The Prophecy of Goldilocks

Aliens. ET. Species. Predator. UFO. Area 51. SETI. Vampires.

Whoa, that one definitely crashed the party but if you’re starting to think, little green men playing hide and seek with mankind or giant insects, bringing death and destruction in its wake is pure Hollywood, grab your coke and get a load of this!

Goldilocks, or so the story goes is about a girl who wanders into the house of three bears and starts fooling around but is nearly found out, when the bears return. Goldilocks' Zone, to those who are slow to Google, is the habitable zone in the galaxy where intelligent life can exist.

I suppose you will next ask, what has that to do with Goldilocks? I honestly don’t know. But what I do understand is like Goldilocks, we are perhaps dangerously close to discovering another civilization but don’t realize the inherent danger.

Today, no scientist, worth his salt, would even question the existence of other civilizations. The chances of exterrestial life lurking out there is too real, if not tempting so the only thing, the scientists don’t agree on is the actual number. What, they do agree on is they are not sure what to do, if suppose, one of them does respond to us.

David Brin in The Great Silence, warns us, Active SETI or aggressive efforts of our part to signal to anyone out there, is just asking for trouble as maybe the reason, civilizations similar to us ( similar, as in altruistic and chatty ) have chosen to stay quiet because they know something, that we don’t. Maybe, because there IS hostile life with zero tolerance for suckers like us.

Astronomer Robert Jastrow, pondering on the consequences of possible contact with an alien civilization, wrote that he saw no reason for optimism. Astronomer Ronald Bracewell further warns that other species would also place a premium on cunning and weaponry, an alien ship headed our way is likely to be armed.

Astronomer Eric Chaisson thought that physical contact could lead to a neo-Darwinian dominance of our culture by theirs. Astronomer Zdenek Kopal was more specific: should we ever hear the space-phone ringing, for God's sake let us not answer, but rather make ourselves as inconspicuous as possible to avoid attracting attention!

Other scientists also have warned of potential dangers. Biologist Michael Archer said that any creature we contact will also have had to claw its way up the evolutionary ladder and will be every bit as nasty as we are. It will likely be an extremely adaptable, extremely aggressive, a super-predator. Physicist George Baldwin predicted that any effort to communicate with extraterrestrials is fraught with grave danger, as they would show innate contempt for human beings.

Astronomer Robert Rood likens the civilization, that blurts out its existence on interstellar beacons at the first opportunity, to some early hominid descending from the trees and calling "here, kitty" to a saber-toothed tiger.

Consider the cautionary views of SETIs’ very own astronomers. Seth Shostak wrote that we can no better guess the motivations of alien intelligence than goldfish can guess ours. Jill Tarter asked rhetorically: who knows what values might drive an alien culture? Aliens might not have the same motives that we do. Douglas Vakoch wrote that we should not assume that the ethics of extraterrestrials will be like our own.

Now, wait a minute. Are we not being too paranoid for, if you look upon prehistoric Earth, we would actually witness the opposite? The lion and gazelle, predator and prey, shift naturally from the tension of the chase back into a relaxed state, even as the gazelle surrenders its life. There is no carryover of resentment, embarrassment, or concern for the future. Everything is allowed to pass. Why is the dolphin so content in the sea? The deer at home in the forest. The eagle, master of the skies. Why is non violence the rule than the exception in nature? Nature, as in, the non ego type?

The answer is perhaps one of the great wonders of life and key to true success of existence: These creatures are all made for what happens to them. So, why assume those aliens, to be typically badass?

Let’s explore a perspective unchallenged by anyone, living or dead. And yes, I refer to the spiritual scriptures, as a source to resolve this intriguing paradox.

All creation, states the Bhagvad Gita, is a mixture of three basic abilities or Gunas. The lowest is Tamas, or darkening ability, next is Rajas, stimulating ability and finally, Sattwa, spiritually uplifting ability and the universe everywhere predominantly manifests one or another of these abilities. Indeed, Paramhansa Yogananda, blessed master and divine avatar is quoted as saying; entire galaxies manifest primarily one or another Guna. He added, there are galaxies for example, where Tamas rules. The inhabitants of the planets of those galaxies are the most part brutish and incapable of aspiring to spiritual heights. Fierce animals roam there, and cannibalism abound. The inhabitants are in a constant state of war and conflict. Lust and animal pleasure are considered the best life can offer.

Then there are galaxies where Rajas is pronounced, planets where self aware beings live but whose primary concern is self aggrandizement and self importance. Our, own Milky Way is such a galaxy. Finally, there are galaxies filled with Sattwa Guna. Planets in there resemble Garden of Eden and people communicate easily with astral beings. Harmony and beauty is common everywhere. Earth, as it is on the outskirts of Milky Way, gets less spiritual power than at centre, as expounded by Swami Yukteshwarji in Holy Science, so more Rajasic, though it must be said, we're literally ascending to a plane of deeper understanding and sensitivity, with the coming of Dwapara Yuga.

So much so, leading scientists nowadays believe we are, in all probability, a 0.7 type civilization, where Type 1 is able to harness the entire resources of the planet, Type 2, of the solar system and Type 3, of the galaxy. Type 4, can go and make baby universes. Type 5, nothing short of phantasmagoria!

You can say, given our laughable prowess we are sitting ducks for a predator but no revolution took place by hiding in the cupboard either. Surely, we did not step out of the primordial soup, because there was nothing to eat us alive, but we did so to meet our destiny and if we do not reach out to the stars, in fear of being found out, we are no better than dead men waving from ports of a sunken ship, when danger does come to greet us. Besides, how will we even hope to find a benevolent race if we are too scared to ask? 

History proves that man is meant to survive and flourish, be it the timely demise of the dinos or the evolutionary kick in our pants. True, there will be setbacks but in time, we'd be greater than we ever imagined possible and someday when the risk it takes to remain tight inside the bud is more painful than the risk it takes to blossom, we shall leave the surly bonds of earth to touch the face of God...