Evidence matters little in the case of UFOs. In the U.S., 45% of people believe UFOs exist and have visited Earth, according to a 2020 Ipsos poll. Yet those pushing for government transparency and scientific inquiry often face ridicule. How can a belief so widespread be marginalized at the same time?
While most literature focuses on proving or disproving sightings, a recent book from a professor emeritus at UNC-Chapel Hill offers a third path for considering UFOs: Believer or skeptic, the magnetic power of alien visitation is a collective myth. Using Jungian analysis, author David Halperin revisits his own years as a teenage UFOlogist and dissects the history of alien visitation and prophetic vision in "Intimate Alien: The Hidden Story of the UFO" (Stanford University Press/2020).
Halperin explains to host Frank Stasio why — from Ezekiel’s chariot to Roswell to "Chicken Little" — humanity remains transfixed by the celestial unknown. Halperin is a professor emeritus of religious studies at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Flyleaf Books will host a one year anniversary launch event on March 24, 2021.