Whitley Strieber as a quest?

[icculus]

What do you think about Whitley Strieber as a guest? Is this guy still relevant or just a new-age, snake oil salesman? In the 90s, after reading some of his earlier books I had a pretty positive image of the guy... he seemed credible. However, in the last 5 or 6 years his website, fruity new age topics, 2012 paranoia, and let's not forget peddling those stupid drones as the real deal... has tainted his credibility for me.

In any case I think he would make for a real interesting show.

[ABR486]

I agree icculus. I listened to a interview he did when The Grays came out and it was one of the most fascinating interviews I've ever heard. I just can't make up my mind about Whitley. I believe much of what he says and yet all that New Age stuff he surrounds himself with....Whitley would be interesting but I don't see him coming on. He can get really defensive when he's the least bit challenged and Dave and Gene are not about fawning and kissing someone's ass- even Whitley Striebers. Did you hear the interview Whitley did with Daniel Pinchbeck? Strieber was PISSED.

[Aaron LeClair]

There's a thread on Strieber being a guest. Most seem to think he'd be a good person to have on, and Gene mentioned they were trying to get him on, if I remember correctly.

I listened to the "grays", and posted it in the forums. Very strange stuff he reports. Alien squatting and peeing on the floor anyone? No? A chain smoking, old looking 11 year old that growls?

So long as the whole climate change prophecy type stuff isn't dealt with much, I think I'd be interested in the interview. Maybe have Jeff R. on with him.

[Chuckleberryfinn]

The stuff that Striebert calls "real," such as the chain-smoking 11 year old growler who lived in the woods outside of his house, is the stuff of horror fiction. It amazes me that some people actually believe his bs. His fiction is indistinguishable from his so-called reality.

Perhaps some aspect of his abduction in the 80s, if it actually happened, made him crazy. I could be wrong, but I think he's either a liar or a lunatic.

On the other hand, it could be as Dolan said during the interview about some of the disclosure project witnesses. There may be some core of truth there, but overtime it mixed with Strieber's beliefs. Perhaps that is the best explanation.

In any case, I doubt Striebert would have anything new to offer in a Paracast interview. It'd be the same stuff he always peddles. If you want to hear him, listen to dreamland. You'll get the same thing there (bs) that you'd get here.

[Aaron LeClair]

Originally Posted by Chuckleberryfinn

The stuff that Striebert calls "real," such as the chain-smoking 11 year old growler who lived in the woods outside of his house, is the stuff of horror fiction. It amazes me that some people actually believe his bs. His fiction is indistinguishable from his so-called reality.

Perhaps some aspect of his abduction in the 80s, if it actually happened, made him crazy. I could be wrong, but I think he's either a liar or a lunatic.

On the other hand, it could be as Dolan said during the interview about some of the disclosure project witnesses. There may be some core of truth there, but overtime it mixed with Striebers beliefs. Perhaps that is the best explanation.

Jeff R. has had some really strange things occur to him. Hearing those two exchange thoughts would interest me.

In any case, I doubt Striebert would have anything new to offer in a Paracast interview. It'd be the same stuff he always peddles. If you want to hear him, listen to dreamland. You'll get the same thing there (bs) that you'd get here.

Ew, make that bad horror fiction. I'm not scared of an 11 year old that weezes when he runs after me, weezing while I run lol.

Whether or not anything new comes out depends on David and Gene's questions.

I'm open to the possibility of screen memories being what Whit reports. Or a form of telepathy he mistakes as an actual event.

[ABR486]

Hey Paranormal Packrat, what about the story in the airport where the mom and child are playing "paddy cake" in the airport and the guy next to him says, "Did you see that?"
The stuff he talked about was just so crazy. For much of it there seem to be other witnesses. The guys doing landscaping around his house, the guy who was a publicist (at least I think he was a publicist), visitors to the cabin, etc. I can definitely see where Chuckleberry is coming from- it's easy to dismiss Strieber as a far out loon. But I don't know- I still think there might be some truth in much of what he is saying.

[GetoffMyPorch]

Originally Posted by ABR486

I can definitely see where Chuckleberry is coming from- it's easy to dismiss Strieber as a far out loon. But I don't know- I still think there might be some truth in much of what he is saying.

Well, I know Chuckleberryfinn, personally, and he is by far a greater lunatic than Strieber. Chuck pretends to be rational and sane on this forum, but he privately thinks that aliens implanted him with a device in his head which will eventually "switch on" when "all of the pieces are set."

I'm sorry, Chuckles, but I just had to spill your beans for you. At least I didn't tell them your real name, James.

He also believes that his real mother is a hybrid alien who, occasionally taking a break from voyaging throughout the cosmos, disguises herself as an Earthling transient to follow him around town, watching him, flashing a "knowing smile" when she asks him for change.

[Aaron LeClair]

Originally Posted by ABR486

Hey Paranormal Packrat, what about the story in the airport where the mom and child are playing "paddy cake" in the airport and the guy next to him says, "Did you see that?"
The stuff he talked about was just so crazy. For much of it there seem to be other witnesses. The guys doing landscaping around his house, the guy who was a publicist (at least I think he was a publicist), visitors to the cabin, etc. I can definitely see where Chuckleberry is coming from- it's easy to dismiss Strieber as a far out loon. But I don't know- I still think there might be some truth in much of what he is saying.

Oh yeah. The super fast patty (or is it paddy?) cake game. How bout the Aliens in the book store? This was reported by his publisher I think.

Think of how strange we would appear to cave men. When dealing with other beings, or perhaps other realities, strangeness is a given. I have to have evidence that someone is crazy before concluding they are. Since Strieber does have other witnesses, has had numerous tests done, and passed multiple lie detector tests, I remain open to him being sane and sincere. I go with the evidence, not my knee jerk conditioned responses. On the other hand, I am not convinced he's legit, but I am open to it til I'm shown other wise. Like, with the Meier case.

[Aaron LeClair]

Originally Posted by GetoffMyPorch

Well, I know Chuckleberryfinn, personally, and he is by far a greater lunatic than Strieber. Chuck pretends to be rational and sane on this forum, but he privately thinks that aliens implanted him with a device in his head which will eventually "switch on" when "all of the pieces are set."

I'm sorry, Chuckles, but I just had to spill your beans for you. At least I didn't tell them your real name, James.

He also believes that his real mother is a hybrid alien who, occasionally taking a break from voyaging throughout the cosmos, disguises herself as an Earthling transient to follow him around town, watching him, flashing a "knowing smile" when she asks him for change.

You two friends or enemies lol?

[gilbavel]

I know Whitley somewhat and have his private email address. If Gene or David would like to have him on (I think he's still doing press for 2012), they can let me know and I'll provide it for them.

I think he would make a great guest, and would recommend that we all start compiling questions for him.

Keep in mind, he has a radio show as well, and he has to kowtow to his listeners' beliefs and ideas as far as the new age stuff goes. El Chupacabra, all the LMH stuff--but his core beliefs and experiences are still the leading edge of the UFO community, and remain unchanged. Don't forget that he walked away, much like Vallee did, because he didn't like the infighting that was developing in the UFO community, and only came back because he felt he could still contribute.

Although he's had his differences with David Jacobs and Budd Hopkins over the years--who hasn't? After John Mack, I think Whitley is one of the best abduction resources we have. So he's a horror writer--it's a good thing for us that he is--as he points out, the material he knows about but can't prove, is secondhand/anecdotal or is classified, like Majestic, the Secret School and the Grays (which I enjoyed enormously), he weaves into fiction and is able to get the information out anyway. It's sort of the _opposite_ of disinformation.

I'll be the first person to admit I don't agree with everything he believes. I personally think he went the wrong way with the drones. I think he's naive, at times. So am I. But it's that willingness to believe and that deep curiosity that's allowed him to get through the reality-bending experiences he's had and come out the other end with a deeper understanding of the visitor experience and what it means to our own lives. He's bared and shared a lot, taken heat for it, and helped many other people get through their own astonishingly similar experiences--whatever is driving them, from aliens to some as yet unknown electromagnetic phenomenon in the brain.

The UFO community owes a great debt to Whitley Strieber. He's a very nice guy, a good writer, and after all these years of being a target of ridicule and derision, he's still an up front, honest, sincere person. I can't think of a better guest for the Paracast.