From different countries, for many centuries, there have been reports of strange celestial lights, aircraft landing on the planet, and some even claimed that strange creatures come out of them. Sometimes there was information about UFO crashes. Most of the appearances of UFOs have received a scientific explanation, but scientists cannot explain some of these events. In most cases, when the contact of visiting the Earth by other civilizations was made public, authorities claimed that this was a test of new aircraft or natural phenomena. However, in the case of Zimbabwe, it is believed that the appearance of UFOs was accurate, and the ruling bodies and opinion leaders should make it clear to the population that these alien arrivals were never fiction.
Most often, the appearance of a UFO, an unidentified flying object, is associated with a visit of other intelligent beings to Earth. This happened in Zimbabwe in a city called Ruwa in 1994, when children saw UFO land in the school’s courtyard (Christie par. 2). Furthermore, they said that they saw aliens exiting the flying object, talking with them using telepathy, and leaving (Christie par. 12). The children were scared by that the experience and told everything to the teachers and parents right after the incident.
Despite the fact that each student described what they saw in their own way, giving their embellishments, all the stories were similar. The school where everything happened was called Ariel Primary School. It was a costly private learning organization (Han 2). Moreover, children of different social strata, including both black and white students, visited it. The incident occurred in the afternoon when the sun was high and the temperature was growing.
As already mentioned, almost all UFO encounters are not made public and are suppressed by the authorities. Despite being one of the most well-witnessed cases of aliens potentially trying to communicate with humanity, there is no official acknowledgment or support of the alien sightings from the Zimbabwe administration (Han 7). The popularly accepted explanation of the phenomenon is mass hysteria – a poorly-studied and rare phenomenon where individuals are affected by a shared delusion (Kokota 75). This explanation has been used to explain mass sightings of UFOs and other paranormal phenomena before.
The proof that UFO sightings cannot be identified with conventional technical means is the specific reaction of animals. When UFOs appear, they often run or hide in a panic, howl, and tremble, while they usually do not react to flights of planes or helicopters. In addition, the proof of the illegality of identifying UFOs with observations of space experiments and flights of airplanes or balloons is that UFOs have been observed throughout the history of humankind.
In ancient Egypt, and the Roman Empire, and the Middle Ages, unidentified flying objects were observed when there was no aircraft at all. Scientists discover drawings in caves and ancient temples that resemble UFOs and extraterrestrial beings. They suspect that ancient people saw and met with aliens. In the old chronicles, there are many descriptions of light disks visible in the sky during the day or lights visible at night, observed during the Roman Empire. In some cases, even creatures that are somehow related to objects are described.
Ideas about extraterrestrials and their species are constantly being updated due to new variants of their appearance. There are both classic humanoid types of aliens and more extravagant versions. So there were, for example, widespread versions representing aliens in the form of insect-like creatures coordinating their actions with the help of a collective telepathic mind (Gordon 11). In addition, there are ideas about aliens as creatures whose appearance, for one reason or another, is rugged for a person to perceive. Therefore, when contacting representatives of human civilization, these aliens disguise themselves, taking the form of human-like creatures.
Zimbabwe sightings of aliens were actual, and the government should pursue the policy of openness to make it easier for the general public to accept that we are not alone in this universe. The reasons for that are that in light of the accumulating evidence about aliens, trying to explain and hide the events of contacts from the world would only bring about a more significant political crisis in the future while preventing the international community work together to ensure the safety of Earth.
Another surge of interest in the topic of UFOs arose after it became known about the Pentagon program, in which the agency collected certificates of military pilots about meetings with UFOs. Numerous rumors about the Pentagon report on unidentified air objects began to circulate long before the publication of its unclassified part. The first piece of supportive evidence that Zimbabwe sightings were actual is that evidence of UFOs existing has been publicly released by the Pentagon (Office of the Director of National Intelligence 3). The footage of UFOs as collected by fighter pilots demonstrates the existence of flying vehicles of unknown configurations that can move with speed and agility not reachable by any human-built plane (“Navy Pilots Describe Encounters with UFOs” 00:05:00-00:05:14). The logical conclusion is that UFOs exist and could have been seen in Zimbabwe.
Moreover, there is an opinion that NASA is hiding information from the public. This fact has led many to believe that they know about the existence of aliens. One of the most discussed cases of a NASA cover-up comes from Dr. Edgar Mitchell, who was part of the Apollo 14 space mission in 1971 (Pasulka 199). During the two-moon expedition, he spent thirty-three hours on the moon. Dr. Mitchell said that he was aware of several UFO sightings during his career, but each of them was hidden. The doctor said that the space agency staff described the aliens as little people who seem strange to us. Mitchell also said that the technologies of extraterrestrials are much more complex than those of Earth.
There is much evidence about the movement of people in time and space, which is a crucial aspect of the UFO problem. Ufologists have created an interactive map that regularly marks the places of an alien invasion on Earth. The marks are accompanied by photos and explanations too. Observers tell under what circumstances the pictures were taken and share their impressions of what they saw. Nevertheless, the complexity of the study of ufology for its scientific character lies in the absence of a formulated single representation in ufological groups and organizations. Some groups use scientific methods of research, while pseudoscientific theories and guesses guide others.
Often UFO witnesses become objects of ridicule and risk their careers but still agree to contribute to the investigation of the case. Sometimes eyewitnesses agree to take a lie detector test, and reports of UFOs come from scientists. However, the eyewitness of the accounts of the event cannot be dismissed. Though particularities vary due to different perceptions and cultural backgrounds, the stories of the children are remarkably similar and tell a cohesive tale. It is faulty logic to dismiss the eyewitness testimonies of more than 60 students based on the assumption that what they have seen cannot be confirmed (Christie, par. 13). Moreover, in many countries, especially the United States, there are many specialists, researchers of unidentified flying objects, and even so-called contactees with alien civilizations.
Events similar to the ones witnessed in Zimbabwe have occurred before, both in Africa and other continents. A similar incident occurred in Broad Haven, Wales, in 1979 (The Schoolkids Who Said They Saw ‘Aliens’? par. 1). During that event, 62 students witnessed alien spaceships, their inhabitants and attempted communication as well. Petrescu et al. point out that “the issue of past observations is difficult to explain otherwise than through the existence of other civilizations more advanced than ours” (80). Despite the evidence, the event remained stonewalled in the same way the Zimbabwe incident was.
A person is an independent person in judgments and assessments and responds adequately to external stimuli. However, as people immerse themselves in a group that is numerically increasing, their critical thinking decreases significantly. The primary counterargument/explanation to what happened was the likelihood of mass hysteria occurring among the students. Simultaneously experienced critical moments, relationships and assessments turn into identical forms of verbal and non-verbal activity. This contributes to the strengthening of hysteria, increasing it to an absolute peak. In this state, a person becomes part of a human-like mass. There is an opinion that humanity should carefully consider the factors and risks before contacting alien creatures. It is believed that they can be much more advanced than humans. In addition, the contacts of more developed civilizations with less developed ones do not end well for the latter.
Mass hysteria has a wide range of symptoms and characteristics. Researches emphasize that “mass hysteria typically begins when an individual becomes ill or hysterical during a period of stress. After this initial individual shows symptoms, others begin to manifest similar symptoms” (Kokota 74). This disease can be highly contagious because a single person might experience signs of distress. It is also noted that “symptoms recorded during outbreaks of mass hysteria include abdominal pains, chest tightness, dizziness, fainting, headaches, hyperventilation, nausea, vomiting, palpitations; anxiety, conversion disorder and screaming” (Kokota 74). There is a possibility that the assumed hallucinations of UFOs were started by one student and transferred to others, which caused a high degree of standard features during interviews and assessments.
Mass hysteria has been increasingly common in African countries. Mainly it occurs in South Africa, Tanzania, Malawi, Zimbabwe, Zambia, and Uganda (Kokota 75). The condition could explain why children have seen and heard similar events, which might have been triggered by an ordinary object, the heat, a hallucination, or something similar (Kokota 76). In addition, the researchers say that traditional scientific knowledge claims that nothing in the universe can move faster than light. Therefore, if there is extraterrestrial intelligence somewhere, it will not reach the Earth. All manifestations of UFOs on Earth are optical illusions or a game of nature. Furthermore, during the entire existence of radio communication, no one has received signals from an extraterrestrial civilization.
While there is some evidence of mass hysteria being a likely explanation for the event, not all children have expressed symptoms associated with the disease. In addition, the explanation of mass hysteria or mass hallucinations has been used to ignore evidence and live witness testimonies before to maintain secrecy and public order (Han, “The Possibility of Alien Life” 1). Furthermore, Han emphasizes that “cases exist in which young children and groups of adults have witnessed strange entities emerge from UFOs, rendering it difficult to attribute such an anomaly to human psychology” (“Aliens” and UFOs” 3). This acts as evidence that it is worth trusting the Zimbabwe case that the aliens exist.
In addition to the arguments mentioned above for the absence of aliens, there is an opinion that if alien beings existed and had more advanced technologies, they could fly to Earth and conquer it. In addition, many witnesses of UFO flights later admitted that they deceived the public with their statements and falsified evidence. After all, stories about aliens are very profitable from a commercial point of view. They bring huge revenues to the creators of films, books, and consumer goods.
It is important to note that the topic of alien life and unidentified flying objects is of great importance in relation to science, history, technology, consciousness. The Zimbabwe incident has been one of many sightings in Africa that have been largely ignored by the media and society (Looking Forward: Extraterrestrials and U.F.O.s.). Because of it, valuable evidence has been lost, and retroactive investigations many years later have not given as much evidence as before (O’Keefe 71). Zimbabwe government should investigate these reports better.
Nowadays, knowledge of information and facts on this topic will lead to changes in people, the way they communicate, perceive the phenomena around them, and may give rise to a reassessment of historical data and biases that form the awareness of the world. Knowledge about UFOs has been one of the most exciting and repetitive elements in the modern world. They inspired public fears, wild theories, and popular culture, with stories of alien visitors flying over our heads.
A reverent and attentive attitude to the conclusions of witnesses plays a severe role in the knowledge of other life in the universe. Eyewitnesses of alien sightings are primarily ignored and ostracized by Society (O’Keefe 30). The same happened in Zimbabwe, where over 60 students were declared victims of mass hysteria rather than given proper attention. Treating individuals and evidence of UFOs more seriously would improve the general awareness and acceptance of the events.
Ufologists around the world have repeatedly accused the governments and special services of the great powers in an effort to hide from the public the truth about the contacts with extraterrestrial intelligence that took place. In all cases of unidentified flying objects encounters, the authorities stated that there were no aliens. The whole system of modern education is built on the suggestion of the idea of the infallibility of science. Therefore, everything new, especially information about life other than earth, has to overcome the most substantial resistance from an officially recognized point of view. Moreover, enthusiasts who tried to conduct their investigation had severe trouble with security organizations.
Currently, there are a considerable number of documents about contacts with extraterrestrials of representatives of advanced foreign states, revelations of former political leaders of states, former professional astronauts, and NASA officials. The acceptance of the fact that we are not alone in this universe will have to happen, eventually. If the general public is not prepared for the revelation, there will be consequences across the world, followed by societal shifts (Wilson 167). Treating witnesses and evidence with more respect and scrutiny will allow the transition to becoming less troublesome.
Recently, the Central Intelligence Agency declassified several million pages of files, previously completely secret, related to extraterrestrials and unidentified flying objects. Despite this, some of the published documents have places crossed out in black ink where only the date and file number can be seen. It is also worth noting that the disclosure of information was made on the instructions of the president. The disclosure of data on programs, materials, and evidence of UFO activity on Earth was made in order to prepare humanity for a reality that already seems indisputable. However, humanity is still afraid to admit that people are alone in the universe. It can also be concluded that soon all previously classified documents about unidentified flying objects will become available to the masses, and people will learn the whole truth about intelligent life in the universe.
Moreover, there is a possibility of considering the existence of extraterrestrials from the religious side. For most religions, the existence of aliens is not a problem. Many faiths, such as Buddhism or Hinduism, fully admit this possibility. Religions such as Christianity, which supports the view that it is built around the only incarnation of God on Earth and has a developed concept regarding alien life, may have problems accepting the fact of alien life.
In addition to all of the above, at the moment, the world elite can no longer completely conceal the presence of aliens on Earth. This is due to the fact that thanks to the Internet, information about the appearance of unidentified flying objects in various parts of the planet, stories about contacts with representatives of alien civilizations, and much more are rapidly spreading. All this can be proof that aliens have been visiting the planet for a long time and maybe watching humanity. Most often, people watching a UFO disappear in the sky because the speed of movement of alien ships is simply fantastic by our standards. Conspiracy theorists claim that if humanity accepts the fact of the existence of alien life, this alien mind will have the right to contact them. Then there will be a global awakening of all humankind, which will lead to a revision of values on Earth.
In the scientific community, there is a so-called Drake equation. This is a formula that serves to determine the number of extraterrestrial civilizations in the galaxy with which we have a chance to come into contact. In 1961, astronomer Frank Drake developed a formula for determining the number of civilizations in the universe other than humans, with which it would be possible to establish communication (Platt 49). Since the chances of establishing contact with alien life are determined by the number of advanced extraterrestrial civilizations in the galaxy, Drake deduced several factors on which this number depends and included them in his equation.
At the moment, it is difficult to deny the existence of UFOs, but there are still not so many actual confirmations unless people count the photo and video archive, which is full of the Internet. There are secret government and scientific programs related to alien life in the universe. Reliable sources conceal from people the accurate picture of what is happening; such giants as NASA have long been tracking the presence of alien ships and flying saucers in space, but they carefully hide it from human eyes.
Aliens are a topic for thought not only by science fiction writers but also scientists and even the national secret services. People attribute the construction of pyramids, various cataclysms, meteorological accidents, and other phenomena to extraterrestrial beings, to which scientists cannot give intelligible explanations. The question of the existence of alien life is still an unsolved mystery.
Works Cited
“Navy Pilots Describe Encounters with UFOs.”YouTube, uploaded by 60 Minutes, 2021.
Awareness.” Altered Consciousness in the Twentieth Century. Routledge, 2019, pp. 167-182.
“The Schoolkids Who Said They Saw ‘Aliens’?”BBC.
Christie, Sean. “Remembering Zimbabwe’s Great Alien Invasion?”Mail & Guardian.
Gordon, Joan. Alien Invaders or Aliens Invaded. Aliens in Popular Culture, 2019.
Han, Go. ““Aliens” and UFOs.” Hanyang University, 2020.
“The Possibility of Alien Life Forms and Unidentified Aerial Phenomena.” ResearchGate, 2020. Web.
Kokota, Demobly. “Episodes of Mass Hysteria in African Schools: A Study of Literature.” Malawi Medical Journal, vol. 23, no. 3, 2011, pp. 74-77.
O’Keefe, Emily. Investigating UFOs. Weigl Publishers, 2019.
Petrescu, Relly Victoria, et al. “What is a UFO?” Journal of Aircraft and Spacecraft Technology, vol. 1, no. 2, 2017.
Platt, Karl-Florian. “Drake-like Calculations for the Frequency of Life in the Universe.” Philosophies, vol. 6, no. 2, 2021.
Looking Forward: Extraterrestrials and U.F.O.s. The New York Times Editorial Staff, 2020.
Office of the Director of National Intelligence. Preliminary Assessment: Unidentified Aerial Phenomena. Office of the Director of National Intelligence, 2021.
Wilson, Andrew Fergus. “Prism of Lyra: UFO Consciousness and Portals to Cosmic Awareness.” Altered Consciousness in the Twentieth Century, 2019, 167-182.