Mysterious Encounters With Extraterrestrial Life

On a summer day in 1947, Kenneth Arnold, a pilot, was on his way to Oregon to attend an air show. As he flew past Mount Rainier, he claimed to have seen nine high-speed, shiny, saucer-shaped objects. After this sighting, Arnold became immersed in the idea of extraterrestrial life and began to study his encounter with UFOs. At first, he was hesitant about whether or not he should share further ideas, seeing as his initial findings were not received well. Despite public reactions, the curiosity surrounding extraterrestrial life rapidly grew, with many organizations such as NASA and USAF taking interest. This instance was the first widely publicized occurrence of a UFO sighting, and it became known as the “Year of the Flying Saucer.”

UFO sightings really began to skyrocket in the 1950s. One of the most widely recognized locations of UFO sightings is Area 51, which has been a major contributor to the uprising of UFO conspiracy theories. Area 51 is a United States military base in southern Nevada created in 1955 and originally developed to work as a test facility for aircraft and weapon systems. In the 1980s, one of the biggest theories to date came from a man who claimed to have worked at the base and stated that the government was participating in research related to a recovered alien spacecraft.  

Information surrounding the existence of UFOs in Area 51 was not officially published by the government until 2013. Dr. Jeffrey T. Richelson referenced the Freedom of Information Act, by requesting to obtain information on documents from the U.S. government. These documents led to an understanding of the actions taken on the base but were eventually revealed to have mentioned nothing about UFO sightings. The government denied any claims concerning UFOs in Area 51, stating that these sightings were solely experiments with new military craft and were not in any way related to ET life. 

Despite these assertions, this can be quite confusing when many have found convincing evidence of UFOs, ultimately serving as a counterclaim to the statements made about Area 51. One of the most well-known forms of UFO evidence was taken in 1950, before Area 51’s development. On a small farm in McMinnville, Oregon, where Evelyn and Paul Trent lived, a photograph of a UFO was taken, which was not too far from the location of the Mount Rainier sighting. This UFO was described to be a slow-moving, metallic, and circular-shaped object heading towards the farm. Evelyn claimed to have instructed her husband to grab a camera to capture the moment, as she kept a close eye on the UFO. Paul was able to take a couple of photos before the UFO sped away. This was a groundbreaking moment that quickly made its way to the news, as a similar occurrence was unheard of. Although, there were many opposing opinions in the following years. The photos were analyzed, and many determined that they did not appear to be edited or distorted in any way. However, a claim was later made in the 1980s by journalists Philip J. Klass and Robert Sheaffer stating that certain elements of the pictures such as the coloration and angle of the UFO seemed to be off. Additionally, it was added in later years that the UFO could have simply been a fake model, created by the Trents themselves. These points were even more vivid when the Trents were discovered to have been interested in UFOs for some time beforehand. Since neither claim was proven to be factual, this sighting is still unclear. 

In recent years, UFO sightings have become even more realistic and prevalent. This could certainly be largely attributed to the widespread technological advancements such as AI, allowing for false photos and videos to easily be created and circulated on by the internet. It’s also very possible that the increase in UFO sightings could be due to the pandemic. When people spent so much of their time at home, it allowed for more time to think about these possibilities. People on social media have experienced the prevalence of these theories online. The preexisting anxiety from the pandemic could have caused more fear in events such as ET sightings. 

Hundreds of recent sightings have taken place at the Pentagon in the past few years. In 2020, the Pentagon established the Unidentified Aerial Phenomena Task Force to gain new leads on the truth behind UFOs. Under pressure, the Pentagon released videos, photos, and military reports regarding UFOs.  Additionally, another significant encounter happened in Canada, in 2024, when several pilots reported a series of peculiar lights pieced together in a triangle formation. Six of these triangles were reportedly seen at 12 o’clock, at a very high altitude, which occurred for several hours. All of the pilots claimed to have never seen anything like it, confirming that it was certainly not any kind of military-related operation known to man. 

There have been so many reports of UFOs, but still no physical remnants left to support these theories. Many claims of UFOs have been shut down, suggesting that these may have been other devices such as drones. Where these drones are coming from is unknown, but many believe that they may be involved in military action or somehow connected to government surveillance. 

It’s interesting to think about the real potential for ET life to be on the earth. It may, however, be possible for some sightings to have been true, but this information may not be revealed to the public for various reasons. Evidence might be concealed by the government for the protection of the masses, as this truth might not be handled well by the general population. Especially with the future developments in technology, it will likely become more clear if these theories are true or not, and discoveries will continue to be made. But for now, whether or not UFOs are real, and signs of ET, remain a mystery.