Co esponding au ho : Dinesh Deckke ORCID - 0009-0003-9968-5934
Copy igh © 2025 Au ho (s) e ain he copy igh o his a icle. This a icle is published unde he e ms o he C ea i e Commons A ibu ion License 4.0.
Aliens Among Us? A Sociocul u al In es iga ion o Ex a e es ial Belie Na a i es
Dinesh Deckke *
Facul y o A s, Science and Technology, W exham Uni e si y, Uni ed Kingdom.
Wo ld Jou nal o Ad anced Resea ch and Re iews, 2025, 27(03), 016-030
Publica ion his o y: Recei ed on 31 July 2025; e ised on 29 Augus ; accep ed on 01 Sep embe 2025
A icle DOI: h ps://doi.o g/10.30574/wja .2025.27.3.3112
Abs ac
This a icle in es iga es he pe sis ence o ex a e es ial “li ing among us” na a i es as cul u al cons uc s a he
han empi ical claims, si ua ing hem wi hin he in e sec ions o my hology, sociology o eligion, olklo e, psychology,
and media s udies. Using a na a i e e iew wi h in e disciplina y syn hesis, he s udy analyses his o ical cosmologies,
mode n UFOlogy, conspi acy cul u es, and digi al-e a belie communi ies. Sou ces include ecen pee - e iewed
schola ship, olklo e a chi es, go e nmen epo s, and media a e ac s. Analy ical app oaches combine discou se
analysis o es imonies and online o ums, compa a i e my hology, and hema ic syn hesis ac oss sociology, psychology,
and media heo y. Findings e eal h ee con inui ies: i s , alien na a i es ep oduce a che ypal mo i s o cosmic
isi o s and guides, unc ioning as mode n my hs; second, hey add ess psychological and social needs by o e ing
amewo ks o coping wi h unce ain y, mis us , and exis en ial anxie y; and hi d, hey a e ampli ied by ilm,
ele ision, and pa icipa o y digi al cul u es, whe e UFOlogy ci cula es as bo h en e ainmen and olk eligion. A key
conclusion is he exis ence o an epis emological gap: while scien i ic ins i u ions emphasise da a and me hodological
igou , popula belie alida es alien p esence h ough es imony, sec ecy, and symbolic esonance. The s udy a gues
ha aliens unc ion as cul u al mi o s, no scien i ic ce ain ies, embodying socie al anxie ies while s imula ing
e lec ion on iden i y, o he ness, and humani y’s place in he cosmos. Fu u e esea ch should explo e co pus-linguis ic
pa e ns in alien discou se, psychological s udies o belie o ma ion, and he ole o a i icial in elligence in shaping
ex a e es ial image y.
Keywo ds: Ex a e es ial belie ; UFOlogy; My h-making; Conspi acy heo ies; Media s udies; Sociology o eligion;
Cul u al an h opology; Social memo y; Digi al olklo e
1. In oduc ion
Human cul u es ha e long popula ed he skies wi h nonhuman in elligences, anging om as al dei ies and “s a
beings” o angels, demons, and, in mode n imes, ex a e es ials. In he wen y- i s cen u y, his imagina ion pe sis s
in a ecognisably new key: a subs an ial mino i y o people now in e p e some uniden i ied ae ial phenomena
(UAP/UFOs) as e idence o alien li e, and majo i ies suspec ha go e nmen s know mo e han hey disclose. Recen
polling in he Uni ed S a es, o example, ound ha nea ly a hi d o adul s ega d UFOs as p obably alien c a o li e
o ms (29% in 2024), while oughly wo- hi ds belie e au ho i ies wi hhold in o ma ion abou UAPs (YouGo , 2024).
These igu es unde sco e a du able public appe i e o ex a e es ial explana ions e en as o icial in es iga ions
emphasise mo e mundane possibili ies and da a gaps.
A he same ime, he mos au ho i a i e scien i ic and de ence e iews o da e epo no e i ied e idence o nonhuman
echnology ope a ing on o a ound Ea h. NASA’s (2023) Independen S udy Team u ged a “ igo ous, e idence-based
app oach,” emphasising he need o calib a ed senso s, s anda dised epo ing, and open da a o con e anecdo es
in o analysable signals; he panel ound no c edible indica ions o ex a e es ial o igin in a ailable cases. Simila ly,
he U.S. Depa men o De ence’s All-domain Anomaly Resolu ion O ice (AARO, 2024) concluded in i s His o ical Reco d
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Repo ha decades o go e nmen iles e eal no subs an ia ion o alien c a , bodies, o c ash- e ie al p og ams, wi h
many iconic inciden s explained by misiden i ica ions, senso a e ac s, classi ied ae ospace p og ams, o hoaxes.
This a icle add esses he cen al pa adox ha mo i a es con empo a y schola ship: despi e a con inuing absence o
empi ical p oo , “aliens among us” na a i es lou ish and adap ac oss e as and media ecosys ems. The gap be ween
ins i u ional scep icism and widesp ead con ic ion is no me ely epis emic; i is sociocul u al. Belie s abou hidden
ex a e es ials li ing alongside humans— a iously amed as bene olen guides, co e hyb ids, o malign
shapeshi e s—o ganise iden i ies, communi ies, and wo ld iews. They also in e sec wi h b oade conspi a o ial
s yles o easoning ha a el ac oss domains ( om poli ics o heal h and science) and co ela e wi h dis inc
psychological disposi ions and social condi ions (Douglas, 2023; Pumme e e al., 2025; an P ooijen e al., 2023).
1.1. Objec i es.
F amed as a na a i e e iew and heo e ical-his o ical syn hesis, his s udy has h ee aims:
• To ace he his o ical and cul u al oo s o ex a e es ial belie by compa ing ancien “sky-being” mo i s wi h
mode n alien isi a ion na a i es, while no ing he pe ils o anach onism and he con es ed s a us o amous
cases such as he Dogon “Si ius” knowledge ( an Beek, 1991, 2004).
• To analyse sociological, psychological, and media-d i en dimensions o “aliens among us” na a i es, including
conspi acy-adjacen dynamics, he ole o “expe ” igu es wi hin UFO cul u es, and he in luence o ilm/TV
and pa icipa o y digi al pla o ms (Douglas, 2023; Lipińska e al., 2025).
• To assess implica ions o science, eligion, and socie y, cla i ying how o icial UAP in es iga ions (NASA, 2023;
AARO, 2024) and public belie landscapes (Pew Resea ch Cen e, 2021; YouGo , 2024; Ipsos, 2023) in e ac —
some imes a c oss-pu poses—in shaping knowledge, us , and meaning.
1.2. Resea ch ques ions.
Fou ques ions guide he e iew:
• RQ1 (Genealogies): How ha e ancien and ea ly mode n accoun s o nonhuman in elligences—as al dei ies,
angels/demons, “ isi o s”—been epu posed o eimagined in mode n ex a e es ial discou se, and whe e
a e such genealogies specula i e o con es ed (e.g., he Dogon/Si ius con o e sy; an Beek, 1991, 2004)?
• RQ2 (Func ions): Wha social and psychological needs do “aliens among us” na a i es ul ill— ega ding
wonde , con ol, communi y, o h ea —wi hin secula , echnoscien i ic socie ies ma ked by unce ain y
(Douglas, 2023; Pumme e e al., 2025)?
• RQ3 (Media ions): How do legacy media (e.g., The X-Files), eali y p og amming (Ancien Aliens), and digi al
pla o ms (YouTube/TikTok/ o ums) cons uc pa icipa o y my hologies and au ho ise “expe s,” he eby
s abilising belie communi ies (Lipińska e al., 2025)?
• RQ4 (Epis emologies): Wha ensions a ise be ween scien i ic e iden ia y no ms (NASA, 2023; AARO, 2024)
and olk epis emologies ( es imony, anomaly chasing), and how do hese ensions eed pe cep ions o sec ecy
o disclosu e?
1.3. Signi icance.
The s udy con ibu es o he sociology o eligion, olklo e s udies, media/cul u al s udies, and science and echnology
s udies (STS) in ou ways. Fi s , i e-si ua es ex a e es ial belie as a o m o li ed eligion and cul u al my hmaking
a he han a simple ac ual e o , d awing on classic pe spec i es such as Jung’s (1958) analysis o UFOs as mode n
my hs, upda ed by con empo a y psychology o conspi acy and app aisal models o belie consequences (Douglas, 2023;
Pumme e e al., 2025). Second, i cla i ies genealogies and bounda ies, dis inguishing esponsibly be ween ancien
cosmologies and mode n ET claims o a oid “ancien alien” app op ia ions ha e ase indigenous c ea i i y ( an Beek,
2004). Thi d, i maps media ions—how cinema ic opes, in luence ecosys ems, and eme gen “expe s” legi ima e
ex ao dina y claims (Lipińska e al., 2025). Fou h, i b idges science and cul u e, showing how o icial UAP wo k
e ames public discou se a ound da a quali y, senso bias, and me hodological anspa ency a he han sec ecy, e en
as publics con inue o in e concealmen when explana ions a e slow, echnical, o classi ied (NASA, 2023; AARO, 2024;
YouGo , 2024).
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2. Li e a u e Re iew
2.1. Ancien and My hological Roo s
In Mesopo amian adi ion, he apkallū (“sages”) appea as liminal igu es who ansmi di ine wisdom o ea ly kings,
o en depic ed in apo opaic iconog aphy as ish-cloaked o bi d-headed beings (Beck, 1988). Rela edly, he
Anunna/Anunnaki we e no ex a e es ials bu a collec i e o dei ies, whose iden i y shi ed ac oss Sume ian and
Akkadian ex s—some imes as a high council o gods, some imes as unde wo ld powe s (Black & G een, 1992; Penn
Museum/ORACC, 2019). Mode n claims ha he Anunnaki we e “ancien as onau s” ep esen a con empo a y
pseudoscien i ic ein e p e a ion, no a iew suppo ed by cunei o m e idence (Tu ne & Tu ne , 2022).
In ea ly Indian sou ces, he Ṛig eda p esen s a sky- acing pan heon o gods, including Ind a, Vāyu, Sū ya, and he Aś ins,
who pe soni y na u al and celes ial o ces (Jamison & B e e on, 2014, 2020). Thei ae ial quali ies e lec i ual
cosmology and poe ic me apho , a he han echnological o ex a e es ial o igins (Ox o d Re e ence, 2025).
Philological p ecision is impo an he e: e ms like “cha io s” o “ i e” a e hymnic opes, no e idence o ae ospace
echnology (Jamison & B e e on, 2014).
The Dogon o Mali ha e o en been ci ed as holding ad anced as onomical knowledge o Si ius B’s o bi al cycle. G iaule
and Die e len (1950) a gued ha his knowledge p eda ed Wes e n con ac , a claim la e popula ised by Temple’s The
Si ius Mys e y. Howe e , an h opologis Wal e an Beek’s (1991, 2004) es udy ound no consis en indigenous
adi ion ma ching hese claims and sugges ed hey may ha e esul ed om esea che in luence o pos -con ac
ansmission. This episode demons a es how con es ed e hnog aphic da a can be app op ia ed o ein o ce “aliens
among us” na a i es.
In he G eco-Roman wo ld, as al eligion and as ology played a cen al ole in s uc u ing eligious and philosophical
hough . Plane a y dei ies we e in eg a ed in o impe ial iconog aphy, cosmology, and mys e y cul s such as Mi h aism
(Beck, 1988; Campion, 2018). Wi hin he Mi h aic mys e ies, plane a y symbolism o ganised ini ia ion g ades and
emple iconog aphy, demons a ing how he hea ens unc ioned as a eligious sys em o o de and a e a he han as
e idence o alien isi a ion (Ox o d Classical Dic iona y, 2025).
Taken oge he , hese adi ions demons a e ha ancien “sky beings” unc ioned as cosmic go e no s, na u al
pe soni ica ions, o my hic p o ec o s, a he han ex a e es ials. The mode n aming o hese beings as “aliens” is
bes unde s ood as a ein e p e i e leap in con empo a y pseudoscience and popula cul u e, which e oac i ely
imposes mode n conce ns on o ancien eligious cosmologies (Tu ne & Tu ne , 2022).
2.2. Medie al & Ea ly Mode n In e p e a ions
2.2.1. Angels, demons, ai ies, and changelings as p ecu so s
Th oughou medie al and ea ly mode n Eu ope, encoun e s wi h nonhuman in elligences we e ypically amed in
e ms o angels, demons, o ai ies a he han ex a e es ials. Demonological adi ions such as he incubus and
succubus, spec al isi a ions, and noc u nal ligh s p o ided a ocabula y o in usi e expe iences ha esemble
mo i s la e ound in alien abduc ion na a i es (Ginzbu g, 1992; Le ack, 2016). Folklo e abou changelings, he sec e
subs i u ion o human in an s by supe na u al beings, mi o s con empo a y hemes o “hyb idisa ion” and in il a ion
in ex a e es ial lo e (Pu kiss, 2000). Con essions such as hose o Isobel Gowdie in se en een h-cen u y Sco land
illus a e how isiona y jou neys and spi i con ac s we e a icula ed wi h ex ao dina y de ail, p o iding ea ly
analogues o mode n claims o o he wo ldly in e ac ion (Wilby, 2010).
Schola s ha e also linked hese expe iences o uni e sal psychophysiological s a es such as sleep pa alysis, in which
indi iduals epo noc u nal assaul s o he p esence o s ange beings. These s a es we e in e p e ed in p emode n
Eu ope as demonic o ai y a acks, while oday hey a e o en e amed as alien abduc ions (Cox, 2015; Hu o d, 1982).
Such con inui ies highligh how cul u ally a ailable my hic amewo ks shape he in e p e a ion o anomalous human
expe iences.
2.2.2. Theological deba es on he plu ali y o wo lds
Medie al heology also engaged in specula i e deba es abou whe he mul iple inhabi ed wo lds exis ed. The
Condemna ion o 1277 a he Uni e si y o Pa is explici ly a i med God’s omnipo ence o c ea e many wo lds, ejec ing
A is o elian cons ain s on a single cosmos (Thijssen, 2003; Ca oll, 2008/2023). Thinke s such as Nicole O esme
conside ed he possibili y o mul iple wo lds, e en i hey concluded ha only one was ac ualised (Ki schne , 2009).
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Nicholas o Cusa u he ad anced his specula ion, en isioning li e on o he s a s as a na u al ex ension o di ine
c ea i i y (Mille , 2009).
By he se en een h cen u y, plu alism had mo ed om heological specula ion o popula science. Wo ks such as John
Wilkins’s The Disco e y o a Wo ld in he Moone (1638), Be na d de Fon enelle’s Con e sa ions on he Plu ali y o Wo lds
(1686), and Ch is iaan Huygens’s Cosmo heo os (1698) p esen ed he idea o ex a e es ial li e in accessible p ose,
legi imising he possibili y o inhabi ed plane s (C owe, 1997; Dick, 1982). Recen schola ship emphasises ha his
plu alism was con es ed, wi h c i ics such as William Whewell in he nine een h cen u y esis ing ex a e es ial
specula ion, showing he ongoing ension be ween heology, philosophy, and eme ging science (G aney, 2024).
2.2.3. Wi chc a ials and spec al isi o s as analogues
Wi chc a ials (1450–1750) c ea ed a ju idical a ena o na a i es o supe na u al in usion. Tes imonies equen ly
included epo s o spec al assaul s, nigh ligh s, and demonic encoun e s—mo i s wi h s iking pa allels o la e alien
abduc ion accoun s in ol ing pa alysis, anspo , and bodily iola ion (Le ack, 2016; No on, 2002). The Salem
wi chc a c isis (1692), o example, e eals how auma, umo , and spec al e idence shaped communal belie in
hidden pe secu o s. These eco ds inad e en ly p ese ed empla es o nonhuman in e ac ion la e epu posed in UFO
abduc ion es imonies.
2.2.4. F om demonology o alien demonology
Con empo a y eligious s udies highligh how mode n alien na a i es o en ep oduce Ch is ian demonological
ca ego ies. Male olen aliens a e o en in e p e ed as allen angels o demonic en i ies, while bene olen “space
b o he s” a e likened o angelic messenge s. Pa idge (2004) a gues ha mode n “alien demonology” is less a b eak
om Ch is ian adi ion han a ewo king o amilia eligious opes wi hin a echnological amewo k. This con inui y
explains why no ions o possession, in il a ion, and decep ion emain cen al o “aliens among us” na a i es.
2.3. Mode n UFO Na a i es (20 h Cen u y)
2.3.1. Roswell (1947) and Cold Wa anxie ies
The Roswell inciden o July 1947 is o en ega ded as he s a ing poin o mode n UFO my hology. Ini ial p ess eleases
claimed he eco e y o a “ lying disc,” bu he U.S. A my quickly e ac ed he s a emen , a ibu ing he deb is o a
wea he balloon. Decades la e , o icial epo s concluded ha he ma e ial came om P ojec MOGUL, a classi ied
balloon su eillance p og am, and ha alleged “alien bodies” we e likely mis emembe ed mili a y es dummies (U.S.
Ai Fo ce, 1994, 1997). None heless, Roswell became a cul u al ouchs one, e lec ing Cold Wa ea s o sec ecy,
echnological h ea , and go e nmen concealmen (Ba holomew & Howa d, 1998).
2.3.2. The Be y and Ba ney Hill abduc ion case
The 1961 case o Be y and Ba ney Hill was he i s widely publicised alien abduc ion na a i e in he Uni ed S a es.
Thei s o y, ea u ing “missing ime,” medical examina ions, and a s a map, was popula ised h ough John G. Fulle ’s
The In e up ed Jou ney (1966). Schola s no e ha he Hill case es ablished a empla e o subsequen abduc ion epo s,
pa icula ly mo i s o noc u nal pa alysis and in asi e p ocedu es (Clancy, 2005; McNally & Clancy, 2005).
Psychological s udies sugges ha expe iences o sleep pa alysis, alse memo y o ma ion, and cul u al sugges ion may
help explain how such accoun s a e in e nalised as ex a e es ial encoun e s (Clancy, 2005; McNally & Clancy, 2005).
2.3.3. Go e nmen sec ecy and disclosu e mo emen s
Du ing he Cold Wa , UFOs became en angled wi h b oade anxie ies abou sec ecy and su eillance. By he la e
wen ie h cen u y, “disclosu e” mo emen s demanded go e nmen anspa ency on alleged c ash e ie als and co e -
ups. Mo e ecen ly, declassi ied documen s and o icial epo s ha e e amed UFOs as “uniden i ied anomalous
phenomena” (UAP). The O ice o he Di ec o o Na ional In elligence (ODNI, 2021, 2023) acknowledged unexplained
cases bu emphasised limi ed and low-quali y da a. The Depa men o De ence eleased declassi ied Na y UAP ideos
in 2020 o inc ease anspa ency (U.S. Depa men o De ence, 2020). NASA’s (2023) independen e iew simila ly
ound no e idence o ex a e es ial c a bu ecommended s anda dised epo ing and open da a. The All-domain
Anomaly Resolu ion O ice (AARO, 2024) u he concluded ha decades o U.S. iles p o ided no subs an ia ed e idence
o alien echnology, a ibu ing many inciden s o misiden i ica ions, senso e o s, o classi ied e es ial p og ams.
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2.3.4. SETI and NASA’s ole in legi imising he sea ch
While UFOlogy o en cen es on sec ecy and pe sonal es imony, he scien i ic sea ch o ex a e es ial in elligence
(SETI) ollows a di e en ajec o y. The SETI Ins i u e ames he sea ch as hypo hesis-d i en as onomy, using adio
and op ical elescopes o de ec po en ial echnosigna u es (SETI Ins i u e, n.d.). NASA has also suppo ed as obiology
and li e-de ec ion esea ch, emphasising anspa ency and me hodological igou (NASA, 2023). The Na ional
Academies o Sciences, Enginee ing, and Medicine (2021) iden i ied he cha ac e isa ion o Ea h-like exoplane s as a
esea ch p io i y, legi imising he sea ch o biosigna u es and echnosigna u es wi hin mains eam science. Toge he ,
hese ini ia i es dis inguish he scien i ic pu sui o ex a e es ial li e om cul u al UFO belie sys ems, unde sco ing
di e gen epis emologies o “p oo .”
2.4. Con empo a y Belie Sys ems
2.4.1. New Age “s a seeds” and hyb id heo ies
In he la e wen ie h cen u y, UFO na a i es began o con e ge wi h New Age spi i uali y, p oducing belie sys ems
ha amed ex a e es ials no as ex e nal in ade s bu as spi i ual guides and cosmic kin. The “s a seed” mo emen
holds ha some humans a e einca na ed ex a e es ial souls sen o assis Ea h’s ans o ma ion. This belie aligns
wi h b oade New Age hemes o ascension, ib a ional equency, and plane a y awakening (Pa idge, 2004). Schola s
ha e no ed how such ideas blu he bounda y be ween eligion and popula cul u e, c ea ing hyb id cosmologies ha
e ame aliens as bene olen , sal i ic o ces (Haneg aa , 2013). Mo e ecen e hnog aphic esea ch documen s
communi ies in No h Ame ica and online pla o ms whe e indi iduals sel -iden i y as “s a seeds,” d awing au ho i y
om channelled messages, pe sonal es imonies, and spi i ual p ac ices (Aupe s & Hou man, 2010; Dema s, 2023).
Hyb idisa ion heo ies ex end hese mo i s by claiming ha aliens a e engaged in gene ic p og ams, p oducing “hyb id
child en” who will media e be ween species. These na a i es esona e wi h olklo ic changeling mo i s while adap ing
hem o echnological and gene ic discou ses (Bulla d, 2010).
2.4.2. Rep ilian shapeshi e s and conspi acy heo ies
Ano he s and o con empo a y belie depic s aliens as decep i e in il a o s a he han spi i ual allies. The mos
p ominen is he “ ep ilian” hypo hesis popula ised by conspi acy heo is s such as Da id Icke, who asse s ha
shapeshi ing ep ilian eli es sec e ly con ol human ins i u ions. Schola s in e p e such na a i es as symbolic
p ojec ions o poli ical dis us , globalisa ion anxie y, and acialised o he ness (Ba kun, 2013). The ep ilian my h
se es as a mode n o m o demonology, ecycling olde mo i s o possession and hidden in il a ion while ansla ing
hem in o poli ical-conspi a o ial egis e s (Pa idge, 2004). I s sp ead h ough digi al subcul u es illus a es how
UFOlogy and conspi acy hinking inc easingly o e lap, p oducing wha Ba kun (2013) calls a “conspi acy milieu” whe e
supe na u al, poli ical, and pseudoscien i ic claims ein o ce each o he .
2.4.3. Online communi ies, TikTok, and YouTube UFOlogy
Digi al pla o ms ha e adically eshaped how UFO belie s ci cula e. Online o ums such as Reddi ’s /UFOs, ideo
pla o ms like YouTube, and TikTok c ea o s ampli y pe sonal es imonies, alleged oo age, and specula i e heo ies.
Lipińska e al. (2025) demons a e how “expe igu es” in hese online communi ies acqui e au ho i y no h ough
ins i u ional science, bu h ough cha isma, na a i e cohe ence, and isibili y. Social media algo i hms p io i ise
sensa ional, emo ionally engaging con en , allowing alien conspi acy and abduc ion na a i es o each massi e
audiences quickly (Zucke man, 2023). The pa icipa o y na u e o hese pla o ms os e s wha Jenkins (2006) calls
“con e gence cul u e,” whe e ans, belie e s, and skep ics co-p oduce he UFO discou se by emixing es imonies,
memes, and commen a y. Recen analyses highligh ha digi al UFOlogy is less abou cohe en doc ine han abou
main aining in e p e i e communi ies ha h i e on ambigui y, mys e y, and he a ec i e h ill o “wha i ” (Lemie e,
2022).
Taken oge he , con empo a y belie sys ems e lec a di e si ica ion o alien na a i es in o spi i ualized,
conspi a o ial, and pa icipa o y digi al o ms. These a ia ions show ha he “aliens among us” mo i is no s a ic bu
dynamically eshaped by cul u al anxie ies, spi i ual yea nings, and media ecologies.
2.5. Media and Popula Cul u e
2.5.1. The X-Files, Men in Black, and Ancien Aliens
Tele ision and ilm ha e played a c i ical ole in shaping he public's imagina ion abou ex a e es ials li ing sec e ly
among humans. The X-Files (1993–2002; 2016–2018) blended conspi acy h ille opes wi h pa ano mal
in es iga ions, popula ising he idea o hidden alien–go e nmen alliances and ein o cing a cul u al he meneu ic o
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suspicion encapsula ed in he ph ase “ us no one” (Mi ell, 2015). Schola s a gue ha his se ies helped embed
UFOlogy in o mains eam discou se by p esen ing sec ecy and in il a ion as na a i ely plausible (Ba kun, 2013). By
con as , Men in Black (1997–2019) ende ed cohabi a ion humo ous and bu eauc a ic, depic ing aliens as e e yday
igu es in eg a ed in o human socie y while policed by a sec e i e agency. Such po ayals e amed anxie ies abou
immig a ion, globalisa ion, and su eillance in o en e aining, manageable na a i es (Booke , 2006; Telo e, 2001).
The His o y Channel’s Ancien Aliens (2009–p esen ) ad anced a mo e specula i e app oach, sugges ing ha
ex a e es ials in luenced human ci ilisa ions. Schola s o eligion and a chaeology c i ique his as pseudoscience,
a guing ha i unde mines indigenous agency by a ibu ing cul u al achie emen s o alien in e en ion (Fede , 2020;
Pa idge, 2004).
2.5.2. Film and ideo-game po ayals ein o cing alien cohabi a ion.
Cinema and gaming ex end hese hemes h ough in e ac i e and imme si e s o y elling. Films such as Dis ic 9 (2009)
and They Li e (1988) po ay aliens as ma ginalised popula ions o decep i e in il a o s, e lec ing social anxie ies
abou ace, class, and go e nance. Comedies like Paul (2011) no malise ex a e es ials as qui ky companions, while
anchises like The Wo ld’s End (2013) imagine alien assimila ion as a me apho o con o mi y. Video games u he
ein o ce hese opes by allowing playe s o nego ia e in e species diplomacy o con lic , no malising he idea o alien–
human coexis ence h ough simula ed go e nance s uc u es (Booke , 2006; Telo e, 2001).
2.5.3. Meme cul u e and alien i ali y online
Digi al pla o ms ha e ampli ied UFO discou se by u ning i in o pa icipa o y cul u e. Memes such as he widely
ci cula ed “I am no saying i was aliens, bu …” mac o om Ancien Aliens exempli y how i onic humou and specula ion
in e wine, allowing use s o oscilla e be ween belie and pa ody (Shi man, 2013). Schola s no e ha au ho i y in online
UFO subcul u es eme ges less om scien i ic expe ise and mo e om pe o mance, cha isma, and algo i hmic
ampli ica ion (Jenkins, 2006; Phillips & Milne , 2017). As us in ins i u ions wanes, pla o ms like TikTok, YouTube,
and Reddi p omo e sensa ional UFO na a i es h ough i ali y, embedding ex a e es ial belie wi hin he b oade
landscape o digi al mis us and conspi a o ial hinking (Zucke man, 2023).
2.6. Psychological and Sociological Dimensions
2.6.1. Collec i e auma, memo y, and p ojec ion
Psychological esea ch has long no ed he ole o memo y, auma, and p ojec ion in shaping na a i es o alien
encoun e s. Abduc ion accoun s equen ly include desc ip ions o pa alysis, in asi e p ocedu es, and al e ed s a es o
consciousness, which schola s link o sleep pa alysis, pos - auma ic s ess symp oms, and cul u ally media ed memo y
cons uc ion (McNally & Clancy, 2005). Collec i e auma, such as Cold Wa anxie ies abou nuclea annihila ion o pos -
9/11 ea s o su eillance, has also been p ojec ed on o alien image y, wi h ex a e es ials embodying anxie ies abou
domina ion, sec ecy, and loss o con ol (Dean, 1998; Peebles, 2022). In his sense, “aliens among us” se e as
psychological placeholde s o di use ea s ha a e di icul o a icula e di ec ly, encoding bo h indi idual ulne abili y
and b oade cul u al insecu i ies.
2.6.2. Belie in aliens as a coping mechanism o exis en ial unce ain y
Belie in ex a e es ial cohabi a ion also unc ions as a coping mechanism in he ace o exis en ial unce ain y. Social
psychologis s a gue ha conspi acy- ela ed belie s, including UFOlogy, o en p o ide a sense o o de and agency in
en i onmen s pe cei ed as uns able (Douglas, 2023; Pumme e e al., 2025). By posi ing hidden ac o s, bene olen
“space b o he s” o male olen ep ilian eli es, alien na a i es o e explana o y amewo ks ha e-enchan a
secula ised, echnoscien i ic socie y. This helps indi iduals manage unce ain y abou human su i al, cosmic soli ude,
o he in eg i y o poli ical ins i u ions ( an P ooijen e al., 2023). In eligious s udies e ms, aliens ul il oles once
occupied by angels o demons, o e ing p o ec ion, judgmen , o punishmen , he eby p o iding con inui y be ween
adi ional eligious cosmologies and con empo a y secula -spi i ual imagina ies (Pa idge, 2004).
2.6.3. Alien na a i es as mode n my h-making
F om a cul u al-his o ical pe spec i e, alien na a i es can be ead as mode n my h s o ies ha a icula e collec i e
alues, anxie ies, and hopes h ough symbolic igu es. Jung (1958/2009) amously a gued ha lying sauce s ope a e
as “ echnological mandalas,” embodying a che ypal pa e ns o wholeness du ing imes o c isis. Con empo a y schola s
ex end his eading, showing how UFO belie s ha e become pa o “my hologies o he p esen ,” whe e media, olklo e,
and science con e ge o na a e humani y’s place in he cosmos (Peebles, 2022; Denzle , 2023). My h-making in his
con ex does no deno e alsehood bu a he he symbolic wo k o c a ing meaning unde condi ions o unce ain y.
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Digi al cul u e ampli ies his p ocess: i al memes, li es eamed UFO hea ings, and TikTok abduc ion es imonies
con ibu e o an ongoing my hos in which aliens a e simul aneously play ul, e i ying, and p o oundly meaning ul
(Lipińska e al., 2025; Zucke man, 2023).
Taken oge he , he psychological and sociological dimensions o “aliens among us” show how ex a e es ial
na a i es pe sis no despi e a lack o e idence bu because hey p o ide powe ul cul u al sc ip s o p ocessing
auma, nego ia ing unce ain y, and e-enchan ing he mode n imagina ion.
3. Theo e ical F amewo k
The pe sis ence o na a i es abou ex a e es ials “li ing among us” can be illumina ed h ough a ange o heo e ical
lenses d awn om cul u al his o y, sociology o eligion, olklo e s udies, and media heo y. These amewo ks help
si ua e alien belie s no me ely as ac ual claims bu as cul u al p ocesses o meaning-making, symbolic nego ia ion, and
social imagina ion.
3.1. Social Memo y Theo y
Social memo y heo y emphasises how g oups emembe , ansmi , and ein e p e collec i e expe iences ac oss
gene a ions (Assmann, 2011; Olick & Robbins, 1998). Applied o alien na a i es, i explains why mo i s o sky beings,
abduc ion, o in il a ion emain esilien e en when empi ical e i ica ion is absen . Jus as medie al demonological
encoun e s we e a chi ed h ough cou eco ds and se mons, mode n alien abduc ion accoun s and UFO epo s
ci cula e ia books, documen a ies, and digi al pla o ms, c ea ing eposi o ies o collec i e “memo y” ha ein o ce
belie . This pe spec i e highligh s ha wha ma e s is no empi ical p oo , bu a he he social ci cula ion and cul u al
du abili y o such memo ies (Peebles, 2022).
3.2. My h and Symbol Theo y
My h and symbol heo y, associa ed wi h Mi cea Eliade and Joseph Campbell, in e p e s ecu ing mo i s as a che ypal
s uc u es ha communica e uni e sal human conce ns. Eliade (1959/1998) a gued ha my hs o ien human beings
in a cosmic o de , while Campbell (1949/2008) saw a che ypes such as he he o o he guide as ecu ing ac oss
cul u es. Wi hin his amewo k, alien na a i es ope a e as mode n my hs, encoding ques s o anscendence, ea s o
in asion, and desi es o sal a ion. UFOs and aliens unc ion as symbolic s and-ins o he sac ed—embodying bo h
d ead and hope in a secula ised wo ld. Jung’s (1958/2009) eading o lying sauce s as “ echnological mandalas”
exempli ies his app oach, po aying hem as a che ypes o wholeness p ojec ed in o he skies du ing pe iods o c isis.
3.3. Pos colonial Theo y
Pos colonial amewo ks highligh how alien na a i es ep oduce anxie ies abou ace, colonisa ion, and cul u al
“o he ness.” Aliens o en se e as me apho s o he o eigne o colonise , whe he depic ed as in ade s (Wa o he
Wo lds) o as ma ginalised communi ies (Dis ic 9). The ecu en heme o ep ilian shapeshi e s in il a ing poli ical
eli es e lec s longs anding opes o hidden enemies, acialised suspicion, and ea s o cul u al eplacemen (Ba kun,
2013). F om a c i ical pe spec i e, shows like Ancien Aliens e ase indigenous agency by a ibu ing monumen al
a chi ec u e o ex a e es ials, pe pe ua ing colonial hie a chies o knowledge (Fede , 2020). Thus, pos colonial
analysis si ua es aliens as symbolic “o he s” ha mi o un esol ed ensions a ound empi e, ace, and global inequali y.
3.4. Media and Discou se Theo y
Media and discou se heo ies examine how communica ion sys ems cons uc , ci cula e, and s abilise alien belie s.
Jenkins’ (2006) heo y o con e gence cul u e explains how UFO na a i es h i e in pa icipa o y digi al spaces whe e
use s co-c ea e s o ies, memes, and es imonies. Media s udies schola s demons a e how The X-Files, Men in Black,
and YouTube UFOlogy communi ies se e as discu si e a enas whe e he p esence o aliens is d ama ised, con es ed,
and no malised (Mi ell, 2015; Lipińska e al., 2025). Discou se analysis e eals how es imony, image y, and
algo i hmic ampli ica ion lend UFOlogy a semblance o legi imacy, e en in he absence o empi ical e i ica ion. This
pe spec i e unde sco es ha aliens “among us” a e as much a media e ec as hey a e a me aphysical p oposi ion.
3.5. Sociology o Religion
Finally, he sociology o eligion ames aliens as unc ional equi alen s o gods, angels, o demons. Pa idge (2004)
a gues ha male olen alien a che ypes inhe i ai s om Ch is ian demonology, while bene olen “space b o he s”
esemble angelic guides. F om his iew, UFO eligions, New Age s a seed mo emen s, and abduc ion es imonies
unc ion as new eligious mo emen s, p o iding cosmologies, i uals, and exis en ial meaning (Aupe s & Hou man,
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2010). Belie in aliens hus pe o ms he same cul u al wo k as adi ional eligion: explaining human o igins, o e ing
mo al lessons, and si ua ing humani y wi hin a la ge cosmic d ama.
4. Me hodology
4.1. Resea ch Design
This s udy adop s a na a i e e iew design wi h an in e disciplina y syn hesis. A na a i e e iew is app op ia e
because he phenomenon o ex a e es ial belie spans mul iple disciplines, olklo e, sociology, psychology, media
s udies, and eligious s udies, wi hou a single me hodological s anda d. Unlike sys ema ic e iews, which ely on ixed
inclusion/exclusion c i e ia and me a-analysis, na a i e e iews allow o in e p e i e syn hesis ac oss he e ogeneous
li e a u es (Snyde , 2019). This design suppo s he goal o mapping how alien “li ing among us” na a i es e ol e
ac oss his o ical pe iods and cul u al egis e s.
4.2. Sou ces o Da a
The e iew d aws om se e al ca ego ies o sou ces:
• Pee - e iewed academic esea ch (wi h p io i y gi en o publica ions om 2022–2025) in sociology o eligion,
conspi acy psychology, media s udies, and olklo e.
• Founda ional ex s in compa a i e my hology and he s udy o new eligious mo emen s (e.g., Eliade, Jung,
Pa idge).
• Folklo e collec ions and e hnog aphies documen ing my hic beings (e.g., demons, changelings, s a beings) ha
unc ion as p ecu so s o ex a e es ial mo i s.
• UFOlogy and abduc ion s udies, including bo h academic analyses (e.g., Bulla d, Clancy) and c i ical
go e nmen epo s (e.g., NASA, AARO, ODNI).
• Media con en ilms, ele ision se ies (The X-Files, Ancien Aliens, Men in Black), ideo games, and digi al cul u e
a e ac s (memes, YouTube channels, TikTok es imonies)— o assess how alien na a i es a e ep esen ed and
ein e p e ed.
• This mul i-sou ce app oach e lec s he s udy’s conce n no only wi h “wha ” people belie e bu also wi h how
belie is media ed, ci cula ed, and legi imised.
4.3. Analy ical Tools
Th ee analy ical s a egies guide he e iew:
• Discou se analysis – Tes imonies, abduc ion accoun s, go e nmen epo s, and online o ums (e.g., Reddi ,
TikTok, YouTube) a e analyzed as discu si e si es whe e au ho i y, c edibili y, and expe ience a e cons uc ed.
This ollows Foucauldian insigh s in o discou se as a sys em o knowledge and powe (Foucaul , 1972/2010).
In his con ex , abduc ion na a i es and disclosu e es imonies a e no ea ed as simple ac ual claims, bu
a he as pe o ma i e ex s ha nego ia e legi imacy.
• Compa a i e my hology – Alien na a i es a e examined agains olde adi ions o sky beings, angels, demons,
and changelings. This me hod highligh s con inui ies and econ ex ualiza ions ac oss ime, showing how
amilia my hic mo i s a e ansla ed in o echnological and ex a e es ial idioms. D awing on Eliade
(1959/1998) and Campbell (1949/2008), he analysis si ua es aliens as mode n my hological igu es
pe o ming he same symbolic wo k as adi ional dei ies and spi i s.
• Thema ic syn hesis – Ac oss sociology, psychology, and media s udies, hemes such as auma, mis us ,
anscendence, sec ecy, and hyb idi y a e ex ac ed and syn hesised. This me hod allows he in eg a ion o
insigh s om dispa a e disciplines in o a cohe en in e p e i e amewo k (Thomas & Ha den, 2008). Fo
example, conspi acy psychology’s ocus on epis emic unce ain y (Douglas, 2023; Pumme e e al., 2025) is
syn hesised wi h eligious s udies’ aming o aliens as unc ional analogues o angels (Pa idge, 2004) o
highligh how ex a e es ial na a i es mee social and exis en ial needs.
4.4. E hical and Epis emological Conside a ions
Because belie in aliens in e sec s wi h deeply held wo ld iews, he analysis p oceeds wi h epis emic humili y. The goal
is no o adjudica e he on ological eali y o ex a e es ials bu o explain why belie in hei p esence pe sis s and
e ol es. In line wi h cul u al an h opology and sociology o eligion, all es imonies and na a i es a e ea ed as
meaning ul cul u al a i ac s, ega dless o empi ical s a us. This s ance a oids pa hologising belie e s while si ua ing
hei claims wi hin b oade cul u al, poli ical, and echnological con ex s.
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5. Findings and Discussion
5.1. Aliens as My hic Con inui ies
One o he s onges indings o his e iew is he pe sis ence o my hic con inui ies ha connec ancien “sky beings”
o con empo a y ex a e es ial na a i es. Ac oss ci ilisa ions, humans ha e imagined con ac wi h nonhuman
in elligences who descend om o inhabi he hea ens. Mesopo amian adi ions o he Apkallu, semi-di ine sages sen
om he gods o impa wisdom, mi o he con empo a y mo i o “aliens as eache s o humani y” (Dalley, 2000).
Simila ly, Vedic hymns desc ibe De as a e sing he skies in luminous ehicles ( imanas). A he same ime,
Mesoame ican my hs ame Que zalcoa l as a ea he ed se pen descending om he hea ens o b ing knowledge and
o de (Townsend, 2009). These ancien igu es embody he a che ype o cosmic isi o s bea ing ans o ma i e powe ,
a pa e n ha mode n UFO na a i es eplica e in he o m o bene olen “space b o he s” o echnologically ad anced
beings o e ing sal a ion.
The c oss-cul u al ecu ence o celes ial isi o s sugges s ha alien na a i es a e no en i ely new bu ep esen
mode n econ igu a ions o endu ing a che ypes. Joseph Campbell’s (1949/2008) wo k on my hic a che ypes
highligh s he uni e sali y o he “helpe om beyond,” while Mi cea Eliade (1959/1998) emphasises he cen ali y o
e ical anscendence beings descending om he sky o enew he wo ld. In mode n con ex s, he same symbolic
g amma is applied o ex a e es ials: UFO con ac ees o en in e p e aliens as gua dians o peace, in e ening o
p e en nuclea ca as ophe, echoing ancien my hs o gods p o ec ing humani y om cosmic diso de (Bulla d, 2010;
Pa idge, 2004).
Psychological and symbolic eadings ein o ce his con inui y. Jung (1958/2009) in e p e ed UFOs as “ echnological
mandalas,” a che ypal symbols o wholeness p ojec ed in o a space-age sky. Mo e ecen cul u al s udies a gue ha
aliens unc ion as “my hs o he mode n age,” encoding bo h awe a echnological p og ess and anxie y abou i s
unin ended consequences (Denzle , 2023; Peebles, 2022). This demons a es how ancien a che ypes o celes ial
descen and guidance a e ecycled in mode n idioms: gods become ex a e es ials, cha io s become spacec a .
Hea enly e ela ions become abduc ion es imonies o New Age s a -seed eachings.
In sho , he indings sugges ha alien na a i es h i e no because hey ep esen a b eak wi h adi ion, bu because
hey d aw con inui y om deeply embedded c oss-cul u al a che ypes o cosmic isi o s. These con inui ies p o ide
symbolic s abili y, allowing new gene a ions o ea icula e imeless conce ns such as knowledge, su i al, and
anscendence h ough he idiom o he ex a e es ial.
5.2. Social and Psychological Func ions
Alien na a i es also pe o m signi ican social and psychological unc ions, pa icula ly in la e mode n socie ies whe e
adi ional eligious amewo ks ha e weakened bu exis en ial conce ns emain.
5.2.1. Filling spi i ual oids in secula socie ies
In many Wes e n con ex s, declining adhe ence o ins i u ional eligion has c ea ed wha schola s desc ibe as a
“spi i ual ma ke place,” whe e indi iduals seek meaning ou side con en ional belie sys ems (Haneg aa , 2013).
Wi hin his milieu, ex a e es ial na a i es o e cosmologies o pu pose and anscendence ha pa allel olde
eligious amewo ks. Abduc ion accoun s o en include hemes o e ela ion, mo al eaching, o ans o ma ion,
unc ioning much like isiona y expe iences in mys ical adi ions (Bulla d, 2010). New Age mo emen s ein e p e
aliens as bene olen s a beings o guides, p o iding na a i es o cosmic kinship and des iny (Aupe s & Hou man,
2010). F om a sociological pe spec i e, hese s o ies help o e-enchan a disenchan ed wo ld, o e ing belie e s a sense
o connec ion o some hing la ge han humani y i sel (Pa idge, 2004).
5.2.2. P ojec ion o collec i e ea s
A he same ime, alien na a i es ex e nalise and d ama ise cul u al anxie ies. Du ing he Cold Wa , UFO sigh ings we e
o en in e p e ed as p ojec ions o nuclea ea and anxie ies abou s a e sec ecy (Dean, 1998). In con empo a y
con ex s, aliens a e equen ly imagined as colonise s, echoing he aumas o impe ialism and subjuga ion (Denzle ,
2023). The ep ilian-shapeshi e conspi acy, o example, p ojec s ea s o hidden su eillance and eli e domina ion,
u ning ex a e es ials in o me apho s o opaque poli ical powe (Ba kun, 2013). Simila ly, apocalyp ic na a i es o
alien in asion d ama ise ecological collapse and echnological isk, allowing socie ies o p ocess o he wise
o e whelming anxie ies h ough symbolic s o y elling (Douglas, 2023; an P ooijen e al., 2023).
