Jacques Bergier

The scientist and spy who dedicated his life after the war to researching and writing about the occult

Name	Jacques Bergier
Age	66
Born	August 8, 1912
Died	November 23, 1978
Famous for	Playing a major role in popularizing the ancient astronaut theory

“Modern science has shown us that behind the visible there is an extremely complicated invisible.”

This is what Jacques Bergier and his co-author, Louis Pauwels, wrote in their book, The Morning of the Magicians. Although neither publicly categorized themselves as believers or ufologists, their stance about the possibility of extraterrestrials shone through in their materials.

With his background, Jacques, in particular, has received considerable recognition for sharing his beliefs and theories within the UFO community.

Who Was Jacques Bergier?

Jacques Bergier was a prominent figure in his time, recognized not only within the UFO community but also outside it. He was an officer in the French Army and was awarded the Knight of the Legion of Honor and the Croix de Guerre.²

However, behind this status was a man with humble beginnings.

Born Yakov Mikhailovich Berger, Jacques had an ordinary family. Aside from having nuclear physicist George Gamow as a cousin, his parents led rather regular lives. His father, Mikhail, was a Jewish wholesale grocer, while his mother, Etlia, was a former revolutionary. 

He grew up not attending school and was homeschooled with the help of private tutors, but despite this lack of conventional education, Jacques developed into a gifted child. At the age of two, he claimed to have already read his first newspaper, and by the age of four, he was reading Russian, Hebrew, and French.

His family had a normal life in Odessa until the Russian Civil War erupted in 1920. They were forced to take refuge in Etlia’s homeland in Krzemeiniec before ultimately moving to France in 1925, where Jacques followed a more traditional educational path.

He studied at Lycée Saint-Louis during his high school years before earning a degree in Chemical Engineering from the École Nationale Supérieure de Chimie in Paris. Jacques then devoted his time to scientific research in nuclear chemistry.

His Career in the Sciences and the Army

Before focusing on literature and the occult, Jacques Bergier had a very eventful career as a scientist and in the army. He worked with people like Vladimir Gavreau and Alfred Eskenazi and was a member of the British counter-espionage with George Langelaan.

Here’s a timeline of his life before he decided to take up writing.

• 1931: He and Alfred Eskenazi established a laboratory to study nuclear reactions.
• 1935: He joined the resistance against Hitler.
• 1936: He worked with atomic physicist André Helbronner and achieved the synthesis of polonium, a radioactive element, from heavy hydrogen and bismuth.
• 1940: He founded Marco Polo in the Underground and developed some gadgets for guerrilla operations to fight the Vichy regime.
• 1943: He was arrested and tortured 44 times by the Gestapo.
• 1944-1945: He was imprisoned in the Nazi concentration camps (first at the Neue Bremm Gestapo Camp, then at Mauthausen Concentration Camp), where he survived until his liberation.

After the war, Jacques became a captain in the DGER (Direction générale des études et recherches), and headed the French base of CIOS (Centre interarmée de contre-espionnage alliés). In 1952, he abandoned his scientific pursuits following the death of his friend Guivante de Saint-Gast and turned to writing.

His Career in Writing

Throughout his earlier career, Jacques Bergier had already established connections with writers. He was close friends with Victor Alexandrov, Jean Bruce, Ian Fleming, and Arthur C. Clarke.

Most of his writing journey was spent writing about his espionage. He had also submitted a French science fiction collection in 1953, but, unfortunately, this never saw the light of day.

Of all his encounters, what might have set the tone for his future endeavors and achievements would be the translation work he did for Maurice Lévy’s Lovecraft: A Study in the Fantastic. The book is the author’s discussion about the “intrusion of the unreal into the real.” It’s the contemplation of reality and the possibility of the supernatural, a concept that also intrigued Jacques Bergier.

His Entry to the Unexplained

How did a scientist and a spy, someone logical and discerning, end up writing about the occult?

While he spent his earlier career developing strategies and understanding fundamental science, Jacques was also greatly interested in the unexplainable. Growing up, he was already fascinated by the world’s mysteries and the study of Kabbalah³, or Jewish mysticism. So, it was expected that he would turn to unraveling things science had trouble explaining.

Le Matin des Magiciens (The Morning of the Magicians)

In 1954, Jacques met Louis Pauwels and collaborated with him on the book Le Matin des Magiciens, which was published in 1960. The book became a bestseller worldwide, as it popularized the concepts of “fantastic realism” and the “ancient astronaut theory.”

Le Matin des Magiciens explored concepts such as parallel universes, occultism, and the supernatural, examining their influence on politics and the world.

Planète

Between 1961 and 1972, Jacques and Louis collaborated on Planète, a magazine that explored themes of the occult, fringe science, and alternative history. The magazine became a medium for not only its founders to discuss strange phenomena and provide alternative explanations to world events, but also for other known individuals to share their theories and thoughts on science-fiction elements and occultism.

Some of the renowned figures that contributed to the magazine were Aimé Michel, Rémy Chauvin, Charles-Noël Martin, and George Langelaan.

His UFO Beliefs and Public Statements

It can be deduced from the materials Jacques published that he believed in their existence. He may not have firsthand experiences, but he firmly believed they exist and have made contact with human civilization.

Jacques had briefly mentioned his belief in humanoids in an interview in 1959. He was asked about his opinion on space travel, where he answered that this will teach humanity that it’s not alone. He believed there were other intelligences in the universe. This may not be within the planets that humans are aware of, but given the vastness of the system, there will always be a possibility.

In one of the articles in Planète, Jacques and Louis also expressed their belief that the paintings at Tassili n’Ajjer captured what could be aliens.

Ancient Aliens: Extraterrestrial Visitations from Prehistoric Times to the Present

This book highlighted Jacques’ belief that extraterrestrials had already interfered with humanity before. He listed historical events and myths that were unexplained, suggesting that these occurrences might have been caused by alien involvement.

His Influence on UFO Thought and Culture

Jacques’ most significant contribution was Aimé Michel’s Theory of Orthoténie, which he helped devise. The theory suggests that UFO sightings can be organized in straight lines that form great circles centered on Earth.

Ancient Astronaut Theory

In Le Matin des Magiciens, Jacques and Louis suggested that extraterrestrials have already visited Earth and influenced humanity as reflected in unexplained historical events.

The authors listed the ancient civilizations’ knowledge and technologies that were far advanced for their period, suggesting that these must’ve existed with the help of extraterrestrial intelligences.

Their work became the inspiration for UFO researchers like Erich von Däniken.

His Legacy in Ufology

Without a doubt, Jacques Bergier left a lasting mark on history, whether in the sciences or ufology, due to his openness to supernatural and unconventional possibilities.

He has inspired other creatives in their work and was the inspiration for the character Mik Kanrokitoff in Flight 714. Planète and his other books were also translated into multiple languages, reflecting how valuable his insights truly were.

If you’d like to explore more about the fascinating world of ufology and connect with a community inspired by thinkers like Bergier, visit UFO Connect.

FAQ

Did Jacques Bergier believe in UFOs?

Yes, Jacques believed that the extraterrestrials existed, and he used the unexplained historical events as proof.

What did he say about extraterrestrial life?

He believed that extraterrestrial life is possible and may have already made contact with humanity in the past.

How did Bergier influence ancient astronaut theory?

Jacques Bergier, along with Louis Pauwels, introduced the ancient astronaut theory through their book Le Matin des Magiciens.