Customer Reviews

Project Mindshift: The Re-education of the American Public Concerning Extraterrestrial Life 1947-1997

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Project Mindshift is unlike any other book on this subject that I have ever read. It has a fresh perspective that captures the complexity of the question of extraterrestrial life. In one volume, Mannion presents the reader with a compelling case for the reality of extraterrestrial life; tantalizing evidence of a covert re-education campaign; and an in-depth look at the spectrum of opinion about this important topic through interviews with leading experts. Mannion's chapter on the mindshift in science that is underway is filled with information that I have not found in any other book about the UFO-ET phenomenon. His thoughts on the work of the scientist Wilhelm Reich should be widely read by scientists and non-scientists alike. I highly recommend this book. It is beautifully and sensitively written.

I'm a big UFO buff. I was highly intrigued by the premise of this book - that the public is slowly being educated to the reality of UFOs by our government. I snapped it up.

Then I discovered that, in fact, most of the UFO researchers featured in the book DON'T believe such a program is on-going. The author really never musters any genuine backing for his "Mindshift" theory, so you're left with the feeling of an interesting idea, but no proof for it at all.

I have always been interested in UFOlogy since it seems to me that these phenomena are obviously more than just psychotic ravings or wishful thinking. There is just too much anecdotal evidence to support the notion that something is indeed going on, not to mention the fact that it just seems plain stupid to assume that we are the only intelligent life in the universe. The government and media's overt dismissal of the existence of UFOs has always struck me as forced and rather unconvincing. I didn't really understand why, until I read Mannion's awesome book. He puts all the pieces together, includes interviews with several experts in the field-- many of whom don't seem to agree with his hypothesis at first glance--and goes beyond the standard UFO rap into uncharted and fascinating waters. This book is brilliant--and very much needed.

The author proposes that the government and the entertainment media are united in a conspiracy to ease public acceptance that alien craft and their occupants are routinely visiting this planet with the ultimate end of bringing us into some sort of federation of planets. He presents lengthy biographies and opinion statements from eight leading UFO researchers and not one of them actually agrees with his "mindshift" hypothesis! Nonetheless, the author plows on with tenuous assertions to prove that he is right and the eight experts are wrong. Among them are such tidbits as the revelation that Steven Speilberg is a regular gueat at the Clinton White House as if this is an indication of a secret agenda. Ignored is the fact that lots of well heeled Democratic celebrities frequent the White House because Clinton needs their financial support! Although this book does contain a useful compilation of the thoughts of the experts about various aspects of UFOs and a brief UFO history (better ones are in other books such as "Above Top Secret" by Timothy Good)), it brings little new to the subject. If anything it shows that the author has no comprehension of the creative thought process whereby artistically gifted people can take a concept, such as a basic UFO sighting, and develop it independently in directions that result in such film classics as "The day the Earth stood still". He feels that this could not have been done without inside information. But the most regrettable aspect of Mannion's book is the way he uses it as a stage on which to present his own liberal political beliefs. The section dealing with the works of William Reich is part of this and has absolutely no bearing whatsoever on the book's subject matter. While Reich may have been a visionary and persecuted for such novel beliefs as relating the basic energy of the universe to the human orgasm, the large expenditure of words on this has no place in a book dealing with the politics of UFOs. Other readers may gain something from this book, but I did not. It's hard to take seriously a book that contains an edgewise photograph of a spiral galaxy with a caption stating that it "... resembles a UFO because the cosmic energy that shaped the galaxy is the energy used by UFOs." I'm sure the operators of cylidrical, sperical, triangular and all those other non galaxy-shaped UFOs will be interested to hear that!

This is a wonderful book from an unusual author. Michael Mannion is capable of giving you an unbiased view of the different directions UFOlogy has taken. Besides it shows the social,political and psychological environment which originated them. But being open and non-narcissistic does not mean he has nothing to say: to the contrary, he has an interesting hypothesis for himself which is reflected throughout the book. And at the end he is one of the few to recognize what really matters! This book has much more to offer than UFOlogy if you open up yourself to it.

Michael Mannion presents a compelling story and compilation of facts regarding the ET phenomena. When I read the last chapter, I realized the book was nearing the end and I did not want it to end because of the level of intrigue I felt and insight he conveyed in the last chapter. I hope he decides to come out with a volume two.

Seriously, a very smart man with an abundance of information to share.

Every so often a great thinker asks us to consider-or, rather, reconsider-what we'd heretofore taken for granted. Michael Mannion is one such thinker, and Project Mindshift is one such book. Whether or not you believe in the possibility that UFOs visit the earth, Mannion's careful reserarch into fifty years of government documents, statements by high-ranking military personnel and articles written in the establishment press makes his thesis all the more viable. What's more, this book is a pleasure to read--Mannion is a patient teacher, a caring scholar, a witty conversationalist in print.

Much of the book, by the author's own admission is a rehash of this genre's history. I found the last chapter interesting and it reminded me of some of the information in Steiger's best seller and exceptional UFO faction novel, 'Alien Rapture.' Project Mindshift is well researched and written and a good first read in this genre. In my mind the top four books are, Corso's 'The Day After Roswell, Jim Marr's 'Alien Agenda'; Dr. Paul Hill's 'Unconventional Flying Objects; and of course, my favorite, 'Alien Rapture.' I recommend Project Mindshift.

While the book provides valuable information for the neophyte in the field of UFO's, it seems at time as a disguised attempt to justify five decades of lies and deceit by a vainglorious CIA and a corrupt political system. Nothing will ever esculpate our major institutions from ignoring the reality of Roswell and its influence on the transformation of our society. Read "the day after Roswell" by Colonel Corso to understand the magnitude of the lie. Read "Intercession" by April Seventeen for speculations. Read "Above Top Secret" by Timothy Good for facts.

Author Michael Mannion has taken great pains in demonstrating the way we have become introduced to, and finally appear ready to accept the existence of non-human intelligence on our planet. His in-depth interviews with the acknowledged experts in the field of UFOlogy, along with his own penetrating insights into other pioneering thinkers like Wilhelm Reich, should maintain the interest of any reader. His research into this area of alien consciousness is complete as he feeds you information that is certain to affect the entire human race in not too many more years to come. Michael's book, itself, would therefore be part of this re-education of our society. It's about time we were aware of what has been happening on our living planet for who-knows-how-many thousands, or millions of years already. Fascinating and mind-blowing. I couldn't put it down until I was finished.