Enthusiasm
This is the beginning. Our future UFO researcher makes contact
with the ufological “corpus”. He reads all the books, and sooner or later, the new
expert makes up his mind: he will also write a book with new ideas and he will
try some lectures perhaps..!
At night, our convert watches the sky in awe. Who knows…the
cosmic brothers will contact us soon, and the “reliable sources” promise that
the cover up will end and disclosure will open the New Era of cosmic
fraternity.
Professionalism.
Time goes by. Our new professional sold his book well and he
is working on a new one. He is also learning a few things. About UFO not much
and perhaps he understands now that there is not much to learn. Our ufologist
knows of course that 95 % of all the UFO sightings are identified as natural
phenomena, manmade artifacts of hoaxes. He also learns the tools of the trade,
and what the market wants on UFO books. Publishers don’t care much about truth
but about what things sell and what don’t. Either he plays by these rules or he
finds a job outside the UFO subculture.
Lost of Innocence.
Now, since this ufologist is an intelligent and informed
individual, we should consider the possibility of a split personality. What our
expert knows and believes about the so called UFO phenomenon, is not what he
writes or talks about. He is now familiarized with the ufological world, its
lies, intolerance, mutual accusations, faked and unreliable sources, imaginary
contactees and a formidable mass of nonsense. He is now familiar with
conspiracy theories, fiction sold as fact, pseudo-events and unfulfilled
predictions.
Time to choose.
For our ufologist it’s now time to choose. Either he
recognizes his growing skepticism or goes with the flow.
The last possibility has to do with individual and social
ethics and perhaps a crisis of moral values. The UFO expert must find the solution
of this moral dilemma in the privacy of his consciousness.