Extraterrestrial Contact 2023

 This article explains how one or more nations can initiate civilization level Contact--now--with ETs who have been interacting with our world for over seven decades.

>Why?

At this point of rapidly evolving scientific and technological evolution, and ongoing destruction of our living planet, etc., the future and fate of humankind depend on an understanding of the experiences of other planetary civilizations, like ours in various ways, and the relevance of those experiences for our future. Who survived, to travel among the stars--and who destroyed themselves? Looking at the experiences of other civilizations, what does our future look like on our current path? For decades the governments of major nations, supported by the scientists and news media have been making an existential wager on the fate of humankind: that we're more likely to survive and prosper by ignoring the opportunity to learn from the experiences, and mistakes, of past civilizations.

>Psychic Contact

This is not a suggestion for some form of psychic contact with any of the strange beings humans have interacted with since the dawn of humankind. Meaningful civilization level Contact requires videos and text in our languages which can be seen by all interested governments and peoples of our world.

>The ETs

They've been studying our world for over 75 years (if not millennia), and obviously know more about physics and metaphysics, and more about our civilization and about our history than we do. And most importantly they know about experiences of other civilizations that reached our technological level. The ETs haven't forced the issue of their presence, e.g., with a dramatic daytime appearance, because they know from experience that the fear, anger, and resentment caused by an uninvited dramatic appearance can cripple any hope of a constructive long-term relationship. Instead, for decades, they've carefully and patiently 'knocked on our door', waiting for a "Who's there?" from one or more nations, or the UN.

It's long been speculated that advanced ET races would refrain from contacting primitive civilizations until they reached a certain level of development. Avi Loeb, and his fellow scientists, speaking for themselves, are one word away from that level of development.

The word is 'Yes'.

"Would you welcome an undeniable appearance and perhaps a simple message from any ETs who are already here, observing our world?" If NASA, or a government spokesperson from one or more nations with sufficient press freedom (foreign and domestic), citizens with cellphones to take videos of the requested appearance, and open communications with the rest of the world can say Yes to a question like that, then at least one sovereign, and part of the human race will have reached the level of development necessary for the first step in civilization level Contact. Only a government can initiate Contact, because only a government can take responsibility for the consequences of an undeniable appearance over their nation's territory. For oppressive nations, a more conspicuous response would be necessary--sufficient for all nations to know that it has occurred in response to an open request.

>How to do this now

The simplest form of Contact--an open demonstration of presence-- requires an open request by one or more nations for an open appearance, which would be intended as, and intended to be seen by nations of our world as a statement that the ETs are here, paying attention, and willing to talk to us when we say we're ready. This has long been an option for the many nations with a relatively 'free press', domestic and foreign.

If you think this is nonsense, then try asking NASA (or a spokesperson for the USG or another nation's government) the simple question above. NASA is spending billions of dollars looking for bugs in the solar system; and life signs on exoplanets, and has already begun a small study on UFOs to be completed later this year. So, NASA, do you want to know if "we're alone in the Universe?". Of course, for its entire history NASA has been, and is obedient to the UFO secret keepers in DOD/IC, and their big lie.

Or ask any space scientist--like Avi Loeb (head of the Galileo Project), or especially a skeptic like Neil deGrasse Tyson--if they would welcome a message, and would they invite NASA to sanction the invitation?

Could they say Yes or No, or would they simply try to evade the question?

>The First Step in Contact

The first step is a message to the world which lets all nations know that ETs are here, and willing to talk to us. A brief message in optical Morse Code (blinking lights on a clearly ET ship, recorded by cellphone videos), might also be included. The initiating nation(s) might request an appearance at time(s) and/or place(s) to alert citizens and the media; and might request technical and procedural protocol options for receiving further substantive communications.

>The Next Step in Contact

The next step is a combination of text and videos with sound, text, charts and graphs, in our language(s), and in the color spectrum and frequencies of sound humans can perceive. Presumably the default 'reference' language is English, but that could change depending on which countries take the lead in Contact.

Details of the technical protocol(s) for providing their information are up to the ETs, but they may be willing to accommodate one of several approaches humans propose. Any technical protocol should be consistent with two principles.

The first is that the fact of every substantive communication is known to the world, including the message number, number of files. size(s), and plausibly secure hash code(s) for each file. This ensures that anyone receiving files eventually released, leaked, or 'stolen' and released, will know that the information is exactly what was provided by the ETs, to avoid the destructive confusion caused by the inevitable creation by various parties of altered and faked versions.

The second principle is that the content is made available to every interested government at more or less the same time, with the understanding that the information is embargoed for at least a few days (whether or not every nation can be expected to honor the understanding). The ETs will respond to the nation or nations which wish to know about the ET presence and Life in the Universe, even if a few nations are opposed to Contact. But the oppressive nations are afforded some accommodation by an embargo, giving them time to disconnect their internet, and/or train their human and cybernetic censors, and activate their disinformation programs.

Of course, the ETs might, and lots of humans will disagree with such protocol(s). While the ETs might prefer 'ideally' that all interested people of the world could hear what they have to say, they are quite knowledgeable about the realities of various forms of governance and the psychology of various elements of the human race, and so will defer to the sovereigns' individual decisions of when and how to inform or disinform their citizens.

>An Awkward Relationship

Obviously Contact is a very awkward interaction between very different civilizations. The US and Russia (and the other nuclear armed states combined) have huge nuclear arsenals, and every day are prepared at a moment's notice to destroy our planetary civilization. Meanwhile, every day the human race destroys more of our living planet. Our current path is not sustainable without catastrophic, if not existential problems in the coming years or at most a few decades.

Many people, including government officials of various nations, support elimination of nuclear weapons, radical measures to end the ongoing destruction of ecosystems, and end the fossil fuel era. There's no guarantee that watching disaster documentaries of other civilizations will change the situation, but for now the 'powers that be' on our world, are either opposed to any major changes detrimental to their wealth and power, or given the social, political, and diplomatic realities of our world, are simply incapable making major changes in our path. The ETs observing and interacting with us understand civilizations like ours, but do not share our self destructive attitudes--or they would have long since destroyed themselves. The militaries of US/Russia/China are very aware of the ETs' 'concern' about their nuclear weapons, and the ETs' ability to disable launch systems and the weapons themselves. The ETs haven't interfered in our affairs in any significant way, because they value a diversity of experiences and evolution, and the freedom of primitive civilizations to choose their own path(s). There may, however, be limits to the level of destruction of the human race and of our living planet, by US, Russia, and other nuclear armed states that they will tolerate.

For rational people, the two most sensitive or disturbing issues in the videos will be civilization level failure modes and the ETs' knowledge of metaphysics and spirituality. The latter may be regarded as too sensitive to provide in the initial communications. While the simple ideas of the ETs' knowledge and 'philosophy' are seen in the Earth's religions, the detailed metaphysical knowledge will upset many of those devoted to elaborated theological beliefs, and also many scientists, and those in the thrall of the coming AI/'transhumanist' Singularity. Without a much greater understanding of metaphysics, our rapidly evolving technology, and the increasing power over our lives by intelligent machines will lead us into a very dark future, even without a nuclear catastrophe. There's a lot more the ETs 'can't' (won't) tell us about our world, because some of it is 'classified' by various nations, but mostly because rational observations and commentary on our society would be highly offensive to many people if provided by ETs, rather than human commentators.

>UN vs. Multinational Requests

A request by one nation, or group of interested nations, which credibly and verifiably ensures equal access to information by all interested nations is the best hope in the near future for acquiring the information we need to understand our situation in light of the experiences of past civilizations. However, given the level of hostility, distrust, and suspicion between and among nations, it's certain that the ETs will insist on a very cautious and formal Contact process, and after the first step may only be willing to respond to requests from the UN, in order to avoid having to choose among competing requests by two or more bitterly opposed nations or groups. In the worst case, a decision by the UN that further contact will require affirmative UN Security Council decisions (which can be vetoed by any permanent member), might effectively prevent any meaningful Contact after the first step. The ETs know that, and should the oppressive nations attempt to block any meaningful further Contact, might be sympathetic to a carefully reasoned request from a group of interested nations supporting their 'right to know' about our situation, and Life in the Universe. Of course this puts the ETs in a difficult situation: either respect the UN, which is neither willing nor able to take significant actions on nuclear weapons, environmental destruction, or climate change, etc.; or defy the UN in favor of 'free' nations trying to find a way for humankind to survive.

>Alternative Energy Systems

Obviously the ETs have 'alternative' energy systems, based on a knowledge of physics far beyond our present understanding, and may be willing to provide information to enhance our existing alternative systems, or information or even technology for manufacturing exotic systems. A great battle will ensue between those whose wealth and power depend on continued use of fossil fuels, which are destroying our living planet, and those who favor the survival of our civilization. The debate and outcome will be an important element of the story of what may be "Our Final Hour".

>Metaphysics

Any significant Contact will end fundamentalist materialism, and will make clear that the basis of reality is consciousness, not matter and energy. All advanced civilizations not only understand this, but are very knowledgeable about the theory and practice of using individual and collective consciousness to shape their realities, and about direct mental communication between beings. Many scientists and other 'rational' people may cling to their materialist beliefs, but for those who want a head start at understanding ETs and the nature of reality and Life in the Universe, you should get a briefing on the following:

--NDEs and past life memories of young children.

--Basic laboratory Psi research, and anecdotal reports of telepathy, clairvoyance (aka remote viewing), and 'psychokinesis' at a micro, macro, and large scale ('Law of Attraction', etc.) level. An understanding of the role of states of mind associated with the psychokinetic class of effects such as desire, intention, belief, expectation, etc., transient in the first two levels, and persistent or habitual in the LOA level, is also of critical importance.

--Anecdotal reports of 'inexplicable' changes in time and space are important, but should be regarded with extreme caution if elicited with hypnotic regression.

--The materialist scientific understanding of placebo/nocebo effects vs. anecdotal reports of the works of faith healers, and 'New Age' concepts of psychic or energy healing. This is part of the psychokinetic aspect of consciousness, and the understanding of how humans can in many cases heal themselves and others by their intentions, etc., will be enormously important to the future well being of the people of our world.

>Hostile ETs?

Two negative aspects of the UFO phenomenon are 'alien abductions', and (apparently microwave) radiation injuries from very close encounters.

While psychic encounters with abusive 'alien' beings are clearly happening (as they have for millennia), the abduction literature is a morass of irrationality caused by the widespread use of 'hypnotic regression' by naive hypnotists, with agendas, expectations--and apparently little understanding of consciousness and reality--to recall forgotten events in an unfamiliar and very strange reality. Whatever is happening, and whoever is responsible, with Contact we will better understand the situation and how to manage or prevent such interactions.

Injuries from close encounters will end with open Contact, since there will be no excuse for the apparently callous disregard for human well being in what is clearly an effort to make the ET presence more obvious.