I Want to Believe
Sean Kelly
World Futures: The Journal of New Paradigm Research
Summary
Philosophical examination of belief formation around UAP phenomena, with the title deliberately referencing the X-Files iconography to engage with the cultural dimensions of UAP belief. Explores what it means to believe in UAP, what the structure of that belief looks like epistemically, and how cultural priming shapes testimony reception. Combines analytic epistemology with phenomenological attention to the desire to believe.
Abstract
This paper considers the current surge of interest in Unidentified Anomalous Phenomena (UAP) through a Jungian psychological lens. The author expresses ontological agnosticism toward the literal physical-extraterrestrial (PE) hypothesis, focusing instead on the phenomenon's archetypal power. Confirming Jung's assessment, the author argues that UAP sightings, often manifesting as mandala-like symbols of the Self, function as a psychological compensation for unconscious anxiety associated with climate chaos, ecological devastation, and social collapse. The conclusion warns that preoccupation with "disclosure" may act as an grand distraction from addressing the apocalyptic threat of the accelerating planetary polycrisis.
Citation
Sean Kelly. (2025). World Futures: The Journal of New Paradigm Research. DOI: 10.1080/02604027.2025.2592269
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