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Re12: Aliens and Trouble

Retraice1

On thinking about alien intelligences—real or not, perceived or not.

Air date: Thursday, 5th Nov. 2020, 12 : 50 PM Pacific/US.

What you think and how you think

How is more important what. See Hitchens.2

Getting in trouble

This is the concern when talking about aliens—reputations, jobs, etc. are sometimes at risk.

The crazies

It's not just the 'attendees' (of conferences, for example), but also the working and writing authorities on the subject who tend to go off the deep end.

Taking the subject seriously

Witnesses are almost certainly genuine, most of the time, but not necessarily right about the reality behind their experiences.

What does a witness have? Usually just a story. There is sometimes physical evidence, but it tends to be weak. On cases, see Vallee.3

A critical point is that, when dealing with any advanced intelligence, science is inadequate compared to counterespionage.4 Something that doesn't want to be studied can evade scientists.5

Thinking about 'them'

First, if there is something other than human brain problems happening, 'they' might not be from far away. And 'they' might actually be one unitary thing.

Second, the brain is not a reliable detector. There could be some, lots, or no overlap between real phenomena and reports.

The phenomena could be real or not, perceived or not. Definitive statements—either way—seem dubious.

Documents, manipulation, evidence

It's easy to produce documents. And strategic intelligence organizations often have strong incentives to manipulate the beliefs of those who already think they're onto something big.

Trying to imagine, from the outside, how things work inside complex organizations, or in complex situations, is hard. But work has been done on this.6

Evidence is a matter of degree, and one piece of evidence can support two mutually exclusive facts.

More difficulties

Those in positions to speak with authority have little incentive; compelling evidence such as darting lights is yet ambiguous; and yet we must think about the possibilities or else accept a huge attentional blind spot.

References

Cohen, J., & Stewart, I. (2002). Evolving the Alien: The Science of Extraterrestrial Life. Ebury. ISBN: 978-0091879272. Searches: https://www.amazon.com/s?k=evolving+the+alien https://www.google.com/search?q=evolving+the+alien https://lccn.loc.gov/2003427167

Dolan, R. M. (2002). UFOs and the National Security State: Chronology of a Coverup, 1941-1973. Keyhole, 2nd revised ed. ISBN: 978-1571743176. Searches: https://www.amazon.com/s?k=978-1571743176 https://www.google.com/search?q=isbn+978-1571743176 https://lccn.loc.gov/2001099307

Dolan, R. M. (2009). UFOs and the National Security State: The Cover-Up Exposed, 1973-1991. Keyhole. ISBN: 978-0967799513. Searches: https://www.amazon.com/s?k=978-0967799513 https://www.google.com/search?q=isbn+978-0967799513

Hitchens, C. (2001). Letters to a Young Contrarian. Basic / Perseus. ISBN: 0465030327. Searches: https://www.amazon.com/s?k=0465030327 https://www.google.com/search?q=isbn+0465030327 https://lccn.loc.gov/2001035273

Kelleher, C. A., & Knapp, G. (2005). Hunt for the Skinwalker: Science Confronts the Unexplained at a Remote Ranch in Utah. Paraview Pocket Books. ISBN: 978-1416505211. Searches: https://www.amazon.com/s?k=978-1416505211 https://www.google.com/search?q=isbn+978-1416505211 https://lccn.loc.gov/2005053457

Margin (2020/11/05). Ma12: Quitting Your Day Job. retraice.com. https://www.retraice.com/segments/ma12 Retrieved 5th Nov. 2020.

Retraice (2020/09/07). Re1: Three Kinds of Intelligence. retraice.com. https://www.retraice.com/segments/re1 Retrieved 22nd Sep. 2020.

Vallee, J. (1969). Passport to Magonia: On UFOs, Folklore, and Parallel Worlds. Contemporary Books. Original edition 1969; this edition 1993. ISBN: 0809237962. Searches: https://www.amazon.com/s?k=0809237962 https://www.google.com/search?q=isbn+0809237962 https://lccn.loc.gov/93003427

Vallee, J. (1975). The Invisible College: What a Group of Scientists Has Discovered about UFO Influence on the Human Race. E. P. Dutton. ISBN: 0525474501. Searches: https://www.amazon.com/s?k=0525474501 https://www.google.com/search?q=isbn+0525474501 https://lccn.loc.gov/75012843

Vallee, J. (1979). Messengers of Deception: UFO Contacts and Cults. And/Or Press. ISBN: 0915904381. A different edition available at: https://archive.org/details/MessengersOfDeceptionUFOContactsAndCultsJacquesValle1979/mode/2up

1https://www.retraice.com/retraice

2Hitchens (2001) pp. 3, 28, 63.

3Vallee (1969).

4See Vallee (1979) pp. 67-68, and Retraice (2020/09/07).

5Side note: see Margin (2020/11/05) on chasing and escape.

6See, for example, Cohen & Stewart (2002), Dolan (2002), Dolan (2009), Vallee (1975), and Kelleher & Knapp (2005).