Every aspect of the UAP story involves the psychology of the human mind.

Psychologists are not immune to the very psychological issues they study.

Psychologists have both a scientific opportunity and an ethical responsibility to engage on the topic of UAPs.

For more than a century, the field of psychology has sought to understand human thought, emotion, perception, belief, memory, and behavior. It has tackled some of humanity’s most complex questions, from consciousness and trauma to religion, spirituality, and extraordinary human experiences. Yet there is one area where, despite millions of reported experiences and increasing attention from governments and scientists, the field has remained remarkably quiet: unidentified anomalous phenomena (UAP).

Whether UAPs ultimately prove to represent misunderstood natural phenomena, advanced technology, non-human intelligence, or something else entirely is a question for many scientific disciplines to investigate. But there is another question that belongs squarely within the expertise of psychologists: What can these experiences teach us about the human mind?

Over the past several years, the conversation surrounding UAP has changed dramatically. Senior government officials, military personnel, intelligence officers, scientists, and members of Congress have publicly stated that some UAP reports cannot currently be explained by known technologies or conventional explanations. Governments around the world have expanded efforts to collect and analyze data. Regardless of where these investigations ultimately lead, the topic has moved well........

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