Many of us have heard accounts of individuals receiving information through otherworldly experiences. One such reported phenomenon is known as trance channeling, which occurs when an individual enters an altered state of consciousness while receiving messages they believe originate from nonphysical beings. The nonphysical beings observed during trance channeling are often identified as the channeler’s higher version of “self”, part of a collective of spiritual entities, or deceased humans. However, one of our prior studies revealed that over one-third of reports were communications attributed to extraterrestrial intelligences (ETI).
ETI-related communications represent a distinct subset of trance channeling, yet there is currently no systematic database or framework to support rigorous scientific investigation of this data. By contrast, the field of ufology, which includes ETI-related occurrences, has amassed a substantial body of documented material, including declassified government files. This vast database in ufology can now be systematically analyzed thanks to advances in artificial intelligence (AI) and semantic modeling.
In our study, Semantic Correspondence Between Trance-Channeled ET Messages and Ufological Records, we explore ETI-related trance channeling alongside ufology reports. The aim is to reveal patterns in how such information is received, organized, and interpreted.
Investigating ETI-related Trance-channeling and Ufology Data
With semantic correspondence, we are exploring whether shared meaning can be detected across two independent sources that may contain related content. For this study, we reviewed reported communications from ETI-related encounters captured in trance channeling events and documented in ufology.
Trance-Channeling Dataset and the UFODex
During this study, we collected 52 submissions documenting ETI-related trance channeling events and structured the information into a research-ready dataset. Overall, the ETI-related trance channeling dataset included more than 6,000 documents, derived from texts, audio, and video data on channeling activity dating back to the 1980s, with most channeling activity concentrated within the past decade.
For the ufology materials, we relied on the UFODex, an AI platform developed by UFOlogist Ryan S. Wood. The UFODex contains over half a million pages of content sourced from published or peer-recognized works, archival documents, and also digitally readable materials on contact experiences and related scientific anomalies.
Analyzing Trance-Channeling and Ufology Data
We submitted our standardized texts on trance channeling for incorporation into the UFODex AI as a separate dataset from the ufology content. The IONS science team, along with external advisors, then developed 10 research questions to apply consistently across both the trance-channeling and ufology datasets. These questions covered topics such as the purpose of extraterrestrial visits, perceptions of time, technology, and psychic human abilities. The semantic similarities between the datasets were then quantified using three distinct transformer-based language models.
Emerging Themes between Trance-Channeling and Ufology Datasets
Our analyses of ETI-related trance-channeling data alongside UFODex records revealed both convergent and divergent patterns. Across the 10 research questions, the datasets showed notable alignment, particularly in areas such as human psychic abilities, phased disclosure processes, and nontraditional concepts of time.
At the same time, clear distinctions between the datasets also emerged. The trance-channeling dataset centered on models of energy, personal growth, and expanded consciousness, whereas UFODex materials emphasized secrecy, suspicion, and control-focused themes. These contrasts highlight the different contexts and motivations that shape the information presented in the two datasets.
What are the Next Steps of ETI Research?
This novel study lays the groundwork for increasingly detailed, rigorous, and systematic investigations of ETI-related trance-channeling and ufology records. Future studies could integrate control datasets and apply qualitative approaches, such as narrative analysis and interviews, to explore the impact of the channeler’s lived experiences. Following channelers over time could reveal how their connections with sources, the content they receive, and the depth of their experiences develop, shedding light on psychological integration, their personal growth, and potential effects on the channeler’s well-being. Additionally, planned UFODex improvements, including structured source-type tagging and a source-based quality indexing, will support more nuanced, stratified analyses of semantic coherence across subdomains.
Through ongoing studies, we will continue to gain greater insights into consciousness, transmission of knowledge, and cultural frameworks surrounding extraordinary experiences.
Read the publication this blog is based on.
LEAD INVESTIGATOR
Helané Wahbeh, ND, MCR is Director of Research at the Institute of Noetic Sciences, where she leads rigorous interdisciplinary research on consciousness, health, and extended human capacities. She earned a Master of Clinical Research through Oregon Health & Science University’s Human Investigations Program, completed two postdoctoral research fellowships, and received a five-year National Institutes of Health K award for advanced training in clinical research, neuroscience, electrophysiology, and biostatistics. Dr. Wahbeh is especially known for her pioneering research on channeling, has authored more than 100 peer-reviewed journal articles, and brings more than 25 years of dedicated meditation practice to her work at the frontiers of noetic science.
