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American Cosmic

UFOs, Religion, Technology

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American Cosmic

Written by: D.W. Pasulka
Narrated by: Norah Tocci
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About this listen

More than half of American adults and more than 75 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.

©2019 Oxford University Press (P)2019 Tantor
Occult Popular Culture Religious Studies
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What listeners say about American Cosmic

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A fresh and responsible look at the phenomenon.

I've listened to this audiobook twice and am about to engage in a third listen. There is a lot of thinky stuff here, and it is written in a way that underscores the tantalizing mystery of the phenomenon and, similar to Jacques Valée, warns of the pitfalls of a hasty interpretation. Rather than speculate on the objective truth of any given UFO or religious event, Pasulka studies the effects of these events in a way, again, reminiscent of Valée, but from a perspective of a scholar of religion. Woven into this academic work is a highly readable story of Pasulka's relationship with Tim "Tyler" Taylor, himself an experiencer of sorts, and his remarkable conversion to Catholicism. The story is touching and inspiring, and underscores the spiritual side of a phenomenon that has informed religions both old and new. Highly recommended for the open minded seeker.

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Interesting book not done justice with a bland read

D Pasulka manages to treat the phenomenon in a sophisticated and smart way, weaving a compelling and intriguing half-picture of the universe.

The narrator mispronounced words chronically and frequently broke up sentences in awkward, unintuitive ways. Otherwise fine.

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Bravo, A lighthouse in a world of disinformation.

just amazing. I love every second and page of this book ..

thank you for writing ✍️ ☺️ it and sharing .. ❤️ so many truths in this book when it comes to connecting and how it makes you feel ... again I've noticed common key words .. that those whom been up close.... would and do use.... just amazing 👏 😍

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Fact or fiction?

I struggled to figure out through what lens to read the book. Should it be read as a serious academic attempt to further our understanding of a phenomenon with world-changing implications from a scientific perspective, or would it be better to read it as a work of fiction?

For example, the author makes some extreme claims about a UFO-related physical object she retrieved from New Mexico. Should these claims be valid, they are revolutionary and among the most significant scientific discoveries ever. However, the claims are left unsubstantiated and thus do not amount to more than rumours.

Is the book a work of fiction relying on an alleged need for secrecy to create mystery and fuel belief or a sloppy account of something that could revolutionize our scientific worldview?

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