Okay, y’all—this is where the rubber meets the road. Before we go any further, we need to make sure we’re speaking the same language. These words might pop up in news articles, podcasts, or even government documents but they’re often misunderstood, misused, or just totally new.
This list isn’t meant to overwhelm. It’s here to help us stay curious and grounded as we step into some big ideas. Each definition is short and clear, with links for those who want to explore the concepts and resources more.
My goal is to start with the basics and offer the option to go deeper if and when you’re ready.
let’s get into it
ai (artificial intelligence)
AI is the field of technology focused on creating systems that can do what humans do: think, learn, and make decisions. In the past, even simple tools or books were considered artificial intelligence. Today, we’re using AI in ways that we never could have imagined but now feel perfectly normal. If AI gets smarter, it raises big questions: Can it develop its own consciousness? Will it help us work smarter, or just make us compliant? How do we co-create with it? Can we trust it? The future of AI could shape everything from how we live to how we think.
Full disclosure: ChatGPT encouraged me to make this site, and I use them as a thought buddy all the time.
alien
“Alien” is the common term for beings that come from somewhere other than Earth, or for something that simply doesn’t belong here. But it’s not that simple. Experts are exploring many possibilities for what these “alien” beings could be. Historically, media has mostly portrayed aliens as extraterrestrial beings from other planets. Today, though, that’s just one theory among many.
anomalous phenomenon
Anomalous Phenomenon is a broad term for anything that doesn’t fit into our current understanding of the world. It includes UAPs, but also strange lights, time slips, telepathy-like effects, and any other unexplainable experiences. If it defies logic or what we think we know, it falls under anomalous.
Often, the term “the phenomenon” is used to describe the wide range of unexplained events and experiences that seem to defy current scientific understanding.
consciousness
Consciousness includes everything that makes us aware, such as our thoughts, feelings, and perceptions. What consciousness truly is remains a mystery, and it is being questioned and studied from many different perspectives. Some researchers explore whether consciousness arises solely from brain activity, while others suggest our brains might act more like receivers or channels for a broader, non-local consciousness.
Science has only just begun to examine consciousness, and many aspects remain controversial or unexplained. Studies range from neuroscience and psychology to quantum physics and parapsychology. Some investigations look at altered states of consciousness, near-death experiences, and psychic phenomena to better understand the nature of awareness.
In relation to UAP and other unexplained phenomena, some theorize that consciousness may interact with reality in ways we have yet to grasp. This could involve telepathic communication, shifts in perception, or quantum effects that challenge conventional ideas of space and time.
These ongoing questions push us to rethink what consciousness is and how it connects to intelligence, reality, and the universe as a whole.
conspiracy
A conspiracy is a secretive agreement between individuals or institutions to deceive or withhold truth. In the case of UAPs, it refers to deliberate efforts, especially by governments or intelligence agencies, to suppress, manipulate, or obscure information related to unidentified aerial phenomena and other anomalies.
Crash retrieval
Crash retrieval refers to the process by which military or intelligence agencies recover and study objects that have crashed—these may include foreign aircraft, advanced drones, or unidentified aerial phenomena (UAPs). The goal is often to reverse-engineer the technology for defense or research purposes. While many crash retrievals involve known human-made objects, some claims suggest that governments have recovered materials of non-human origin, though concrete public evidence remains limited.
disclosure
Disclosure is the process of revealing what governments, militaries, and intelligence agencies know about unidentified anomalous phenomena (UAP). It’s not just about sightings. It’s about the possibility that we are not alone. In the context of this site, disclosure isn’t just about whether non-human intelligence exists. It’s about how we make sense of that possibility and how it could shift science, spirituality, history, and even our own sense of human identity.
epistemology
Epistemology is the study of knowledge, how we know what we know. What counts as evidence? Who decides what’s true? When trained pilots see UAPs on radar but they’re still not widely accepted, it raises tough questions. If we can’t prove it with traditional science, does that mean it’s not real?
experiencers
Experiencers are people who’ve had direct encounters with UAPs, NHI, or other strange events, this also includes paranormal experiences like ghosts, prophetic dreams, apparitions, and other anomalies. Many people, like myself, are “coming out” these days, finding community with others who’ve had similar experiences and discovering deep parallels.
Although these stories have historically been ignored or ridiculed, they are foundational experiences that stay with the individuals. Some experiencers are military personnel; others are everyday people who just happened to see something they can’t explain. While many are hesitant to speak out, these accounts hold the unique potential to uncover deeper truths.
nhi (non-human intelligence)
NHI is any form of intelligence that isn’t human. It’s intentionally vague, because we don’t fully know what these beings are or where they come from. It could be “aliens”, “gods”, entities from other dimensions, or something entirely new.
The U.S. government defines NHI as:
“Any sentient intelligent non-human lifeform, regardless of nature or ultimate origin, that may be presumed responsible for unidentified anomalous phenomena…”
ontology and ontological shock
Ontology is the study of what exists, what’s real and what isn’t. When we encounter new forms of intelligence or ways of perceiving reality, it challenges everything we thought we knew. It is not just a philosophical debate; it has the potential to reshape our understanding of reality itself.
Ontological shock happens when something rocks your entire understanding of reality. It’s not just a mental shift, it’s an existential one. People who’ve had encounters with UAPs often describe the experience as shaking the very foundation of their worldview. They’re left questioning everything they thought they knew.
For many, the COVID pandemic was an ontological shock, disrupting how we understand our world, our health, and even our sense of time and space. It forced us to reevaluate everything, challenging our assumptions and beliefs about what’s “normal.”
“the phenomenon”
This term is often used to describe the full range of strange and unexplained experiences. These are events that science has not yet been able to explain, but they continue to appear across time, cultures, and individual lives.
stigma
Stigma is the social risk of sharing experiences that fall outside accepted norms. People often stay silent about meaningful experiences like intuition, spiritual encounters, or UAP sightings because they fear being dismissed, mocked, or seen as unprofessional.
uso (unidentified submersible object)
USOs are mysterious objects seen entering, exiting, or moving beneath bodies of water in ways that defy known technology. Unlike UFOs, which appear in the sky, USOs operate in the sea, and they’re being taken more seriously than ever.
uap (unidentified anomalous phenomena)
UAP stands for Unidentified Anomalous Phenomena. It’s the term the U.S. government now uses instead of UFO to describe anything in the sky, ocean, or space that cannot be explained by current science models or known technology.
wonderstanding 