Simply by contemplating the sheer number of stars and possible star-systems in the known universe, anyobserver is bound to ask the question: Are we alone in the universe?No definitive answer yet exists and proponents of both schools of thought: those whose believe firmly in the existence of extraterrestrial life and those who remain skeptical of such claims, continue to debate the issue with fervor.Circumstantial evidence abounds in regard to establishing the UFO and alien abduction cases as genuine, unexplainable phenomena. By researching some of the most well-known accounts of alien visitation and UFO sightings a solid case can be made for the point of view that extra-terrestrial life does, in fact, exist.Some theorists believe that the myriad number of stars and planetary systems almost certainly ensures that "alien" life of some form or another exists. Whether or not such life would be intelligent life is also a subject of debate; however both probes and radio waves have been consistently deployed by researches for years.
One of the probes or radio signals may eventually detect life beyond earth, and if "extraterrestrial life is detected by one of the space probes or radio searches, then ours may be the last generation to think of itself as alone in the universe" which would leave contemporary times to be judged as backward as those historical societies who " who insisted that the Earth was flat." (Lamb, 2001, p. 8)Though contact by radio or probe with aliens has not yet been established, there are no few number of "UFO" sightings all around the world each year, many of them from credible sources. In fact, "thousands of UFO cases" are reported by "average, law-abiding people who appeared to honestly believe what they saw and had little to gain in the perpetration of a hoax.
And in most cases they had a lot to lose. People who claim to have seen UFOs are frequently shunned and laughed at" (Parker, 1998, p. 219) which would diminish the liklihood of false-claims, particularly by military or professional personnel. So many cases have been reported that "Files now exist that contain close to 100,000 recorded cases" in the U.S alone. (Parker, 1998, p.
220)Also, reports of alien abductions have gained increasing credibility over time. One key incident to the raising of credibility of UFOs in the popular consciousness is the so-called "Roswell Incident," which involves a secret American military base which was active in the Col War era: "Since the late 1940s the area has become a magnet for believers in UFOs, who maintain that extraterrestrials crashed there and the U.S. government covered it up; the presence of a secret Air Force test site undoubtedly fueled the rumors. " ("Roswell," 2004)The alleged crash-landing of ana alien spacecraft at the Roswell site has been supported by both eye-witness and documented accounts.
One eye-witness, Gerald Anderson, " came forward claiming he had found a saucer in the desert with several dead aliens around it.According to Anderson, one was still alive"; however, Anderson's claims may be suspect since he was only five years old at the time of the incident. (Parker, 1998, p. 219) Another eye-witness, Frank Kaufman, insisted he "was part of a military contingent that located the wreckage of a strange object; he said he saw several small bodies inside it through a break in the side" and a third witness, Jim Ragsdale "claims to have seen a similar wreckage on the July 4 weekend of 1947." (Parker, 1998, p.
228)Those who argue for the existence of alien life and UFO's cite not only Roswell, but the growing number of personal accounts of alien abduction as strong circumstantial evidence for their beliefs. Proponents of alien-abduction theories are not merely members of paranormal organizations or people out to seek public attention, but professionals and health-care officials as well.A number of "mental health professionals are therefore now arguing that psychotherapists should be educated about the UFO abduction phenomenon so that they will recognize the symptoms" and therefore be able to effectively treat patients who may be suffering from "posttraumatic stress disorder (or a variant of that condition, "experienced anomalous trauma"[..
.] they should get the same treatment as anyone else meeting the relevant diagnostic criteria." (Newman & Baumeister, 1996, p. 100)Similarly, a former defense minster of Britain, Nick Pope, suggested in a recent report not only that aliens exist but that nations should ready themselves for a possible hostile invasion.
He warned that "Britain could be attacked at any time," and cited a number of officially recorded instances to support his warning. ("The Aliens Are Coming," 2006, p. 7)One compelling incident cited by Pope happened in 1980 and involved "RAF bases in Suffolk, staff investigated a suspected plane crash after bright lights were reported in nearby woods. They found a kind of three-legged lunar landing module which then flew off.
Indents left in the ground were found to emit ten times the normal radiation level." ("The Aliens Are Coming," 2006, p. 7) Such reports from high-ranking officials and government sources are good evidence for the existence of aliens.While it is natural for those who have not witnessed a UFO or those who may not have examined the myriad circumstantial evidence for the existence of aliens to be skeptical, if not completely disbelieving of the possibility, even the cursory glance of incidents and reports in the above discussion provokes intense speculation that aliens not only exist, but may have visited earth on many occasions and possibly even abducted individuals.
given the vastness of the universe and the plethora of accounts throughout history and also contemporary scientific and psychological references, the evidence strongly suggests that aliens exist.ReferencesThe Aliens Are Coming, Warns Ex-MoD Chief. (2006, November 10). The Daily Mail (London, England), p.
7.Roswell. (2004). In The Columbia Encyclopedia (6th ed.).
New York: Columbia University Press.Lamb, D. (2001). The Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence: A Philosophical Inquiry. New York: Routledge.Newman, L.
S., & Baumeister, R. F. (1996).
Toward an Explanation of the UFO Abduction Phenomenon: Hypnotic Elaboration, Extraterrestrial Sadomasochism, and Spurious Memories. Psychological Inquiry, 7(2), 99-126.Parker, B. (1998). Alien Life: The Search for Extraterrestrials and Beyond.
Reading, MA: Perseus Books.
