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Author and friend Ryan Sprague just published a book of UFO accounts. It's titled Somewhere in the Skies, and subtitled A Human Approach to an Alien Phenomenon. The focus of his research has been the very personal side of these complex experiences. The book is set up as a series of short stories, each account digs into the emotional side of this enigma.
I play a small role in this book. Ryan and I had met a few times over the years, either at the UFO Congress in Arizona, or in the streets of Greenwich Village in New York. I was always struck by just how earnest and open he was. I also sensed he was approaching the bigger mystery not as a pragmatic researcher, but more as an artist. This is something I relate to strongly.
We exchanged a few emails in and created a short interview. I know what it means to try to try and promote a book, and this one is highly recommended. Ryan reads the opening chapter of the book in an audio excerpt, linked HERE.
We exchanged a few emails in and created a short interview. I know what it means to try to try and promote a book, and this one is highly recommended. Ryan reads the opening chapter of the book in an audio excerpt, linked HERE.
more about Somewhere in the Skies HERE
Mike Clelland: I remember we had a conversation while you were working on the book. You mentioned some advice, your publisher, Richard Dolan had given you. If I remember correctly, he said don't write the introduction until you've finished the book. Meaning your ideas will change during the project. What did you think you were getting into in the onset—and what changed along the way?
Ryan Sprague: When I first wrote my initial introduction, I came to realize that I was already inducing pre-conceived notions into the main body of research. I was subconsciously creating a bias towards certain aspects of these phenomena by constructing limitations from the onset. It was naive, and it was apparent. So I decided that I would leave writing the introduction until the very last draft of the manuscript. What lessons had I learned in the two years of interviews and research, and I could I then apply those to the first words of the book that anyone would read? What I thought was going to be a rather straight-forward book of witness testimony and accounts soon turned into a much more poignant and deeply personal journey through the hearts and minds of so many people having extraordinary experiences.
MC: You must have talked to a fair number of people at this point. Do you have any sort of internal lie detector? I mean, some things sound extremely strange. Do you trust everything in the book?
RS: I stand by every story told in this book. After having interviewed hundreds of individuals, I must admit that it was both daunting, frustrating and disenchanting at times. But as I navigated through and endless maze of stories, I began to find very compelling and genuine people who had absolutely no reason to make these stories up. There was no financial gain. No book or movie deals to be had. These were people with friends, family, and communities who believed them, supported them, and listened to them. Whatever may have happened, they firmly believed it to be true, and it impacted their lives in countless ways. And those few dozen stories I tell in the book are most definitely the ones I feel in my heart or hearts are authentic and worth continued exploration.
MC: You have documented some things that have a depth that goes beyond just a scary encounter. People described spiritual aspects, an how things seemed connected to their own soul. Here is a quote from Chapter 12.
“Our eyes, minds, and souls are being opened,”
Patty told me.
You realize some researchers out there are repelled by this side of the phenomenon. What is your impression with these spiritual aspects of the stories?
RS: The spiritual aspect is something I wasn't expecting when I first started my research. I always looked at this phenomenon from two sides; Scientific and Philosophical. So when I started noticing a healthy amount of these individuals viewing their experiences this way, I knew I had to at least keep an open mind and look into it.
What I found most interesting is that some were very spiritual and/or religious before their experience, and this was the lens in which they perceived what had happened. Others, who had no previous religious beliefs began to believe in a higher power thereafter. There have been so many reports throughout history of aerial objects piercing the skies, and many times these were viewed as miracles. Could some of UFO reports or abduction experiences be a divine intervention of sorts? I can't say, but for those who choose to see it that way, I would never fault them. It only opens the doors of possibility with what we may be dealing with. Or perhaps only a fraction of what we're dealing with.
click the "Read more" link below to see the rest of it.
