| Some weeks ago I came across a story in which it | | | | justification for SETI efforts imply that the galaxy is |
| was mentioned that a noted scientist had classified | | | | already fully explored. Even if there is enormous |
| SETI (Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence) as a | | | | quackery in this area, every claim needs to be |
| religion. There was also a rebuttal by a SETI | | | | checked out. An alien visit at some point in the past is |
| astronomer to the effect that SETI was indeed a | | | | more likely than not, and it could provide clues on |
| serious scientific endeavor. Neither argument was | | | | where to find them. Wholly ignoring this area is still |
| convincing. | | | | another example of the collective unconscious desiring |
| I asked ancient astronaut expert Morten St. George | | | | failure. |
| about this. Is SETI a religion? He did not respond with a | | | | 4. SETI astronomers tend to assume that the |
| direct yes or no. He merely spoke of a psychological | | | | extraterrestrials think like humans, employ human |
| concept known as the collective unconscious. I | | | | technology, and communicate at the wavelengths |
| understood this to be a type of mental archetype that | | | | suggested by the collective unconscious. Logic dictates |
| lies deep and hidden in the minds of humankind, causing | | | | that if there is another technological civilization out |
| people to make mistakes on purpose. According to | | | | there, it has to be far more advanced than us since |
| Morten, a specific archetype is at play here and it can | | | | humans have possessed technology not even for a |
| be described as follows: God created man in his own | | | | split second on a galactic time scale. So why would an |
| image, therefore humankind is the only intelligent life | | | | advanced civilization want to communicate at a |
| form in the universe. | | | | frequency that has lots of galactic background noise |
| Morten said that the collective unconscious affects the | | | | rather than a frequency that has little or no static? |
| SETI astronomers just like the rest of humankind. The | | | | Once again the collective unconscious controls SETI |
| SETI astronomers consciously want to make contact | | | | thinking, leading to certain failure. |
| with extraterrestrials but unconsciously, or | | | | Sky-wide searches at ridiculous wavelengths will never |
| subconsciously, they do not want to. The result is that | | | | produce results. Morten thinks the collective |
| the collective unconscious has led the conscious | | | | unconscious has incapacitated the SETI astronomers, |
| efforts of the SETI astronomers to perpetual failure: | | | | leaving them wholly unable to ascertain genuinely good |
| He gave me a few examples: | | | | targets and then perform concentrated, multi-faceted, |
| 1. SETI astronomers have looked closely at nearby | | | | multi-bandwidth searches on those targets. Instead, |
| stars for extraterrestrial intelligence. Beyond all doubt it | | | | they blindly turn their telescopes around and around, |
| has become obvious that intelligent life does not evolve | | | | merrily, subconsciously, knowing that they will never |
| on every planet. Why in the world should we believe | | | | pick up a signal. Thus, the argument that SETI is a |
| we would find it on a nearby planet? The chances of | | | | religion is a strong one, and religion, not a lack of |
| that are so remote it is not worth of drop of effort. | | | | extraterrestrial intelligence, accounts for SETI's overall |
| Yet enormous time and effort have been lost | | | | failure to date. |
| searching nearby stars, time and effort that could have | | | | Morten has the following recommendations for SETI |
| been much better spent looking in places likely to be | | | | astronomers who find themselves able to break away |
| more productive. A classic example of the collective | | | | from the impediments of the collective unconscious. |
| unconscious causing failure for SETI. | | | | Stop, think, and regroup. The objective is |
| 2. SETI astronomers have undertaken blanket surveys | | | | extraterrestrial intelligence and the only road to finding it |
| of the entire sky. Why would any rational scientist | | | | is to make use of human intelligence. One must |
| want to waste limited resources searching aloof | | | | consider the probabilities. The most likely scenario is as |
| sections of the sky with low star density when those | | | | follows: at least one alien civilization is widely dispersed |
| resources could be better spent searching areas with | | | | throughout the galaxy and that alien civilization a) |
| high star density and correspondingly higher chances | | | | possesses extremely advanced technology, b) knows |
| of finding an alien communication? Or why not search | | | | that we are here, and c) is not sending us any |
| areas of the galaxy where dark clouds might have | | | | messages. |
| protected an evolving civilization from deadly cosmic | | | | What can SETI astronomers do in such |
| rays, making those areas a more likely place for a | | | | circumstances? Recognize what they are up against |
| civilization to have had the time to achieve technology? | | | | and try to outsmart the aliens. Probe dark clouds along |
| Another classic example of the collective unconscious | | | | the galactic plane, search for energy trails deposited |
| contributing to SETI failure. | | | | by their near speed-of-light spaceships, search for |
| 3. SETI astronomers tend to ignore all ancient | | | | potential artificially-created energy sources and |
| astronaut and ufology claims. Perhaps they want to be | | | | concentrate searches in those areas, read science |
| considered as respectful scientists by the world | | | | fiction books for ideas on futuristic space |
| community? The fact of the matter is that, on a | | | | communication technologies, try to detect and intercept |
| galactic timescale, it does not take very long to | | | | communications that use those technologies. It is time |
| explore the galaxy. The arguments for the existence | | | | to elevate the dignity of our species and demonstrate |
| of extraterrestrial intelligence and equally the | | | | our ingenuity in a cat and mouse game. |