In the first half, independent journalist, author, and longtime UFO researcher, Keith Thompson shared a historical examination of UFO sightings and alien contact and their relation to NDEs, angelic visitations, and shamanic experiences. He wrote a paper introducing Dr. John Mack to the UFO phenomenon. In that essay, Thompson suggested similarities in alien abduction cases to rights of passage or ceremonies of initiation in tribal and primal cultures. In their structure, UFO encounters are comparable to religious visitations in previous centuries, angelic interactions, fairy faith, and shamanic or spirit healing, he added. UFO sightings are not just a modern phenomenon, he continued, "and I believe what these experiences point to is...that we are already part of a larger world." The challenge becomes, "how do we develop our human nature so that we can expand to meet this larger multi-dimensional world that we actually find ourselves in?"
Thompson remarked that it's not just one single event that proves the UFO phenomenon is real but rather the repeated patterns that have emerged. Regarding reports of hybrid beings described in alien abduction cases, he finds them to be a powerful metaphor for "a growing resonance of boundary-crossing between our realm and their realm." He commented on the new spiral of interest in UFOs with the Pentagon's study, and noted that he finds Luiz Elizondo (former AATIP director) to be a highly credible witness. Thompson also recalled his own near-death experience, which transformed his sense of reality, and he expressed the idea that we are in the midst of an evolutionary shift with the membrane between realms growing thinner.
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Parapsychologist and ghost hunter Vince Wilson has been interested in the unexplained for as long as he can remember. In the latter half, he talked about the various methods he uses for investigating the paranormal and shared stories of his experiences and research of seances and Ouija boards. He differentiated between the concepts of the paranormal and supernatural-- the latter involves faith and beliefs, while the former may reflect something that evades our current understanding. In the case of ghosts, if you believe they're souls trapped on the Earth-- that's supernatural, while imprints of energy might be viewed as paranormal, he explained. Wilson recounted one of his spookier ghost investigations, which took place at the haunted Waverly Sanatorium when an anomalous light crept closer and closer to his group.
The current state of ghosthunting has become a bit stagnant, he commented, with somewhat dated technology. Smartphones actually have great microphones for capturing possible electronic voice phenomena (EVP), he said. Wilson talked about Ouija boards' history and noted that the hype against them is somewhat unwarranted if they are used correctly. Regarding seances, it is not necessary to conduct them in the dark, he stated, though traditionally, when the lights are out, people become more aware of sounds and feelings (though pitch-black seances also lent themselves to fraud). He has presented seances via Zoom (including an August 2020 live stream from the Edgar Allan Poe House and Museum) and offers ongoing regression/hypnosis sessions.
News segment guests: Charles Coppes, John M. Curtis