OR IS IT ALL A PROJECTED HOLOGRAM?
By Sean Casteel
It doesn’t matter really matter – the truth is “out there” somewhere regardless of if you are a “true believer” in all things spiritual and religious, an infrequent churchgoer, or even a full-fledged atheist.
If you are reading this, you may be wondering what could be the connection between UFOs, the Scriptures and the Signs, Symbols and Wonders of Biblical proportions that appear to be manifesting all over the world in what many see as “very troubled times.”
Are we to accept at face value the phantasmagorical stories told by those who claim to have been “taken up” (to where, one wonders?) – such as Whitley Strieber, Betty Andreasson Luca, and contactees like Orfeo Angelucci and George Van Tassel?
In a new book just out, as one of the authors, I ask, is a genuine religious experience the kind of thing that can be expressed in human language at all, or to a degree that a fellow individual, regardless of his religious persuasion can fully – or even halfway – understand it? And do the supernatural elements of UFOs and alien encounters constitute authentic contact with God or possibly His angelic messengers?
What is the difference between claiming to have seen religious miracles and simple, garden-variety madness? Is one a witness to the divine or a simple victim of mental disturbance?
Those are among the many questions grappled with in a recent offering from Tim Beckley’s Inner Light Publications. The complete title is “Sean Casteel’s UFOs, Armageddon, and Biblical Revelations: Signs, Symbols and “Wonders” – The Whole Truth.” Beckley has placed my name at the very top, but I can assure you that it is purely in an honorary sense, given the fact that there are nearly ten other contributors, including Beckley himself.
The book is the product of many years of experiences with and research into the paranormal, most specifically UFOs, their alien occupants and the often religious-spiritual overtones to contact between the aliens and ourselves. As some of the contributors to this book believe, the nature of genuine religious experience and encounters with extraterrestrials may be inseparable, may in fact be one and the same though called by different names and seen in vastly different contexts.
None of which is new, of course. From its very beginnings in the mid-20th century, the UFOs (at times dubbed “flying saucers”) of the modern era have been compared to angelic appearances in the Bible and seen as the driving force responsible for miracles attributed to all faiths throughout recorded history. What we have attempted to do here is to offer a survey of the religious implications of UFOs and the countless varied forms those phenomena take when they manifest in our all-too-limited physical dimension.
Along with some fresh approaches to the familiar ancient alien accounts, we have also provided an overview of Marian visions, which are much more frequent and well-documented than you may have realized. UFOs sightings in modern-day Israel are also included, as well as an analysis of why sightings in the Holy Land are so important to the entire world.
In an effort to be fair, the demonic take on the UFO phenomenon is the subject of a Q and A with prolific British author Nick Redfern, who believes there is a secret government group searching for ways to do battle with the demons bedeviling the U.S.
The religious and prophetic implications of UFOs and other forms of the paranormal are complicated, and we have provided no easy answers here. Is it even possible that there is only one single, perfect way of understanding? I think I can safely say, along with all the contributors to this book, that the answer to that question is a resounding, tantalizing, frustrating “No.”
VISIONS AND PROPHECIES OF THE LADY IN WHITE AS FIRST REVEALED IN THE BOOK OF REVELATION
Beckley provides some historical background on the subject of Marian apparitions, or appearances by “Mother Mary” down through the ages.
“She goes by various names in various cultures,” Beckley begins. “She is known as ‘The Woman of the Apocalypse’ or the ‘Lady of the Sun.’ (Rev 12:1-6) The apparition of a beautiful woman adorned in white is first thought to have been seen in a series of visions early in the Twentieth Century, and we have come to associate her with three shepherd children and the town of Fatima, Portugal. But the truth is ‘she’ has been appearing throughout history. In fact, the Book of Revelation identifies her in prophetic terms as being in association with a ‘great red dragon, with seven heads and ten horns.’ In Biblical days, as now, visions of this lady are often a precursor to an ‘act of God’ and eventually to the end of all time, the destruction of humanity by godless forces who will roam the Earth.”
The verses from Revelation that Beckley refers to are these: “And a great sign appeared in heaven: a woman clothed with the sun, with the moon under her feet, and on her head a crown of twelve stars. She was pregnant and was crying out in birth pains and the agony of giving birth. And another sign appeared in heaven: behold, a great red dragon, with seven heads and ten horns, and on his heads seven diadems. His tail swept down a third of the stars of heaven and cast them to the Earth. And the dragon stood before the woman who was about to give birth, so that when she bore her child he might devour it. She gave birth to a male child, one who is to rule all the nations with a rod of iron, but her child was caught up to God and to his throne, and the woman fled into the wilderness, where she has a place prepared by God, in which she is to be nourished for 1,260 days.” (Rev 12:1-6)
WHAT AND WHERE IS FATIMA?
Beckley then shifts his attention from an ancient era to times closer to our own.
He writes: “Fatima is a small city in central Portugal where the landscape is dry and rocky. For centuries, people made their living there raising sheep and other animals. In May 1917, three shepherd children — two girls and a boy — claimed they saw an apparition of the Virgin Mary. The children described Mary as “a lady dressed all in white, more brilliant than the sun.” Mary told the children that praying the rosary would end what was then called The Great War — World War I — which left 17 million dead.
“According to the children,” Beckley continues, “Mary appeared to them six times that year. In one appearance, Mary said a miracle would occur on Oct. 13, 1917. Initially the children were scolded and even threatened with death for spreading what were considered baseless stories. But pilgrims from all over the world gathered in Fatima on that date and awaited Mary’s appearance. In what came to be called the ‘Miracle of the Sun,’ many reported seeing visions in the sky while others reported miracles of healing. A newspaper of the day reported: ‘Before their dazzled eyes, the sun trembled, the sun made unusual and brusque movements, defying all the laws of the cosmos, and, according to the typical expression of the peasants, “the sun danced.”
After much contemplation, in 1930, the Catholic Church declared the events at Fatima “worthy of belief,” and chapels, sanctuaries, shrines and other memorials to the events popped up.
WHY HAS FATIMA BECOME SUCH AN ATTRACTION?
When the church declared the Fatima apparitions worthy of acceptance, it is said pilgrims who travel there could obtain a special blessing as well as pray for healing and spiritual guidance. Today it is one of the most popular shrines in the world. The largest numbers come dutifully on May 13 — the anniversary of the first apparitions.
What is not well known is that Marian apparitions, as they have become popularly known, are not just historical events of monumental proportions, but a growing phenomenon that has swept the world during the course of the decades since the three young shepherds bore witness to this series of ongoing events. Their experience pitted them and those who held fast in their beliefs against a rigid communist dictatorship who had officially declared themselves an atheistic state.
Truly, there can be little doubt in anyone’s mind upon reading through the maze of available literature that something utterly profound happened at Fatima, Portugal, on October 13th, 1917, when thousands gathered for a miracle which had been promised by three local children. Peering up into the dark, cloud-filled sky, the throng witnessed a spectacle that has deservedly gone down in history as one of the greatest spiritual events of modern times.
Even the most religiously conservative of the flock can see the obvious connection between the apparitions at Fatima, combined with the anomalous spinning “sun,” as having a likely relation to the appearance of UFOs, “spacemen” and “spacewomen” and other paranormal occurrences.
It is now an established fact that sightings and interactions with the Lady have come from all over the world and from individuals of all faiths and backgrounds. The Holy Mother has been seen in virtually every country in the world, regardless of that nation’s religious or political beliefs. Apparently, she appears before us not to make converts, but to awaken us to the fact that time may be running out.
JACQUES VALLEE’S POSITION
For many years, French-born Jacques Vallee has been at the forefront of UFO and paranormal research. He is highly credentialed, trained in science, and author of a good number of books and papers on unexplained phenomena. While the majority of UFO researchers have been out chasing “UFOs from Mars,” Dr. Vallee sees the phenomena as being more “homegrown,” more “earthbound,” much more of a conditioning influence by an outside force yet to be determined.
Vallée has contributed to the investigation of the Miracle at Fatima and Marian apparitions. His work has been used to support the Fatima UFO Hypothesis. Vallée is one of the first people to speculate publicly about the possibility that the “solar dance” at Fatima was a UFO. The idea of UFOs was not unknown in 1917, but most of the people in attendance at the Fatima apparitions would not have attributed the claimed phenomena there to UFOs, let alone to extraterrestrials. Vallée has also speculated about the possibility that other religious apparitions may have been the result of UFO activity, including Our Lady of Lourdes and the revelations to Joseph Smith. Vallée and other researchers have advocated further study of unusual phenomena in the academic community. They feel that this should not be handled solely by theologians.
One concept entertained by numerous UFO researchers is that the many visions associated with the appearance of the Madonna and Jesus in the clouds could simply be a holographic projection, created by the CIA, elements of a supposed “New World Order,” or some other “power” (possibly even extraterrestrial) in an attempt to manipulate followers of certain religious and cultural belief systems. In conspiracy theorist circles, this is known as “Project Blue Beam,” and is part of a long established pattern of “false flags,” created for purposes of propaganda and disinformation. Hispanic researcher Scott Corrales, the author of “Alien Blood Lust,” has collected anecdotes of a series of what seem to be holographic projections, mostly over the island of Cuba, where some residents have come to believe that such aerial manifestations are part of a secret program to bring the people back to “God” and turn them against communism.
WAYS MARY PRESENTS HERSELF
A Methodist clergyman in Haines City, Florida, Reverend B. W. Palmer, has spent years collecting hundreds of contemporary visions of the Holy Mother. His research on the subject indicates that there are at least 24 methods the Virgin uses to manifest herself. There may be as many as fifty ways, but we list here the 24 most commonly manifested.
1. The skies appear to open up and Mary with a band of angels appears to descend.
2. In the presence of a viewer, Mary appears to descend in a shaft of light.
3. The Virgin appears or disappears through a solid object such as a door or a wall.
4. A viewer may hear footsteps outside his house. Then a knock on the door. When he opens it he sees the Holy Mother.
5. The Virgin can also appear as though she is in a picture on the wall.
6. A witness may awake because he feels a spiritual presence in the room, or may feel someone’s touch. When he opens his eyes he sees the Holy Figure bending over him.
7. An angel or the spirit of a deceased person may appear to the witness first, then lead him to the materialization of the Holy Mother.
8. The witness may see the face of the Virgin or Jesus Christ appear above the person who is desperately in need of help.
9. The witness may hear a voice which tells him or her to go to a certain place and do a certain thing. When he complies, he sees the Virgin Mary.
10. The figure of the Virgin Mary appears in the sky, but greatly magnified.
11. The viewer may be awakened by the light of a very bright moon. At that moment he sees the Holy Mother.
12. Clouds play a part in visions. The Virgin often appears out of a cloud moving toward a person, and she also uses the cloud to make her departure.
13. A cloud or heavy mist may materialize in the viewer’s room. And out of the mist the Virgin will appear.
14. During the Fatima miracle, the Holy Mother appeared to the three children in exactly the same way. All three gave the same description of what they saw. In many cases the Virgin appears to several persons at the same time, but each witness gave a different description of what he or she saw. To one witness, the Holy Mother may appear as a ball of light; to another, a flash of lightning; to another, a disembodied voice.
15. The Virgin may appear in a room occupied by several people. But only one person will see her. The others may see the spirits of the dead.
16. The Virgin may also appear in the dreams of a witness. A manifestation like this is usually associated with healing or cures.
17. The Holy Mother may vanish suddenly, or fade away slowly, slipping into a cloud, through the ceiling, doors or walls. She may walk away, fading from view as she gets further and further away from the witness.
18. In most visions of the Holy Mother, only the witness singled out for communications may see her even though there are a lot of people present. This was so in the Fatima miracle in which thousands of people saw the three children talking to an entity they could not see.
19. In many of the visions collected by Rev. Palmer, the Virgin appears in a strange light, one that illuminates the witness as well. In some of these cases, the light appeared first, then the Holy Figure.
20. In some visions, the witnesses said they saw no figures at all, but were aware of the Holy Presences through the supernatural light and the voices that came to them.
21. Those who have experienced out-of-body incidents have reported seeing the Holy Mother, but that the vision disappeared once the out-of-body experience ended.
22. In other out-of-body experiences, people have claimed to travel through space to visit friends and relatives, and on such excursions have usually seen a Holy Figure, that is, the Holy Mother, a saint, an angel, or other Holy Entities.
23. In still other out-of-body travels, people have claimed to have seen the lower spirit worlds where good spirits attempt to help the lower spirits. In some instances during these lower-plane visits, the travelers have seen Jesus Christ or the Virgin Mary.
24. During near-death experiences, people said they saw Jesus or Mary for a brief moment when their bodies were physically dead.
THE REVEREND BARRY DOWNING, A PIONEER OF THE UFOS/BIBLE CONNECTION
Science and religion could end up complementing each other. New – more “radical” – trends in physics point to the existence of parallel universes and other dimensions which could assist in explaining many Biblical mysteries and miracles, at least according to one Protestant minister who has spent more than a half century pondering the reality of UFOs and extraterrestrials and their possible connection to the seemingly bizarre and unexplainable tales of the Old and New Testaments.
The Reverend Barry Downing was among the first to see that it wasn’t a given that the “Good Book” was in conflict with the lore of the flying saucer and the possibility that our universe might be constructed of a bit more than just physical matter. He posited that heaven could be a real place – if not in our timeline then perhaps in a parallel existence just beyond our reach. Could that other dimension possibly be accessible through the guidance of Godly ultra-terrestrial beings and their vehicles? What we think of as spaceships could, in some cases, be divine.
Downing has been preaching the gospel of “UFO angels” for more than 50 years now, since the publication of his 1968 book, “The Bible and Flying Saucers.” Downing has recently released a new book called “Biblical UFO Revelations” that incorporates hard won wisdom and perspectives gleaned in the intervening years as he steadfastly continues to make his case for his particular take on Christianity and the aliens.
Downing is not just an ordained minister and a religious expert, he is also well-versed in physics, having earned his bachelor’s degree in the field. So he is uniquely qualified to analyze Biblical miracles like the parting of the Red Sea from the Exodus both scientifically and as a man of faith. In “UFOs, Armageddon and Biblical Revelations,” one can read more about Downing’s analysis of the “environmental impact” that the pillar of cloud and fire exerted for the sake of the fleeing Israelites.
How does one approach the extreme levels of fear experienced by witnesses to angels in the Bible? Is the fear a UFO witness experiences an example of that same kind of fear? Are we actually wise to approach the two phenomena in abject terror and trembling? At what point does a heavenly love enter the picture and cast out all fear? Downing provides answers to these questions and others equally as difficult.
GARY STEARMAN AND THE CHARIOTS OF WONDER
Gary Stearman is a well-known author and former co-host, with his partner, the late Dr. J.R. Church, of a television program called “Prophecy in the News.” Stearman now hosts his own program, “Prophecy Watchers,” broadcast on satellite, cable and the Internet. .
In an interview with Stearman conducted specifically for this book, the theological and prophetic aspects of the modern UFO phenomenon and its interaction with the modern state of Israel are given a thorough examination.
“The fact about UFOs,” Stearman began, “is that they seem to correspond in many ways to what human beings have associated for centuries with spiritual events. There seems to be a spiritual quality within the UFO world and, specifically, it can be seen as part of perhaps a spiritual struggle.
“And with that in mind,” he continued, “it’s very useful to compare UFOs, the history of UFOs in the modern era, with the occurrences of UFOs in various parts of the world. First of all, the Bible speaks of fiery chariots. The chariot in Hebrew is called the merkavah. It has been suggested, in fact, several modern Israelis have suggested, that UFOs in the Hebrew be called merkavah mophtim. And mophtim means ‘wonder.’ So what you have in the Hebrew would be ‘chariots of wonder,’ or vehicles of wonder.
“And the vehicles of wonder have been seen in the Middle East literally for centuries. But in the modern era, particularly late 1947 through 1948 in Israel, they were seen not only in the United States and Europe, but also throughout the Middle East. They were reported as disc-shaped, sometimes cigar-shaped. Sometimes they were suspected of being Russian secret weapons. At other times, invasions from another planet. But they were nevertheless seen at the time.”
THE TIMING OF THE UFO FLAPS
Stearman explained the pattern of how UFO sightings flaps were timed around crucial events in Israel. “UFOs made their first dramatic appearance, really dramatic appearance, in 1947 and 1948. That would be the Jewish year 5708, or 47-48 in the Christian calendar. Of course, that was the year of the rebirth of Israel. And these were years when great battles were being fought by human beings in Israel, but the idea is that perhaps someone else was taking notice of this on a higher plane.
“Just about ten years later, in early October of 1956, during the great Sinai Campaign of Israel against Egypt, there were great numbers of sightings of UFOs. It was quite commonly reported in the newspapers of the Middle East, particularly the Israeli newspapers.
“And then again, in the Jewish year 5727, which of course was timed with late spring of 1967, the Six Day War erupted. When the Six Day War came to pass, there was a great UFO flap throughout the world. Then, during September and October of 1973, when the Yom Kippur War against Israel took place, sightings were again very common.
“So when you lay this out,” Stearman said, “you have the years 1948, the date of Israel’s statehood, and 1956, the Sinai Campaign, as well as 1961, when another massive anti-Israeli movement was begun, of Arabs against the Israelis, 1967, the Six Day War, and 1973, the Yom Kippur War. All of those were the dates of historic UFO flaps. So that’s sort of the beginning thesis that leads us to other ideas.”
ANOTHER RELEVANT SIGHTINGS WAVE
Stearman made another connection between a major UFO sightings wave and the modern state of Israel, with the surprising year being 1897.
“The beginning of the state of Israel,” Stearman explained, “was in the year 1897. That was the great year of the first Zionist Congress in Basel, Switzerland. And in 1897, the world experienced, and I’m talking about the entire world – and it’s heavily reported in all the UFO literature – the world experienced a flap of UFO sightings. But they were not called UFOs. They were called airships.
“I believe that the 1897 flap was timed with the rebirth of Israel. From 1897 to 1947 of course is precisely 50 years, and the two great UFO flaps happened in those years.”
Stearman related a familiar anecdote from the 1897 flap. “There was the famous case of Alexander Hamilton of Leroy, Kansas. April 21, 1897. An unidentified airship was sailing low over his farm and it lowered a rope and trapped one of his cattle. A two-year-old heifer, bawling and jumping, was lassoed and hauled up into this airship. And it flew away. Well, there is an affidavit published in a number of the UFO publications from Alexander Hamilton. It was signed by the local sheriff, the town banker, and the registrar of deeds, attesting that this really happened. And there are, just as you know, dozens if not hundreds of reports from 1897. 1 link those to the first Zionist Congress, which essentially was the meeting that established the Zionist Movement and the state of Israel.”
BUT WHAT DOES IT ALL MEAN?
After Stearman had explained the timing of major UFO sightings waves with events in Israel, the question then became, “What does it all mean? What are the UFO occupants trying to say about their relationship to Israel?”
“Well,” Stearman replied, “this takes us back to the fact that these are merkavaim, plural, and that’s what the Bible calls them. The Bible speaks of the fiery chariots being like heavenly ambassadors, or sometimes they’re called heavenly messengers, or angels. You can call them beings from another dimension. They’re commonly called aliens. But the prophets of ancient Israel said that these were the watchmen watching over Israel. And they were acting on behalf of the people of Israel, according to the will of God. Now, that’s what the Bible specifically says.”
So did Stearman feel that the UFOs are making a show of force, letting the world know that they intend to protect Israel?
“Yeah, I do,” he answered. “Or perhaps there is a battle, an ultra-dimensional battle, shall we say, a battle behind the scenes, taking place between those who favor one side or the other. You can state it any way you want to, but there’s an earthly battle going on and there appears to be an ultra-dimensional battle going on, too.”
Did Stearman mean something like the War In Heaven spoken of in the Bible’s Book of Revelation? “The War In Heaven, yeah,” he said. “And it seems that every time Israel is threatened, the War In Heaven also seems to accelerate so that it becomes visible in this dimension as UFO and strange creature reports.”
“And so every time that Israel is threatened,” Stearman said, “the battle becomes pitched and becomes more visible to human eyes. And I believe that, Biblically speaking, you can make a strong defense for this because in the Old Testament, one of the titles of the Lord is ‘Lord of Hosts,’ or ‘Jehovah of Hosts,’ as he is called. And that title essentially is a military title. It’s like being the General of the Heavenly Army.
“Of course, one of the major Bible themes is that the Lord fights on behalf of his people. In fact, one of the meanings of the name Israel is ‘for whom God fights.’ And so it can be very well said that the hosts of heaven are fighting on behalf of Israel and that each time Israel is in peril, what we call UFOs, but what really are probably better termed merkeva mophlim, these vehicles of wonder, these fiery chariots, roll into action on behalf of Israel.”
WHAT IS TRUTH?
“Indeed, what is the fundamental truth about all things Biblical?” Beckley asks in his introduction. “And how do we interpret what the Good Book actually says about the Second Coming and the End Times as forecast in the Book of Revelation? I hope our fellow journeymen can offer up a bit of hope for humanity. Some think God is a vengeful God and we get what we deserve. Others believe in the mercy of the Savior. It’s a toss-up as far as I am concerned, but that’s why I offer you text that lies just beyond my Introduction.
“The scriptures,” Beckley adds, “and all wise men, have made it known that we have the free will to accept – or NOT to accept – all that is and may be. ‘UFOs, Armageddon and Biblical Revelations: Signs, Symbols and “Wonders” – The Whole Truth’ gives us the tools to conduct our search for the true nature of things mysterious and unknown. But, in the end, our heart holds the key. Also, thanks to our comrades: Reverend Virginia Brasington, Reverend Barry Downing, Gary Stearman, Nick Redfern, Dr. Frank E. Stranges, Tim Swartz, Barry Chamish, Arthur Crockett, Professor G. Cope Schellhorn, William Kern, and the blond Goddess of the Woods, Diane Tessman.
“Good luck in your search for the truth, be you a true believer, a heretic, or somewhere on the path in-between.”
Please remember we all have different opinions, Think Before You Speak or Write Something that is cruel to Others. After all, We are only Humans.
Wishing you clear skies and wide eyes.
To share your experiences or just leave a comment there is a area below. Read or listen.
We are the change the world has been waiting for! Have you witnessed an unidentified flying object? You are not alone. Whether you think UFOs are black projects, extraterrestrial craft, something else altogether, or just don’t know, again: you are not alone!
Unconditional love. The road we all get to walk. Unconditional love is like the sun.
WE ARE THE DISCLOSURE !!! ~~~ WE HAVE NEVER BEEN ALONE!!!
LOL=Love and Regards, Happy Quarantine !
Thank You,
Nancy Thames : )
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