Wikipedia Cabal / Afterlife Guardians

About the show

A cabal of hardcore skeptics and UFO debunkers who call themselves the Guerrilla Skeptics of Wikipedia have surreptitiously seized control of hundreds of Wikipedia pages, including the online biographies of many of the most prominent UFO figures and investigators, including Lue Elizondo, Jeremy Corbell, Robert Bigelow, Bob Lazar, and Coast to Coast's own George Knapp. The editors' slanted viewpoints include nasty comments and dismissive opinions, and they block any attempts by others to correct blatant factual errors. The cabal rigorously excludes any information which is supportive of the targeted individuals or the UFO subject. They have also taken control of other Wikipedia topics and pages viewed by tens of millions of readers. Rob Heatherly, a former US marine who runs the Military Witnesses to UAP YouTube channel, joined George Knapp in the first half to disclose information he's discovered, including the names of some of the editors involved with the cabal. They were also joined by Ali Duncan, who ran into difficulties when she tried to correct errors on George’s wiki page, including his birthdate.

Rob explained that through their network of supporting writers, the group is violating Wikipedia's terms by collaborating to create content that can be cited to support their viewpoints. At the same time, he noted, they reject valid sources when they reflect favorably on those who discuss or write on the topic of UFOs or other topics they label as fringe or pseudoscience. He said this includes removing references to awards and commendations that individuals have received that are not related to fringe topics, if those awards reflect favorably on the individual. He also noted instances where the group of Wikipedia editors have rejected birth certificates as proof of place of birth, because they weren't cited elsewhere. He said their cyber-bullying also extends to surreptitiously getting individuals banned from editing on the page for varying lengths of time by having their edits rejected multiple times. Rob and Ali also noted that, just in advance of this show airing, George Knapp's page had been "cleaned up" by including mention of some of his journalism awards that were not related to UFO work and completely removing his birthdate - with Ali pointing out this was one of the many items she earned a ban by attempting to correct.

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In the second half, afterlife researcher, novelist, and retired professor of religious studies Stafford Betty discussed his new novel and how his real-world research influenced the story. Guardians of the Afterworld tells the story of the astral world's guardians and how they handle various challenges, including the management and politics of the afterworld, which he says is generally far more adventurous, even risky, than one might imagine. Betty discussed subjects like reincarnation, as well as touching on poltergeists and other unpleasant spiritual encounters. In the context of his work, he said, some of these unpleasant spirits could be the departed souls of individuals whose vices and addictions still keep them earthbound. For instance, he said, the spirit of someone who was an alcoholic in life would still have those cravings for alcohol after death. In those cases, he said, these spirits might seek out bars and other places where they can consume alcohol vicariously. They might also attach to an individual and encourage them to engage in their favorite vice as well.

He discussed real-world examples where, for instance, an individual who was in an accident and is in a coma astral projects or spiritually travels to visit a relative, and when they come out of their coma, they describe what their loved one was doing at the exact moment of their accident. Examples of reincarnation included toddlers who would discuss the parents they had before they were born this time. Betty said despite the evidence of consciousness continuing into an afterlife, and possibly being reborn, there are probably consequences for the actions we take in life. "There have to be (consequences); otherwise, life becomes, let's put it this way, it becomes pessimistic if there is nothing," he said. "In other words, we work hard to develop ourselves, to develop our souls, to grow love, compassion, knowledge, and wisdom. And if all of this just comes crashing down after a single life...that's a depressing thought."

KNAPP'S NEWS

George Knapp shares recent items of interest, including Jeffrey Kripal's thoughts on UFOs, changing your mind on conspiracy theories, how A.I. can help the search for extraterrestrials, and zombie deer:

Guests