Extraterrestrial Contact: Are We Educated Enough?
Friday, May 9, 2014 9:12
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It’s a central question when it comes to extraterrestrial contact: are humans ready for such an event? Dr. Gabriel de la Torre of the University of Cadiz in Spain is one of a handful of researchers who have attempted to answer the question through research. His answer is simple: no.
De la Torre did a survey of 166 university students in America, Italy and Spain. They were asked general questions about their religious beliefs and their knowledge of cosmology. They were also asked about their beliefs in regards to First Contact. De la Torre has published the results in his paper “Toward a new cosmic consciousness: Psychoeducational aspects of contact with extraterrestrial civilizations.”
It’s always a disappointment not to have access to the full paper. But as usual, it’s an Acta Astronautica publication and there is no free view available. I found out about the study via the Universe Today.
It’s an interesting topic for a neuro-psychologist to explore. De la Torre concludes that due to a poor understanding of the science of the cosmos, the university students would end up relying on political and religious figures to mediate their response to First Contact. The report recommends that we do not attempt to contact extraterrestrials, because we are not ready. De la Torre concludes that education is the key to preparation.
I can understand the concern that Dr. De la Torre has in regards to mediators. An uneducated public could be easily swayed by fear messaging. Given the human condition, it does seem likely that politicians, religious groups and other organizations might spin First Contact in a way that gives them more power.
I think the only antidote to this problem would be an active and aggressive news media. If First Contact does indeed happen someday, the media will be critical in relaying information and providing perspective. Now, many folks involved in this subject matter have worries about how the media might handle First Contact. Those are legitimate concerns. One need only look to the CNN coverage of the search for Malaysian Flight 370. The speculation and hyperbole have been excessive and quite frankly, rather stupid. But it brings up an important point. The most dangerous situation in any media event is a lack of information. Speculation comes about when there is a mystery. The longer the mystery, the worse the speculation can become. I have called this phenomenon an information vacuum. It’s a big part of crisis communications. A crisis communicator must work quickly to provide facts, so that people don’t fill in the gaps with speculation.
How would this work in First Contact? I think the key is to have a well-considered plan for contact. And this is where it gets complicated. I don’t mean a plan for humans, but rather for aliens wishing to make contact with us. They would have to consider human crisis communication issues and have a plan to respond in a way that obviates the dangers inherent in high-stress situations. People assume that aliens would be so different from us that such considerations would be impossible. I think this is a naïve view. One would imagine that an extraterrestrial civilization with the technology needed to contact humans would also have the ability to study us, perhaps via the internet, if they had a probe of some sort. That research would be critical. But everything needed to plan a thoughtful, and hopefully successful, First Contact event is available on the internet. Would it take time to learn our languages, examine human psychology and understand sociology? Certainly. But if you are an alien civilization with advanced technology, you are used to doing the hard work, in whatever context that means for your particular extraterrestrial perspective. There would be no advantage in a hasty and poorly-prepared First Contact with humans, no matter what the agenda. I think aliens interested in contacting humans would likely prepare well.
How best to approach humans and how to make sure such a First Contact event is successful is a matter that could be studied today, using research and knowledge that humans have already collected. The human response has nothing to do with aliens. It has everything to do with human behavior.
Ultimately, I don’t agree with Dr. De la Torre, if his comments in the popular media are in fact representative of his paper. I think humans are ready. But the process is the key. Scientists must be front and center in the media, providing perspective and calming fears. Attempts by politicians and religious leaders to spin the situation for their own interests must be called out by the media, scientists and more enlightened leaders. In the end, the type of First Contact would be what could decide human reaction. All of these factors must be considered and unfortunately for us, it’s up to the aliens to do the work on the front end. Once the ball is rolling we will need to be ready, but I don’t think education will get us there. Now, I agree with Dr. De la Torre that an educated human population would be best. But we have everything in human society that we need to accomplish a positive First Contact right now. Those components just need to be used properly.
Source: http://firstcontact29.blogspot.com/2014/05/extraterrestrial-contact-are-we.html
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Well actually, all of this is a moot point as there has been extraterrestrial contact for many thousands of years now:
Ancient ‘Messengers’
http://www.upwardvectorpubs.com/32ancmsg.htm
However that “contact” comes right up to present time:
UFOs around Nuclear Weapons
http://www.upwardvectorpubs.com/61ufox.htm
The problem here is that some people are still trying very desperately to keep all of this a great big secret:
Levels of Deception (Roswell)
http://www.upwardvectorpubs.com/62lofd1.htm
http://www.upwardvectorpubs.com/62lofd2.htm
http://www.upwardvectorpubs.com/62lofd3.htm
And many in the “Alternative Media” field are being a part of the counterintelligence operations to keep certain things suppressed and hidden from the public. Primary among them is this:
The Role of Earth
http://www.upwardvectorpubs.com/63roe.htm
And this:
Between-Lives Implanting
http://www.upwardvectorpubs.com/74bli1.htm
http://www.upwardvectorpubs.com/74bli2.htm
Now of course many of those on the higher level boards are not exactly thrilled about this being widely known, so the resistance to a full public disclosure is coming from a higher level as well:
http://www.upwardvectorpubs.com/72nil2.htm
http://www.upwardvectorpubs.com/85nca.htm
There may come a point however when “others” who are currently holding on a higher level board may just initiate certain actions anyway:
http://www.upwardvectorpubs.com/71intro.htm
So if someone were to say that people down here aren’t ready for the truth and open contact, I would tell them to speak only for themselves.
David Griffin
Upward Vector Publishing
http://www.upwardvectorpubs.com
FIRST
People, even people who think they know (such as Greer)
need to realize that there are 84 different Other World visitors
33 of which are a form of grey
The Elohim Alliance is composed of 19 plus ”Father Which Art In Heaven” – interested only in nurturing the Living Library of
Earth.
Many of the remainder have interests in the minerals which they need for survival (such as Tom Halls’ Tall Whites)
It is dividing these various visitors into their needs which will guide us
and it is by their space craft we can (usually) discern
Our primitive ancestors have been contacted for thousands of years, at some point these contactors thought it best to no longer have direct contact with us, it seems this took place around the time we call the ‘Dark ages’ where the entire human culture took a hit and we began our journey alone on Earth. It could have been a sign that they knew we already grew past the need for their help and educational wise we had grown past their control. Outside destroying the civilization again, they let us go and grow… I believe now they realize what a horrible ideal that was and have returned now, but the only problem is they have returned alongside many other contacts and realize to many are here to destroy us so they sit back and watch us. I believe at some point we will hit a presuppose to were they will have no choice but to step in and stop us from either killing ourselves or the planet. There are far to many resources here for them to just let this planet die, the problem is how long are they going to let us continue to destroy it until they stop us.