Storytelling affects human biology, beliefs and behavior, say DARPA researchers

By Steve Hammons

(This article was posted 3/23/15 on the CultureReady blog of the U.S. Defense Language and National Security Education Office.)

Read any good books lately? How about a compelling TV drama or movie? We all like a good story, and good stories can affect us in significant ways.

As a result, the U.S. Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) has been researching how storytelling affects you, me and other people around the world.

Throughout human history we have been telling and listening to stories. Ancient humans sat around the nighttime campfire and shared tales with the clan and tribe. Oral histories were passed on to the next generations, often in story form. And, of course, human societies and cultures used the written word to tell their stories.

Based on this, researchers at DARPA indicate that we may be somewhat hard-wired to respond to such narrative stories. A DARPA project called “Narrative Networks” explores the neurobiology of listening to stories and how attitudes and behaviors can change as a result.

A story may cause us to look at something in a new way and change our views about people, life and the world around us. Storytelling can change our behavior, for the better or worse. The human tradition of storytelling has significantly influenced individuals, groups and societies, according to DARPA researchers.

POWERFUL INFLUENCE

On the DARPA website, the Narrative Networks research page says, “DARPA launched the Narrative Networks program to understand how narratives influence human cognition and behavior, and apply those findings in international security contexts.”

The DARPA Narrative Networks webpage asks, “Why do people accept and act on certain kinds of information while dismissing others?” Answers to this and other questions “have strategic implications for defense missions,” the DARPA statement claims.

An article on the Live Science website about the project referenced DARPA language during the start-up of the program: "Narratives exert a powerful influence on human thoughts and behavior. They consolidate memory, shape emotions, cue heuristics and biases in judgment, influence in-group/out-group distinctions, and may affect the fundamental contents of personal identity."

The Live Science article also noted, “Despite the functional goal, the early parts of this program seem more like a literature class at a liberal arts school than a secretive military operation.”

Wired also covered the program and reported in an article, “Another reason the Pentagon would want to spend time upping its sensitivity quotient is because of an ongoing effort on its part to understand the ‘human terrain’ of the battlefields in which they fight.”

An Information Week article on the program noted, “The agency [DARPA] said that because of these influences, narratives play an important role in the context of security during military and intelligence engagements.”

In addition, DARPA researchers say that understanding how storytelling affects human neurobiology may lead to insights about helping people with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). 

MEANINGFUL OR MANIPULATIVE

Storytelling has also been put forth by marketing people as a method in advertising, brand identity and customer/consumer acquisition and loyalty.

An article in today's New York Times said, “It’s been called a strategic tool with ‘irresistible power’ by Harvard Business Review and ‘the major business lesson of 2014’ by Entrepreneur magazine. What exciting new 21st-century technology is this? The age-old art of storytelling – something humans have done since they could first communicate." 

"Learning – or relearning – how to tell stories requires some skill.  And consultants are lining up to teach it – sometimes for a hefty fee,” the Times article stated.

The DARPA project on storytelling is part of a much larger recognition that stories seem to affect people on deep levels that we may not fully understand. There are indications that human neurobiology and neurochemistry may play a role. Chemicals in our brains and bodies may be released when we are exposed to a story that resonates.

Today, stories are told via many kinds of open-source media platforms and devices. TV, movies, digital, print and other media all serve as types of open-source intelligence for people around the world.

And there are many kinds of stories to hear.

Which ones click? What stories use "positive psychology" and resonate as truthful and meaningful, while others are recognized as false and manipulative? What storytelling lifts us up, or brings out the worst in us. What narratives take us to a better world, or to “the dark side?”

The DARPA study may find some answers.

SEAL’s body-mind fitness program creates strong, healthy, advanced human beings

By Steve Hammons

The success of the New York Times best-selling book “8 Weeks to SEALFIT” may be a sign of something changing in our society, in our minds and consciousness, in our bodies, and possibly at deeper spiritual levels.

The full title is “8 Weeks to SEALFIT: A Navy SEAL’s Guide to Unconventional Training for Physical and Mental Toughness” and was written by retired SEAL Commander Mark Divine. The book seems to be attracting a lot of interest.

It looks at robust and eclectic physical and mental training methods, and how they are being implemented in the innovative SEALFIT education and training programs based in the San Diego area. The concepts are applicable to average people as well as those who are more advanced in their physical fitness, Divine says.

The media seem to be paying attention. The book and the SEALFIT programs have been featured in many news and feature articles, TV shows and other media platforms.

Through the book, online instruction and support, YouTube videos as well as various on-site programs, the concepts of SEALFIT can be accessed by anyone, anytime, anyplace. 

EXPERIENCING THE SEAL WAY

It’s not just about physical fitness. There are many elements to the SEALFIT approach that include:

- Physical conditioning using common and unique methods

- Intelligent nutrition

- Cultivating mental toughness, what Divine calls “the unbeatable mind”

- “Kokoro” or “heart spirit”

- Ancient Yoga-related approaches to perception and awareness

- Martial arts concepts

- Modern insight about human consciousness

Divine says he also focuses on concepts fundamental to the SEALs: Discipline, drive, determination, self-mastery, honor, integrity, courage and leadership.

According to the SEALFIT website, “Our Mission at SEALFIT is to develop mental toughness and promote spiritual growth in our clients – changing their lives and the lives of those they touch in the process.”

The SEALFIT concept was originally proposed to prepare candidates for the tremendously challenging Navy Basic Underwater Demolition/SEAL (BUD/S) screening programs. When Divine realized that many civilians also wanted to experience this kind of training, he moved forward to create a program that can be geared toward people with beginning and intermediate physical fitness as well as those already in good shape or top-notch physical condition.

At the SEALFIT indoor-outdoor facility near the beach in Encinitas in north San Diego County, those who have signed-up for the in-person training academies stay at a converted vacation condo. There are also inns and restaurants nearby.

  

Both at the San Diego-area training facility and through online methods, SEALFIT coaches guide participants through the SEALFIT ideas and practices. There is a strong focus on robust physical conditioning that is linked to the person’s inner self and personal growth.

MINDSET AND VALUES

There is also a mindset that Divine puts forth that is reflected in the description of SEALFIT values:

- Loyalty – to our family and our team

- Service – to others before self

- Honor and integrity – in public as well as in private

- Leadership and followership – we must be good at both to be effective at anything

- Responsibility – we take it for both our actions and those of our teammates

- Discipline – the only easy day was yesterday

- Innovation – adapt, improvise and overcome

SEALFIT staff members are made up of active and retired SEALs and highly-trained civilians, according to SEALFIT.com.

Certified SEALFIT mentors are individuals who have gone through a screening and training program to represent SEALFIT to the public. According to the SEALFIT website, “The SEALFIT Mentor team is our forward-deployed force responsible for activating and promoting SEALFIT in the field. Each Mentor is trained and certified by SEALFIT to offer and coach select SEALFIT integrated training events.” 

“In the process, thousands of graduates of SEALFIT events and others inspired by the ethos and training have adopted what we call the ‘SEALFIT lifestyle.’ These individuals carry the fire and knowledge into their families, teams and communities, making everyone better and stronger as a result,” according to SEALFIT.com.

Readers of “8 Weeks to SEALFIT” and those able to participate in the SEALFIT programs can achieve many benefits. These include being in the here-and-now (part of "mindfulness" and "situational awareness"), using ancient and state-of-the-art mental and physical training methods, and exploration of new ways of thinking, feeling and perceiving.

................................ 

For more information, visit SEALFIT.com and SEALFIT Media on YouTube.

Researcher claims ‘Sasquatch’ are advanced human-type beings with UFO connections

By Steve Hammons

Activities on Earth related to extraterrestrial and/or multidimensional intelligent beings are real, and they include a surprising connection – an active and ongoing relationship with the human-type beings commonly known as “Sasquatch,” according to Jack “Kewaunee” Lapseririts, MS.

Lapseririts was the guest speaker at the Phoenix, Arizona, chapter of the Mutual UFO Network (MUFON) Saturday, Sept., 20, at the Arizona Historical Society Museum’s Steele Auditorium in Tempe near Arizona State University.

Lapseritis is a social scientist, holistic health consultant and researcher in anthropology. He describes himself as an outdoorsman with a strong interest in Nature and natural resources conservation. Lapseritis has lived and traveled around the world exploring different environments and conducting various types of anthropological research.

In his presentation to the Phoenix MUFON audience, Lapseritis said that for several decades, a main focus of his research and interest has been on the Sasquatch, which he claims is a real race of beings living in various regions of the world and in many areas of the U.S., including Arizona. Like humans, there are different types of Sasquatch, he said.

Lasperitis has written two books on this subject, “The Psychic Sasquatch and Their UFO Connection” and “The Sasquatch People and Their Interdimensional Connection.”

The foreword to “The Psychic Sasquatch” is written by Dick Robinson, cinematographer and originator of the concept of the TV series “The Life and Times of Grizzly Adams.” The TV series, which aired on NBC in 1977-78, was based on a 1972 novel and 1974 movie about a woodsman during the frontier era in the western U.S.

Lapseritis told the Phoenix MUFON audience that, not surprisingly, one of his favorite movies is “Harry and the Hendersons.” That heart-warming 1987 family film starred John Lithgow, Melinda Dillon and Don Ameche. In the movie, a Seattle family has a very close, and eventually loving, encounter with a Sasquatch. Steven Spielberg was an executive producer.

CARING AND CONCERNED CULTURE

Lapseritis explained that there is also another type of being similar to the Sasquatch, which he referred to as the “Ancient Ones.” He says one way they differ from Sasquatch is the lack of facial hair. The Ancient Ones’ faces appear quite human, Lapseritis stated. In contrast, the Sasquatch face is covered with hair, he said.

The Sasquatch and Ancient Ones are very human, Lapseritis stated. They are not primitive beasts, but are evolved beings with knowledge and abilities that in many ways are more advanced than our own, he claimed. He likened their culture to that of Native Americans. They were on Earth before modern humans, Lasperitis said.

Sasquatch can communicate using a verbal language and also have the ability to communicate telepathically, according to Lapseritis. (The ability to perceive information and communication using consciousness is consistent with other modern scientific research about extrasensory perception and telepathy.)

Lapseritis said Sasquatch are generally not hostile, but are secretive and learned long ago that humans are dangerous. As a result, they tend to avoid or be very cautious around humans.

However, Sasquatch are loving and caring, and if approached appropriately, will be very friendly with humans, he said. On certain subjects, they are very serious. They can also be tricksters and have fun, Lapseritis stated.

But, like humans, there are individual Sasquatch who may behave in ways that are problematic, according to Lapseritis. Their culture, including a “council of elders,” has ways of implementing severe consequences on individuals of their kind who commit serious offenses, he said.

The Sasquatch and Ancient Ones treasure the Earth and Nature. They are very concerned about ongoing damage to Earth’s ecosystem including our planet’s lands, rivers, lakes, oceans and atmosphere from pollution and abuse by our species of humans, Lapseritis claimed.

In fact, he warned that what the Sasquatch call a “sacred purification” is coming. Lapseririts said this is the same prediction or expectation of what the Hopi Native Americans of Arizona call the “great purification.” This may include various types of global geologic upheavals such as widespread severe earthquakes, huge tsunamis and other very significant Earth changes, he said.

Lapseririts says that the Sasquatch are now reaching out to our human species because of the need to halt the pollution and abuse of the planet and to heal the damage that has been done. 

They are also warning us of the impending danger of traumatic Earth changes as well as the risk of the outbreak of global and nuclear war among human governments and groups, he said.

Parallel with these dangers, there is an ongoing and available path of transcendence and ascension for those humans who choose it, according to Lapseririts. The Sasquatch want us to take this path, he said, which includes valuing the beauty and gift of this Earth, seeking advanced human development and consciousness, and achieving a stronger connection with Nature and the Higher Intelligence.

Part of this expanded understanding is related to the surprising factor that the Sasquatch and Ancient Ones also have ongoing cooperative interactions and relationships with other species of advanced beings who are extraterrestrial and interdimensional, and are active on Earth, according to Lapseritis.

HUMAN LEARNING AND SURVIVAL

Through his decades of research, his personal evolution and his dedication to learning more about Nature, Lapseritis says that the Sasquatch have reached out to him personally, and to many other people. 

He stated he has had multiple face-to-face encounters with Sasquatch that are ongoing. The Sasquatch are asking Lapseritis to communicate with his fellow humans about the dangers and opportunities that face us, he said.

As a result, he is speaking at various conferences and venues, informing audiences about his two books (and a pending third one), and trying to inform and educate people about the intriguing realities that he has learned about.

Lapseritis seems to realize it is a stretch to convince even open-minded people about some of the elements that he has written and spoken about. Yet, he claims "the truth is the truth," and his job is to put the information out there for those who can hear it and intelligently consider it.

He also says that some of the additional anomalous phenomena that have been well-documented by other researchers are real and part of the holistic situation. These include multidimensional portals and star gates as well as several kinds of intelligent extraterrestrial cultures visiting Earth.

These “star people” are involved in discreet activities on Earth and have been for a very, very long time, Lapseritis said.

The background of the origins and development of our species of human is also more interesting than many of us know, he said. There has been intervention in the evolution of the human race by advanced beings, he claimed. In fact, Lapseritis stated that advanced beings are still very involved in helping our species survive our self-destructive behavior and our damage to this beautiful planet Earth.

There are many unconventional and mysterious moving parts involved in the current development of the human race, he explained. Many elements are secretive, some are just not widely known or understood, and others are quite obvious.

It’s up to us to become more informed about these unconventional developments and to make appropriate decisions to move forward, survive and develop into more advanced beings ourselves, Lapseritis indicated.

For more information, check out Lapseritis’ website The Sasquatch People.

Top secret ESP project now mainstream: 2014 remote viewing conference

By Steve Hammons

Once, it was a closely-guarded and classified program that included scientists, military personnel, the intelligence community and civilians with certain natural talents and abilities. It came to be known as Project STAR GATE.

Today, millions of Americans and people around the world are familiar with Project STAR GATE's concept of “remote viewing,” an approach to information-gathering, discovery and understanding using human consciousness.

And more people will learn about remote viewing at the annual conference held by the International Remote Viewing Association (IRVA) Friday, June 27 through Sunday, June 29 at the Green Valley Ranch Hotel, Spa and Casino in Henderson, Nevada.

The IRVA Conference 2014 will feature many speakers familiar with the scientific, defense and human potential aspects of remote viewing.

Like intuition, gut instincts, hunches and possibly some dreams and visions, remote viewing attempts to use the alleged “sixth sense” and extrasensory perception (ESP). Remote viewing taps into interesting and sometimes amazing areas of human consciousness that we are learning more about.

Reputable remote viewing training programs have now trained thousands of people to use their consciousness in advanced ways, and maybe also ancient ways. And millions of other people around the world have heard about, read about or have some understanding of the concepts involved in remote viewing.

The 2009 movie “The Men Who Stare at Goats” also introduced many people to the concepts of remote viewing and other leading-edge research. The film poked fun at some of the innovative and forward-leaning military efforts and research projects, but it also contained many grains of truth that informed audiences in meaningful ways. “Goats” stars George Clooney, Ewan McGregor and Jeff Bridges helped tell a very important story. 

SCIENCE MEETS TRANSCENDENCE

The keynote speaker at this year’s IRVA conference is Eben Alexander, MD, the neurosurgeon who chronicled his fascinating near-death experience (NDE) in the best-selling non-fiction book “Proof of Heaven – A Neurosurgeon’s Journey Into the Afterlife.” His book about the far realms of human consciousness and another reality has resonated with millions of readers.

Alexander’s keynote address is titled “Profound Mystery of Consciousness: The Hard Problem and the Quantum Enigma.”

The master of ceremonies is Bill Ray, who has 47 years of service to the U.S. Army under his belt, many of those years in the intelligence field. Ray was part of Project STAR GATE from 1984 to 1987 and received remote viewing training with the program.

George Noory, U.S. Navy veteran and host of the top late-night radio show in the U.S., Coast to Coast AM, will moderate a panel discussion on “Fate vs. Free Will.” 

Other speakers include former Project STAR GATE remote viewer Paul Smith, PhD, author of the book "Reading the Enemy’s Mind" and a retired Army major; researcher and writer Angela Thompson Smith, PhD; Glenn Wheaton, former Army non-commissioned officer and co-founder of the Hawaii Remote Viewing Guild; and Russell Targ, PhD, one of the early Project STAR GATE scientists.

Several other fascinating speakers will examine the many angles of discoveries and questions related to remote viewing and the potential of human consciousness. These experts include Pam Coronado, Christopher Barbour, John Kortum, John G. Kruth, Nancy Du Tertre, Graham Nicolls, Debra Lynne Katz, MSW, Lori Williams, Alexis Poquiz and Marty Rosenblatt.

And, of course, the annual PK Party will be held to demonstrate the alleged use of psychokinesis (PK) to bend spoons using consciousness – “Kids of all ages welcome!” says the conference website.

COMPLEMENTARY AND INTEGRATIVE

Phenomena like remote viewing used to be called “anomalous cognition,” anomalous meaning inconsistent with what is usual, normal and expected, and cognition meaning conscious mental activities involved in thinking, understanding, learning and remembering.

Now, we might tend to regard intuition, gut instincts, ESP and remote viewing as natural, normal parts of human consciousness. Drawing a parallel to “complementary medicine” and “integrative medicine,” remote viewing and similar phenomena might be thought of as “complementary cognition” and “integrative perception.”

We know now that there are practical applications for this human capacity, not only in the defense and intelligence areas, but also in public health and safety, health care, education, creative activities and a wide range of human endeavors.

And, many believe that we are rediscovering and becoming familiar with a human trait that is actually ancient and basic. Our long-ago ancestors needed robust “situation awareness” to survive. In fact, all creatures do. Could sixth-sense awareness be a survival mechanism just like many other characteristics we possess?

Cultures like Native Americans found value in various kinds of consciousness such as dreams, visions and signs. Can these, too, be forms of a sixth sense?

The five senses of sight, hearing, touch, smell and taste are only part of the story. Thinking with our logical minds and biological brains only takes us so far. When we listen to our hearts, we are probably more on target.

And when we combine our experiences through physical, sensory, mental, emotional, spiritual and sixth-sense awareness, maybe we will make significant progress, reach a tipping point and make a breakthrough in human consciousness.

The IRVA Conference 2014 is sure to be a step in the right direction.

For more information, visit the IRVA Conference 2014 website and the main IRVA website.

            

Profound implications of ‘Phoenix lights’ UFO case explored in film event

By Steve Hammons

Are we ready for the next steps of knowledge and understanding about leading-edge and forward-leaning scientific, psychological and spiritual discovery connected with unidentified flying objects (UFOs) and other unusual topics?

The annual screening of the award-winning documentary film “The Phoenix Lights” in Scottsdale, Arizona, on March 16, along with comments by special guests present, provided opportunities for the audience to consider the possibilities involved with the 1997 case and the many apparent connections to it.

People around the world are familiar with the March 13, 1997, sighting of a very large object or craft gliding slowly over the metro Phoenix area that evening. But not everyone realizes that there may have been multiple objects in Phoenix’s skies that night, and that glowing amber orbs have been seen in the Phoenix region in years before and since.

Unconventional flying objects and other unusual situations have also been reported (and often seen and experienced but not reported) throughout Arizona, including Sedona, the Navajo Nation, Hopi lands and the Four Corners area.

These kinds of phenomena may go back years, decades or centuries. Some of them may be a very natural part of life in the American Southwest and elsewhere on Earth.

It seems that we are now getting more educated about many of these discoveries. Yet, there are still mysterious unknowns about what is going on.

PHYSICIAN STEPS UP TO THE PLATE

Lynne Kitei, M.D., writer-producer-director of “The Phoenix Lights” film (based on her book), host of the recent gathering at a Scottsdale movie theater, shared insights with the those present and introduced several guest speakers who made brief comments and responded to questions from the audience. The co-producer of the film, Steve Lantz of Steve Lantz Productions, also participated in the event.

Kitei noted that two years before the 1997 incident, she observed large, glowing amber orbs near the Estrella Mountains on the south side of Phoenix. Other people in the Phoenix and Arizona region have also reported seeing orbs of various sizes and types.

The audience learned that the Spanish word “estrella” means “star” and that local Indians have long-believed that the “star people” come and go in the area of the Estrella Mountains.

When the main Phoenix lights incident occurred in 1997, Kitei also saw the huge object or craft, along with thousands of others in the Phoenix metro area. She and many others came forward and reported what they had witnessed that evening.

Even the governor of the state at the time eventually revealed that he, too, had seen a huge boomerang-shaped craft gliding silently and slowly at a very low altitude over Phoenix.

The lights and/or a boomerang-shaped object were reportedly witnessed earlier that evening northwest of Phoenix in Henderson, Nevada, (metro Las Vegas), then in Kingman in the northwest corner of Arizona, and in Prescott, Arizona, before appearing over the northwest corner of metro Phoenix heading southeast.

Since Kitei had been involved in health-education media production projects and had a background in the performing arts as well as health care, she subsequently made significant public efforts to explore, communicate and educate about what occurred that night.

Her book “The Phoenix Lights: A Skeptic's Discovery That We Are Not Alone” and the documentary film were part of the results of those efforts.

At the film event, Kitei also shared interesting and funny inside stories about her small role as “Florence Arizona” in the quirky1987 Coen Brothers’ movie “Raising Arizona” starring Nicholas Cage, Holly Hunter and John Goodman. The movie was filmed at locations throughout the Phoenix region.

GUESTS PROVIDE INSIGHT

Other special guests at the annual film screening included Rebecca Hardcastle, Ph.D., proponent of a concept called “exoconsciousness.” Hardcastle explained that exoconsciousness is the study and development of certain communication skills that include awareness about and telepathy with advanced beings of various kinds.

Jim Dilesttoso, a multi-skilled technical expert who was prominently featured in the film, was also present. He had analyzed photos of the Phoenix lights incident using advanced technical equipment. Dilettoso determined that the lights were not military flares dropped during training of A-10 “Warthog” aircraft at the nearby defense gunnery range south of Luke Air Force Base that night.

Dilettoso noted that he has also conducted other interesting research into unusual phenomena in the Four Corners region.

Two law enforcement officers from the Navajo Nation, Navajo Rangers John Dover and Stan Milford, told the audience about several types of unusual situations they have investigated over the years. These incidents included, but were not limited to UFOs, they said.

Their investigations as peace officers indicate to them that modern physics theories are consistent with ancient Navajo oral history indicating that there may be multiple dimensions, some of which are invisible to us at this time.

An elder and medicine man from the Zuni nation in New Mexico, Clifford Mahooty, explained that the “star people” have been around for a long time, in his view. Mahooty also compared the ability to perceive the star people, other anomalous phenomena and the concept of multiple dimensions with tuning a radio to different stations on the AM and FM frequency bands.

Officers of the Arizona Mutual UFO Network (MUFON), State Director Jim Mann and Assistant State Director Stacey Wright, told the audience about the missions, roles and investigations that MUFON carries out. Chief Investigator for Arizona MUFON Dennis Freyermuth was also introduced.

WHERE DO WE GO FROM HERE?

Some people have speculated that there must have been a purpose for the March 13, 1997, flyover. By all accounts, it was a UFO sighting that had special aspects to it. The case remains unique among decades of worldwide UFO sightings due to the large number of witnesses observing the object(s) for a prolonged period of time over a major well-known city.

Why did it occur in the early- and mid-evening hours on a pleasant evening when many Phoenix-area residents were already outside looking to the skies for a view of the much-publicized Hale-Bopp comet that was expected to provide quite a show?

One possible answer that has been put forward: The flyover was a planned show of a different kind, even more spectacular than seeing the Hale-Bopp comet. It may have been a demonstration, a test or a preparation.

This is consistent with theories and accounts that various kinds of acclimation efforts and activities may have been underway since the 1940s, at least in the U.S., to prepare us for new discoveries that could be surprising.

And why Phoenix and Arizona? There are certain demographic factors that may play a part. These include a population of people who have moved to the area from all over the U.S. and other countries to enjoy the sunny skies and warm weather. There is also a rich mixture of different cultures and a large Native American population with several tribes.

Thousands of visitors and tourists from around the U.S. and around the world visit Arizona each year to view the Grand Canyon and the many other beautiful sights in the state.

Another aspect of the area is the unique geography and biodiversity of the southern Arizona Sonoran Desert and the beautiful mountains in the state.

The geology of the Sedona area, a relatively short drive north of metro Phoenix, includes combinations of quartz, iron oxide and volcanic-related structures that reportedly create unique magnetic energy fields and vortexes. Some people speculate that these energy fields may affect human consciousness and could have other significant effects.

Whatever the reasons, it seems wise to be prepared for further developments in Arizona, public or more discreet, that will continue to allow us to discover and learn, and to develop as more advanced beings ourselves.

The general public, news and entertainment media, public health and safety agencies, defense and intelligence personnel, kids and senior citizens, and all of us probably benefit from increased readiness for continuing interesting unconventional developments.

(Related articles “Storytelling affects human biology, beliefs, behavior” and “Reagan’s 1987 UN speech on ‘alien threat’ resonates now” are posted on the CultureReady blog, Defense Language and National Security Education Office, Office of the Undersecretary of Defense for Personnel and Readiness, U.S. Department of Defense.) 

UFOs over Arizona: Film event planned for ‘Phoenix lights’ anniversary

By Steve Hammons

In the 1977 movie “Close Encounters of the Third Kind” the character of French researcher Claude Lacombe (based on Jacques Vallee), played by director and actor Francois Truffaut, tries to explain to a U.S. Army Special Forces officer why several civilians were brought to the secret temporary base at Devils Tower, Wyoming.

Lacombe says to the officer, “Major Walsh, it is an event sociologique." That is, it is a “sociological event” and the civilians are somehow part of it, Lacombe tells Walsh.

The same can be said about the situation in the mid-evening hours of March 13, 1997, in the Phoenix, Arizona, region. It also was, and is now, an “event sociologique.” 

Sociology is the study of human social behavior, its origins, development, organizations and institutions.

The appearance of one or multiple very large objects or craft of some kind flying low and slow over the city triggered a sociological event in the Phoenix-area “Valley of the Sun” and throughout the U.S. and the world.

This was because hundreds or thousands of Phoenix-area residents reported witnessing the object(s) and called police, newspapers, local TV and radio stations, and reportedly, the nearby Luke Air Force Base on the west side of metro Phoenix. Local news coverage was gradually picked up by national and international media outlets and “the Phoenix lights” incident joined scores of other significant UFO cases.

READY OR NOT

Now, 17 years later, the award-winning documentary film “The Phoenix Lights” will be shown at a special presentation Sunday, March 16, 1 pm, at the Harkins Shea 14 theatre in Scottsdale, Arizona. The event will also include speakers and discussions about the UFO phenomena and related research and discoveries.

The 2005 film by writer-director-producer Lynne Kitei, MD, in association with Steve Lantz Productions, is based on Kitei’s bestselling book of the same name.

Were the large objects or craft over Phoenix ours, “theirs,” some combination of the two or something even more surprising? If the objects were those of visitors from elsewhere, which visitors are involved? What were the reasons for the apparent flyovers that would clearly and dramatically be seen by so many Arizonans? Was the flyover meant to provide acclimation and orientation for the public?

These kinds of questions are sure to be considered and discussed at the upcoming showing of “The Phoenix Lights” film.

The questions of readiness and preparedness also seem relevant for public health and safety personnel as well as civilian and military pilots and air traffic controllers. 

Many safety-related topics were addressed in the 1992 firefighter training book "Fire Officer's Guide to Disaster Control" by Charles Bahme and William Kramer. Although most of the book addresses conventional firefighter and public safety challenges, the authors also include a fascinating chapter titled “Disaster Control and UFOs."

The authors provide background and insight about the UFO phenomena and focus on safety issues in the section "Adverse Potential of UFOs." According to Bahme and Kramer, the two main dangers associated with UFO encounters include powerful, unusual energy fields and psychological effects.

They say that potential hazards include exposure to radiation as well as other energy fields, rays and beams. Physical injuries have been reported. In some cases, these energy fields are involved in the disruption of communications, vehicle and aircraft functioning, and power grid operations.

Psychological and emotional impacts can include disorientation, anxiety, confusion and a hypnotic or paralyzing state, according to the authors. Some researchers indicate that unusual feelings, perceptions, impressions or perceived communications can be associated with these kinds of situations.

In addition, we might consider that human neurological functioning could be affected. This could be intentional by use of some technology or inadvertently due to our proximity to quantum or anomalous natural energies associated with UFOs and certain other unusual phenomena.

SPECIAL OPERATIONS

There have been other significant UFO incidents before and since that evening of March 13, 1997, in the Phoenix area. Yet, the Phoenix lights case still stands out because of the large number of witnesses in a major city who reported clearly seeing a low-flying large object over an extended period of time.

In the Phoenix incident and beyond, the coordination of the UFO situation, along with other remarkable discoveries, probably involves extensive activities of many kinds. Among these activities, key goals probably include improving preparedness and readiness of the general public, news media, and public health and safety officials.

There has been reasonable speculation over the years that certain elements of the U.S. government and/or organizations related to the federal government may have been tasked with handling aspects of various unconventional phenomena, including UFOs.

In “Close Encounters,” the character of Major Walsh and other U.S. Army personnel are portrayed as being Army Special Forces (Green Berets) from the 5^th Special Forces Group, as noted by the unit patches worn in the movie.

As many military history buffs know, Army Special Forces traces its roots back to the World War II-era Office of Strategic Services (OSS).

And, in a publicity photo from the set of the movie, Steven Spielberg (a Phoenix resident himself during his teenage years) is seen talking with Francois Truffaut while Spielberg is wearing a Vietnam War-era camouflage Army shirt with Army Special Forces shoulder patches clearly visible.

To some observers, these subtle factors raise questions about the involvement of Army Special Forces in unconventional activities associated with UFOs, assuming Spielberg had inside information. 

In fact, the mysterious red-suited 12-person team in “Close Encounters” has even been linked to reports of a real-life exchange program.

And like the successful outcome of the special operation in “Close Encounters,” maybe the Phoenix lights incident and our continuing examination of it will also lead to similar important and helpful developments, and to a positive “event sociologique” for the human race.

Arizonans attending the special showing of “The Phoenix Lights” film will be doing their part by learning more and sharing viewpoints about one of the most amazing UFO cases in recent years, and helping us prepare for what comes next.

About the event: The annual screening of the award-winning documentary film “The Phoenix Lights” is on Sunday, March 16, at 1 pm, at the Scottsdale Harkins Shea 14 Cinema, 7354 E. Shea Blvd. Tickets are available at the normal prices. Included in the event are special guests, Q&A sessions and book-signing. For more information, visit The Phoenix Lights website.


(Related articles “Storytelling affects human biology, beliefs, behavior” and “Reagan’s 1987 UN speech on ‘alien threat’ resonates now” are posted on the CultureReady blog, Defense Language and National Security Education Office, Office of the Undersecretary of Defense for Personnel and Readiness, U.S. Department of Defense.) 

Public orientation, education on UFOs enters new phase?

By Steve Hammons

In subtle ways, information available to the general public about UFOs and other emerging scientific developments may be morphing.

Some of what used to be absolutely top secret might now be considered appropriate for public education and preparedness. Other information will undoubtedly remain classified and restricted, probably for a number of reasons.

In the late 1940s (July 1947 to be exact), media coverage and public awareness on the UFO topic suddenly expanded with international news reports about the Roswell crash. Just days later, journalists and the public were told that the crashed and recovered “saucer” was actually just a weather balloon that had been misidentified by the Army Air Force base intelligence officers and commanding officer at Roswell Army Air Field.

Some researchers claim that shortly after and as decades rolled on, certain governmental and related efforts were put into motion. These activities reportedly may have included obtaining more information about the UFO situation, acquiring advanced technology, identifying scientific implications and assessing possible threats.

In addition, strict security measures regarding the UFO subject were allegedly established. Compartmentalization and information restrictions as well as need-to-know guidelines were implemented.

Activities to attempt to handle and coordinate the UFO situation may have included downplaying the subject in the news media. UFO researchers reportedly were monitored. Various approaches may have been used to manage public information on UFOs and related matters, including influencing movies, TV, books and other media platforms.

SCIENCE, SOCIETY, MEDIA

In 2014, there seem to be indications that some of these goals and methods may have changed somewhat. Did everyone get the memo? 

It’s challenging to turn a big ship around. In this case, the “big ship” could be the decades of certain governmental policies, media coverage, along with public information and understanding, or lack of it.

By its nature, the UFO situation is reported to be quite sensitive and complex. There is probably more to the story than just intelligent beings from another planet visiting us. Some scientists and other researchers appear to believe that the UFO phenomena are related to a much bigger picture about the physics of the Universe.

Our world, our Universe and our very consciousness are reportedly part of new discoveries and insights. 

There seems to be an ongoing process of learning more, comparing notes, investigating and being open to valid new information and perspectives.

Steady, gradual and appropriate public education on UFOs and related matters might have been going on at some level for many decades. At the same time, governmental or other groups and organizations may have had varied viewpoints and used different methods in trying to learn more and handle this situation.

Separating the information that is suitable for the general public from that which is classified or inappropriate for the public will undoubtedly be a continuing task. There will probably also be differences of opinion about what the public has a need to know, and what the public can handle and understand.

Are individual journalists, the news media and the entertainment media doing their part to assist in these efforts? 

Many mainstream news organizations, national and local, seem to occasionally try to cover these topics in reasonable ways. Some individual journalists have covered UFOs well, whether it’s a breaking news story of a credible UFO sighting or more in-depth investigation and analysis.

The marked increase in TV entertainment programming on UFOs and other scientific issues appears to reflect strong public interest. Many media producers' creative experiments are bringing important information on these subjects to audiences in effective ways.

Worthwhile news and entertainment media efforts seem  to have very important parts to play, along with other educational activities of various kinds.

ORIENTATION DELICATE, IMPORTANT

Information and understanding about these leading-edge topics will most likely continue to expand in coming days, weeks, months and years. 

For people who are curious about the UFO phenomena and other edge-science topics, maybe we should be careful what we ask for. Some of these issues may have been kept secret for good reasons. 

It might not be easy or comfortable to deal with some of the facts involved.

At the same time, there may be potential for some very uplifting and hopeful developments to occur that are in some ways associated with UFOs and different kinds of forward-leaning scientific research.

If we were to attend a high-level briefing by people “in the know,” they might start out with, “I’ve got good news and bad news.” And, they might tell us the situation is actually somewhat mind-boggling in its scope and complexity. 

There may be a challenging learning curve that we are all facing.

Are we up to this task? Can individuals and societies handle new, amazing and complicated information, then adjust to it in healthy and appropriate ways? These are probably very legitimate questions … and the answers could be uncertain. 

This may be part of the reason why these kinds of scientific topics are so delicate, and why appropriate, gradual public orientation is so important.

(Related articles “Storytelling affects human biology, beliefs, behavior” and “Reagan’s 1987 UN speech on ‘alien threat’ resonates now” are posted on the CultureReady blog, Defense Language and National Security Education Office, Office of the Undersecretary of Defense for Personnel and Readiness, U.S. Department of Defense.)