Skepticism and the Paranormal with Alan B. Smith

Join Alan B. Smith for a talk on skepticism and the paranormal, followed by a haunted lodge investigation. Nov. 13, Boonton. $55. How we approach the paranormal is as important as how it affects us. Alan Smith will discuss how skepticism, which is essential to investigating paranormal enigmas, too often leads to biased or uninformed debunking that unfairly restricts paranormal research. To support this thesis, he will present historical and scientific examples of “fringe” thinking, as well as novel investigative approaches, that ultimately led to major scientific and historical breakthroughs. Additionally he will talk about how cultural world views, memory, and personal perception also play a part in our understanding of paranormal, ufological, and cryptozoological experiences. Presented will be examples of sightings that turned out to be conventional, and sightings that remain truly unexplainable. When it comes to high-strangeness, can we separate who we are from the anomalous phenomena we encounter? BIO Alan B. Smith is a volunteer MUFON Field Investigator in NY and a member of MUFON’s Experiencer Resource Team. He is the host of the Coffee & UFOs podcast; and the director of the documentary Half Light which examines the similarities and impact on individuals who claim to have had close encounter UAP (Unidentified Anomalous Phenomenon) and other anomalous experiences. His soon to be published book, Navigating UFOs, takes on UFO debunking and skepticism by exposing institutional bias, unconscious biases, and the deliberate dissemination of misinformation by debunkers. At the age of twelve, along with a childhood friend, Alan saw a UFO from the backseat of a car driving through the New Jersey Pine Barrens. That experience solidified his interest in all aspects of ufology. His entry into UFO related media began in 2015 as a guest host on Ken Cherry’s EPIC Voyages Radio where he also served as Technical Director. On-screen appearances include the documentary ALIENS VS. BIGFOOT. Alan co-produced and was featured in the two-part documentary series SOUNDS OF THE DEAD: EVP and LIFE AFTER. Alan is the co-producer and co-director of the documentary BORN EQUAL which explored LGBTQ rights through the lens of a loving couple, spiritual belief systems, world mythologies, history, and science. In 2022 Alan gave a lecture on "The Importance of the Paranormal" at the Pine Bush UFO and Paranormal Museum in Pine Bush, NY. He has also presented at the Pine Bush UFO Fair; and was a main stage speaker in 2024 at the inaugural Carbondalien Festival in Carbondale, PA addressing healthy skepticism and fallacies of UAP debunking.