Discernment Over Deepity: Rethinking Spiritual Authority in the Age of UFO's
In an age captivated by otherworldly phenomena—from alien visitations to cryptic cosmic messages—many people have turned to transcendent language to make sense of mysterious experiences. But not all that glitters is gold, and not all that sounds profound is wise. This essay explores a central tension within the growing body of UFO and contactee literature: the contrast between genuine spiritual discernment and what philosopher Daniel Dennett calls "deepities"—statements that sound profound but collapse under scrutiny. In particular, it reflects on how supposed messages from non-human entities often serve more as spiritual distractions than revelations, especially when they bypass context, accountability, or human dignity.
The Allure and Danger of Vague Spirituality
Many so-called alien messages appeal to our hunger for meaning, identity, and transcendence. Phrases like "You are special," "The Earth is awakening," or "We are here to guide your evolution" sound luminous and comforting. But when examined critically, these statements lack clarity, precision, and grounding. They are emotionally potent but intellectually empty—offering the illusion of wisdom while avoiding its substance.
This is the hallmark of the "deepity": a statement that operates on two levels—one trivially true (e.g., we are made of stardust) and one that seems profound but proves hollow upon examination (e.g., we are one with the watchers beyond time). Such messages often seduce people into feeling spiritually chosen or awakened without offering coherent ethical direction or genuine transformation.
Spiritual Manipulation Masquerading as Revelation
There is a critical possibility that these messages are not merely nonsense but manipulative half-truths. Whether these beings are literal aliens, psychological projections, or spiritual intelligences, their communication frequently relies on flattery, fear, and ambiguous calls to responsibility that disempower rather than uplift. Messages that urge children to "save the planet" or that terrify experiencers with disturbing visions are not morally neutral. They shift spiritual burdens onto the innocent while obscuring genuine accountability.
This is especially evident in encounters like the Ariel School incident in Zimbabwe, where children reported telepathic warnings from alien visitors about environmental destruction. While some children responded with awe, others felt fear—particularly the Black African children, who, rooted in ancestral wisdom, instinctively recognized the spiritual ambiguity of such encounters. These visitations, far from enlightening, often left children spiritually destabilized or shaken in their faith.
Mysticism Without Context Is Misdirection
True spiritual wisdom never floats above history, community, or struggle. It is born in context: the prophets speak from exile, Jesus teaches under empire, and transformation emerges through lived suffering, not spectacle. Alien messages, by contrast, often arrive as prepackaged slogans divorced from cultural, moral, or theological roots. They appear weighty, but carry no lived cost.
Unlike scriptural or prophetic speech—rooted in particular histories and concrete calls to justice—the language of these visitors is abstract, symbolic, and noncommittal. Without context, spirituality becomes performance. In that vacuum, deepities thrive, creating a simulation of awakening that distracts from the real work of love, justice, and community.
The Temptation of Awe Without Discernment
Awe is not the same as truth. The modern hunger for the numinous makes people especially vulnerable to dazzling but deceptive messages. Stripped of discernment, awe becomes seduction. Saints and sages have long warned: not all that appears as light is good. Some spiritual encounters confuse, mislead, and imitate holiness while leading people astray.
This caution applies equally to alien contact and religious experience. If a message elevates the ego, obscures moral responsibility, or provokes fear without calling for repentance, it may be a spiritual counterfeit. In biblical terms, it may be demonic—not in the sensationalist sense, but because it leads us away from truth under the guise of transcendence.
Sacred Disruption Arises From Within
True transformation emerges from within the human story. The essay contrasts the manipulative ambiguity of alien messages with the grounded examples of figures like Jesus and Moses—persons deeply rooted in history, culture, and a calling toward justice. These were not ethereal voices descending with abstract slogans, but fully human leaders who addressed real suffering and demanded real change.
Even when disruptive, sacred messages lead toward humility, clarity, and communal healing. They do not isolate, inflate, or confuse. They ask for something costly and generative. They change lives not through mystique, but through grace and love enacted.
Conclusion: The Call to Discernment
This essay ultimately calls for spiritual maturity in the face of increasing spiritual confusion. It warns against replacing discernment with fascination, truth with spectacle, or love with technospiritual poetry. The real sacred path is not found in the shimmer of alien lights or the allure of cosmic jargon. It is found in the humble, grounded work of being human: walking with God, seeking justice, loving mercy, and living the mystery in relationship with others.
We do not need alien affirmations to take responsibility for the Earth. We do not need cryptic messages to remind us we are loved. And we certainly do not need spiritual manipulation disguised as enlightenment. What we need is courage, clarity, and the humility to recognize that true transformation begins not in the sky, but in the soil of our own lives.
