A paper published in Philosophy & Cosmology (vol. 33, October 2024) by Tim Lomas and Brendan Case of Harvard’s Human Flourishing Program, along with anthropologist Michael P. Masters (Montana Tech), explores a provocative hypothesis: that some UFOs—or “Unidentified Anomalous Phenomena” (UAP)—may be caused by advanced beings native to Earth itself.
These so-called “cryptoterrestrials” might exist underground, floating through the oceans, hiding in lunar caves, or even walking among us in plain sight. The researchers caution that they are not claiming to have confirmed alien visitors—rather, they argue that the most common explanations (human technology or extraterrestrial spacecraft) may be missing an important third category.
🛸 Why are scientists taking UAP reports more seriously?
Military-grade sightings: Incidents documented by US Navy pilots and surveillance radar have captured unknown objects executing impossible maneuvers in both air and sea—accelerating, braking, or hovering with no visible propulsion.
Congressional engagement: A 2023 UAP disclosure bill cited the term “non‑human intelligence” dozens of times. Intelligence insiders like David Grusch and Karl Nell testified under oath, suggesting some phenomenon remains unexplained. The hypothesis aims to bring epistemic humility to the investigation, urging scientists not to reject the credible outlier before evaluating the evidence.
🧠 Why it matters—or might not
This isn’t a sensational claim of extraterrestrials invading Earth. Rather, it’s a call for scientific openness to the possibility that we may already share our world with hidden beings—not grand guests from other planets, but Earth-born intelligences staying in stealth.
Yet the theory remains extremely speculative. Critics point out the absence of hard, physical evidence—no confirmed underground bases, no undocumented hominid bodies, no access to cryptoterrestrial populations. Many scientists believe mainstream explanations (advanced prototypes, optical illusions, atmospheric anomalies, or misidentifications) are still more plausible.
Could UFOs actually be caused by advanced beings already living here on Earth—perhaps even among us? That’s the question posed by researchers Tim Lomas and Brendan Case (both affiliated with Harvard’s Human Flourishing Program) along with anthropologist Michael P. Masters in their paper “The Cryptoterrestrial Hypothesis”.
In essence, they propose a third explanation beyond alien visitors or human-made aircraft: a form of non-human intelligence (NHI) covertly present on Earth, dwelling underground, under the sea, or blending into society. These beings might be descendants of an ancient terrestrial civilization, intelligent non-human hominids, time-travelers from our own future, or even mythical “magical” entities like fairies.
The authors stress they are not asserting the hypothesis is true—they begin with a clear disclaimer that it’s likely false and remains unreviewed by any major journal. Their goal is to call for open-minded research, proposing that once-skeptical observations—eyewitness reports from trained pilots, odd sonar-tracked underwater objects, and congressional attention—may justify taking the theory seriously enough (giving it an estimated 10 % weight) not to dismiss it outright.
In short, nobody is saying that alien visitors are hidden in our cities, but Harvard-linked thinkers are saying: What if we’ve been looking for extraterrestrials in the sky while ignoring the possibility of intelligent life already on—or under—Earth?
