The Top 10 UFO News Stories of 2022
The year 2022 was one of the most important years on record for the UFO phenomenon, with progress made on both the legislative, and research fronts. Additionally, polling information showed that belief in the UFO phenomenon is increasing, new theories were put forward on the nature of the phenomenon and an additional highly credible researcher, Garry Nolan of Stanford University stepped forward to openly discuss the phenomenon. The UAP News Center carried well over 1000 UFO related pieces of news, new analysis, and research over the course of 2022. Here’s our list of the top 10 UFO headlines of the year.
#10 Dr. Garry Nolan Bursts into the Limelight
After a December 2021 Vice.com article outlining Dr. Nolan’s work to help the U.S. Government understand brain injuries sustained by people who came in contact with UFOs, the world flocked to Nolan’s door to learn more about his work. Describing his brain research on UFO experiencers and telling an intriguing story of being cold called by the CIA in his Stanford University office, Dr. Nolan was in high demand. His impeccable resume paired with his understanding of and willingness to discuss the UAP phenomenon stood as a model for other scientists of all types. While rigorously focused on the scientific method (He helped Dr. Stephen Greer prove that a supposedly alien skeleton was in fact human), he is sufficiently curious and open minded to be interested in and willing to speak on the UFO phenomenon. His scientific bona fides and frank willingness to speak about UFOs added to the credibility of the UFO research effort.
#9 The Calvine UFO Photo is Rediscovered
Possibly the clearest photograph of a UFO in history is a 1990 photograph taken by some hikers in Calvine, Scotland. The photo was rediscovered after being lost to the public for 32 years. The negatives were originally sent to a local paper and then on to the Ministry of Defense in Great Britain. There, the photo was validated as real and further researched by the MoD.
Nick Pope, a former MoD employee who ran the MoD UFO desk, documented the work done by the MoD validating and studying this photograph. In the hands of the MoD, the photo then disappeared from the public eye. In 2022, a researcher was able to run down a copy and make it public again, allowing the world to see a clear representation of a diamond shaped UFO being pursued by a military craft. The story is told in this article from Newsweek.
Nick Pope, a former MoD employee who ran the MoD UFO desk, documented the work done by the MoD validating and studying this photograph. In the hands of the MoD, the photo then disappeared from the public eye. In 2022, a researcher was able to run down a copy and make it public again, allowing the world to see a clear representation of a diamond shaped UFO being pursued by a military craft. The story is told in this article from Newsweek.
#8 Dr. Hal Puthoff’s Releases his Ultraterrestrial Paper
In April of this year, electrical engineer, parapsychologist and author, Dr. Hal Puthoff wrote an article in The Journal of Cosmology entitled Ultraterrestrial Models. The article discussed the notion of Ultraterrestrial as an alternate possible source of the UFO phenomenon in contrast to the more common Extraterrestrial. While extraterrestrial points to an intelligence from another planet in the cosmos, ultraterrestrial points to an advanced intelligence that exists here on earth. Puthoff suggest a number of possible sources of an an advanced ultraterrestrial society including:
- Ancient occult groups
- Isolated antediluvian high-tech society
- Stranded ETs
- Proto/ancient humans
- Crypto-terrestrials (an advanced, isolated and hidden human society)
The paper is important in that it expanded the thinking on the UFO phenomenon to include other possible UFO sources and caused us to think differently about ourselves and our place on the planet. This article from the UAP New Center gives more detail on the paper and better defines the various ultraterrestrial types.
#7 Polls show that Belief in the Phenomenon is Skyrocketing
Polling organizations actively covered the UAP phenomenon during 2022. Polling on the topic was released during the year by Morning Consult, YouGov, Myvision.org, and Fairleigh Dickenson University. The results are impressive with many questions asked and high percentages of respondents indicating belief in the phenomenon in some fashion or another. Here’s a sampling:
Myvision.org, September 2022
- Believe aliens exist – 78%
- Believe Aliens know humans and earth exist – 64%
- Believe aliens have been to earth – 56%
YouGov, June 2022
- Believe government knows more than they are saying – 65%
- Have seen a UFO – 19%
You can see all recent UFO polling information is carried on the UAP News Center UFO Polling page.
#6 Government Documents Show Real Physical Effects on Humans from UFO Encounters
In April of this year, 1500 documents concerning The United States Government’s Advanced Aviation Threat Identification Program (AATIP) program were released under the Freedom of information act. The blockbuster finding in the release was the fact that the government had information indicating that humans had received a number of dangerous injuries including burns, heart problems, and sleep disturbances as a result of direct encounters with UFOs.
Some of the injuries were believed to be related to electromagnetic radiation. The documents linked the injuries to “energy related propulsion systems”. While it’s one thing to hear unverified stories of this sort of this, it’s entirely another to have injuries as a result of exposure to a UFO verified by government documents.
#5 Congress Learns that Government UFO Crash Retrieval Programs Really Happened
In a October 19 report from The Liberation Times, investigative reporter Chris Sharp disclosed: ” It has also been confirmed by multiple sources that information relating to alleged secretive UAP retrieval and reverse-engineering programs has now been verified by Congress.”
Awareness of advanced technologies from UFOs, the presence of non-human intelligences and awareness of potential societal impacts from these things are all critical to the congressional decision making process. Yet, Congress has been kept in the dark for decades. As a result, there was reportedly significant concern amongst Congressional leaders that this had not previously been brought under Congressional oversight. This concern ultimately led to the UAP whistleblower language in the National Defense authorization act.
#4 NASA Studies UFOs
Narrow in focus and light on funding, the NASA UFO study launched in 2022 was nonetheless important in a variety of ways. The focus of the study is largely to assess the types of data currently collected by various government entities on the phenomenon and to determine what sort of data should be collected in the future to better study and understand UFOs.
The importance lies in the credibility imparted on the study of the UFO phenomenon with the general public by virtue of NASA taking up the study. It also represents a halting step forward in the public facing efforts of the U.S. government to further investigate UFOs. Additionally, NASA, in sponsoring the study, sends a signal to other research organizations that the study of the phenomenon is gaining mainstream acceptance. This is illustrated by the announcement shortly after the NASA announcement that the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA), the largest professional organization in astronautics, would undertake to study UFOs.
#3 UAP Whistleblower Language placed into the National Defense Authorization Act
Frustration within the halls of Congress over their inability to get real answers on government involvement with UFOs led to the inclusion of this language which was placed in the 2023 National Defense Authorization Act. Crafted with the assistance of Christopher Mellon, former Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Intelligence in the Clinton and George W. Bush administrations, the language constituted a first ever effort to utilize the law to uncover government held secrets concerning the UFO phenomenon. Included in the bill is wording to:
- Establish the Unidentified Aerospace-Undersea Phenomena Joint Program Office
- Require procedures to collect and report UFO events across the military and intelligence community
- Evaluate UFO related threats
- Prepare and deliver reports to Congress on all of the above
- Allow whistleblowers on the UAP topic to step forward without reprisals
- Require disclosure of earlier government programs going back to January 1, 1947 (the year of the Roswell crash)
In this bill is the specific implication by the bill’s authors that UAPs have non-human origins.
#2 Congress Holds Hearings on UAP
This was easily the most covered UFO news item of the year. Just the announcement of these hearings generated, by our count, over 400 English language news articles over the course of the following week. Everyone including the U.S. mainstream media, space and science news outlets, local media and overseas media all jumped on board this topic.
The Congressional hearings enhanced both the exposure to and credibility of the UAP phenomenon. Additionally, it caused Congress to receive classified briefings on the topic. This reportedly led to anger and dismay in the Congressional ranks that so much is known about this topic by governmental agencies that has not been shared with Congress who likely have oversight responsibilities for such matters. This dismay, in turn, gave rise to the call for the UAP whistleblower language being written into the National Defense Authorization act of 2022.
#1 The UAP Whistleblower Language Becomes Law
Certainly the most important thing that happened this year, or perhaps ever, in terms of learning more about the history of the UAP phenomenon is the passage of the UAP whistleblower language into law. Embedded in the the National Defense Authorization Act and receiving bipartisan approval, there has been little to no disagreement from Republicans or Democrats in either the Senate or the House on this language.
Developing the language of the bill was critically important, but means nothing if the bill is not passed into law. Most importantly, this is the first tool of any value that has been implemented to start to force disclosure from the government on the UFO topic. This will allow us to start to peal back decades of governmental secrecy, and over time, gain much more knowledge on the UFO phenomenon. For this reason, the passage of the National Defense Authorization Act with it’s UFO whistleblower provisions is the top UFO news story of the year.
Updated daily! We carry all of the latest news on the UAP phenomenon at UAPNewsCenter.com
