Reports of strange aerial phenomena have puzzled people for centuries and have been interpreted as Unidentified Flying Objects (UFOs), including as extraterrestrial spaceships, since at least the middle of the 20th century. Due to the large number of events associated with UFOs since then, and the intense social and scientific controversies surrounding the topic, UFOs play a significant role in anomalistic research.
Society–Knowledge–Discourse
Reflexive UFO Research
A recurring finding in the more than 75 years of UFO research is that no conclusive explanations have been found for a certain percentage of reported sightings. Whether these cases point to anomalous phenomena or even extraterrestrial technology, or could be attributed to a conventional explanation if sufficient data were available, has been the subject of controversy since the beginning of UFO research.
However, the topic’s influence on popular culture is undisputed. Rooted in popular culture since the mid-20th century, the UFO phenomenon serves as a symbol of various collective fears, hopes and visions of the future, as well as conspiracy theories.
The research perspective on the UFO phenomenon adopted at IGPP is guided by the following principles: (a) phenomena that are initially considered anomalous offer an increased chance of gaining new insights; (b) social stigmatisation and public rejection of a certain area of experience and phenomena should not prevent its investigation; (c) excluding spontaneous phenomena due to their unique characteristics or methodological challenges contradicts the fundamental principles of science.
Fig. 1
Book cover Schetsche, Anton (2013). Diesseits der Denkverbote. Bausteine für eine reflexive UFO-Forschung. Münster: LIT-Verlag
The research paradigm of reflexive UFO research was developed at IGPP several years ago. This refers to UFO research that consciously reflects on the following factors associated with the topic and systematically incorporates them into its questions, methodology and research organization:
The epistemological peculiarities of the phenomenon under investigation and the associated methodological problems
The risky media and (scientific) political framework conditions of the topic
The barely resolvable entanglement between subjective evidence, scientific data and social discourse in relation to the UFO phenomenon
Project Team
Publications and Media Contributions
Nahm, M., & Anton, A. (2024). PSI & UAP. Overeenkomsten en verschillen tussen niet-geïdentificeerde anomale fenomenen en paranormale verschijnselen. Tijdschrift voor Parapsychologie en Bewustzijnsonderzoek, 1, 4–10.
Schetsche, M. & Anton, A. (2024). Wer vertritt die Menschheit, wenn wir von Ausserirdischen entdeckt werden? Gastbeitrag für Schweizer Monat. 15. Juli 2024.
Anton, A. (2023). Editorial: How Space is Getting Closer to Us. Journal of Anomalistics 23 (2), 258-269. http://dx.doi.org/10.23793/zfa.2023.258
Anton, A. (2023). Whistleblower David Grusch und die Ufo-Debatte. Gastbeitrag für Cicero. 10. August 2023.
Anton. A. (2023). Ohne Beweise bleiben auch Gruschs UAP-Behauptungen reine Spekulation. Gastbeitrag für Focus Online. 01. August 2023.
Anton, A. (2023). Rezension zu Wiechmann, Gerhard. (2022). Von der deutschen Flugscheibe zum Nazi-UFO. Metamorphosen eines medialen Phänomens (1950-2020). theologie.geschichte. Zeitschrift für Theologie und Kulturgeschichte. https://doi.org/10.48603/tg-2023-rez-11
Nahm, M. (2023). Concordant deviance: Commonalties of unidentified anomalous phenomena (UAP) and psi phenomena. Journal of Anomalistics, 23(2), 170–190. https://doi.org/10.23793/zfa.2023.270
Anton, A., & Vugrin, F. (2022). UFOs exist and everyone needs to adjust to that fact. Journal of Anomalistics, 22, 18–35. https://doi.org/10.23793/zfa.2022.18
Anton, A. (2021). Die UFOs, die haben doch nicht den Sozialismus gemieden!“ Das UFO-Thema in der DDR. Journal für UFO-Forschung, 42(254), 48–61.
Anton, A. (2019). UFO Research. In G. Mayer (Hrsg.), N equals 1. Single Case Studies in Anomalistics (S. 133–150). Lit-Verlag.
Anton, A., & Ammon, D. (2015). UFO-Sichtungen. In G. Mayer, M. Schetsche, I. Schmied-Knittel, & D. Vaitl (Hrsg.), An den Grenzen der Erkenntnis. Handbuch der wissenschaftlichen Anomalistik (S. 332–345). Stuttgart.
Anton, A. (2013). Zur (Un-)Möglichkeit wissenschaftlicher UFO-Forschung. In M. Schetsche & A. Anton (Hrsg.), Diesseits der Denkverbote. Bausteine für eine reflexive UFO-Forschung (S. 49–77). Lit-Verlag.
Anton, A., Hövelmann, G. H., & Schetsche, M. (2013). Manifest für eine reflexive UFO-Forschung. In M. Schetsche & A. Anton (Hrsg.), Diesseits der Denkverbote. Bausteine für eine reflexive UFO-Forschung (S. 261–264). Lit-Verlag.
Schetsche, M., & Anton, A. (Hrsg.). (2013). Diesseits der Denkverbote. Bausteine für eine reflexive UFO-Forschung. Lit-Verlag.
