UFO Religion: Inside Flying Saucer Cults and Culture

225 Pages·2007·6.36 MB·English

by  Gregory L. Reece

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‘UFO Religion is a delightful story about an idea, one that preys upon
the emotions and excites the imagination of each and every one of
us. From its humble origins in the airship mysteries of nineteenth-
century liars’ clubs and newspaper hoaxes, Gregory Reece
chronicles the notion of alien spacecraft and visitors from outer
space as this has evolved and been elevated into an article of faith for
the bizarre host of conspiracy theorists, utopian dreamers, alleged
abductees and contactees we find in our midst today. Reece’s vision
is a refreshing and humorous reminder that no matter how
whimsical their origins and rationales might seem, our strangest
ideas can take on lives of their own through their primal grip on our
hopes, fears, and dreams. In Reece’s world, UFOs and alien visitors
are every bit the children of our minds as they are children of the
stars. They emerge as a most serious – yet entertaining – subject of
human concern.’
David Beisecker, Associate Professor of Philosophy,
University of Nevada, Las Vegas
‘Greg Reece’s UFO Religion engagingly captures that sense of
mystery and wonder that drives ufologists to undertake their
research. The book is a thorough and impressive analysis of UFO
investigations and of supposed alien encounters. In an entertaining
and readable style, Reece guides the reader through a maze of
possibility and makes many intriguing links between science and
religion en route. UFO Religion is an important book for anyone who
is interested in the idea that our planet has hosted extraterrestrial
visitors: or in what Carl Gustav Jung called “flying saucer cults”.’
Susan J. Palmer, Professor of Religious Studies, Dawson College,
Montreal, and author of Aliens Adored: Rael’s UFO Religion
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‘UFO Religion is both an informed study of the subject and a
thoroughly enjoyable read. While several excellent studies of belief
in extraterrestrial visitation are now available, for those unfamiliar
with this fascinating area UFO Religion is certainly the book to start
with. Gregory L. Reece covers a broad range of material with a light
and deftly humorous touch. I have no doubt that his book will
become a firm favourite with students. I am also confident that even
those who, up to this point, have not been particularly interested in
UFO belief will enjoy this carefully researched, well-written and
accessible book.’
Christopher Partridge, Professor of Contemporary Religion and
Co-Director of the Centre for Religion and Popular Culture,
University of Chester, and editor of UFO Religions
‘In his exploration of the complicated and diverse world of UFO
culture, Gregory L. Reece communicates a sense of wonder at the
extent of the human imagination and our ability to tell powerful and
lasting stories about the mysteries of the world around and beyond
us. Reece takes his readers on a fascinating excursion from Alabama
to Roswell, New Mexico and back again, with many entertaining
detours along the way. Stories of alien abductions and distant
worlds, he argues, are responses to the infinite possibilities of life
and reflect the best and worst of our fears and hopes for the future.
He reminds us that we are, after all, “children of the space age”, and
so it seems fitting that we cannot decide whether to transform the
world or to escape it, to feel hope about the future or terror. It is
impossible to reach the end of this book without acquiring a
much deeper understanding about the enduring human obsession
with UFOs.’
Sarah M. Pike, Professor of Religious Studies,
California State University, Chico, and author of
New Age and Neopagan Religions in America
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UFO Religion
INSIDE FLYING SAUCER CULTS
AND CULTURE
Gregory L. Reece
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Published in 2007 by I.B.Tauris & Co Ltd
6 Salem Road, London W2 4BU
175 Fifth Avenue, New York NY 10010
www.ibtauris.com
In the United States of America and Canada
distributed by Palgrave Macmillan, a division of St Martin’s Press
175 Fifth Avenue, New York NY 10010
Copyright © Gregory L. Reece 2007
The right of Gregory L. Reece to be identified as the author of this work has
been asserted by him in accordance with the Copyright, Designs and Patent
Act 1988.
All rights reserved. Except for brief quotations in a review, this book, or any
part thereof, may not be reproduced, stored in or introduced into a retrieval
system, or transmitted, in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical,
photocopying, recording or otherwise, without the prior written permission
of the publisher.
ISBN 978 1 84511 451 0
A full CIP record for this book is available from the British Library
A full CIP record is available from the Library of Congress
Library of Congress Catalog Card Number: available
Typeset in Palatino by JCS Publishing Services, www.jcs-publishing.co.uk
Printed and bound in the United States
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Contents
List of Illustrations vii
Acknowledgments ix
Introduction 1
Part One: Nuts and Bolts 7
1 Sightings 9
2 Crashes 29
3 Conspiracies 52
4 Abductions 78
Part Two: Contactees 99
5 Scout Ships from Venus 101
6 Beam Ships from the Pleiades 132
Part Three: History’s Mysteries 157
7 Ancient Astronauts 159
8 Gods from Outer Space 182
Conclusion: The New Gods? 197
Bibliography 205
Index 209
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Illustrations
1 Saucer parking in Rachel, Nevada near Area 51 15
2 Outside the Little A’Le’Inn, Rachel, Nevada 29
3 The long road to Area 51 near Rachel, Nevada 54
4 Highway 375 near Area 51 in Nevada 57
5 A billboard near Area 51 58
6 Saucer refueling station in Rachel, Nevada 104
7 George Van Tassel’s Integratron near Landers,
California 133
8 The interior of the Integratron 135
All the photographs are by the author
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This book is for Olivia
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Acknowledgments
Thanks to Alex Wright of I.B.Tauris for understanding that a book
about UFOs would be the logical sequel to a book about Elvis.
Thanks to Sam for inspiring my dormant imagination time after
time.
Thanks to Kristen for listening to me talk about flying saucers
for over twenty years and for reading the manuscript and thinking
that it was funny.
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