Day 52: Suspension of Disbelief

Have you ever read a UFO conspiracy theory? And I don't mean a silly one that someone took 2 minutes to type out in a rush, I mean one of the good ones that you can squint your brain and see it being reality. Whenever I read a good one I always marvel at the fact that whoever wrote it either truly believes what they're saying, and/or went through all the time and effort to create something that sounds logical (at least on a surface level). It's really not so far off from writing pure fiction in that connecting a series of events in a believable way leads to a compelling narrative. There's a big secret, monumentally high stakes, a shadowy antagonist (usually the US government), and of course, aliens get involved, which is just the cherry on top of any story really.

I find it incredibly interesting that people can craft these totally unhinged theories and still attract people who truly believe. There is one guy in particular that blows my mind, Stephen Greer. He has somehow convinced thousands of followers that the aliens can actually hear your thoughts, and will respond to group meditation. UFOs will apparently show up when you call them. Seriously, that's his whole schtick. He runs group mediations out in the woods. It gives me hope to know that there are people who barely even need to suspend their disbelief to get invested in a story as outlandish as the ones I like to write.

Thank you for reading,

Benjamin Hawley