Interpreting UFO Events in a Post-Religious Culture

Abstract

In recent years, there has been a resurgence of interest in unidentified flying objects (UFOs). Although we have increasingly assumed that UFO events are extraterrestrial in nature, there are alternative explanations for these extraordinary phenomena. Of these, the theory that UFOs manifest malevolent spiritual realities is often hastily dismissed because it violates modern society’s secular assumptions. As is explained, however, an a priori dismissal is arbitrary since it rests on similar evidential grounds. After the case is made that logical consistency demands that the spiritual theory be given a fair hearing, this article draws on U.S. data on reported UFO sightings to demonstrate that a state’s religious climate significantly determines the frequency of such sightings there. It is argued that these findings constitute circumstantial evidence that modern society is culturally induced – rather than led by the evidence – to embrace the interpretation that UFO phenomena are extraterrestrial in nature.

Keywords

• ufos
• spirituality
• orthodox christianity
• us religion