II. Highlights
Most Americans Psychologically and Spiritually Prepared for Proof of Extraterrestrial
Life
Most Americans appear comfortable with and even excited about the thought
of the discovery of extraterrestrial life. Three-quarters of the public claim
they are at least somewhat psychologically prepared for the discovery of extraterrestrial
life, and nearly half are very prepared.
Such a discovery would not be difficult for most Americans to reconcile with
their religious beliefs. Should the government make an announcement about
the discovery of extraterrestrial life, only a very small proportion expect
it to change their religious beliefs at all.
Furthermore, slightly more than half of Americans are at least somewhat interested
in personally encountering extraterrestrial lifeforms here on earth. This
is particularly true of males and of 18-to-24-year-olds.
Government Knows More Than It Is Telling
In the view of many adults (55 percent), the government does not share enough
information with the public in general. An even greater proportion (roughly
seven in ten) thinks that the government does not tell us everything it knows
about extraterrestrial life and UFOs. The younger the age, the stronger the
belief that the government is withholding information about these topics.
This is not a situation that most Americans would like to have continue. Provided
national security is not at risk, most believe that the government should
share information it has about other intelligent life and UFOs with the public.
Males and adults below the age of 65 are more inclined to support the declassification
of government information relating to such phenomena. Naturally, those with
a belief and an interest in extraterrestrial life are also more likely proponents
of revealing such information to the public.
The Alien Next Door?
Perhaps Americans expect to take a government announcement about extraterrestrial
life in stride because many Americans already believe in the extraterrestrial.
Two-thirds of Americans say they think there are other forms of intelligent
life in the universe and nearly half say they believe that UFOs have visited
the earth in some form over the years (48 percent) or that aliens have monitored
life on earth (45 percent). In fact, more than one in three Americans (37
percent) believe that humans have already interacted with extraterrestrial
lifeforms. These beliefs tend to be more prevalent among males and among adults
under the age of 65.
When it comes to alien abductions, one in five Americans in general and more
than half (57 percent) of those who say that humans have already interacted
with extraterrestrial life believe that abductions have taken place. Once
again, males and 18-to-64-year-olds are most likely to hold such a belief.
Alien Encounters
One in seven Americans say that they or someone they know has had at least
one "close
encounter" of the "First," "Second," or "Third" kind. The largest proportion
(12 percent) say they or someone else they know has seen a UFO at close quarters.
Much smaller proportions say they or an acquaintance have seen a UFO cause
a physical effect on objects, animals, or humans (3 percent) or have had an
encounter with extraterrestrial life (2 percent). Among those who believe
in abductions, one-third claim to have experienced, or know someone who experienced,
a Close Encounter of their own.
When it comes to other unusual personal experiences, 1.4 percent, or 2.9 million
Americans, say they have experienced at least four of five key events that
believers of UFO abductions have identified as being of particular interest
in examining whether UFO abductions might actually have taken place. Perhaps
not surprisingly, those who believe in abductions and who have experienced,
or know someone who experienced, a Close Encounter are more inclined to report
an occurrence of at least four such events.
|
|
|
|
|
|
| |
|
|
||
|
|
|
|
||
| |
|
|||
| |
|
|||
| |
|
|||
| |
|
|||
| |
|
|||
| |
|
|||
| |
|
|||
| |
|
|||
| |
|
|||
| |
|
|||
| |
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
||||