Down the UAP rabbit hole

Down the UAP rabbit hole: Visible College members share their journey of exploring the topic of UAP.

Our world is changing exponentially. As academics, we are trained to think critically, check our sources, apply theory, interrogate data and report conclusions. We know that our conclusions will be confirmed or challenged as knowledge evolves. Each day, we embrace rigorous knowledge creation as we navigate our personal and professional lives. Currently, we are witnessing a rapid unfolding of domestic and international politics, artificial intelligence, and climate collapse. Added to the mix of global issues is the illusive topic of unidentified anomalous phenomena (UAP). The Visible College was created for academically trained professionals to engage seriously with the topic of UAP and apply our specialist skills to navigate the UAP rabbit hole.

Members of the Visible College come from a range of disciplines and diverse prior experiences of UAP. Some members had previously been sceptical of UAP while others entertained the possibility of non-human intelligence. In part, this was due to the science fiction of our shared youth, such as Close Encounters of the Third Kind, that inspired some of us to harbour belief that there might be life somewhere out there in the universe. Reflective of broader society, many members thought the notion to be ridiculous nonsense, fiction, fantasy, mistaken identity, or the result of some kind of pathology.

After all, it could not be true simply because it could not be, and I never even considered a passing glance at the wealth of information available.

In the last few years, however, members stumbled across something that caught their attention - a book, a Reddit post, a YouTube clip – that led them to take a closer look. The catalyst that triggered the dive into the UAP rabbit hole is different for individuals across the group. Many members state that they noticed the 2017 New York Times article by Leslie Kean and Ralph Blumenthal that included military footage of UAP, but did not connect with the topic at that time. Most members of the Visible College began serious investigations after encountering official reports from US military personnel or US government activity, such as the 2021 Department of Defense and Office of the Director of National Intelligence report, and the 2023 US Congressional Hearing into UAP.

I decided to really start learning as much as I could about UAP at that point and started engaging in UAP communities. I was still pretty convinced that UAP were secret American technology. I was very much aware of how disruptive this technology would be and recognized that my company ought to provide some resources in this space.

Once down the rabbit hole, members applied their academic and professional training to question, investigate, and draw their own conclusions. Here, the dive into the UAP rabbit becomes all consuming.

When I got home, I would spend hours poring over reddit posts, UFO twitter, listening to podcasts by Lue Elizondo, Garry Nolan, and Christopher Mellon. I looked at the 2017 New York Times article, the declassified navy videos, Obama’s 2021 interview, Haim Eshed, Paul Hellyer. They all left an enormous breadcrumb trail of information that led to an obvious conclusion in hindsight. The more I dug, the more I realized that we had missed something so significant, so world-changing, that it was absurd.

Through this process, members traversed a period of ‘ontological shock,’ a radical shift in their worldview. While the true origin of UAP remain elusive, accepting the existence of UAP ushered in a new personal reality. The blow to our existing ontology left many members feeling numb, dazed, empty, in a stupor, pushing through daily tasks mechanically while constantly thinking about UAP, alternating between fear, wonder, and curiosity, staying awake at night, feeling ill or cold and sweaty, as well as lethargy from incessantly ruminating about practical concerns for humanity.

The Ontologicals: that’s what I call them. It’s the short version of “Ontological Shock” but like “The Bends” in diving, it covers a lot of symptoms that “shock” just doesn’t quite seem to do justice to.

Acknowledging UAP as a physical craft that defies mainstream physics often triggers the first wave of ontological shock. This can last a few days, weeks or months where it is common to question oneself and one’s sanity. Have I fallen for a UFO cult? Are my research skills bad? Have I got it all wrong? Maybe I am crazy…

I have fallen down lots of rabbit holes that are hard to get out of. If NHI [non-human intelligences] and their otherworldly capabilities are real and have been covered up, what else is true that I previously thought was myth or hoax or pathology? The boundaries of civilization, of objectivity and subjectivity, and of reality itself, have gotten blurry.

Once the first layer settles, Visible College members reflect on a deeper unsettling and reintegration period. Many members required months or years to reimagine their worldview to one that accepts that UAP are controlled by a non-human intelligence. In addition, comes a challenge to intellectually grapple with the extraordinarily ‘weird stuff’ associated with UAP.

There were aspects to UAP that I kept at the periphery, such as abductions and cow mutilations. After several months of serious inquiry into UAP I eventually had to cross those lines. Trying to pull together multiple threads that are not within my usual frame of reference was staggering, as well as sifting through the plethora of information and ascertaining what is credible and what is not.

Some of the threads associated with UAP include religion, spirituality, and understandings of consciousness which are thought through with a new lens. A few of our members are beginning to brave the stigma and are integrating the new insights gained from investigating UAP into their academic teaching.

This inquiry led me to re-examine my worldview. I recognized the deep connections between UAP and historical non-human encounters described in religious and folk literatures. Traditions like Hinduism, with their celestial beings, and even Biblical texts from my own upbringing, took on new significance. I am diversifying my curriculum in philosophy of religion and art to include these often-neglected perspectives.

Existing in this new reality is not only a challenge to our internal, individual existence but can place strain on our relationships. Many Visible College members have felt isolated from colleagues and loved ones who have not opened to the evidence base that resulted in the tectonic shifts they have experienced. Longstanding marriages have been brought to the brink of divorce when one spouse is convinced of the reality of UAP and the other believes they have gone crazy. Loved ones can be completely baffled by our fixation and/or transformation. At times, many of us have had to address calls from family and friends who implore us to surface from the UAP rabbit hole and return to them.

However, in the end life just continues on. I still do my experiments while listening to UFO audiobooks. I still need to spend time with my wife. I still need to enjoy time with friends. But the anticipation for this upcoming monumental societal shift and its implication became second nature to me.

A place of ‘ontological relief’ can be found. Although UAP remain a mystery, members of the Visible College gather to share information, compare notes and to simply bask in the relief that comes from knowing that there are others who share our experience, that our sanity is intact. Indeed, working through the UAP journey has also been liberating and grounding, expanding our understanding of who we are as humans and our purpose in life.

In the midst of metaphysical uncertainty, I find solace in the moral teachings of Jesus and the universal compassion and generosity emphasized in Buddhism. These teachings have provided a moral anchor, allowing me to navigate the uncertainties with a sense of purpose and direction, focusing on kindness, mercy, and justice in my interactions with others. This inquiry has been personally disruptive, challenging long-held views, but it has also been grounding.

The Visible College offers a space for us to join with like-minded people who have arrived at the understanding that our universe is indeed more mind boggling than we could ever imagine. We hope that by bringing you along this journey, we can provide a space to explore and share ideas as you work your way through the intellectual, emotional, ontological, and relational twists and turns down the UAP rabbit hole.