UFOs, conspiracy theories and the new age: millennial conspiracism / David G. Robertson.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Robertson, David G. (David George), author.

Series:

Bloomsbury advances in religious studies

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Human-alien encounters.

Strieber, Whitley.

Icke, David.

Wilcock, David, 1973-2026.

Wilcock, David.

Wilcock, David, 1973-.

Conspiracy theories.

New Age movement.

Millennialism.

Physical Description:

250 pages ; 25 cm.

Place of Publication:

London, UK ; New York, NY : Bloomsbury Academic, 2016.

Summary:

"How--and why-- were UFOs so prevalent in both conspiracy theories and the New Age milieu in the post-Cold War period? In this ground-breaking book, David G. Robertson argues that UFOs symbolized an uncertainty about the boundaries between scientific knowledge and other ways of validating knowledge, and thus became part of a shared vocabulary. Through historical and ethnographic case studies of three prominent figures--novelist and abductee Whitley Strieber; environmentalist and reptilian proponent David Icke; and David Wilcock, alleged reincarnation of Edgar Cayce--the investigation reveals that millennial conspiracism offers an explanation as to why the prophesied New Age failed to arrive--it was prevented from arriving by malevolent, hidden others. Yet millennial conspiracism constructs a counter-elite, a gnostic third party defined by their special knowledge. An overview of the development of UFO subcultures from the perspective of religious studies, UFOs, Conspiracy Theories and the New Age is an innovative application of discourse analysis to the study of present day alternative religion"-- Provided by publisher.

Contents:

Machine generated contents note:

1. Introduction: 'The Truth Shall Set You Free'

2. Approaching Millennial Conspiracism

3. 'Trust No-One': UFOs, Conspiracism and Popular Millennialism during the Cold War

4. Occulted History: Whitley Strieber and the Abductee Narrative

5. 'Problem-Reaction-Solution': David Icke and the Reptilian Thesis

6. 'The Science of Oneness': David Wilcock and 2012 Millennialism

7. The Counter-Elite and a Theodicy of the Dispossessed

Bibliography

Index.

Notes:

Includes bibliographical references and index.

ISBN:

9781474253208

1474253202

OCLC:

910412805

Online:

Cover image