Monsters, Ghosts, & Mysteries

From Chambers Dictionary of the Unexplained
The alleged kidnapping of human subjects by the extraterrestrial occupants of UFOs.

From Chambers Dictionary of the Unexplained
A procedure claimed to have been carried out in secret on the bodies of aliens recovered from the remains of UFO crashes.

From Chambers Dictionary of the Unexplained
A name given to hypothetical beings from outer space who it is suggested visited the earth and interacted with ancient peoples.

From Chambers Dictionary of the Unexplained
A term used to describe the quality of a UFO sighting, commonly, but not exclusively, based on the proximity of the UFO to the witness.

From Chambers Dictionary of the Unexplained
A word meaning simply ‘other than from the earth’ which is used in ufology to mean a being that is not from earth or is from another planet.

In Gaither's Dictionary of Scientific Quotations
If we could talk freely with intelligences existing on another world, having a history, social customs and laws, and religious faiths developed absolutely independently from those of this world our conversation would be not only one of surpassing interest to science and the humanities, but what a guide it might prove to statesmen and sociologists!

From The Penguin Dictionary of Psychology
A compelling sense that one's mind or self has left one's body and is located elsewhere, often experienced as being above the body, looking down on it.

An object or light reportedly seen in the sky whose appearance, trajectory, and general dynamic and luminescent behavior do not readily suggest a logical, conventional explanation.

From Chambers Dictionary of the Unexplained
A generic term for the diverse group of people involved in UFO study.

From Encyclopedia of American Studies
An unidentified flying object (UFO) is the report of an object that remains unidentified after scientific analysis. The term unidentified flying object has come to mean, paradoxically, both an object that is truly unidentifiable and one that is thought to be extraterrestrial. The colloquial flying saucer still connotes an extraterrestrial craft.

From Chambers Dictionary of the Unexplained
Photographs which purportedly contain images of UFOs.

An object or light reportedly seen in the sky whose appearance, trajectory, and general dynamic and luminescent behavior do not readily suggest a logical, conventional explanation.

or Astrobiology, search for extraterrestrial life within the solar system and throughout the universe.

In The Ashgate Encyclopedia of Literary and Cinematic Monsters
Creatures from other planets have been widely used as monsters in literature and film throughout the twentieth and twenty-first centuries.

From Chambers Dictionary of the Unexplained
The term used to describe intelligent life which may exist on planets other than our own.

The umbrella term for all endeavors, especially those using radio telescopes, to find signs of intelligent life elsewhere in the Universe.

The quest for greater knowledge and understanding—as well as Cold War rivalry between the United States and the Soviet Union—fueled the modern space race in both unmanned and manned spacecraft, but humans have acknowledged the powers of the solar system since prehistoric times. Advanced technologies, and an increasing spirit of private enterprise, open possibilities for new adventures and frontiers.

From Brewer's Dictionary of Phrase and Fable
A well-regarded Science fiction horror film (1979) starring Sigourney Weaver as Ripley, the human opponent of a lethal and apparently invulnerable species of alien monster.

From Chambers Dictionary of the Unexplained
A Steven Spielberg film from 1977, featuring UFOs as its central theme. The film was a box-office success and is widely considered to be a classic.

From Chambers Film FactFinder An alien botanist, left behind when his colleagues made a hasty exit from Earth, is befriended by a group of children who try to protect him from exposure and exploitation.

From Brewer's Dictionary of Modern Phrase and Fable
The cult US space fiction television series, first screened in 1966 and set in the future, tells how the crew of the Starship Enterprise reconnoitre the universe, finding monsters and mysteries at every turn.

From The Cambridge Guide to Children's Books in English
Films written and directed by George Lucas. Star Wars (1977), The Empire Strikes Back (1980) and Return of the Jedi (1983) comprise the futuristic paradigm of the battle between good and evil.

From Conspiracy Theories in American History
The X-Files is a long-running television series, renowned for its atmosphere of suspicion and convoluted conspiracies.