The Paracast

After 72 years of ridicule, UFOs are being taken more and more seriously in the mainstream media. So Gene and Randall presents UFO lobbyist Stephen Bassett, executive director of the Paradigm Research Group. The group was founded in 1996 to end what he regards as a government imposed embargo on the truth behind the UFO phenomenon. Stephen has spoken to audiences around the world about the implications of formal disclosure by world governments of what he believes to be an extraterrestrial presence engaging the human race. He has given over 1,000 radio and television interviews, and PRG’s advocacy work has been extensively covered by national and international media. In 2013, PRG produced a “Citizen Hearing on Disclosure” at the National Press Club in Washington, DC.

Gene and Randall present the ever-prolific Fortean author, Nick Redfern, to discuss his very latest book, ” Flying Saucers from the Kremlin: UFOs, Russian Meddling, Soviet Spies & Cold War Secrets.” The book presents a compelling case for deep Russian involvement in the UFO field, which may have included recruiting those infamous contactees of the 1950s to become spies, fabricating the MJ-12 documents, feeding faux claims of alien visitation and more. Is it possible that, in addition with meddling with U.S. elections, the Russians are still involved in spreading UFO disinformation? Nick Redfern is the author of more than 40 books covering UFOs and other paranormal events. He’s been featured on a number of radio and TV shows, and is a frequent guest on The Paracast.

Gene and Randall present a return visit by Paul Eno, senior member of the world-famous father and son team Paul and Ben Eno of Behind The Paranormal. Paul and Ben — who makes a cameo appearance during the first part of the episode — have investigated hundreds of paranormal cases all over the world, and they have lectured throughout America and in Europe. Paul began his paranormal quest in the early 1970s, while he was studying for the priesthood. His early mentors included parapsychology pioneer Dr. Louisa Rhine, Fr. John J. Nicola S.J. (technical advisor for the film “The Exorcist”) and legendary (though very controversial), first-generation “grandparents of ghost hunting” Ed and Lorraine Warren.

Gene and Randall present author and anthropologist Dr. Michael P. Masters, author of “Identified Flying Objects: A Multidisciplinary Scientific Approach to the UFO Phenomenon. The book presents a challenging theory that at least some of those strange objects may actually be time travelers from the future. Dr. Masters received a Ph.D. in Anthropology from  Ohio State University in 2009, where he specialized in hominid evolutionary anatomy, archaeology, and biomedicine. His background, education, and current research program combine to offer a unique perspective, and a novel approach to addressing unanswered questions pertaining to a widely recognized, yet poorly understood aspect of modern global culture.

Gene and Randall present researcher MJ Banias, author of “The UFO People: A Curious Culture.” This book focuses primarily on the UFO culture rather than the sightings. MJ is an educator, writer and blogger,  a former field investigator with the Mutual UFO Network, and has been featured on multiple podcasts and radio shows. He contributes to Mysterious Universe, RoguePlanet, and his work has been included in Vice, Fortean Times, FATE Magazine, and the book, “UFOs: Reframing the Debate.” MJ lives in Canada with his wife, two children, and a massive cat.

Gene is joined by special guest host Mark Jackson as we present MUFON’s Executive Director, Jan C. Harzan. This wide-ranging discussion focuses on possible UFO disclosure, whether it’s already in progress, the recent controversy over the credentials of alleged government whistleblower Luis Elizondo, the future of UFO research, advanced propulsion systems and other fascinating topics. There will also be a brief segment about Jan’s friendship with the late Santon T. Friedman. Jan is a 37-year veteran at IBM, and holds a B.S. in Nuclear Engineering. He has headed MUFON since 2013.

Once again, Gene and  Randall present the irrepressible Don Ecker. As usual Don takes us on a wild and wooly journey into UFOs and related fields. He discusses the MJ-12 documents, his observations about the Roswell, NM case, possible advanced ancient civilizations, and even lunar mysteries. Don Ecker is a Vietnam vet and a medically retired law enforcement officer. In addition to hosting “Dark Matters” twice a week, he has appeared on a number of radio and TV shows that include documentaries on the History and Discovery channels. As of this episode, Don has made over two dozen appearances on The Paracast.

Gene and Randall welcome paranormal writer and researcher Louis Proud. His latest book is “Borderland Phenomena: Spontaneous Combustion, Poltergeistry and Anomalous Lights.” The Paracast has not featured discussions on the first topic, more specifically spontaneous human combustion, since the early days of the show, and the topic can, obviously, seem a little grisly. Louis’s articles have appeared in New Dawn, Paranormal, FATE, and Nexus magazines, and he has been interviewed on such programs as VERITAS Radio, Paranormal Realms, and Whitley Strieber’s “Dreamland.” He currently lives in Burnie, Tasmania.