'High-functioning savants', UFOs and psychic abilities

An increasing number of scientists are prepared to speak openly about the UFO phenomenon, saying that it's worthy of serious scientific inquiry. "There is something unexplainable out there, we need more data" is now becoming the usual response, rather than "it's just a handful of maladjusted attention-seekers - of course there are no visitors from other worlds." Mockery of the subject as 'flaky woo-woo' is evaporating as more and more big names make appearances on the social media to posit their latest theories. The new name, 'unidentified aerial phenomena' (UAP) seems to draw an official line under the terms 'UFO' and 'flying saucers' - UAP we can talk about.

One scientist who has been at the forefront of academic UAP research for some while is immunologist Garry P. Nolan, professor of pathology at Stanford - an academic with a rock-solid track record of published research, patented technology and commercial start-ups. Following his debunking of the Atacama skeleton in 2018, Prof Nolan was approached by the CIA to look at cases of military personnel who had claimed to have seen flying saucers. 

He has since helped investigate the brains of around 100 patients, mostly defence or government personnel or aerospace industry employees "related to supposed interactions with an anomalous craft". The majority have had their brains scanned with an fMRI scanner. Preliminary findings suggested that the basal ganglia within numerous individuals in the group had been somehow "damaged". Subsequent inquiry, however, showed what they first took to be "damage" was actually an "over-connection of neurons between the head of the caudate and the putamen," disproportionate in this cohort compared to the general population." The role of the caudate is linked to intelligence and planning. For at least multiple individuals of this subset, this brain characteristic was something that the people were born with. And indeed, further research showed family links - a clear genetic component. And there is also, says Prof Nolan, a tendency for those with this characteristic to marry and breed with others who have it.

I have watched and read several interviews with Prof Nolan, who, along with his collaborator at the CIA, Dr Kit Green, consider members of this group to be 'high-functioning savants' - words traditionally associated with autism spectrum disorder. A trait of savantism is known as RRBI - restricted, repetitive behaviours and interests - an intense focus on a narrow range of interests, which, paradoxically is essential in science (Einstein, Newton and many other geniuses showed elements of it).

So now we come to the crunch question: are close encounters with UAP linked to a specific configuration of the brain seen only in few people? Or are these people - because their brains are physically different to those of the rest of the population - more prone to imagine such encounters? People who feel themselves to be in some way special, or different, to the majority of humans? ['Starseeds' is one term I've come across in the social media]

The family links make it more interesting. A defence contractor, for instance, who claims to have seen three glowing orbs close-up, has the tell-tale fMRI signature. But then... so does his father! This would tend to make sceptics say - "Aha - I told you so. I bet the father never saw those glowing orbs." Hard to refute, as is the observation that many people who report UFO sightings have been interested in the subject since childhood, and often have a savant-like knowledge of cases, places, dates and people involved. A link between an attraction to science fiction as a genre and interest in UFOs is quite clear.

The genetic aspect serves to intrigue me further - bolder hypotheses (not necessarily propounded by Prof Nolan), posit that only certain people have 'mystical visions', 'supernatural powers' or 'psychic abilities', and that these powers are the products of anomalies within the brain. A genetic element to this is fascinating too, suggesting evolutionary processes. Spiritual evolution or alien-human hybridisation?

Neuroscience and genetics, however, are both in their infancy and you can't (yet) google any papers into the connection between anomalous connections within the brain and claimed paranormal abilities. However, the Pentagon is now obliged (as of the 2022 National Defense Authorization Act) to provide unclassified annual reports to Congress and classified semi-annual briefings on UAP incidents, specifically mentioning any health-related effects - which suggests that research is on its way.

As though to underline my opening point - here's Dr Robin Hanson (Oxford University, DARPA, Lockheed, NASA - an intellectual heavyweight) in conversation today with Lex Fridman, about UFO sightings. Part of a rolling programme of managed dissemination, to quote former CIA officer John Ramirez?

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