Cautionary words on the increasing UAP ‘threat narrative’
Raising alarms may be particularly cruel when there are no ways to respond to fight or flight signals
uNHIdden wants to comment on the recent trend for UAP authors, podcasters and others to talk about threats, with vague references to something ‘bad’ coming soon. Sometimes even particular dates are mentioned such as 2027. What is the recipient to do in response? Here are our thoughts on why this ‘threat narrative’ is unwelcome, unhelpful and even unkind.
First, let us set out recent examples of this threat messaging.
In his book, Imminent, former intelligence officer, Luis Elizondo writes [1]:
“Everything we have seen in the twentieth century could be a prelude to an invasion. It is a possibility that we cannot ignore.”
Adding to the sense of urgency, Elizondo responded to a question about the choice of ‘Imminent’ as the book’s title in a recent interview with Jesse Michels on American Alchemy [2] by saying:
“Time is not a luxury that we can afford. The time has come, we need to start having the conversation collectively. We should have had it a while ago, but we really need to start having the conversation.”
When asked on his YouTube channel about rumours of a “major event” driving possible UAP disclosure Elizondo told Mark Kovic [3] it had nothing to do with an asteroid scheduled to pass close to Earth in 2027, adding:
“…it has to do with something else potentially, which I’m not prepared to go into conversation right now.”
Hints of a non-specific threat at a non-specific time. With the suggestion that Elizondo is in the know, but cannot or will not say more.
Similarly, the last chapter of ‘Sekret Machines: War’ – the third and final part of Tom DeLonge’s and Peter Levenda’s UAP trilogy is titled ‘The Alien Invasion’ [4]. But it is the last few sentences of the ‘Afterword’ at the very end that we reproduce here:
“…this time it is not war between countries on Earth, but between the entire globe and this invisible but no less tangible threat. In other words, the German philosophy of total war put to use so effectively during World War II needs to be re-engineered so that it represents an effort by the entire planet working in collaboration to defend itself against what might be, but is not necessarily, a threat against us all. Ironically preparing for an intergalactic conflict may well be what is needed to ensure peace on Earth.”
Science filmmaker and YouTuber Simon Holland nicknamed ‘Prof Simon” and former CIA worker John Ramirez, and have both indicated a coming threat. There are many more examples.
Psychologists and anthropologists know that fear and anxiety are important emotions that have driven human evolution. Fear helped to keep us alive. Consequently, as psychologist Rick Hanson writes [5]:
“we are vulnerable to being alarmed, manipulated, and even intimidated by threats, both real ones and ‘paper tigers’.”
Threats produce a physiological reaction in the brain. Put simply, they cause the hippocampus to signal the amygdala, which activates the HPA (Hypothalamic Pituitary Adrenal) axis initiating the stress response. Structures in this part of the brain cannot ‘think’. Their mantra is “Survive now, ask questions later.”
Psychologist Billi Gordon explains the relevance of this to social media [5]:
“Social media has excessive amounts of perceived threats… So as social media perceived threats increase, the over-usage of the stress response also increases.”
We all know the classic ‘flight or fight’ response. The problem with vague UAP threat narratives is that they may activate the HPA, but then what action can someone take? Who do you fight or where do you flee?
A paper from Szechtman & Woody (2004) [6] shows how difficult this may be. It postulates that the body has a Security Motivation System (SMS), a specially adapted, hard-wired brain circuit that evolved to manage potential threats.
The SMS has four key features:
- It is tuned to detecting potential danger and does so on the basis of often subtle and indirect cues.
- It is readily activated, responding to even a slight chance of danger, and once activated it is slow to deactivate, despite changes in the environment.
- It is oriented toward action – that is, it “excites or primes motor acts relevant to the motive”.
- It is focused on prevention and is often directed toward probing and acquiring information rather than only avoiding noxious stimuli. This may be why people turn to ‘doomscrolling’ – spending too much time reading negative news especially online – at least it is something to do.
The question then is, once activated, what is the best way of deactivating the SMS? Hinds et al (2010) [6] explain that precautionary behaviour (e.g. checking or avoiding something) is much more successful at turning off the SMS than cognitive reappraisal (i.e. simply changing how one thinks about or appraises a situation).
But with the UAP threat narrative, what might successful precautionary behaviours be? Without the clearer and more trusted account about what is going on that uNHIdden wants, these are unclear. Stock up on toilet paper? Buy a Faraday cage? Hide in a cave? So the stress stays with people longer causing more harm. It is hard for people to ‘think’ themselves out of the stressful state.
So our message to the providers and purveyors of these is to consider whether they are acting responsibly. If they are just after attention and ‘clicks’, then shame on them. But if they are trying to be constructive they should ask themselves what can people who receive their warning do. Where can they go to find out more? Who can they talk to? What can they do to mitigate the threat?
“If there is a real threat to be shared – then tell us in, in a kind, measured way. Sensationalism may give those pushing this agenda publicity, but hints hurt. Daily life is arduous enough without piling on more stress.
Threat is about prevention and preparedness for potential danger. By its very nature, the essence of UAP is unknown and that is about so much more. The ‘Unknown’ is also about curiosity, discovery, information and knowledge.
Unless someone is prepared to share information about a threat that has substance, let us turn down the worry and turn up the wonder.
[1] ‘Imminent: Inside the Pentagon’s Hunt for UFOs’, Luis Elizondo, Harper Collins, August 2024
[2] ‘CIA Whistleblower Sitting On Biggest UFO Secrets’ – American Alchemy, 10th October 2024
[3] Luis Elizondo – Answering Questions From Subscribers – Pt. 1 [YouTube video], 25th October 2024
[4] ‘Sekret Machines Gods, Man, and War’, Tom DeLonge and Peter Levenda, To The Stars, September 2024
[5] ‘How Your Brain Reacts to Threats’, Rick Hanson PhD, Psychology Today, 2nd October 2023
[6] ‘Social Media Is Harmful to Your Brain and Relationships’, Billi Gordon PhD, Psychology Today, 20th October 2027
[7] Szechtman H., Woody E. (2004). ‘Obsessive-compulsive disorder as a disturbance of security motivation’. Psychol. Rev. 111, pp 111–127
[8] Hinds et al (2010), ‘The psychology of potential threat: Properties of the security motivation system’, Biological Psychology, Vol 85 Issue 2, pp 331-331