EXTRATERRESTRIAL THEOLOGY: A SYNOPSIS
by
Richard J. Boylan, Ph.D.*
Abstract
A synopsis of extraterrestrial theology is presented, synthesized from
information communicated by extraterrestrials to humans during close
encounters. These are the extraterrestrial races actually visiting the
Earth, and may apply to other member cultures of their interstellar
political-cultural alliance, sometimes labeled the Interstellar
Federation. This synopsis draws from a database constructed from
1989-present by Richard Boylan, research behavioral scientist and
cultural anthropologist with graduate training in theology and philosophy.
This database comes from in-depth debriefings of more than 180
experiencers. Those data provide the foundation for this analysis of the
extraterrestrials' theological views.
The following theological topics are discussed: the extraterrestrials'
acknowledgment of, and ideas about, God; whether intelligent life is
hierarchical or egalitarian; the ETs' spiritual mission; whether ETs are
spiritual gurus; the ETs' role in human development; the ETs, Avatars and
religious inspiration; ETs' views on death and judgment versus
reincarnation; sin and the existence of evil; Creation and evolution;
whether Redemption is universal; and the ETs' ideas about God's family.
The presentation concludes with an examination of possible human reactions
to the visiting extraterrestrials' spiritual cultures.
___________________
*Research behavioral scientist/hypnotherapist in independent practice,
2826 O Street, Suite 2, Sacramento, CA, 95816 USA.
(C) 1996
This synopsis is constructed from data from more than 180 in-depth
interview debriefings with experiencers of extraterrestrial contact
(Boylan, 1994). The analysis and synthesis are the author's best
distillation of that data.
It should be borne in mind that it is the nature of extraterrestrial
communications that, in the overwhelming majority of instances,
extraterrestrials communicate with humans by telepathic transfer of mental
images or concepts, rather than by words or speech. Thus, there inherently
is some human interpretation of the mental impressions transmitted by an
extraterrestrial (ET). Nevertheless, certain core ET concepts, upon which
this synopsis is based, are consistently reported by many different
experiencers, lending confidence to the analysis and synopsis.
1. "God". The extraterrestrial races who have commented on the concept
of "God" in answer to experiencers' questions, or who have brought the
subject up themselves, uniformly affirm that they, too accept the reality
of what Earthlings call God. However, the God they affirm is not the
anthropomorphic or patriarchal figure of many Earth religions, but more of
a Supreme Source [not ET vocabulary] -- a transcendent matrix of
Consciousness, which underlies everything, and is that which gives essence
and specificity to everything, which in turn is a partial manifestation of
the Supreme Source. In more experiential terms, the ETs have taken
experiencers and shown them "God." The experiencers typically described
being in the presence of intense, overwhelmingly brilliant light from
which emanates incredibly intense love, such that the experiencer feels
lost in the infinite love. The ETs typically do not make extended
commentary about "God", but either assure the experiencer that they too
accept "God". Or they seem to let the direct experience of God speak for
itself. The ETs have, when confronted with human confusion about whether
they are gods, emphatically clarified that they are not God.
2. Extraterrestrial "superiority. The issue of the visiting
extraterrestrial races' intellectual, cultural, genetic, technological and
spiritual superiority, while not specifically a theological topic, bears
discussing, because of the metaphysical implications. The average member
of the visiting extraterrestrial races appears to manifest considerably
higher intellectual capability than the average human. Such superiority
may be partly due to education, culture, genetic engineering, or natural
selection. Yet most extraterrestrials consider humans as equals in the
sense of being a fellow sentient, conscious intelligent life form. Most of the ET races
appear to be genetically advanced, as measured by more developed mental
processes, sensory acuteness, parapsychological abilities, immune system
robustness, reported longevity, and sophisticated nutritional processes.
And without question, all visiting ET cultures are more technologically
advanced than we are. Their very ability to jump across vast interstellar
space and/or dimensions is but one example of ET technological
superiority. Culturally, the ET races uniformly appear more advanced, as
measured by the complex yet harmoniously interdependent functioning of
their societies, absence of initiation of aggression, absence of warlike
activities, the presence of altruistic concern for the Earth, its
ecosystems and for humankind, the general absence of patronizing attitudes
toward the more primitive human culture, and the ETs' holding to elevated
philosophical and moral principles (Boylan, 1996). The ETs demonstrate
highly-developed spirituality, as evidenced by the integration of
spiritual awareness into their cultures, the absence of formalistic
religious practices, broad compassionate attitude between cultures, and a
highly-developed culture of concern for souls' development across lifetimes.
3. The ETs' spiritual mission. While the ETs have several missions
which they are accomplishing by their gradually-intensifying contact with
the Earth, let us consider here just their spiritual mission. ETs have
repeatedly communicated to experiencers about the need to remember their
(the human's) origin. Often the "forgetful" human has been shown their
existence as a spark of consciousness preexisting before this lifetime. In
other instances, ETs have shown humans previous lifetimes, during which
the human processed experiences which offered the human the opportunity
for spiritual development. Often the ETs have shown experiencers glimpses
of a common origin with one or other extraterrestrial race group. This
suggests cosmically broadened understandings of family, mutual concern and
cherishing across star systems and lifetimes. In the present, ETs
typically demonstrate respect for Earthlings as fellow conscious entities.
The ETs have done considerable spiritual teaching during in-person
encounters, touching on such subjects as the nature of life, metaphysical
understanding of the nature of the cosmos, and a spiritually enlightened
understanding of the community of intelligent life forms.
4. Are ETs spiritual gurus? The sight of some Extraterrestrials,
especially the luminous and noncorporeal ones, have prompted some humans
who have come into their presence to consider these ETs god-like, and to
ask if they should be venerated. Uniformly the extraterrestrials have
quickly communicated to the human that they are not God, indeed that they,
too recognize a supreme being. The ETs express that they see their role
as, and indeed act as, catalysts and facilitators for growth in human
consciousness and awareness. As Dr. Carl Sagan was reported to have said
in a private remark, the ETs are here as "missionaries".
5. ETs' role in human development. The ETs have stated that they have
been involved in human evolution since the ancient past. This has included
ET genetic engineering of presumably terrestrial primate stock to advance
the development of human intelligence and consciousness. The ETs have also
intervened culturally, to "engineer" human consciousness by directed
telepathic inspiration and by ET encounters with selected humans. Such
interventions may help solve the archeological mystery of the Missing
Link, and the cultural anthropology mystery of the sudden arising of
Sumerian and proto-African high cultures without precursor cultures.
6. ETs, the Avatars, and religious inspiration. The Avatars (major world
religious leaders) are understood to include: Zoroaster (Zoroastrianism),
Lao-Tse (Taoism/proto-Confucianism), Moses (Judaism), Jesus
(Christianity), Buddha (Buddhism), Mohammed (Islam), and White Buffalo
Calf Woman (Native American spirituality). Native American
shaman-experiencers have declared that Jesus was a Star-Man, and that the
Avatars are Star People. The ETs have indicated that the Avatars were
sent to raise human spiritual consciousness, and have alluded to ET
involvement with them. Because of the imprecision of communication, it is
not clear whether the Avatars were: humans consistently guided by ET
consciousnesses, humans with ensoulment by a soul which was ET in a
previous life, human-extraterrestrial hybrids, or ETs manifesting human
appearance. None of the above scenarios negates the role of the divine in
religious inspiration, but rather allows for the divine to manifest
through ET intermediaries. Just as the great religious books and
doctrines were not uttered by God directly, but proclaimed to humanity
through human intermediaries as well.
7. Death and judgment versus reincarnation. Those extraterrestrials
commenting on lifespan have unanimously spoken of ETs and humans as having
had previous lifetimes, and, after death from their current life, going on
in many cases to successive lifetimes. Besides affirming reincarnation,
the ETs have spoken about individuals voluntarily and consciously choosing
to re-ensoul in another body and live another lifetime. The subsequent
lifetime is not necessarily on the same planet. Thus, ETs have shown a
human person , in some instances, the human's previous life as an
extraterrestrial, or their subsequent life as in ET form. Also, the ETs
have shown a former extraterrestrial reincarnating in a human body to live
a human lifetime. Indeed, some such "humanized" ET consciousnesses have
deliberately come to Earth as missionaries, to aid in humanity's
advancement. The degree of consciousness and spiritual progress that a
given soul/consciousness makes in a given lifetime influences the possible
choices available for that soul to have in a subsequent lifetime. There is
no support in ET theology for the doctrine of only a single lifetime,
after which the soul is judged and assigned a permanent fate.
8. "Sin" and the existence of evil. ET commentators have not dwelled on
the idea of sin: they rather tend to portray bad human actions as unwise,
unenlightened choices. The focus is on the human's learning to operate in
a wiser fashion. The ETs are not moral relativists, however. If choices
are bad enough, they may try to influence humans to step in, or rarely
will step in themselves, to remedy the situation. The ETs have scolded
many humans, including reportedly some governmental leaders, for bad
choices which have harmed the environment or caused great human harm. The
ETs appear to think of evil as unenlightenment, capable of improvement
through growth in consciousness and awareness. Sanctions are seen more as
blocks to harm and as moral lessons than as punishments.
9. The Godhead, Creation and evolution. The available data is ambiguous.
ET telepathic messages have given indications of both creation aspects and
evolution aspects to the cosmos. Perhaps the conundrum is clarified by
knowing how the ETs understand the divine. God is understood as the
Supreme Source, out of which everything is manifested. The Supreme Source
is that matrix of Consciousness out of which all entities have their
being. This theology is somewhat akin to that which was expressed in the
first chapter of the Gospel of John. There John spoke about "the Word"
[Greek: logos], (God/Jesus). The Word is equivalent to the principle which
makes things be as they are. Everything exists with its own character
insofar as it participates to a greater or lesser degree in some aspect of
the supreme Word/Consciousness.
10. Jesus and Redemption. Jesus' role in humanity's spiritual life must
be understood in the context of what has already been expressed about ET
influence on humankind and the Avatars. The ETs consider Jesus's life of
service to others and self-sacrifice as an excelling example of living in
highly developed consciousness, as were his spiritual teachings, moral
guidance, and witnessing to high principles at the cost of his life. From
this perspective , "redemption" is not so much a washing away of humans'
sins, as it is strikingly setting a new and higher standard of moral (high
consciousness) behavior, and showing humans the dark results of
low-consciousness choices. Jesus left humans free to chose, but
emphatically pointed out the consequences of those choices. That is
largely what the ETs do as well. The ET civilizations which have evolved
to the level of interstellar travel and missionary work have not commented
on their own spiritual evolution. Whether some ET civilizations have had a
spiritual master like Jesus incarnate among them is not known from
available data. We have much yet to learn from our ET visitors.
11. God's family. One of the key questions of theology is relationship
to God. Who is in God's family? How big is that family? How varied? Our ET
visitors, by their very appearing among us, and by their communicating
sensitive spiritual thoughts, demonstrate to us how wide and how varied
God's family is. It truly spans the universe, and encompasses conscious,
intelligent life in all its many forms. It may be reassuring to
traditional religionists to know that it is true throughout the galaxy and
beyond, that "wherever two or three are gathered, " there the divine is in
the midst of them. The ETs acknowledge the spiritual preciousness of
humans as sparks of the divine. Nevertheless, different ET cultures vary
in the way they express that acknowledgment, in view of human
transgressions against each other, other creatures and the Earth (Boylan,
1992).
Summary As humans face the task of evaluating the visiting
extraterrestrials' spiritual cultures, let us reflect on the lessons
available from our own religious history. For example, will Americans
encountering visiting cosmic cultures be that much different than the
behavior of European colonists meeting foreigners (e.g., Carib Indians on
Hispaniola Island)? The Europeans decided that the Caribs' religion was
heathen and to be despised, which "justified" forcibly imposing
Christianity on the Caribs.
Perhaps the appropriate behavior for humans at the upcoming meetings with
ET representatives is the one suggested by Vatican Observatory astronomer
and Jesuit, Guy Consulmagno. "If we were to make contact with other
intelligent life, we'd have to tell our own sacred story, listen to them
tell theirs, and learn."
References
Boylan, R., 1992. Extraterrestrial Contact and Human Responses. Author,
Sacramento, CA.
Boylan, R., 1994. Close Extraterrestrial Encounters: Positive Experiences
with Mysterious Visitors. Wild Flower Press, Newberg, OR.
Boylan, R., 1996 Labored Journey To The Stars. Author, Sacramento, CA.
Dr. Boylan is a behavioral scientist, researcher into Star Visitor-human encounters, retired university Lecturer, author, and head of the Star kids Project�).
Richard Boylan, Ph.D., LLC,
P.O. Box 1009,Diamond Springs, CA 95619 ;
(530) 621-2674(br) Email: drboylan@sbcglobal.net
Website: www.drboylan.com
He also moderates/participates in UFOFacts internet reports and communications list; You are invited to join the UFOFacts internet reports-and-communications list; moderated by Dr. Boylan:
(subscribe at: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/ufofacts).
Key Words
extraterrestrial theology
supreme being
spirituality
intelligent life
avatars
reincarnation
redemption
consciousness
guru
creationism
evolution
Sixth Article