Why do people believe in UFO's?

Okay, why do so many people believe in (extraterrestrial) UFO's. Especially the people that had never actually seen one, only from what they had read about on the internet, or in books, or worse yet mainstream media and movies...

I myself am on the fence as to whether there is intelligent life out there, beyond our planet. I once was an avid believer, but am more of a skeptic these days.

So do tell, why do you think people believe in UFO's?



Mod Edit: cap title

[edit on 2/21/2007 by kinglizard]

I think its interesting to think theres life somewhere else. Statistically I think its pretty likely. Also, Ive no problem believing theyre out there because nobody has tried to tax me because of them of legislate me because of them, *cough* global warming *cough*.

Once sombody tries to use aliens as a political ploy or to push global government then Ill get more concerned with peoples belief in them.

Until then, why not believe in them?

For me I guess it depends on what you mean by "believing in ufos".

Do i believe there is other life in our universe?

Oh sure you betcha! As I've said 'round here many times before I am under the hopeful assumption that our galaxy and universe are just teaming with all kinds of funky alien life.

I feel this way for a number of reasons:

1) We live in an amazing, dynamic and active universe. Nothing is standing still and huge chemical reactions are occuring all the time. The universe itself (imo) is alive, perhaps not in a sense we understand but alive and dynamic nonetheless.

Two main things seem to happen in our universe creation and destruction. If the universe created us...or we were created due to certain chain of events that allowed life to happen here...I just find it incredibly hard to believe it hasn't happened elsewhere and in fact is happening somewhere out there, right now as I type this.

2) The thought that we are the only things...the only planet with life in the entire expanse of the universe is quite frankly a bit of a downer, and gives me that really sort of creepy, "I"m alone in a big scary house" feeling.

Do I believe our government and other world governments are aware of extra terrestrial life? Actually, I'm pretty sure they have a good idea and I'll even go so far as to say five days out of seven I believe we have recovered technology.

Do I believe aliens are responsible for every technological breakthrough in the past eighty years? No. Because we're a pretty sharp group of monkey's and capable of wonderous things.

Do I believe the stories of ahstar like federation aliens who are here to save us i.e. aliens as religionblahblahblah....nope, not one iota.

Just my opinions mind you.

Spiderj

1. Statistics... It's pretty probable that we aren't the only intelligent life in the Universe. Add to that the tech leaps we've made in a few centuries, and compare to older areas of the Universe, and it's simply probable.

2. The enormous amount of sightings, vids, and photos, etc.

3. The enormous amount of credible witnesses (such as pilots, military officers, police, etc.)

4. The government's initial assessment of the phenomenon as a threat and worthy of study.

5. The best cases, Roswell, Rendlesham, the Betty Hill case, Kinross, etc., etc. If studied objectively, the best solution seems to imply an ET presence in such cases.

6. Lastly, my one and only sighting incident when I child. To be sure, I've had other sightings (that I identified within a reasonable amount to myself), but this one simply cannot be explained conventionally.

Just remember, for all the hoaxes, kooks, etc., out there, if even ONE case is true....then well, we've got alien visitation....

Originally posted by Mechanic 32
Okay, why do so many people believe in (extraterrestrial) UFO's. Especially the people that had never actually seen one, only from what they had read about on the internet, or in books, or worse yet mainstream media and movies...
I myself am on the fence as to whether there is intelligent life out there, beyond our planet. I once was an avid believer, but am more of a skeptic these days.
So do tell, why do you think people believe in UFO's?

Well I think that the drake formulae could be a reason why some believe.
It is hard to say every UFO is driven by ET's because the evidence is elusive and can easily be hoaxed or is minimal, but certain ones defy explanations and that could be a reason too.
Also there are many legends that people grew up with that make your mind wonder about the possibilitys of something else and some people do not like to have a wondering mind so they just believe in ET's to make it simple.
I have been searching and researched many pictures, videos, and stories about the UFO subject and there are many that make me think "if this was a person doing this to another person they should be in prison for doing that to someone else, or how can a person survive inside that UFO when it moves in such a way" so I am still undecided on some. HAHA I dont know why but it is a difficult subject to make a decision and conclusion.
just thought I would add my thoughts and I did so, there you go.

Question:> Why do people believe in UFO's?

Answer:> Because it's so obvious! Are the many thousands of photos and videos all fake? Are they all airplanes, ballons, firecrakers, oil rig fires, hallucinations, meteors, flares, twigs, or any other lame excuse one can come up with to satisfy "their" inferiority complex with all misidentified as ufos? I think not!!!

Wake up. Have some coffee. "It's a beautiful day!"

I can't answer for anyone else but I'll tell you why I believe.

I've seen them on two separate occasions and even experienced a camping trip where my tent lit up with white light and I had dreams over the next few months of alien stuff, at least I hope they were dreams. I woke the next morning with memories of laying on a table, silver whirring sounding gadget about my face, and no, my butt did not hurt ;-)

Before that I had never heard or read anything about the little "3 ft" dudes that I can recall. Certainly NEVER dreamed about stuff like that, ever.

So, when asking questions like that, it all depends who you ask. If I asked you if you beleived in ghosts, you may say no. But the person next to you may have seen them, lived in the same house with them, and although you can't relate to them, does not in any way mean they are not real.

Keep looking up.