Notes on
Jacques Vallee

Forbidden Science

 

Feb. 22, 2000 Yesterday I finished reading Forbidden Science by Jacques Vallee. This book - his personal journals - documents his activities as an astronomer, computer programmer and UFO researcher during the years 1957-1969. The foreword and the Epilogue connect these notes with present time. I leaned an important lesson from reading this book which I would like to summarize. The first thing that is convincingly conveyed by the book is that UFO phenomena are real. The next significant thing is that it has never been investigated by scientists; at least, not within the public domain. All the so called "committees" assigned the ostensible task, have only dealt with selected cases and have never been able - or permitted - to dig deep enough to uncover the truth.

Another thing that strikes me from reading these journals is that Vallee himself, missed some of the most significant clues because he did not try to study theoretical physics, even if he realized, at some point, that this may be the only way toward understanding what is going on. On p. 167, quoting from his Journal of 3 December 1965, he writes:

"The problem of UFOs boils down to two major issues: First the theory of time and gravitation; then the question of the nature of human intelligence."

So, Vallee knew what was important, and yet he did almost nothing to pursue this line, except to help bring French physicist Costa de Beauregard to the United States for a series of lectures and high-level meetings in 1965. But Costa had no idea at all what UFOs are:

"He believes the objects could be looked at from the point of view of magnetism (are they magnetic monopoles?) and of artificial gravity."

In the Epilogue, Vallee tells us about his more recent ideas about UFOs as a manifestation of a "control system", and this aspect is treated elsewhere on this site (go to our search engine and search for "Vallee"). In the Epilogue Vallee talks a little bit about physics, parallel realities, hyperspace etc.:

"Cosmology now recognizes the possibility, indeed the inevitability, of multiple universes with more than four dimensions. Communication and travel within our universe are no longer thought to be absolutely constrained by the speed of light and a constant arrow of time. Even travel into the past may be considered without necessarily creating insurmountable paradoxes. This is a tremendously exciting development. It opens up vast new realms for theoretical and experimental endeavor."

Then he continues:

"If we look at the world from an informational point of view, and if we consider the many complex ways in which time and space may be structured, the old idea of space travel and interplanetary craft to which most technologists are still clinging appears not only obsolete, but ludicrous. Indeed, modern physics has already bypassed it, offering a very different interpretation of what "extraterrestrial" system might look like."

And finally he adds:

"For some time various knowledgeable friends have urged me to take my research behind the scenes again. I intend to follow their advice. I cannot justify remaining associated with the field of ufology as it presents itself to the public today. Furthermore, I suspect that the phenomenon displays a very different structure once you leave behind the parochial disputes that disfigure the debate, confusing the researchable issues that interest me The truly important scientific questions are elsewhere."

As for "taking research behind the scenes", it seems to me that Vallee has been quite successful. I tried to reach him by e-mail, but I failed. If any of you, Readers, can help me contacting Jacques Vallee - I will appreciate it!

Update: July 12, 200

Here is the chronology.

April 4: I received an e-mail from Walt Williams who suggested that "If you write NIDS and present your technical qualifications I suspect that Mr. Vallee may well respond. " I decided to check out who is Walt Williams and what is NIDS (see http://www.nidsci.org/personnel.html ), and on April 16 I wrote to NIDS a long e-mail presenting my qualifications. The letter began:

Sirs,
It took me two weeks to decide how to reply to the above message. I decided that being completely open would save both my time and yours. I believe the problems we are dealing with are the most serious ones facing humanity today. I would like to work with NIDS adding my knowledge, my abilities, my expertise and my determination. What are my qualifications? My cv and list of publications are attached. I am a theoretical physicist, with 30 years of experience in the areas of mathematical physics, generalized gravity (hyperdimensional physics), foundations of quantum theory etc.

I sent a cc to Walt Williams. I never received any answer. This was curious and was I supposed to deduce that they already know everything and they do not need scientists anymore? However, in May, one of the readers of these pages provided me with e-mail address of Jacques Vallee. So, after some pondering, I decided that I should try again. Maybe not all problems are solved; maybe there is still something about "extraterestials" that we do not know and that may, perhaps, relate somehow to space, time, parallel or perpendicular realities, time travel, quantum realms, consciusness, gravity and hyperdimensional physics? So on June 25 I wrote to Jacques Vallee offering my help. Notice, I didn't asked for money:

Dear Dr Vallee,
This is to offer my help in the activities of NIDS. My qualifications are as follows: Theoretical Physicist Experience: 30 years of research and teaching 15 years abroad in European and American universities and research centers. Textbook on Riemannian Geometry and Kaluza-Klein theories of hyperspace. 1997 - Organized conference 'quantum future' with leading quantum physicists - both experimental and theoretical. Multispeciality: gravity theories, quantum theory, electromagnetism, hyperspace, mathematics, border of physics and the mysterious. Web site with CV, list of publications and online versions of important publications: www.cassiopaea.org On this site in particular: http://www.cassiopaea.org/quantum_future/vallee.htm (Notes on Jacques Vallee Forbidden Science) (...) My interest has shifted from fundamental theories of physics to problems exposed in your books and dealt with within NIDS. I would like to offer my expertise and experience in this most important task.
Regards.

On July 12 I received e-mail from Dr Eric W. Davis stating that "(...) I found your background and accomplishments quite remarkable" but then it continued with stating, that concerning the domains of theoretical physics listed, he himself is "the expert in this role for the institute as staff needs are minimal here." (emphasis, mine) So, it seems that my first guess was correct. Either all problems with "ET" are already solved, or they are totally unimportant, or, perhaps, there are no problems at all!

As you can read on other pages on this site there is a repeating phenomenon here. The Public is being told that "real scientists" do not want to deal with these important phenomena. But then, when a scientists comes and says: "look, I am a scientist wit experience and reputation, I offer my help," then what follows is either silence (as it happened when I attempted three times to contact Richard Hoagland), or "sorry, I am busy now, there are so many in line that want my autograph, perhaps we will talk some other time", or, as in the case of NIDS and Jacques Vallee - "needs are minimal". Something is wrong with this picture!

But, as the Cassiopaeans repeatedly stress, "knowledge protects". Therefore knowing the above facts will, perhaps, help the readers of these pages to understand the role of different institutions and persons involved, and also why real progress is so slow.

When Jacques Vallee wrote the following:

"For some time various knowledgeable friends have urged me to take my research behind the scenes again. I intend to follow their advice. ...The truly important scientific questions are elsewhere."

I wonder just WHO his friends are?

Note added on May 26, 2001: We felt that the research into UFO phenomena should be organized according to a different formula. Thus Perseus Foundation has been formed. It is just starting ....