UFO acclimation: ‘Dark Skies’ TV series special DVD collection released

By Steve Hammons

(This article also appears on American Chronicle.)

It was a TV series ahead of its time. Consider it advance reconnaissance information.

Airing on Saturday evenings at 8 p.m. in 1996 and 1997 on NBC, “Dark Skies” took viewers inside a secret U.S. government group dealing with UFOs and strange visitors.

Yet, time and certain situations sometimes have a way of circling around in surprising ways.

Nearly 15 years later, the series is now once again in the public consciousness and is reaching a new and expanding audience with the release of “Dark Skies: The Declassified Complete Series” DVD collection.

The show features two twenty-something characters, John Loengard (played by Eric Close) and Kimberly Sayers (Megan Ward), who come to Washington, D.C., from California in 1961.

Loengard is hired as an aide to a California congressman and Sayers lands a job in the office of First Lady Jacqueline Kennedy.

WELCOME TO MAJESTIC-12

When Loengard conducts routine research for the congressman’s office on topics like funding of the Air Force’s “Project Blue Book” at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base in Dayton, Ohio, and interviews alleged UFO “abductees” Betty and Barney Hill, he comes into unpleasant contact with a covert group that the “Dark Skies” writers (and many others) have called “Majestic-12” or simply “Majestic.”

After he is initially intimidated and roughed up by Majestic agents led by Navy officers in plainclothes, Loengard is recruited into the group and transforms from a naïve and optimistic citizen into a hardened, though somewhat frightened, undercover agent who wavers between working for the group and breaking off as a “lone wolf.”

However, he is a lone wolf with a beautiful girlfriend (Ward). Although their romance lends warmth and emotional depth to the story, threats to the Kim Sayers character take dark turns.

In some episodes we go back to the alleged 1947 Roswell incident and even to ancient times when North American Indians are visited by “sky people.”

The creators and writers of the series, Brent Friedman and Bryce Zabel, have done their research on the many elements of the UFO phenomena and it shows in “Dark Skies.”

In fact, Zabel, a former TV journalist at PBS and CNN, recently co-authored a non-fiction book about the inside story on UFOs with historian Richard Dolan titled A.D. After Disclosure: The People’s Guide to Life After Contact.

Public awareness about visitation to Earth of extraterrestrial and/or other intelligent beings is different in 2011 than it was in 1996.

Today, respected scientists openly discuss the possibilities of contact with other intelligent life.

Reputable journalists like Zabel, Leslie Kean and others provide solid information and insight about the situation. Kean’s recently-published book UFOs: Generals, Pilots and Government Officials Go on the Record presents a very credible look at certain important developments.

And, the general public can’t help but notice the unusual UFO incidents in recent years such as those in Phoenix (1997), at Chicago’s O’Hare airport (2006) and in the Stephenville, Texas, region (2008). All three of these incidents were covered nationally and internationally in the mainstream press.

Are various kinds of visitors in exotic spacecraft trying to tell us they are here?

Are people associated with the U.S. (and international) defense and intelligence communities also providing acclimation to prepare us for this unconventional emerging situation?

How does “Dark Skies” fit in?

OVERT AND COVERT

The series uses a unique blend of history, reasonable speculation about UFOs and creativity to look at important issues and events during the period from 1961 to 1967. Zabel and Friedman present an alternative view of the ‘60s, merging real people and circumstances of that era with possible clandestine scenarios.

They ask us to consider many “what ifs.” What if the public story of past events is part of a larger and more complicated picture? “History as we know it is a lie” ... this is the line from the Emmy Award-winning main title opening sequence of “Dark Skies.”

We might also ask what the truth is about our current situation with regard to UFOs, unconventional visitors, expanded human consciousness and other edge-science theories and realities.

And, what does the future hold?

By opening our minds to many possibilities, we can probably enhance our psychological, social and cultural readiness to deal with challenging developments.

In this sense, the reappearance of “Dark Skies” on the public and media scene may be very helpful and even trigger new creative communication efforts that both entertain and enhance understanding of leading-edge scientific topics.

The collection includes all 18 episodes that aired on NBC including the two-hour pilot. Extra features of the DVD set include the two-hour international pilot shown in Europe.

The 2010 documentary “Signal To Noise: Uncovering Dark Skies” is particularly enlightening, featuring a discussion between the creators Friedman and Zabel along with views and insight by the show’s main stars Close and Ward. (It is nice to see that Ward is more beautiful now than ever.)

Viewers can also watch the first and last episodes with the option of an audio overlay of interesting and fun commentary among Friedman, Zabel, Close and Ward. Behind-the-scenes stories and incidents about the making of the series are fascinating.

Information about pitching the series to NBC, the original sales presentation, network promos that aired and other background information are also included in the DVD collection.

The “Dark Skies” DVD set can be ordered from Shout Factory! home video company. A valuable related resource is the website about Zabel's and Dolan's new book at AfterDisclosure.com.

Secret UFO leaks? Journalists face many responsibilities on disclosure

By Steve Hammons

(This article also appears on American Chronicle.)

The recent and ongoing controversy about releases of sensitive information seems to raise both new and longstanding fundamental points about freedom of the press and the role of journalism in society.

An aspect of the discussion that appears to many people as an odd side issue is the reference to unidentified flying objects (UFOs) in some documents or materials.

However, this topic might serve as a unique example about the way we look at the roles of journalism, government and citizens on an issue that could be both important to know about and also require discretion and sensitivity.

Today’s journalists and many other segments of society face continual changes in the evolving economy, technological development, scientific updates and the many other aspects of everyday life.

Journalism in particular is dealing with longstanding ethical and professional guidelines about freedom of the press and responsible reporting. These are combined with a changing landscape of Internet technology and certain characteristics of major media companies.

BALANCING ACT

The touchstone of the U.S. Constitution and its provisions outlining freedom of speech and freedom of the press continue to be fundamental reference points. Many of the U.S. Constitution’s other attempts to strengthen human liberty are equally valuable and often equally controversial.

The task of balancing these freedoms with responsible behavior and common-sense discretion is now front and center in discussions about various current events.

And, odd as it may seem, the UFO subject is one of these current challenges.

Just like other sensitive subjects involving national security, some people who have researched the UFO situation claim that a high level of restriction by governments on information about UFOs is interfering with the right of citizens to know what their governments are doing.

And, the argument extends to the view that human beings at the grassroots of society have a need to know about certain subjects that could affect them, including unusual and unconventional discoveries and developments.

The counterpoint to this view is that some subjects must be kept secret for the sake of the greater good of maintaining national defense. And, in many cases, international alliances and friendships among nations and societies are also at stake.

How should the profession and craft of journalism handle these factors?

When the additional challenges of certain perspectives by media bosses in a time of changing economic dynamics come into play, journalists are now, as they often have been, faced with soul-searching dilemmas.

REPORTING ON MYSTERIES

In the case of unusual and unconventional scientific subjects, additional obstacles for journalism include self-censorship by media management and often by certain elements of scientific communities. These factors may also dovetail with defense-related information restriction for reasons of strategic national and global safety as well as tactical operational security.

Despite the statements from people with various viewpoints that decisions and judgment about the balance between security and freedom of the press are easy and clear cut, this is probably not always the case.

As we know, sometimes a “top secret” classification is used to cover up wrongdoing and inappropriate conduct.

At the same time, other classified situations, including highly compartmented and need-to-know circumstances, might truly require robust information security for a number of legitimate reasons.

According to some researchers, the UFO situation falls into a complex category of emerging scientific developments that could significantly change our views of Earth, the universe, life and the human race. It may be quite complex because the various kinds of unusual flying objects seen over the decades and centuries are probably associated with even more surprising mysteries.

Extraterrestrial visitors, multiple dimensions, space-time anomalies, forgotten histories of human civilization, undiscovered aspects of human DNA, extrasensory perception and other edge-science subjects have all been linked to the UFO phenomena, both directly and indirectly.

Some researchers indicate that may only be the tip of the iceberg.

Responsible journalism on these kinds of subjects seems to have been somewhat limited to date. But that does not mean today’s journalists are incapable of handling the situation responsibly and professionally.

Understanding various security implications of unconventional situations that could affect the safety of American and global society must be part of journalistic considerations and judgment.

Important foundational elements of the U.S. Constitution and Bill of Rights are also factors that are key parts of responsible journalism in days past, now and in the future.

Advances in human consciousness linked to UFO disclosure

By Steve Hammons

(This article also appears on American Chronicle.)

When we think about human readiness to deal with significant new scientific discoveries, we often think about conventional psychological and emotional preparedness of individuals, groups and societies.

For example, the issue of unidentified flying objects (UFOs), other non-human intelligent beings on Earth and similar subjects often result in reactions such as uncertainty, anxiety, curiosity and denial.

Our self-esteem and self-perception are also part of the natural reactions to certain leading-edge and forward-leaning theories, possibilities, indications and discoveries.

When new discoveries are about human consciousness, then our psychological and emotional reactions could be even more interesting, and also natural. Our mind is looking at itself.

In one such case, the U.S. defense and intelligence activity usually referred to as Project STAR GATE conducted research and operations related to extrasensory perception (ESP). The researchers and participants discovered that human consciousness is not nearly as limited as we often believe and that humans can tap into extraordinary perception and awareness.

DISCOVERY AND UNCERTAINTY

Many of these Project STAR GATE researchers faced their own reaction of denial about the results of their experiments measuring ESP or “anomalous cognition.”

This couldn’t be happening, they told themselves. How can a person in a room at one location accurately perceive the details of something going on miles away with no other information available other than internal perception?

After their denial subsided, then other feelings such as uncertainty, anxiety and curiosity may have kicked in ... uncertainty about their previous beliefs, anxiety about what this could mean and curiosity about how this could be.

Eventually, the STAR GATE personnel apparently developed an appreciation about these discoveries, though they faced skepticism and even ridicule from within their scientific and intelligence communities, and later in the media and general public.

Today, though, there seems to be a much greater acceptance about these kinds of research results and many other investigations have come to similar conclusions. Several kinds of research into human awareness and perception have branched out into different fields that may also yield very interesting and significant results.

Some of these studies have looked at near-death experiences (NDEs), dreams, telepathy (mind-to-mind communication), precognition (perceiving the future) and using human consciousness to reach out in many other ways and in many directions.

Human awareness and perception regarding UFOs and other intelligent beings have also been an element of this kind of research.

SECRECY AND UNDERSTANDING

Visual sightings of unusual objects in the skies (and sometimes on the ground) that appear to be craft of some kind and alleged even closer encounters are particularly interesting and somewhat concerning.

Like the Project STAR GATE teams, we probably also have similar feelings about the UFO topic. That is, after our denial subsides, then uncertainty, anxiety and curiosity come into play ... uncertainty about our previous beliefs, anxiety about what this could mean and curiosity about how this could be.

Project STAR GATE’s research, activities and “remote viewing” intelligence-gathering techniques were above top secret, compartmented and on a need-to-know basis within the defense and intelligence community for several decades. This was due to the perceived importance related to national security.

The unique nature of the research also probably resulted in some of the secrecy. As noted, there was denial, skepticism and ridicule within the defense and intelligence communities about the STAR GATE investigations and operations.

Today, a large amount of information on remote viewing, ESP and Project STAR GATE is widely available on the Web, in books, articles, on TV shows and in other communications platforms though much information remains classified.

In an apparently similar situation, more information and disclosure about the UFO phenomena seems to be emerging in various ways. What was once above top secret, compartmented and on a need-to-know basis within the defense and intelligence community is now more widely available though much information remains classified.

Now what? The discoveries in Project STAR GATE about the nature of human consciousness resulted in some answers and also raised more questions. The same is probably true about research into UFOs, multiple dimensions and other kinds of edge-science research.

And, as with other changes in human knowledge and beliefs, once our denial subsides, then uncertainty, anxiety and curiosity may come into play ... uncertainty about our previous beliefs, anxiety about what this could mean and curiosity about how this could be.

As part of this process, hopefully we will continue to gain greater understanding, though many questions will probably remain and more will be raised.

Some information will remain secret. New discoveries will emerge. Many mysteries will probably continue.