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It is an understatement to say that the time has arrived for a serious and
open international dialogue regarding the possibility of future interplanetary
relations. In no other area of human experience has so much evidence
existed for so long, and yet been attended by such a paucity of serious
research and analysis - at least in the civilian domain. I was once asked at a
conference what was the most astounding aspect of this subject, and I
replied that, while the subject matter itself is extraordinary, it is the absence
of a serious human response to it that is most extraordinary.
Indeed, the true barriers to the furtherance of this field of study are neither
scientific nor evidential, rather they are political, psychological, social
spiritual, and "paradigmatic". Admittedly, it takes real courage for a person,
otherwise respected in his or her profession and community, to stand up and
speak the truth about a subject which has been the stuff of sensational
tabloid claims, crackpots, and the "cottage Industry" in the UFO subculture.
The social stigma and aprobrium associated with this subject is a formidable
barrier to the serious treatment it deserves, and yet if only a 10% probability
exists that we have detected extraterrestrial life which is already visiting
earth-this being one of the most profound discoveries in human history-we
must find the inner fortitude to go forward.
To the sincere person who remains skeptical, consider this: Absolute
proof is not needed before serious research begins on a subject. In no other
field of human endeavor is proof required before serious study and research
begins; on the contrary, proof is the result of this research. In this regard, the
subject of extraterrestrial studies is being held to an irrational requirement of
proof before serious research can begin, on the one hand, and denounced as
an area of spurious interest because no proof exists, on the other!
This, then, is not a function of scientific reason or evidence, but is the
result of a political, social and psychological reaction to a subject which
causes most serious scientists to blush. Our collective temerity is driven in
part by fear of the unknown, in part by fear of ridicule, and in part by faint
heartedness. The evidence, however, is so profound, the implications so
vast, and the consequences of doing nothing so dire that we have reached
the point where we must find the fortitude to respond to this subject in a
mature and responsible way.
To any impartial observer, the evidence which exists certainly supports a
greater than 10% probability that we are being visited by advanced
extraterrestrial civilizations. Indeed, to most people who have seen the data
in its entirety, the probability is in excess of 90%. Having spoken to several
government officials who have held Top Secret clearances on this subject,
and who have confirmed to me that the U.S. Government has in its
possession several objects and bodies of extraterrestrial origin, my own
personal assessment approaches certainty. Beyond this, I have personally
been present when these spacecraft have approached the CSETI research
teams within a few hundred feet, and have then signaled repeatedly to us.
Frankly, there is very little doubt in my mind that we are dealing with at least
one extraterrestrial civilization, and that they are non-hostile.