Cosmic connections in different culturesby Oliver Hallen
Due to humanity’s intrinsic desire for the strange, wonderful and unknown, and
its yearning to find reason and meaning in it, it comes as no surprise at all
that a great many people claim to have experienced, throughout different eras
and in different ways, what they believe or interpret to be paranormal events
and we can see how the scope and possibilities in all this has grown, evolved
and adapted over time. It is captivating to see how such experiences,
regardless of whether they are witnessed personally or not, can be absorbed
into our own lives and concept of reality, and the world at large, making them
potentially appear as so much more than they really are and how, as a result,
they ultimately affect us and our lives. The great and irrational lengths to
which people will go to find or prove the so-called extraordinary is, in itself,
amazing. The overwhelming influence it can have on different folk and their
existence is fascinating, powerful and, in certain situations, genuinely
disturbing.
The popular and dubious concept of ufology through ancient times, ranging from
apparent UFO sightings to open contact, has certainly brought both incredible
and absurd stories and claims to the fore. Having a real interest in this
controversial area for some time, I decided, back in 2007, to collect together
interesting data from a number of selected texts with regards to so-called
parallels between archaeoastronomy, covering various areas, and ufology. Whilst
the beliefs and cultural traits concerning this in disparate populaces do have
what could be seen as similarities to what is recorded in accounts and
information of a ufological nature, this is by no means proof of interaction in
any way with a foreign intelligence, and I am certainly very sceptical of the
famous and divisive ancient astronaut theory championed by such researchers
like W. Raymond Drake and Erich von Däniken. The power of interpretation and
suggestion is of great importance and must always be taken into account here.
It is interesting to see all the different areas cultures look to in order to
find their so-called origins and deities. Obviously, those found in the skies
above, or in some way connected to it, will always draw the attention of
ufologists. The beliefs of ancient and lasting societies can certainly give us
fresh insight into the subject as a whole, but the need for ufologists to keep
a firm grip on the religious and cultural actions of these peoples is
essential, so as not to brand every minor suspected esoteric event as a form of
alien intervention or contact. No area should ever have a forced label attached
to it just because it appears to fit into a particular theory, concept or frame
of thinking. Though the likelihood of this happening can never be erased, more
critical judgement should be implemented. Deductions need to be guided by the
rational research carried out, not simply by the biased opinions of
investigators. Whilst I admit speculation in all this can be a useful tool, it
does need to be handled with care and treated as only that.
It is important to consider how the recording, understanding and use of a certain
event or events by a people or culture could be incorrect in many ways, and the
context in which it is used. If errors are present here, however slight,
research into this is going to be based on flawed and misleading data, thus
providing incorrect results which can produce many issues. Determining the real
reason behind such an incident, if possible, can be severely problematic. The
framework in which it is found needs to be re-evaluated carefully. The ways
such information can be used and interpreted by researchers and others opens up
a host of different problems, ranging from its use as apparent evidence to its
place in the field overall. Many folk will enthusiastically control and project
a myriad of deep and amazing views and ideas on to such an openly broad canvas
as this, as we have witnessed so many times before.
Is the ever changing and mysterious paranormal force found throughout ufology,
and that so many people follow in different ways, nothing more than a construct
of humans, adapting over the years to the shifting culture, location and times
as we do? Are the so-called mysterious answers that are peddled throughout
ufology only discovered because their origins are found within ourselves? The
different roles people play, knowingly and unknowingly, are essential in the
creation, evolution and adaption of both mysteries and discoveries believed to
be bizarre in this subject. Understanding the potent influence we have on the
field, good and bad, is essential to finding genuine answers, whatever the
situation. All of this is fascinating in regards to the complex relationship
between ufology and human nature.
Presented below are just a few examples in many taken from a minority of the
different texts which I mentioned earlier in this article, with each one
provided with the title and ISBN of the publication referenced. Finding such
parallels with ufology is simple here, just like in many other areas, and it is
easy to see how such data can be incorrectly subsumed into the field and used
in many different and creative ways, with the possibilities on the whole being
vast, deep and multiple. Though the information found below is fascinating, we
must understand that such data is not immune to error and revision, past or
present, like any other field of research.
“Each new eclipse thus portended the end of the present age. Sahagun (1953),
documented that prior to the Spanish conquest of Mexico, a solar eclipse would
trigger a loud cry from all people, captives and people of light complexion
were slain, and all people participated in blood-letting sacrifices. The noise
raised by people during a solar eclipse was to scare away the Tzitzimine demons
believed to be devouring the Sun, and to prevent these demons from diving
headlong from the heavens to attack the Mexica. The Tzitzimine were visualised
as constellations, individual stars and planets transformed during the eclipse
into star-like, clawed demons. This is significant since the Mexica, like most
traditional cultures, viewed planets, stars and constellations as being aspects
of powerful gods or supernatural beings. In some Mexica cosmogonic myths, the
transformation of these otherwise beneficent celestial gods into Tzitzimine
potentially signalled the end of the world,” (Current Studies in Archaeoastronomy
- ISBN 0-89089-771-9).
“According to myth, the first beings, or Universe People (ʉmʉarimasa), the Sun,
the sky, the Moon and the stars, were created by the Primal Sun (Yeba Hakʉ) as
his children. The creation of the human beings that followed them is presented
as a process involving the death of these first beings and their subsequent
return to immortal life in a world of space and time that is opposed to
that of mortal men,” (Ethnoastronomy and Archaeoastronomy in the American
Tropics - ISBN 0-89766-161-3).
“The Pawnee Indians consisted of four bands who lived their traditional lives
in what is now Nebraska and Kansas, along the Platte and Republican rivers and
their tributaries. The Skidi band was particularly known for strong cosmic
traditions. They believed that their ancestors were in the sky. An old
tradition told how the male Great Red Star of the east courted female Bright
Star of the west, and from their union, the first human, a girl, was born and
put on Earth. From the marriage of Sun and Moon, a boy was born and sent to
join the girl. Other stars produced more people, also placed on Earth.
Eventually, all the people who came down from the stars found each other and
joined together in a confederation, the Skidi Pawnee,” (Viewing the Sky Through
Past and Present Cultures - ISBN 1-882572-38-6).
When looking into a different culture and its practices, modern or ancient, you
do so through the lens of the one in which you grew up in and how it has shaped
you as a person, providing the possibility for negative influence. The data
gathered is filtered through the information and understanding of your own
personality and culture, with the potential for projection of your own
viewpoint and ideas, intentionally or unintentionally, on to theirs in a route
to so-called understanding and confirmation. The modification of a foreign
society’s beliefs and customs, to suit what is desired by that person or group,
is going to have a major bearing on the outcome of research into these. We must
be aware of the significant and potentially disastrous affect we can have when
working in such a sensitive and far-reaching area.
Regardless of what, how, when and who releases information in regards to
explaining a so-called ufological mystery, so many people will find a way of
manipulating or distorting such data to fit their own esoteric opinions and
ideas as to what occurred and what is going on. Logical data and common sense
can be turned around and used to promote and continue the wild, bizarre and
unfounded tales ufologists and others so adore. As I have said before, rational
or simple explanations can be the most difficult to get accepted in the UFO
field. It is always amazing to read or hear in ufology the unshakable certainty
present in folk concerning the so-called mysteries of the universe, ranging
from the single smallest events to the grandest of occurrences. The confidence
evident in the apparent universal knowledge possessed by both individuals and
groups, which span a variety of ideologies, can be incorrect, misleading and
dangerous. They believe that what they possess is a genuine and firm knowledge
of the universe and all its oddities and complexities, unaware of the
restricted nature of their own existence and data.
The connections between ufology and ancient stories, reports, records and
physical aspects, in different forms, shows us the importance regarding how we
can both use and manipulate the past to fit the views and data we have today.
The significance and influence of the links found in personal and global
history cannot be underestimated concerning ufology. What we can connect from
our own lives and the world around us to the history, old or new, of what we
are passionate about will always have great bearing on the way we understand
the subject and pursue our research. However loose the connection or scarce the
evidence, ufologists usually find a way of linking the desired areas together.
When thinking about the many varied and purported anomalous matters in this
field, ufologists seem, for the most part, to be completely oblivious to the
bizarre behaviour exhibited by themselves. The different ways researchers work,
both positively and negatively, is a very important aspect in the discovery of
understanding and answers in this complex and ambiguous field.
Over the years, I have always felt that, concerning ufology overall, we need to
keep our eyes as much on ourselves and this planet as we do to what is
supposedly out there. Maybe then we will be on the way to somehow suitably
reconciling these diverse areas.
Bio
Oliver Hallen is an ufologist based in England. Having been involved with this
subject for over 20 years, he has conducted many varied research projects which
include running his own UFO newsletter debris field times, writing a monthly
UFO column for the Congleton Chronicle newspaper for more than two years,
acquiring assorted documentation from various sources, maintaining his database
project and contributing articles to such publications as UFO Encounter
journal, Phenomena magazine, SUNlite and the Anomaly magazine and GT websites.
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