UFOs, Conspiracy Theories and the New Age

Placing UFO phenomena and related conspiracy theories in their socio-religious context, this book is an innovative investigation into why conspiracy theories became so prevalent in the New Age milieu. David G. Robertson argues that UFOs formed a bridge between conspiracy theories and popular millennial ideas in the post Cold War period. Through case studies mixing historical discourse analysis with ethnographic fieldwork, Robertson examines the work of three writers: the religious overtones of horror novelist Whitley Strieber; David Icke, who theorises that reptilian ETs covertly control the affairs of the world; and David Wilcock, Ancient Aliens regular and alleged reincarnation of Edgar Cayce. The investigation reveals that UFOs are a symbol for uncertainty concerning the boundaries between scientific and other strategies for the legitimisation of knowledge, encouraging their adoption in both conspiracist and popular millennial discourses. Robertson argues that metaphysical conspiracism therefore reconciles the utopian vision of popular millennialism with the apocalyptic critique of modern global society offered by conspiracists. At the same time, metaphysical conspiracism offers millennialists a theodicy which argues that the prophesied New Age did not fail, but was prevented from arriving by malevolent, hidden others. An overview of the development of UFO subcultures from the perspective of religious studies, UFOs, Conspiracy Theories and the New Age is an innovative application of discourse analysis to the study of present day alternative religion.