I have always been fascinated by those who believe aliens have ventured onto our planet, perhaps even prowling Earth today.
The feasibility of extraterrestrial existence is undeniable: presumably, we must co-inhabit the vastness of the universe with some other life form. But while 50% of the UK agrees that aliens exist somewhere, 71% of this group believe aliens have actually visited Earth. The concerning alien-related beliefs only become more absurd, leading to a creationist idolisation of the unearthly.
The space race in the 1960s was as good a time as any to contemplate aliens - as man embarks on a conquest of the cosmos, it is inevitable to consider our proximity to other intelligent life forms. Erich von Däniken’s book ‘Chariots of the Gods’ surfed this wave of hysteria in 1968, birthing the speculation of ‘Ancient Astronauts’. He proposed that artefacts, such as Stonehenge, are creations of an alien race, and all religious prophets were aliens who visited Earth with advanced technology. This inspired considerable speculation about ancient astronauts, from fictional pop culture to serious faith.
One of the most devoted supporters of the notion of ancient astronauts was the Räelist Church, which has now amassed 90,000 members, earning its place as the largest UFO religion in the world. Established in the 1970s, a Frenchman who changed his name to Räel composed their doctrine stating that man is a technological product of an alien race named Elohim. Like Erich von Däniken, he proclaimed Buddha, Jesus, and Muhammad were hybrids of aliens and humans. The religion, now widely recognised as a cult, believe that when humanity can use technology to create world peace, the Elohim will return to establish a utopia - they have even built a spaceship landing pad to welcome their creators onto Earth.
Yet this community is just one of the many radical proprietors of unconventional alien obsession.
In 2003 Americans were told the end of the world was imminent. Not by a particularly credible source - Nancy Lieder claimed aliens had planted a communication device in her brain. Their planet was imminently heading to pass Earth closely, causing a pole shift that was to destroy most living beings. She founded a website, called into radio stations, and even got an interview in the New York Times. When the date passed without any kind of cosmic disaster, she argued that the original date was a “white lie” to prevent the establishment from trapping people in cities to die. To this day she holds that her prophecy shall unfold on some undisclosed date, and to this day her website ZetaTalk details her advice in the event of a catastrophic polar shift.
The extraterrestrial is a topic that inevitably cultivates controversial beliefs. Is it a result of an overdose of science fiction, or a predisposition to absurd theories? Perhaps it’s because the subject of aliens is so mystifying that people create stories, as we have always done to cope with the unknown.