Those who believe in the presence of extraterrestrial
civilizations in our planet, support the Extraterrestrial Hypothesis (ETH).
Simply stated, the ETH says that there are real aliens visiting the Earth.
After 66 years since the Kenneth Arnold sightings of Unidentified
Flying Objects in 1947, not a single reliable evidence of the supposed ET
presence has been found. On the contrary, this lack of any evidence was the
open door of a mass of contradictory nonsense, mysticism, pseudo-science and
conspiracy theories.
From faked or self-deluded contactees to the handsome
glowing Venusians of Adamsky, from the Billy Maier hoax to the multiple quasi-pathological
imaginary situations, the ET HYPOTHESIS turned the UFO phenomenon into a circus
with professional illusionists, clowns and fortune-tellers.
The real phenomenon is not the UFO, but the human capacity
of delusion and self delusion.
Dr. Steven Novella, from the New England Skeptical Society, suggests as
alternative to the ETH that he calls the psycho-cultural hypothesis.
The PCH sees the UFOs phenomenon and Ufological sub-culture as
a complex phenomenon combining modern mythology, literary narrative, popular
culture, and human psychology, which is after all the galaxy of memes as I
wrote in this blog. We should also add the conspiracy theories and pseudo-science,
including hoaxes.
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UFO enthusiasts admit
that the truth may not be out there after all
