Before the Big T, Tesla, there was an 80s band by the same name. Their famous song “Signs” from their breakout album Mechanical Resonance was a kind of anthem for the disaffected blue-collar working poor. We played pool in dingy pool halls, smoked Marlboros, drank PBR, cranked up “Signs” over our abysmal car speakers, and drove to keggers in the woods.

Over this last week, I’ve been reminded of our ‘80s coming-of-age anthems. Listening to experiencers who feel separated from the UAP popularity contest playing out. Their woes, concerns, and fears about agendas come through loud and clear. Whether it’s worry over Peter Theil’s infiltration of the UAP community or concerns about Skywatcher’s new psionic protocols, these anxieties predict a sea change shifting the UFO/UAP field. Obsessions spring from anxiety. It’s an underpinning. When I listen to concerns about emerging UAP Studies from experiencers, I feel their longing for acceptance beneath these ebbing tides. The lack of acceptance creates separation between the “in” crowd and those who still feel sidelined.

While the battle-hardened best of us might say it’s no use worrying about the community because it’s withstood the test of time and the worst darkness, I would counter that our work and power is in the now—the present. There’s a precious time to stop and listen. When you receive a call to action, creating space to listen provides for active, deep healing. One advocate with non-judgment and an open mind can bridge the divide. While this community has decades under its belt, it’s been held together by the hearts, minds, and soulful fibers of lived anomalous experiences. We confront the phenomenon and build trust with one another by making sense of it.

Advocates have held a long line of service and guidance for those who long for truth. Our UFO fellowship has undergone divisions that are fraught with controversy, but it has continued to hold well-fortified connections, helping one another. Our community evolved out of a desperate need to reconcile the singular, interpersonal confrontation we face internally from a direct encounter. UFO experiences and Ufology have evolved over time, allowing for the inclusion and diversity of experiences while providing valuable information for those searching to understand the phenomenon. It’s a well-built foundation for those who may be undergoing a healing crisis when there’s no other outlet for it. And in a way, the UFO community has been forged like a sacred crucible.

Inevitably, this community can disintegrate a personality or help redefine it.

With the release of the new Bob Dylan biopic “A Complete Unknown” this concept of disaffected youth, political winds shifting, and how the pure genius of artistry can transform a generation is renewed. Dylan’s trajectory from an admirer of Woody Guthrie to his meteoric rise through the folk community provides a metaphorical looking glass into the experiencer phenomenon as outsiders looking within.

Our intuition calls us to the thought leaders, advocates, and broadcasters who cover the UFO stories we resonate with. Synchronicities, signs, and pre-cognitions guide us on the journey. Those of us who have lived through the pitfalls of investigations, personalities, and falsities in the UFO field understand those signs. We’ve learned who to work with and trust. We provide guardrails, caution others, and sidestep disasters.

Go Lightly on the Ground and a Word to the Wise

As advocates, we can’t be all things. Protectors. Guardians. Defenders. Activists. Healers. We can only do what we can with our skill set. I’ve heard from the best who will drop everything to be present for an experiencer or provide for a researcher who needs urgent help. I’ve made calls myself, and to my friend Dave Scott‘s credit, when he can’t assist, he’ll delicately say, “This is above my paygrade.”

Sometimes, we’re expected to open every door. Do what you can. The advocates who have successfully navigated the UFO/UAP waters have learned to have boundaries, assist where they can, and take responsible action through generosity of spirit. This is the one formula we can count on. It’s the cement that built the UFO community foundation. Additionally, learn what the person in front of you is looking for. If it’s not you, be direct. Do what you can. Reach out and get support. To quote Bob Dylan, “I’m not the one you want, babe. I’m not the one you need.”