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I’ve been thinking about faith in extraterrestrial life (as it pertains to UFOs, especially) in comparison to faith in god(s) and the dogma of and surrender to religion.
When I was a senior in high school, I took a mythology class. At some point in the semester, the teacher posed a question to us about conspiracy theories and legends. (Shoutout to Mr. Ribardo whose patience was nearly as boundless as the expanding universe and who endured disruptive, rude, apathetic kids on a daily basis who did not give him nor his class the respect either deserved.) As he went through the list of everything from “the lost city of Atlantis” to El Dorado to Big Foot, he asked the members of the class to raise their hands if they believed in these concepts they couldn’t see.
Without empirical evidence, why would you be convinced, I thought. There could have been ancient cities whose glory was magnified with time. Atlantis or an El Dorado-like city could have existed, and plate tectonics, natural disasters, imperialism, war, or any number of things could have destroyed them. Over time, these once wealthy or resource-rich havens could very well have been embellished to seem legendary and mythical. If the site of Troy was found thousands of years later, a similar discovery didn’t seem that improbable to me. The fact that present-day Mexico City is built directly on top of what was a previous incarnation of Mexico City attests to the still very probable existence of “first drafts”—and sprawling, architecturally impressive, not insignificant ones at that.
That doesn’t mean, however, that I believe in alchemy, or in amphibious humans a la the unclassified aquatic character/love interest in “The Shape of Water”. Sightings of cryptids like Big Foot seem much more easily attributed to other, large, furry forest-dwellers (like bears) that humans have trouble seeing in the dark. Add in a healthy dose of fear and the power of suggestion, and human psychology can create incredibly creative (and convincing) ideas to explain the undefined. The inexplicable becomes very explicable. Except not. Not for everyone, and not if you think critically. I have no reason to put my faith in a fantastical idea like the aforementioned ones except that they provide the basis for imaginative stories.
Then my teacher asked about aliens. I think I was actually the only one in the class to raise my hand. That surprised me, and I felt very exposed. Since I hadn’t raised my hand for any other non-evidence-based example, he asked me to defend my belief. I started out by asserting my skepticism about the other examples he brought up. Clearly, claiming the moon landing was faked or the JFK assassination was a cover up was nothing like believing in the very real possibility of extraterrestrial life. I gave a very impassioned appeal of the possibility for life based on the vastness of the universe, how the ingredients for life (as we know it, anyway) exist all throughout this ever-expanding cosmic sandbox, and how scientists rely on (admittedly speculative, but not completely ridiculous) measures like the Drake equation to calculate the probabilities of such an occurrence. After all, there only has to be one other life form outside of Earth to prove the existence of aliens, and it seemed to me to be way more probable than not. Look at the discoveries astronomers and cosmologists and astrophysicists had made in the last century alone! It’s incredible to think that less than 100 years ago, we had no proof of a universe beyond our galaxy! I tried to underscore my firm distinction between believing in the (strong) possibility of alien life in the universe as compared to alien life that has come to visit us—or, better yet—is living among us, blending in with us Earthlings. I LOVE “Men in Black”, but I can tell the difference between fantasy and reality. (Bonus points if you made the Michael Stuhlbarg connection from “The Shape of Water” to the “Men in Black” franchise.)
My teacher had struck right at the heart of a concept central to my belief system. I wouldn’t say I “believe” in astronomy or astrobiology. I would say I embrace it. It’s strange to express belief or faith in tangible systems. Except that a lot of astronomy is not tangible—certainly not to those of us down here on Earth, and even the evidence that astronomical phenomena are based on requires a degree of trust in those who make the observations, who do the advanced math, who connect the dots (or the constellations, or, the galaxies, really) for us.
I’m particularly passionate about astronomy. There’s a kind of mythical quality to NASA and to the saga of the moon landing. (So, yeah, I don’t just dismiss or disregard people who try to denigrate and discredit that incredible accomplishment; rather, I actually get viscerally angry at them.) It’s more than that, though. There’s a majesty to the universe. The aesthetics of supernovae and quasars are incomparable. The sheer vastness is awe-inspiring. I think the fascination with the universe goes beyond thinking stars (and star-like objects) are pretty or that something so immense dwarfs us so that it forces us to look at things from an entirely different perspective.
I think it’s the possibilities that lie in an undiscovered existence. There’s so much out there that we don’t know about that it’s exhilarating. It’s the perfect medium for intellectual curiosity, for imagination, for a feeling of simultaneous connection and apartness, for the opportunity of a frontier for exploration, discovery, interaction, and perhaps for colonization. Terraforming another planet may even prove to be necessary for the survival of our species.
It’s exciting to think that this isn’t “it”—that life, as we know it, on our planet is not the only life in the entire universe. Of course, there’s so much that we still don’t know about Earth, and there’s no shortage of things we could improve upon—like our treatment of one another, the planet itself, and other creatures on it. Many people don’t understand—let alone, accept—themselves. Increasing understanding all around is a worthwhile (and sorely needed) endeavor. Humans discover new species all the time, even as we’re accelerating the extinction of many more every year.
We still want more. The idea that we are alone and that this is our only shot is terrifying. (Here is where I’d quote Carl Sagan’s Pale Blue Dot appeal. For the full quote, you can click here: https://www.planetary.org/worlds/pale-blue-dot.) So we dream and we speculate, but we also base these speculations ON something—well, those of us who look at these possibilities scientifically do.
I thought about what the differences are between belief in extraterrestrial life (or extraterrestrial “intelligence”, depending in how one defines that concept) and belief in a god or gods who live in some cosmic realm and observe humans, possibility interfere in or even completely cause and control their affairs, and, perhaps, have some greater power, knowledge, and ability to travel and visit places humans (so far, anyway, physically cannot). Are the traits human beings attribute to aliens so different than what other human beings (or maybe even the same human beings) attribute to a god, for instance? What’s the difference between omniscience or the power of advanced observation, let’s say, from another species? Peeping Tom ETs are different from some kind of potentially incorporeal metaphysical beings? I don’t see that much of a difference, especially as it pertains to humans’ lack of privacy and potential safety. Does it come down to intent for some people? It’s ok if a supposedly just or benevolent creature of our design were to be watching us? Santa Claus is ok, but Big Brother isn’t? It’s creepy, right? The idea of being watched if you don’t know it’s happening, and you haven’t consented to it? I’m not willing to give up my autonomy to someone or something else—especially a species that may be much more intellectually advanced than I am—and I certainly wouldn’t romanticize it. This strikes me as odd. There’s a kind of cognitive dissonance, it seems to me, among people who freak out about government surveillance, yet they’re all too eager to surrender their autonomy to cults, to spiritual beliefs and leaders or gods of religions they can’t see, and/or to aliens. Artificial intelligence is the enemy but biological, extraterrestrial intelligence is not? In fact, it’s revered? Do people not trust themselves? Maybe machines of our making have proven to be dangerous, so we hope that someone else, somewhere can do a better job. Maybe the thought is that not everyone (or every species) has the same motivations. That’s a nice—albeit completely speculative—thought.
Perhaps greater power and omnipotence are not the same thing. The difference seems to me to be a matter of degree. Maybe not all spiritual beings are considered omnipotent—but there is an allure to the idea of transcendence. People often feel limited and constrained by physical laws, their circumstances, and the realities and pitfalls of finite human lifespans on Earth. The idea of power, whether it be in the form of really cool gadgets and alien technology like “extraterrestrial aircraft or spacecraft” or Zeus’ thunderbolts or God’s simultaneous smiting and ability to answer prayers is both humbling and appealing for many people. I understand the attraction of power. Again, though, do you really want to cede the power that you do have to someone or something else? We already have to do that to a certain degree to live in societies, and most people don’t agree with all decisions made in their names by governments or bosses or even family members and friends. Those who feel that they particularly lack control may be willing to give up what they have to something “greater”. Yeah, no, thank you. Again, this presents an in inconsistency to me.
Finally, omnipresence is similar to the concept of omniscience. I get it, to an extent. Being able to teleport (fully intact and not recombined, mind you) seems so cool! Even being able to travel places a lot faster could have tremendous benefits. If humans could travel faster than the speed of light, we might begin to explore firsthand the front yard of our cosmic neighborhood. People are clamoring for high speed rail and hyper loops on Earth, and those would only increase our speeds here by a few hundred miles per hour, not by HUNDREDS OF MILLIONS. Light travels 670,616,629 miles PER HOUR! That kind of speed is inconceivable, and Earth’s closest star (beyond the Sun) is between 4.2 and 4.3 lightYEARS away! So, the power to travel even close distances is such an enviable superpower. What does that mean for us, though, if an alien species had harnessed this type of technology, could use it, and did use it? Not only that, but those aliens can reach us. They could, potentially, zip away much faster than we could see them, or they could send armies to our planet, overwhelming our defenses, and catching us by surprise. Do the people who think they’ve spotted UFOs see themselves as the ones who saw it coming?
I’ve encountered people who profess such an unwavering devotion to the idea that Earth is constantly being bombarded by “alien technology” that they insist “the truth” is unquestionable, undeniable, and that there is no room for skepticism. Their emotional investment is so strong and so tied up in their belief system that challenging it is perceived as a threat to their very identities. Discouraging dissent and claiming to have all of the answers seem like hallmarks of traditional religion, and especially of religious zealots. We’re all capable of being dazzled. It’s when people think they’re immune that it can become dangerous. That blind spot can cast its long shadow over others (especially impressionable, ignorant, or even diplomatic and open minded, though, potentially misguided, people).
I’d like to think we’re not alone. I’d love to communicate with other species. I dream of being able to travel to other planets and star systems. Even traveling to the moons of Jupiter and Saturn would be amazing. We might very well find life in some of their oceans. I also don’t have a longing for “visitors”. I don’t possess a fanatical belief akin to the power of believing in supernatural phenomena. Depending on how you look at the possibility of alien life, I do think there’s a difference between that and religion. It depends on how far you take it. That desire to not be alone is a very powerful one. The desire for something greater is also pretty common. The second part doesn’t appeal to me in the sense that I want to be “taken care of” or “watched over” or to write off the potential for human beings to learn and to develop and to be better ethically, technologically, and maybe biologically. I think we can evolve, and much of it is up to us, as individuals. I’m not looking for an extraterrestrialius ex machina.