All language subtitles for HISTORY CHANNEL - Ancient Aliens (2014) - (S08E08 - Alien Encounters) BD 1080p

NARRATOR: Unexplained sightings.

MAN: The first responders
on the scene reported a UFO.

NARRATOR:
Miraculous appearances.

Inside the tilma
was the Virgin Mother.

NARRATOR: And visions
that changed the world.

WOMAN: This extraordinary sign
from the heavens

becomes one of the crucial
turning points in human history.

NARRATOR: Stories of strange
encounters accompany many

of history's major events.

Is it merely coincidence?

Or might it be evidence of
extraterrestrial intervention?

MAN: It appears
that there is an ongoing plan

in place, a hidden hand in
history that is manipulating

events for a certain
given outcome.

NARRATOR: Millions of people
around the world believe we

have been visited in the past
by extraterrestrial beings.

What if it were true?

Did ancient aliens really
help to shape our history?

And if so, might mankind's
greatest moments have been

influenced by alien encounters?

NARRATOR: Japan.

March 11,2011.

Emanating 43 miles
off the eastern coast

of the Oshika Peninsula...

one of the largest earthquakes
in recorded history...

A magnitude 9.0...
Shakes the earth.

The massive movement of two
tectonic plates instantly

moves the entire Japanese
mainland some 8 feet,

ripping down buildings,
setting fires, and killing

thousands of people.

But the worst is yet to come.

The earthquake also
triggers enormous tsunamis.

Waves as high as 130 feet
begin smashing ashore

with devastating consequences.

MAN: One wave in particular

struck the Fukushima Daiichi
power generating plant

and overwhelmed the safety
systems, which caused

the plant to enter a critical
phase and release radioactive

material into the atmosphere
and into the water.

NARRATOR: With the nuclear
power plant's reactors melting

down and radiation seeping
into the atmosphere,

the authorities
evacuate the region.

The only people who remain
are employees who struggle

for days to prevent a larger
catastrophe from occurring.

But according to eyewitnesses
on the scene, these workers

were not alone.

There were UFO sightings
reported in some

significant numbers in that
area in the weeks and the days

leading up to the
earthquake and tsunami.

And there were a number of
UFO sightings reported

in the immediate area
directly afterward.

MAN: And this suggests
the possibility that

extraterrestrials were
involved in stabilizing

that situation.

Because had that Fukushima
plant melted down, it would

have made a large swath of
Asia uninhabitable for a very

long time.

DIFFERENT MAN:
Is it possible that

extraterrestrials became aware
of this meltdown and they did

something to lessen the
impact of this disaster

and ultimately save mankind
from what could have been

a much worse cataclysm?

NARRATOR: Could
extraterrestrials really have

been present at
the Fukushima meltdown,

and might they have

helped to prevent it
from being an even more

catastrophic disaster?

Ancient astronaut theorists
point out that similar

accounts of strange objects
seen in the sky were also

reported 25 years earlier
during the meltdown

at the Chernobyl nuclear
power plant in Ukraine.

CHILDRESS: A number of
witnesses reported that there

were UFOs hovering around
the power station

and that even beams of light

were coming down
from these UFOs and doing

something to the nuclear power
plants, and keeping them from

having a much worse
meltdown than they did have.

PITTMAN: Some have speculated
that the UFOs that were seen

during the crisis may have
been, perhaps, protecting us,

trying to stave off a
horrifying nuclear explosion.

Or if not protecting us, at
least protecting our world.

NARRATOR: Was it simply good
fortune that the nuclear

accidents at Fukushima
and Chernobyl weren't far

more deadly?

Or is it possible that the
UFOs eyewitnesses spotted were

responsible for averting these
catastrophes when humans were

powerless to do so?

Ancient astronaut theorists
believe these encounters

weren't random
occurrences, but part

of an extraterrestrial agenda
that has been in place

on Earth for thousands of years.

It appears that there
is an ongoing plan in place,

a hidden hand in history
that is manipulating events,

that we are interacting
with an alien civilization

and that we are experiencing
the fruits of what they are

offering us because our
history is being intelligently

guided and directed to
steer us towards

a particular outcome.

NARRATOR: But if alleged alien
encounters really are evidence

that extraterrestrials are
intervening in human affairs,

what is their purpose?

Ancient astronaut theorists
suggest the answer can be

found by looking back at the
very earliest alien encounters

ever recorded.

Mt. Sinai, the 15th century B.C.

According to the Bible's Book
of Exodus, it was on the peak

of this holy mountain
that Moses met with God.

But ancient astronaut
theorists believe Moses'

encounter may have been
with a different kind

of otherworldly entity.

There's an interesting
legend passed down

from temple times itself that
when Moses ascended to.

Mt. Sinai to speak with God,
a cloud came down from heaven

and told Moses, "Come into
the cloud to ascend to God."

A door opened in the cloud,
and Moses walked in and it

closed behind him
and he ascended.

DIFFERENT MAN: The Lord
descends with smoke, fire,

loud noise, trembling and so on.

All religions speak
about the same thing.

They use different names
and the stories change,

but the basic stories
are always the same:

Somebody descended with loud
noise, smoke, fire.

The humans could not
understand what it was.

They misinterpreted and
believed that this was God

or the gods.

It's just a misinterpretation.

I am absolutely sure... there's
no doubt that we were visited

by beings from outer space.

NARRATOR: According to ancient
astronaut theorists, such

accounts of unearthly
encounters can be found

in every major religion,
including Islam, where the

angel Gabriel, also known as
Jibril, was said to be

the intermediary between
the prophet Muhammad

and the Muslim god Allah.

Jibril normally would
come and dispense wisdom to

Muhammad inside this cave
that he was dwelling in.

But on two occasions,
Muhammad did not meet Jibril

in the cave in person;
Muhammad went outside the

cave, and it was at this time
that something absolutely

fantastic happened.

What did Muhammad see when
he went outside the cave?

The records show that there
was a magnificent shining

object there in front of him.

It was said to have 600 wings,
and it was burning as if it

was on fire.

What do we know of in modern
times that could add up to

a sighting like that?

It's obvious.

A craft that would be hovering
there in front of him, giving

off brilliant white light
that he interpreted as fire.

And when he went out and
saw this magnificent shining

object, the same wisdom that
he was getting from Jibril was

imparted to him, though he
could not see any being; He

only could see this object.

NARRATOR: Is it possible that
many of the stories of gods

and angels descending from
the heavens are not actually

divine events, but
extraterrestrial visitations?

And if so, are they
purposely guiding our future?

Ancient astronaut theorists
believe further evidence can

be found by examining a
famous vision so important,

it changed the course
of human history.

NARRATOR: Rome.

October 27, 312 A.D.

Just north of the city, the
emperor Constantine leads his

troops toward the Milvian
Bridge and a decisive battle

with Maxentius to
reclaim his throne.

At stake is control over
the western part of the vast

Roman Empire.

According to an account
from the historian Eusebius,

on the eve of the battle,
Constantine looks up into the

sky and sees what he believes
is a divine vision.

Constantine
and his followers saw

in the sky what their
chroniclers say was a huge,

white, fiery cross.

Now, his followers
didn't know what to

make of this, but Constantine
decided that this was

the Christian cross.

WOMAN: Constantine feels,
after viewing this

extraordinary sign from the
heavens, this lighted cross

in the sky, that he will go
forth the next day and he will

conquer the Roman Empire, and
this is exactly what he does.

This vision becomes
one of the crucial

turning points in human history.

NARRATOR:
After winning the brutal

battle of Milvian Bridge,
Constantine consolidates his

power and begins a campaign of
religious tolerance across

the empire, and he himself
converts to Christianity.

But what exactly did
Constantine see in the sky

that ended up changing
the course

of Western civilization?

Was it a divine vision
or something else?

Don't we all see
crosses up in the sky

when we look at planes?

Because you have lights on
the sides and at the front.

And if you have a little
bit of light shining on it,

sometimes they
look like crosses.

So we have to ask ourselves:
Is it possible that this was

absolutely no Christian
symbol at all, but that it was

adapted over time after
something that was witnessed

up in the sky?

NARRATOR: Is it possible
that extraterrestrials were

responsible for
Constantine's vision?

Ancient astronaut theorists
say one compelling piece

of evidence that aliens have
tried to manipulate mankind

through religious visions
still exists today.

Mexico City.

December 1531.

According to an account called
the "Nican Mopohua," published

in the Aztec language of
Nahuatl, a peasant named Juan

Diego was walking in the
countryside when he heard

a beautiful voice singing on
the other side of a hill.

Diego climbed the hill and
saw an angelic vision:

A woman in white garments
that shone like the sun.

And she said to him,
"Juan Diego, I am the."

"Virgin Mary, and I'm asking
you to build a sanctuary"

"for me here on this hill."

Well, Juan Diego fell to
his knees in awe, and he said,

"Great lady, I will do
as you desire."

NARRATOR: But according to
the story, Juan Diego couldn't

convince the local bishop
that he had actually seen the.

Virgin Mary, so he went back
to the hill, where he again

saw the vision.

MAGLIOCCO: He says, "Lady,
please give me a sign",

"because nobody believes me
when I tell them that I"

"have seen you."

And she says, "Juan Diego,
take off your cloak."

And he does, he takes off
his cloak, and she fills his

cloak with roses.

MAN: He took the roses
to the bishop, and the bishop

fell down on his knees,
because it wasn't the roses as

to why he believed the story
from Diego, but inside

the tilma was a painting of
the Virgin Mother.

And the bishop believed,
and they built the church

on that hill.

NARRATOR: This cloak still
exists today, and despite its

frail fabric, it has
reportedly remained

in pristine condition despite
the cruel ravages of time.

Right now you can
go to the church and see

the tilma hanging there.

And it has not degraded
over the 400-plus years that

they've had it.

It's been through a fire, it's
been through an explosion,

where purportedly an iron
cross was twisted from

the explosion, but the tilma
right next to the cross was

still fine.

NARRATOR: Could this sacred
image on the cloak really be

evidence of a visitation
by the Virgin Mary?

Or might it have a different,
otherworldly explanation?

In addition to the tilma
inexplicably enduring

for hundreds of years, those
who have studied it have found

other unexplainable qualities.

Most bizarre of all
are the eyes of the image.

Approximately 7 to 8
millimeters wide, what we see

inside those eyes is a highly
enigmatic mystery, because it

appears that there are
characters in the eyes, the

faces of the people who were
there at the time that

the tilma was unveiled by
Our Lady of Guadalupe in 1531.

NARRATOR: But if Our Lady of
Guadalupe really does have

otherworldly origins, did it
come from a heavenly realm or

somewhere else?

Not only do ancient astronaut
theorists believe Juan Diego's

vision was an extraterrestrial
encounter, but even some

members of the church claim
that it was something other

than a religious experience.

Our Lady of Guadalupe
is definitely

a heavenly visitor.

In my opinion, though, what
her story said disagrees

with what the Bible says.

In fact, she said she would
protect the people that

worship at the church.

What that does is really deify
Mary when the Bible is very

clear that only God can
protect those that serve him.

And so any otherworldly
being that demands worship or

respect, it cannot be
an angel from God.

Juan Diego may
have witnessed not just

an apparition but an actual
live extraterrestrial

appearing through some sort
of advanced technology whose

mission was to impart
spiritual faith and a thirst

for the divine.

NARRATOR: Could it be that
some of history's most

significant religious visions
have actually been produced by

alien beings carrying out
a secret mission?

Ancient astronaut theorists
say yes and believe further

proof that extraterrestrials
have been guiding our future

can be found in the story of
a mysterious magician that may

have helped propel humanity
into the modern age.

NARRATOR: The English Channel.
1588.

King Philip ll of Spain has
dispatched an enormous armada

of ships to invade England.

They are reportedly filled
with more than 20,000 soldiers

and scores of medieval
torture devices.

According to some historians,
Philip, a devout Catholic,

wants to bring the brutal
Spanish Inquisition to England

to punish Queen Elizabeth I
and her subjects for leaving

the Catholic Church.

MAGLIOCCO: Philip was a
Catholic, and England had been

turned Protestant by
Elizabeth's father, Henry VIII,

when he broke with the
Catholic Church in order to

marry Elizabeth's
mother, Anne Boleyn.

So, to Philip, the English
were sinners and their ways

needed to be reformed.

So he sent a great armada, a
great fleet of over 130 ships.

There had never been
anything like it before.

England didn't have a lot
of money, and a lot of their

vessels were not even
official government vessels.

They were whatever merchant
seamen and sailors could

cobble together.

NARRATOR: The Spanish
Armada seemed invincible

and the British severely
over-matched.

But when the two forces
finally met, superior English

tactics and strategy forced
the armada to retreat.

But the number of Spanish
ships was so overwhelming that

the English couldn't score a
decisive victory until a freak

storm struck.

The English ships
were more maneuverable

than the Spanish ships.

In order to counter this,
the Spanish cut their anchors.

They figured, "Well, let's
get rid of some of this dead"

"weight," so to speak.

But when the winds hit, they
had no way to find a mooring,

and then therefore the winds
blew their ships all over

the place, including
into the coast.

They lost roughly half
of their fleet due to

the weather.

McGOWAN: From the point of
view of the English people,

this extraordinary storm that
destroys the Spanish Armada is

a miracle, destroying the
might of Spain when mankind

cannot do it.

NARRATOR: The English believed
this miraculous storm was the

work of God, but some ancient
astronaut theorists claim

there is evidence that
suggests it may have actually

been the work of
otherworldly beings.

Their first clue comes from
one of Queen Elizabeth's

closest advisers, a
mysterious man named John Dee.

John Dee was
the court astrologer,

mathematician, philosopher,
medical doctor at the court

of Queen Elizabeth I.

He was an extraordinarily
learned man for his time.

BEIRICH: He dealt with magic
and potions and what we might

call spells to try
to effect change.

John Dee was a Hermetic thinker.

Hermetic thinkers believed
that there was a contemporary

of Moses by the name of
Hermes Trismegistus who

lived in Egypt.

And, just as God revealed the
Ten Commandments to Moses, God

revealed to Hermes the secret
knowledge of how nature worked

and that with the proper
mind-set and proper tools that

one could uncover essentially
what God was thinking by

reading the world.

NARRATOR: According to legend,
John Dee used this knowledge

of the natural and
supernatural worlds to predict

the storm that would
ultimately thwart

the Spanish Armada.

BEIRICH: The story goes that
John Dee told Queen Elizabeth

not to worry because a
storm would destroy

the Spanish fleet.

And then, when it happened,
it confirmed his knowledge

of the world and
what lay beneath it.

NARRATOR: But if John
Dee really did make such

a prophecy, what was the source?

Was it something divine?

Or is it possible, as ancient
astronaut theorists contend,

that this mysterious man
was using Hermetic wisdom to

establish communication with
extraterrestrial beings?

MAN: John Dee was
very interested in the occult

and seemed to spend a lot of
time harnessing or finding

a way to communicate to
life forms beyond this Earth.

We really don't understand the
influence over John Dee as to

how he was able to interpret
such accurate information.

It's very possible that
John Dee was receiving his

information from an outside
source that was possibly

an extraterrestrial.

NARRATOR: But if John Dee's
pursuit of Hermetic wisdom

gave him insights into the
alien agenda on Earth, what

did he find?

And why would
extraterrestrials want to sink

the Spanish Armada?

It is possible these
extraterrestrials had a vested

interest in preserving the
monarchy of Queen Elizabeth,

in seeing that the monarchy
was not overthrown, and they

repelled any such invading
forces in order to make sure

that this carefully
constructed power structure

was kept fully intact.

NARRATOR: Ancient
astronaut theorists suggest

extraterrestrials were not
acting to favor Protestants

over Catholics but may have
wanted to preserve the great

cultural and scientific
developments that would occur

in England in the
coming centuries.

PHILLIPS: What happened
in England after Queen.

Elizabeth's time was
nothing less than miraculous.

We had the
Scientific Revolution.

We had people like Isaac Newton.

And we had other great
scientists develop what

eventually became the
Industrial Revolution, steam

trains, electricity,
and the modern world.

NARRATOR: The period that
followed also gave rise to

champions of the scientific
method, like Francis Bacon

and John Locke, and led to an
age of exploration that would

give rise to a greater
investment in the still

fledgling new land of America.

If the Spanish had
succeeded in conquering.

England, they would have
brought the Inquisition

with them in a period of
darkness and torture.

And, likely, the Industrial
Revolution never would

have happened.

NARRATOR: Might some
otherworldly entity really

have intervened in the Spanish
invasion, sending a storm to

destroy their ships and
ensure the future of England?

And if so, is this a sign
that aliens really do have

an interest in our future?

Perhaps the answer can be
found by examining the vision

that inspired one of the
world's newest religions.

NARRATOR: Manchester, New York.

September 21, 1823.

As he settles into bed,

a 17-year-old farmhand named
Joseph Smith begins to say

his prayers.

Suddenly, without warning,
an overpowering light envelops

his room, and
a robed figure appears.

According to Smith's account,
"Not only was his robe"

"exceedingly white, but his
whole person was glorious"

"beyond description."

Speaking from the center of
the light, the angel, whose

name is Moroni, sends Smith
on a quest for several sacred

texts hidden near a local tree.

BEIRICH: Upon locating the
tree, Joseph dug and indeed

found the texts, but they
recorded a language which he

could not read.

A second visitation from
Moroni told Joseph Smith where

he could find what we might
call a device of some kind

that would allow him
to read the texts.

TSOUKALOS: Joseph Smith was
given this translating stone,

the Urim and the Thummim, with
which he was able to not only

write down this text, but also

to be able to translate it.

BEIRICH: He then translated
the texts into English, which

become The Book of Mormon.

And it depicts, among other
things, that after Jesus

ascended into heaven, he came
to the Americas and ministered

to the native peoples here,
to convert them to his way

of life, and that at some
point the texts that become.

The Book of Mormon are
deposited here so that Joseph

Smith could find them.

NARRATOR: 7 years later,
Smith publishes these texts as

part of The Book of Mormon,
establishing The Church

of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day
Saints, a denomination

with more than 15 million
followers today.

Many religions
worldwide have been founded

with the help of angels.

Whether they're
representatives of Christian,

Muslim, or Buddhist gods,
these apparitions are thought

to be a way the gods intervene
on Earth with humans.

MAGLIOCCO: Angels, when they
appear in religious legends

and in myths, generally
are messengers between

the heavenly realm
and the human realm.

PETERSON: Throughout the
Bible, we have stories

of angels and demons
appearing to mankind.

In fact, Paul says that, "You
be careful how you entertain"

"strangers because some of
you entertain angels unaware."

The Bible is very clear that
angels can take on human form

and appear in the
likeness of man.

NARRATOR: But ancient
astronaut theorists suggest

that sometimes these heavenly
visions and apparitions may

not actually be angels sent
by an omniscient god.

And curiously, the so-called
angel that led Joseph Smith to

the sacred texts that would
become The Book of Mormon did

not profess to have heavenly
origins, but claimed to be

from another part
of the universe.

WILCOCK: Now, Moroni did not
say that he was an angel.

He said that at one time he
had lived on Earth, but that

now he came from the
Pleiades star cluster.

And he said there were
many others like him.

When we look at
the background of The Book

of Mormon, we see some very
interesting parallels to what

could be
an extraterrestrial tale.

This angel, Moroni, that
appears to Joseph Smith seems

to be more than just chance.

It's very possible that
Joseph Smith was interacting

with a type of extraterrestrial.

WILCOCK: These
extraterrestrials may be

giving these messages to
world leaders and to prophets

and seers and mystics to
let us know that we are the

product of an extraterrestrial
interbreeding, and an ongoing

contact with these other
people who were not

born on Earth.

And we have lost touch with
that history only because we

refuse to believe the truth
that is recorded in our

historical books and see
what's right in front of our

faces, even now with the
encounters that are happening

in the modern world.

NARRATOR: But if an
extraterrestrial being really

did inspire Joseph Smith to
found the Mormon church, why?

Joseph Smith's encounter
ultimately led the Mormons to

migrate west to establish a
new holy land in Utah, which

has led some to speculate
that aliens, once again, were

guiding the course of humanity.

BEIRICH: Moroni let Joseph
Smith know that he would be

the prophet, and he would
lead his people to

the new Jerusalem.

WILCOCK: Mormonism is another
example, potentially, of

an extraterrestrial influence
steering the course of our

humanity, and helping steer
the outcome of historical

events here on Earth.

NARRATOR: Is it possible that
Joseph Smith, the founder

of the Mormon religion,
was guided by

an extraterrestrial being?

And if so, was this alien
encounter another attempt to

guide us into a more
enlightened age?

Ancient astronaut
theorists say yes,

and believe further

evidence can be found by
examining a dream that helped

defeat one of the
20th century's most

diabolical dictators.

NARRATOR: Olympia, Greece.

This valley on the Peloponnesus
Peninsula, once filled

with temples, altars, and
statues, is where the ancient.

Greeks came to pay
tribute to their gods.

Near the temple to Zeus,
the king of the gods, was

a sanctuary dedicated to the
Moirai, the only beings that

Zeus was said to fear.

These mythical figures were
believed to control destiny.

English speakers
call them "The Fates."

In ancient times,
fate and human destiny were

thought to be in the
hands of the gods.

There was much less this idea
that we're in charge of our

own destiny and that we make
our own lives through choices

and decisions and action.

The idea was that human
destiny was in someone

else's hands.

It was in the hands
of the fates.

There were three
supernatural creatures:

Clotho, who spun the thread of
life; Lachesis, who wove it;

And Atropos, who cut the
thread at the moment of death.

In the ancient times, gods and
goddesses were thought to be

able to influence people's
destiny, and that they were

constantly interfering
in human affairs.

They were constantly
messing with humans.

They could make humans do
all kinds of things.

They could disguise themselves.

They could trick humans.

They could persuade humans.

And yet, that final moment of
destiny was still in the hands

of the Fates.

NARRATOR: Other ancient
cultures had similar beliefs.

The Egyptians personified fate
as the god Shai who was said

to control the actions
of humans,

while the Vedic texts

of ancient India talked about
a universal order called Rta.

There was a similar
legend in ancient Mesopotamia.

And it was of the Mamitu, who
was a goat-headed goddess who

lived with the Anunnaki in
the realms of the sky.

The Mamitu was also
in charge of our fate.

So you have to wonder, was the
Mamitu and these other gods

of fate some kind of
extraterrestrials that were

controlling our lives?

NARRATOR: Is it possible,
as some ancient astronaut

theorists suggest, that the
gods who were said to control

our fate were actually
members of an advanced

alien civilization?

And if so, how were they
able to interfere in people's

lives undetected?

Some ancient astronaut
theorists suggest that

extraterrestrials not only
communicate with us through

visions and physical
encounters, but even through

our dreams.

New York City.

Spring, 1940.

At the Bell Laboratory complex
in Manhattan, a young engineer

named David Parkinson is
using a device called

a potentiometer to track the
varying electrical voltages

that course through a
telephone when people use it.

Parkinson's work with
potentiometers seems

unimportant compared to
the big news of the day.

REPORTER: The Nazis have begun
their shattering blitz

on Britain.

[Air raid siren blaring]

NARRATOR: The Nazis have

conquered most of Europe,
forcing the Allies to flee the

continent in a ragtag flotilla
of civilian boats after

the Battle of Dunkirk.

McGOWAN: The Nazis were almost
undefeatable at this time

in the war, and there was a
tremendous despair and fear

amongst the Allied forces.

And the story goes that David
Parkinson had a dream one

night, and in the dream he
was standing beside a certain

type of gun.

And that gun was hitting
every Nazi plane

with absolute accuracy.

NARRATOR: Parkinson's dream
gave him a brilliant idea.

He could use the same
technology that tracked

electrical charges flowing
through a telephone to track

enemy airplanes
flying through the sky.

McGOWAN: And in the dream, he
was able to see the technology

that was created to make
this gun so accurate.

And it is said that when he
awoke, he went back to the

labs and he ultimately created
the technology that was

necessary to shoot
down Nazi aircraft.

NARRATOR: Parkinson's dream
inspired him to create the M-9

electrical gun director, which
allowed Allied anti-aircraft

guns to hit moving targets
like the dangerous V-1 rocket

with incredible accuracy.

But how could such an advanced
weapon be completely realized

in a single dream?

The weird part
about it is this guy was

a scientist, but he knew
nothing about aeronautics.

Because David Parkinson had
no background in aerodynamics,

his contemporaries, other
scientists, and the military

were literally taking him
not seriously at all.

But he insisted, and he even
spent a lot of his own time

creating prototypes, which
eventually were found to work.

Throughout human history,
there are amazing

stories of how mankind has
been inspired through their

dreams and through
their visions.

I think we have to ask
ourselves, what is the source

of this inspiration?

Where do these dreams
and visions come from?

Is it possible that we are
being communicated with by

otherworldly beings?

NARRATOR: Could
extraterrestrials really be

using dreams to convey
ideas and information to

the human race?

Ancient astronaut theorists
say yes, and claim the proof

that dream manipulation is a
real possibility can be found

in the human brain.

NARRATOR: Throughout history,
many of mankind's greatest

thinkers have been
inspired by their dreams.

Scientist James Watson claimed
the double helix structure

of DNA came to him through his
dream of a spiral staircase.

Friedrich August Kekulé
discovered the chemical

structure of benzene when
he had a dream

of a group of snakes
swallowing their tails.

Srinivasa Ramanujan, whose
mathematic principles are

still being used by quantum
physicists today, said that he

obtained these mathematic
theorems in dreams implanted

in his mind by the
Hindu goddess Namagiri.

WILCOCK: We are seeing an
ongoing pattern of dreams

being used to communicate
information.

This is a widespread phenomenon.

It's been going on for
many thousands of years,

and it continues right
straight through to

the present day.

NARRATOR: Is it really
possible that extraterrestrial

beings could actually
manipulate our dreams?

Ancient astronaut theorists
say yes; And as evidence, they

point out that modern
science is already starting to

understand how to interpret
and manipulate dreams.

Moran Cerf is a neuroscientist
who studies human brainwaves.

In one of his experiments,
he shows pictures to test

subjects while they're awake
and analyzes how their brains

process the images.

CERF: So each of
those little squares here

corresponds to a cell
in Matt's brain.

So, right now, Matt has 128
electrodes in his brain.

They come from all various parts

of his brain... right,
left and so on.

All of those wires going
to this computer,

and what we see here are the
activities of those little

cells in his brain.

So if I pick cell number 36
and I double click on that,

what you see here is the
activity inside his brain.

This is like a microphone
sitting next to one cell

in his brain.

NARRATOR: Dr. Cerf can
determine which cell stores

the memory of a particular
picture, like movie star Cary

Grant, by analyzing which cell
reacted when he showed it to

his test subject.

Once he's figured this out
for dozens of cells, Dr. Cerf

waits for his patients to
go to sleep and then watches

for signs that they're
dreaming about the images he

has shown them.

In a very basic way, he can
see his patients' dreams.

But in the future, Dr. Cerf
may actually be able to

dictate our dreams by
stimulating the set of cells

that store our memories
about a person or event.

If I really map the
entire sequence, if I know all

the, say, one million cells
that encode Cary Grant in your

brain and know exactly what
they are, and I activate all

of them, I stimulate all of
them, then, we believe, you

are going to actually
see Cary Grant.

NARRATOR: If aliens really
have been coming to Earth

for thousands of years,
could they be using similar

technology to manipulate
our dreams?

Is it possible that
the extraterrestrials don't

want to directly interfere
in our society

but to guide us
from behind the scenes?

And even though they have
to push us along in certain

directions, we need to have
the feeling that we're doing it,

even if it does include some
extraterrestrial guidance.

HENRY: But they continue to
communicate with humans

through dreams and visions
and other methods of indirect

communication in order for
them to provide guidance,

but also to provide this
guidance in a hands-off way.

WILCOCK: Is it possible that
they withdrew from our reality

because we had to modernize?

It could be that the purpose
of this was to give us

the opportunity to follow
them without being pushed.

And if they forced it upon us,
we would simply worship them

as gods and we would
have learned nothing.

But by doing it ourselves,
we form our own path.

We actually make our own
ascension experience.

And we become much more
like them in the process.

NARRATOR: Has life on Earth
been influenced by alien

encounters for
thousands of years?

Are divine visions, prophetic
dreams, and modern-day UFO

sightings all signs that
we are being manipulated by

a more advanced race of beings?

Could it be that these
encounters are not meant

for them to get to know us,
but for us to get to know them?

And if so, what are
they guiding us towards?

Perhaps we are getting closer
to our ultimate destination,

and when we reach it, we
will once again be reunited

with our alien ancestors.