Jacques Vallée

The multi-disciplinary career man who’s at odds with the UFO orthodoxy

Name	Jacques Vallée
Age	85
Born	September 24, 1939
Famous for	Being the “heretic among heretics” for going against the extraterrestrial hypothesis

Jacques Vallée once wrote in his journal: I realized that I would forever be ashamed of the human race if we simply ignored ‘their’ presence. And study it he did. 

To him, the UFO phenomenon teaches us that we don’t understand time and space—it’s capable of doing things that go beyond what physics understands today. He’s determined to research this aspect, coming up with theories that the UFO skeptics and believers admire and scoff at.

His Entry into UFO/UAP Studies

Jacques Vallée got into the UFO phenomenon due to the unusual aerial object (his first sighting) that flew nearby their house in Pontoise, France. He was 16 then.

He recalled how he ran down the stairs after hearing his mother screaming in the garden. By the time he got outside the house, he saw a “metallic disc-shaped object with a clear bubble on top” hovering over the church of Saint-Maclou. The object then left, leaving behind a “few wisps of vapor” in its trace.Later, he did a self-study on the phenomenon despite his father’s disapproval. Aime Michel’s works were the first of many pieces of UFO/UAP research he had read.

His Beliefs and Theories on the UFO Phenomenon

Believe it or not, Jacques Vallée had once embraced the “extraterrestrial hypothesis” that traditionalists favor. However, the published findings of the Condon Committee—that the UFO studies it conducted hadn’t contributed to the advancement of science—shifted something in him.

He began to rethink everything he knew about the phenomenon. Despite what the committee had reported, he knew the science was there, perhaps in some place they hadn’t considered yet.

This mindset shift became the reason for the birth of his current beliefs and theories:

• Interdimensional UFO hypothesis 
• UFO phenomenon as a control system hypothesis

The Interdimensional UFO Hypothesis

In the interdimensional UFO hypothesis (IUH), Vallée claims that UFOs may not be visitors from other planets but from a parallel universe that coexists with ours. He’s not the only one who thinks so. Prof. Josef Allen Hynek, John Keel, and Meade Layne also shared this perspective.

Under this hypothesis, UFO sightings would happen when either of these occurs²:

• Certain physical or psychological conditions align

For example, suppose each dimension is a radio signal. The moment both dimensions’ radios are on the same frequency, we would catch a glimpse of each other.

• Changes in consciousness

For example, people in heightened states of awareness might see a UFO because they are more sensitive to dimension overlaps.

The UFO Control System Hypothesis

In the UFO control system hypothesis, Vallée claims that the UFO phenomenon, in general, is a system that influences our perception and consciousness. 

He explained in his book, The Invisible College, that an intelligence is behind the phenomenon, treating it as some kind of experiment. Every time something unusual happens that modifies our beliefs, it gradually establishes a new normal in our political and intellectual activities. It’s like their actions are deliberately meant to alter human behavior and societal norms.

His Works and Contributions to Ufology

Jacques Vallée has done a lot in his UFO research. Let’s discuss the most talked-about and influential ones below.

UFO Database

While working with Prof. Hynek at Northwestern University, Vallée, with the help of his wife, Janine Saley, crafted the first-ever computer database of UFO sightings. It analyzed and categorized everything about and related to the UFO phenomenon. It also applied statistical methods to identify patterns across thousands of reports.

AAWSAP

Vallée had once participated in a UFO study called the Advanced Aerospace Weapon Systems Applications Program (AAWSAP) by the Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA). AAWSAP was meant to be the world’s largest UFO data warehouse, and he was tasked to supervise it. He said in an 8 News Now interview that they had 260,000 filtered cases from around the world stored there, making it the largest UFO-related compilation to exist.

Six-Layer Model

Vallée acknowledges that scientists must refrain from drawing premature conclusions. So, he proposed the six-layer model to guide the analysis of UFO observations.⁷ It will allow scientists to find potential leads for technological breakthroughs.

Level I: Physical

Level II: Anti-physical

Level III: Psychological

Level IV: Physiological

Level V: Psychic

Level VI: Cultural

This, along with the methods of today’s science, ensures we can study the UFO phenomenon objectively without prejudice.

Five Arguments Against the Extraterrestrial Origin of UFO

Vallée published this paper in the Journal of Scientific Exploration in 1990. He presented five arguments to support his view that UFO research shouldn’t be boxed around ETH and natural phenomena. A new hypothesis could be drawn, which could open rich avenues for research.

 Here are his five arguments contradicting ETH:

1. Unexplained close encounters are more numerous than required for any physical survey of the earth
2. The humanoid body structure of the reported “aliens” is not likely to have come from another planet and is not biologically adjusted to space travel
3. The reported behavior in thousands of reports about abductions contradicts the hypothesis of genetic or scientific experimentation on humans by an advanced race
4. The extension of the phenomenon throughout human history demonstrates that UFOs are not only a contemporary phenomenon
5. The apparent ability of UFOs to manipulate time and space suggests radically different and richer alternatives, three of which are pro-in outline as a conclusion to this paper

Passport to Magonia, 1969 

Vallée linked the UFO phenomenon to classic, age-old myths. He argued that the legends of heavenly visitors and fairies had the same core idea as the reported sightings: an intelligent being had been to Earth for and across centuries.

It’s also the same book that casted him as a pariah among his peers.

His Continuing Influence and Legacy in UFO/UAP Research

Despite being a self-proclaimed “heretic among heretics,” Jacques Vallée has permanently altered serious researchers’ approach to UFO studies. His works expanded our conceptual framework for understanding this anomalous phenomenon beyond the usual choices of “real” vs. “imaginary” or “alien” vs. “human.”

Most importantly, he maintains intellectual flexibility, not minding revising his theories to account for new evidence. It’s one of his qualities that people in the community admire him for, further cementing him as one of the field’s most innovative and important figures.

If you want to explore more insights, research, and community discussions around UFO studies, visit UFO Connect today.

FAQ

What does he think about the government’s UFO disclosures?

Jacques Vallée is in favor of it, but someone should create a well-planned disclosure strategy to prevent chaos. After all, the government needs to account for the public’s hundreds of questions about the disclosed UFO information.

Does he believe the news about crashed UFO retrievals?

Not expressly. Jacques Vallée only says that he knows colleagues and other scientists who do. There are defense contractors who are reverse-engineering alien technology at secret facilities. Further, the U.S. government is racing against rival nations to duplicate it for the sake of national security.⁹