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.

Bloomsbury advances in religious studies

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Icke, David.

Strieber, Whitley.

Wilcock, David, 1973-.

Wilcock, David.

Conspiracy theories.

Human-alien encounters.

Millennialism.

New Age movement.

Physical Description:

1 online resource (265 p.)

Place of Publication:

New York : Bloomsbury Academic, 2016.

Language Note:

English

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."--Bloomsbury Publishing.

Contents:

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:

Description based upon print version of record.

Includes bibliographical references and index.

ISBN:

9781474253222

1474253229

9781474253239

1474253237

9781474253215

1474253210

OCLC:

932199489