The Alien Hunt: Faith and Conspiracy at the Heart of the UFO World

Nonfiction Book of the Month: Chasing Aliens: Faith and Conspiracy in the UFO Heartlands by Danielle Lavelle Would knowing that actor Kurt Russell may have witnessed paranormal activity in the skies of Phoenix, or that his colleague Dan Aykroyd met [UFOs] help... Plane](https://www.independentarabia.com/node/576496/%D8%AA%D8%AD%D9%82%D9%8A%D9%82%D8%A7%D8%AA-%D9%88%D9%85%D 8%B7%D9%88%D9%84%D8%A7%D8%AA/%D9%85%D9%86-%D9%85%D8%B1%D8%B5%D8%AF-%D8%A7%D9%84%D9%81%D8%A7%D8%AA%D9%8A%D9%83%D 8%A7%D9%86-%D8%A5%D9%84%D9%89-%D8%AC%D8%B2%D9%88%D9%8A%D8%AA-%D8%A3%D8%B1%D9%8A%D8%B2%D9%88%D9%86%D8%A7-%D8%A3% D8%B3%D8%B1%D8%A7%D8%B1-%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%A3%D8%B7%D8%A8%D8%A7%D9%82-%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%B7%D8%A7%D8%A6%D8%B1%D8%A9), Does it make you more or less believe in the existence of aliens? In fact, since Aykroyd claims to have seen four UFOs on three different occasions, it seems logical that the Blues Brothers star would be outfitted with a body-mounted camera that captures every moment on the clock of the aliens. In his engaging book, Chasing Aliens, Daniel Lavelle documents UFO sightings dating back to Roman times and takes the reader on an unconventional tour through what he calls America's "Belt of Superstition and Conspiracy." The Orwell Award-winning journalist mixes sarcasm with serious curiosity as he investigates the science of UFOs, uncovering secrets that should have remained secret, including an encounter near RAF Woodbridge base in Rendesham Forest in Suffolk, eastern England, which alien believers claim is "more important than the famous Roswell incident, along with former intelligence officer David Grosch's testimony that the US government possesses flying saucers the size of football fields." A study conducted by the Gallup Institute in 2021 showed that 41 percent of Americans (about 136 million people) believe that extraterrestrials have landed on Earth, with descriptions ranging from “short and with black eyes” to “blonde, fairy-like.” One claimed to have woken up to find “a blue-skinned woman sitting on top of him.” Lavelle points out that the majority of UFO witnesses are “middle-aged men.” The number of habitable planets in the universe we know of so far is estimated at about 50 sextillion (put 21 zeros next to 50), making the existence of extraterrestrial civilizations possible (some even think they might time travel to our planet using “space wormholes”). Lavelle does his best to put this desperate need to believe that there is something greater than the weak human race in a somewhat logical context. It examines more disturbing aspects of UFO myths, including claims of alien abductions involving anal examinations. It also reviews the reason for the existence of the influential group “Q Anon" QAnon [an American conspiracy theory movement that originated on the Internet in 2017, and is based on unproven claims of the existence of a “hidden government” or a secret network of political and media elites that engage in corruption and exploitation, including child trafficking\] within communities of UFO believers to expand their audience. Jason Colavito, a specialist in conspiracy theories, goes on to say that "right-wing extremists use conspiracy theories about UFOs as a kind of drug to attract people into a wider world of conspiracies." وهناك تقارير ونظريات مقنعة تشير إلى أن الحكومة الأميركية توظف "قصصاً وهمية عن الفضائيين" كغطاء لحماية تقنياتها العسكرية المتقدمة. In the end, the book leaves the reader free to form his or her own opinion. Lavelle gives an entertaining tour of the world of UFOs, even if he quips, "The UFO world is like a river polluted with sewage: whoever dives in will inevitably emerge covered in filth. I guess we'll just have to wait and see if the little green men emerge from Uranus." _The book, “Hunt for Aliens: Faith and Conspiracy at the Heart of the UFO World,” by Daniel Lavelle, will be published by Viking on April 30, and each copy will retail for £20._