A Genealogy of the Extraterrestrial in American Culture
A Genealogy of the Extraterrestrial in American Culture
A Genealogy of the Extraterrestrial in American Culture
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operative <strong>in</strong> most later “space-bro<strong>the</strong>r” discourse. Earth is always <strong>the</strong> pivotal planet <strong>in</strong> some<br />
<strong>in</strong>tergalactic plot or struggle. Humanity itself is, <strong>of</strong> course, <strong>the</strong> key element <strong>in</strong> <strong>the</strong> great <strong>in</strong>terest<br />
expressed by extraterrestrial parties regard<strong>in</strong>g <strong>the</strong> earth and its dest<strong>in</strong>y. The tropes <strong>of</strong> what were<br />
to become <strong>the</strong> human potential and new age movements are key here. Central to both <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong><br />
latter movements and <strong>the</strong>ir multiple variants is <strong>the</strong> sense that humanity is near<strong>in</strong>g some potential<br />
evolutionary leap <strong>in</strong> consciousness (if not physical state). This leap will be brought about by <strong>the</strong><br />
concerted efforts <strong>of</strong> groups and <strong>in</strong>dividuals <strong>of</strong> advanced abilities—groups who through <strong>the</strong><br />
application <strong>of</strong> whatever occult practice (meditation, visualization etc.) will achieve some higher<br />
level <strong>of</strong> harmony with <strong>the</strong> universe and thus collectively usher <strong>in</strong> <strong>the</strong> new eon. The Great I Am<br />
pr<strong>of</strong>essed itself to be such a group. The attraction <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> ascended masters and various alien<br />
<strong>in</strong>telligences to humanity was based largely upon humanity’s supposed potential. The term<br />
potential was key here because humanity might also potentially cont<strong>in</strong>ue down <strong>the</strong> path on which<br />
it was already headed. Ra<strong>the</strong>r than bootstrapp<strong>in</strong>g itself up to <strong>the</strong> next level <strong>of</strong> consciousness,<br />
humanity might simply destroy itself along with <strong>the</strong> planet. The sense communicated by<br />
messages from various space bro<strong>the</strong>rs was that we were at <strong>the</strong> pivot po<strong>in</strong>t. It could go ei<strong>the</strong>r<br />
way, enlightenment or Armageddon and with <strong>the</strong>se stakes <strong>in</strong> m<strong>in</strong>d, <strong>the</strong> space bro<strong>the</strong>rs had<br />
important missions for <strong>the</strong>ir contactees.<br />
In short, <strong>the</strong> space bro<strong>the</strong>rs promised noth<strong>in</strong>g less than <strong>the</strong>ir own version <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> Judeo-<br />
Christian apocalypse, a version that was a strange hybrid <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> religious and <strong>the</strong> secular.<br />
Proceed<strong>in</strong>g from its Greek root, <strong>the</strong> apocalypse was an uncover<strong>in</strong>g or revelation. In its<br />
scripturally based historical mean<strong>in</strong>g, <strong>the</strong> apocalypse was <strong>the</strong> div<strong>in</strong>e disclosure that ushered <strong>in</strong><br />
<strong>the</strong> end days. It was “<strong>the</strong> eschatological crisis <strong>in</strong> which <strong>the</strong> cosmic powers <strong>of</strong> evil are destroyed,<br />
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