That is an understatement.
Fortunately there are more efficient ways of traversing apparently vast areas of space then what humans are capable of in our present understanding and technology.
It is not so much crossing vast areas of space linearly as appearing to jump instantly from one location and appearing in another. This isn't accomplished in the third dimension, but folding or looping space (kind of like how pac-man can go off the left hand side of the screen and appear on the right hand side). Creating wormholes or temporary tunnels in the fourth or fifth dimension.
I don't know the science of it, I admit it, because I am not an alien or an astro-physicist... But I have a basic understanding of the concept just as I have a basic understanding of how a radio works. I don't, but I know that it does.
Technologically advanced aliens have a way of hovering at a high wave-length where they can blink in and out of our perceived physical vibrational spectrum. Somehow their technology is an extension of their minds, whereas our technology is an extension of our senses and hands. We can use microscopes and telescopes as extensions of our eyes, a spoon is an extension of our hands, etc...
With some aliens it is hard to tell the difference between their vehicle and their body or their mind. Their vehicle might be perceived as a transparent light that seems to have sentience. Or somehow be able to pass through physical barriers as if we are only seeing a cross-section of a 4th or 5th dimensional object interacting with our third dimension.
The nature of the phenomena of alien encounters also exists on the threshold of objectivity and subjectivity. Cameras may malfunction, or not record anything unusual, while the person experience a full alien encounter with no physical evidence to show for it. However, after the event, there may be scorched ground, high radiation readings, etc. It is a fine line between diagnosing an experiencer with a psychological disorder or not.
Here is an interesting read. It is a critical evaluation of theory and evidence.
It is interesting to not that for much of history the alien encounter was interpreted as encounters with gods, demons, succubi, and faeries or elves. They all had similar trademarks, ie. experiencing extreme pulsations of energy and a "Wahwahwahwahwah" sound, bright spinning lights, radiation burns (sunburn), missing time, encountering beings who humans were unable to relate to emotionally and unable to identify emotions in them, invasive telepathy and psychological manipulation, and even genetic experiments. Myths of the faerie changeling where human women were abducted and impregnated by faeries and later gave birth to a "changeling" or 1/2 human-1/2 faerie child, then the faeries come to take back the child. This also seems relevant to the "demi-gods" of myth. It wasn't until the 1930s and 1940s that the experience began to take on the alien association widespread. Perhaps this is a result of science taking the place of religion and superstition, and science fiction taking the place of mythology. Whatever it is, the alien encounter phenomena appears to be here to stay, and to always defy classification. It appears to be the manifestation and/or the projection of the mystery of our place in the universe. It appears to rear its head as any form that seems possible, but without evidence. It is the manifestation of the fantastic, from beyond the threshold of human understanding, perhaps to push us into expanding the envelope of our rational conception.
What I find very very interesting is the possible relation of the alien abduction experience with sleep paralysis and hypno-gogic hallucinations. Perhaps aliens can also manipulate people's consciousness and brainwaves and initiate a subjective hypnogogic abduction experience while they fiddle with the victim's mind. Or perhaps the whole experience is a product of the hypnogogic state.
But this only relates to the abduction experience. I have had no abduction experiences so I don't know about this first-hand. The experiences I have had are not with the classic "grey" aliens who abduct people but rather with a more benevolent entity that seems to be beyond our understanding of wise and compassionate, yet impersonal. They are awesome, yet quell any reactions of fear from humans. It is obvious that they deeply respect humans and our feelings of safety, they don't cross any boundaries. They need to be invited. But they will step in only when there is absolutely no other option for our safety as a species.
But perhaps I am just fantasy-prone. I admit that that is definitely a possibility. But, according to psychologists, fantasy prone people are still able to tell the difference between a fantasy or hallucination and a real experience. I would have to be schizophrenic if this weren't a genuine experience. Alien encounters are experienced by up to 6% of the population, according to the link I just posted. That seems like a high estimate, and would include the schizophrenic population as well. It would also include false memories suggested by UFOologists during hypnosis. But the fact is that many many people who are otherwise very sane and who have lead 'normal' lives, who were not even interested in aliens have had these experiences.
So with 5-6% of the population fantasy-prone, and a good portion of those only spontaneously fantasy-prone, it is the majority consensus reality opinion labeling the minority fantasy. And without any evidence for or against, it ends up being a matter of personal experience or not.
And what I would like to make clear is that the true nature of these experiences cannot be accurately communicated. The one relating the story of the experience has to use a lot of metaphors and similes. The one trying to understand, diagnose, etc. does not understand the nature of the experience. It is easy for them to dismiss it as fantasy, false memories, masking of trauma, etc... When the experiencer says that he "saw into a higher dimension of reality" that he was "previously unaware of" and that "the vast majority of people are unaware of" he means it. He cannot describe it accurately, or offer evidence, or experiment to prove a hypothesis (unless he is a scientist).
That is the whole message of the movie "Contact" and the book "Contact" by Carl Sagan. That in the end she had an experience that totally changed her life and she knew in the deepest part of her being as true, but she had no proof. And it is significant that the tables turned, whereas before she was a skeptical atheist. She remained atheist, but still was accused of hallucinating or fantasizing. Very good message in that story, I have a lot of respect for Carl Sagan. Also, the reaction from the religious nut-jobs was portrayed very well. But the character of Matthew McConaughey was very annoying.
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