In this episode of the UFO Rabbit Hole Podcast, host Kelly Chase returns from a hiatus with a brand new conversation with James Madden. The episode explores themes of psychoanalysis, epistemic vulnerability, and the psychological motivations behind belief systems in ufology. Together, Kelly and Jim ponder the deeper implications of mind control, trauma, and the symbolic nature of our cultural fascination with UFOs, aiming to navigate the complex landscape of human inquiry and understanding.BECOME A PATRONPatrons get lots of great perks like early and ad-free episodes, access to the private The UFO Rabbit Hole Discord server, and twice-monthly Patron Zoom calls with Kelly Chase.Memberships start at just $5/month.GET THE BOOKGet a SIGNED COPYGet it on AmazonFOLLOWWebsiteTwitterFacebookTIMESTAMPS00:00 Welcome Back to the UFO Rabbit Hole Podcast01:02 Upcoming Documentary and Personal Transformation02:27 A New Direction for the Podcast02:44 Conversation with Dr. James Madden04:35 Dr. Madden's Recent Work and Psychoanalysis06:36 Freudian Insights and Human Motivation10:37 Epistemic Vulnerability and Belief Systems15:07 Challenges in Ufology and Disclosure22:20 Language, Belief, and Mind Control25:41 Reflecting on Personal Beliefs26:26 Freud's Death Drive and Trauma Reenactment29:52 The Addictive Nature of Unfulfilled Promises31:08 Comparing Ufology to Sports Fandom33:18 Personal Struggles and Finding Meaning in Danger35:21 Cultural and Political Outrage Cycles40:28 Symbolism in Dreams and Collective Psyche44:29 The Unending Human Project and Self-Destruction46:29 Concluding Thoughts and Gratitude

In this episode, you’re going to hear from Peter Levenda who spoke at the Inquire into Anomalous Experience and the Phenomenon conference in April of 2023. Although this talk is from a little over a year ago, I think you’ll find that it feels especially timely given everything that’s been going on in the news. It’s also well-timed with the upcoming release of the third book and final book in the Gods, Man, and War series that he authored with Tom DeLonge. War will be out in September, and I know many of us in the community, myself included, are eagerly awaiting its arrival.If you aren’t familiar with Peter Levenda, he is an author and researcher who has written several phenomenal books on occult history. While most of his books aren’t directly about the UFO phenomenon, they are invaluable resources for people who want to understand the full context of the hidden histories in which the phenomenon is inextricably enmeshed. In particular, I recommend Unholy Alliance: A History of Nazi Involvement in the Occult and the Sinister Forces trilogy. Also this week, James Iandoli (who co-hosted the event you’ll be hearing from today) just released a really fantastic interview with Peter Levenda on his Engaging the Phenomenon podcast. If you’d like to hear more from Peter, I’ll have that episode linked up in the episode description so you can go check it out. Make sure to subscribe to James’s podcast while you’re there, if you haven’t already. It’s one of my all-time faves.—————————————EPISODE BRIEFWatch Peter Levenda on Engaging The PhenomenonBECOME A PATRONPatrons get lots of great perks like early and ad-free episodes, access to the private The UFO Rabbit Hole Discord server, and twice-monthly Patron Zoom calls with Kelly Chase.Memberships start at just $5/month.GET THE BOOKGet a SIGNED COPYGet it on AmazonFOLLOWWebsiteTwitterFacebook

The podcast is still on hiatus as I work with the Ontocalypse team to wrap up production on our upcoming docuseries, The Beyond: UFOs & A New Reality. But while I’m away, I’ve teamed up with Jay Christopher King to bring you guys a series of unreleased talks from the phenomenal Inquiry into Anomalous Experience and the Phenomenon conferences.In this talk, we hear from Joshua Cutchin. Josh is a researcher and author of several books including Thieves in the Night: A Brief History of Supernatural Child Abductions and Ecology of Souls: A New Mythology of Death & the Paranormal. In the traditions of great works like Jacques Vallée’s Passport to Magonia, Cutchin’s work explores the profound connections between folklore and myths from around the world and modern reports of contact with UFOs and non-human intelligences. And in this talk from the December 2023 conference, he dives into the themes that emerge in accounts of all of these phenomena that indicate that they all are deeply tied to the mysteries of death, the soul, and what lies beyond the veil. —————————————This episode is brought to you by The Experiencer Group. The Experiencer Group is a private online community dedicated to support, curiosity & community for people who’ve had anomalous events of all kinds. They hold regular support meetings for people who are processing anomalous experiences, book clubs, special guest speaker presentations, and more. You can learn more and sign up at tegmembers.com.—————————————EPISODE BRIEFBECOME A PATRONPatrons get lots of great perks like early and ad-free episodes, access to the private The UFO Rabbit Hole Discord server, and twice-monthly Patron Zoom calls with Kelly Chase.Memberships start at just $5/month.GET THE BOOKGet a SIGNED COPYGet it on AmazonFOLLOWWebsiteTwitterFacebook

In the third episode of this series, we’re bring you a panel discussion from the April 2023 conference. This panel was hosted by Curt Jaimungal of Theories of Everything and features Leslie Kean and James Fox. Listening back to this discussion is especially fascinating given the timing. This was just a couple of months before the article written by Leslie Kean and Ralph Blumenthal broke in The Debrief where the world learned about whistleblower David Grusch and his allegations about the existence of top-secret UFO crash retrieval programs. So besides being a great conversation, it’s an interesting time capsule of the period when this story was in development.  One quick note about this episode:The questions from the audience were a little bit hard to hear, so in the interest of clarity, you’ll hear the questions read by Jay.___________________ This episode is brought to you by The Experiencer Group. The Experiencer Group is a private online community dedicated to support, curiosity & community for people who’ve had anomalous events of all kinds. They hold regular support meetings for people who are processing anomalous experiences, book clubs, special guest speaker presentations, and more. You can learn more and sign up at tegmembers.com. ___________________EPISODE BRIEFINQUIRE ANOMALOUS YOUTUBE CHANNELThe full video of this talk will be released on the Inquire Anomalous Youtube channel next week. Subscribe now and click the bell so you get the alert when it goes live.BECOME A PATRONPatrons get lots of great perks like early and ad-free episodes, access to the private The UFO Rabbit Hole Discord server, and twice-monthly Patron Zoom calls with Kelly Chase.Memberships start at just $5/month.GET THE BOOKGet a SIGNED COPYGet it on AmazonFOLLOWWebsiteTwitterFacebook

The podcast is going to be on hiatus for a few more weeks as I work with the Ontocalupse team to wrap up production on our upcoming docuseries, The Beyond: UFOs & A New Reality, which is due out this summer.But I didn’t want to leave you hanging, so in the meantime, I’ve teamed up with Jay Christopher King to bring you guys a series of unreleased talks from the phenomenal Inquiry into Anomalous Experience and the Phenomenon conferences. In the second episode in this series, you’re going to hear what is one of my all-time favorite talks from Inquire Anomalous, which was given by Dr. Michael P. Masters this last December.Regular listeners of the show are already familiar with Mike Masters as the guy who, quite literally, wrote the book on the extratempestrial hypothesis. You can find links to that and all of Mike’s books in the episode brief. In his talk at Inquire Anomalous, Mike spoke publicly for the very first time about his own experiences of contact with non-human intelligences, including a very strange incident that occurred at the International UFO Congress in 2022. I was lucky enough to be present for this talk and to get to talk to Mike afterward, and I was absolutely blown away by his ability to speak so candidly about what he has experienced—and even more so by his bravery in stepping forward publicly. I’m deeply grateful to Mike for being willing to take that leap, and for inspiring me to do the same. If you’d like to watch the full video of this interview, that will be posted on the Inquire Anomalous YouTube channel next week. —————————————This episode is brought to you by The Experiencer Group. The Experiencer Group is a private online community dedicated to support, curiosity & community for people who’ve had anomalous events of all kinds. They hold regular support meetings for people who are processing anomalous experiences, book clubs, special guest speaker presentations, and more. You can learn more and sign up at tegmembers.com.—————————————EPISODE BRIEFNEW ON DREAMLAND: Exploring the Deep End of Consciousness and Contact Experiences with Dr. Michael MastersINQUIRE ANOMALOUS YOUTUBE CHANNELThe full video of this talk will be released on the Inquire Anomalous Youtube channel next week. Subscribe now and click the bell so you get the alert when it goes live.BECOME A PATRONPatrons get lots of great perks like early and ad-free episodes, access to the private The UFO Rabbit Hole Discord server, and twice-monthly Patron Zoom calls with Kelly Chase.Memberships start at just $5/month.GET THE BOOKGet a SIGNED COPYGet it on AmazonFOLLOWWebsiteTwitterFacebookBecome a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/the-ufo-rabbit-hole-podcast--5746035/support.

Today, I’m bringing you something a little different. As most of you already know, my new media company, Ontocalypse Productions—headed up by myself, Jay Christopher King, and Jordan Flowers, is currently in the midst of completing our first docuseries due out this summer entitled The Beyond: UFOs & A New Reality. While we’re hard at work on that, posting for the podcast will be a little bit more sporadic over the next few weeks, but rest-assured that The UFO Rabbit Hole will be back to its regularly scheduled programming in June. And you’ll still be getting a couple more new episodes in the meantime, including part 2 of the Through The Looking Glass series before then. But while things are a little quieter around here, I thought it would be a great opportunity to bring you guys something special. That’s why I’m teaming up with Jay to bring you a series of never-before-released talks from his phenomenal Inquiry into Anomalous Experience & the Phenomenon conference series—or Inquire Anomalous for short. Regular listeners of the show have definitely heard me talk about Inquire Anomalous before. These have been my absolute favorite conferences to attend over the past few years. They’re small, intimate, and the all-star line up of speakers who are truly on the bleeding edge of anomalous studies makes it a truly unmatched experience. In this first talk presented by Inquire Anomalous, we’ll be hearing from Tim Gallaudet. Tim Gallaudet is a retired Rear Admiral in the U.S. Navy, and a career oceanographer. His former roles include serving as the Deputy Administrator of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), as well as the Oceanographer of the Navy. He’s also the former superintendent of the U.S. Naval Observatory. More recently, Admiral Gallaudet has made exciting contributions to the field of UAP studies, particularly in the realm of the too-often overlooked subject of USOs or Unidentified Submersible Objects. He recently released a new article through the Sol Foundation which is a must-read on the topic. You can find that linked int he episode brief below.—————————————This episode is brought to you by The Experiencer Group. The Experiencer Group is a private online community dedicated to support, curiosity & community for people who’ve had anomalous events of all kinds. They hold regular support meetings for people who are processing anomalous experiences, book clubs, special guest speaker presentations, and more. You can learn more and sign up at tegmembers.com.—————————————EPISODE BRIEFINQUIRE ANOMALOUS YOUTUBE CHANNELThe full video of this talk will be released on the Inquire Anomalous Youtube channel on Friday, April 5th. Subscribe now and click the bell so you get the alert when it goes live.BECOME A PATRONPatrons get lots of great perks like early and ad-free episodes, access to the private The UFO Rabbit Hole Discord server, and twice-monthly Patron Zoom calls with Kelly Chase.Memberships start at just $5/month.GET THE BOOKGet a SIGNED COPYGet it on AmazonFOLLOWWebsiteTwitterFacebookBecome a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/the-ufo-rabbit-hole-podcast--5746035/support.

In today’s episode, I had the absolute honor of speaking with one of my personal intellectual heroes, Bernardo Kastrup. Bernardo Kastrup is the executive director of the Essentia Foundation. His work has been leading the modern renaissance of metaphysical idealism, the notion that reality is essentially mental. He has a Ph.D. in philosophy (with a focus in ontology and philosophy of mind) and another Ph.D. in computer engineering (with a focus in reconfigurable computing and artificial intelligence). As a scientist, Bernardo has worked for the European Organization for Nuclear Research (CERN) and the Philips Research Laboratories (where the 'Casimir Effect' of Quantum Field Theory was discovered). He has also had a 25-year career in high-technology, having co-founded parallel processing company Silicon Hive (which was acquired by Intel in 2011). Bernardo Kastrup is also the author of 11 books. I basically have an entire Kastrup shelf inmy office. His book, “Meaning In Absurdity: What Bizarre Phenomena Can Tell Us About the Nature of Reality” is, in my opinion, one of the most important books written on the UFO phenomenon. I can’t recommend it highly enough. Just a heads up before we begin—if you aren’t familiar with Kastrup’s thinking on analytic idealism, the first part of this interview might be a little challenging. If you stick it out, I think you’ll be pleasantly surprised at how elegantly analytic idealism deals with some of the more mysterious aspects of the anomalous phenomena. If you’d like to learn more about analytic idealism, there are some great resources and videos that can walk you through it step-by-step. [Links in episode brief.]NEW Class from Dr. James MaddenUnidentified Flying Hyperobject: UFOs, Philosophy, and the End of the WorldFour-week online class via ZoomWednesdays, March 27 – April 24 (skips April 10), 20247 – 9 pm ETLearn More About the ClassSign Up NowEPISODE BRIEF[Links to videos on Analytic Idealism in Episode Brief]BECOME A PATRONPatrons get lots of great perks like early and ad-free episodes, access to the private The UFO Rabbit Hole Discord server, and twice-monthly Patron Zoom calls with Kelly Chase.Memberships start at just $5/month.GET THE BOOKGet a SIGNED COPYGet it on AmazonFOLLOWWebsiteTwitterFacebookTIMESTAMP00:00:30 Introduction00:04:35 How working with artificial neural networks at CERN led Bernardo to break with physicalism00:07:12 The difference between intelligence and consciousness00:08:36 Analytic idealism00:12:26 How does analytic idealism relate to the ideas of Donald Hoffman?00:14:38 If the world is mental, why doesn’t it behave like a dream?00:17:23 Bernardo’s UFO experience00:19:37 How UFOs repel our attention00:23:02 Memory and UFOs00:25:46 UFOs and analytic idealism00:30:09 Logic and finding meaning in absurdity00:35:11 The “call of the absurd” and the control mechanism00:39:27 How marketing and propaganda hijack the control mechanism00:42:47 Are “nuts and bolts” UAPs and high strangeness UFO encounters the same phenomenon?00:48:44 Bernardo’s ultraterrestrial hypothesis00:58:37 The rise of AI, NHIs, and the coming consciousness shiftBecome a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/the-ufo-rabbit-hole-podcast--5746035/support.

This episode is going to be different, because for the first time I’m going to talk about something that I never thought I’d talk about publicly, which is my own anomalous experience and how it changed everything about my life and directly led to me starting this podcast.This is the story of my own highly subjective journey. I’m not asking you to believe anything that I’m saying. My own opinion about what happened to me has changed more times than I count, and I have no doubt that it will change again. My purpose in telling this story isn’t to convince you of anything, but rather to explore in as open and unflinching a way as possible, what it’s like to have an anomalous experience, and to use that as a way to discuss the many complex questions that these experiences raise.NEW Class from Dr. James MaddenUnidentified Flying Hyperobject: UFOs, Philosophy, and the End of the WorldFour-week online class via ZoomWednesdays, March 27 – April 24 (skips April 10), 20247 – 9 pm ETLearn More About the ClassSign Up NowEPISODE BRIEFTHE INSTITUTE OF NOETIC SCIENCESI want to thank the Institute of Noetic Sciences for their collaboration, generosity, and patience with me as I’ve worked on this story. You’ll see in episodes 2 and 3 of this series how exactly they became involved in the strange tale I’m about to tell. In my opinion the work that they are doing is some of the most important work being done in the world and is helping to lay the scaffolding for a new and emergent understanding of the nature of our reality, what it means to be human, and our place in this vast and dazzling cosmos.I hope that if you aren’t already familiar with IONS that you’ll take some time to explore their mission and their work. And if anything in this series speaks to you and you have a little extra give, please consider making a donation to help support IONS into the future.To make a gift, visit noetic.org/give.BECOME A PATRONPatrons get lots of great perks like early and ad-free episodes, access to the private The UFO Rabbit Hole Discord server, and twice-monthly Patron Zoom calls with Kelly Chase.Memberships start at just $5/month.GET THE BOOKGet a SIGNED COPYGet it on AmazonFOLLOWWebsiteTwitterFacebookBecome a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/the-ufo-rabbit-hole-podcast--5746035/support.

Today we are going to be continuing our Disclosure Field Guide series. As the disclosure narrative continues to unfold, this series seeks to offer a roadmap for those trying to make sense of just what exactly is going on in this strange and confounding moment in our human history. In the first episode, we talked about how to deal with the ontological shock of recognizing that the world that we live in is not what we were told, and how to get reoriented within that new paradigm. In part two, we’re going to go a step further by diving into the history and structure of the institutionalized secrecy that has kept the reality of the UFO phenomenon hidden in plain sight for decades. This episode was guest written by Mark Burchick. To find out more about Mark, click on the episode brief below. Follow Mark on Twitter.NEW Class from Dr. James MaddenUnidentified Flying Hyperobject: UFOs, Philosophy, and the End of the WorldFour-week online class via ZoomWednesdays, March 27 – April 24 (skips April 10), 20247 – 9 pm ETLearn More About the ClassSign Up NowEPISODE BRIEFBECOME A PATRONPatrons get lots of great perks like early and ad-free episodes, access to the private The UFO Rabbit Hole Discord server, and twice-monthly Patron Zoom calls with Kelly Chase.Memberships start at just $5/month.GET THE BOOKGet a SIGNED COPYGet it on AmazonFOLLOWWebsiteTwitterFacebookBecome a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/the-ufo-rabbit-hole-podcast--5746035/support.

Content Warning: Sexual assault In this episode, I had the pleasure of sitting down with someone that I regard to be one of the best minds and brightest lights in this field, Whitley Strieber. Whitley Strieber is an author of both fiction and nonfiction books, perhaps the most famous of which is his pioneering 1987 book Communion, which detailed his experience of abduction that occurred in the winter of 1985. Since then, Whitley has made many other contributions to the field including his most recent book entitled Them, and the book Super Natural which he co-wrote with Jeffrey J. Kripal, both of which have been referenced several times on this podcast. Whitley is also the host of the long-running Dreamland podcast. You can find links to all of this and more in the episode brief.Whitley’s work has been instrumental to my thinking and growth in this space, and I’m so grateful for both his courage and generosity in sharing his time and his insights.NEW Class from Dr. James MaddenUnidentified Flying Hyperobject: UFOs, Philosophy, and the End of the WorldFour-week online class via ZoomWednesdays, March 27 – April 24 (skips April 10), 20247 – 9 pm ETLearn More About the ClassSign Up Now EPISODE BRIEFMORE FROM WHITLEY STRIEBERBooks by Whitley StrieberDreamland PodcastUnknown CountryFollow Whitley on XMENTIONED IN THIS EPISODETerrible, Glorious, & Useful by Trevor ShikazeBECOME A PATRONPatrons get lots of great perks like early and ad-free episodes, access to the private The UFO Rabbit Hole Discord server, and twice-monthly Patron Zoom calls with Kelly Chase.Memberships start at just $5/month.GET THE BOOKGet a SIGNED COPYGet it on AmazonFOLLOWWebsiteTwitterFacebookBecome a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/the-ufo-rabbit-hole-podcast--5746035/support.

In this, the first episode of 2024, I’m welcoming my dear friend, Jay Christopher King, back to the podcast. I know most of you are already familiar with Jay and his work, but for anyone who’s new here, Jay is the director of The Experiencer Group and the co-founder of the phenomenal Inquire Anomalous conference series in NYC. More recently, Jay and I have teamed up with our friend Jordan Flowers to found a new media company called Ontocalypse Productions. Under that banner we have already started production on our first docuseries called The Beyond: UFOs & A New Reality. If you haven’t seen the trailer for that project yet, you can find that below.In this episode, Jay and I are sharing our reflections on a new docuseries that was released this week called UFO Revolution, which we both were featured in. The series also stars Jeremy Corbell, George Knapp, David Grusch, Chris Sharp, Mike Masters, Richard Dolan, Ryan Graves, Garry Nolan, Avi Loeb, Tim Burchett, and many more. If you haven’t seen it yet, this 3-part series is available right now on the free streaming services, Tubi. See below.NEW Class from Dr. James MaddenUnidentified Flying Hyperobject: UFOs, Philosophy, and the End of the WorldFour-week online class via ZoomWednesdays, March 27 – April 24 (skips April 10), 20247 – 9 pm ETLearn More About the ClassSign Up NowEPISODE BRIEFFOLLOW JAY CHRISTOPHER KINGJay’s TwitterThe Experiencer GroupTEG TwitterIA TwitterUFO REVOLUTIONWatch TrailerWatch Series On TubiTHE BEYOND: UFOs & A NEW REALITYWatch TrailerBECOME A PATRONPatrons get lots of great perks like early and ad-free episodes, access to the private The UFO Rabbit Hole Discord server, and twice-monthly Patron Zoom calls with Kelly Chase.Memberships start at just $5/month.GET THE BOOKGet a SIGNED COPYGet it on AmazonFOLLOWWebsiteTwitterFacebookBecome a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/the-ufo-rabbit-hole-podcast--5746035/support.

Dean Radin, Ph.D., is a prominent figure in the field of parapsychology, known for his extensive research and publications on psychic phenomena. As the chief scientist at the Institute of Noetic Sciences (IONS) and author of influential books such as "The Conscious Universe" and "Entangled Minds," Radin has played a pivotal role in investigating and promoting the scientific understanding of psi phenomena, including telepathy, clairvoyance, and psychokinesis. His work, characterized by its interdisciplinary approach and rigorous statistical analysis, has significantly contributed to the academic and public discourse on the legitimacy and implications of psychic experiences. Radin's efforts have been instrumental in advocating for the open-minded and scientific exploration of these often-controversial subjects within the broader context of consciousness studies.Before joining the research staff at IONS in 2001, he held appointments at AT&T Bell Labs, Princeton University, University of Edinburgh, and SRI International. Dr. Radin is author or coauthor of hundreds of technical articles, some 125 peer-reviewed journal articles, four dozen book chapters, and four best-selling, popular books. Links are in the episode brief if you want to learn more.NEW Class from Dr. James MaddenUnidentified Flying Hyperobject: UFOs, Philosophy, and the End of the WorldFour-week online class via ZoomWednesdays, March 27 – April 24 (skips April 10), 20247 – 9 pm ETLearn More About the ClassSign Up NowEPISODE BRIEFDONATE TO IONSIONS scientific research and free programs are entirely funded by generous gifts from members and donors. Make a gift today at noetic.org/give.BECOME A PATRONPatrons get lots of great perks like early and ad-free episodes, access to the private The UFO Rabbit Hole Discord server, and twice-monthly Patron Zoom calls with Kelly Chase.Memberships start at just $5/month.GET THE BOOKGet a SIGNED COPYGet it on AmazonFOLLOWWebsiteTwitterFacebookBecome a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/the-ufo-rabbit-hole-podcast--5746035/support.

For today’s episode, I had the honor and the privilege of sitting down with someone who has been the driving force behind some of the most important breakthroughs in the UFO disclosure movement, journalist and author Leslie Kean.Along with journalists Ralph Blumenthal and Helene Cooper, Kean is responsible for the now historic 2017 article in The New York Times entitled Glowing Auras and ‘Black Money’: The Pentagon’s Mysterious U.F.O. Program that first revealed the existence of that program to the public. And in June of 2023, she teamed up with Ralph Blumenthal once again for another history-making piece in The Debrief about the stunning claims made by high-ranking intelligence official-turned-whistleblower. David Grusch, about the existence of secretive crash retrieval programs that are in possession of craft of non-human origin. Just those two articles alone are enough to earn her an unchallenged spot on the Mount Rushmore of disclosure, but they hardly represent the totality of her work in the field. On top of writing countless articles, Leslie is also the author of the book UFOs: Generals, Pilots, and Government Officials Go on the Record as well as the book Surviving Death: A Journalist Investigates Evidence for an Afterlife. `I’ll have all of that and more linked up in the episode description so you can check it out.Later this week on December 9th, Leslie will be co-hosting the fourth meeting of the Inquiry Into Anomalous Experience and the Phenomenon conference series in New York City alongside organizer Jay Christopher King and James Iandoli. Speakers include Diana Walsh Pasulka, Tim Gallaudet, Michael Masters, Paul H. Smith, Peter Skafish, and Josh Cutchin. A surprise guest speaker was just announced, as well—pilot and Nimitz incident witness Alex Dietrich.In-person tickets for this conference are currently sold out, but a limited number of livestream tickets are still available.NEW Class from Dr. James MaddenUnidentified Flying Hyperobject: UFOs, Philosophy, and the End of the WorldFour-week online class via ZoomWednesdays, March 27 – April 24 (skips April 10), 20247 – 9 pm ETLearn More About the ClassSign Up NowGET LIVESTREAM TICKETS HEREAn Inquiry Into Anomalous Experience and the Phenomenon conference series in NYCDec. 9, 2023EPISODE BRIEFBECOME A PATRONPatrons get lots of great perks like early and ad-free episodes, access to the private The UFO Rabbit Hole Discord server, and twice-monthly Patron Zoom calls with Kelly Chase.Memberships start at just $5/month.GET THE BOOKGet a SIGNED COPYGet it on AmazonFOLLOWWebsiteTwitterFacebookBecome a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/the-ufo-rabbit-hole-podcast--5746035/support.

Today, I bring you something truly special. In this episode we’re welcoming Diana Walsh Pasulka back to the show to discuss her groundbreaking new book, Encounters: Experiences with Non-Human Intelligences. Encounters is a worthy and deeply challenging follow-up to American Cosmic, which we’ve talked about extensively on this show. I hope you’ll all read it, because we’ll definitely return to those ideas again and again.I want to say ahead of time that this episode is going to be a little less accessible than the content I usually release here, and that is intentional. Diana has been doing the podcast circuit to support the launch of Encounters, and there have been some really phenomenal interviews going into the specifics of the book. In particular, I recommend her recent appearances on Somewhere In The Skies and That UFO Podcast—both did a great job of diving into the characters and experiences portrayed in the book, and they are worth your time.Hardcore listeners of the show will know that, over the last year, my thinking around the subject of UFOs has been deeply influenced by Plato’s Cave, and particularly by a somewhat radical read on what it has to teach us that was first introduced to me by Diana and frequent guest of the show, James Madden. It was actually in one of Diana’s classes on UFOs and the Cave where I first met Jim, and eventually struck up a friendship. And I’ve spent the last 18 months processing and integrating the things I’ve learned from them both. I’m profoundly grateful for what that process has opened up to me, not just in terms of my understanding of the phenomenon, but with regard to the meaning and possibilities inherent in human experience.On November 27th, Jim will also be releasing his first book on the UFO topic titled Unidentified Flying Hyperobject: UFOs, Philosophy, and the End of the World which is being published by my new publishing house, Ontocalypse Press. Back in October, I had the absolute pleasure of finishing up the edits on Jim’s book, while simultaneously reading an advance copy of Diana’s and I was fascinated by the interplay between the ideas in both. I found myself thinking that the episode that I really wanted to make with regard to both of these phenomenal books would be one that didn’t involve me, and in which Diana and Jim were given free reign to explore a conversation on their own. Luckily they agreed, and the result is the stunning conversation that I have the privilege of sharing with you today.This episode is definitely challenging, but for those of you who’ve been following along on this journey, you’re in for a real treat. I have links to both Jim and Diana’s books in the episode brief so you can get your hands on those if you haven’t already. In my opinion these are two of the best and most important books about the UFO phenomenon published in recent memory, and both are destined to be classics of the field.NEW Class from Dr. James MaddenUnidentified Flying Hyperobject: UFOs, Philosophy, and the End of the WorldFour-week online class via ZoomWednesdays, March 27 – April 24 (skips April 10), 20247 – 9 pm ETLearn More About the ClassSign Up Now EPISODE BRIEFMORE FROM DIANA WALSH PASULKAEncounters: Experiences with Non-Human IntelligenceAmerican Cosmic: UFOs, Religion, TechnologyTwitterMORE FROM JAMES MADDENUnidentified Flying Hyperobject: UFOs. Philosophy, and the End of the WorldThinking About Thinking: Mind and Meaning in the Era of Techno-NihilismSubstackTwitterGET LIVESTREAM TICKETS: An Inquiry Into Anomalous Experience & The PhenomenonDec 9, 2023Featuring: Diana Walsh Pasulka, Michael Masters, Tim Gallaudet, Paul H. Smith, Josh Cutchin, Peter Skafish, and Leslie Kean.BECOME A PATRONPatrons get lots of great perks like early and ad-free episodes, access to the private The UFO Rabbit Hole Discord server, and twice-monthly Patron Zoom calls with Kelly Chase.Memberships start at just $5/month.GET THE BOOKGet a SIGNED COPYGet it on AmazonFOLLOWWebsiteTwitterFacebookMUSICTheme: Cabinet of Curiosities by Shaun FrearsonBecome a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/the-ufo-rabbit-hole-podcast--5746035/support.

After months of work, its finally time to share with you all what I've been working on. Welcome to the Ontocalypse.Learn more about Ontocalypse Productions:Website: ontocalypse.comTwitter/X: @ontocalypseEmail: info@ontocalypse.comNEW Class from Dr. James MaddenUnidentified Flying Hyperobject: UFOs, Philosophy, and the End of the WorldFour-week online class via ZoomWednesdays, March 27 – April 24 (skips April 10), 20247 – 9 pm ETLearn More About the ClassSign Up NowBecome a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/the-ufo-rabbit-hole-podcast--5746035/support.

Today we welcome James Madden back to the show. As “spooky season” draws to a close, I didn’t want to miss the chance to explore some of the darker themes that have been inspiring both Jim’s recent work, and our ongoing conversation about the nature of the UFO phenomenon—specifically the paranoia that comes from our uncanny encounters with things that lie just beyond the limits of our own personal caves. You can find Jim’s most recent musings on his substack in a piece entitled Specters of the Thinking Machine: The Uncanny Suggestion of the Non-human within the Human, which I have linked up in the episode brief. In this episode we’ll be exploring the themes of that article, as well as exploring a work that has become something of a touchstone for me in my exploration of the darker contours of the UFO phenomenon, the phenomenal docuseries, Hellier.NEW Class from Dr. James MaddenUnidentified Flying Hyperobject: UFOs, Philosophy, and the End of the WorldFour-week online class via ZoomWednesdays, March 27 – April 24 (skips April 10), 20247 – 9 pm ETLearn More About the ClassSign Up NowEPISODE BRIEFFOLLOW JAMES MADDEN GET THE BOOK: Unidentified Flying HyperobjectSubstackTwitterWATCH HELLIERBECOME A PATRONPatrons get lots of great perks like early and ad-free episodes, access to the private The UFO Rabbit Hole Discord server, and twice-monthly Patron Zoom calls with Kelly Chase. Memberships start at just $5/month.GET THE BOOKGet a SIGNED COPYGet it on AmazonFOLLOWWebsiteTwitterFacebookMUSICTheme: Cabinet of Curiosities by Shaun FrearsonBecome a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/the-ufo-rabbit-hole-podcast--5746035/support.

In the first episode of this series, we dive into the mystery of the ranch and plot our path forward. We discuss:🛸 What John Keel saw as the biggest blunder of ufological investigation (and how to avoid it)🛸 The conversation that convinced Jacques Vallée that science will never provide the full answer on UFOs (and how to proceed anyway)🛸 The reason Brandon Fugal says there may be a “precognitive, sentient, non-human intelligence” on the ranch🛸 The 6-Layer Model of Anomalous Phenomena (Vallée & Davis)🛸 The Control Mechanism (Vallée)🛸 Window Areas (Keel)🛸 The UFO as Hyperobject (James Madden)🛸 And much moreNEW Class from Dr. James MaddenUnidentified Flying Hyperobject: UFOs, Philosophy, and the End of the WorldFour-week online class via ZoomWednesdays, March 27 – April 24 (skips April 10), 20247 – 9 pm ETLearn More About the ClassSign Up NowEPISODE BRIEFBECOME A PATRONPatrons get lots of great perks like early and ad-free episodes, access to the private The UFO Rabbit Hole Discord server, and twice-monthly Patron Zoom calls with Kelly Chase. Memberships start at just $5/month.GET THE BOOKGet a SIGNED COPYGet it on AmazonFOLLOWWebsiteTwitterFacebookMUSICTheme: Cabinet of Curiosities by Shaun FrearsonBecome a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/the-ufo-rabbit-hole-podcast--5746035/support.

I’m so excited about today’s episode because I think it’s been a long time coming. This episode isn’t about UFOs, per se, but it is about something that often happens to people when they begin looking into this topic—or other topics that challenge our consensus reality—which is the sudden appearance of profound synchronicities. I hear from dozens of listeners of the podcast everyday, and one of the things that people reach out to me about most is to tell me that after they started listening to the podcast they suddenly started encountering strings of bizarre and improbable synchronicities in their lives. I’ve heard that exact thing from more people than I could ever get back to—and if you’re one of those people, I just want you to know that I’ve heard you, and I wanted to do an episode about this very phenomenon that I hope can serve as sort of roadmap in beginning to understand and integrate what synchronicities are and how you can best ride the wave of the improbable in your own lives. And I couldn’t think of anyone better to join me in this conversation than today’s guest—the woman who literally wrote the book on strange coincidences—Sharon Hewitt Rawlette. I’ve been lucky enough to meet Sharon and hear her speak at two different conferences in the last year—both December’s Inquire Anomalous conference in NYC, and Rice University’s Archive’s of the Impossible in May—and both times I was blown away by the depth and ingenuity of her thinking. Sharon has the ability to make complex ideas easy to grok, and every time I hear her speak I walk away with a new perspective and understanding. I’ll link up both of those talks in the episode description if you’d like to check them out.Sharon Hewitt Rawlette is a philosopher who writes for both popular and scholarly audiences on the topics of consciousness, anomalous experience, ethics, and spirituality. Before launching her career as an independent writer and researcher, she earned her PhD in philosophy from New York University. She currently serves on the board of the Bigelow Institute for Consciousness Studies as well as being a supporting researcher for the International Centre for Reincarnation Research. She has published four books and in 2021 was named a runner-up in the Bigelow Institute for Consciousness Studies essay contest for her essay “Beyond Death,” on the best evidence for the survival of human consciousness after permanent bodily death.The book that we’ll be referencing today is Sharon’s book entitled The Source and Significance of Coincidences. And if you have any interest in this topic, I really can’t recommend this book enough. Sharon attacks this topic from every conceivable angle, and the extensive table of contents makes it an invaluable reference tool when you want to dig a little deeper into strange coincidences that occur in your own life. [links in episode brief]NEW Class from Dr. James MaddenUnidentified Flying Hyperobject: UFOs, Philosophy, and the End of the WorldFour-week online class via ZoomWednesdays, March 27 – April 24 (skips April 10), 20247 – 9 pm ETLearn More About the ClassSign Up NowEPISODE BRIEFBECOME A PATRONPatrons get lots of great perks like early and ad-free episodes, access to the private The UFO Rabbit Hole Discord server, and twice-monthly Patron Zoom calls with Kelly Chase. Memberships start at just $5/month.GET THE BOOKGet a SIGNED COPYGet it on AmazonFOLLOWWebsiteTwitterFacebookMUSICTheme: Cabinet of Curiosities by Shaun FrearsonBecome a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/the-ufo-rabbit-hole-podcast--5746035/support.

Today we welcome Christopher Sharp back to the show. Chris is the founder and editor-in-chief of Liberation Times, and has been one of a small handful of independent journalists who has been doggedly pursuing the UFO disclosure story in Washington D.C. over the past few years. While most of the mainstream media is asleep at the wheel, Chris has been churning out high-quality journalism analyzing all aspects of this profound and historic story. Over the past several weeks since the historic hearing in front of the House Oversight Committee, I’ve seen a lot of confusion and a lot of concern in the community about the status of disclosure, with many worrying that all momentum has been lost. The revelations by David Grusch were so shocking and so incendiary that I think many have been baffled by the relative quiet that has followed. I think for those who aren’t familiar with the vast complexities of how revelations like this are processed through the massive, multi-trillion dollar organization of the US government it’s easy to fear that this lull means that disclosure is dead.That’s why this felt like the perfect time to bring Chris back on the show to help to frame all the latest regarding disclosure, what’s going on behind-the-scenes, and what still might be on the horizon. Chris is working this story day in and day out and as you’ll hear directly from him—reports of the demise of disclosure have been greatly exaggerated.NEW Class from Dr. James MaddenUnidentified Flying Hyperobject: UFOs, Philosophy, and the End of the WorldFour-week online class via ZoomWednesdays, March 27 – April 24 (skips April 10), 20247 – 9 pm ETLearn More About the ClassSign Up NowEPISODE BRIEFSUPPORT CHRIS SHARP & LIBERATION TIMESBECOME A PATRONPatrons get lots of great perks like early and ad-free episodes, access to the private The UFO Rabbit Hole Discord server, and twice-monthly Patron Zoom calls with Kelly Chase. Memberships start at just $5/month.GET THE BOOKGet a SIGNED COPYGet it on AmazonFOLLOWWebsiteTwitterFacebookMUSICTheme: Cabinet of Curiosities by Shaun FrearsonBecome a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/the-ufo-rabbit-hole-podcast--5746035/support.

Today, we have a very special guest on the show, Dr. Jeffrey Kripal. Dr. Kripal is an esteemed scholar and author in the study of religion, focusing particularly on the esoteric, mystical, and paranormal dimensions of human experience. He serves as the J. Newton Rayzor Chair in Philosophy and Religious Thought at Rice University. He is the author of several phenomenal books including The Superhumanities, Mutants & Mystics, Super Natural (which he co-authored with Whitley Strieber), and The Flip.NEW Class from Dr. James MaddenUnidentified Flying Hyperobject: UFOs, Philosophy, and the End of the WorldFour-week online class via ZoomWednesdays, March 27 – April 24 (skips April 10), 20247 – 9 pm ETLearn More About the ClassSign Up NowEPISODE BRIEFBECOME A PATRONPatrons get lots of great perks like early and ad-free episodes, access to the private The UFO Rabbit Hole Discord server, and twice-monthly Patron Zoom calls with Kelly Chase. Memberships start at just $5/month.GET THE BOOKGet a SIGNED COPYGet it on AmazonFOLLOWWebsiteTwitterFacebookMUSICTheme: Cabinet of Curiosities by Shaun FrearsonBecome a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/the-ufo-rabbit-hole-podcast--5746035/support.

In this episode we welcome back my dear friend and friend of the show, Dr. James Madden. This is the third episode that we’ve done together, and I’m sure that it won’t be the last. My interviews with James Madden have become some of my most downloaded episodes, and so I know you guys love hearing from him. And I love talking to him, so we’re just going to keep doing it. The deeper we dive into the phenomenon, the more necessary it becomes to not just interrogate what we think, but how we think—and to find new frameworks to help us do so. A philosophical approach gives the means to do that. And I’ve been so grateful to Jim for how generous he’s been with his time and his thoughts as we navigate these deeper waters. As you all know, over the past several months Plato’s Cave has become a central touchstone of this podcast. It’s an idea I keep returning to, again and again, because as my own trip down the rabbit hole continues, I continue to find new insights within it. And so today, with Jim as our guide, we’re going to return to the Cave, armed with the new ideas we’ve developed over these past several months, and see what new revelations might reveal themselves.With this episode we’ll also be returning to our discussion of Whitley Strieber’s groundbreaking new book, Them, which we discussed in the last episode. Strieber’s decades of deep research and thinking on the topic of non-human intelligence as well as his own ongoing contact experiences have led him to develop a nuanced, challenging, and at times unsettling, understanding of “the others”—including how they operate at the fringes of our awareness and what they might ultimately be trying to tell us.NEW Class from Dr. James MaddenUnidentified Flying Hyperobject: UFOs, Philosophy, and the End of the WorldFour-week online class via ZoomWednesdays, March 27 – April 24 (skips April 10), 20247 – 9 pm ETLearn More About the ClassSign Up Now EPISODE BRIEFBECOME A PATRONPatrons get lots of great perks like early and ad-free episodes, access to the private The UFO Rabbit Hole Discord server, and twice-monthly Patron Zoom calls with Kelly Chase. Memberships start at just $5/month.GET THE BOOKGet a SIGNED COPYGet it on AmazonFOLLOWWebsiteTwitterFacebookMUSICTheme: Cabinet of Curiosities by Shaun FrearsonBecome a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/the-ufo-rabbit-hole-podcast--5746035/support.

Today’s episode is an important one, because it’s going to lay the groundwork for a lot of the things that we’re going to be discussing moving forward. In the weeks and months to come, this is an episode that I’ll likely be referring back to often. And that’s because today we’re diving into an article written by two heavyweights of ufology that serves not only as an essential framework to support our understanding of the complexities and nuances of the UFO phenomenon, but that also—in a very real way—helped to lay the foundation for the recent push for UFO disclosure. In short, it’s not only important that we take the time to really understand the ideas presented in this article—but to understand where it fits into the history of modern ufology. The paper to which I’m referring is Incommensurability, Orthodoxy, and the Physics of High Strangeness: A 6-Layer Model for Anomalous Phenomena written by Jacques Vallée and Eric Davis. Most people will already be very familiar with those names, but just in case they are new to you, you can find links to their bios and other work in the episode brief. What is so significant about this paper is that it seeks to create a framework by which we can begin to analyze and integrate the parts of UFO encounters that rarely make it into sci-fi media, and even more rarely make it into serious discussions about the phenomenon itself—which is the undeniable and pervasive occurrence of events and effects that are traditionally relegated to the realms of high strangeness and the paranormal. If there’s nothing else that you take away from this episode it should be this—encounters with UFOs and non-human intelligence are much, much weirder than you've probably been led to believe.NEW Class from Dr. James MaddenUnidentified Flying Hyperobject: UFOs, Philosophy, and the End of the WorldFour-week online class via ZoomWednesdays, March 27 – April 24 (skips April 10), 20247 – 9 pm ETLearn More About the ClassSign Up Now EPISODE BRIEFBECOME A PATRONPatrons get lots of great perks like early and ad-free episodes, access to the private The UFO Rabbit Hole Discord server, and twice-monthly Patron Zoom calls with Kelly Chase. Memberships start at just $5/month.GET THE BOOKGet a SIGNED COPYGet it on AmazonFOLLOWWebsiteTwitterFacebookMUSICTheme: Cabinet of Curiosities by Shaun FrearsonFeatured Song: Jacques Vallée by _shipTIMESTAMPS00:00:32 Introduction00:06:53 Problems with the SETI and UAP Paradigms00:07:25 —SETI & The Assumption of Mediocrity00:12:19 —Anthropocentric Bias in SETI00:14:54 —Anthropocentric Bias in Ufology00:16:27 The Need For A Unified Approach To UAP Studies00:20:01 The Six Layers of UAP Analysis00:20:30 —Layer I: Physical00:21:45 —Layer II: Anti-Physical00:23:00 —Layer III: Psychological00:29:53 —Layer IV: Physiological00:32:19 —Layer V: Psychic00:34:19 —Layer VI: Cultural00:37:10 Possible Nature of UAP Technology00:39:48 The Incommensurability Problem00:45:42 Semiotics00:51:35 High Strangeness & The Abduction Problem00:54:12 Conclusions00:56:23 Garry Nolan and Talking To Ants01:00:26 Whitley Strieber and “The Visitors In the Trees”01:12:42 Jacques Vallée by _shipMUSICTheme: Cabinet of Curiosities by Shaun FrearsonFeatured Song: Jacques Vallée by _shipBecome a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/the-ufo-rabbit-hole-podcast--5746035/support.

This week’s episode barely felt like work because this week I sat down with my dear friend, and one of my favorite people, Jay Christopher King. Jay is the cofounder and director of The Experiencer Group, a private online community dedicated to support, curiosity & community for people who’ve had anomalous events of all kinds. He is also the co-founder of the phenomenal Inquire Anomalous conference series in NYC along with James Iandoli.NEW Class from Dr. James MaddenUnidentified Flying Hyperobject: UFOs, Philosophy, and the End of the WorldFour-week online class via ZoomWednesdays, March 27 – April 24 (skips April 10), 20247 – 9 pm ETLearn More About the ClassSign Up NowEPISODE BRIEFBECOME A PATRONPatrons get lots of great perks like early and ad-free episodes, access to the private The UFO Rabbit Hole Discord server, and twice-monthly Patron Zoom calls with Kelly Chase. Memberships start at just $5/month.GET THE BOOKGet a SIGNED COPYGet it on AmazonFOLLOWWebsiteTwitterFacebookMUSICTheme: Cabinet of Curiosities by Shaun FrearsonBecome a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/the-ufo-rabbit-hole-podcast--5746035/support.

In the third and final chapter of the Waking Up Inside The Cave series we explore emerging theories with regards to the nature of reality and consciousness that have the potential to fix what’s broken with “the official story of everything”. Specifically, we’ll be looking at the work of Jefrey Kripal, Robert Lanza, and Donald Hoffman.NEW Class from Dr. James MaddenUnidentified Flying Hyperobject: UFOs, Philosophy, and the End of the WorldFour-week online class via ZoomWednesdays, March 27 – April 24 (skips April 10), 20247 – 9 pm ETLearn More About the ClassSign Up NowEPISODE BRIEFBECOME A PATRONGET THE BOOKGet a SIGNED COPYGet it on AmazonFOLLOWWebsiteTwitterFacebookMUSICTheme: Cabinet of Curiosities by Shaun FrearsonTIMESTAMPS00:00:30 Introduction00:04:33 A New Paradigm Emerges00:09:52 The Flip00:13:41 —Triggering The Flip00:14:18 —The Impact Of The Flip00:14:56 —Where the Traditional Materialist View Fits00:15:46 —Full Disclosure00:17:17 Biocentrism00:20:35 —The Goldilocks Universe00:22:42 —If A Tree Falls In The Forest Does It Make A Sound?00:29:55 —Where Is The Universe?00:34:58 —The Participatory Universe & Quantum Mechanics00:36:21 —Space-Time Is Not Fundamental00:43:13 The Case Against Reality00:44:06 —How Evolution Hides The Truth00:46:33 —The Interface Theory of Perception00:48:22 —Objects As Mental Constructs00:49:48 —Space-Time Is Doomed00:50:42 Putting It All Together00:50:55 —Recognizing Our Uber-Umwelt00:57:29 —Consciousness—Not Space-Time—Is Fundamental01:00:59 ConclusionBecome a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/the-ufo-rabbit-hole-podcast--5746035/support.

In this episode, we do a deep-dive on the historic UFO hearing held by the House Oversight Committee featuring witnesses David Grusch, David Fravor, and Ryan Graves.NEW Class from Dr. James MaddenUnidentified Flying Hyperobject: UFOs, Philosophy, and the End of the WorldFour-week online class via ZoomWednesdays, March 27 – April 24 (skips April 10), 20247 – 9 pm ETLearn More About the ClassSign Up NowGET THE EPISODE BRIEFBECOME A PATRONGET THE BOOKGet a SIGNED COPYGet it on AmazonFOLLOWWebsiteTwitterFacebookMUSICTheme: Cabinet of Curiosities by Shaun FrearsonBecome a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/the-ufo-rabbit-hole-podcast--5746035/support.

As we look forward to next week's hearing, we're discussing concerns about the witnesses, the stunning allegations from members of Congress, and what we should expect in the week to come.NEW Class from Dr. James MaddenUnidentified Flying Hyperobject: UFOs, Philosophy, and the End of the WorldFour-week online class via ZoomWednesdays, March 27 – April 24 (skips April 10), 20247 – 9 pm ETLearn More About the ClassSign Up NowGET THE EPISODE BRIEFBECOME A PATRONGET THE BOOKGet a SIGNED COPYGet it on AmazonFOLLOWWebsiteTwitterFacebookMUSICTheme: Cabinet of Curiosities by Shaun FrearsonBecome a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/the-ufo-rabbit-hole-podcast--5746035/support.

NEW Class from Dr. James MaddenUnidentified Flying Hyperobject: UFOs, Philosophy, and the End of the WorldFour-week online class via ZoomWednesdays, March 27 – April 24 (skips April 10), 20247 – 9 pm ETLearn More About the ClassSign Up NowGET THE EPISODE BRIEFFOLLOW EXO/DARRENExoAcademian YouTube ChannelTwitterPatreonJohn E. Mack Institute MENTIONED IN THE EPISODEExoAcademian/Darren interview on Engaging The PhenomenonDr. Diana Pasulka interview on Theories of EverythingThe Monroe InstituteGET THE BOOKGet a SIGNED COPYGet it on AmazonFOLLOWWebsiteTwitterFacebookMUSICTheme: Cabinet of Curiosities by Shaun FrearsonBecome a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/the-ufo-rabbit-hole-podcast--5746035/support.

In this episode, I wanted to do something a little different. As the community continues to metabolize the stunning allegations by high-level intelligence official turned UFO whistleblower, David Grusch, and with more people waking up to the significance of this story everyday—the thing I’m hearing the most is just that people want to talk. We want to connect about this. If there’s anything that I’ve learned over the past few years it’s that this process of dismantling our consensus reality and coming to grips with a new one that shakes the foundations of every paradigm we have is a team sport. We’re meant to do these things in community. Two weeks ago, I had the opportunity to spend the weekend with a bunch of really bright, like-minded people that I’ve met through doing this work, and it was honestly magical. We’ve come a long way in this conversation with the public-at-large, but for most of us who have a deep interest in this topic, we still find ourselves censoring and compartmentalizing to protect ourselves from the stigma we might face for simply considering these ideas. And so being able to gather with a group of people and let down those walls and give voice to the thoughts and hopes and anxieties that emerge when you’re coming to terms with the realities of a highly advanced, non-human presence on this planet can be a massive relief. It’s healing and I’d argue that it’s necessary.But I know how rare those moments are, and I know that there are so many people who are more than ready to have those conversations, but who still haven’t found a safe place for that. And so I wanted to do my best to bring one of those conversations to you.So this week, I sat down with my friend and colleague, Nathan, to chat about what this journey has been like, some of the stumbling blocks we’ve hit along the way, and how we can move forward into this strange new reality in a way that is healthy and productive. And I knew that Nathan would be the perfect person to have that conversation with. Nathan uses a mononym because, like so many in the community—including, I assume, many of you listening—he’s a serious guy with a serious job who doesn’t necessarily want to advertise his interest in UFOs. But though you won’t find his last name online, what you will find is a bunch of phenomenal work. Nathan is the co-host of two great podcasts—Liminal Phrames on which he collaborates with Darren King (AKA ExoAcademian), and Calling All Beings, which he co-pilots along with a bunch of other wonderful contributors in the space including D.J., Deb, Leah Prime, and a rotating lineup of other friends.What I appreciate so much about Nathan is his rational yet deeply human-centered approach to the UFO phenomenon. He manages to navigate the deepest and most treacherous waters of this topic while still remaining grounded and without ever losing focus on the things that matter most—our relationships and connections with each other. Nathan is exactly the kind of friend that you’d want to have this kind of conversation with, and I hope you enjoy this chat as much as I did. And may we all move forward from this episode with the intention of being that kind of friend for others who will soon be going through this, too. NEW Class from Dr. James MaddenUnidentified Flying Hyperobject: UFOs, Philosophy, and the End of the WorldFour-week online class via ZoomWednesdays, March 27 – April 24 (skips April 10), 20247 – 9 pm ETLearn More About the ClassSign Up NowGET THE EPISODE BRIEFFOLLOW NATHANOn TwitterLiminal PhramesCalling All BeingsGET THE BOOKGet a SIGNED COPYGet it on AmazonFOLLOWWebsiteTwitterFacebookMUSICTheme: Cabinet of Curiosities by Shaun FrearsonBecome a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/the-ufo-rabbit-hole-podcast--5746035/support.

Today, we’re circling back to an idea that we visited in one of the earliest episodes of the podcast—the extratempestrial model. Sometimes also referred to as the future human hypothesis, the extratempestrial model is the idea that the UFOs phenomenon might represent advanced humans and human descendents who are traveling here from another point in time. I’ll admit to struggling with this idea at first. Time travel has always seemed a little too clunky and a little too hokey to be taken seriously. But as so often happens on this trip down the rabbit hole, the more I learned and the more my perspective began to swell and shift to accommodate the strange new realities I was exploring, the more what once seemed like a kind of crazy idea to me suddenly started to make a heck of a lot of sense. And I found that many of my objections had more to do with the limitations of my knowledge than the limitations of the extratempestrial model. So I wanted to come back around to this idea, because there is a lot there to dig into, most of which didn’t make it into the initial episode. And there are some new and updated ideas that I think are really valuable in understanding the complexities of the phenomenon. And there’s no better way to take a deep dive into this topic than with one of the people who literally wrote the book on the extratempestrial model—Dr. Michael P. Masters. Micahel Masters is a professor of biological anthropology at Montana Technological University. He specializes in human evolution, osteology, and anatomical sciences. Dr. Master’s work related to the phenomenon explores the potential evolutionary trajectories of humankind, linking anthropological theory to hypotheses about extraterrestrial life. He is the author of several books on the topic including Identified Flying Objects: A Multidisciplinary Scientific Approach to the UFO Phenomenon, The Extratempestrial Model, and his latest, a satirical science fiction novel called, Revelation: The Future Human Past.NEW Class from Dr. James MaddenUnidentified Flying Hyperobject: UFOs, Philosophy, and the End of the WorldFour-week online class via ZoomWednesdays, March 27 – April 24 (skips April 10), 20247 – 9 pm ETLearn More About the ClassSign Up NowGET THE EPISODE BRIEFGET THE BOOKGet a SIGNED COPYGet it on AmazonFOLLOWWebsiteTwitterFacebookMUSICTheme: Cabinet of Curiosities by Shaun FrearsonTIMESTAMPS00:30 - Introduction07:20 - What Is The Extratempestrial Model?09:50 - The Extratempestrial Model & The Interdimensional Hypothesis11:29 - The Social & Biological Trends That Hint At The Extratempestrial Model16:32 - Technology & The “Other”20:48 - Technological Variability In Humans21:02 - The Communication Problem25:38 - How Technology Is Shaped By Biology28:52 - Exotic Bipedal Beings32:17 - Could Humanoid Beings Be The Result of Biomimicry?37:08 - Are UFOs Time Machines?43:50 - The Nimitz Incident47:18 - Rethinking The Impossible49:57 - The Block Universe59:02 - Revelation: The Future Human PastBecome a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/the-ufo-rabbit-hole-podcast--5746035/support.

In this episode, we explore the complexities of confronting the reality of UFO disclosure. Information that significantly challenges your worldview can be hard to process. In light of UFO whistleblower David Grusch’s recent allegations—that the US government is in possession of non-human craft and bodies—even those within the community who thought that they were ready for these kinds of revelations have found themselves reeling. In this episode, we discuss ontological shock—what it is, how to cope with it, and how to avoid the major pitfalls. And we work on beginning to resolve our ontological shock but getting ourselves reoriented in a world where nothing is as we once thought it was. No matter where you are in your journey, I hope this episode offers you something that you can take for the road. And if you know people who are just starting out, or who are finding themselves feeling disoriented right now in ways they can’t identify, this is a great episode to share with them.NEW Class from Dr. James MaddenUnidentified Flying Hyperobject: UFOs, Philosophy, and the End of the WorldFour-week online class via ZoomWednesdays, March 27 – April 24 (skips April 10), 20247 – 9 pm ETLearn More About the ClassSign Up NowGET THE EPISODE BRIEFGET THE BOOKGet a SIGNED COPYGet it on AmazonFOLLOWWebsiteTwitterFacebookMUSICTheme: Cabinet of Curiosities by Shaun FrearsonTIMESTAMPS00:00:30 Introduction00:05:30 Ontological Shock00:07:29 The Signs of Ontological Shock00:08:42 The Pitfalls of Ontological Shock00:14:07 Resolving Ontological Shock00:16:47 What Exactly Are We Dealing With?00:19:00 How Has Perception of the UFO Phenomenon Changed Over Time?00:19:11 -UFOs: 1947 to Present00:23:48 -UFOs: Before 194700:29:13 What Forces Have Shaped & Influenced The Perception Of UFOs00:29:44 -Cultural Context00:36:47 -The Government00:50:38 -The Media00:57:47 -The Phenomenon01:00:25 Who Can You Trust?Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/the-ufo-rabbit-hole-podcast--5746035/support.

On Monday, June 5th, 2023, a story was published by The Debrief presenting claims from the first whistleblower to step forward publicly since the passing of UAP whistleblower legislation with the 2023 National Defense Authorization Act a few months ago. This whistleblower, David Charles Grusch, is a high-level member of the intelligence community, and he is claiming to have knowledge of special access programs that have recovered non-human technological craft. Later that same day, an excerpt from an interview with the whistleblower conducted by investigative journalist, Ross Coulthart, was aired on NewsNation in which Rusch made even more shocking claims—including the allegation that the US has also recovered the bodies of the non-human pilots of these craft.In this episode we do a deep dive into this story, doing our best to frame it within the great context of the disclosure movement, and ask the question: what does all this mean? And can what David Grusch is saying really be true?NEW Class from Dr. James MaddenUnidentified Flying Hyperobject: UFOs, Philosophy, and the End of the WorldFour-week online class via ZoomWednesdays, March 27 – April 24 (skips April 10), 20247 – 9 pm ETLearn More About the ClassSign Up NowGET THE EPISODE BRIEFGET THE BOOKGet a SIGNED COPYGet it on AmazonFOLLOWWebsiteTwitterFacebookMUSICTheme: Cabinet of Curiosities by Shaun FrearsonTIMESTAMPS00:30 Introduction03:14 What Makes This Story So Significant?07:10 Why Wasn’t The UFO Whistleblower Story In The New York Times?10:02 What Led Up To This?10:17 -Luis Elizondo & the 2017 New York Times Article12:31 -The UAP Task Force14:02 -AARO16:50 -2023 NDAA17:10 What Is David Charles Grusch?20:10 Who Did Grusch Talk To?20:42 What Did Grusch Tell Congress?23:35 Wait—So David Grusch Never Saw The Craft Or Bodies?27:19 How Do We Know David Grusch Is Who He Says He Is?27:57 -Karl E. Nell28:27 -Christopher Mellon29:13 -Jonathan Grey30:43 -Jim Shell31:32 Retaliation and Disclosure of Urgent Concerns34:02 David Grusch’s Interview with Ross Coulthart37:08 Thoughts on the Interview40:23 The Implications of Grusch’s Allegations47:57 Pentagon Response48:14 What Can We Do?Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/the-ufo-rabbit-hole-podcast--5746035/support.

In this episode, I spoke with author, illustrator, and researcher, Mike Clelland. Mike is the author of several books, two of which we’ll be discussing directly in this episode. The first is The Messengers: Owls, Synchronicity, and the UFO Abductee. The second is his latest release, The Unseen, which is a fiction book that deals with many of the themes of his other work. He also provided the illustrations for the book The Cryptoterrestrials: A Meditation on Indigenous Humanoids and the Aliens Among Us by Mac Tonnies, that we’ll also be discussing in this episode. You can find links to all of his work below.NEW Class from Dr. James MaddenUnidentified Flying Hyperobject: UFOs, Philosophy, and the End of the WorldFour-week online class via ZoomWednesdays, March 27 – April 24 (skips April 10), 20247 – 9 pm ETLearn More About the ClassSign Up NowBOOKS BY MIKE CLELLANDThe Messengers: Owls, Synchronicity and the UFO AbducteeThe UnseenMore Books By Mike ClellandFOLLOW MIKE CLELLANDTwitterWebsiteGET THE EPISODE BRIEFGET THE BOOKGet a SIGNED COPYGet it on AmazonFOLLOWWebsiteTwitterFacebookMUSICTheme: Cabinet of Curiosities by Shaun FrearsonBecome a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/the-ufo-rabbit-hole-podcast--5746035/support.

Today we’re diving into Part 2 of the Waking Up Inside The Cave series. If you haven’t listened to that part 1 yet, I highly recommend that you do so first. It’s linked in the episode brief. For many who take the trip down the UFO rabbit hole, there comes a point where you find yourself asking much bigger questions about reality. It boils down to this:The UFO phenomenon is impossible by every single measure that we use to determine such things, and yet it is. And the existence of the impossible posits that the models that we use to determine what is possible and what isn’t are irretrievably flawed. There is no other logical explanation. Frankly, if UFOs don’t make you question the nature of your reality, you haven’t understood them. In part 1 of this series, we took a closer look at the most fundamental mean-making models that we have starting with the very origins of the universe. And I made the case that very little about this narrative makes any kind of rational sense, and that its only real utility lies in explaining things away without actually explaining them at all. When exposed to the harsh light of objective interrogation, the consensus view of reality quickly dissipates like morning fog. Plato’s Cave has become a touchstone in this podcast because it provides the perfect framework for discussing the process of pursuing this line of questioning. And as we begin to recognize that consensus reality is little more than a shadowplay on the wall, the inevitable questions arise:Where are we? What is this place? And what is the shadowplay meant to conceal?We discussed back in episode 18 in my first interview with James Madden that humans are natural cave builders. All of the greatest achievements of civilization have required that we be able to create shared worldviews and agreed upon meanings for things. It’s our superpower every bit as much as it is our weakness. And I think it’s important to keep in mind that just because we find ourselves in a cave doesn’t necessarily mean that someone put us there. The walls of the cave could be entirely self-created. And yet, when you find yourself tied up in a cave and recognize that the very nature of your reality has been concealed, seemingly intentionally, it’s impossible not to wonder about who your potential captors might be–and about what strange new world might be waiting for you outside its walls. Over the past several years a strange and disturbing idea has been popularized by everyone from futurists to tech billionaires–namely that we are living in a simulation. Could this be the explanation for the strange position in which we find ourselves? Could Plato’s Cave be more than just an allegory? Could what we perceive as our reality actually be our prison?It sounds like the plot of The Matrix, but the more we learn, the more likely this unsettling scenario becomes. Buckle up, because this rabbit hole is going to be a wild ride.NEW Class from Dr. James MaddenUnidentified Flying Hyperobject: UFOs, Philosophy, and the End of the WorldFour-week online class via ZoomWednesdays, March 27 – April 24 (skips April 10), 20247 – 9 pm ETLearn More About the ClassSign Up NowGET THE EPISODE BRIEFGET THE BOOKGet a SIGNED COPYGet it on AmazonFOLLOWWebsiteTwitterFacebookMUSICTheme: Cabinet of Curiosities by Shaun FrearsonBecome a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/the-ufo-rabbit-hole-podcast--5746035/support.

Ryan Sprague is the creator and host of the Somewhere in the Skies podcast and the author of the new book Stories from Somewhere in the Skies. He is a regular on Ancient Aliens (History Channel) and a lead investigator and co-host of Mysteries Decoded (CW Network). Sprague’s research finds him interviewing witnesses, scientists, military personnel, and intelligence officials directly on UFOs, writing for The Debrief. Speaking on UFOs, he has been featured on ABC News and 7News Australia. He has consulted for Amblin Entertainment and been featured in Newsweek, The NY Post, and VICE.NEW Class from Dr. James MaddenUnidentified Flying Hyperobject: UFOs, Philosophy, and the End of the WorldFour-week online class via ZoomWednesdays, March 27 – April 24 (skips April 10), 20247 – 9 pm ETLearn More About the ClassSign Up NowGET THE EPISODE BRIEFMORE FROM RYAN SPRAGUEBooks by Ryan Sprague:Stories from Somewhere In The SkiesSomewhere In The Skies: A Human Approach To The UFO Phenomenon WebsiteFollow Ryan on TwitterFollow Somewhere In The Skies on TwitterBECOME A PATRONFOR ALL INQUIRIES ABOUT THE OHIO UFO HERITAGE CONFERENCEPlease contact Jon Horvath at theufofestival@gmail.comGET THE BOOKGet a SIGNED COPYGet it on AmazonFOLLOWWebsiteTwitterFacebookMUSICTheme: Cabinet of Curiosities by Shaun FrearsonBecome a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/the-ufo-rabbit-hole-podcast--5746035/support.

In this episode, I had the pleasure of speaking with Dr. Avi Loeb. Dr. Loeb was the longest serving chair of Harvard's Department of Astronomy from 2011–2020. In June 2020, he was sworn in as a member of the President's Council of Advisors on Science and Technology. And, most relevant to today’s conversation, he is also currently the head of Harvard’s Galileo Project whose mission is the systematic scientific search for evidence of extraterrestrial technological artifacts.NEW Class from Dr. James MaddenUnidentified Flying Hyperobject: UFOs, Philosophy, and the End of the WorldFour-week online class via ZoomWednesdays, March 27 – April 24 (skips April 10), 20247 – 9 pm ETLearn More About the ClassSign Up NowGET THE EPISODE BRIEFMENTIONED IN THIS EPISODEThe article written by Avi Loeb & Sean Kirkpatrick: Physical Constraints on Unidentified Aerial PhenomenaFOLLOW THE GALILEO PROJECTWebsiteTwitterCONTACT IN THE DESERTSee Dr. Avi Loeb, Graham Hancock, George Noory and many more incredible speakers at Contact in the Desert taking place June 2-4, 2023.Tickets are on sale now: https://contactinthedesert.com/BECOME A PATRONGET THE BOOK|Get a SIGNED COPYGet it on AmazonFOLLOWWebsiteTwitterFacebookMUSICTheme: Cabinet of Curiosities by Shaun FrearsonBecome a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/the-ufo-rabbit-hole-podcast--5746035/support.

Today we welcome back Dr. James Madden to the show. As I’m sure you’ll recall, Jim joined us a couple of months ago for a discussion about Plato’s Cave. We also discussed some of his latest work applying the philosophical concept of the umwelt to the UFO phenomenon. And I was really excited to see that that episode has become one of the most listened to episodes of the podcasts, because it’s definitely one of my favorites. If you haven’t listened to that episode yet, I highly recommend that you go back to that one first. Jim’s work builds on itself, and it will be helpful to lay down the foundation with that episode before moving onto this one.In this episode, we’ll be moving on to Dr. Madden’s latest work. Over the last few months, in a flurry of articles released through his Substack, Jim has laid out a series of arguments as to the nature of the UFO phenomenon that are, frankly, mind blowing. It’s not over-stating things to say that what Jim has done is to essentially break ufology–and I mean that in the best possible way. Because, in many ways, it’s been clear to anyone who is really paying attention that the traditional models and ontologies that have dominated modern ufology have needed to break. We began this podcast talking about what the UFO phenomenon might be, and we did a deep dive into the primary hypotheses including extraterrestrial, ultraterrestrial, interdimensional, extraterrestrial, etc. And all of those models are really useful for helping us to push our thinking about what the intelligence behind UFOs may represent. But if we’re being really honest with ourselves, we have to admit that none of them really fit. They come close in some ways, fall short in others, and ultimately leave us feeling like we’re trying to stretch a full-sized sheet over a queen-sized bed. What we’ve needed–desperately–is a model that would collapse all of those ontological categories and integrate them into a larger, more coherent whole. And I’d argue that what Dr. Madden is postulating with regard to the UFO phenomenon does exactly that. I truly believe that what he is pointing to here is the future of ufology. This work is urgent and critically important for us moving forward.NEW Class from Dr. James MaddenUnidentified Flying Hyperobject: UFOs, Philosophy, and the End of the WorldFour-week online class via ZoomWednesdays, March 27 – April 24 (skips April 10), 20247 – 9 pm ETLearn More About the ClassSign Up NowGET THE EPISODE BRIEFDR. JAMES MADDEN’S WORKThe SubstackArticles Referenced In This Episode:UFO Realism and the Uber-UmweltUnidentified Flying HyperobjectMagonia as HyperobjectThe UFO, Religion, and Our Epistemic VulnerabilityFOLLOW DR. JAMES MADDENWebsiteTwitterOTHER WORK REFERENCEDHyperobjects: Philosophy and Ecology after the End of the World (Posthumanities) by Timothy MortonThe Third Table by Graham HarmanThe Will to Power by Friedrich NietzscheThus Spoke Zarathustra: A Book for Everyone and No One by Friedrich NietzscheBECOME A PATRONGET THE BOOKGet a SIGNED COPYGet it on AmazonFOLLOWWebsiteTwitterFacebookMUSICTheme: Cabinet of Curiosities by Shaun FrearsonBecome a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/the-ufo-rabbit-hole-podcast--5746035/support.

Today I’m bringing you something really special. A few weeks ago, Dr. Diana Walsh Pasulka reached out to connect me with someone she thought I might be interested in interviewing for the podcast. Her name is Dr. Iya Whiteley and she is a space psychologist who is featured in Diana’s upcoming book due out in November entitled, Encounters: Experiences with Nonhuman Intelligences. Given the respect that I have for Diana and her work, her recommendation alone would have been enough for me to say yes. But the more she shared with me about Dr. Whiteley and her work, it became clear to me that this was an interview that I absolutely had to do. This conversation touched me deeply, and I hope it speaks to you the way that it spoke to me.MEET DR. IYA WHITELEYDr. Iya Whiteley is a training developer for Astronauts with a background in Clinical Psychology and Cognitive Engineering. She leverages her skills and expertise, combined with her own insights and experiences as a pilot, skydiver, and scuba diver, to design both equipment and training programmes to improve the performance of highly trained professionals in extreme environments, including military pilots and astronauts.Iya has also worked at the European Astronaut Centre (European Space Agency) in Cologne, Germany and now collaborates with NASA and the Gagarin Cosmonaut Training Centre in Star City, Russia. Since having her own children, Iya has been using her unique skillset to work on laying the groundwork for a universal “Earth language”. To this end, she has designed high contrast black and white visual books for newborns to tap into their full developmental potential and give them the best possible start on our unique planet Earth.MEET DR. DIANA WALSH PASULKADr. Diana Walsh Pasulka is a professor of religious studies and Chair of the Department of Philosophy and Religion at the University of North Carolina, Wilmington. She holds a bachelor’s from UC Davis, a master’s from Berkeley, and a Ph.D. from Syracuse University. She is the author of Heaven Can Wait: Purgatory in Catholic Devotional and Popular Culture and American Cosmic: UFOs, Religion, Technology, which we will be discussing in this interview. NEW Class from Dr. James MaddenUnidentified Flying Hyperobject: UFOs, Philosophy, and the End of the WorldFour-week online class via ZoomWednesdays, March 27 – April 24 (skips April 10), 20247 – 9 pm ETLearn More About the ClassSign Up NowGO TO EPISODE BRIEFDR. IYA WHITELEY LINKSContact Dr. Iya Whiteley [Private Practice Website]Get Dr. Whiteley’s Earth Design Books for BabiesFollow Dr. Iya Whiteley on TwitterDR. DIANA PASULKA LINKSAmerican Cosmic: UFOs, Religion, TechnologyPRE-ORDER: Encounters: Explorations with Extraterrestrial and Other Non-Human Intelligence (Out Nov. 7, 2023)Follow Dr. Diana Walsh Pasulka on TwitterBECOME A PATRONGET THE BOOKGet a SIGNED COPYGet it on AmazonFOLLOWWebsiteTwitterFacebookMUSICTheme: Cabinet of Curiosities by Shaun FrearsonBecome a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/the-ufo-rabbit-hole-podcast--5746035/support.

As predicted, 2023 has already been a massive year for the UFO disclosure movement. As we seemingly gain momentum, and with a fresh round of congressional hearings on UAPs potentially just around the corner, this felt like the perfect moment to dive into the progress made so far.And there’s no one better for this conversation than Christopher Sharp of the Liberation Times. Chris is an independent journalist hailing from the UK who has consistently been beating the mainstream media to the punch on some of the biggest stories related to UFO disclosure. The nuance and deep investigation that he brings to his work is one of the very few beacons of true journalism in this field. Beyond his work with the Liberation Times, Chris also regularly writes for the Daily Mail.In this episode Chris shares:🛸 What he's hearing from his sources about the origins of the mysterious objects shot down in Feb🛸 The surprising source for the push for disclosure🛸 What we can expect from upcoming Congressional UFO hearings (and when those might happen)🛸 The scandal hiding in plain sight that has Congress finally clocking in on the UFO issue🛸 And moreNEW Class from Dr. James MaddenUnidentified Flying Hyperobject: UFOs, Philosophy, and the End of the WorldFour-week online class via ZoomWednesdays, March 27 – April 24 (skips April 10), 20247 – 9 pm ETLearn More About the ClassSign Up NowGO TO EPISODE BRIEFFOLLOW CHRIS SHARP & LIBERATION TIMESLiberation Times WebsiteLiberation Times TwitterLiberation Times PatreonChristopher Sharp TwitterBECOME A PATRONGET THE BOOKGet a SIGNED COPYGet it on AmazonFOLLOWWebsiteTwitterFacebookMUSICTheme: Cabinet of Curiosities by Shaun FrearsonBecome a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/the-ufo-rabbit-hole-podcast--5746035/support.

In this episode, I talk to Thomas J. Carey, the co-author of UFO Secrets Inside Wright-Patterson. Along with his co-author, Donald R. Schmitt, Carey has spent over 30 years investigating the Roswell incident and tracing the trail of the materials and bodies that were recovered there all the way to Wright-Patterson Air Force Base and beyond. They have published a dozen books on the subject (links below).Among the many stunning revelations in this episode is the true identity and location of the fabled Hangar 18, the 2 undeniable smoking guns of the Roswell incident, an in-depth account of what became of the infamous “memory metal” recovered at Roswell, and detailed accounts of the non-human pilots of these craft.NEW Class from Dr. James MaddenUnidentified Flying Hyperobject: UFOs, Philosophy, and the End of the WorldFour-week online class via ZoomWednesdays, March 27 – April 24 (skips April 10), 20247 – 9 pm ETLearn More About the ClassSign Up NowGO TO EPISODE BRIEFGET THE BOOKGet your copy of UFO Secrets Inside Wright-Patterson by Thomas J. Carey & Donald SchmittBECOME A PATRONGET THE BOOKGet a SIGNED COPYGet it on AmazonFOLLOWWebsiteTwitterFacebookMUSICTheme: Cabinet of Curiosities by Shaun FrearsonBecome a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/the-ufo-rabbit-hole-podcast--5746035/support.

THE CONFERENCE HAS BEEN POSTPONED. NEW DATES WILL BE ANNOUNCED SOON.THE SPEAKERSJames Fox | Moment of Contact Bryce Zabel | Need To Know Dr. Diana Walsh Pasulka | American Cosmic Dr. Michael Masters | The Extratempestrial Model Micah Hanks | Debrief Media ExoAcademian | Point of Convergence Jay Christopher King | The Experiencer Group Kelly Chase | The UFO Rabbit Hole Phil Ford | Weird Studies J.F. Martel | Weird StudiesTRY BETTERHELPThis episode is brought to you by BetterHelp. Give online therapy a try at betterhelp.com/ RABBITHOLE and get on your way to being your best self.GET ZENCASTR"Use my special link zen.ai/rabbit30 and use rabbit30 to save 30% off your first three months of Zencastr professional. #madeonzencastr."WONGO PUZZLESUse my special link [https://zen.ai/rabbit10] to save 10% at wongopuzzles.com. The discount will be applied at checkout!GO TO EPISODE BRIEFBECOME A PATRON GET THE BOOKGet a SIGNED COPYGet it on AmazonFOLLOWWebsiteTwitterFacebookMUSICTheme: Cabinet of Curiosities by Shaun FrearsonInterludes: Particles by NobouTIMESTAMPS00:00:34 The Ohio UFO Heritage Conference00:12:42 Meet Conference Co-Chair, Jon Horvath00:22:20 Meet Dr. Michael Masters00:32:41 Meet Bryce Zabel00:57:17 Meet Phil Ford & J.F. Martel from Weird StudiesBecome a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/the-ufo-rabbit-hole-podcast--5746035/support.

In many ways, our trip down the rabbit hole has been leading us, inevitably, to this episode. It’s in this episode that we reach a decisive inflection point. Nothing will be the same after this—maybe not even you.Over the previous 18 episodes, I have done my best to make the case, not only that the UFO phenomenon is real, but that the complexity, ubiquity, and unintelligibility of the phenomenon are so great as to suggest that many of our most fundamental assumptions about the nature of reality itself may be incorrect. This episode is my closing argument in the case of The Phenomenon vs. Consensus Reality. And when it’s done, I hope that you’ll agree with me that it’s time to burn it all down. Or at the very least, I hope you’ll agree that perhaps it’s time to consider some new models of reality that have the potential to reintroduce meaning and intelligibility into our broken world where impossible things won’t stop happening.In this episode, we’ll begin by talking about what’s broken with our current models including the Big Bang, the hard problem of consciousness, quantum mechanics, and space-time. And we begin to ask, what do our broken models suggest about the nature of the cave that we find ourselves in? And what does all of this have to do with UFOs?NEW Class from Dr. James MaddenUnidentified Flying Hyperobject: UFOs, Philosophy, and the End of the WorldFour-week online class via ZoomWednesdays, March 27 – April 24 (skips April 10), 20247 – 9 pm ETLearn More About the ClassSign Up NowLISTEN TO THESE EPISODES FIRSTIf these ideas are new to you, you might find it helpful to go back and listen to the previous two episodes to get greater context.Ep 17: An Interview with Dr. Diana Walsh PasulkaEp 18: An Interview with Dr. James MaddenGO TO EPISODE BRIEFGET TICKETS TO THE OHIO UFO HERITAGE CONFERENCEMay 5th & 6th at the historic Hope Hotel at Wright Patterson Air Force BaseBECOME A PATRONGET THE BOOKGet a SIGNED COPYGet it on AmazonFOLLOWWebsiteTwitterFacebookMUSICTheme: Cabinet of Curiosities by Shaun FrearsonMusic Break: Digital Abyss by Stephen KeechTIMESTAMPS00:00:30 Introduction00:04:03 The “Official Story of Everything”00:07:00 The Dream of the Cave00:13:55 Everything You Know Is Wrong00:19:45 The Big Bang00:29:28 The Ghost in the Machine00:37:35 Music Break00:38:32 The Hard Problem of Consciousness00:45:52 Quantum Mechanics Breaks Everything00:55:22 Space-Time Is Doomed00:57:35 The Emperor Has No Clothes01:01:25 The Walls of the CaveBecome a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/the-ufo-rabbit-hole-podcast--5746035/support.

In this episode, I’m bringing you an interview with Dr. James Madden, professor of philosophy at Benedictine University. He is a martial artist, fitness coach, and philosopher with particular interest in the philosophy of mind, aesthetics, philosophy of religion, Aristotelianism, and phenomenology.If you’ll recall from the last episode, Diana mentioned Dr. Madden as someone who shared her “spooky” interpretation of the Cave. I first met Jim when he was a speaker in one of Diana’s classes over the summer on this subject, and I really enjoyed learning from him. He has a really coherent way of placing the Cave within its proper context both within Plato’s Republic and within its historical context that opens up these ideas in inspiring and challenging ways.So that’s where we’ll start, with an hour-long deep dive into Plato’s Cave, and what it implies for the nature of both reality and the UFO phenomenon. And then in the second half of the interview, we’ll turn to Dr. Madden’s latest philosophical work with regard to the phenomenon including what Heidegger reveals to us about the life and work of Godfather of Modern Ufology, Jaques Vallee, what Aristotle’s natural theology suggests about the potential nature of non-human intelligence, and how that work is being continued in the modern day by Dr. Jeffrey Kripal of Rice University. And finally, we’ll explore Dr. Madden’s fascinating hypothesis for the origins of the UFO phenomenon through the concept of the “umwelt”.I hope you all enjoy this conversation as much as I enjoyed having it. This is my longest episode to date because we were having such a blast that I completely lost track of time. And when I went back to listen again, there wasn’t anything that I wanted to cut out. If you enjoy wading out into the deep end of the UFO phenomenon, this episode is for you.NEW Class from Dr. James MaddenUnidentified Flying Hyperobject: UFOs, Philosophy, and the End of the WorldFour-week online class via ZoomWednesdays, March 27 – April 24 (skips April 10), 20247 – 9 pm ETLearn More About the ClassSign Up NowLISTEN TO THESE EPISODES FIRSTIf these ideas are new to you, you might find it helpful to go back and listen to the previous two episodes to get greater context.Ep 16: The Sky Calls To Us: The Occult Origins Of The Space RaceEp 17: An Interview with Dr. Diana Walsh PasulkaGO TO EPISODE BRIEF FOR ALL RESOURCES MENTIONED IN THE EPISODEFIND MORE OF DR. JAMES MADDEN’S WORKDr. James Madden’s WebsiteDr. James Madden’s SubstackOnline Course: Heidegger’s The Question Concerning TechnologyUFO Realism and the Uber-UmweltAristotle, Myth, and Extraterrestrial IntelligencesGET TICKETS TO THE OHIO UFO HERITAGE CONFERENCEMay 5th & 6th at the historic Hope Hotel at Wright Patterson Air Force Base. BECOME A PATRONGET THE BOOKGet a SIGNED COPYGet it on AmazonFOLLOWWebsiteTwitterFacebookMUSICTheme: Cabinet of Curiosities by Shaun FrearsonMusic Break: Golden Hour by Jonas KolbergBecome a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/the-ufo-rabbit-hole-podcast--5746035/support.

In this episode, I’m bringing you an interview with one of my personal heroes, Dr. Diana Walsh Paslka. Dr. Diana Walsh Pasulka is a professor of religious studies and Chair of the Department of Philosophy and Religion at the University of North Carolina, Wilmington. She holds a bachelor’s from UC Davis, a master’s from Berkeley, and a Ph.D. from Syracuse University. She is the author of Heaven Can Wait: Purgatory in Catholic Devotional and Popular Culture and American Cosmic: UFOs, Religion, Technology, which we will be discussing in this interview.NEW Class from Dr. James MaddenUnidentified Flying Hyperobject: UFOs, Philosophy, and the End of the WorldFour-week online class via ZoomWednesdays, March 27 – April 24 (skips April 10), 20247 – 9 pm ETLearn More About the ClassSign Up NowLISTEN TO THESE EPISODES FIRSTIf you aren’t already familiar with Diana’s work, you’ll definitely want to start with these two episodes before listening to this interview to get the full context of our conversation.Ep 11: Nazis & UFOs [Pt. 1]: The Emergence Of UFO LoreEp 16: The Sky Calls To Us: The Occult Origins Of The Space RaceGET DR. DIANA WALSH PASULKA’S BOOKSAmerican Cosmic: UFO’s, Religion TechnologyHeaven Can Wait: Purgatory In Catholic Devotional And Popular CultureMENTIONED IN THE EPISODEThe Question Concerning Technology by Martin HeideggerWhat Is Called Thinking? by Martin HeideggerDiscourse On Thinking by Martin HeideggerI, Product by Jacques ValleeSociety of the Spectacle by Guy DubordRepublic by PlatoDr. James MaddenMarie Mutsuki Mockett2001: A Space OdysseyNopeBECOME A PATRONGET THE BOOKGet a SIGNED COPYGet it on AmazonFOLLOWWebsiteTwitterFacebookMUSICTheme: Cabinet of Curiosities by Shaun FrearsonTIMESTAMPS00:00:30 Intro00:05:03 How does a scholar of religion end up writing a book about UFOs? [Backstory of American Cosmic]00:10:57 Why the next big breakthrough in the space program will come from the field of religious studies.00:14:33 What can we learn from studying Tyler’s protocols?00:18:14 What should we make of the simplicity of Tyler’s protocols?00:22:43 What is Tyler communicating with?00:26:07 What’s going on in the space program?00:30:25 Civil religion & UFOs00:34:11 Having a front row seat to the birth of a myth/belief/religion00:38:15 Diana’s transition from UFO atheist to UFO agnostic00:43:39 “The Question Concerning Technology” by Martin Heidegger00:57:36 What does the Monolith in Stanley Kubrick’s 2001: A Space Odyssey tell us about the relationship between media and technology?01:04:39 Jordan Peele’s Nope and the relationship between media and belief01:08:32 Society of the Spectacle01:13:17 Plato’s Cave01:24:21 Plato’s Republic & the impossibility of justice01:26:45 Ontological shock & re-entering the cave01:29:34 The danger of Technology01:34:48 What to expect from Diana’s new bookBecome a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/the-ufo-rabbit-hole-podcast--5746035/support.

In this episode, we’re discussing one of the most profound transitions in human history–that of our evolution from a terrestrial species to a spacefaring one. And as we examine the history and origins of the space programs in both the United States and the Soviet Union, we discover one of the most remarkable and baffling stories ever told, hiding in plain sight. To put it simply, many of the fathers of modern space flight were occultists who believed themselves to be in direct communication with non-human intelligences who were helping to guide their work. While their claims sound too extraordinary to even be considered, the startling breadth and innovation of the work that they claim sprang for this paranormal communication makes it difficult not to wonder if perhaps there might have been something to those claims.We’ll discuss the work of Jack Parsons, an intrepid young rocket scientist and occultist who palled around with the likes of Aleister Crowley, L. Ron Hubbard, and Howard Hughes, whose remarkable life was cut short by his mysterious death at 37. And we’ll also explore the work of Russian Cosmists like Konstantine Tsiolkovsky whose prophetic work seemingly foretold the intricate details of space flight decades before Yuri Gagarin became the first man in space. And once again, we’ll look at Dr. Diana Walsh Pasulka’s phenomenal book American Cosmic: UFOs, Religion, Technology clues to whether these occult practices might still be in use among top members of the space program today. And the answers are, frankly, shocking. In this episode we’ll begin to ask some of the most important questions that will follow us on our journey forward:What is the occult? What does the occult have to do with UFOs? How is it that so many “impossible” things seem to have a basis in reality? And what do we do when our models of reality stop working?Welcome back to The UFO Rabbit Hole.NEW Class from Dr. James MaddenUnidentified Flying Hyperobject: UFOs, Philosophy, and the End of the WorldFour-week online class via ZoomWednesdays, March 27 – April 24 (skips April 10), 20247 – 9 pm ETLearn More About the ClassSign Up NowGET THE EPISODE BRIEFGET AMERICAN COSMIC BY DIANA WALSH PASULKAREAD THE 2022 UFO REPORT - Office of the Director of National IntelligenceBECOME A PATRONGET THE BOOKGet a SIGNED COPYGet it on AmazonFOLLOWWebsiteTwitterFacebookMUSICTheme: Cabinet of Curiosities by Shaun FrearsonMusic Break: "Hymn to Pan" by Son of a PriestBecome a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/the-ufo-rabbit-hole-podcast--5746035/support.

It's a brand new year, and I have so many exciting updates to share with you all about the podcast—including the fact that you're about to get a WHOLE LOT more episodes! Get all of these updates, including when you can expect episode 16, in this quick bonus episode.TRY BETTERHELPThis episode is brought to you by BetterHelp. Give online therapy a try at betterhelp.com/ RABBITHOLE and get on your way to being your best self.GET ZENCASTR"Use my special link zen.ai/rabbit30 and use rabbit30 to save 30% off your first three months of Zencastr professional. #madeonzencastr."WONGO PUZZLESUse my special link [https://zen.ai/rabbit10] to save 10% at wongopuzzles.com. The discount will be applied at checkout! LISTEN TO THE RABBIT HOLE COVERSATIONSApple PodcastsSpotifyAlso available wherever else you listen to podcasts. BECOME A PATRONBUY THE BOOKFOLLOWWebsiteTwitterFacebookMUSICMain Theme: Cabinet of Curiosities by Shaun FrearsonThe UFO Rabbit Hole Conversations Theme: The Uh Experiment by RimskyMusicBecome a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/the-ufo-rabbit-hole-podcast--5746035/support.

Welcome back to The UFO Rabbit Hole podcast. Today we turn our attention to our nearest neighbor, and the anchor for some of those most compelling and mysterious stories in the UFO lore—the Moon.Hanging serenely in the night sky, its face unchanging aside from the precise pendulum swing of the lunar cycle, the Moon is our constant companion. It’s the one heavenly body that we can easily observe with the naked eye, and as such it feels deeply familiar to us.But what if there is more to the Moon than we ever realized? It’s an unnerving thought to consider that the Moon as we know it might not be what we think it is at all. But that’s exactly what the deep UFO lore surrounding the Moon suggests.In this episode we’ll discuss theories for the origins of the Moon (including the theory that it might be an alien superstructure), the mysteries surrounding the Apollo missions and the moon landing, what some of the top astronauts from the early space program have said about the Moon, and we’ll even tell a story about Neil Armstrong that I, frankly, straight up didn’t believe the first time I heard it.NEW Class from Dr. James MaddenUnidentified Flying Hyperobject: UFOs, Philosophy, and the End of the WorldFour-week online class via ZoomWednesdays, March 27 – April 24 (skips April 10), 20247 – 9 pm ETLearn More About the ClassSign Up NowThe Full Ross Coulthart Interview On Theories Of Everything With Curt JaimungalGET THE EPISODE BRIEFBECOME A PATRONGET THE BOOKGet a SIGNED COPYGet it on AmazonFOLLOWWebsiteTwitterFacebookMUSICTheme: Cabinet of Curiosities by Shaun FrearsonMusic Break One: Insomniac’s Dream by SémøMoon Landing: No One Is Out Here by Yehezkel RazOutro: Moon by Space DovesSupport the showBecome a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/the-ufo-rabbit-hole-podcast--5746035/support.

In the final installment of our series on Nazis & UFOs, we’re doing a deep dive on one of the most beloved—and most mysterious—stories in the lore: that of Admiral Byrd, Operation Highjump, and Hollow Earth.Rumors have abounded for decades that, after WWII, what remained of the Third Reich escaped to a sprawling secret base under the ice in Antarctica—the mythical Station 211. But could this story be more than a mere wartime legend?In 1947, the largest military operation since the end of the war embarked from the United States to Antarctica, allegedly on a scientific expedition. But could Operation Highjump, lead by famed explorer and America hero, Admiral Richard E. Byrd, have had another mission? Could they have been in search of the fabled Nazi base?What they found in Antarctica has been a matter of much debate, with some saying that they encountered secret Nazi technology—including the infamous flying saucer—and still others claim that Admiral Byrd made contact with a super advanced race of humanoids from Hollow Earth.Could any of this possibly be true? We’ll investigate and find out.NEW Class from Dr. James MaddenUnidentified Flying Hyperobject: UFOs, Philosophy, and the End of the WorldFour-week online class via ZoomWednesdays, March 27 – April 24 (skips April 10), 20247 – 9 pm ETLearn More About the ClassSign Up NowGET THE EPISODE BRIEFBECOME A PATRONGET THE BOOKGet a SIGNED COPYGet it on AmazonFOLLOWWebsiteTwitterFacebookMUSICTheme: Cabinet of Curiosities by Shaun FrearsonAirflow by Evgeny BardyuzhaFree Radicals by Stanley GurvichBecome a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/the-ufo-rabbit-hole-podcast--5746035/support.

In part 3 of the Nazis & UFOs series we explore the soure of some of the most outlandish and intriguing stories in UFO lore—Antarctica.In 1938, Nazi Germany made an expedition to Antarctica where they claimed territory. What could have compelled them to make that investment of time and resources in the lead up to WWII? Were they looking for something? And could they have found it?After the war, rumors swirled that what remained of the Third Reich escaped to secret bases in Antarctica, and from there the mystique only grew. Since then, a baroque mythology has sprung up around the southernmost continent, with each new twist and turn only adding to mystery.Today, we’ll dive into some of the most popular—and bizarre—theories as to what the Nazis may have found in Antarctica—including the lost city of Atlantis, an unknown ancient culture from the distant past, secret alien bases, and more.NEW Class from Dr. James MaddenUnidentified Flying Hyperobject: UFOs, Philosophy, and the End of the WorldFour-week online class via ZoomWednesdays, March 27 – April 24 (skips April 10), 20247 – 9 pm ETLearn More About the ClassSign Up NowGOOGLE EARTH LINKSThe AzoresThe Pyramid in AntarcticaGET THE EPISODE BRIEFBECOME A PATRONGET THE BOOKGet a SIGNED COPYGet it on AmazonFOLLOWWebsiteTwitterFacebookMUSICTheme: Cabinet of Curiosities by Shaun FrearsonBecome a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/the-ufo-rabbit-hole-podcast--5746035/support.

In part 2 of our 3 part series on the intersection of Nazi and UFO lore during WWII, we’ll be diving into two major themes of this mythology: the occult and secret technology. We’ll be getting into everything in this episode: German occult clubs, Theosophy, secret technology, Die Glocke, foo fighters, the search for the Holy Grail and other relics, and more.And as we begin to untangle this dense and sprawling lore, we’ll see a new narrative being to emerge—one of humanity grappling with the unthinkable.NEW Class from Dr. James MaddenUnidentified Flying Hyperobject: UFOs, Philosophy, and the End of the WorldFour-week online class via ZoomWednesdays, March 27 – April 24 (skips April 10), 20247 – 9 pm ETLearn More About the ClassSign Up NowMENTIONED IN EPISODEUFOs Before Roswell: European Foo-Fighters 1940-1945 by Graeme RendallGET THE EPISODE BRIEFBECOME A PATRONGET THE BOOKGet a SIGNED COPYGet it on AmazonFOLLOWWebsiteTwitterFacebookMUSICTheme: Cabinet of Curiosities by Shaun FrearsonMusic Break 1: My Lord by Yarin PrimackMusic Break 2: Jakub PietrasBecome a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/the-ufo-rabbit-hole-podcast--5746035/support.

In part one of this 3-part series on the UFO lore connected to WWII and Nazi Germany, we begin by doing a deep dive into the emergence of UFO lore itself. While there is a ton of UFO lore connected to WWII, what is largely considered to be the first modern UFO sighting didn’t happen until 1947—2 years after the war ended. So to understand exactly what was going on during WWII, we need to first understand, not just how UFO lore first emerged, but how belief systems in general emerge and evolve over time.We’ll talk about the ontological complexity of the 20th century, the sequence of events in 1947 that shaped our modern understanding of the phenomenon, and dive deeper into the mystery surrounding the lore to ask some of the bigger questions. This includes one question that I never thought I’d ask, which is—could the emergence of UFO mythology be the seeds of a modern religion?A massive shout out to Diana Walsh Pasulka for her incredible book, American Cosmic, which helped me look at the phenomenon in a whole new light and played a big role in shaping this episode.NEW Class from Dr. James MaddenUnidentified Flying Hyperobject: UFOs, Philosophy, and the End of the WorldFour-week online class via ZoomWednesdays, March 27 – April 24 (skips April 10), 20247 – 9 pm ETLearn More About the ClassSign Up NowMENTIONED IN EPISODE:American Cosmic: UFOs, Religion, Technology by D.W. PasulkaIn Plain Sight: An Investigation Into UFOs and Impossible Science by Ross CoulthartLuis Elizondo on EarthFiles with Linda Moutlon HoweGET THE EPISODE BRIEFBECOME A PATRONGET THE BOOKGet a SIGNED COPYGet it on AmazonFOLLOWWebsiteTwitterFacebookMUSICTheme: Cabinet of Curiosities by Shaun FrearsonBecome a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/the-ufo-rabbit-hole-podcast--5746035/support.

In the final part of this 3 part series, A Rational Approach to Ancient Aliens, we finally get to the good stuff—non-human intervention and cyclical global cataclysms. We’ll start by taking a tour of some of the most mysterious archeological sites in the world: from Puma Punku in Bolivia to Baalbek in Lebanon. We’ll even talk about a sunken city off the coast of Cuba that may be 50,000 years old.Do these anomalous sites prove beyond a reasonable doubt that the ancient alien theory is true, and that human civilization was guided—or perhaps even seeded—but a super advanced intelligence in the distant past?And finally, we’ll look at the evidence surrounding the cataclysm that kicked off the Younger Dryas as well as examine the possibility that a more dramatic and profound cycle of global disasters may be responsible for shaping human history.NEW Class from Dr. James MaddenUnidentified Flying Hyperobject: UFOs, Philosophy, and the End of the WorldFour-week online class via ZoomWednesdays, March 27 – April 24 (skips April 10), 20247 – 9 pm ETLearn More About the ClassSign Up NowGET THE EPISODE BRIEFBECOME A PATRONGET THE BOOKGet a SIGNED COPYGet it on AmazonFOLLOWWebsiteTwitterFacebookMUSICTheme: Cabinet of Curiosities by Shaun FrearsonMusic Break 1: Asturias by Alon PeretzMusic Break 2: Ancient by Nimrod NolBecome a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/the-ufo-rabbit-hole-podcast--5746035/support.

In this episode we dive into part 2 of our series on the concept of ancient aliens by examining whether or not the UFO phenomenon may have played some role in the emergence of human civilization.Human civilization is the manifestation of everything that makes the human species so unique—but how did it evolve? Where did it come from? To attempt to answer this question we’ll look at how we define civilization and how we identify it in the archeological record. We’ll look at the story of human civilization according to mainstream academics, as well as evidence that this story is incorrect.And finally, we’ll begin to discuss how the story of human civilization might be rewritten, and the role that the UFO phenomenon may have played—along with other startling possibilities.NEW Class from Dr. James MaddenUnidentified Flying Hyperobject: UFOs, Philosophy, and the End of the WorldFour-week online class via ZoomWednesdays, March 27 – April 24 (skips April 10), 20247 – 9 pm ETLearn More About the ClassSign Up NowGET THE EPISODE BRIEFBECOME A PATRONGET THE BOOKGet a SIGNED COPYGet it on AmazonFOLLOWWebsiteTwitterFacebookMUSICTheme: Cabinet of Curiosities by Shaun FrearsonBecome a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/the-ufo-rabbit-hole-podcast--5746035/support.

Over the last seven episodes, we’ve established that the Pentagon has admitted that UFOs are real, that they are operating with impunity in our airspace, and that we don’t know what they are. We’ve talked through some of the most common explanations for what the UFO phenomenon might be, considering everything from secret human technology to future humans and from extraterrestrials to ultraterrestrials. We’ve also met some—though certainly not all of the main players in the current disclosure movement.Although we’ve covered a lot of ground, when it comes to understanding the full scope of the UFO phenomenon and its implications for humankind, we’ve barely scratched the surface.In this episode, we’ll begin to tackle some of the most fundamental questions raised by the UFO phenomenon—starting with the question of whether the UFO phenomenon may have had an influence on our ancestors in the distant past. For many, this line of questioning brings to mind Ancient Aliens, and the ancient astronaut theory, but there are other equally startling and profound possibilities that are suggested by the evidence as well—including the idea that the story of human civilization is far longer and far more dazzling that we ever imagined.But before we can begin to truly tackle these questions, we need to spend some time talking about the epistemology of archeology—what do we know, what can we know, and how sure are we that the established narrative of human history is correct?We’ll do a quick intro to epistemology, discuss some of the verification challenges that exist within archeology, explore the limits of our current dating techniques and the unique challenges that we encounter in attempting to date megalithic structures. We’ll also look at the academia and the peer review system to identify the ways that the most innovative and potentially impactful ideas can be systematically rejected and marginalized. And finally, we’ll talk about the difference between science and pseudoscience, and establish a simple framework that we can use to tell the difference between the two.NEW Class from Dr. James MaddenUnidentified Flying Hyperobject: UFOs, Philosophy, and the End of the WorldFour-week online class via ZoomWednesdays, March 27 – April 24 (skips April 10), 20247 – 9 pm ETLearn More About the ClassSign Up NowGET THE EPISODE BRIEFBECOME A PATRONGET THE BOOKGet a SIGNED COPYGet it on AmazonFOLLOWWebsiteTwitterFacebookMUSICTheme: Cabinet of Curiosities by Shaun FrearsonMusic Break: Waking From The Dream by Charlie RyanBecome a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/the-ufo-rabbit-hole-podcast--5746035/support.

In this episode, we pick up with Tom Delonge where we left off in Part 2—with the stunning and unlikely events that led to the formation of the To The Stars Academy of Arts & Sciences and ultimately to the Pentagon’s admission that UFOs are real.So what happened to TTSA? What are the original TTSA members (including Lou Elizondo, Chris Mellon, Jim Semivan, Hal Puthoff, and Steve Justice) doing now? In this episode we’ll get an update. We’ll also explore why it is, that despite his astonishing success and ultimate vindication, that Tom Delonge continues to be a controversial figure in the UFO community.And finally, we’ll get to the part that everyone has been waiting for—what does Tom Delonge believe about the UFO phenomenon? It’s been confirmed that Delonge’s advisors within the government weren’t just real, but they are the very people who would know what secrets the government might be hiding about UFOs. So with this insider knowledge and guidance, one has to assume that what Delonge says publicly about his beliefs surrounding the phenomena has been shaped significantly by his exposure to and briefings by these individuals. Which is exactly why what Tom Delonge has to say about UFOs is so shocking.You won’t want to miss this one.NEW Class from Dr. James MaddenUnidentified Flying Hyperobject: UFOs, Philosophy, and the End of the WorldFour-week online class via ZoomWednesdays, March 27 – April 24 (skips April 10), 20247 – 9 pm ETLearn More About the ClassSign Up NowGET THE EPISODE BRIEFBECOME A PATRONGET THE BOOKGet a SIGNED COPYGet it on AmazonFOLLOWWebsiteTwitterFacebookMUSICTheme: Cabinet of Curiosities by Shaun FrearsonBecome a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/the-ufo-rabbit-hole-podcast--5746035/support.

Hidden in plain sight, right smack dab in the middle of the growing UFO disclosure movement of the past 5 years, is a story so strange, so entirely unexpected that you wouldn’t be blamed for mistaking it for fiction—but it’s true.Within the events and cast of characters around the infamous New York Times article and the leaked U.S. Navy videos that confirmed the reality of the UFO phenomenon one unlikely figure stands out among the crowd of former CIA agents, aerospace executives, and other high-ranking officials—pop punk icon, Tom Delonge. But the notorious UFO enthusiast and former Blink 182 frontman doesn’t just make a cameo in this story—without him, there would likely have been no story to tell.In part one of this story, we’ll explore how Tom Delonge’s early life and road to stardom set him on a collision course with this important moment in history, the shocking story of how he assembled his team for the To The Stars Academy of Arts & Sciences, and the pivotal role that he played in the events that led to the Pentagon’s stunning admission that UFOs are, in fact, real.Hear the full interview of Ross Coulthart on Theories of Everything with Curt Jaimungal.NEW Class from Dr. James MaddenUnidentified Flying Hyperobject: UFOs, Philosophy, and the End of the WorldFour-week online class via ZoomWednesdays, March 27 – April 24 (skips April 10), 20247 – 9 pm ETLearn More About the ClassSign Up NowGET THE EPISODE BRIEFBECOME A PATRONGET THE BOOKGet a SIGNED COPYGet it on AmazonFOLLOWWebsiteTwitterFacebookMUSICTheme: Cabinet of Curiosities by Shaun FrearsonMusic by Rival TidesMusic Break: Vultures! [Instrumental]Outro Music: All My Friends Are Stoned [InstrumentalBecome a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/the-ufo-rabbit-hole-podcast--5746035/support.

Although the UFO phenomenon tends to be associated with aliens, there are a few even more fantastical theories about its origins.Many of most respected scientists and researchers in ufology don't think that the evidence points to any of the more conventional explanations—and that whoever is creating UFOs might not be from the stars at all, but from right here on Earth.But how could an advanced civilization be here without our knowledge? In this episode we explore the possible answers.NEW Class from Dr. James MaddenUnidentified Flying Hyperobject: UFOs, Philosophy, and the End of the WorldFour-week online class via ZoomWednesdays, March 27 – April 24 (skips April 10), 20247 – 9 pm ETLearn More About the ClassSign Up NowGET THE EPISODE BRIEFBECOME A PATRONGET THE BOOKGet a SIGNED COPYGet it on AmazonFOLLOWWebsiteTwitterFacebookMUSICTheme: Cabinet of Curiosities by Shaun FrearsonBecome a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/the-ufo-rabbit-hole-podcast--5746035/support.

Although the UFO phenomenon tends to be associated with extraterrestrial visitors from other worlds, could the explanation lie closer to home? Could these craft actually be humans from the future?Since the publishing of his ground-breaking book, In Plain Sight: An Investigation Into UFOs & Impossible Science, acclaimed investigative journalist, Ross Coulthart has begun to open up about a startling claim he says is coming from his contacts at the highest levels of our government—that UFOs are future human technology. Could this astonishing claim possibly be true?We dive into this question on this week's episode of The UFO Rabbit Hole Podcast.NEW Class from Dr. James MaddenUnidentified Flying Hyperobject: UFOs, Philosophy, and the End of the WorldFour-week online class via ZoomWednesdays, March 27 – April 24 (skips April 10), 20247 – 9 pm ETLearn More About the ClassSign Up NowGET THE EPISODE BRIEFBECOME A PATRONGET THE BOOKGet a SIGNED COPYGet it on AmazonFOLLOWWebsiteTwitterFacebookMUSICTheme: Cabinet of Curiosities by Shaun FrearsonBecome a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/the-ufo-rabbit-hole-podcast--5746035/support.

NEW Class from Dr. James MaddenUnidentified Flying Hyperobject: UFOs, Philosophy, and the End of the WorldFour-week online class via ZoomWednesdays, March 27 – April 24 (skips April 10), 20247 – 9 pm ETLearn More About the ClassSign Up NowGET THE EPISODE BRIEFBECOME A PATRONGET THE BOOKGet a SIGNED COPYGet it on AmazonFOLLOWWebsiteTwitterFacebookMUSICTheme: Cabinet of Curiosities by Shaun FrearsonBecome a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/the-ufo-rabbit-hole-podcast--5746035/support.

In this episode of The UFO Rabbit Hole Podcast we dive into the question of whether UFOs could actually be human technology.Could this be a massive government cover up? Could disclosure be a psyop designed to consolidate power and instigate war? Or could this technology belong to one of our adversaries?And what would it take for us to consider other more "exotic" alternatives? Does it even make sense to consider non-human technology as a possibility?The answers might surprise you. Welcome back to the UFO Rabbit Hole.NEW Class from Dr. James MaddenUnidentified Flying Hyperobject: UFOs, Philosophy, and the End of the WorldFour-week online class via ZoomWednesdays, March 27 – April 24 (skips April 10), 20247 – 9 pm ETLearn More About the ClassSign Up NowGET THE EPISODE BRIEFBECOME A PATRONGET THE BOOKGet a SIGNED COPYGet it on AmazonFOLLOWWebsiteTwitterFacebookMUSICTheme: Cabinet of Curiosities by Shaun FrearsonBecome a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/the-ufo-rabbit-hole-podcast--5746035/support.

The Pentagon has admitted that UFOs are real, that they violate our airspace with impunity, and that we have no idea what they are.An elite group of military intelligence insiders—including the former head of the Pentagon's secret UFO program, Luis Elizondo—have stepped forward to advocate for greater transparency around this baffling phenomenon. In May of 2022, Congress held the first hearings on the topic in over 50 years.So what the heck is going on? Could this possibly be true?The UFO Rabbit Hole is a structured, rational, science-based deep dive into these puzzling developments in an attempt to answer that very question. Grounded enough for skeptics, accessible enough for newbs, and meticulously researched enough for the most battle-hardened ufologists, this podcast is an essential guide for anyone who wants to understand more about most the most baffling and compelling news story of our times.NEW Class from Dr. James MaddenUnidentified Flying Hyperobject: UFOs, Philosophy, and the End of the WorldFour-week online class via ZoomWednesdays, March 27 – April 24 (skips April 10), 20247 – 9 pm ETLearn More About the ClassSign Up NowGET THE EPISODE BRIEFBECOME A PATRONGET THE BOOKGet a SIGNED COPYGet it on AmazonFOLLOWWebsiteTwitterFacebookMUSICTheme: Cabinet of Curiosities by Shaun FrearsonPRAISE FOR THE UFO RABBIT HOLE PODCASTFinally!“Kelly Chase has done what so many others have failed miserably at: discuss this topic reasonably. This subject’s landscape is littered with overinflated egos carrying on about what they claim to know and how you’d respond if only you knew what they knew to interviewers who eagerly enable their dangerously self-serving rhetoric. Enter Kelly Chase, a genuinely curious host who questions everything and claims nothing. Her approach is the best I’ve encountered anywhere.”—ANewLeif via Apple Podcasts · USA · 09/03/22The best podcast on the topic“This is hands down the best UFO podcast around. Each episode is incredibly well researched and has a nice balance of belief and skepticism, Kelly is an incredible storyteller and she manages to easily and clearly explain complicated concepts that some struggle with. I’m convinced that if she were to turn her episode scripts into a book, it would be a bestseller.”—DevilBoi69x via Apple Podcasts · USA · 08/31/22Finally, a UFO deep-dive that feels authentic!“I love this topic, but it also attracts a lot of kooks due to the highly interpretive subject matter. It’s been difficult to find creators that feel like they’re doing their absolute best to remain unbiased and drive us closer to the source of truth. Kelly does an excellent job of getting us further into the rabbit hole without compromising her integrity or the trust of her audience. From the very first episode I could tell this was going to be a fun and fascinating ride, and so far I’m hooked!”—Tt0n0 via Apple Podcasts · USA · 10/14/22Brilliant!“This is absolutely brilliant! The integration of UFO information with philosophy has been transformative. I have leaned so much and, more importantly, think about our world in a new way.”—Von Economo via Apple Podcasts · USA · 09/30/22Highly Intelligent Analysis“Coming from someone who has spent tens of thousands of hours researching this field, this was a refreshing delight. Dissecting this already extremely complex field is really hard. How does one lay out information on a topic which no one actually knows what’s going on? Well Kelly does a wonderful job covering the vast array of very interesting linked topics.”—Timfdkbshvcd via Apple Podcasts · Australia · 09/22/22Brilliant podcast on the phenomenon!“I’ve recently discovered this podcast and want to tell everyone I know to listen to it! It’s a brilliant show for absolute beginners but also for the UFO enthusiast. Kelly is so thoughtful & mapped out a vision for how to unfold this insanely complex topic. She shares many perspectives on the topic, weaving in her own synthesis and opinions as well. She is light hearted and witty while also being a fantastic researcher.”—Hathor1320 via Apple Podcasts · USA · 09/20/22Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/the-ufo-rabbit-hole-podcast--5746035/support.