The Paracast

Gene and Randall present UFO researcher and religious scholar David Halperin, with a major focus on one of his books, “Intimate Alien: The Hidden Story of the UFO (Spiritual Phenomena).” According to David, UFOs are a myth, but myths are real. The power and fascination of the UFO has nothing to do with space travel or life on other planets. It’s about us, our longings and terrors, and especially the greatest terror of all: the end of our existence. This is a book about UFOs that goes beyond believing in them or debunking them and to a fresh understanding of what they tell us about ourselves as individuals, as a culture, and as a species. Oh and by the way, Gene makes a cameo appearance in David’s book.

Gene and Randall present prolific UFO book author Preston Dennett, began investigating UFOs and the paranormal in 1986 when he discovered that his family, friends and co-workers were having dramatic unexplained encounters. Since then, he has interviewed hundreds of witnesses and investigated a wide variety of paranormal phenomena. His book, Onboard UFO Encounters, contains 15 all new original cases of people who claim to have been taken onboard a UFO. None have been published before. What really happens when someone is taken onboard an alien craft? The answer may surprise you. These true firsthand accounts provide an extensive exploration deep into the heart of the UFO phenomenon, and show just how fascinating and strange UFO contact can be.

Gene and Randall present science writer Sarah Scoles, author of They Are Already Here: UFO Culture and Why We See Saucers and Making Contact: Jill Tarter and the Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence. She is a Denver-based freelance science writer, a contributing writer at WIRED Science, and a contributing editor at Popular Science. Her background includes a stint as associate editor at Astronomy and as a public education person at the National Radio Astronomy Observatory in Green Bank, West Virginia. When not making sentences or recording conversations, Sarah enjoys reading short story collections, running weirdly long distances in the wilderness, teaching her dog English, and trying to become a better navigator. Guest panelist is Curt Collins.

Gene and Randall present a “double-header.” First up is podcaster and researcher Erica Lukes joins the crew to catch up on recent developments in Ufology, and the ongoing mystery of the Skinwaker Ranch in Utah. Erica hosts a weekly show on KCOR called “UFO Classified,” and, as this show was recorded, was working on a UFO/paranormal book with long-time researcher Gordon Lore. Documentary filmmaker James Fox returns to discuss his recently-competed UFO movie, “The Phenomenon,” how it came to be, and its long gestation period. Gene and James also offer a few “spoilers” about the film.

Gene and Randall present an encore appearance from Canadian ghost hunter Morgan Knudsen. She runs Entityseeker Paranormal Research and Teachings as well as the world-renowned Teaching the Living program. Morgan brings classes and presentations on paranormal phenomena to a new level. She is also the resident paranormal specialist featured on Haunted Hospitals and Paranormal 9-1-1, and this interview focuses on the various ghostly encounters she has examined over the years. Morgan is also author of Teaching The Living.

Gene and Randall present another “encounter” with UFO researcher and historian Curt Collins, a long-time Paracast member, forum participant, roundtable voice, and an expert on the Cash-Landrum UFO incident. Curt Collins is the author behind Blue Blurry Lines, a website focused on the UFO mysteries, as well as its legends and hoaxes.  In 2015 Curt was on the investigative team, the Roswell Slides Research Group, which exposed the BeWitness alien photo fiasco. More recently, he launched The Saucers That Time Forgot with Claude Falkstrom, focused on unearthing “tales that UFO history has overlooked or would rather forget.” Curt lives in the southern United States, near Jackson, Mississippi.

Gene and Randall feature a return visit from Richard Hoffman, an Executive Board Member for the Scientific Coalition for UAP Studies (SCU), who has been investigating the UFO phenomenon for over 52 years. He first got involved in UFO researcher as a teenager when he was assigned a school paper on the subject. His curiosity resulted in a lifelong pursuit of the truth behind the mystery. Over the years, Rich has explored a number of fascinating UFO cases, some of which he’ll describe on this episode. This interview will also focus heavily on the latest developments in UAP research, and the possibility of disclosure; that is, if there’s anything to disclose.

Gene and Randall present author/screenwriter/producer for Bryce Zabel for a wide-ranging discussion that includes super heroes and his alternative history about what many regard as the best rock group of all time, “Once There Was a Way: What if The Beatles Stayed Together?” But the main topic is about the possibility of UFO disclosure. Nearly 10 years after the speculative fiction story he and Richard M. Dolan wrote about the subject, “A.D. After Disclosure: When the Government Finally Reveals the Truth About Alien Contact,” Zabel talks about what he regards as the improved prospects for the secret of the UFOs — or UAPs — finally being revealed. But what about theories about demonic UFOs, or whether other countries might be poised to reveal the truth as to what they are before the U.S. finally gets around to it? Note: This interview continues on the February 16, 2020 episode of After The Paracast.