With the Roswell crash and outright bizarre ancient alien theories (looking at you, Giorgio A. Tsoukalos!), humanity has always been fascinated with alien encounters. We are always on the hunt for UFOs, flying saucers, extraterrestrial vehicles, and any other mysteries that could appear in our skies. Could they prove that we’re not alone? Why are we obsessed with UFOs? Let’s find out! 

Our Obsession Goes Way Back

For starters, UFOs have always been clouded in mystery. Perhaps one of the reasons behind our obsession relates to the lack of proof. We have never been able to actually prove the sightings. UFOs are like a frustrating puzzle with no end! 

Since we can’t get any concrete solutions, our obsession keeps growing, and we can’t seem to put the pieces together. Will it ever end, and are we ever going to get an official confirmation of an alien encounter?

UFO History

Going way back, the earliest written account of an anomaly in the sky dates back to 1440 BC. In ancient Egypt, pharaoh Thutmose III had several scribes who once saw “fiery disks” that were floating in the sky. In the ancient world, there were numerous other accounts of bizarre encounters, most notably in Egypt, Rome, and Asia. Most reports wrote of some form of a ship, spark, or falling star. Others even talked of a flame or an angel that descended onto Earth.

What’s more, if we jump forward to 1947 and the Cold War era, the UFO phenomenon entered the mainstream. The U.S. public became infatuated with aliens! The most important cases are the Kenneth Arnold sighting and the Roswell crash. In the ’50s and ’60s, the entire country was looking for answers! From 1947 to the late ’60s, the fabled Project Blue Book collected over 12,000 reports of strange anomalies. And by 1974, the U.S. opened the National UFO Reporting Center to deal with and investigate countless sightings.

However, there were also hundreds of reports and sightings that date back to the 15th and the 19th century. In America, historians believe that the first sighting actually happened in 1639 when a Puritan saw a glowing object in the sky. In the end, our search for aliens has lasted for many, many years. That could be the reason for our endless infatuation. 

What We Know So Far

Generally, the problem with ancient UFO reports is that many were classified as fake or misleading. Also, since we can only rely on written accounts, there’s no way of knowing whether those sightings were actually real or if they were some sort of natural phenomena. It’s been like this for a long time. Yet, the race to prove that UFOs and aliens exist has accelerated in recent years. See these famous UFO sightings.

One of the most important recent events was the Pentagon’s reveal of mysterious videos made by Navy pilots. The pilots captured some anomalies, and the Pentagon declassified them. They officially show “unidentified” objects. The Pentagon also confirmed that its UFO program is still active. In fact, its investigation of those anomalies had lasted five years. This was a landmark event because it explains the government’s current stance on UFOs. 

What’s more, in 2019, a statement from the Air Force and the U.S. Navy revealed that they created a formalized method for processing UFO reports. Plus, many scientific panels and organizations around the world have concluded that UFO evidence is worth examining. Sadly, there have also been many unpublicized and unclassified efforts to study objects from outer space. That includes the Advanced Aerospace Threat Identification Program. 

So Why Are We So Crazy About Them?

When it comes to evidence, there are simply way too many cases to mention right now. However, past and recent “proof” stirs our curiosity. That could be yet another reason for our fixation. There are thousands of conflicting reports, mysterious or even scary encounters, government conspiracies, etc. In some ways, our UFO search has become a treasure hunt and an endless source of entertainment to some. 

On the other hand, our interest in UFOs could simply be based on pure logic. The question of whether or not we’re alone in this vast universe is something that we’ve been trying to answer for centuries. Undoubtedly, UFOs are a big part of that equation! 

Our Future 

Unfortunately, we might never know what our governments are truly up to. As we’ve said, many government efforts have been unclassified and unpublicized. After all, UFOs could be a threat to national security, and no one knows how we would react if we get an official confirmation. Would we freak out and fear for our safety? Does the government have a plan in case the aliens make contact? What would happen with our social structure or even with our religions?

As stated, the Pentagon is already working on a new task force that will deal with UFO encounters. Could the government finally make a breakthrough? Other countries like Japan have also created new protocols in case of new sightings. In any case, stories about alien life are gaining traction right now, and it seems that everyone is talking about it in 2020. Will we finally learn the truth, and how will our future look if we find out that aliens are real? 

Hoax, Debunked

Like we’ve said, our fascination with flying objects keeps growing because we simply can’t find the answers right now. That’s why there are so many hoaxes and fake encounters. For many pranksters, they are a way to make money, gain popularity, or stir the public. 

One of the most popular is the 1993 video featuring a fake alien autopsy from the Roswell crash. The creator sold the rights to the video, and it blew up in the media. But, the hoax was soon debunked as the footage clearly shows that the aliens were actually dummies. There are also tons of accounts of fake alien abductions, especially hailing from the 1980s. Other debunked hoaxes include cattle mutilations, the famous “face on Mars,” crop circles, cow abductions, the Maury Island Incident, etc. And don’t get us started on Area 51! 

RELATED: 13 Reasons  To Believe Aliens Are Real

Summary

So, are we close to proving all those UFO sightings? Was it all a big cover-up since ancient times, and were aliens actually responsible for our creation? Or does our list of questions expand because we simply don’t want to accept that we’re alone in the universe? What do you think?