In recent years, the subject of UFO sightings – or UAPs, as they are officially called – has attracted increasing attention from governments, media and public opinion. But behind the aura of mystery and endless speculation, one question arises: if these alleged extraterrestrial ‘visitors’ were real, why does their technology appear to be so similar to ours? And above all, why does this apparent familiarity continue to frighten us?
Why then is alien technology so close to our own?
If we were really visited by an alien civilisation, we could imagine much more advanced technology, bordering on the incomprehensible to us humans. Instead, most sightings describe flying objects with extraordinary, but not inconceivable capabilities: high speeds, sudden manoeuvres and the ability to evade radar. These phenomena, when compared to our technology, seem more like an extension of what we already know than a scientific revolution.
This paradox has led many to doubt the extraterrestrial origin of such sightings. It is plausible that they are experimental Earth-based technologies, perhaps developed by some world power in secret military settings. Yet, the mystery persists: why are these objects still difficult to identify and why do they arouse fear, even though they seem, after all, ‘within our reach’?
The role of the Media and Collective Hysteria
Part of the answer lies in the collective reaction to these phenomena. The media, often in search of sensationalist stories, amplify the aura of mystery around UFOs, presenting them as unexplained events or latent threats. This fuels a domino effect:
- Confirmation Effect: A person who believes in UFOs interprets every ambiguous sighting as evidence of extraterrestrial life.
- Fear of the Unknown: The simple fact that we cannot explain everything we see in the sky makes us feel vulnerable.
- Emotional amplification: Viral videos on social media and sensationalist news stories increase the perception of danger, turning isolated incidents into global phenomena.
Mass Hysteria can play an important role, prompting people to see UFOs even where there are rational explanations, such as drones, weather balloons or simple atmospheric phenomena.
Why ‘build fear’?
There are also those who believe that the attention on UFOs is partly exploited for other purposes. The mystery could be used to:
- Distract public opinion: Topics such as UFOs can catalyse media attention, diverting it away from more pressing political or social issues.
- Conceal secret technologies: Governments could exploit mystery to mask the development of new military technologies, labelling tests as unexplained sightings.
Why do they frighten us?
Although UFOs seem to be based on technologies not so distant from our own, they continue to frighten us for several profound reasons:
- The fear of being overtaken: Even if humans developed UFO technology, it could show that someone else, perhaps outside our own government, possesses technical superiority.
- A reflection of our vulnerability: UFOs remind us how little control we have over our world, especially when it comes to what happens beyond our planet’s borders.
- Again, Fear of the unknown: Not knowing who or what is behind these sightings creates anxiety.
Conclusion: A Simpler Explanation
In the end, most UFO sightings have rational explanations: natural phenomena, military experiments or simple misunderstandings. However, the fascination of UFOs lies precisely in the mystery and our need to explore the unknown. Whether out of fear or simple curiosity, these phenomena continue to capture the collective imagination.
The real question is not so much whether they are real or not, but why, despite their supposed resemblance to our technology, they continue to exert such a powerful emotional impact on us. Perhaps, more than UFOs, we are afraid of what they say about us: a humanity constantly searching for answers in a universe full of questions.
