THIS ARTICLE WAS ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED IN THE INTERNATIONAL UFO REPORTER
 (IUR) of the  Center for UFO Studies, 2457 West Peterson Ave. Chicago, 
IL 60659, winter 1997-1998 edition with the title 

"My Mission from the Ashtar Command"

YOU DON'T MESS WITH ASHTAR!!

by Bruce Maccabee (c) 2000 by B. Maccabee

PART THE FIRST: A NEW AGE IS RISING

In early January, 1997, a thought suddenly came to me. The "50th Anniversary of UFOs" was fast approaching and, so far as I knew, no one had composed a musical piece in honor of the occasion. So, why not I? I had already been asked by Bill Murphy, who was in charge of the 1997 MUFON Symposium, to play 1940's popular music on the piano during the reception Friday night (July 11, 1997), so I knew there would be an opportunity, a "venue" for the performance of such a piece. What I didn't know was whether or not I could actually create a worthwhile piece by that time. I have composed a number of keyboard pieces, many of which have been recorded, but never with a requirement to meet a deadline. But then the ideas started to come. Not into my conscious understanding, as (we are told) with Mozart or the classical geniuses who could "hear or "see" much of the composition before they started writing it. I can't "hear" the music first. No, these ideas came directly from my fingers. You see, I compose by "automatic playing." In a sense I say "Fingers, play!" and they come up with all sorts of stuff, including musical weeds as well as musical flowers. These short sections or what might be called "riffs" in musical jargon just leap out of my fingers....from somewhere. It is my job to sort through the riffs and pick the interesting ones and arrange them in a logical order. Little by little over the following months the various sections of the piece came to me. Not only that, but, I "knew" where to place them in the piece to create a composition in which the various sections are related to UFO controversy and to the fact that UFO sightings are changing our understanding of ourselves and the universe. By late May I knew that I had done it. I had created a decodable composition, which, when properly interpreted, represents the questions surrounding the appearance of saucers and aliens, the controversy over sightings and the efforts of skeptics to explain and debunk sightings. All this is set against the framework of a theme that begins in the lowest frequencies of the keyboard, and rises gradually, suffering several setbacks, into the upper registers where it eventually triumphs at the end leaving only the question of what this all means. The rising theme represents the onset of a "new age." The name that came to me for the piece was New Age Rising. (It as been recorded for those who were not at the symposium. And, incidently, it is not the so-called "new age music." Instead it is more like a classical piece. One listener compared it to Beethoven.)

PART THE SECOND: BROTHER IN THE DARKNESS

After I performed this composition at the MUFON reception a lady who was very impressed asked me if I thought that I had received any "outside help" and she made it clear that she was thinking of help from the guys upstairs...way upstairs! I didn't think so, but then I began to wonder. Where did these musical ideas come from, anyway? From within my own psyche? From the random musical meanderings of my own mind? Or could they have come from somewhere else? Were my thoughts controlled from the outside? Did some UFO entities "design" the music which was intended to commemorate their "50th anniversary?" I still don't think so, but after what happened to me some years ago, I'm not sure. You will see why when you read the following messages from "out there."

In the fall of 1988 I got a message directly from the Ashtar Command. It came through a lady whom I’ll call Joan Jones (no resemblance to her real name). The message said cooperate...or else!

Huh? A message from the Ashtar Command? What sort of joke is this? That was my reaction. I was quite surprised, perhaps even shocked. I don't pay much attention to so-called channeled information. I have read treatises by people who claim to get information from space brothers (and sisters; evidently they have sex in space). I find these writings confusing and disappointing. There are lots of phrases and jargon that don't seem to mean anything other than grade school moralizing and philosophy which are interspersed with pseudo-technical descriptions of how space flight is accomplished. (I wish one channel would provide a complete description of how to modify or add to Maxwell's electrodynamic equations or Einstein's gravitational theory in order to derive predictive results that would confirm the transmission of information or matter faster than the speed of light.) Phrases such as "fourth density" or "fourth racers" or "higher dimensions" or "colors and higher vibrations" or "starships" and "galactic command" roll off my brain like water off a duck's back. So, if you think I wasn't particularly impressed by this lady's announcement of getting a message for me, you are right.

However.... (isn't there always a "However..."?)

The intriguing fact is that this Joan was not and is not a "channel." She is a well-off, middle aged housewife and practitioner and teacher of yoga and meditiation. She told me that usually after she meditates, achieving some sort of a trance state, she writes in a little notebook a summary of her thoughts. She said that although she had a few times in previous years gotten what seemed to her to be "voices" or messages, she was not into channeling and did not intend to start. She said the only reason she took the time to tell me about it was because this "message" was specifically directed to me and she didn't think she should just ignore it. Anyway, she wanted to give me the option of doing whatever I wanted with it. I should point out that she was no more interested in UFOs than the average person, seeing occasional movies, TV shows, etc., but not going out of the way to acquire UFO information. Although she was aware of my UFO interests we had never really discussed UFOs before the one time she visited my house for an hour or so, in May, 1988, to see photos taken by Ed Walters. However, we had no communications (at least none that I can recall) after that until about 4 months later when she informed me of the message. She gave me a xerox copy of the pages from her journal. Her journal is a book with little sayings across the top of each page and the rest is blank paper. For example, at the top of the first of the pages she sent me is written, "We always hope; and in all things it is better to hope than to despair. When we return to real trust in God, there will no longer be room in our soul for fear (Goethe)." What follows is a transcription of her handwriting. Words in [square brackets] are comments by me. At the top of the first page she sent me she has written her feelings about her life. These writings have nothing to do with the present subject but I have included them anyway to provide an example of the type of material which she normally puts into her little book. Here, then are the writings of "Joan Jones, Yoga Practitioner" on a day in September, 1988:

"(I wanted to)..get this book so I can continue recording my Sadhana. God is certainly with me this morning. I made some vows this week to stay regular with my Sadhana. Maybe I'll even start up my spiritual diary sheets again....it's been almost ten years since I did that! Home feels good and I am excited and elated,. So many new beginnings, things to do, people to reconnect with. Oh how sweet it was to connect with [name removed] and now I will stop and do my exercises...." [at this point there is a line across the page indicating the next day after the above writings] "I will not drink coffee today. After meditation this a.m. I had a channeling from Ashtar command and Mary, my dearly departed yogi friend. [Note: Mary had died a year or so before this message.] First he talked, telling me of his mission and to tell Bruce Maccabee to stay out of his way, not to try to stop him. He wants all the godless souls. The lost souls who do not meditate or pray will go aboard his spaceships all over the world when he is ready for them to come and colonize his star-planets. They will think they are escaping death through the destruction of earth planet. I and my family of yogis will not be taken as we are to stay and console and heal this planet. Also because we cannot be bent to his command as the others can. Then Mary spoke: 'I am here, wedded to Ashtar, his queen. We communicate through mind and it was God's will for me to be with him. I can keep him from hurting earthlings. Without me here to calm him he is ruthless and uncaring. I am his conscience. It is my duty to do this. It is better than earth, [Joan], because I care nothing for sex, body and material desires. There's none of that. Here I have produced many earth starlings. When you come to God someday I will see you then. But please contact "Mr./Dr." Maccabee. If he cooperates with us rather than fight us, he can have whatever he wants. Otherwise we will ruin him. Let him know that. We will not contact you again unless he has further messages for us. Otherwise, that's all. [At this point there is another line in the book which is followed by the continuation of her journal, the next day: "Wonderful healing dream last night.....[etc.] "


How can I express my reaction on reading this? Perhaps it would be best to say I was of "several minds." One mind said "What the (heck) is this?" Another mind answered "This is all ...." (fill in the blank with a choice word of your choice). Yet a third, more analytical, mind said, "What if this really means something? How have I been hindering or obstructing the plans of Ashtar? I should think that proving UFOs are real would help Ashtar. Who the hell is this Ashtar, anyway, to threaten me with ruination if I don't cooperate?" There were other minds bandying about other choice words and phrases which are best left unsaid. Of course I had heard of Ashtar. Everybody has heard of Ashtar. Right? Wrong. Well, maybe. I asked Joan. She didn't know who Ashtar was, at least she didn't recall hearing or reading the name before "the message." On the other hand, the name has been associated with flying saucers and UFOs for a long time. Ashtar was first mentioned by a contactee named George van Tassel. Van Tassel was an airline mechanic who worked for some major aircraft comapanies including Douglas Aircraft (later McDonnell Douglas), Hughes Aircraft and Lockheed. In 1947 he had moved his family from the Los Angeles area to the high desert of California southestward of Los Angeles to a location called Giant Rock, where there was, in fact, a huge rock. Many years earlier a friend of van Tassel had made a home under the rock(!). Van Tassel moved into this abode and subsequently started a dude ranch, restaurant and airport. According to van Tassel it was on July 18, 1952 that he began receiving "psychic messages" from a number of extraterrestrial starship "commanders." One of these called himself Ashtar. In later years a number of contactees would be channeling Ashtar. Note that Ishtar is an ancient name for the planet Venus and that van Tassel claimed that Venusians came to earth and mated with an existing species of ape thereby creating humans. Ashtar supposedly came from Venus. (Jerry Clark, a long-time UFO investigator and historian of the subject, has suggested that the name Ashtar may have been based the term “ashar” which is found in the 1882 book “OAHSPE”, where “ashars” are defined as guardian angles who travel in spaceships of some sort. The OAHSPE book itself is based on the automatic writings of John Ballou, a New York occultist who allegedly received this information from angels.) The point is that Joan could have heard or read the name Ashtar somewhere in previous years, so it could have been buried deep in her psyche. But this wouldn't explain the message with its ominous, foreboding overtones of destruction of the earth, preceeded, presumably, by destruction of me, if I didn't cooperate. When Joan gave me the copy of her notebook pages she emphasized again that she was not and did not want to become a channel for outer space creatures or for any such entity. However (here's that "However," again...), in this case, since the message had ended almost with an invitation for me to contact Ashtar Command, she said she would be willing to try to establish a contact during a future meditation if I wanted to ask or say something to Ashtar. I must say it was with some puzzlement and misgivings that I contemplated making some sort of response. I didn't know whether to treat this seriously or as a joke. I didn't really believe this was a message from "The Ashtar Command." Yet, I sort of felt like the person who was offered one wish by a genie. I could have anything I wanted but it better be the right thing the first time. This could be a dangerous situation: I didn't know what it meant to cooperate with Ashtar, yet, if I failed to cooperate I would be "ruined." After all, who knows what powers this Ashtar might have, if he is real? I decided to play it safe. Rather than making an explicit statement to Ashtar, I would ask a question: "What constitutes cooperation?" If I were told to stop doing something that I wasn't doing then I would know this message was merely a figment of Joan's imagination. On the other hand, it might be interesting if the response did provide details on how to cooperate. In either case I figured that this would smoke out any jokers in the deck. Many years earlier I had gone to a public lecture by a lady, Valerie Ranson, who in the late 1970's was traveling through the USA trying to raise money for a project to usher in the new age of space brothers, etc. She was a trance channel and did channeling during the lecture. She talked about the ancient powers and Atlantis and destruction of the earth and saving souls, etc. I was one of the lucky persons to get to ask a question to whomever it was she was channeling at the time (I forget the name). I asked whether or not life in the universe had been "seeded" by "panspermia." She didn’t recognize the word so I gave a brief explanation. (Panspermia: the scientific theory that the progenitors of life are carried by comets and meteors and that when these land on habitable planets life begins.) She mumbled and spluttered a bit and then made some comment to the effect that I shouldn't ask such incomprehensible questions and then went on to the next question. I, of course, didn't think it was incomprehensible and beside I figured the source of her information should "know everything." As far as I was concerned she flunked the "channel test." But this was different. Here was a lady whom I had known for several years, a presumably level headed, respected member of the community, saying impossible things that were totally out of character for her. I had to treat this with more respect. I had to allow for the possibility that the Ashtar message might have some germ of truth. Therefore I figured that this question, what constitutes cooperation, would "test the channel" while, at the same time provide some useful information if, in fact, the previous message came from a real entity, Ashtar. If he wanted me to cooperate rather than hinder him he could simply explain what he wanted me to do. I assumed Ashtar, if a real entity, could have known of my UFO activities (investigation, analysis, writing, etc.) and that if any one of these was hindering his activities he could tell me so. Then I would know what to do to get on his "right side."

PART THE THIRD: PLAYING INTO THEIR HANDS

I didn't think my question was foolish but apparently Ashtar did! You can imagine my surprise at receiving the following message that came several weeks later. Again I am starting the transciption at the beginning of the page where the message begins even though the initial material has nothing to do with the message. (Note: the wise statement or aphorism at the top of the page reads "A prudent man is like a pin: his head prevents him from going too far." (Swami Rama Tirtha))

"...use this as a learning experience and get back to my vow of no cup of morning coffee unless meditate first. Discipline and resolve need to overcome these negative samskaras [sp?]. So I will surrender and pose this question to the guides...." "What constitutes cooperation?" [Here is the answer she received:] "What a silly question. What impudence! Know that we are in control of the situation. You are playing right into our hands." [At this point Joan asked a question.] "(My question: Is what you are doing for our good?)" [Answer] "What is good? We are doing what is necessary. We have been with you for a long time. We are here with you without physical form. Yes, even now our presence are [sic] in this room and we are guiding your actions. There are ways through thought control to have you perform [act according to] our wishes. You certainly must know how compelled you are with this project. That is our bidding. Your own purity is the only thing that blocks [underlined in her notes] our communication. But who is pure in your society? Very few, so our work is easy to execute. As writers, scientists, channelers, teachers and especially the confused ones, who are easiest to manipulate, you are serving our purpose and we will have our way. There is no way you will stop us now." [At this point Joan interjected her own statement.] "Oh, my, what harshness and lack of feeling and care." [response] "We have no emotions, only humans do. That is all." [end of message]


Well!!! I'm called impudent for asking a question! If this weren't just Joan's delusion then it was as if Ashtar were saying in a brusque voice, "How dare you ask that question when you know the answer already?!" In other words, the meaning of "cooperation" was something I should have known already and I was being in some way disrespectful or "impudent" for asking a question. (Note: Ashtar has good command of the English language!) I felt somewhat like a child who thinks he has been unjustly punished. I didn't think I was being disrespectful, even though I must admit that I posed the question with no real expectation of getting a meaningful answer! So, had I been a bad boy? What is "bad" if not the opposite of "good" and according to Ashtar "good" is defined as "necessity." (Yes, I know: that's not the explicit wording, but that's my interpretation.) Had I been doing something counter to that which is necessary? This message was even "weirder" than the first one in the following way. In the first message Ashtar gave the impression that I was hindering his activities. He didn't explain what I was doing to hinder his activities, but at least he was clear that I was doing something "bad." Then in this message he gave the impression that nothing I, or anyone, could do would stop him. So why was he worried about puny little me? Was it because I was so "pure" in some way that he couldn't control me? But why would he worry. According to Ashtar, I am..”playing right into our hands."

PART THE FOURTH: AN UNKNOWING MISSIONARY

This message upset Joan. I think she was particularly worried that these were her spirit guides speaking and she didn't like their cold, unfeeling attitude. Therefore she tried one more time to make contact. Here is the result:

"...we are not your guides. No, they are not we." Why are you contacting me? "Because we want you to know." What do you want? "We will do what we need to do for our purposes. Actually your connection to us is through Mary who always has tried to reach you through us." Mary? [At this point Mary starts speaking.] "Joan,...I live here by my desire to take a physical form when I want to, although we do not need it at all for our work. It is God's will that I be here where I can help. I can't say more." [Here Joan interjects a statement of something she just realized.] !!! One of them wants me as he [underline in original] has Mary!!! [Now she asks another question.] And what about Bruce? "We have no souls and no actual brains only the non-physical mind. We can use Bruce's brain to do our mind-work and your soul to do our body work in the plane in which you both live. We have allowed you both [to] live. We have allowed and encouraged Bruce to do his work since before his first wife and he split - we caused that through his work. Christine is an aide to him as well as your connection to us through each other. [Note: Christine introduced me to Joan.] She binds him to our cause through their children which was our design and to you through your friendship with Christine. It is a web of intrigue which we wove." [Joan asks,] Why? "As we have stated for our purposes, which will be known to the world in due time, and your place in it. You will both continue to be our missionaries on earth to the end of your lives and we don't interfere with you because we don't need to. You are both very stable, reliable, dependable and are not trying to excape our designs. Even your guru, Swami [name withheld] plays a part in this. We contact him in his meditations regularly and he knows of us. Because he is higher evolved than you and can lead others to us. He is an honorable man but led by his destiny to purify you for us and others like you." [Joan asks,] What??? "Just stop now and go do your work"



This message was not as harsh as the previous ones but it does indicate that I am (as is Joan) like a doll on a string and performing in a cosmic play orchestrated by the extraterrestrial puppetmasters. We were each acting our parts, with the earth as our stage, carrying out a prescribed plan contained within a cosmic script for the universe, a "web of intrigue," woven by powers I can barely contemplate. Perhaps the Greeks were correct to attribute the vaguaries of life to the actions of something like the Fates sitting on high, spinning and then cutting the thread of life. (Whatever happend to free will? Is that an illusion perpetrated upon humans by those in control to give us some hope, some reason to be living other than just carrying out orders?... a subject for another time!) Of course, no one, at least no human, can explain everything that happens in life, and I certainly wouldn't attempt it for my life. But Ashtar's explanation for the failure of my first marriage, failure because of my "work," seems wrong. It fell apart mostly as a result of psychological and physiological problems of my first wife. Moreover, Ashtar's claim that I am one of his "missionaries" seems incorrect. I certainly had never promoted Ashtar and, if anything, had pooh-poohed him and other channeled "entities." On the other hand, I suppose that one could argue this article is part of a self-fulfilling prophecy by Ashtar. Many years ago when I first got this message I was not a missionary" but now merely by writing this article I am "playing into his hands" and acting as a missionary of some sort!

PART THE FIFTH: BROTHER IN THE LIGHT

It was the middle of November when Joan gave me the last message. I realized that there was nothing I could do to react to the content of the messages. If they were real in some sense then Ashtar, I presumed, had everything under control irrespective of what I did. If they were not real, which I believed, then they were merely an amusement to be laughed over and forgotten. Joan did not want to do further channelling with such unfeeling beings and I really didn't want her to. There seemed to be no point in it because the material seemed as unintelligible and self-inconsistent as other channeled material I had read. Furthermore, I found it a bit embarrassing to think that I, a physical scientist who believes only in the "channel" of electromagnetic radiation (or other physical "channels") for information transmission, would be confronted with this sort of information "channeled" by a reasonably credible person from an incredible source. I told no one (only I, Joan and Christine knew). Thinking that it might be the basis for an article on channeling sometime in the future I filed it away as an amusing sidebar to life. In a short time I would have completely forgotten about it if it hadn't been for Norma Milanovich and Bob Oechsler. Bob had heard about Norma and her "automatic typing" of messages from the "space brothers." He mentioned it to me sometime in December, 1988. He wanted to try an experiment to test the accuracy of channeled information. I wasn't impressed, but then it occurred to me that we could try an experiment after all. Suppose, I thought, we ask Mrs. Milanovich to contact the Ashtar Command and find out if she gets the same messages that I had just gotten from Joan. If she did, this might be an interesting confirmation of` some level of reality to channeling. I showed the Ashtar messages to Bob and he agreed it would be an interesting test. Two main things stood out in the messages I had gotten: they were critical of me and they had no important messages for humanity (e.g., there was no "we love you", "we will save you", "ban the bomb", "clean up pollution", "love your mother...earth", etc.). On the other hand, the first message did have cryptic references to earth destruction and the transport of humans to other planets. We both knew that channeled messages "traditionally" have "sweetness and light" information for individuals and important statements of warning for humanity. Therefore if Norma came up with the same sort of "nasty" messages I got from Joan, she would be going against the tradition of "nice” channeled information and this would lend credibility to both the sources of information (Joan and Norma). On the other hand, if Norma's messages did not resembled Joan's, then we had no proof of channeling. I did not contact Norma. Bob did, with a simple question for the Arcturians (the entities which she channeled): "Has Dr. Maccabee been sent a message from Ashtar (through a medium) recently, and if so, could you repeat the message?" Bob was careful to avoid giving any hint of the content of the messages I had received. This question clearly put the burden on the channel to come up with the "correct" message. In February, 1989, contact was established. Norma produced five single spaced pages of channeled information, which is too much to reproduce here, so I will quote some and paraphrase some in the same order that she typed it. So, buckle up your seatbelts and prepare for a fast ride to infinity and beyond!

"Good evening Daughter in the Light. I AM [cap. in original] Juluionno, the Commander of the Starship, who will address your question this evening. I come out of respect for the Highest of the Masters and Tribunal Council asking that you allow me to make the formal introduction between your soon-to-be friend, Dr. Maccabee, and our Beloved Celestial Commander of the ethers."

At this point Juluionno described himself as being in "the position of the lowest in the stations when it comes to the repeating of the message that was meant to be delivered to the Earth-based scientist." Commenting on the previous messages (from Joan) he said,

"....it was not of the information he was intended to have. The only being who can deliver the true words of wisdom that our Brother needs to hear is the Supreme Commander who wishes for him to have a true message intended for his essence."

In other words, according to Juluionno, my "essence" got the wrong message before. Now I would get the "true message" right from the Commander's mouth or mouthpiece. I guess a cynic could say this was a clever way of negating the accuracy of any previous message, whatever it might have been. Of course, my previous message was also supposedly from Ashtar. Was that the wrong Ashtar? Would Norma be channeling a different Ashtar? (Would the real Ashtar please beam down?) Juluionno made a few more introductory comments regarding the "energy sent with this signal transmission" which would "reach far and wide into the consciouness and the hearts of the select few of the Council," and then formally introduced "Beloved Ashtar." Ashtar began his message to me in a manner guaranteed to grab my attention.

"Greetings Commander Maccabee, in the Light of Our Most Radiant One. I come through this dedicated channel this evening to assure that the words that you have received are indeed incomplete and that more information is coming. I, Ashtar do greet you with all of the respect that is deserving of your soul and rank, and do not hesitate to accept your hand in friendship, as is so often the case on the earth plane."

Well, now, this is more like it! I'm a Commander, no less.

(Congratulations all around!) Evidently, I had been promoted since Joan's messages a couple of months earlier! It is interesting that Ashtar did not say the previous message was wrong, only that it was incomplete. So, imagine me vigorously shaking Ashtar's hand, as is befitting of a newly commissioned Commander. The first subject Ashtar mentioned is weapons and he immediately said that, although weapons were probably my interest (after all I work for the Navy), they were the

"least important item on the agenda that will be addressed in any of the conversation(s) that we may have, now or in the future."

In fact, Ashtar said nothing about weapons. Instead he discussed an

"issue that is incomplete, and one which is so pressing."

This is

"the usage of the human energy systems and the problems that are resulting from the misuse of those systems."

He went on,

"As an earth scientist I know you can and will identify with this. As Being of the Light, I also know that you are concerned."

However, Ashtar gently chided me for not being sufficiently concerned

"to help the Beloved Terra take control of her own destiny."

Realizing that some of what he said might be over my head, Ashtar, in a sense, apologized for using concepts I couldn't understand:

"I anticipate that this comment [about Beloved Terra] will not make much sense ....and [you] might register a note of disappointment. But allow me to continue and I hope that I may be able to convince you that this is the utmost priority of the energy issues that affect the Earth today."

Ashtar went on to discuss various energies that "earth scientists have not yet discovered," such as

"the collective oneness of the Liquid Light"

that can't be seen in microscopic investigations. According to Ashtar the failure to identify these other energy sources derives from our tendency to

"view the energies as separate sources of power...[that]..can be measured with different technological instruments."

He said,

"The problem with this is that in the separateness comes the separation."

("...in the separateness comes the separation.." Hmmm...I think I’ll stick this saying over my desk.) Moreover,

"In the separation comes the unification of the closed mindedness."

(I'll put this saying over the mirror!) And, finally,

"In the close mindedness comes the shutting off of the most important source of energy that this universe or its Beings have yet to encounter."

And what is that source?

"..the frequency that vibrates faster than any other, and that which is the creator of all the other forms of matter that exist on Earth."

Believe it or not, there may be some wisdom buried here in the verbal "obfuscation" or at least, poor choice or words! Here is my interpretation of these statements (yours may be different...HAHAHA!). "In the separatness comes the separation." (I think it should have been FROM the separatness comes the separation.) Here Ashtar criticizes scientists for taking a "microscopic" or "reductionist" approach to the understanding of the physical universe and thereby missing the larger picture. Scientists try to divide knowledge into "chunks," each self- contained and with minimal interactions with the other "chunks." They they try to understand the chunks. (For example, consider the "separatness" of biology, geology and astronomy.) This is comparable to missing the fact that a forest exists because you are spending all your time looking at the individual trees. The opposite approach has been called "holistic" in which you try to study "everything'' at once. Unfortunately our minds are not able to comprehend "everything" at once. The best we are able to do is understand the details of a piece of the whole. This has led to the "fractionation" or splitting of science into numerous sections and subsections of study. "In the separation comes the unification of the close mindedness." Once the knowledge has been broken into smaller "chunks," scientists will concentrate on studying one or more of these chunks while ignoring the thers. They may also become "close minded" about other people trying to propose knew additions to the knowledge of the chunks that they are working on. Many such close minded people taken together have a "unity" in their close-mindedness." One thing Ashtar did not mention is that following reduction and analysis there is a "synthesis" or recombining to form a complete understanding of some area of research. The result can be a combining of some or many "small" chunks into a much larger chunk. This approach has proved to be quite successful in helping us understand and use the physical, chemical and biological "laws of nature." For example, the computer system Norma was using when she typed the message was a product of a long chain of reductionist analysis (materials science, "solid state" physics, electronics, mechanical engineering, mathematics, etc.) followed by "synthesis" or the recombining of the parts to form a whole. “Ashtar” said that scientific reductionism (viewing "the energies as separate sources of power..") had caused everyone to overlook the most important source of energy, "that which vibrates faster than any other.." Unfortunately for mankind, Ashtar did not specify just what vibrates "faster than any other," nor did he say how to harness this vibration to provide "power." Merely knowing that something vibrates "faster than any other" does not translate into anything we can use as a source of energy. (Note: if I had figured how to use this "vibration" when I first learned about it I'd be rich by now!) As a physicist I am frustrated by the lack of substance in these comments. It is interesting to note, however, that modern scientific theory views the vacuum - the space between "globs" of matter - as a highly energetic volume of space. [The “collective oneness of the "Liquid Light" could conceivably be an oblique reference to the all- pervasive Zero Point Fluctuations.] Since energy is directly related to frequency of electromagnetic radiation there is, perhaps, some justification for referring to the vacuum as "that which vibrates faster than any other." Since 99.9% of everything is vacuum - and I don't mean just between the ears - there surely is a lot of vibration going on in the universe.) Ashtar then asked two questions related to the importance of vibration:

"Since that frequency and energy are truly the essence of the Highest, it would only seem reasonable that all things created must be of that frequency. Does it not? And does it not seem right that all things are created out of and under that Highest form of life?"

My answers to these questions are "Perhaps" and "Maybe, " supplemented with "Hmmm, damned if I know" (and probably damned if I don't know). Ashtar then spent some time talking about unchangeable rules of the universe and law enforcement on the earth, which

"is often accomplished...in the manner that promotes fear and guilt,"

as compared with enforcement on "higher levels," which is

"accomplished out of love and respect for creation."

He points out that

"That difference is absolute and uncompromising, for the difference of the mode of operations between our two worlds at this time are too far apart."

He goes on to talk about the failure of "the weaker" (people) to

"speak up... against the injustices"

against the "Beloved Terra." These weaker people

"only watch and participate in the re-awakening of the planet with the strictness of the closed mindedness and the fear of breaking the habits and patterns that are controlled by the stronger."

In other words, "weaker" people may realize that something is wrong but they don't dare to do something about it because their habits are controlled by other "stronger people." (We can certainly see something like this in, for example, the failure by the "weaker," the farmers, to curb the flow of agricultural residue into river because to do so would raise the prices of produce, and the prices are controlled by the "stronger," the buyers and merchants.) According to Ashtar the energy of the

"collective consciousness must be studied and observed at a critical speed for the recovery of the planet"

and this

"requires the leadership of the wisest of souls and the strongest of wills, who actually have the capability of standing up for the rights and injustices that have been allowed to occur."

(? Perhaps it would have been better if he had said "stand up for the rights and against the injustices..."). Ashtar then switched his message from the earth environment to the outer space environment :

"There is another matter of urgency regarding energy that we wish to share with you this evening. There is another dimensional frequency disturbance from a parallel universe that is coming within the orb of the Earth's influence within the next 20 years. This is a phenomenon that does not occur but once in a period of several thousand years. These words, while many on Earth will not fully understand them, are sent with much deliberation to you in respect to your position and the knowledge that you have, regarding our appearances and activities surrounding the Earth. We are positioned in the fifth dimensional frequency to try and assist in absorbing much of the shock from this orb of influence that is affecting the Earth in the third dimensional existence."

This sounds ominous, but don't worry. Ashtar has a solution:

"Allow me to assure you that, from an energy standpoint, we are constantly maneuvering our ships to send energy waves and frequencies to the critical vortexes [sic] on the Beloved earth, to try and counteract the negativity that seems to collect and hold within certain areas of the planet. We do not have to tell you that the negativity measurements far outweigh the lighter, more higher [sic] energy forms. Nor do we do not [sic] have to report the states of the minds of most inhabitants on the earth today, for we feel that you can weigh those facts and data yourself and make the determination as to whether or not they contribute to the heavier or lighter weights that collect around your planet. In other words, we send you a valid message."

To which my initial response is, ...”Huh?” I interpret this statement as meaning that Ashtar's activities around the earth, some of which might be reported as flights of flying saucers or UFOs, are related to his attempt to protect the earth from what might be called the ultimate in "bad vibrations" caused by some object in the fifth dimension which has a projection into the third dimension and which is approaching earth. (Note: a five dimensional object would have a projection onto the third dmension, just as a third dimension object has a projection onto the second dimension - a surface - or onto a first dimension object - a line. To get a "projection" imagine illuminating an object with a light and looking at its shadow on a surface or on a line.) Presumably the period of the 20 year threat is now nearly half over since this message was delivered in February, 1989. Unfortunately I do not understand the meaning of sending "energy waves and frequencies to the critical vortexes" [should be vorticies] of the earth. Where are these vortices and why are they critical? Ashtar did not explain this. Nor did he explain the meaning of negativity measurements and the "heavier or lighter weights that collect" around the earth. Ashtar said his message was valid. Perhaps this is true, but nevetheless it contains a lot of meaningless information, the validity of which cannot be checked. (Two aspects of Ashtar's statement do "resonate" to some extent with modern physics: other dimensions and vibration. It has been discovered in the last 80 years that in order to unify the force of gravity with the other known forces of nature it may be necessary to assume the existence of other dimensions. [The forces referred to here are the "strong" - that effects "color charged" particles in the nucleus of an atom, the "weak" - that affects particles in the nucleus and the "electromagnetic" - that affects electrically charged particles inside or outside the nucleus and accounts for all of what we see...literally!] These other dimensions are required by the "string theory" that appears to solve problems associated with ascribing physical properties to an object that has been, in the past, modelled mathematically as a "point," such as the "point electron." [How can a "point" have "spin" or "charge?"] If all particles were actually teeny, tiny vibrating strings much, MUCH smaller than the size of an atomic nucleus, whether they be in short sections or in loops, then the physical properties could be accounted for in terms of the nature of the vibrations. [For example, if a particle were a loop of "string," vibrations in the plane of the loop could correspond to one characteristic and vibrations perpendicular to the plane could correspond to another characteristic of the particle.] Oopsss.... there's that word...vibrations!! In string theory there are up to 11 dimensions in which "strings" can vibrate and everything is vibrating. Moreover, recent theory suggests that at least some of these other dimensions are very "close" to us and this is related to the relative weakness of the gravitational force: the force of gravity passes through these other dimensions on its way from one massive object to another and therefore is "diluted" by traveling an extra distance. HAHAHAHA.... and you thought Ashtar was crazy!!) Finally Ashtar returned to the subject of greatest interest to me: me. In glowing terms he expressed the challenges I face. What follows are abstracts from Norma's transcript:

"You have been singled out for your leadership....for your widsom...for your caring and constant search for the truth....There is a constant struggle within your psyche...a constant battle within your soul. Your soul understands the connection back to the Light....to our ships and Beingness..your mind does not. Your mind witnesses fifth dimensional data with a struggle to transcend the third dimensional world....The connection is through the soul. There is no other way. You have been selected ....for this opportunity to "try out" for this leadership role (because) we believe you have the strength of soul to make the connections both from within to us and from without to your connections in the world around you......to bridge the gap between the seen and unseen... and only after that gap is bridged will we be able to communicate on the seen level....That is why we have communicated this evening."

I must say, I had no idea that I had so much "soul." Apparently Ashtar thought highly of me and my potential to "bridge the gap between the seen and unseen." After a few more kind words he ended the conversation:

"Consider this message closed at this time and not one of the repeating of the other words [i.e., not a repeat of the previous messages I had received from Joan], for they were not of the utmost significance that we deem these words are, and we do try and use our time and energy of the transmitter [channeler] of our messages with a greater wisdom. The urgency and the call to the attention of the matters of the third dimensional world are not as significant as those of the fifth. Thank you for your time and know that I am the honored one to formally make the acquaintance of a Being who has the position and essence that you are deemed to have. Good evening Brother in the Light. We sincerely do hope that this message does reflect the Light in your heart that so much wishes to be reconnected to your origins. I AM Ashtar, in the Radiance and the brilliance of the Highest. Adonai.”

Adonai, indeed! Wouldn't Shalom be more appropriate?

PART THE SIXTH: WILL THE REAL ASHTAR PLEASE BEAM DOWN

So, there you have it. The "divergence" between the Joan and Norma messages are apparent. So, which am I? The impudent one, the Brother in the Darkness, who is warned not to get in the way of Ashtar's activities even though I can't stop him, or am I the Brother in the Light striving to improve my soul and understanding so I can bridge the gap between the seen and the unseen and thereby reconnect to my spaceship origins? Will the real Ashtar please beam me up? I presume that my UFO related activities could be known to any super intelligence visiting the earth. Perhaps, my continual "battle" over the last 25 years to learn the truth about flying saucers and, of more importance to the world, to publish what I have learned, could run counter to the desires of a super intelligence which wishes to remain covert. I also presume it is possible that certain events in my life have been "directed" by a super intelligence from the outside. However, I would have to admit that my tendency is to reject these ideas and hence to reject both Ashtars. (I would be less likely to reject these if the message from Norma had been the same as from Joan.)

EPILOGUE

This all happened a long time ago, now. I purposely did not write about it soon after it happened because, frankly, I was embarrassed, as I mentioned above. Perhaps I shouldn't have been. But I was. Furthermore, I figured that if there was anything to it I would have to wait to find out whether the prediction of ruination would be fulfilled. In the meantime, Norma Milanovich published her channelings in a book called “We, The Arcturians.” Much of the material in this book is similar to material channeled by other people. I didn't see Joan often after her channeling sessions, maybe once or twice a year. I last saw her about 8 years ago. As of that time she had received no more messages from Ashtar or from any other "space commander." As for me, I have just kept on doing what I have been doing. I have not received "whatever I want." On the other hand, I haven't been ruined either (at least I don't think so, and I'm quite sure I'd be the first to know). Hence it appears that the channeled messages haven't affected my life. Perhaps that means I have neither cooperated nor obstructed Ashtar's activities. Or perhaps that means Ashtar is just a "fig newton" of someone's imagination. And yet..... That music came from.....somewhere. Was the New Age Rising really a result of manipulations by Ashtar or some other "outer space commander" of my "automatic playing?" Will we ever know?