Reality is merely an illusion; albeit a very persistent one.
—Albert Einstein
An Analysis and Summary of Jacques Vallee's, The Psychic Solution
In the Introduction of Vallee’s book, he states that ‘no theory of UFOs can be deemed acceptable if it does not account for the reported psychic effects produced by these objects.’ What I think Vallee is referring to when he mentions ‘psychic effects’ is how we humans perceive the phenomenon, and its effects on our psyches. It also relates to the psychic phenomena often observed during or after a close encounter case.
UFOs seem to create a distortion in our perception of reality. They have been reported to change shape, size, materialize, dematerialize, and move through solid objects. Yet, at the same time, they leave physical traces. They can be photographed. This is where many researchers get tripped up. They tend to shun the reports where the UFO behaves in ‘absurd’ ways or try to reconcile the observed behavior as advanced technology. UFOs are, beyond a shadow of doubt, advanced technology. But in and of themselves, UFOs are not the technology. They are a projection of some advanced technology, something truly unknown. One might say, UFOs are psychic projections. They could be coming from ‘some place in time,’ not necessarily another planet in our universe. They could be part of a greater parapsychological phenomenon.
Before getting into the details of the different types of psychic phenomena associated with UFO encounters, I think it’s important to give the reader a conceptual framework for understanding psychic effects in UFO encounters. The evidence for psychic effects mostly comes from eyewitness testimony. There are cases where the investigator was able to collect physical evidence that coincides with the witness account of psychic phenomena occurring. We are left with the credibility of the witness, and more importantly the credibility of the investigator.
For the sake of clarity, let me discuss my purpose for using the word psyche in conjunction with the paranormal. In Jungian terms, the psyche is the totality of all psychic processes, both conscious and unconscious. Jung viewed the psyche as a self-regulating system, which is a type of control system. It is, possibly, designed to control and manage the evolution of human consciousness. Jung’s model for the psyche includes a process called individuation, which is the psyche’s search for wholeness. The typical 'flying saucer' and its circular form could be symbolic of this wholeness—a type of mandala.
I think that paranormal phenomena, like UFOs, are psychic forces that serve different functions for the human psyche. One of their functions is to give us feedback. They establish a link between the unconscious mind and conscious awareness. It provides a way for the unconscious to communicate with us. UFOs seem to have a feedback system. They engage the human mind in ways we don’t fully understand. As Vallee points out in his book, there are several cases where a person has encountered a UFO and received information from it. That information sometimes leads to a change in their personality. They might develop new talents—even psychic abilities. Vallee highlights several cases where the percipient goes on to form some type of cult movement, based on the information they received from the UFO.
A case mentioned by Jacques Vallee in his book, that demonstrates a possible psychic connection, is that of a French Legionnaire. This man watched a large object descend and emit a conical shaped light. He saw colors that were “fascinating” and “relaxing.” He may have been in an altered state during the encounter. After the object left, the man was left with a feeling of sadness. During the encounter, he felt happy and ecstatic. His emotional state changed in the presence of the UFO. The UFO was able to manipulate the chemicals in the brain to produce different emotions. They can also, as I mentioned earlier, produce altered states.
A seasoned UFO investigator, Jenny Randles, coined the term “Oz Factor” to explain this type of altered state—a dream-like reality. When the percipient enters this state, they sometimes report an environmental distortion. The environment appears the same, but something is amiss. For example, natural sounds seem to disappear once they enter this state. The phenomenon presents us with visual misinformation. The experiencer enters a type of virtual reality. Despite the psychical nature of the environment, the percipient can still sustain physical effects. This could possibly be accomplished through some type of psychokinetic interaction produced by the UFO and the percipient.
The phenomena of stigmata could be an example of psychokinetic powers being responsible for physical effects. A famous case of stigmata involved Padre Pio, who was ordained a Catholic priest in 1910. Pio developed the wounds of crucifixion in his hands. There was no physical action that caused the holes in his hands, at least that no one could prove. These wounds, if not created by Pio, might have been psychically generated. Phenomena like this seem to indicate that mind is capable of affecting matter.
Michael Talbot, who studied ancient mysticism and quantum mechanics, suggested that the physical universe is something like a hologram. He believed that UFOs and related phenomena are evidence of the lack of division between the psychological and physical worlds, a product of the collective human psyche. Even though they are part of the human psyche, they are also physically real. Talbot sees UFOs and other paranormal phenomena as “omnijective” - neither subjective nor objective. He believed that reality is a multilayered hologram. Vallee has also referred to UFOs as possibly being holograms with mass.
UFOs and other paranormal phenomena could be responsible for destabilizing us. Some people who have experienced close encounters with UFO can attest to this. This could explain why the trickster archetype closely relates to these phenomena. The trickster is responsible for undermining authority and overthrowing existing systems. It crosses the set boundaries of our rigid methodologies. It sets in order new patterns for growth. We are forced to abandon our existing models of the world. It will use deception and lies to accomplish these tasks. The trickster merges the objective and subjective, which challenges our conception of reality.
Are UFOs pushing us to expand our ideas of reality? The trickster element, which is undeniably intertwined with these phenomena, is possibly giving us clues. What we call the paranormal has been with humanity since the dawn of civilization. Whether or not some nonhuman intelligence is responsible for them is not as important as how they affect us. The objective reality of these phenomena is of minor importance. The belief that they exist produces profound effects on the human psyche. Our lives are shaped by belief and mythology. Whether these phenomena are rejected by the government, the academic elite, or some other human institution, they continue to have profound effects on our world. As Vallee states in his book, UFOs have a profound effect, not only on the psyche, but also on our culture.
Carl Raschke, a religious scholar, comments on the destabilizing nature of paranormal phenomena, specifically UFO encounters:
What this may indicate is that UFOs may exist as a mega-experiment in deconstructing our ideas of what is possible, our place in the universe, our ways of accepting what is real and even our methods of cataloging sensory input. https://secretsun.blogspot.com/2021/03/ultraterrestrial-agents-of-cultural.html
Talk to someone who has had a close encounter experience and they will most likely tell you that the experience changed their life. In many cases, they will find themselves questioning their beliefs and the nature of reality. They feel as though they’ve experienced something spiritual or profoundly illuminating.
Vallee discusses UFOs and religious visions in his book. He goes into some detail concerning the ‘Miracle of Fatima,’ an event that shares many of the same characteristics of modern day UFO reports. Another case he mentions is that of Uri Geller, the Israeli psychic known for his spoon-bending capabilities. Uri claims to have experienced a beam of light that came from the sky, leading him to believe the source of his psychic abilities came from extraterrestrials. There are several cases where a person claims to have been seen or been hit by a beam of light that they believe came from a divine source, not necessarily extraterrestrial in nature. Whether the beam comes from a flying saucer or a shining being (often interpreted as an angel or religious figure), the result is almost always the same—the experiencer’s psyche is affected.
Are UFO experiences the merging of religious belief and the modern myth of aliens coming to enlighten us? This seems to be true in some of the cases. Many of the contactees believe they have been chosen for a mission, not unlike religious figures throughout history. The aliens, like angels of the past, bring messages from a higher source. They offer salvation, but at what price? Do we hand over our minds and will to some nonhuman intelligence, simply because it appears to be more intelligent? Intelligence does not equate to moral superiority. If an alien intelligence is involved, their ideas regarding morality might be in opposition to our own. The issue here is not some malevolent intelligence imposing its will on humanity. Rather, it’s the gullibility and credulity of humans who accept information as fact without using critical thinking skills.
The UFO Phenomenon presents us with imagery and symbols that could possibly come from the unconscious mind. Prior to the modern UFO era, stories involving bulbous headed beings with superhuman powers existed in popular culture. One cover of a Science Wonder Stories magazine, dated 1929, depicts a flying saucer flying above the Earth in space. Another cover shows a circular craft.
Many characters from folklore, such as Fairies and sylphs, share similar characteristics with modern day UFO occupants, as Vallee elucidated in ‘Passport to Magonia’. The gray aliens, so often depicted in abduction stories, have over-sized heads and seem to have extraordinary abilities beyond what any human has. Visually speaking, we project the idea of a higher intelligence onto these beings, because they have a larger cranium, which implies a larger brain. The general assumption is that a larger brain equates to higher intelligence. This is not always true.
In the Psychic Solution, Vallee mentions five propositions pertaining to the nature of UFOs. He states that UFOs are not necessarily objects. They can materialize and dematerialize. They also violate the ‘laws of motion’ as we know them. He also states that the UFO phenomenon is essentially an old phenomenon that has appeared throughout history in one form or another. In the ancient world, people viewed the phenomenon as religious in nature. They saw ‘gods’ and other divine entities. In our time, the phenomenon projects itself as ‘interplanetary visitors.’ Vallee thinks that to understand the phenomenon, we must understand its psychic effects. I would have to agree, 100%.
Vallee also states that the phenomenon ‘negates’ itself. In other words, it presents itself to the lower layers of society, and is rejected by the ‘upper layers.’ I interpret Vallee’s use of ‘upper layers’ as meaning those with knowledge of certain scientific concepts. For example, some contactees were told, by the entities they encountered, that they came from Saturn or Mars. Based on our current level of knowledge, we know that intelligent life most likely cannot exist on those planets. Vallee also points out that UFO encounters often have a certain level of absurdity. The way the objects and entities behave is so strange that those with more sophisticated knowledge of science and technology would find those reports absolutely silly.
Vallee further illustrates his point that the phenomenon cancels itself out by discussing how elusive it is. It presents us with some factual information, but at the same time, presents us with false information. It befuddles us. It leaves us guessing. It intentionally misleads us.
UFO encounters could involve subliminal modalities that affect the experiencer on the unconscious level. This idea directly relates to Vallee’s idea of the phenomenon misleading us or presenting us with contradictory information in order to communicate something to us on an unconscious level. Subliminal perception occurs when sensory stimuli are beyond the threshold of a person’s conscious perception. Some studies indicate that the subliminal presentation of arousing stimuli can activate certain parts of the brain. Subliminal presentation is achieved by a brief stimulus, no more than 50 milliseconds. The meta-analyses indicate that subliminal emotional stimuli of different modalities affect neural activation. I propose that UFO use some type of subliminal priming that has long-term psychological effects.
Vallee also mentions the work of Carl Jung in his book. He specifically mentions Jung’s work on the concept of archetypes. UFOs and their occupants could present themselves as archetypal images that exist in the collective unconscious.
In line with Vallee’s idea that the UFO Phenomenon has been around for centuries, we can review the historical documentation for otherworldly encounters in the ancient past. What we can see is that humans have been engaged with some form of intelligence, possibly nonhuman in nature since the dawn of civilization, maybe even since our hominid ancestors came on the scene. The birth and evolution of Christianity is a prime example. No one knows with absolute certainty that Jesus existed. Most scholars believe that he did. But it really doesn’t matter if Jesus existed. People believe he did. They believe the message of the New Testament that is attributed to him. Their belief is what builds their reality. But there was a more important character than Jesus in regards to the spreading of the new belief. The apostle Paul was the one responsible for taking Jesus’s message to the gentiles. If not for Paul’s efforts, Christianity probably wouldn’t exist today. Paul is the one that had the ‘vision’ on the road to Damascus. The description of Paul’s vision is very similar to what UFO percipients experience. He sees a blinding light coming from above. He sees and hears a divine being, Jesus. Jesus gives him a mission. That single event led to Christianity spreading throughout the world. There are billions of Christians.
Control System
Vallee discusses the ‘control system’ concept in ‘The Psychic Solution.’ When he speaks of a control system as it relates to the UFO Phenomenon, he is not talking about a system built to put constraints on human thought and action. His concept of the control system is more about the direction and evolution that human consciousness is going. He uses a thermostat as an example. When the temperature gets too hot or too cold, the thermostat will receive the information about the temperature and actuate the controls to bring the temperature up or down to a desired level. The UFO Phenomenon is regulating human consciousness. It does this by influencing and manipulating our beliefs. Vallee has also stated that humans are ruled by their beliefs and myths. UFOs can be seen as a modern myth. Carl Jung was one of the first to make this observation in his book: Flying Saucers—A Modern Myth of Things Seen in the Sky. That’s not to say that the myth is purely fiction. There is no doubt that there is a real phenomenon. But more importantly, it’s how humans perceive and interpret the phenomenon that eventually leads to it becoming mythologized.
The collective unconscious of humanity could be a natural control system, or is part of a control system that exists in nature. This system regulates human behavior and belief. It contains a feedback mechanism similar to the biochemical control system in humans. When blood sugar levels are low, physical symptoms manifest. These symptoms are alerting us to the fact that our levels are low. The unconscious feedback system projects psychic forces that sometimes have physical manifestations. These projections are similar to the physical symptoms that appear when our blood glucose levels are low. For example, in some close encounter cases the entities warn against the use of nuclear weapons. They express concern over environmental degradation caused by humans. Anyone who has seriously studied UFOs knows that there is a connection between UFOs and nuclear weapons. After the advent of atomic weapons, UFO waves started to occur. There are many cases of UFO intrusions around nuclear facilities.
My research into UFO and paranormal experiences, with considerable attention to UFO cases, has led me to think that some type of extrapsychic force is involved. Although created by us, this force has a semi-autonomous existence, sustaining itself on natural energies and human emotions. This force was born from human consciousness and has continued to grow with us over the centuries. I think there is a good possibility that the human mind is capable of creating psychic materializations. For the most part, these materializations are short-lived. Like the tulpa created by Alexandra David-Neel, they sometimes seek independence from their creator. It could be that there are numerous psychoids existing on this planet, hidden away in some psychical dimension invisible to humans. They have a type of quasi-intelligence. Materialization is dependent upon a number of factors, including a certain level of geophysical activity. Human belief could be the determining factor that allows them to manifest in the consciousness of the observer, and possibly materialize in our three-dimensional reality.
Anthony Peake, a paranormal researcher, wrote about his concept of egregorials—non-physical entities. Peake believes these entities exist in the three-dimensional space surrounding us, but are an elemental creation of the mind. He refers to the work of parapsychologist, Paul Eno. Eno argues that many of the entities encountered in paranormal experiences are “psychic vampires” that feed on human emotions. They are like parasites, feeding on our energy. Another parapsychologist, Scott Rogo, shares some of the same ideas as Peake and Eno. He also believes that these entities feed on strong emotions, including love, hate, and anger. Humans feed off of each other’s emotions. We tend to be attracted to people based on their emotional state. We are also repelled by people in certain emotional states. You may know people who seem to always have a good “vibe.” Being around them can elevate your mood. Their energy seems to be contagious. On the flipside, there are others who carry a “bad” vibe. Being in their presence can affect your mood negatively. They are “energy vampires.” UFOs could be psychic projections that can appear as angels to some and demons to others.
Vallee’s conclusion in ‘The Psychic Solution’
One of the most important statements, in my opinion, that Vallee makes in his book, concerns myths. He states that the belief that flying saucers come from outer space may not be true, but if people believe it is true, then it becomes truer than true. The belief has profound effects on our world. It shapes the way we think and how we act. Like the belief in some divine being, the belief in UFOs coming from outer space, bringing salvation from above, has a profound impact on our psyches and our world.
He finally concludes that the answers won’t come from some secret file in Washington or even science. The answer, according to Vallee, is inside of us. ‘We can reach it any time we want.’ I agree with that statement. I think each individual must do their own investigation into the phenomenon. Don’t accept what the so-called authorities say without using critical thinking. Winnow out the truth for yourself.
Parting Thoughts
I am no expert on UFOs or psychic phenomena. In fact, there are no experts. We who study these phenomena are mostly reliant upon eyewitness testimony as the main source of evidence. Although eyewitness testimony is not the most ideal form of evidence, it has its value and place in this type of research. Even if the government or some private institution has access to UFO materials, I seriously doubt there inquiries into the nature of that material will yield them any useful information on the nature of the UFO phenomenon. The most important aspect of studying parapsychological phenomena is how it affects our psyches and our world.
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