When we think back to the dawn of the modern UFO era in the 1940s, and the subsequent reports of sightings and interactions ever since - whether they be of the quintessential flying saucers, black triangles, tic tabs, or orbs, the focus has largely been on how these strange and sophisticated craft and/or phenomena seem to suddenly appear in our skies. Where are they coming from? Who are they? What is their agenda? All of these questions inevitably arise as we perceive them entering our reality. It goes without saying that it is these Others, whoever and whatever they may ultimately prove to be - whether extraterrestrial, interdimensional, time traveling humans, ultraterrestrials, or all of the above - it is they who have been in charge of the interaction with us. And it is this revelation that has set many a human being on edge. Why is this off-putting for some? Well, because we humans like to believe we’re in control of our daily lives. Of course, this fragile sense of control is only further perturbed when we learn of so-called “abductions”, where these Others, or at least a subset of them, reportedly take human beings from the comfort of their own homes and up into their craft and elsewhere. While what I just outlined describes the typical narrative around UFOs and aliens, and our interaction with them, it is not the full story. For decades now there have existed groups of curious and bold people who have sought to take the front foot - as it were - in regards to the encounters with these apparently non-human intelligences. These groups have sought to define a series of protocols around which contact and ongoing communication with these - for lack of a better term - aliens, can take place. While these attempts at human initiated contact may seem surprising to some, what is even more interesting is that the historical record has shown that these efforts have proven successful. Not always. But often enough so as to be considered effective. Of course, what this also suggests is that there really is an opportunity for a relationship here - a two-way dialog, so to speak: human to other, and vice versa. But what are the nature of these protocols? And what makes them quote, unquote “work”? And who, really, are we contacting when these efforts do prove successful? Are we being deceived, perhaps even used? Are we opening ourselves up to manipulation? Or are these interactions exactly what they often appear to be: peaceful and cooperative? Are these Others our moral superiors? Or are they just technological giants with no qualms about using less advanced species? These have always been, and will continue to be, the pressing and pertinent questions in play when it comes to human contact with alien others. Speaking of these matters, I personally had an opportunity recently to engage these very questions in a very direct, up close and personal manner, when I joined a special group of experiencers and researchers to both pursue contact, and explore consciousness, as part of a multi-day retreat. It is the nature of the experiences we had, as well as the lessons learned as a result, that are the topic of this, the 67th episode of the Point of Convergence podcast. --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/pointofconvergence/support