Jim Moroney says he has encountered aliens, and some day, you may too.Moroney, a speaker at the Telus World of Science's UFO conference, says he made "contact" in August 1987.
"It took a long time for me to come to terms with it. It's not something I like to talk about, really," Moroney told an audience of more than 150 people at the science centre Saturday.
The conference marked the 60th anniversary of the alleged UFO crash in Roswell, N.M., in 1947.
The two-day event featured a lineup of experts and researchers assembled to start a scientific-based discussion on the probability of life beyond Earth.
Among the speakers were nuclear physicist Stanton T. Friedman, who investigated the Roswell incident, and Dr. Jaymie Matthews, an associate professor of astronomy at the University of British Columbia. Matthews is currently investigating planets beyond the solar system.
Moroney, 47, is the executive director of the Alberta UFO Study Group. He has been studying UFOs and the alien-abduction phenomenon for 20 years.
Moroney told the crowd that the current generation will be the one to become fully aware of the presence of extra-terrestrials.
The presence of aliens is real, he said, and so-called "abductions" of normal citizens are of a benevolent nature.
"I'm trying to characterize that it's a loving, guiding experience, but that it's also extraordinarily difficult," Moroney said.
"It's that difficulty that I think people are sometimes focusing on, rather than the other aspects.
"Certainly, there are a lot of misconceptions around what's actually happening."
Moroney also said he doesn't remember much of the events that took place. He was driving the night he made contact, he said.
He recalled losing time and feeling paralyzed.
He later underwent hypnosis therapy to dig up memories of the event.
Moroney's speech had some UFO enthusiasts asking themselves if they could also have been in contact with extraterrestrials without being aware of it.
"The fact that we may not have any conscious awareness of being visited, or being an abductee, is an interesting thought," said Michael Nelson, 55, who was one of many attending the conference out of curiosity.
"I wonder if it's happened to me, if it's happened to you, and that we just can't remember it.
"I'm sure they're here and, like what Jim said, I'm thinking that they're not here to hurt us in any way.
"Good always overcomes evil."
Others at the conference were more interested in the scientific aspects -- space travel, alien technology and advancements in astronomy.
Some didn't subscribe to Moroney's theories.
"UFOs are as probable as the reality of Atlantis, which is slightly less probable than Bigfoot being real," said John Roesch, 44.
Roesch, a director of corporate planning for the City of Edmonton, is finishing a master's degree in engineering management.
The self-described skeptic attended the conference to learn more about astrophysics.
He also discussed theories about life elsewhere in the universe.
Moroney, meanwhile, said several aspects of the UFO phenomenon still puzzle him.
"I'm skeptical," he said. "I'm one of the biggest skeptics around, honestly.
"There's lots of stuff about the UFO field that I don't believe, right? It's just too far out there.
"That's why I have a lot of compassion for those people who still are skeptical about the subject. Why shouldn't they be?"
Alien Encounter
Alien Encounter
