Truth Versus Belief.

In this post I would like to discuss the meaning of truth versus belief.

Now, truth is a tricky concept. Much trickier than it would initially appear. Despite countless discussions at home with my lovely lady, we still seem to debate the issue somewhat fervently and it doesn't look like a definitive conclusion will be arrived at any time soon. But, fortunately for me, this is my blog so I will explain my understanding of the term as I see it (sorry dear).

Firstly, why mention truth at all? Well, as a writer of nonfiction it is an essential aspect of my material. My whole book concerns whether or not extraterrestrials are real or fictitious. Are the accounts I have documented actually factual or mere speculation? I realized that if I was to successfully engage my readers, that truth and integrity were an essential element of my writing.

In the introduction to The Alien Enigma I briefly highlight the idea that people still ask "do you BELIEVE in aliens?" as if they are asking whether you BELIEVE in Santa or the Tooth Fairy. Now why would someone word it in this manner?

The adults among us realize by now ( I hope) that Father Xmas and the Tooth Fairy are fictitious. We can trace back the roots of both stories and understand their presence in our world today, knowing that BELIEF is key to their existence.

Please excuse the overuse of caps lock here, but I want to get my point across.

When it comes to aliens, UFOs and related mysteries, I understand that they continue to be considered in a mysterious light - not fully understood, and clearly, judging by the average response to such subjects, are still thought of as not real by the masses. The pure lack of exposure in the mainstream media and the scientific community have pushed these subjects out into the cold; destined to remain in obscurity and positioned on the fringes of acceptable thought. So much so in fact, they have become as fanciful a concept as a fat man in a red costume who travels worldwide in one evening dishing out presents to those he decides to be deserving of them.

But, ETs, UFOs and related phenomena do NOT belong to this group of ideological misfits. Neither do they belong to the realm of belief. As the image below highlights; this crop glyph known as The Crabwood Alien is based in reality. It REALLY did appear in a field in Hampshire, England back in August 2002. I do not BELIEVE it appeared...it actually DID appear. Despite claims that the whole affair is either a hoax or a product of image manipulation.

Religion belongs in the realm of belief, despite the claims of the most ardent supporters of whatever system makes sense to them. Many devout Christians, Muslims or those from other faiths, will tell you that what they believe in is the truth. So the word belief in this context doesn't really stick. Some of these strict religious folk will gladly tell you that they KNOW that the Bible or Quran is real and not just metaphoric.

Anyway, the last thing I want to do is digress into a religious debate, it will only end in tears. My point is, from my perspective at least, that religion is a system of beliefs. And no matter how adamantly one contests that their religion is fact, for me it remains a choice and a belief.

Extraterrestrials on the other hand, either exist or they don't. They are either real (in a third dimensional reality sense) or they are made up. My research certainly reveals the former.

I don't want to BELIEVE in UFOs or aliens. If they are figments of human imagination then I would like to know. The same applies to the other mysteries of this life; ghosts and the paranormal, reincarnation, giants, Bigfoot, Atlantis, crop circles, cattle mutilations, alien abductions, the artificial moon theory (I will be writing a post on this soon) and the myriad of other unexplainables.

I don't need something unreal to believe in.

I am a truth seeker, a free thinker.

I want to know what is real in this world and beyond.

If it turns out that aliens do not exist and UFOs are all explainable as natural or man-made phenomena then I would like to know that. If all paranormal activity can be explained away, then I would rather know that too. The fact remains however that these things are mysteries for a reason. They DO exist in some form in our material, physical world despite our efforts to explain away their existence.

Until the day comes when everything is revealed to us, and all the mysteries of the world are no longer mysteries, we will continue to speculate and debate on the nature of all things which we do not fully understand. But as always, I will continue to look for the truth in all things, and attempt to make sense of it all.

We are all free to believe in what we want.

For me, all I want to believe in is that ultimately there is only ONE truth to all things.

And as sure as I am that I will never find it all, I BELIEVE that it is our responsibility to try.