Aboard a Flying Saucer Part 1

Sep 10, 2023

Truman Bethurum's close encounters with an enormous flying saucer and its crew, including a conversation with a female captain. Discussing the historical context of UFO sightings and the evolving nature of the phenomenon. Speculation on psychic abilities of extraterrestrial beings. Highlights of Factor meal delivery and true crime podcast. Aliens boasting about their superior knowledge. Truman's intimidating encounter on the flying saucer and his interactions with the woman on board. Psychological reactions and societal stigma towards witnesses of unusual events. UFO encounters at a diner. Comparing Hollywood's depiction of aliens to Truman Bethurum's more humanist perspective in his book. Setting up unanswered questions for a potential sequel. The mystery of the Summerton Man and possible involvement of radioactivity. Discussing UFO incidents during Operation Main Race in 1952.

Ask episode

AI Snips

Chapters

Transcript

Episode notes

ANECDOTE

First Encounter

Truman Bethurum, working in Nevada, was startled awake by small men speaking unintelligibly.
After Bethurum expressed confusion, one man suddenly spoke perfect English, saying "You name it."

ANECDOTE

Meeting Aura Rhanes

After seeing a large saucer, Bethurum met the female captain, Aura Rhanes.
She wore a black velvet top, red pleated skirt, and had an olive complexion.

INSIGHT

Physical but Other

Aura invited Bethurum to touch her, confirming her physicality.
However, she cautioned him to use restraint, hinting at a deeper truth.

Get the Snipd Podcast app to discover more snips from this episode

Get the app

On Sunday night, July 27, 1952, Cement Batch Plant Operator Truman Bethurum took a little snooze during his break while working the swing shift on an Asphalt Mixing Plant project near Mormon Mesa, Nevada. He awoke to hear unintelligible murmuring from eight to ten small-sized men who had surrounded his truck. Initially startled by the diminutive beings who all seemed to be wearing uniforms, what would really make Truman's heart pound with excitement was that they appeared to be the crew of an enormous flying saucer that had landed just a few yards away. He described the ship as about 300 feet in diameter and six yards deep at its center, with something akin to a burnished stainless steel finish. Bethurum went aboard to meet the female captain of the ship and was able to ask her questions, to which he often received cryptic yet intriguing answers. One visitation like this would be enough to question one's reality and sanity, but Bethurum was able to meet and converse with these interplanetary visitors on ten more occasions. Unable to keep this earth-shattering secret to himself, Bethurum would end up talking about his close encounters with his coworkers and his bewildered and soon-to-be long-suffering wife, correctly suspecting there would be derision and concern for his mental well-being. But even imagining how his life would turn upside down from his claims, he felt these exchanges were too important and wonderful to keep to himself. So if this was all just a made-up story in the style of 1950s era SciFi to gain some notoriety and maybe sell some books, why would a seemingly clear-headed, hardworking man with a good job and family risk losing everything to become viewed by most as a "Saucer Seer" kook? Was there something about Bethurum's personality that was unsound or foolish and unknown to his closest associates? Perhaps he became an unwitting target of a government operation or a contactee of a broader metaphysical phenomenon that tailored his experience to his comprehension. Join us for part one of a roundtable discussion with a couple of our closest associates, Rob Kristoffersen and Rich Hatem, as we follow Truman Bethurum aboard a flying saucer.

Visit our website for a lot more information on this episode.