American Exceptionalism and the rise of Esoteric knowledge

American Exceptionalism and the rise of Esoteric knowledge

It goes without saying that Americans grew out of the age old tradition of accepting gods and monsters, a long time ago. Even though our nation was founded by men who believed In a god that would bless this nation and grant it the power to redeem all other nations.

Fast forward to our age of talking cell phones and virtual worlds and the only monsters we believe in are the ones we find on cinematic screens. And yet across the globe gods and monsters still hold weight in other nations .

So where did our disbelief or refusal to accept old world beliefs come from? Do we blame it on science? It is my opinion that our American Exceptionalism is the driving force behind our reluctance to believe in the unseen.

Go to any other country, from Spain to Russia and you will see that UFOs and their existence is non debatable. In some countries monsters dwell in forests and witches curse crops.

In america, zombies   rule the television screens. We refuse to believe in things that will make us seem uneducated, gullible and maybe even vulnerable.

More and more americans believe in extraterrestrial life and ghosts than previously thought and yet you'd be hard pressed to find a scholar recounting his personal face to face encounter with the hairy man on his last camping trip.

It is an American pride that makes us think that believing in such things is unamerican. Let the other countries stone people for witchcraft. We are far too civilized and far too superior to believe in witches.

Let that country advertise its fear In a monkey man on the streets because they're just not educated enough to realize how ridiculous that sounds.

Across the globe, those that adhere to traditions older than america itself are frowned upon while Here on American shores paranormal encounters continue to persist.

I am often reminded of a scene in M. Knight Shyamalan s film SIGNS, in which the eventual defeat over the aliens in various countries around the world is explained away as ancient methods.

We may embrace a certain pride that we are above such beliefs and that we are too superior to except such childish notions of ancient world long since buried in the sands of all time, but let us suppose what would happen if the monsters declared their existence.

Who would survive then? The barbarians who have clung to ancient wisdoms or the new world with its false sense of security?

Loren Coleman at BOA

There was the Marx Brothers. Lucille and Ethel. Walter Matthau and Jack Lemmon. Ren and Stimpy. And so the tradition continues every time Tim Binnall invites Loren Coleman to guest on Binnall of America. Yeah, I know what you're thinking: Isn't it Tim and Jeremy? But hear me out. Some people just bring out the best in each other. When Loren interviews with Tim, he talks about everything. When Tim interviews Loren, he asks every question you ever wanted to ask. So, sue me, but when it comes to listening to the Top of the Pops in Cryptozoology or any other realm of curious endeavors, I prefer my Loren Coleman interviews at BOA.

It's like Ramen noodles with Srirachi. Kismet.


You can listen here and then agree with me later...

Update

Aaron Goodwin obviously was not fired. It was all a joke.

But was it?

...

Podcast interviews worth listening to...

I don't care where many people stand on the UFO enigma. I used to. But these days I find myself caring less what other people think the PHENOMENA is or isn't versus what I think it is. It has everything to do with being bombarded with people's beliefs. Sometimes no one is actually pondering the mystery so much as adding their own misguided feelings to the pot.

I'm too old and disenchanted to hear what you BELIEVE it is. What you KNOW it is. That having been said, I thoroughly enjoyed three interviews from three people who err'd on the side of fact, common sense and the just plain plausible.

The first is RICHARD DOLAN at THE GRALIEN REPORT podcast.
The 2nd is STANTON T. FRIEDMAN at THE PARACAST.
Last, but certainly not least, DON BERLINER also at THE PARACAST.

Very insightful, eye opening interviews that made the disenchanted Ufologist in me smile. Maybe this stuff isn't so bad after all.

Mondays...

Aaron Goodwin of  Ghost Adventures show on the Travel Channel was fired for admitting the show was a con. As if any of us didn't already know.

RICHARD DOLAN ON BINNALL OF AMERICA

IT'S VERY RARE THAT SOMEONE AS PROMINENT AS RICHARD DOLAN WILL SPEAK OUT ABOUT THE VAGARIES OF UFOLOGY, which is why this interview is so refreshing. Dolan says what we are all thinking regarding the certain 'characters' that pervade Ufological circles. I mean, everyone has their quirks and it's best not to knock them for being different. Quirky people make the world go 'round. Myself included... but as Dolan so eloquently puts it, you gotta tone it down.

We all bitch and moan about how Ufology isn't being taken serious. About how the mainstream pokes fun at Abduction scenarios and mass sightings. Everyone's just going bonkers, they say. Which is why it pays to represent the field with a certain austerity. You can't show up to a UFO conference looking like the crazy uncle who lives in the shed in the back yard.

Even if you ARE the crazy uncle who lives in the shed in the back yard.

The fact is simple, fake it till you make it. But mostly, as Dolan touches on and makes a fair example, in regards to his own good health, good health and hygiene, not to mention having a life outside of the field, is essential.

When it comes to Ufological studies, there seem to be way too many kooks in the kitchen, no matter how intelligent, no matter how enigmatic, if the mental health isn't up to par that can be a problem too.

I honestly, truly enjoyed this recording. Everything I myself considered a hinderance to our goal of seeking and finding answers to our greatest mystery is touched upon by Dolan and it is refreshing. In sum total, he is right: We do need brave, articulate people representing. Damaged people who need to look deeper into their own inner conflicts are perhaps not the best people to represent this on-going enigma.

I'm not judging. Neither is Dolan. But let's face it... the World-At-Large is!!!

LISTEN HERE!

H.R. Giger passes away at 74

My grandmother always said if you mixed yourself up in the macabre, it would most certainly come back to bite you in the ass. I'm sure superstitious folk will look at Giger's death (an accidental fall down the stairs) as confirmation from the dark side. But for me, it's a tragedy in the life of a man who fueled some of my best nightmares.

Giger inspired me to write darker and delve deeper. He didn't hold back when he created his art, no matter how shocking the image. Giger took whatever was in his head and put it out in the world so that it would invade your mind... linger in your head... visit your dreams.

Maybe he didn't want to be the only one exploring such taboo topics of ultraterrestrial sexploitation. In the day and age of repressed, angry people, it's nice to know someone as brilliant as Giger had the power to make us all a little uncomfortable. With ourselves.

Rest in Peace.

Loren Coleman on the PARACAST

Gene and Chris talk to the great Loren Coleman about his views regarding the state of Cryptozoology, its future and his upcoming projects. If you ever wanted to know about Keel's MOTHMAN PROPHECIES and Coleman's perspective on all things crypto... that may or may not be so crypto after all, check this out.

Will religious beliefs hinder Extraterrestrial contact?

As human beings, no matter what continent we hale from, our beliefs stymie progress. So to believe in god is to disbelieve everything else. The lord said not to believe in other gods over him and Christians take that command seriously. And it is because of this stunted thinking that may hinder our ability to accept Extraterrestrials whether our gods are the same or not. Which is why I thoroughly enjoyed this discussion at IO9.

http://io9.com/are-religious-beliefs-going-to-screw-up-first-contact-1574043211

Click the ink to open your damn mind.

Light source spotted on Mars...

Can you say, "Holy Shit!" ...?

This I know...

BEES= EBEs

This I know...

BEES= EBEs

Brad Steiger and Nick Redfern on BOA

I am seriously surprised a quadruple rainbow didn't issue forth from the mouth of the Loch Ness monster---while riding on the back of a robotic unicorn--- in the middle of an Alien Invasion, when this episode aired.

Seriously.

And when that book comes out... the Large Hadron Collider will find God.

Just saying.

You can listen to the Glory and the Wonder here.

Love and UFO's: Why the Fields of the Paranormal need more COUPLES! (and chocolate!)

Yesterday the world was aflutter with chocolate overdoses, dead rose petals scattered from bedrooms to hallways to ... places. Champagne was popped and proposals were made. Love was in the air. But that was on TV. In the real world, all the lonely people were trying to figure out just where DO they all belong.

It got me to thinking: Maybe LOVE is what's missing from the Field(s) of the Paranormal. Not so much love as a good dose of Male/Female chemistry.

For a while now, the men have dominated Ufology and even a majority of the Ghost Hunters are male. If I asked you to name your favorite Cryptozoologist, it's most likely a guy. But it doesn't have to be this way. Yes, it would be nice if the 'boys' club had room for girls, but then what would our respective fields of curiosity and awe be without  Brad and Sherry Steiger or the legacy of Ed and Lorraine Warren?

You see, what Ufology and the Paranormal is missing is COUPLES!

Don't get me wrong, there's been the occasional coupling of researchers of the same sex (mostly men) who have contributed a great deal of work because a lot of this stuff takes more than one mind---more than one point of view---to figure out.

But the male and female dynamic is something different. It's the ID and the EGO. It's the Believer and the Sceptic. It's Scully and Mulder, saving the world, one day at a time in their own special way. And what would it all have amounted to if either one of them went it alone?

The thing with the Paranormal is the men have the fortitude to drop everything and search for the unknowable, while the women have the foresight to keep things in perspective, and what does that mean? It means that when one person is researching and getting answers, the other person is asking, "What can we get out of this?" And the debate ensues and it goes on and on, however long it has to, because the two people most interested in finding the answers are always together.

They don't leave each other for vacations. They don't decide to branch off into other endeavors leaving one half to find a replacement to keep the seat warm for the next podcast. Because the mystery that is the Paranormal is not something so small and contained that it can take only one mind to comprehend. There are far too many minds trying to take this thing apart and put it back together, what have we got to show for it?

What the world needs now is love, sweet love, but what Ufology/Ghost hunting/Bigfoot researching and the full spectrum of Curious Fields needs is two minds who can agree to disagree, sleep on it, wake up the next day and revisit it and always keep it fresh... while operating from the same side of the fence.

So come on guys, couple up already. Or find some one of like-minded interest and curiosity and equal parts insanity because at the end of the day you're really going to want to roll over and say, "So what do you think about this whole Paracas skulls thing?" And you know damn well you want the person on the other side of the bed to know what the hell you're talking about.