14,000 loud or all at once would spell the end 623 00:27:21,310 --> 00:27:15,840 of the 624 00:27:24,430 --> 00:27:21,320 latter negative Camp I do not think that 625 00:27:27,750 --> 00:27:24,440 all religions can integrate the UFO much 626 00:27:29,710 --> 00:27:27,760 less alien bodies although I understand 627 00:27:32,430 --> 00:27:29,720 and appreciate the former positive Camp 628 00:27:35,149 --> 00:27:32,440 as well perhaps I Sid or wobble in the 629 00:27:37,549 --> 00:27:35,159 middle of the two I suspect there is an 630 00:27:39,310 --> 00:27:37,559 important truth in both positions and I 631 00:27:40,430 --> 00:27:39,320 would draw a distinction to explain my 632 00:27:42,870 --> 00:27:40,440 own 633 00:27:44,350 --> 00:27:42,880 waffling I would say that I would say 634 00:27:45,630 --> 00:27:44,360 what I already said namely that the 635 00:27:48,269 --> 00:27:45,640 religions are helpful in their 636 00:27:49,830 --> 00:27:48,279 insistence on translating or mediating a 637 00:27:52,310 --> 00:27:49,840 presence that is transcendent to the 638 00:27:54,509 --> 00:27:52,320 social human being but that they are not 639 00:27:56,509 --> 00:27:54,519 helpful in the ways that they insist on 640 00:27:58,789 --> 00:27:56,519 particular belief 641 00:28:01,269 --> 00:27:58,799 systems few of which could likely 642 00:28:04,630 --> 00:28:01,279 survive any kind of robust revelation of 643 00:28:06,269 --> 00:28:04,640 a species-wide cosmic condition I 644 00:28:08,509 --> 00:28:06,279 suppose in the end it matters which 645 00:28:11,269 --> 00:28:08,519 religions or what kind of religion one 646 00:28:13,310 --> 00:28:11,279 is talking about and what constitutes 647 00:28:15,590 --> 00:28:13,320 disclosure I think the question is 648 00:28:17,950 --> 00:28:15,600 complicated and not at all in either or 649 00:28:22,310 --> 00:28:17,960 and I always joke here I I work and 650 00:28:25,149 --> 00:28:22,320 teach in Texas okay this is 651 00:28:27,750 --> 00:28:25,159 California okay is very very different 652 00:28:30,630 --> 00:28:27,760 in Texas I assure you the answer are 653 00:28:33,950 --> 00:28:30,640 different but allow me two two points 654 00:28:36,149 --> 00:28:33,960 here and these are my last points first 655 00:28:37,909 --> 00:28:36,159 I cannot help but notice that many a 656 00:28:40,590 --> 00:28:37,919 religious believer will literally 657 00:28:44,269 --> 00:28:40,600 demonize parapsychological 658 00:28:48,110 --> 00:28:44,279 phenomena literally UFOs are real but 659 00:28:50,590 --> 00:28:48,120 they are demons mediumship is evil and 660 00:28:52,470 --> 00:28:50,600 so on I can explain to you what such 661 00:28:54,830 --> 00:28:52,480 people believe are the biblical roots of 662 00:28:56,630 --> 00:28:54,840 such beliefs or convictions and why the 663 00:28:58,430 --> 00:28:56,640 biblical texts themselves are much more 664 00:29:01,630 --> 00:28:58,440 complicated and frankly much more 665 00:29:04,110 --> 00:29:01,640 interesting but that is not my point my 666 00:29:06,190 --> 00:29:04,120 point is that some religions literally 667 00:29:09,950 --> 00:29:06,200 demonize what we are trying to talk 668 00:29:11,909 --> 00:29:09,960 about that takes the topic off the table 669 00:29:12,789 --> 00:29:11,919 it does not keep it on the table that's 670 00:29:15,269 --> 00:29:12,799 not 671 00:29:16,750 --> 00:29:15,279 helpful second and very much related I 672 00:29:18,269 --> 00:29:16,760 am quite concerned about what is 673 00:29:20,149 --> 00:29:18,279 sometimes called the Psychedelic 674 00:29:21,990 --> 00:29:20,159 Renaissance a name given to the 675 00:29:24,430 --> 00:29:22,000 broad-based psychiatric and clinical 676 00:29:26,750 --> 00:29:24,440 study of psychoactive molecules in the 677 00:29:28,750 --> 00:29:26,760 US and Europe and the pharmaceutical and 678 00:29:30,230 --> 00:29:28,760 legal trans formations that are very 679 00:29:33,750 --> 00:29:30,240 much sought in their way this is very 680 00:29:36,110 --> 00:29:33,760 similar actually to the UFO disclosure 681 00:29:38,190 --> 00:29:36,120 discussion much as we see in the UFO 682 00:29:40,230 --> 00:29:38,200 phenomena the Altered States induced by 683 00:29:42,909 --> 00:29:40,240 such psychoactive plants often display a 684 00:29:45,269 --> 00:29:42,919 fairly clear animous structure plants 685 00:29:49,070 --> 00:29:45,279 and animals speak paranormal Powers 686 00:29:51,310 --> 00:29:49,080 manifest insectoid entities appear as do 687 00:29:54,389 --> 00:29:51,320 by the way aliens and 688 00:29:57,789 --> 00:29:54,399 UFOs what concerns me here are two basic 689 00:29:59,909 --> 00:29:57,799 things first predictably the mildest or 690 00:30:02,789 --> 00:29:59,919 strangest of the Psychedelic states are 691 00:30:07,310 --> 00:30:02,799 actively ignored or not reported at all 692 00:30:09,470 --> 00:30:07,320 in the in the literature okay secondly 693 00:30:11,669 --> 00:30:09,480 the history of European colonialism and 694 00:30:15,269 --> 00:30:11,679 monotheism with respect to psychoactive 695 00:30:16,830 --> 00:30:15,279 plants has been absolutely awful and 696 00:30:19,269 --> 00:30:16,840 often literally 697 00:30:21,310 --> 00:30:19,279 murderous has religion then welcomed the 698 00:30:24,630 --> 00:30:21,320 animous revelation of the plants 699 00:30:26,750 --> 00:30:24,640 absolutely not okay so let's let's let's 700 00:30:29,070 --> 00:30:26,760 be really careful here when we when we 701 00:30:30,830 --> 00:30:29,080 we're thinking about this the British 702 00:30:33,509 --> 00:30:30,840 writer Arthur C Clark wrote a science 703 00:30:36,310 --> 00:30:33,519 fiction novel many decades ago he called 704 00:30:38,669 --> 00:30:36,320 it childhood's end 705 00:30:41,070 --> 00:30:38,679 1953 he basically argued that full 706 00:30:43,070 --> 00:30:41,080 disclosure of an alien presence even a 707 00:30:45,750 --> 00:30:43,080 friendly one would render immediately 708 00:30:48,630 --> 00:30:45,760 irrelevant all religions on the planet 709 00:30:51,909 --> 00:30:48,640 except the book implied Buddhism this 710 00:30:55,190 --> 00:30:51,919 was by the way Clark's religion all 711 00:30:58,789 --> 00:30:55,200 right this was the end of childhood that 712 00:31:00,750 --> 00:30:58,799 is the end of religion I'm somewhat with 713 00:31:02,310 --> 00:31:00,760 the early Clark here although I 714 00:31:04,350 --> 00:31:02,320 seriously doubt that the that most 715 00:31:07,070 --> 00:31:04,360 Buddhist Traditions can survive a fuller 716 00:31:08,750 --> 00:31:07,080 Revelation either I guess I am deeply 717 00:31:11,710 --> 00:31:08,760 skeptical that anything resembling what 718 00:31:15,149 --> 00:31:11,720 we now call religion or science can 719 00:31:17,110 --> 00:31:15,159 survive a truly nonhuman or superhuman 720 00:31:19,669 --> 00:31:17,120 intelligence I think we are talking 721 00:31:22,190 --> 00:31:19,679 about a different kind of humanity here 722 00:31:24,750 --> 00:31:22,200 a future one that has not yet appeared 723 00:31:27,950 --> 00:31:24,760 to us or maybe it 724 00:31:30,310 --> 00:31:27,960 has final comments 725 00:31:32,629 --> 00:31:30,320 I like to tell jokes as I think these 726 00:31:35,230 --> 00:31:32,639 jokes crystallize my intellectual 727 00:31:36,870 --> 00:31:35,240 arguments much as icebergs crystallize 728 00:31:40,350 --> 00:31:36,880 the ocean they float in and in fact are 729 00:31:42,110 --> 00:31:40,360 in another Frozen or crystallized form 730 00:31:43,350 --> 00:31:42,120 people remember jokes too they don't 731 00:31:45,789 --> 00:31:43,360 remember 732 00:31:48,190 --> 00:31:45,799 arguments sometimes okay often no one 733 00:31:50,470 --> 00:31:48,200 laughs at my jokes no doubt because the 734 00:31:52,230 --> 00:31:50,480 terms of the joke do not match their 735 00:31:54,789 --> 00:31:52,240 understanding of the world and so can 736 00:31:56,430 --> 00:31:54,799 produce no sudden disjunction shock or 737 00:31:58,310 --> 00:31:56,440 what we call humor in other words I'm 738 00:32:00,830 --> 00:31:58,320 not funny 739 00:32:02,990 --> 00:32:00,840 okay I sometimes joke for example that 740 00:32:05,029 --> 00:32:03,000 the present concern with threats and 741 00:32:07,430 --> 00:32:05,039 National Intelligence is fundamentally 742 00:32:10,870 --> 00:32:07,440 misguided that quote they might as well 743 00:32:12,990 --> 00:32:10,880 be trying to shoot down Souls unquote I 744 00:32:15,750 --> 00:32:13,000 then follow up with a challenge good 745 00:32:17,789 --> 00:32:15,760 luck with that does such a joke and 746 00:32:20,430 --> 00:32:17,799 challenge make any sense in our pres 747 00:32:23,950 --> 00:32:20,440 present order of knowledge no of course 748 00:32:26,830 --> 00:32:23,960 not and that's my point I think the joke 749 00:32:28,070 --> 00:32:26,840 is funny but then I also feel very alone 750 00:32:29,910 --> 00:32:28,080 thank thank you all this weekend for