American Cosmic: UFOs, Religion, Technology

Name: American Cosmic: UFOs, Religion, Technology
Price: 30.00 USD
Availability: InStock
Author: Pasulka, D W
ISBN: 9780190692889

✍️ Pasulka, D W

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📚 ABOUT THE BOOK

Is belief in UFOs the new American religion, replacing traditional faith?

D.W. Pasulka's "American Cosmic" delves into the burgeoning phenomenon of extraterrestrial belief, exploring its surprising parallels with traditional religious systems. Through extensive ethnographic research, Pasulka challenges the stereotype of UFO believers, revealing a cohort of accomplished professionals, scientists, and tech innovators who embrace these ideas. She posits that modern media, from popular culture to planetary discovery, significantly shapes this widespread conviction. The book compellingly argues that this evolving belief system offers answers to humanity's unexplainable experiences, effectively positioning media as a new spiritual authority in place of established religions.

Key themes

{'title': 'UFOs as New Faith', 'body': "This work meticulously examines how widespread conviction in extraterrestrial intelligence functions as a burgeoning belief system, mirroring traditional religions in its structure and societal impact. It explores the mechanisms by which these beliefs take root, providing meaning and explanations for humanity's unexplainable experiences."} {'title': 'Beyond Fringe Believers', 'body': "Pasulka's ethnographic study directly confronts the misconception that only societal outcasts embrace UFO lore. She introduces a surprising demographic of highly successful scientists, professionals, and Silicon Valley entrepreneurs, demonstrating that belief in non-human intelligence is pervasive across influential societal strata."} {'title': 'Media as Spiritual Guide', 'body': 'The book highlights the profound role of modern media, from influential television series to scientific discoveries, in shaping and validating beliefs about extraterrestrial life. It argues that media is increasingly supplanting traditional religious institutions as the primary source of cultural authority and spiritual explanation.'}

🏛 Oxford University Press 📅 2019 📖 288 pages 🌐 en 📐 Hardcover ISBN: 9780190692889

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Fun fact

Pasulka’s "American Cosmic" is a groundbreaking sociological analysis, excelling in its meticulous research and compelling argument for UFO belief as a modern religion. It will captivate readers interested in cultural studies and the evolving nature of faith. Those seeking definitive proof or debunking of UFOs might be disappointed, as its focus is firmly on human belief. This book is an essential text for understanding contemporary spiritual phenomena.

📝 Description: American Cosmic: UFOs, Religion, Technology

More than half of American adults and more than seventy-five percent of young Americans believe in intelligent extraterrestrial life. This level of belief rivals that of belief in God. American Cosmic examines the mechanisms at work behind the thriving belief system in extraterrestrial life, a system that is changing and even supplanting traditional religions. Over the course of a six-year ethnographic study, D. W. Pasulka interviewed successful and influential scientists, professionals, and Silicon Valley entrepreneurs who believe in extraterrestrial intelligence, thereby disproving the common misconception that only fringe members of society believe in UFOs. She argues that widespread belief in aliens is due to a number of factors including their ubiquity in modern media like The X-Files, which can influence memory, and the believability lent to that media by the search for planets that might support life. American Cosmic explores the intriguing question of how people interpret unexplainable experiences, and argues that the media is replacing religion as a cultural authority that offers believers answers about non-human intelligent life.

⭐ Reader reviews

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⭐ Esoterica editorial review Editorial rating 4.7/5

★★★★★

If you're fascinated by the intersection of belief, technology, and popular culture, or curious about how modern myths are formed, this book is essential. It offers a fresh perspective on the future of faith and humanity's place in the cosmos.

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❓ Frequently asked questions

Rather than proving or disproving UFOs, Pasulka's work meticulously examines the *belief* in extraterrestrial intelligence as a sociological and cultural phenomenon, exploring its mechanisms and widespread adoption.

D.W. Pasulka conducted a comprehensive six-year ethnographic study, involving extensive interviews with influential scientists, professionals, and Silicon Valley entrepreneurs who openly believe in extraterrestrial life.

📖 Who should read this

🎯 Key themes and symbolism

UFOs as New Faith

This work meticulously examines how widespread conviction in extraterrestrial intelligence functions as a burgeoning belief system, mirroring traditional religions in its structure and societal impact. It explores the mechanisms by which these beliefs take root, providing meaning and explanations for humanity's unexplainable experiences.

Beyond Fringe Believers

Pasulka's ethnographic study directly confronts the misconception that only societal outcasts embrace UFO lore. She introduces a surprising demographic of highly successful scientists, professionals, and Silicon Valley entrepreneurs, demonstrating that belief in non-human intelligence is pervasive across influential societal strata.

Media as Spiritual Guide

The book highlights the profound role of modern media, from influential television series to scientific discoveries, in shaping and validating beliefs about extraterrestrial life. It argues that media is increasingly supplanting traditional religious institutions as the primary source of cultural authority and spiritual explanation.

💬 Quotes from the book

«The widespread conviction in extraterrestrial life now rivals traditional religious faith in its societal penetration and capacity to offer existential answers.»

«Our ethnographic findings reveal that belief in non-human intelligence is not confined to the fringes, but is deeply embedded within influential scientific and technological circles.»

📜 Historical context

"American Cosmic" builds upon a rich tradition of sociological inquiry into emergent belief systems and the cultural construction of meaning. It echoes works examining secularization and the rise of new spiritualities, but with a unique focus on the specific phenomenon of extraterrestrial belief. It positions itself as a contemporary examination of how societal narratives evolve to explain the unknown.

📚 Glossary

Ethnography
Belief System
Cultural Authority

📔 Questions to reflect on

How have cultural narratives, from science fiction to news reports, shaped your own understanding and belief (or disbelief) in extraterrestrial intelligence?
In what ways do you see modern media functioning as a source of "spiritual" or existential answers, replacing or complementing traditional religious frameworks?
If belief in UFOs truly constitutes a new religion, what might its core tenets, sacred sites, and ritual practices look like in contemporary society?