Copyright 2024, José Antonio Caravaca
In my latest book, EXTERNAL AGENT, I delve deeper into my particular worldview regarding close encounters with UFOs, interpreting them through the lens of the Distortion Theory. For me, the testimonies of those who claim to have had direct interactions with these mysterious crafts—and in some cases, their alleged occupants—are crucial to unraveling the broader UFO phenomenon. What captivates me most about these accounts are the unsettling similarities they share with ancient folklore, which also recounts episodes of contact with beings and creatures that defy explanation. These historical parallels suggest that UFO sightings are not a new phenomenon, but rather a modern iteration of an ancient and ongoing interaction between humanity and the unknown. It's these recurring patterns that demand our attention.
In EXTERNAL AGENT, I propose that these visions might be the result of a complex psychic interaction between the observer and unknown elements of our reality. I explore how these encounters demonstrate a profound relationship between what is observed and the observer’s perception, suggesting that our minds may be translating these anomalous experiences into visual codes and behavioral patterns that are more familiar to us. This raises the question: Could it be that our understanding of these phenomena is too constrained by the narratives of extraterrestrial visitors, and that we need to expand our interpretation beyond the surface images we encounter?
I'm convinced that these Fortean and supernatural events have always existed throughout human history, but our attempts to comprehend them through a cognitive lens may distort the original "broadcast" into something entirely new. This distortion, in turn, gives rise to anomalous visions, shaped by cultural influence. One of the key points I highlight in this book is the aesthetic evolution of the UFO phenomenon over time. For instance, I examine how the technology reported in encounters from the 1950s through the 1980s appears outdated or even absurd when compared to contemporary human advancements. This discrepancy makes me question whether we are indeed witnessing visits from extraterrestrial beings, or if these are, in fact, parapsychic manifestations of a broader reality. It’s possible that this expanded reality borrows from our collective psyche, using familiar symbols and aesthetics to create a highly humanized experience.
In cases of the most intimate UFO encounters—those marked by extreme strangeness—it appears there is not only an interaction but an active immersion by the witnesses into a new, unfolding reality at the very moment of contact. Witnesses may unwittingly be co-creating these experiences, contributing their own subconscious thoughts, fears, and expectations into the fabric of what they are witnessing. This psychic architecture, as I term it, suggests that the reality of these encounters is far more dynamic and mutable than we traditionally assume. Some encounters may even be extrapolations of the witnesses' pre-existing beliefs or personal cognitive frameworks, further complicating our study of the phenomenon.
The field of UFO research faces significant challenges: inconsistent descriptions across sightings, strong cultural influences, and, most critically, the lack of concrete, verifiable evidence. If we take all accounts at face value, it would seem statistically implausible that we are being visited by such a vast array of UFOs and extraterrestrial beings. In one section of EXTERNAL AGENT, I compare these encounters to folkloric traditions, such as the "Santa Compaña" in Galicia. This mysterious funeral procession, which is believed to come from the beyond, appears only in a very specific cultural context. Why does this manifestation limit itself to a particular aesthetic, only in certain geographic locations? Could these phenomena be bound by cultural or geographic frameworks? This leads me to consider the possibility that these manifestations require a sort of "cultural transmission belt" to perpetuate their appearance in different regions.
The concept of the "external agent," which I introduce in the book, ties together ideas of expanded reality, intelligence, and information. I suggest that this external agent has the ability to manifest selectively to specific individuals at particular moments in time, subtly influencing how they interpret and understand their surroundings. Over the years, I’ve noticed that people who report encounters with UFOs or anomalous entities often experience personal transformations. These profound shifts in consciousness challenge the traditional frameworks of ufology, which tends to focus on the physical aspects and esthetic aspects of these encounters. Instead, I argue that the mental and psychological effects of these experiences are one of the most compelling aspects of the phenomenon.
In many ways, I liken the external agent to a kind of "universal Siri"—an unseen intelligence that interacts with our reality, perhaps even updating our collective psyche with new perspectives or insights. This agent may be providing us with psychological or existential "updates" that help us evolve our understanding of reality and ourselves. Ultimately, EXTERNAL AGENT encourages readers to reconsider the UFO phenomenon not as an invasion of extraterrestrial beings, but as an invitation to explore the deeper, more enigmatic layers of our own existence and consciousness. Through this expanded lens, we can begin to appreciate these encounters as more than just isolated incidents, but rather as ongoing dialogues between humanity and an unseen, yet profoundly impactful, external force.
JAC
