Hoodely-Hoo and the Blah, Blah, Blahs

When my girlfriend and I are watching movies that have some pretty far-fetched plot changes in a seemingly realistic story, she often comments on how completely unbelievable it is. I usually counter that by replying, "Suspension of Disbelief, dear". More often than not, this receives a playful, mocking impression of me, waving her hands all about like a kid who's had too much Lik-M-Aid, exclaiming, "Suspension of Hoodely-Hoo! Suspension of Hoodely-Hoo!"

I was thinking about this last night while watching some old Star Trek episodes (TOS) and it occurred to me that the kind of off-the-wall claims present within UFOlogy are not too unlike a B-movie plot that requires a healthy serving of Suspension of Disbelief. Then there are those like myself, shaking there head at the screen mumbling "Like that would ever happen".

Calling UFOs or referring to UFOlogy as 'science fiction' is nothing new, but still, it is depressing that so much of it plays out like an old Buck Rogers episode, and that so many would be willing to stave off reality and common sense for the sake of a few thrills they can cling to in opposition to the monotony that is most of our lives.


Somewhere out there, a bunkhunter is going to read this and think: "Um, Hey Pot, Meet Kettle", simply because I believe in something they think is total fiction, despite how rational I think I am. But I still would argue that having an experience that falls under the label 'paranormal' does not automatically make me a believer in anything in particular. Experiencing high-strangeness is one thing, creating an elaborate backdrop in which that strangeness makes sense, is quite another.

I often wonder what drives people so far left-of-center within an already left-of-center field. Separating the nutty from the rational is not so simple when dealing with experiencers, though, because many believe they have received information form a greater source, verifying their claims -- and who is anyone to say otherwise if they haven't experienced the same thing themselves? But when it comes to non-experiencers who believe in some pretty extraordinary things, that's where my real curiosity lies.

Why are some people so willing to believe in something they've never witnessed? There are probably two main camps here:

1.) Those who have received information form sources close to them that they feel are rational, honest and credible.

This doesn't bother me so much, at face value. Why wouldn't we believe those who are close to us -- especially if they've never been know to lie or suffer from delusions (as far as anyone can tell)? I think there are things to consider though, nevertheless:

• The experiencer may believe they have experienced something, when they have not.
• The experiencer's interpretation of what may have happened isn't completely accurate. This happens all of the time outside of the realm of the paranormal. People misinterpret things on a daily basis.
• There could be a more 'Earthly' explanation for their experience that they didn't notice or consider.
• The experiencer's interpretation is fairly or totally accurate.

2.) Those who receive information from individuals in government or the military they feel are rational, honest and credible.

This one gets me the most -- government 'insiders' who tell civilians that the government is lying about this, that, and the other, and that the real truth is "blah, blah, blah". This helps further the idea that the government has lied to us (not really a point I'm disputing), but disregards the fact that the insider relaying the information is part of that same government they are accusing of deception -- so how can you trust even them?

If this source isn't someone you know on a close, personal level, you have either your gut instinct to go on or the perhaps gullible belief that this one person is giving you the straight dope while their many associates are helping to propagate and maintain magnificent lies.

Some of these sources may be telling the truth -- or at the very least, telling the truth as they understand it. The only way to verify these claims is if the truth is exposed on a large or official level and so far, that hasn't really happened as we might hope, though it's started in some areas, such as with credible ex-military personnel and astronauts stepping up to bat, risking career and reputation to let us now we aren't being told the whole truth about what the government and military knows about UFOs.

It's easy to jump on the 'government sucks' bandwagon. After all, the government and military have had a plethora of periods where they've definitely not inspired faith. But how 'bad' is it really? Does it really go so far as Shadow Governments, The Illuminati, Satanic Worship, MILABS, Monstrous Experiments on Humans, Weather-Control, The Philadelphia Experiment, Free-Energy and Snuffleupagus?

I'm not so sure.

Oh, don't get me wrong. I think they're both hiding a fair amount of stuff, but the way you hear it within parts of UFOlogy and the paranormal, the government is 110% pure evil. I can't go that far. If I did, I'd never vote again.

I'm willing to go in for the government hiding 'knowledge' or evidence of UFOs, visitation, whatever -- but I'm not sure how willing I am to believe that at every turn, the government has it's hand in all of these exceptionally sinister cookie jars, where citizens are nothing more than test mice.

I could be way off, but if I really believed all of that was happening, I don't know that I could still allow myself to be a part of the system -- or how anyone really could. How do you justify being a part of something you think is dong you harm? Wouldn't you want to 'break the chains'? Wouldn't you stand up against your oppressor and refuse to play the game? Or are we really so addicted to the 'benefits' of a governing body, that we can't break away from the grid? The obvious argument is that people don't want to rock the boat and make things worse for themselves -- but if you're writing books on the subject(s), that excuse goes out the window.

In closing, I'd like to add that covering up UFOs for the the sake of National Security, and as a way to avoid a possible mass-panic, makes sense under a lot of circumstances. I get that. However, a government tapping the well of black magic and that is in league with demons and nefarious aliens... well, I'm not sure I can stretch my 'Suspension of Hoodely-Hoo' quite that far.