Having a safe space to gather with those of like mind is valuable to anyone, but if you’ve been abducted by aliens, safety and support in numbers — if only for a few days in the desert — is more important than ever.
Adam Popescu made the pilgrimage to Contact in the Desert, the world’s largest convention of UFO enthusiasts and true believers, at Joshua Tree Retreat Center to soak in the alien vibes.
Whatever your conspiracy, it’s served there. Some of it even had a slice (paper-thin) of science. The links between psychedelic drugs, consciousness, the invention of language, art, and human evolution, simulation theory, genealogy, the potential of CRISPR genome editing — were all explored with an alien twist. Most often, it was the “ancient” variety made popular on the History Channel show, “Ancient Aliens.” Groupies queued for a glimpse of the stars of the show, Erich von Däniken, Giorgio Tsoukalos, writers like Whitley Strieber, who penned the Communion series, and AM radio host George Noory, extraterrestrial high priests come to preach and hawk their wares.
Popescu doesn’t appear to have come away from the experience convinced, but if these are your people, now you know where to go.
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