>> NARRATOR: Unexplained sightings. >> WILLIAM HENRY: The first responders on the scene reported a UFO. >> NARRATOR: Miraculous appearances. >> BRETT PETERSON: Inside the tilma was the Virgin Mother. >> NARRATOR: And visions that changed the world. >> KATHLEEN McGOWAN: This extraordinary sign from the heavens becomes one of the crucial turning points in human history. >> NARRATOR: Stories of strange encounters accompany many of history's major events. Is it merely coincidence? Or might it be evidence of extraterrestrial intervention? >> DAVID WILCOCK: It appears that there is an ongoing plan in place, a hidden hand in history that is manipulating events for a certain given outcome. >> NARRATOR: Millions of people around the world believe we have been visited in the past by extraterrestrial beings. What if it were true? Did ancient aliens really help to shape our history? And if so, might mankind's greatest moments have been influenced by alien encounters? >> NARRATOR: Japan. March 11, 2011. Emanating 43 miles off the eastern coast of the Oshika Peninsula... one of the largest earthquakes in recorded history-- a magnitude 9.0-- shakes the earth. The massive movement of two tectonic plates instantly moves the entire Japanese mainland some eight feet, ripping down buildings, setting fires, and killing thousands of people. But the worst is yet to come. The earthquake also triggers enormous tsunamis. Waves as high as 130 feet begin smashing ashore with devastating consequences. >> GREGORY S. BEIRICH: One wave in particular struck the Fukushima Daiichi power generating plant and overwhelmed the safety systems, which caused the plant to enter a critical phase and release radioactive material into the atmosphere and into the water. >> NARRATOR: With the nuclear power plant's reactors melting down and radiation seeping into the atmosphere, the authorities evacuate the region. The only people who remain are employees who struggle for days to prevent a larger catastrophe from occurring. But according to eyewitnesses on the scene, these workers were not alone. >> CHRIS PITTMAN: There were UFO sightings reported in some significant numbers in that area in the weeks and the days leading up to the earthquake and tsunami. And there were a number of UFO sightings reported in the immediate area, uh, directly afterward. >> HENRY: And this suggests the possibility that extraterrestrials were involved in stabilizing that situation. Because had that Fukushima plant melted down, it would have made a large swath of Asia uninhabitable for a very long time. >> DAVID CHILDRESS: Is it possible that extraterrestrials became aware of this meltdown and they did something to lessen the impact of this disaster and ultimately save mankind from what could have been a much worse cataclysm? >> NARRATOR: Could extraterrestrials really have been present at the Fukushima meltdown and might they have helped to prevent it from being an even more catastrophic disaster? Ancient astronaut theorists point out that similar accounts of strange objects seen in the sky were also reported 25 years earlier during the meltdown at the Chernobyl nuclear power plant in Ukraine. >> CHILDRESS: A number of witnesses reported that there were UFOs hovering around the power station and that even beams of light were coming down from these UFOs and doing something to the nuclear power plants, and keeping them from having a much worse meltdown than they did have. >> PITTMAN: Some have speculated that the UFOs that were seen during the crisis may have been, perhaps, protecting us, trying to stave off a horrifying nuclear explosion. Or if not protecting us, at least protecting our world. >> NARRATOR: Was it simply good fortune that the nuclear accidents at Fukushima and Chernobyl weren't far more deadly? Or is it possible that the UFOs eyewitnesses spotted were responsible for averting these catastrophes when humans were powerless to do so? Ancient astronaut theorists believe these encounters weren't random occurrences, but part of an extraterrestrial agenda that has been in place on Earth for thousands of years. >> WILCOCK: It appears that there is an ongoing plan in place, a hidden hand in history that is manipulating events for a certain given outcome. It does appear that we are interacting with an alien civilization. And that we are experiencing the fruits of what they are offering us because our history is being intelligently guided and directed to steer us towards a particular outcome. >> NARRATOR: But if alleged alien encounters really are evidence that extraterrestrials are intervening in human affairs, what is their purpose? Ancient astronaut theorists suggest the answer can be found by looking back at the very earliest alien encounters ever recorded. Mt. Sinai, the 15th century, B.C. According to the Bible's Book of Exodus, it was on the peak of this holy mountain that Moses met with God. But ancient astronaut theorists believe Moses's encounter may have been with a different kind of otherworldly entity. >> ARIEL BAR TZADOK: There's an interesting legend passed down from temple times itself that when Moses ascended to Mt. Sinai to speak with God, a cloud came down from heaven and told Moses, "Come into the cloud to ascend to God." A door opened in the cloud and Moses walked in and it closed behind him and he ascended. >> ERICH VON DANIKEN: The Lord descends with smoke, fire, loud noise, trembling and so on. All religions speak about the same thing. They use different names and the stories change, but the basic stories are always the same-- somebody descended with loud noise, smoke, fire. The humans could not understand what it was. They misinterpreted and believed that this was God or the gods. It's just a misinterpretation. I am absolutely sure-- there's no doubt-- that we were visited by beings from outer space. >> NARRATOR: According to ancient astronaut theorists, such accounts of unearthly encounters can be found in every major religion, including Islam, where the angel Gabriel, also known as Jibril, was said to be the intermediary between the prophet Muhammad and the Muslim god Allah. >> WILCOCK: Jibril normally would come and dispense wisdom to Muhammad inside this cave that he was dwelling in. But on two occasions, Muhammad did not meet Jibril in the cave in person, Muhammad went outside the cave, and it was at this time that something absolutely fantastic happened. What did Muhammad see when he went outside the cave? The records show that there was a magnificent shining object there in front of him. It was said to have 600 wings, and it was burning as if it was on fire. What do we know of in modern times that could add up to a sighting like that? It's obvious. A craft that would be hovering there in front of him, giving off brilliant white light that he interpreted as fire. And when he went out and saw this magnificent shining object, the same wisdom that he was getting from Jibril was imparted to him, though he could not see any being; he only could see this object. >> NARRATOR: Is it possible that many of the stories of gods and angels descending from the heavens are not actually divine encounters, but extraterrestrial visitations? And if so, are they purposely guiding our future? Ancient astronaut theorists believe further evidence can be found by examining a famous vision so important, it changed the course of human history. >> NARRATOR: Rome. October 27, 312 A.D. Just north of the city, the emperor Constantine leads his troops toward the Milvian Bridge and a decisive battle with Maxentius to reclaim his throne. At stake is control over the western part of the vast Roman Empire. According to an account from the historian Eusebius, on the eve of the battle, Constantine looks up into the sky... and sees what he believes is a divine vision. >> GRAHAM PHILLIPS: Constantine and his followers saw in the sky what their chroniclers say was a huge, white... fiery cross. (flames crackling) Now, his followers didn't know what to make of this, but Constantine decided that this was the Christian cross. >> McGOWAN: Constantine feels, after viewing this extraordinary sign from the heavens, this lighted cross in the sky, that he will go forth the next day and he will conquer the Roman Empire, and this is exactly what he does. (clamoring) This vision becomes one of the crucial turning points in human history. (horse sputters) >> NARRATOR: After winning the brutal battle of Milvian Bridge, Constantine consolidates his power and begins a campaign of religious tolerance across the empire, and he himself converts to Christianity. But what exactly did Constantine see in the sky that ended up changing the course of Western civilization? Was it a divine vision... or something else? >> GIORGIO TSOUKALOS: Don't we all see crosses up in the sky when we look at planes? Because you have lights on the sides and at the front. And if you have a little bit of light shining on it, sometimes they look like crosses. So we have to ask ourselves: is it possible that this was absolutely no Christian symbol at all, but that it was adapted over time after something that was witnessed up in the sky? >> NARRATOR: Is it possible that extraterrestrials were responsible for Constantine's vision? Ancient astronaut theorists say one compelling piece of evidence that aliens have tried to manipulate mankind through religious visions still exists today. Mexico City. December 1531. According to an account called the Nican Mopohua, published in the Aztec language of Nahuatl, a peasant named Juan Diego was walking in the countryside when he heard a beautiful voice singing on the other side of a hill. Diego climbed the hill and saw an angelic vision-- a woman in white garments that shone like the sun. >> SABINA MAGLIOCCO: She said to him, "Juan Diego, I am the Virgin Mary, and I'm asking you to build a sanctuary for me here on this hill." Well, Juan Diego fell to his knees in awe, and he said, "Great lady, I will do as you desire." >> NARRATOR: But according to the story, Juan Diego couldn't convince the local bishop that he had actually seen the Virgin Mary, so he went back to the hill, where he again saw the vision. >> MAGLIOCCO: He says, "Lady, please give me a sign, because nobody believes me when I tell them that I have seen you." And she says, "Juan Diego, take off your cloak." And he does, he takes off his cloak, and she fills his cloak with roses. >> PETERSON: He took the roses to the bishop, and the bishop fell down on his knees, because it wasn't the roses as to why he believed the story from Diego, but inside the tilma was a painting of the Virgin Mother. And the bishop believed, and they built the church on that hill. >> NARRATOR: This cloak still exists today, and despite its frail fabric, it has reportedly remained in pristine condition despite the cruel ravages of time. >> PETERSON: Right now you can go to the church and see the tilma hanging there. And it has not degraded over the 400-plus years that they've had it. It's been through a fire, it's been through an explosion, where purportedly an iron cross was twisted from the explosion, but the tilma right next to the cross was still fine. >> NARRATOR: Could this be evidence of a visitation by the Virgin Mary? Or might it have a different, otherworldly explanation? In addition to the tilma inexplicably enduring for hundreds of years, those who have studied it have found other unexplainable qualities. >> WILCOCK: Most bizarre of all are the eyes of the image. Approximately seven to eight millimeters wide, what we see inside those eyes is a highly enigmatic mystery, because it appears that there are characters in the eyes, the faces of the people who were there at the time that the tilma was unveiled by Our Lady of Guadalupe in 1531. >> NARRATOR: But if<i> Our Lady of</i> <i> Guadalupe</i> really does have otherworldly origins, did it come from a heavenly realm or somewhere else? Not only do ancient astronaut theorists believe Juan Diego's vision was an extraterrestrial encounter, but even some members of the church claim that it was something other than a religious experience. >> PETERSON: Our Lady of Guadalupe is definitely a heavenly visitor. In my opinion, though, what her story said disagrees with what the Bible says. In fact, she said she would protect the people that worship at the church. What that does is really deify Mary when the Bible is very clear that only God can protect those that serve him. And so any otherworldly being that demands worship or respect, it cannot be an angel from God. >> WILCOCK: Juan Diego may have witnessed not just an apparition but an actual live extraterrestrial appearing through some sort of advanced technology whose mission was to impart spiritual faith and a thirst for the divine. >> NARRATOR: Could it be that some of history's most significant religious visions have actually been produced by alien beings carrying out a secret mission? Ancient astronaut theorists say yes and believe further proof that extraterrestrials have been guiding our future can be found in the story of a mysterious magician that may have helped propel humanity into the modern age. >> NARRATOR: The English Channel. 1588. King Philip II of Spain has dispatched an enormous armada of ships to invade England. They are reportedly filled with more than 20,000 soldiers and scores of medieval torture devices. According to some historians, Philip, a devout Catholic, wants to bring the brutal Spanish Inquisition to England to punish Queen Elizabeth I and her subjects for leaving the Catholic Church. >> MAGLIOCCO: Philip was a Catholic, and England had been turned Protestant by Elizabeth's father, Henry VII, when he broke with the Catholic Church in order to marry Elizabeth's mother, Anne Boleyn. So, to Philip, the English were sinners and their ways needed to be reformed. So he sent a great armada, a great fleet of over 130 ships. There had never been anything like it before. England didn't have a lot of money, and a lot of their vessels were not even official government vessels. They were whatever merchant seamen and sailors could cobble together. >> NARRATOR: The Spanish Armada seemed invincible and the British severely overmatched. But when the two forces finally met, superior English tactics and strategy forced the armada to retreat. But the number of Spanish ships was so overwhelming that the English couldn't score a decisive victory until a freak storm struck. >> BEIRICH: The English ships were more maneuverable than the Spanish ships. In order to counter this, the Spanish cut their anchors. They figured, "Well, let's get rid of some of this dead weight, so to speak." But when the winds hit, they had no way to find a mooring, and then therefore the winds blew their ships all over the place, including into the coast. They lost roughly half of their fleet due to the weather. >> McGOWAN: From the point of view of the English people, this extraordinary storm that destroys the Spanish Armada is a miracle, destroying the might of Spain when mankind cannot do it. >> NARRATOR: The English believed this miraculous storm was the work of God, but some ancient astronaut theorists claim there is evidence that suggests it may have actually been the work of otherworldly beings. Their first clue comes from one of Queen Elizabeth's closest advisors, a mysterious man named John Dee. >> MAGLIOCCO: John Dee was the court astrologer, mathematician, philosopher, medical doctor at the court of Queen Elizabeth I. He was an extraordinarily learned man for his time. >> BEIRICH: He dealt with magic and potions and what we might call spells to try to effect change. John Dee was a Hermetic thinker. Hermetic thinkers believed that there was a contemporary of Moses by the name of Hermes Trismegistus who lived in Egypt. And, just as God revealed the Ten Commandments to Moses, God revealed to Hermes the secret knowledge of how nature worked and that with the proper mind-set and proper tools that one could uncover essentially what God was thinking by reading the world. >> NARRATOR: According to legend, John Dee used this knowledge of the natural and supernatural worlds to predict the storm that would ultimately thwart the Spanish Armada. >> BEIRICH: The story goes that John Dee told Queen Elizabeth not to worry because a storm would destroy the Spanish fleet. And then, when it happened, it confirmed his knowledge of the world and what lay beneath it. >> NARRATOR: But if John Dee really did make such a prophecy, what was the source? Was it something divine? Or is it possible, as ancient astronaut theorists contend, that this mysterious man was using Hermetic wisdom to establish communication with extraterrestrial beings? >> JASON MARTELL: John Dee was very interested in the occult and seemed to spend a lot of time harnessing or finding a way to communicate to life-forms beyond this Earth. We really don't understand the influence over John Dee as to how he was able to interpret such accurate information. It's very possible that John Dee was receiving his information from an outside source that was possibly an extraterrestrial. >> NARRATOR: But if John Dee's pursuit of Hermetic wisdom gave him insights into the alien agenda on Earth, what did he find? And why would extraterrestrials want to sink the Spanish Armada? >> WILCOCK: It is possible these extraterrestrials had a vested interest in preserving the monarchy of Queen Elizabeth, in seeing that the monarchy was not overthrown, and they repelled any such invading forces in order to make sure that this carefully constructed power structure was kept fully intact. >> NARRATOR: Ancient astronaut theorists suggest extraterrestrials were not acting to favor Protestants over Catholics but may have wanted to preserve the great cultural and scientific developments that would occur in England in the coming centuries. >> PHILLIPS: What happened in England after Queen Elizabeth's time was nothing less than miraculous. We had the Scientific Revolution. We had people like Isaac Newton. And we had other great scientists develop what eventually became the Industrial Revolution-- steam trains, electricity and the modern world. >> NARRATOR: The period that followed also gave rise to champions of the scientific method, like Francis Bacon and John Locke, and led to an age of exploration that would give rise to a greater investment in the still fledgling new land of America. >> HENRY: If the Spanish had succeeded in conquering England, they would have brought the Inquisition with them in a period of darkness and torture. And, likely, the Industrial Revolution never would have happened. >> NARRATOR: Might some otherworldly entity really have intervened in the Spanish invasion, sending a storm to destroy their ships and ensure the future of England? And, if so, is this a sign that aliens really do have an interest in our future? Perhaps the answer can be found by examining the vision that inspired one of the world's newest religions. >> NARRATOR: Manchester, New York. September 21, 1823. (insects chirring) As he settles into bed, a 17-year-old farmhand named Joseph Smith begins to say his prayers. Suddenly, without warning, an overpowering light envelops his room, and a robed figure appears. According to Smith's account, "Not only was his robe exceedingly white, but his whole person was glorious beyond description." Speaking from the center of the light, the angel, whose name is Moroni, sends Smith on a quest for several sacred texts hidden near a local tree. >> BEIRICH: Upon locating the tree, Joseph dug and indeed found the texts, but they recorded a language which he could not read. A second visitation from Moroni told Joseph Smith where he could find what we might call a devicd of some kind that would allow him to read the texts. >> TSOUKALOS: Joseph Smith was given this translating stone, the Urim and Dethumium, with which he was able to not only write down this text, but also to be able to translate it. >> BEIRICH: He then translated the texts into English, which become<i> The Book of Mormon.</i> And it depicts, among other things, that after Jesus ascended into heaven, he came to the Americas and ministered to the native peoples here, to convert them to his way of life, and that at some point the texts that become<i> The Book of</i> <i> Mormon</i> are deposited here, so that Joseph Smith could find them. >> NARRATOR: Seven years later, Smith publishes these texts as part of<i> The Book of Mormon,</i> establishing The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, a denomination with more than 15 million followers today. Many religions worldwide have been founded with the help of angels. Whether they're representatives of Christian, Muslim, or Buddhist gods, these apparitions are thought to be a way the gods intervene on Earth with humans. >> MAGLIOCCO: Angels, when they appear in religious legends and in myths, generally are messengers between the heavenly realm and the human realm. >> PETERSON: Throughout the Bible, we have stories of angels and demons appearing to mankind. In fact, Paul says that, "You be careful how you entertain strangers because some of you entertain angels unaware." The Bible is very clear that angels can take on human form and appear in the likeness of man. >> NARRATOR: But ancient astronaut theorists suggest that sometimes these heavenly visions and apparitions may not actually be angels sent by an omniscient god. And curiously, the so-called angel that led Joseph Smith to the sacred texts that would become<i> The Book of Mormon</i> did not profess to have heavenly origins, but claimed to be from another part of the universe. >> WILCOCK: Now, Moroni did not say that he was an angel. He said that at one time he had lived on Earth, but that now he came from the Pleiades star cluster. And he said there were many others like him. >> MARTELL: When we look at the background of<i> The Book of</i> <i> Mormon,</i> we see some very interesting parallels to what could be an extraterrestrial tale. This angel, Moroni, that appears to Joseph Smith seems to be more than just chance. It's very possible that Joseph Smith was interacting with a type of extraterrestrial. >> WILCOCK: These extraterrestrials may be giving these messages to world leaders and to prophets and seers and mystics to let us know that we are the product of an extraterrestrial interbreeding, and an ongoing contact with these other people who were not born on Earth. And we have lost touch with that history only because we refuse to believe the truth that is recorded in our historical books and see what's right in front of our faces, even now with the encounters that are happening in the modern world. >> NARRATOR: But if an extraterrestrial being really did inspire Joseph Smith to found the Mormon church, why? Joseph Smith's encounter ultimately led the Mormons to migrate west to establish a new holy land in Utah, which has led some to speculate that aliens, once again, were guiding the course of humanity. >> BEIRICH: Moroni let Joseph Smith know that he would be the prophet, and he would lead his people to the new Jerusalem. >> WILCOCK: Mormonism is another example, potentially, of an extraterrestrial influence steering the course of our humanity, and helping steer the outcome of historical events here on Earth. >> NARRATOR: Is it possible that Joseph Smith, the founder of the Mormon religion, was guided by an extraterrestrial being? And if so, was this alien encounter another attempt to guide us into a more enlightened age? Ancient astronaut theorists say yes, and believe further evidence can be found by examining a dream that helped defeat one of the 20th century's most diabolical dictators. >> NARRATOR: Olympia, Greece. These ruins mark one of the most sacred locations in all of ancient Greece. This valley on the Peloponnesus Peninsula, once filled with temples, altars and statues, is where the ancient Greeks came to pay tribute to their gods. Near the temple to Zeus, the king of the gods, was a sanctuary dedicated to the Moirai, the only beings that Zeus was said to fear. These mythical figures were believed to control destiny. English speakers call them "The Fates." >> MAGLIOCCO: In ancient times, fate and human destiny were thought to be in the hands of the gods. There was much less this idea that we're in charge of our own destiny and that we make our own lives through choices and decisions and action. The idea was that human destiny was in someone else's hands. It was in the hands of the fates. There were three supernatural creatures. Clotho, who spun the thread of life; Lachesis, who wove it; and Atropos, who cut the thread at the moment of death. In the ancient times, gods and goddesses were thought to be able to influence people's destiny, and that they were constantly interfering in human affairs. They were constantly messing with humans. They could make humans do all kinds of things. They could disguise themselves. They could trick humans. They could persuade humans. And yet, that final moment of destiny was still in the hands of the Fates. >> NARRATOR: Other ancient cultures had similar beliefs. The Egyptians personified fate as the god Shai who was said to control the actions of humans, while the Vedic texts of ancient India talked about a universal order called Rta. >> CHILDRESS: There was a similar legend in ancient Mesopotamia. And it was of the Mamitu, who was a goat-headed goddess who lived with the Anunnaki in the realms of the sky. The Mamitu was also in charge of our fate. So you have to wonder-- was the Mamitu and these other gods of fate some kind of extraterrestrials that were controlling our lives? >> NARRATOR: Is it possible, as some ancient astronaut theorists suggest, that the gods who were said to control our fate were actually members of an advanced alien civilization? And if so, how were they able to interfere in people's lives undetected? Some ancient astronaut theorists suggest that extraterrestrials not only communicate with us through visions and physical encounters, but even through our dreams. New York City. Spring, 1940. A young Bell Laboratory engineer by the name of David Parkinson is using a device called a potentiometer to track the varying electrical voltages that course through a telephone when people use it. Parkinson's work with potentiometers seems unimportant compared to the big news of the day. >> REPORTER: Nazis have begun their shattering blitz on Britain. (air raid siren blaring) >> NARRATOR: The Nazis have conquered most of Europe, forcing the Allies to flee the continent in a ragtag flotilla of civilian boats after the Battle of Dunkirk. >> McGOWAN: The Nazis were almost undefeatable at this time in the war, and there was a tremendous despair and fear amongst the Allied forces. And the story goes that David Parkinson had a dream one night, and in the dream he was standing beside a certain type of gun. And that gun was hitting every Nazi plane with absolute accuracy. >> NARRATOR: Parkinson's dream gave him a brilliant idea. He could use the same technology that tracked electrical charges flowing through a telephone to track enemy airplanes flying through the sky. >> McGOWAN: And in the dream, he was able to see the technology that was created to make this gun so accurate. And it is said that when he awoke, he went back to the labs and he ultimately created the technology that was necessary to shoot down Nazi aircraft. >> NARRATOR: Parkinson's dream inspired him to create the M-9 electrical gun director, which allowed Allied anti-aircraft guns to hit moving targets like the dangerous V-1 rocket with incredible accuracy. But how could such an advanced weapon be completely realized in a single dream? >> PHILLIPS: The weird part about it is this guy was a scientist, but he knew nothing about aeronautics. Because David Parkinson had no background in aerodynamics, his contemporaries, other scientists, and the military were literally taking him not seriously at all. But he insisted and he even spent a lot of his own time creating prototypes, which eventually were found to work. >> McGOWAN: Throughout human history, there are amazing stories of how mankind has been inspired through their dreams and through their visions. I think we have to ask ourselves what is the source of this inspiration? Where do these dreams and visions come from? Is it possible that we are being communicated with by otherworldly beings? >> NARRATOR: Could extraterrestrials really be using dreams to convey ideas and information to the human race? Ancient astronaut theorists say yes, and claim the proof that dream manipulation is a real possibility can be found in the human brain. >> NARRATOR: Throughout history, many of mankind's greatest thinkers have been inspired by their dreams. Scientist James Watson claimed the double helix structure of DNA came to him through his dream of a spiral staircase. Friedrich August Kekulé discovered the chemical structure of benzene when he had a dream of a group of snakes swallowing their tails. Srinivasa Ramanujan, whose mathematic principles are still being used by quantum physicists today, said that he obtained these mathematic theorems in dreams implanted in his mind by the Hindu goddess Namagiri. >> WILCOCK: We are seeing an ongoing pattern of dreams being used to communicate information. This is a widespread phenomenon. It's been going on for many thousands of years. And it continues right straight through to the present day. >> NARRATOR: Is it really possible that extraterrestrial beings could actually manipulate our dreams? Ancient astronaut theorists say yes; and as evidence, they point out that modern science is already starting to understand how to interpret and manipulate dreams. Moran Cerf is a neuroscientist who studies human brainwaves. In one of his experiments, he shows pictures to test subjects while they're awake and analyzes how their brains process the images. >> MORAN CERF: So each of those little squares here corresponds to a cell in Matt's brain. So, right now, Matt has 128 electrodes in his brain. They come from all various parts of his brain-- right, left and so on. All of those wires going to this computer. What we see here are the activities of those little cells in his brain. So, if I pick cell number 36, and I double click on that, what you see here is the activity inside his brain. This is like a microphone sitting next to one cell in his brain. >> NARRATOR: Dr. Cerf can determine which cell stores the memory of a particular picture, like movie star Cary Grant, by analyzing which cell reacted when he showed it to his test subject. Once he's figured this out for dozens of cells, Dr. Cerf waits for his patients to go to sleep and then watches for signs that they're dreaming about the images he has shown them. In a very basic way, he can see his patients' dreams. But in the future, Dr. Cerf may actually be able to dictate our dreams by stimulating the set of cells that store our memories about a person or event. >> CERF: If I really map the entire sequence, if I know all the, say, one million cells that encode Cary Grant in your brain and know exactly what they are, and I activate all of them, I stimulate all of them, then, we believe, you are going to actually see Cary Grant. >> NARRATOR: If aliens really have been coming to Earth for thousands of years, could they be using similar technology to manipulate our dreams? >> CHILDRESS: Is it possible that the extraterrestrials don't want to directly interfere in our society but to guide us from behind the scenes? And even though they have to push us along in certain directions, we need to have the feeling that we're doing it, even if it does include some extraterrestrial guidance. >> HENRY: They continue to communicate with humans through dreams and visions and other methods of indirect communication in order for them to provide guidance, but also to provide this guidance in a hands-off way. >> WILCOCK: Is it possible that they withdrew from our reality because we had to modernize? It could be that the purpose of this was to give us the opportunity to follow them without being pushed. And if they forced it upon us, we would simply worship them as gods and we would have learned nothing. But by doing it ourselves, we form our own path. We actually make our own ascension experience. And we become much more like them in the process. >> NARRATOR: Has life on Earth been influenced by alien encounters for thousands of years? Are divine visions, prophetic dreams, and modern-day UFO sightings all signs that we are being manipulated by a more advanced race of beings? Could it be that these encounters are not meant for them to get to know us, but for us to get to know them? And if so, what are they guiding us towards? Perhaps we are getting closer to our ultimate destination, and when we reach it, we will once again be reunited with our alien ancestors. <font color="#FFFF00"> Captioning sponsored by</font> <font color="#FFFF00"> A&E TELEVISION NETWORKS</font> Captioned by <font color="#00FFFF"> Media Access Group at WGBH</font> access.wgbh.org
