INTANGIBLE MATERIALITY: Secret Decoder Rings

Human reaction to the UFO phenomenon has always perhaps taken place in the creation of mythologies from Dragons to Hybrids. Whether these have been suggested to us from without or within may be parsing this subject. When something exceptional, inexplicable occurs in our world that is in defiance of all the impetus that we utilize in our quest to fallibly survive, our own terms of reference are turned upon us. This is perhaps both in the sense of events in of themselves but more deeply, we upon our own aspirations to become a participant, perhaps in a form of reflected glory in a manner that betrays our own helplessness and fallibility. Editorials with titles such as “Hysteria Drives UFO Gatekeepers Debunking Exopolitics Pioneers” is one example out of hundreds that teletype our vulnerability to a universe that is highly indifferent to human posturing.

Bruce Duensing’s blog “Intangible Materiality” is becoming a must read for me. The post linked/quoted above is a prime example of why.  Like Mac Tonnies, Greg Bishop and others, Mr. Duensing is taking up the mantle of Keel and Vallee, observing the UFO phenomenon and the paranormal in ways that are rooted in the myths and archetypes of the human story (limited though that story might be).  At the same time–and this is what I really like–their discourse is largely divorced from the 1947-present UFO master narrative into which everyone from Stanton Friedman to the exopolitics crowd is locked.

Far too many researchers don’t actually research.  They embrace comfortable stories that others have shown to be disinformation (there are still people talking about the human vs. alien firefight in the Dulce underground base) or are simply adapting UFO iconography (abductions, grays) into pre-existing religious frameworks.  The newish trend for evangelical Christians such as LA Marzulli, Russ Dizdar and others to look at the UFO field and proclaim it to be a demonic infestation is, in my opinion, a derivative rehash of the “satanic cult” scares of the 1980s.  The work of such people does no favors for the UFO phenomenon or Christianity.  They seek, in Duensing’s words, “reflected glory” moving the focus away from Christ and putting it on their own alleged efforts to unmask the evil ones in our midst.

But these things are not new, not particularly noteworthy.  I simply wish there were more people who enjoyed the questions rather than obsessing over finding a correct answer.