The Unexplained

[Rusty Edge]

I lost my post for the Have Aliens visited the Earth? thread yesterday. It was kind of a tangent anyway. So here goes.

Worldviews-everybody's got one. It can be religious, scientific, political,  philosophical, etc. The trouble is, I don't know of any that have all of the answers, even though we very much would like to believe that our own does. Sooner or later, we encounter the  unexplained. Something that doesn't fit, but that doesn't stop us from either trying to make it fit, or denying and disregarding it all together. Preferable to do that than to change our worldview.

How do you interpret the story of Ezekiel and the wheel?

Was it an angel sent from God, just as he claimed?

Was it a space man/time traveler?

Was the poor guy psychotic from sitting in the sun too long?

Was he a huxter who found a meal ticket?


Likewise, people can look at an image on the internet and argue as to whether it's a ufo/ghost/angel/mirage/or a hoax.


My opinions have changed a lot over the years. As for what I believe now, the older I get, the more I believe in the human powers of self-delusion and denial. This isn't necessarily an education thing. It often seems that the PHDs are the most dogmatically invested in the status quo. They are reluctant to accept that their knowledge could be incomplete or obsolete, and too proud to say "I don't know". My point isn't that all PHDs are this way, just that no group of people is immune to the problem.

Sure, some, people are genuinely curious and open minded, but they aren't always such. We are all biased by personal experience.

[vonbach]

It often seems that the PHDs are the most dogmatically invested in the status quo. They are reluctant to accept that their knowledge could be incomplete or obsolete, and too proud to say "I don't know".

Men in their arrogance claim to understand the nature of creation, and devise elaborate theories to describe its behavior. But always they discover in the end that God was quite a bit more clever than they thought.
Sister Miriam Godwinson, "We must Dissent"

Try reading the book of Enoch. Its interesting. The man was a astronomer "the sun rising and falling in gates" they are talking about a henge like at stone henge. It discusses the reasons that the flood was brought to the earth. The fallen angels had corrupted it.
It also mentions the name of the angel that seduced eve. His name was Gadreel and the angel that taught about abortion.

[Rusty Edge]

Alright, worth a try. I'll add it to my list.

[Valka]

Link to these? Which edition of the bible are you using?

[vonbach]

Its not "officially" part of the Bible but it definitely should be. Jesus quotes Enoch.
The book of Jasher was kept out as well. You can get the book of Enoch on pdf
with a google search. Oh by the way the reason women always covered their hair
in the past comes from this book. Even up to the middle ages in Europe.
Its because women wanted to disguise their hair from angels so angels wouldn't be
attracted to them. The tradition just carried on and is seen even today in the Middle east.

[Valka]

You want me to read this? Provide a link. Since there are numerous versions of the bible online I'm not going to play guessing games as to which one you're using. Yes, it makes a difference in how some verses are interpreted.

[vonbach]

Its a google search its not that hard.

https://archive.org/details/AllTheBooksOfEnochenoch1Enoch2Enoch3

[Unorthodox]

The Mahabharata is another interesting ancient source of what the hell is going on there?  You can interpret these things lots of ways.  Which is why I don't bother too much with the old crap.  It's so far removed, so interpretive that we simply can't figure it out now. 


As for THE UNEXPLAINED:

It's no secret I love the topic. 

I've been responsible for people believing locations were haunted.  I've pulled off "the impossible" a number of times through illusion and trickery and misdirection.  I rarely explain to the intended audience, either. 

I've experienced a few things I can't explain over the years, and a lot of "unexplained" things that I doggedly pursue till I get to the bottom of them.  It's like that owl I found last year, people wondering why I was bothering trying to figure out what I had seen, I'm just naturally curious that way.  So, I'm at the very least open minded. 

[Valka]

Its a google search its not that hard.

https://archive.org/details/AllTheBooksOfEnochenoch1Enoch2Enoch3

It's this thing called "courtesy" to link to something if you want people to read it or watch it. "Google it yourself" is rude.

The PDF is 119 pages long. I take it you expect me to read the whole thing, rather than specific sections?

[Rusty Edge]

As for THE UNEXPLAINED:
 So, I'm at the very least open minded.

Yes, I have to agree you are, contrary to the generalization of my thread.  I must admit that some days I have trouble sorting out your argumentative mood/Devil's advocate role from your personal opinions. Well, maybe that would be easier face to face than on the internet.

[Unorthodox]

Yes, I have to agree you are, contrary to the generalization of my thread.  I must admit that some days I have trouble sorting out your argumentative mood/Devil's advocate role from your personal opinions. Well, maybe that would be easier face to face than on the internet.

Probably not easier.  I was just taking the devil's advocate with my son to help his homework the other day, and he thought I was serious.  But, just ask, and I'll happily tell you which is which. 

As for Aliens:  I'm undecided. 

99% of UFO sightings are a hoax/mistake.  I've witnessed many misidentifications, and perpetrated hoaxes myself.  But, I find there's something about the abduction stories that coincides far too closely with a personal event I try not to dwell on.  One of very few recurring nightmares that I don't need to be sick to have. 

[vonbach]

It's this thing called "courtesy" to link to something if you want people to read it or watch it. "Google it yourself" is rude.

Talk about the pot calling the kettle black. Sorry if I came across as rude but it wasn't my intent.

The PDF is 119 pages long. I take it you expect me to read the whole thing, rather than specific sections?

I did. Old testament literature is a bit of a slog. There are three whole books that survive btw.

The Mahabharata is another interesting ancient source of what the hell is going on there?

Thats another one thats interesting.

[Rusty Edge]

I once read about a hoax somebody did with some helium, a small model dirigible and some Christmas lights and a battery. There were many reported sightings of a "UFO". All well and fine. Literally that's what it was.

The memorable part of it was the reports of alien interaction. One woman reported that the UFO immobilized her with a beam of colored light. Apparently there is some psychology at work.

My "pet" theory of Alien abduction is that the "grays" are actually what people think they see/remember when their housecats get face to face with them at 3AM, and they dream about those odd shaped heads with the big eyes. Then they talk about it to others, who can relate something similar.

I think a lot of UFO sightings were actually reflections. That explains the ability to suddenly accelerate across the sky impossibly fast, and to materialize and vanish in an instant. Or for that matter, shadows.  I sighted a UFO a couple times one day decades ago, but I've since decided that what I saw was a reflection from a polished aluminum airplane near the airport on the other side of the ridge. That's why it was silent, even though it appeared close, and had no wings.

I also think that there was a Victor/Victoria effect. ( A woman pretending to be a man pretending to a be a woman. Nobody will believe that HE's a Polish count!) . Government denials of alien UFO activity was the perfect accidental distraction from sightings of secret weapon and aerospace tests in the dessert.

[vonbach]

I've heard virtually every UFO story known to man really. The first I know of spoke of an older couple that got stopped on the road by a UFO. They were met by a man that got out of it with a uniform and spoke with a foreign accent. The "Grey" stories came later.

[Unorthodox]

I once read about a hoax somebody did with some helium, a small model dirigible and some Christmas lights and a battery. There were many reported sightings of a "UFO". All well and fine. Literally that's what it was.

$12 at your local dollar store, and you can get UFO reports. 

Buy up 10 of the shiny mylar balloons, and 2 glow sticks (the necklaces).  The mylar reflects the glow sticks and makes it look big.  Random movement, all sorts of fun.  4th of July is a good time.  Lots of folks out after dark looking at the sky...

The memorable part of it was the reports of alien interaction. One woman reported that the UFO immobilized her with a beam of colored light. Apparently there is some psychology at work.

My "pet" theory of Alien abduction is that the "grays" are actually what people think they see/remember when their housecats get face to face with them at 3AM, and they dream about those odd shaped heads with the big eyes. Then they talk about it to others, who can relate something similar.

Don't think so.  Maybe I'll type mine up someday. 

I think a lot of UFO sightings were actually reflections. That explains the ability to suddenly accelerate across the sky impossibly fast, and to materialize and vanish in an instant. Or for that matter, shadows.  I sighted a UFO a couple times one day decades ago, but I've since decided that what I saw was a reflection from a polished aluminum airplane near the airport on the other side of the ridge. That's why it was silent, even though it appeared close, and had no wings.

I also think that there was a Victor/Victoria effect. ( A woman pretending to be a man pretending to a be a woman. Nobody will believe that HE's a Polish count!) . Government denials of alien UFO activity was the perfect accidental distraction from sightings of secret weapon and aerospace tests in the dessert.

I saw both the stealth fighter and bomber before they were officially added to the arsenal.  At the time, there was lots of "flying triangle" UFO sightings.  I'm 100% positive those sightings were just the planes. 

My favorite UFO was on the news.  It was, I admit, one of the most unusual things I've ever seen.  People were pulled over all along the freeway taking pics.  I was in a hurry.  Couple miles down the road, angle changed, could see it was a plane.  But it sure didn't LOOK like it from the one angle.  Some weird optics at work.