‘High Strangeness’ and the anomalous phenomena
THE BRILLIANCE OF the anomalous phenomena is that whatever these things are, whatever part of existence they come from, whoever they might be, they are undoubtedly something we simply don’t understand. The December 2017 New York Times articles that disclosed the Advanced Aerospace Threat Identification Program (AATIP) to the world were profound in many ways, and no more important than the fact the Pentagon UAP program started the ball rolling for the disclosure process, it was a massive first step for the world in a post Project Blue Book era that had lasted for over 50 years. However, despite AATIP’s significance upon early UAP activism efforts, it was actually the Advanced Aerospace Weapons System Application Program (AAWSAP) which was the more important program. For whilst AATIP focused solely on military engagement cases of aerial phenomena, AAWSAP looked behind the anomalous mask, how it was wore and why.
If we simply stick with AATIP and military UAP cases, we would be limiting ourselves, unable to discover the true origin of the phenomena. The people behind AAWSAP knew that something strange was occurring, something that couldn’t be explained logically or rationally. The concept of portals to other times and dimensions was considered to explain the ‘high strangeness’ of UAP cases.
Seemingly, the anomalous phenomena are incredibly complex, beyond simple lights in the sky. We can assume that this extreme technology is controlled by non-human intelligences, but we simply cannot clarify the reality of such things. The consciousness of such phenomena cannot easily be categorised, classified and easily referenced.
And after all, we are here to ask the question, ‘What are UAP?’
Even if we struggle to answer that question.
Ultra-Terrestrials
In early October I had finished reading the book Operation Trojan Horse, by American author and researcher John Keel – who also wrote the influential Mothman Prophecies book. Very interestingly, Keel advocated against the theory that UFOs were extra-terrestrial in origin (the popular opinion in the 50s and 60s), and instead, promoted the literature of that time that these objects were ‘para-physical’ in nature, that they push through the visible light spectrum and vibrate at a higher frequency. His work in parts was very thought provoking, however in no means does he approach with a sceptical methodology. Additionally, I didn’t care too much for his overly certain conclusions based on data that wasn’t repeatable and from a dataset which was highly questionable. Having said that, I did find his theories fascinating as a hypothetical argument. It was Keel who introduced the ‘Ultra-Terrestrials’ (UFOs are intelligences from Earth) as a mainstream concept, as most famously suggested that the case reports followed a subtle sequential pattern, and that pattern didn’t advocate extra-terrestrials coming from another planet. Apparently, there is a research paper by Doctor Hal Puthoff on ‘Ultra-Terrestrials’, but finding it has been almost impossible.
Keel promotes the concept of complexity, that UFOs are only the tip of the iceberg, and we can see that through the patterns within case data. For example, what was being reported in the UFO-waves (or Flaps – e.g., 1896/87, 1909, 1913, 1934) were simply too complex for any basic ‘extra-terrestrial’ conclusions, and more often than not, didn’t make logical sense from the reported observations.
Both Keel and Jacques Vallée both make use of the late 19th century UFO wave to point to the ‘high strangeness’ that is associated with the phenomena. Theories of ‘high strangeness’ incorporate all of the weird and illogical paranormal incidents and associated phenomena that is tied to UFOs.
For instance, the UFO phenomenon changes through time, moves itself historically and matches up with the cultural quantum subconscious. The anomalous present us with a world view that we can understand, absorb, accept and most importantly, believe.
Keel reports that flap/wave areas contained not just a specific type of airship or vehicle, but a rich variation of advanced aerospace vehicle that often-defied logic when unpicked and analysed, most often, these were a technology we didn’t have at the time. Vallée and Keel both reported on the sightings from civilians with close encounters, meetings with these strange people who often offer their guest a ride before dropping them back where they found them. The reported strange aerial vehicles were often displaying advanced propulsion abilities and had taken to engaging the America heartlands, almost as if a portal to someplace else was opened and these things were sailing right through.
From 1896-1897, the wave of airships intensified with reports coming across various states. The mysterious airship wave of the late 19th century acted very similar to a typical ‘UFO’ wave, albeit instead of silver metallic discs there were clunky wooden blimp type airships.
Most strange, was the encounters were with all manner of differing people/beings, some human, some looking less than human (some claiming to be from Mars and other places), and all traveling in ships that the experiencer has no accounting for. The technology and vehicles reported were a bizarre mix of crude blimp like airships that had the ability to accelerate and move beyond what was understandable at that time. Keep in mind, that in 1896-97 the American people had no functional working airships, let alone ones that could perform what was being reported. We would not take to the skies in planes for another decade.
Despite this, the cases did follow a pattern, Keel and Vallée report that the airships are often on the ground in need of repair when the experiencer engages them - the occupants themselves telling wild stories about their origins and destinations which don’t make sense.
And then there is the pattern of reports, the airship wave followed the same pattern of the UFO waves of 1947 and 1952 etc, they generally stick to clustered geographical areas across the country (with outliers). Also, Keel reports that he found the UFOs appear more often on a Wednesday, and that they appear between the hours of 8pm and 11pm. Again, whilst we have no reason to doubt his research conclusion with the dataset available to him, we must also be aware that there is a lack of significant quantitative data to further give such research credit. A greater and wider dataset will potentially impact the sample being studied, and to this we can argue that more data is required. Much, much more.
If we are to speculate on such conclusions, we may end up drawing wild parallels between the anomalous and the human world. For example, for the phenomena to appear mostly on a Wednesday is highly indicative of how human beings organise their world (and also with the timeframes of 8pm and 11pm). Keel, et al, argue that this ensures intention is displayed by the ‘alien intelligence’, as part of a covert focus of intention, mostly to deceive mankind. To me this should be taken into consideration, however, we must also consider that this doesn’t necessarily mean an ‘alien’ intention like we humans understand it. The patterned behaviours from within UFO-waves might be without intention (sinister or not), they might be displaying a level of consciousness we simply do not understand.
The psychology of anthropocentric intention
Intention is very much a characteristic of psychology (some argue consciousness), a dog can intend to bite you, a cat can intend to scratch you, a fish can intend to evade you, but a plant cannot intend to do you harm (that we know of), it cannot do anything other than to be a plant. We attribute intention to others through our own agreed upon observations.
But what can we agree upon about the anomalous phenomena? Can we truly assign intention to them/it through our observations? The problem is our observations are influenced by the very measurement of measuring - being human. We as humans, are flawed in our logic in one very critical way, we attribute a final conclusion by what we personally experience. When we assess UAP, we subconsciously influence our own decision process, we look for a desired outcome rather than a true objective one.
Consequently, I started to consider that the ‘high strangeness’ is a mirrored (physical) representation of the human subconscious. Historical UFO cases often act and behave like things we see in our dreams. But we aren’t dreaming. Are we?
We humanise our observations and our observed target. This is particularly evident when UFO believers advocate those extra-terrestrials are here to save us against nuclear weapons or debunkers advocate a mass sighting are military flares.
Applying anthropocentric intention to the anomalous phenomena is dangerously speculative. Researchers Keel, Patrick Harpur and even Jacque Vallee’s ‘control system hypothesis’ all discuss the possibilities of how other alternative dimensional beings are influencing human history for some unknown reason. This may indeed be a plausible explanation; however, we need to ensure we consider such theories without conclusively subscribing to them. We simply cannot infer the mindset of an anomalous phenomena by which we still do not have a complete dataset for.
Historical problems with cold cases
Sceptically, we must be open to all possibilities and be careful not to set about debunking concepts as terrestrially trivial - simply because we do not understand them or because our favourite-debunker has a new book to sell and clicks for their website. We are not the masters of the scientific universe, and we don’t know everything there is to know. In fact, in the early 21st century we probably know as much as those living in 500 B.C., contrasted against a futurist 31st or 41st century human civilisation. I can imagine they are laughing at me and my attempt to understand.
Consider the reports from history, we shouldn’t assume that similar behaviour or similar technological abilities mean a direct correlation of origin or causal linkage. As good researchers and scientists, we must try to disprove our own theories. Also we must be sceptical, not as a tool to dismiss a phenomena, but as a means to open up more questions.
Take for example the ‘Mysterious Airships’ - unlike the majority of ‘Flying Disc’ reports and historical waves - the airships would often land and their occupants engage and speak fluently with the locals openly about knowledge they had of America. The ‘Flying Discs’ however, would sporadically land, but would more often than not take off when discovered by locals and act more elusive. The interactions were very different, the engagement was different, the length of time on the ground was different – although in truth, there are reported cases in which ‘aliens’ that were out fixing their ships (similar to the airships).
Also, we must consider that the 1896/97 wave of unknown airships almost matched the intensity of the 1947 and 1952 waves, which were scattered and focused in different geographical location areas across America. If you were to look at a map of the United States head on, and then draw a straight line down the middle of the country, the ‘Mysterious Airships’ predominantly appear to the right of that line and as far towards the east coast as Illinois, Indiana, Ohio and Kentucky and clustering around Lake Michigan, as shown by Vallée. This discrepancy in geographical reports sightings, may, however be simply explained due to more densely populated urban and rural areas will statistically equal more reports.
There are simply too many confounding variables we can’t consider because we don’t have the data from those timeframes.
In fact, the same problematic principles can be applied to any historical case report, plus the further back we travel the more this problem exists. Take for example, two mass sightings from the Renaissance era are notable for the appearance of multiple ‘Orbs’. In Nuremberg, Germany, on the 14th of April, 1561, a broadsheet news article documented a mass sighting/aerial battle occurred in skies above the town. Hundreds of ‘Spheres’, ‘Crosses,’ ‘Cylinders,’ ‘Lunar Cresents,’ and other odd, shaped objects that moved overhead. Apparently a large ‘Black Triangle,’ then appeared and a crash proceeded to occur outside of the city, although details are limited with the medieval German article. This is an interesting case for sure, not only do we have an array of better well know UAP battling each other/putting on a display, we also have the appearance of a large black triangle (that would become infamous in 2021 and beyond). The problem is that due to the age of the case, we can’t verify the data presented or evaluate what was seen and reported and by who. Some debunkers have tried to explain the Nuremberg case with illusions of the sun; however, the reported data, movement and shape of multiple objects don’t fit the attributed explanations.
The problem is we can’t correlate such data or verify each case appropriately on their own merit and therefore shouldn’t conclude on limited data or assign faulty assumptions based on our own psychological needs and preexisting narratives.
Another case we can look at from that era was the ‘Basel mass sighting’ in Switzerland. The 26th and 27th of July, 1566, and again we see another article that documents strange aerial phenomena that included unusual celestial bodies and reported ‘Black Spheres’. Can we draw parallels between the cases? It is a difficult issue to consider.
However, we again must be careful with historical cases when considering any correlation. Each case must be treated on its own merit, even if that case is flawed by a lack of corresponding information. Simply to assume that Basel (1566) or Nuremberg (1561) are the same anomalous phenomenon (non-human intelligence) is intellectually negligent, or even that either of those cases are true anomalies. We can’t evaluate and provide an assessment of the five AATIP observables in such cases.
How can we trust the assessment ability of people living 500 years ago to accurately depict celestial bodies? We can’t. And yet at the same time, we cannot dismiss such cases either. Providing inadequate explanations as conclusive fact would leave us no better than a pseudo-sceptic or debunker with a pre-determined narrative to uphold. Our assessment methodology and data collection are not good enough to conclude in these very old cases.
Psychological limitations of illogical ideologies
“For them, reality is negotiable.”
The unbelievable words of Jacques Vallée, confirmed to me by a scientist in 2018 over social media. Those words opened my eyes to just how ‘god-like’ this anomalous technology actually might be. This unidentifiable anomalous ‘thing’ is almost unimaginable, it is incredibly complex in scope and practice and not part of this subjective reality. If the phenomenon can control the quantum particles at the atomic level, it is infinite, it is eternal, it is beyond us in every way humanly conceivable. And yet, we still don’t understand it.
Why don’t understand why UAP puts on needless light displays, buzzes nuclear strike groups and crashes into the New Mexico desert? Hypothetically, these non-sensical god-like anomalies have been here engaging us for all of human history, but in different ways and different forms.
Jacques Vallée documents a ‘Century of UFO Landings’ from 1868-1968, a snapshot of history, in his iconic book Passport to Magonia. Although limited in reference due to the lack of additional sensory data from historical cases - the 923 cases Vallee presents show a reality which isn’t compatible with our own. Instead, we see brief glimpses into other possible realities as they occasionally bleed into our own. I would argue that the ‘Many Worlds/Multi-Verse’ theory fits perfectly and this is a case of ‘portals’ opening and anomalies flying back and forth.
But my feeling is that something isn’t quite right with that hypothesis. There is more to this due to the fact there are similar patterns within the displayed psychology of the anomalous in ways which shouldn’t make sense (paranormal, high strangeness). The sheer amount, and distinct variation, within these reported craft over the last century would mean that at some point, one of these objects would land and stay landed in this reality. Surely, the beings would step out of their vehicles and be greeted with flowers and commemorative tributes, the President would welcome them to Earth and they would be a permanent fixture here. Humans would then accept them as real, seeing is believing.
But they don’t land and stay landed.
For all of the thousands and thousands of reported sightings of different UFOs and different beings that are supposedly witnessed across the 20th century, we don’t see them here for long. They are almost in a superposition of states between real and not real, here and not here.
It doesn’t make sense.
The debunkers would say that all of these witnesses are wrong, with either hoaxes or misidentifications. This is scientifically poor and an easy way out of a difficult, complex problem that needs to be evaluated fully and eventually solved.
So for me, this is why ‘high strangeness’ is so important, it changes the dynamic of the origin mystery.
Ufology would have you believe that these ‘alien beings’ think like we do, that they are influenced by what we experience to be human emotions and human thinking. Allegedly, they care about our nuclear weapons destroying the planet (there is a concrete link between the anomalous others and nuclear weapons and facilities), but this is not evidence of intention. These are human concepts of intention and human behaviours, wishes, goals and ideologies. We are imprinting ourselves onto them, assigning them what we believe they should do because that’s how we interpret the world and out reality.
And here’s the twist, the anomalous are then acting on those human assigned agendas. Humans are subconsciously assigning them a role to play and then they are physically becoming that role.
Hypothetically (of course), their interest in nuclear activity is a result of our own projection, that the aliens are here to (insert agenda) save us or monitor us. Obviously, any aliens would be very interested in our capabilities and how we are managing the planet. Possibly the anomalous intelligence itself, isn’t intelligent, or at least no more than we attribute it to be.
We can also consider that the anomalous phenomenon might be a quantum wave – some yet to be discovered array of various signals that make up human reality. What if the true nature of the anomalous phenomenon is so unrecognisable that we see ‘Tic-Tacs’ and ‘Flying Discs’ because that is what makes sense to us and that is what it makes us see as part of a symbiotic relationship. A continuous ‘möbius loop.’
Or maybe as Keel proposes, the phenomena (Ultra-Terrestrials as he called them) do have an agenda, to trick us into accepting and believing. Either way, it seems plausible to suggest that the anomalous have a deep underlying connection and their interest/intentions are directed towards human consciousness.
Again, these are simply unverifiable hypothetical ideas which cannot be tested, sourced or analysed.
Fourth Gear
Following Skinwalker Ranch and cases of high strangeness, my focus had changed fairly quickly from the ‘nuts and bolts’ physical craft to something exceptionally complex. A paper wrote by Vallée and Davis, refers to the high strangeness of the anomalous phenomena and how we should apply a more robust methodology when considering not only UAP, but also other harder to explain phenomenon such as the Marian apparitions. Vallée in his work, has stated that the UFO/UAP should be considered from the position of six layers of anomalous events.
‘(1) physical manifestations, (2) anti-physical effects, (3) psychological factors, (4) physiological factors, (5) psychic effects, and (6) cultural effects’ Davis & Vallée, (2006).
The six layers that are introduced serve as a good measure to capture the traits of anomalous phenomena, but for me they do not explain the origin. As I’ve stated previously, linking any number of Marian apparitions to UAP is problematic. Unfortunately, and as an example, we do not have access to hard materials from the cases of Fatima or Lourdes to test or evaluate, additionally, we do not have videos, credible photos to truly examine the apparition figure. We have testimony, which is not enough to conclude.
Similar problem with Skinwalker Ranch, we do not have the hard materials of some of the physical crypto-terrestrial figures that were reported. How can we scientifically compare the atomic structure of say a Grey Alien, Bigfoot and the Lady of Lourdes?
We honestly cannot prove that the anomalous is one thing pretending to be lots of things.
Additionally, if we are to propose that this ‘high strangeness’ is a phenomenon (single) rather than a phenomena (plural), we would need to somehow show a link beyond observations of cold cases. Which we cannot do for reasons we have discussed earlier in this book.
In their paper, Vallée and Davis make references to what they see as the possible nature of UAP technology. They assume that the six layers are a direct product of UAP technology that integrates ‘physical and psychic phenomena and primarily affects cultural variables in our society through manipulation of physiological and psychological parameters in the witnesses.’
They make the following accretions:
(a) The phenomenon is the product of a technology. During the observation, the UAP is a real, physical, material object. However, it appears to use either very clever deception or very must eventually advanced physical principles, resulting in the effects we have called “anti-physical” which be reconciled with the laws of Physics. with the laws of Physics.
(b) The technology triggers psychic effects either purposely or as a side effect of its manifestations. These consciousness phenomena are now too common to be ignored or relegated to the category of exaggerated or ill-observed facts. All of us who have investigated close-range sightings have become familiar with these effects.
(c) The purpose of the technology may be cultural manipulation -- possibly but not necessarily under control of a form of non-human intelligence -- in which case the physiological and psychological effects are a means to that end. But the parapsychologist with a Jungian framework may argue that the human collective unconscious is also a potential source of such effects without the need to invoke alien intervention.
Whereas the Vallée and Davis hypothesis suggest that the phenomenon is the product of UAP technology, we could propose - through a theory of interjection - that the UAP technology itself could be a direct product and consequence of the anomalous phenomenon (or phenomena). That is, the reported aerial machines of ‘Saucers’, ‘Tic-Tacs’, ‘Foo-Fighters’, etc, are created by or through the phenomena (for whatever reason) and by definition of such ability has complete control over space-time at the quantum/atomic level. Potentially, we might have to consider ‘trans-morphia’ the ability to control atoms and layer them to form whatever craft or being they desire.
All possible at the quantum level.
The issue of UAP origin, therefore, might come down to intention, and more specifically whether or not what we are observing actually has consciousness and intelligence in the way we would consider. Vallée et al, would draw reference from the encounters with Marian apparitions and from encounters with ‘extra-terrestrials’, whose claimants also follow a similar narrative with a specific message or prophecy relevant to that time period and usually one which is understood by the claimant.
I would propose the Jungian subconscious implications of imprinting could account for what is being observed. Whereas, Swiss psychiatrist, Carl Jung advocates the psychosocial implications upon society as a result of the human mind, we can go a step further and advocate a hypothetical situation in which the anomalous is tapping into our subconscious and amending itself without intentions and not for a devious goal.
It, just is.
“...is forced to manifest itself indirectly in the form of spontaneous projections. The projected image then appears as an ostensibly physical fact independent of the individual psyche and its nature. In other words, the rounded wholeness of the mandala becomes a spaceship controlled by an intelligent being.” - Carl Jung.
We need to think about ourselves, we need to think about WHY we do things in this reality, in our own life. As humans, we do things for a sense of achievement, that feeling of worth, of relevance. It’s a form of ‘self-actualisation’, a psychological need that sits top of the pyramid of Maslow’s hierarchy of needs, which is a continuous theme I have discussed. Does a ‘God-like’ phenomena have such primitive needs and wishes?
Possibly not.
Take for example, Cmdr. David Fravor and the ‘Tic-Tac’ UAP. When you strip away all else and look at the ‘Tic-Tac’ - what do we see?
A pure white vehicle in the truest sense.
It has no wings, no obvious propulsion, no rotor, and it outmatches the best F-18 fighter jet known to man. If you were to speak to David Fravor’s subconscious and ask it to create a perfect vessel, that would be it. The anomalous phenomena ‘Tic-Tac’ represents what we want, they are a by-product, straight from our very own subconscious.
The human mind is wonderful thing.
“I have no idea what I saw,” Commander Fravor replied to the pilot. “It had no plumes, wings or rotors and outran our F-18s.” But, he added, “I want to fly one.” - Blumenthal, R., Cooper, H. & Kean, L. The New York Times.
The cases of high strangeness occur and have been associated with UAP sightings/encounters. Unfortunately, beyond that I’m most other things, not because I don’t believe they may not be true, but because we can’t adequately prove them with the data available. What I do believe, is that to solve the UAP origin mystery we must look past the ‘nuts and bolts’ dogma. ‘High Strangeness’ within cases may prove to be the key to the UAP mystery.
