Danse Macabre Radio: alien

On 29th of May, the day Buskferfest started the festivities around the center of Skopje, Danse Macabre went on air for the 8th time, focusing on UFOs, aliens and such. We went into detail describing some of the more interesting cases of UFO sightings in recent years (the Belgian Wave, the Phoenix Lights, and the Chicago O'Hare UFO Sighting), the 5 levels of close encounters, Kenneth Arnold's testimonies and, of course, Roswell. Despite the title including the two most famous fictional FBI agents of the 1990s, we didn't go in length about their adventures, but instead, we had an adventure of our own as near the end of the show, we were interrupted by a tall furry alien that attacked and savaged my guests! :)

One thing the show couldn't cover due to lack of time was DMT, a hallucinogenic that can be found in various plants but is also produced in mammals as well as the human body. Like LSD, DMT is a powerful psychedelic drug that can cause strong visual and aural hallucinations, which can often be mistaken for reality. What makes DMT different from LSD is that it comes on much stronger and its effects last for half an hour at most, peaking around the fifth minute of its consumption, which is why it is also known as "businessman's trip". DMT can be found in ayahuasca, a beverage that shamans use to stimulate their visions. If by this point you're asking yourself why I'm talking about drugs, please stick with me because now comes the interesting part.

As it says above, DMT is produced in the human body, or more specifically in the pineal gland, but its natural function is undetermined and there are several theories including one very specific to theme of this episode. One possible function of DMT is that it's responsible for the visual element of dreams. Another is that DMT acts to calm the body after extremely stressful events such as birth, death, and near-death experience. Also, excessive production of DMT in the human body could be responsible for sudden bursts of hallucinations, which often include surreal, "alien" surroundings, and creatures that could be identified as "god-like" or "alien". Testimonies of recreational DMT users are rather similar to accounts of close encounters with aliens and even alien abduction!

OK, the main authorities in the field of hallucinogenic drugs are hardly the most scientific of researchers, but still, I like DMT as the explanation to a lot of things, starting all the way from visions of God to encounters with aliens. One thing that makes me confident about this is that people with credible accounts of extra-human beings tend to give a description of their experience that best suits their own system of beliefs. Before 1947 people mostly saw angels and God-like figures (as they still do in non-English speaking communities), but nowadays, with the concept of alien lifeforms being so prevalent, they do describe what they see as aliens. And no, I don't believe that so many people could be lying or misrepresenting events.

I could go on, but instead, I'd like you to check out this link and that link.

Regarding the playlist for last Friday, we went heavy on a band called Man or Astro-man, which should come as no surprise given their taste for cheeky surf rock with heavy doses of 1950s SF movies. You can download the playlist by blasting this link into oblivion.

And now, is there something better than watching the worst bits of Planet 9 from Outer Space to the tune of Man or Astro-man? Well, as a matter of fact, there is, but that doesn't mean you should skip watching the next clip :) 'Till next time, stay swell!

In all likelihood, you have seen Mars Attacks! but you still cannot decide whether it's good or bad. Well, you're a bit older now and you have seen more of the world. Your understanding of movies and especially early science fiction / horror flicks has improved and your tastes have moved along with it. You have seen that Will Smith remake of The Day When the Earth Stood Still and you are also aware of the original from 1951 as well the batch of similar films that also came out during the 1950s. Well, it is due time you re-watch Mars Attacks! and absorb all its genius the way those pesky little aliens smoke nuclear bombs! Let's face it: every single scene in the film is there for a reason and every single angle you look at / approach its contents is both ridiculously funny and freakishly scary. Plus, it has a double dose of Jack Nicholson AND megaplus, Tom Jones sings to save the day! Trust me, re-watch and you'll wonder why on earth you didn't like it the first time around. Then again, if you already like it, well... repetitium est mater studiorum!