Megha Majumder - Reading 1

! Carl Jung was one of the leading scientists in the field of UFOs and the comprehension of

their origins (in other words, UFOs as a spiritual phenomenon engendered within the human

mind), as well as among the first to become vested in research on flying saucers. Jung believed

that the rapid technological development of the era led to the conceptualization of flying saucers

as new gods - purely imaginative ideals of the human psyche (p 18). Carl Sagan was another

primary figure in the field of extraterrestrial communication, or rather, attempted extraterrestrial

communication. He believed that mankinds search for its origins and fundamental purpose has

ushered a desire for a cosmic perspective for humanity. (p 19) Each and every religion is a set

of ideals that is ever-changing, regardless of certain factions resistance to the dawn of a new era

revolving around science and driven by curiosity. The introduction of Scientific Mythologies:

How Science and Science Fiction Forge New Religious Beliefs sets the scene for the rest of the

book; it outlines the questions that Herrick intends to answer in the coming chapters: In what

ways is science fiction addressing modernitys spiritual demands? Has any traditional religious

Christian doctrine been projected upon modern scientific mythologies, thus providing insight

into the human mind? Is the future of spirituality one that lies in our new mythologies? (p 19-20)

Various key topics were explored in the Introduction, one central one being popular

culture. Movies shaping the thought processes of the general public, including The Thing from

Another World (1951). Notable figures in Hollywood, including James Cameron and Steven

Spielberg, possess a vested interest in space exploration. Not only were the opinions of the

general public influenced by the portrayal of science fiction in the media, but academia, as well

(p 27). The transition from general public to academia was evident, as shown in April, 2007, with

the release of a paper titled An Introduction to Planetary Defense, depicting a series of steps

that the planet should take were an alien species were to invade. NASA Astrobiology Roadmap

was created in 2003 to study the science of life on planets other than Earth. Science fiction in

popular culture influenced the religious realities of 390,000 people in Great Britain, who affiliate

themselves with the Jedi faith. A future involving peace between superior extraterrestrials and

humans is a future that 56% of Americans believe in (p 23). This shows that humans are braced

for the harsh realization that is yet to come: that Homo sapiens may not be the central points of

existence upon which all the rest of life revolves around. People long for a better future, and

Michael G. Zey of Montclair State University in New Jersey believes that many of these people

are looking to benevolent aliens for that future.

Realizing that over 500,000 people of planet Earth align themselves with the Jedi faith,

the dispersion of science fiction beliefs into our dimension cannot be ignored. This suggests that

people of the modern world are turning away from traditional religious values and towards a

past, present, and future engendered by the human psyche. Many 21st century Americans possess

what is basically a religious faith in intelligent extraterrestrials, likely due to popular culture; for

example: Farewell to the Master, The Third Kind, Chariots of the Gods, E.T., Out of the Silent

Planet, Space Trilogy, The Day the Earth Stood Still, 2001: A Space Odyssey, The Sentinel,

Contact, Marooned in Realtime, and Stargate. Science fiction and the wanderings of alien life by

scientists over last few centuries have come together to formulate a seemingly religious

following for the hope of extraterrestrial existence, the furthering of exploration into the

unknown, and the type of future portrayed in science fiction novels and media. It is likely that

religion is merely evolving to answer the existential questions that humans have a tendency to

ask, only this time, it is incorporating the influence of technology and popular culture.

Astronomer and historian Steven Dick believes that alien life could certainly be responsible, and

that aliens might even provide some insight into the topic of religion: It may be that in learning

of alien religions, of alien ways of relating to superior beings, the scope of terrestrial religion will

be greatly expanded in ways that we cannot foresee. However, searching for alien intelligence is

some type of religion in itself, because seeking love and understanding as well as guidance from

an otherworldly being is the constitution of the majority of accepted and popularized religions on

planet Earth.

A central dichotomy established in these pages involved that between an actual belief in

science fiction and the belief that it is there because humans put it there themselves.The tension

is found within the core beliefs: the former group truly believes in the existence of

extraterrestrial creatures, and the latter believes that humans are looking to for either a form of

wish-fulfillment or projecting their ideals of a better future onto an imaginary society.

The power structures at play include religion, science, and media, all at odds with one

another for the most part. Because most religious concepts are based on scriptures dating far

back into history, it is at the margin. Media popularizes science because it is what is modern.

Science involves findings of the present, and people, for the most part, enjoy beliefs based upon

factual knowledge, because with that comes a sense of security. However, many people are prone

to being imaginative, and thus, when science and popular media intermingle, science fiction

concepts such as aliens and ultramodern futures are generated and become popularized.

Carl Sagan suggested that any beings advanced enough to master star travel will have

evolved beyond war. Sagans commentary indirectly implies that war is a petty aspect of human

existence, and that we are less evolved than we could have been because of it. His life spanned

the entirety of World War II, as well as the Korean War and the Vietnam War. Thus, his stance on

warfare was likely to have been influenced by the era through which he lived; a stance that was

adopted by a great deal of scientific researchers of his generation.

Three quotes that riled up my imagination were: Being abducted may be a baptism in a

new religion of this millennium, as stated by Susan Clancy of Harvard Universitys Psychology

Department (p 33); By its very nature, science fiction bursts the limits of space and time,

bestows unimaginable powers on humans, transforms mortals into immortals, sends its heroes

hurtling from star to star, and populates the cosmos with virtual gods called extraterrestrials and

advanced humans, as stated by James Herrick (p 40); When scientific mythologies address

the origin and destiny of the human race, the human predicament and its resolution, methods of

redemption or spiritual perfection, the problem of evil and the consummation of all things, they

also seek to persuade their audiences to understand the universe in new ways, as stated by

James Herrick (p 48).

In conclusion, I wonder: How does science fiction portray the early Christian ideals

about atonement and sinfulness? How does science fiction help us think about our place and

purpose in the universe? If extraterrestrial life were responsible for our existence, then why did it

(he? She? It?) abandon us? Why are more people looking to the future for solace when the past

was far simpler?