Stavros Chatzopoulos, PhD

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2024

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Introduction

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In the previous chapters, three basic areas of contemporary ufology were covered, relating to:
(i) the deconstruction of the broader UFO (ATIA) phenomenon into several unrelated categories of liminal phenomena (NL, DD, CE1, CE2, CE3, CE4 & CE5).
(ii) the demythologization of information about the crash of extraterrestrial craft and the technological development of the 20th century and
(iii) the significant influence of human perception during the observation of the phenomenon, which very likely generated the broad cultural mythology of the phenomenon as we know it today.

Readers who would like more information about the “Dawn of Ufology” can consult Maurizio Verga’s book Flying Saucers in the Sky. 1947: When UFOs Came from Mars.

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The summary of the information given in these three chapters is the following: Throughout recorded history there appears to be a series of material manifestations (DD, CE observations, etc.) and non material, paraphysical “side effects” of an intelligent, non terrestrial phenomenon, which, however, suggest more an attitude of observation than a tendency toward contact.

If this hypothesis is correct, it may be easier to understand the unbelievably complex and peculiar nature of close encounters of the third kind (CE3), in which the witness perceives and narrates a series of incredible scenarios. But unfortunately, no common consensus exists in ufological circles about how to decode these testimonies. Since 1969, Jacques Vallée has considered such events an integral part of a policy that manages our social evolution. In contrast, Jose Antonio Caravaca, through Distortion Theory, believes that some “external agent” acts on the human psyche and generates these kaleidoscopic testimonies, perhaps without any further intention.

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There is, of course, another alternative hypothesis: that the intelligence that may be observing us is waiting for us to take the “next step” toward some kind of contact and, in order to help us do so, is creating a series of stimuli that bear no relation to our everyday reality.

The next three sections will present information from marginal scientific zones that allude to certain programs of alternative contact with non terrestrial intelligences. The reader must bear in mind that it is very difficult to refer to Fringe Science using standard orthodox scientific tools. As a result, they should follow the information in the sections that follow according to their own Ariadne’s thread, understanding that what is Fringe Science today may well be the orthodox science of tomorrow.

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4.2. Using Plant Consciousness as an Information Repeater

The first set of information comes from a series of Greek activities that are unknown to the general public. In 1975, together with other people interested in the UFO phenomenon, we founded the Panhellenic Union of Researchers of Unknown Phenomena (P.E.E.A.F.) in Athens. After one year of activity, in December 1976, we organized our first national conference, in which George Balanos also participated. Excerpts from his talk can be found in the book “Oi Makrinoi Kosmoi Dipla mas” (The Distant Worlds Next to Us). The main theme of the conference was the evolutionary course of ufology after 30 years of observations of liminal phenomena. The talk by the then young author of this chapter referred to what was then a fringe hypothesis: that “ufological observations may be a stimulus for us to take the next step in our evolution, perhaps by creating conditions for contact with the intelligences behind the phenomenon.” In 1976, the subject of contact with non terrestrial minds carried very negative connotations, especially after the proven disinformation surrounding various contactees such as Adamski, Menger, etc. (The reader will find an excellent depiction of this situation in Adam Gorightly’s book A is for Adamski.) Fortunately, in the same decade, the first parapsychological (PSI) experiments began at Stanford University, which pointed us toward the field of Fringe Science that we could make use of. Two events played a significant role in the experiments carried out later.

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In 1973, the book The Secret Life of Plants (Tomkins & Bird, 1973) was published, which made widely known the pioneering experiments of Cleve Backster. Backster was the first to speak of plant “consciousness,” through which plants perceive and interact with their environment, even when certain stimuli are at a mental level. In 1974, the case of Scottish astronomer Duncan Lunan became known. To explain a series of strange delays in radio signals, he worked on the hypothesis of Dr. Ron Bracewell, who in 1960 had proposed that the signal echoes might be being retransmitted by an unmanned extraterrestrial craft somewhere between the Earth and the Moon, attempting to attract our attention. Lunan’s initial assessment, after decoding the delayed signals, was that the craft might have originated from Epsilon Bootis.

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Without having any proof of the craft’s position (which was never found Lunan’s website is cited in the literature), and under the assumption that telepathic PSI information has no range limitations, we used specific sensitive plants (Dracaena fragrans, Ficus lyrata) as transmitters (repeaters) of simple, specific information directed toward whoever might be able to perceive these “signals.” The main reason for not using human mediums is that the human mind is extremely complex, and in 1978–1980 we had no way of knowing or controlling exactly what might be transmitted through such a medium.

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Between 1981 and 1983, a series of experiments were conducted in which plant biodynamics were recorded while the experimenters mentally focused on the target word CONTACT at specific moments during the experimental protocol. Finally, in 1982, after a series of normal experiments to establish the plants’ baseline biosignals, we recorded a series of non normal plant electrical reactions that corresponded to the time intervals during which the experimenter was thinking of the specific target word. Unfortunately, in the months that followed we did not observe any other related liminal phenomenon in our laboratory space, apart from a series of strange and unexplained technical faults. It is unreasonable to interpret the technical failures as some intelligent signal, but of course liminal phenomena are fundamentally unreasonable. Confirmation of the complexity of the plant world became more widely known many years later, with very interesting discoveries about how plants emit biosignals at very low or very high frequencies (Monica Gagliano, 2018).

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4.3. Remote Viewing Techniques and the Science of Consciousness

Contact with non terrestrial intelligences via human mediating abilities is a subject that has occupied the Spiritualist movement since the 19th century. Usually, such contacts refer to information from entities that once lived on Earth and far less often to extraterrestrial presences. The most interesting mediumistic description of extraterrestrial entities was given by Meade Layne (1957), where, for the first time, the dimensional origin of UFOs was mentioned years before John Keel and Jacques Vallée. From the 1970s, a school of thought developed at Stanford University dealing with the projection of human consciousness to specific geographic coordinates. Through this projection, the medium can report observations of static geographical locations and may also communicate with non terrestrial intelligences. This technique was named remote viewing. Theoretically, the applications of such a technique are incredibly numerous, but the issue of objectivity has always remained (in short, whether the medium’s descriptions correspond to the reality we know). The literature on this topic, especially online articles from the 1990s onwards, is full of information exhibiting a very specific motif related to the presence of grey aliens. Representative books in this field include Penetration (Ingo Swann, 1998) and Cosmic Explorers (Courtney Brown, 2000). Dr. Brown’s research activities continue to this day at the Farsight Institute.

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4.4. Pushing Beyond the Limits of the Known Universe with the Help of Psychedelic Substances

N,N dimethyltryptamine (DMT) is the most powerful psychedelic substance known to science. The main studies on its effects on the human body were conducted in the 1990s (1990–1995) by Dr. Rick Strassman at the University of New Mexico. In his 2001 book DMT: The Spirit Molecule A Doctor’s Revolutionary Research into the Biology of Near Death and Mystical Experience, he describes these initial experiments on sixty DMT volunteers. The detailed report of these sessions is a profoundly fascinating exploration of the nature of the human mind and the therapeutic possibilities of psychedelics. DMT, a plant derived chemical found in the psychedelic Amazonian brew ayahuasca, is also produced in the human brain and in various tissues. Dr. Strassman’s volunteers reported that DMT consistently produced mystical experiences. Many described compelling encounters with intelligent non human presences aliens, angels, and spirits. Almost all felt that these sessions were among the most profound experiences of their lives. Dr. Strassman’s research links DMT to the pineal gland. He also believes that “alien abduction experiences, i.e. CE4 & CE5 categories,” are triggered by spontaneous releases of DMT. If used wisely, DMT could spark a period of remarkable progress in the scientific exploration of the most mystical areas of the human mind and soul.

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But what is the important element of these experiences in a ufological context? Dr. Andrew Gallimore (Alien Information Theory: Psychedelic Drug Technologies and the Cosmic Game, 2019), who has worked on DMT and its relation to the brain’s ability to construct the three dimensional reality we know, sees the controlled use of DMT as a technology that could help us explore other non terrestrial entities. Surely this approach is easier and far more economical than any SETI type project. The difference between DMT and other psychedelic substances is that it generates experiences with unprecedented visual stimuli. The “aliens” are truly different and look nothing like the blonde cosmic brothers or the standard grey visitors. DMT space experiences also lack mnemonic completeness they are easily forgotten. This uniqueness is what gives strength to the hypothesis that, through DMT, we can change the channels of our sensory receiver (the brain) and perceive other realities.

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4.5. Final Thoughts

Contact with non terrestrial intelligences is much easier to achieve initially in a space of consciousness, where the usual limitations of three dimensional reality such as linear time and the energy required for displacement do not apply. This kind of approach implies that humanity’s contact with some non terrestrial agency will occur gradually, perhaps with some initial preparation on our side. Since the 1950s, various metaphysical sources (Meade Layne, Seth–Jane Roberts, Bashar–Darryl Anka, etc.) have conveyed specific messages within this framework.

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The issue of linear time is a very interesting subject of discussion, because, whether with our current technology or with a technology that uses the speed of light, interstellar travel is extremely difficult, both due to vast distances and due to the travel time required. The possible fact that some CE3 reports may correspond to real interstellar travelers suggests that in interstellar travel some other non linear variables still unrecognized or undiscovered by us may apply.

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Chapter 4 is based on an article by Dr. Chatzopoulos presented in Vortex 6, 2024, Locus-7 & Alloste editions.

BIBLIOGRAPHY FOR THE CHAPTERS

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Berlitz, Charles & Moore, William. The Roswell Incident. Grosset & Dunlap, New York, 1980.

Burkes, Joseph. “The Virtual Experience Model, an Overview.” Article on the author’s blog: https://underground.contact/2022/01/03/the-virtual-experience-model-an-overview/

Caravaca, Jose Antonio. Distortion. Guante Blanco, 2019.

Caravaca, Jose Antonio. En la mente de los OVNIS. Guante Blanco, 2022.

Caravaca, Jose Antonio. El agente externo. Guante Blanco, 2023.

Clark, Jerome. “An Interview with Len Stringfield.” UFO Report, July 1978. The material was presented in the UFOUpdates group on Facebook on 4 July 2023. This group is one of the best and most reliable on the internet.

Collins, Curt. https://thesaucersthattimeforgot.blogspot.com/2023/07/flying-saucers-foiled-again.html, July 2023.

Cohen, Daniel. The Great Airship Mystery: A UFO of the 1890s. Dodd, Mead & Co, New York, 1981, pp. 103–121.

Duncan Lunan: https://www.duncanlunan.com/epsilonbootis.asp

Evans, Hilary. Visions, Apparitions, Alien Visitors: A Comparative Study of the Entity Enigma. Thorsons, 1984.

Jacobs, David M. UFOs and Abductions: Challenging the Borders of Knowledge. University Press of Kansas, 2000.

Gagliano, Monica. Thus Spoke the Plant. North Atlantic Books, 2018.

Gallimore, A. R. “Building Alien Worlds The Neuropsychological and Evolutionary Implications of the Astonishing Psychoactive Effects of N,N-Dimethyltryptamine (DMT).” Journal of Scientific Exploration, 27(3), 455–503, 2013.

Gallimore, Andrew. “Reality Switch Technologies: Psychedelics as Tools for the Discovery and Exploration of New Worlds.” In Strange New Worlds, 2019.

Gorightly, Adam & Bishop, Greg. “A” is for Adamski: The Golden Age of UFO Contactees. Gorightly Press, 2018.

Layne, Meade. The Coming of the Guardians. A B.S.R.A. Publication, 3rd edition, 1957.

Méheust, Bertrand. Science Fiction et soucoupes volantes. Mercure de France, 1978.

Mpalános, Giorgos. Oi Makrinoi Kosmoi Dipla mas (The Distant Worlds Next to Us). Locus-7, 2022, pp. 104–108.

Olmos, Vicente-Juan Ballester. “The Nature of the UFO Evidence” (2017). The paper can be downloaded from: https://www.academia.edu/33352049/THE_NATURE_OF_UFO_EVIDENCE_TWO_VIEW

Strassman, Rick. DMT: The Spirit Molecule: A Doctor’s Revolutionary Research into the Biology of Near-Death and Mystical Experience. Park Street, 2001.

Greek Ufological Database v. 1.40 (March 2025)

Tomkins, Peter & Bird, Christopher. The Secret Life of Plants. Harper & Row, 1973.

Vallée, Jacques. Passport to Magonia (Kindle Edition), 1968.

Vallée, Jacques. “Five Arguments Against the Extraterrestrial Origin of Unidentified Flying Objects.” Journal of Scientific Exploration, Vol. 4, No. 1, 1990, pp. 105–117.

Vallée, Jacques & Aubeck, Chris. Wonders in the Sky. See the section “The Special Problem of Crashed Saucers.” Penguin Books, 2009.

Vallée, Jacques & Nolan, Garry. “What Do We Know About the Material Composition of UFOs?” (2019).
https://www.academia.edu/37136826/What_do_we_Know_about_the_Material_Composition_of_UFOs

Verga, Maurizio. Flying Saucers in the Sky. 1947: When UFOs Came from Mars. 2020.

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR

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Stavros Chatzopoulos was born in 1957 in Athens. He is a professor at the University of Ferrara (Dept. of Neurosciences) in Italy. He has a background in Electronics and Biomedical Engineering, with an emphasis on Hearing Science and Medical Audiology. His interest in the UFO phenomenon began in the early 1970s after meeting George Balanos and Omiros Karatzas. In 1975 he became a founding member of the Panhellenic Union of Researchers of Unknown Phenomena (P.E.E.A.F.).

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Since the early 1980s, following the research findings of Jacques Vallée, he has developed a paraphysical model for approaching the UFO phenomenon.

He is an active member of the Italian Center for Ufological Studies (Centro Italiano Studi Ufologici – CISU), the European groups EuroUfo.net and UAPcheck, the American group Society of UAP Studies (SUAPS), and the Greek group GRUFON – ErENZo.

Dr. Chatzopoulos can be contacted at sdh1@unife.it