How to Marginalize an Astronaut

May 5, 2004

 

by Richard M. Dolan

5/5/04

 

Not long ago, Apollo 14 astronaut Dr. Edgar Mitchell made an amazing statement concerning the possession of alien bodies by a secret group of “insiders.” In this short piece, I contrast that statement with the astonishingly cavalier treatment of this claim the mainstream media. The end result trivializes an important issue.

 

A few months ago, Apollo 14 astronaut Dr. Edgar Mitchell made an extraordinary statement while speaking to a group of people. In attendance was Waveney Ann Moore, a journalist for the St. Petersburg Times of Florida (article attached below). At deep levels within the U.S. national security establishment, said Mitchell, scientists are in possession of alien bodies, and have been studying them in secrecy.

 

Now, this kind of thing has been said before, of course. Anyone with the slightest interest in the topic of UFOs has encountered such the claim many times. And talk is cheap – anyone can make such a claim.

 

But with Dr. Mitchell, you have to look at things a little differently. Here is a man who walked on the Moon. Only 12 people have ever done that, and not all of them are alive today. He is also a Navy man, has a Ph.D., and possesses a lifetime of connections within the American national security apparatus __ connections that very few people have had an opportunity to develop. His experiences make him unusually well_qualified to comment on this particular topic.

 

So when Edgar Mitchell says that American national security personnel possess alien bodies (and presumably alien technology), that’s a very interesting thing. If I were in attendance at such a gathering, the first question out of my mouth would be “on what basis, sir, do you make such a statement?” It’s only reasonable to ask. And I have no doubt that Edgar Mitchell would gladly have offered an answer.

 

But if Ms. Moore asked him anything at all, her article left no hint. Indeed, she quoted merely a single sentence of any relevance, and even that appears to have been significantly edited.

 

On the other hand, she managed to work the word “cabal” into her article. And oh yes, she wrote about Mitchell’s religious upbringing (relevance?) and focused (to the extent possible in such a brief piece) on issues of “consciousness” and “interconnectedness.”

 

You can see where this is heading. Fringe City.

 

Apparently, the only individual Ms. Moore found worthy of quoting was a self described “transformational healer” (no doubt wearing a pyramid on her head) who blithely commented on how “delightful” it was that a man of Dr. Mitchell’s stature was “more open than ever” to discussing the topic of life in the universe.

 

The effect of the article was, without question, to trivialize both Dr. Mitchell and his statement.

 

One suspects that in such ignorant, journalistic, circles, Edgar Mitchell appears like a rich, eccentric uncle who does whatever he wants because he’s basically harmless, and after all you like him and don’t want to hurt his feelings. On the other hand, there is a darker side to this. When someone of his stature is treated, again and again, in such a disrespectful manner, then we can see that the mainstream media is never going to deal with the topic of UFOs and ETs in an evenhanded way.

 

For many years, Edgar Mitchell has taken his stand on the matter of UFOs, extraterrestrial intelligence, and government secrecy. He has at every opportunity taken the high road, the honorable road, at no small risk to his personal reputation. And he is telling us that he knows for a fact that secret insiders are studying alien bodies. That is a hell of a statement.

 

Unfortunately, it is one that Ms. Moore was clearly not capable of dealing with. Could her inability be part of a grand conspiracy? Or everyday, ordinary, incompetence? Or simply the result of some dumb editor who hacked out all the good parts?

 

However you slice it, add it to the long list of articles posing as news regarding the topic of UFOs that only serves to keep this topic forever marginalized and emasculated.

 

—-

 

Read below for the article in question.

 

St. Petersburg Times, FL
February 18, 2004

 

ST. PETERSBURG – Astronaut: We´ve had visitors

 

The sixth man to walk on the moon shares his unconventional views.

 

The aliens have landed.

 

Thus declared Apollo 14 astronaut Edgar Mitchell on Saturday to more than 200 admirers.

 

“A few insiders know the truth . . . and are studying the bodies that have been discovered,” said Mitchell, who was the sixth man to walk on the moon.

 

Mitchell, who landed on the moon with Alan B. Shepard, said a “cabal” of insiders stopped briefing presidents about extraterrestrials after President Kennedy.

 

For those who might consider his statements farfetched, Mitchell, who has a doctorate in science from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, noted that 30 years ago it was accepted that man was alone in the universe. Few people believe that now, he said.

 

Besides aliens, Mitchell talked about being freed of prostate cancer during a healing ceremony and his epiphany while returning from the moon.

 

“I had an opportunity to be a tourist,” he said, going on to speak about the sensation he felt as he watched the Earth, moon and sun.

 

Raised as a Southern Baptist, Mitchell said his feeling of interconnectedness could not be explained by traditional religion alone. He later founded the Institute of Noetic Sciences.

 

On its Web site, the California organization says it conducts and sponsors “leading-edge research into the potentials and powers of consciousness” and that it explores “phenomena that do not necessarily fit conventional scientific models, while maintaining a commitment to scientific rigor.”

 

The site also states that IONS, as it is known by members, is not a spiritual sect, political action group or single-cause institute.

 

Saturday afternoon, dozens of people made their way through rain to hear Mitchell and IONS president James O ´Dea speak at the Heritage Holiday Inn in downtown St. Petersburg.

 

Lisa Raphael, a member of IONS who describes herself as a transformational holistic healer, said she was pleased to hear Mitchell ´s comments.

 

“Personally, what was most delightful to me was that he was more open than he has ever been, very direct about knowing that there are other forms of intelligent life in the universe and most probably that they have been here,” said Ms. Raphael.