Beyond: UFOs And The Unknown Episodes 3 and 4 Take The UFO Conversation To Another Level
Spirituality and secret government programs are the focal point of episodes three and four of Beyond: UFOs and The Unknown. The docuseries aims to dive deep into the UFO phenomenon after a shocking government revelation in 2017 that skyrocketed the conversation. Let’s break down these episodes!
The third episode follows Rice University Professor of Religious Thought and Philosophy Jeff Kripal who runs a UFO conference for those studying or interested in the topic. He, as well as other subjects in the documentary, talk heavily about religion and its connection to the UFO phenomena. He used history and the religious experience to shape how the UFO interest came about, like bringing up a group of Protestants who created an “Invisible College” where they studied stuff they weren’t allowed to question. I wasn’t sure how all the religious conversations were going to relate in the first place, but it was compelling to hear and kept me tuned in despite its complex nature. The episode doesn’t give many answers, but rather brings up events that are unexplainable and studies done that don’t have a full result. We get to hear from Jacquee Vallee and Garry Nolan again as they discuss the materials Vallee collected from these UFO events that came back with peculiar results. Overall, the third episode stresses the importance of bringing the topic into academia and those scholars studying it.
The fourth episode deals with secret government programs, specifically Stargate by the Defense Intelligence Agency and SRI International, to investigate the potential for psychic phenomena in intelligence applications. It was interesting to see this conversation about remote viewing and clairvoyants because it was something I had no clue about, at least to this extent. I also was intrigued that so many of the figures that we are introduced to in the documentary have been involved in these projects one way or another. The episode then shifts into a broader conversation about the dimensions of the universe and what we don’t know. I gravitated towards a point made that the UFOs biggest secret isn’t about the craft or technology, but rather the interest in human potential, consciousness, extraphysical experiences, and the psyche. After hearing all the conversations, it’s clear that these things should be studied more to get a well-rounded understanding of UFOs and these paranormal experiences.
Throughout the two episodes, I was most drawn to the personal stories shared by some of the subjects. A standout was the story of Jay Christopher King, founder of The Experiencer Group. He created this space for other experiencers, whether it was UFO related or simply an out of body experience. His story deals with an incident with his ex-wife as they encountered a glowing orb traveling towards them, which resulted in her going unconscious and his experience seeing two E.T. like creatures, laying down, and receiving a medical procedure. These stories may sound incredibly strange at first, but you can’t help to just wonder how this could happen to someone or the many individuals that experience similar things. King gets very emotional during the story because he couldn’t live in denial like his ex-wife wanted to after the event had ended and wanted to deal with what he had been through head-on.
Though some of the information shared in the docuseries may not be new to those who are deep into the topic, it is a great start for those who want to learn more or just a casual enthusiast. The personal stories are incredibly engaging to listen to because of its unknown nature, which will leave you pondering about what that could’ve been. The science of it all is also fascinating to look at since the results can’t be fully explained. I really enjoy that the docuseries brings in a lot of subjects of all different backgrounds and walks of life. Whether its podcasters, scientists, professors, or authors, they all take the topic very seriously and are well versed. Some topics can seem a bit complicated to follow, but they do a great job throughout the series of threading them together and it also helps that a lot of these subjects know one another very well. In the sea of UFO documentaries, Beyond: UFOs and The Unknown offers an in-depth perspective into the phenomenon that is educational, thorough, engaging, and informative.
All four episodes of Beyond: UFOs and The Unknown are out now on MGM+.
