The mysterious phenomenon of UFOs or UAPs inevitably touches on matters of religion, spirituality, morality, and psychology, including our innate quest for meaning and, especially, on the perennial problem of evil. We humans possess a primal, perhaps instinctual proclivity to perceive and deem that which we do not understand, i.e., the unknown, as negative, destructive, or evil.

In Part 1 of this post, I addressed some of the psychological dynamics and existential needs (e.g., meaninglessness and alienation in a mysterious cosmos, dread of the stranger or "other," seeking a messianic "ultimate rescuer," etc.) that can foster belief in UFOs, extraterrestrial visitation or abduction, etc.

Fervent, far-fetched, unswerving and unlikely reports with absolutely no objective evidence or corroboration can, in some cases, sound like the stuff of delusions or hallucinations heard every day in psychiatric wards around the world. And like hallucinations and delusions, these reported experiences can sometimes serve as a sort of projective test, revealing hidden conflicts, fears, resentments, repressed memories, traumas, and anxieties (and sometimes positive feelings, wishes, talents, potentialities, aspirations or beliefs) not only in the psyche of individual experiencers but deeply rooted in our collective unconscious psyche as well.

However, having said all that, this is in no way intended by me to dismiss or deny the objective reality of the UFO or UAP phenomenon but rather only to provide some psychological context within which to try to better comprehend, explain, and come to terms with it. Given some of the most recent information and imagery released by the government, for example, Rep. Anna Paulina Luna, chair of a federal declassification task force, telling Joe Rogan (August, 2025) that she’s........

© Psychology Today