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Unidentified Flying Hyperobject: UFOs, Philosophy, and the End of the World
Unidentified Flying UFOs, Philosophy, and the End of the World is an application of the tools of academic philosophy to the UFO phenomenon. James D. Madden’s central claim is that understanding the UFO will require a re-thinking of ourselves and our standing in what is revealed as a much wider cosmos. Along the way, he addresses issues in the philosophy of mind, technology, religion, and the possibility of a re-enchantment of the world.
"This is the book I wish I read before I had ever considered learning about UFOs, or the works of Plato, for that matter. Dr. James Madden, a philosopher, does what no philosopher, or author, has attempted yet—to theorize the UFO as relevant and absolutely necessary for the expansion of human science and its long-held philosophical categories and assumptions. This isn’t the first time Madden has aided and abetted my understanding of the radical and revolutionary potential that philosophy offers for those who choose to know. I’d seen his lectures on Plato and read his published works. But this book argues that the UFO is necessary, now, for humanity’s cognitive breakthrough into a freer and more deeply meaningful life-experience. Madden places some of the best thinkers of the topic, like Jacques Vallee, within the Western philosophical tradition, and explains how their thinking expands and improves upon that tradition. Unidentified Flying Hyperobject makes sense of the UFO as no other past treatment has, and it will rightly go down as necessary reading for those interested in virtual reality, UFOs, and philosophy as history, but also as the contemporary means to free one’s mind."
—D.W. Pasulka author of American UFOs, Religion, Technology and Experiences with Nonhuman Intelligences
"The evidence for the UFO phenomenon is beyond good, but that does not imply that we know what the evidence means. To study the UFO is to plumb the very depths of human thought and experience. It is philosophical through and through. James Madden shows this repeatedly, and with the figures of philosophy Plato, Aristotle, Nietzsche, Heidegger, and Morton. It turns out we can think this thing. Where we end up, though, is quite beyond human thought, outside the cave of cognition, sensibility, and cultural assumption. But that, too, is profoundly philosophical, as Madden shows us. Such a realization can be deeply disturbing. It can also be truly fantastic."
—Jeffrey J. Kripal, author of How to Think About Souls, UFOs, Time, Belief, and
Everything Else
"This is the book I wish I read before I had ever considered learning about UFOs, or the works of Plato, for that matter. Dr. James Madden, a philosopher, does what no philosopher, or author, has attempted yet—to theorize the UFO as relevant and absolutely necessary for the expansion of human science and its long-held philosophical categories and assumptions. This isn’t the first time Madden has aided and abetted my understanding of the radical and revolutionary potential that philosophy offers for those who choose to know. I’d seen his lectures on Plato and read his published works. But this book argues that the UFO is necessary, now, for humanity’s cognitive breakthrough into a freer and more deeply meaningful life-experience. Madden places some of the best thinkers of the topic, like Jacques Vallee, within the Western philosophical tradition, and explains how their thinking expands and improves upon that tradition. Unidentified Flying Hyperobject makes sense of the UFO as no other past treatment has, and it will rightly go down as necessary reading for those interested in virtual reality, UFOs, and philosophy as history, but also as the contemporary means to free one’s mind."
—D.W. Pasulka author of American UFOs, Religion, Technology and Experiences with Nonhuman Intelligences
"The evidence for the UFO phenomenon is beyond good, but that does not imply that we know what the evidence means. To study the UFO is to plumb the very depths of human thought and experience. It is philosophical through and through. James Madden shows this repeatedly, and with the figures of philosophy Plato, Aristotle, Nietzsche, Heidegger, and Morton. It turns out we can think this thing. Where we end up, though, is quite beyond human thought, outside the cave of cognition, sensibility, and cultural assumption. But that, too, is profoundly philosophical, as Madden shows us. Such a realization can be deeply disturbing. It can also be truly fantastic."
—Jeffrey J. Kripal, author of How to Think About Souls, UFOs, Time, Belief, and
Everything Else
209 pages, Kindle Edition
Published November 27, 2023
107 people are currently reading
177 people want to read
About the author
James D. Madden
4 books15 followersDr. James Madden lives in Atchison with his wife and their six children. Originally from Wisconsin, he received a B.A. from St. Norbert College, and did his graduate work at Kent State (MA, 1998) and Purdue (PhD, 2002). He was awarded the Benedictine College Distinguished Educator of the Year Award in 2006.
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Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews
December 10, 2023
I give this book five stars because I believe Dr. Madden expertly fills a great need within the UFO community. No matter one’s previous beliefs or worldview, anyone who takes a serious, good faith look into the UFO phenomenon is quickly bombarded with an overwhelming amount of disorienting information that seriously challenges one’s relationship with reality. One is lucky to eventually find themselves on stable ground. I believe, as I think the author does as well, that much of the UFO community has found stable ground within a worldview that limits the potential of what we can learn from the UFO phenomenon.
What I see Dr. Madden offering in this book is an opportunity to take a step back and reassess the field, equipping us with certain tools that might help us find stable ground more rooted in a holistic inquiry – not just what are UFOs? but what can we learn about ourselves from the UFO phenomenon?
I find most value in the author’s preliminary chapters building a philosophical foundation for considering the UFO phenomenon. His subsequent specific theories are a very valuable contribution to the overall UFO discussion, though I don’t personally think they stand as high above other current theories as he seems to believe. Nevertheless, he offers novel ideas rooted in well-established philosophical and cognitive concepts, contributing to an even more well-rounded approach to forming hypotheses.
His further reflections that contextualize the UFO phenomenon with the current state of human thought and progress are quite dense, but immensely valuable. It is here that I think he excels in providing an example of exactly how the UFO phenomenon’s greatest offering to humanity is, perhaps, the opportunity to reflect on our own nature in incredibly meaningful ways.
If I have one (very small) quibble with the book, it is that the author treats certain streams of thought – particularly about how we perceive the UFO phenomenon being as relevant (or more relevant) than what exactly it is – as relatively novel to him and those he references. I don’t disagree with his criticisms about the field of ufology, but I believe that some deeper digging would reveal that these ideas are not as absent from the community as he seems to imply. But the way that he is able to present these ideas is sophisticated and informed by his training as an academic philosopher, which I do believe is unique and valuable.
Beyond just the ideas Dr. Madden brings forward, he brings incredibly skill to writing about and presenting these ideas in a way that is accessible to those who are not versed in the study of philosophy. It’s not an easy read, necessarily, but I felt thoroughly guided through unfamiliar territory without feeling like he was holding my hand or talking down to me. He is concise and entertaining while exploring huge ideas.
And a final commendable note about the author is his continued reference to the need for humility in approaching this topic. It’s as true with the UFO phenomenon as it is with any difficult subject we navigate in the modern world, but here in particular, a small dose of humility could go a long way in allowing us to form a more collective, cohesive relationship with the UFO phenomenon, whatever it is.
I highly recommended this book for anyone who is interested in the topic and open to having their personal beliefs and opinions on the matter challenged in the best way.
What I see Dr. Madden offering in this book is an opportunity to take a step back and reassess the field, equipping us with certain tools that might help us find stable ground more rooted in a holistic inquiry – not just what are UFOs? but what can we learn about ourselves from the UFO phenomenon?
I find most value in the author’s preliminary chapters building a philosophical foundation for considering the UFO phenomenon. His subsequent specific theories are a very valuable contribution to the overall UFO discussion, though I don’t personally think they stand as high above other current theories as he seems to believe. Nevertheless, he offers novel ideas rooted in well-established philosophical and cognitive concepts, contributing to an even more well-rounded approach to forming hypotheses.
His further reflections that contextualize the UFO phenomenon with the current state of human thought and progress are quite dense, but immensely valuable. It is here that I think he excels in providing an example of exactly how the UFO phenomenon’s greatest offering to humanity is, perhaps, the opportunity to reflect on our own nature in incredibly meaningful ways.
If I have one (very small) quibble with the book, it is that the author treats certain streams of thought – particularly about how we perceive the UFO phenomenon being as relevant (or more relevant) than what exactly it is – as relatively novel to him and those he references. I don’t disagree with his criticisms about the field of ufology, but I believe that some deeper digging would reveal that these ideas are not as absent from the community as he seems to imply. But the way that he is able to present these ideas is sophisticated and informed by his training as an academic philosopher, which I do believe is unique and valuable.
Beyond just the ideas Dr. Madden brings forward, he brings incredibly skill to writing about and presenting these ideas in a way that is accessible to those who are not versed in the study of philosophy. It’s not an easy read, necessarily, but I felt thoroughly guided through unfamiliar territory without feeling like he was holding my hand or talking down to me. He is concise and entertaining while exploring huge ideas.
And a final commendable note about the author is his continued reference to the need for humility in approaching this topic. It’s as true with the UFO phenomenon as it is with any difficult subject we navigate in the modern world, but here in particular, a small dose of humility could go a long way in allowing us to form a more collective, cohesive relationship with the UFO phenomenon, whatever it is.
I highly recommended this book for anyone who is interested in the topic and open to having their personal beliefs and opinions on the matter challenged in the best way.
April 25, 2024
A very long book report
I’m not sure Madden actually has anything original to say. The text spends most of its time quoting and reviewing the “greatest hits” of Western philosophy (Plato, Aristotle, Nietzsche, Heidegger) in the context of reviews of Pasulka’s American Cosmic and Vallée’s body of work. His central thesis is that the UFO phenomenon—all events, stories, and reactions to it—constitute a “hyperobject,” which is a philosophical construct that can be loosely translated as “thing.” Okay.
Much of the humanities boil down to this: Reading books and pointing out that ideas in those books are similar to ideas in other books. Again, “okay.”
But who cares? Reading philosophers directly can give you new tools for thinking about the world, but reading something that takes a modern-day mystery and tries to “explain” it by linking it to themes in what is still essentially fiction (philosophy) doesn’t really help anyone unravel or even describe the mystery.
Instead of reading this, just read his source material.
I’m not sure Madden actually has anything original to say. The text spends most of its time quoting and reviewing the “greatest hits” of Western philosophy (Plato, Aristotle, Nietzsche, Heidegger) in the context of reviews of Pasulka’s American Cosmic and Vallée’s body of work. His central thesis is that the UFO phenomenon—all events, stories, and reactions to it—constitute a “hyperobject,” which is a philosophical construct that can be loosely translated as “thing.” Okay.
Much of the humanities boil down to this: Reading books and pointing out that ideas in those books are similar to ideas in other books. Again, “okay.”
But who cares? Reading philosophers directly can give you new tools for thinking about the world, but reading something that takes a modern-day mystery and tries to “explain” it by linking it to themes in what is still essentially fiction (philosophy) doesn’t really help anyone unravel or even describe the mystery.
Instead of reading this, just read his source material.
March 27, 2024
Challenging, mind-blowing, and ultimately humbling read. Not even sure how to verbalize it at the moment. Topics covered include the concept of hyperobjects; the "uber-umwelt"; analysis of the book "American Cosmic" by D.W. Pasulka; a lot of Heidegger, Plato, and Nietzsche; Jacque Vallee; Oppenheimer and our technological age. Maybe I'll edit this review when I've had more time to process it. For the moment, I'll just sum it up with one of my favorite quotes from Game of Thrones: YOU KNOW NOTHING, JON SNOW.
Read
October 29, 2024James Madden is a great classroom teacher as in he is really annoyingly patiently writing and explicating texts. The classic plato’s cave in all 101 philo classes applying to ufology— not so much finally— more so someone is finally spending the time to write it out as a very very very long essay as a ‘book’. He is aware that what he is writing is nothing new, as someone else here was critiquing how his thoughts were not new at all, what he is doing, perhaps is a little book report0-ish, but its also very much if anyone is teaching ufology 101 that isn’t science, this is the 101 book. Make so much sense why this book was blowing minds in a lot of ufo podcast that were mostly doing nuts and bolts.
Madden only mentioned Merleau-Ponty twice and failed to expand on it, while mentioning maybe a hundred times Plato. I am stopping myself to ask why isn't Madden pulling in from Barthes if hes addressing Vallee’s take on mythologisation and demythologisation and myths operating upon symbols and how language constitute a system… but it does show that Madden’s fluency in Plato, Aristotle, Nietzsche, somehow really shows the gigantic presence of the absence of the discussion of semiotics and in larger scale, linguistics. Perhaps it’s not at all important to him, which is totally fair and ok, but he did throw in Wittgenstein twice (once technically), and didn’t expand on it at all. Also, sorry to be an index nerd, this book index has some flaws… and wrong data. (e.g. Wittgenstein appeared in 95, not 59. It’s probably a careless mistake, but it points to how late Madden introduce language (BARELY!!))
All in all, this is an ok ufo book. It does its job fine. But I am grateful for this book writing Diana Pusulka’s work (hey that’s what you need to do! write about ur friends!! its important!) in a very Pusulka way, and not cherrypicking her field work only like in most other ufo spaces.
Slightly feel ashamed take me so long to finish this book, but also… zzzzz... as other reviews have mentioned, it's actually better to read his source texts. I do think Madden’s explication (lol) of texts is just how typical white philo teachers do, so I am trying not to hold him to a book writer standard. I am also double ashamed to say, I do find it helpful to physically flag a lot of pages because he really does a fine job in explicating, and some source materials are rather good.
Madden only mentioned Merleau-Ponty twice and failed to expand on it, while mentioning maybe a hundred times Plato. I am stopping myself to ask why isn't Madden pulling in from Barthes if hes addressing Vallee’s take on mythologisation and demythologisation and myths operating upon symbols and how language constitute a system… but it does show that Madden’s fluency in Plato, Aristotle, Nietzsche, somehow really shows the gigantic presence of the absence of the discussion of semiotics and in larger scale, linguistics. Perhaps it’s not at all important to him, which is totally fair and ok, but he did throw in Wittgenstein twice (once technically), and didn’t expand on it at all. Also, sorry to be an index nerd, this book index has some flaws… and wrong data. (e.g. Wittgenstein appeared in 95, not 59. It’s probably a careless mistake, but it points to how late Madden introduce language (BARELY!!))
All in all, this is an ok ufo book. It does its job fine. But I am grateful for this book writing Diana Pusulka’s work (hey that’s what you need to do! write about ur friends!! its important!) in a very Pusulka way, and not cherrypicking her field work only like in most other ufo spaces.
Slightly feel ashamed take me so long to finish this book, but also… zzzzz... as other reviews have mentioned, it's actually better to read his source texts. I do think Madden’s explication (lol) of texts is just how typical white philo teachers do, so I am trying not to hold him to a book writer standard. I am also double ashamed to say, I do find it helpful to physically flag a lot of pages because he really does a fine job in explicating, and some source materials are rather good.
April 20, 2025
The UFO Phenomenon from a Philosophical Perspective
The author is a philosopher and academic, who leverages this discipline and background to examine the UFO phenomenon according.
The reoccurring thesis is that we cannot understand what the phenomenon is unless we first ask why it is; based on our human needs, historical events, and biases (umwelt).
I see the first two chapters as a restatement of the existing theory’s of what UFO’s could represent from a philosophical perspective as a type of “thing” both natural (corresponding to the Extra/InterTerrestrial hypothesises), and supernatural (corresponding to the Ultra Terrestrial Hypothesis) and why these theories are incomplete in that they fail to take into account the vast set of reported and measured physical characteristics, that have been observed over a very long time, and across multiple spacial dimensions, which more accurately represent a complex system and thus should be classified as hyper-objects.
The final chapter is where Dr. Madden postulates the a new philosophical model of the UFO phenomenon: UFO’s as uber-umwelt hyper objects and how this model better serves us to recognize what the ultimate purpose of phenomenon could be or at least what we should include in our assessment toolkit.
Several core and extensions of philosophical concepts are referenced with embedded terminology, which can make this a difficult/slow read unless you have the requisite background knowledge. However he does provide layperson explanations of terms and concepts.
The most cogent content to me was chapter 3 as it nicely summarized the previous chapters and provided an alternative view of the phenomenon, which is frequently absent in the media, and literature that I have read and conferences/symposiums that I have attended.
Recommend reading for the student, researcher or intellectually curious observer of the UFO phenomenon.
The author is a philosopher and academic, who leverages this discipline and background to examine the UFO phenomenon according.
The reoccurring thesis is that we cannot understand what the phenomenon is unless we first ask why it is; based on our human needs, historical events, and biases (umwelt).
I see the first two chapters as a restatement of the existing theory’s of what UFO’s could represent from a philosophical perspective as a type of “thing” both natural (corresponding to the Extra/InterTerrestrial hypothesises), and supernatural (corresponding to the Ultra Terrestrial Hypothesis) and why these theories are incomplete in that they fail to take into account the vast set of reported and measured physical characteristics, that have been observed over a very long time, and across multiple spacial dimensions, which more accurately represent a complex system and thus should be classified as hyper-objects.
The final chapter is where Dr. Madden postulates the a new philosophical model of the UFO phenomenon: UFO’s as uber-umwelt hyper objects and how this model better serves us to recognize what the ultimate purpose of phenomenon could be or at least what we should include in our assessment toolkit.
Several core and extensions of philosophical concepts are referenced with embedded terminology, which can make this a difficult/slow read unless you have the requisite background knowledge. However he does provide layperson explanations of terms and concepts.
The most cogent content to me was chapter 3 as it nicely summarized the previous chapters and provided an alternative view of the phenomenon, which is frequently absent in the media, and literature that I have read and conferences/symposiums that I have attended.
Recommend reading for the student, researcher or intellectually curious observer of the UFO phenomenon.
October 5, 2025
Verbose to the point of self parody and needlessly repetitive. Madden has virtually nothing to say that hasn't already been said many times over, theres literally nothing insighteful or original here in its 160 or so pages - I was left in fact with the distinct impression a publisher had insisted in a minimum page count the author was desperately struggling to meet.
For me at least it served as a seruptitious promotion for Pasulka and Kripal's own albeit highly recommended books ( both of which coincidentally provided suspiciously lengthy glowing reviews for Madden on Good Reads)
A genuinely fascinating subject... don't let this book tank your curiosity.
For me at least it served as a seruptitious promotion for Pasulka and Kripal's own albeit highly recommended books ( both of which coincidentally provided suspiciously lengthy glowing reviews for Madden on Good Reads)
A genuinely fascinating subject... don't let this book tank your curiosity.
May 11, 2024
OVERVIEW BY A FOOL
My natural way of thinking is philosophical, yet the profundity of this book requires great effort to begin my hope to grasp. As I approached the conclusion, I could only think in terms of
“Humility”. It was pleasing to see Dr. Madden confirm that suspicion.
Now, I must take a break and then begin again, as if I have never read the book, seeking to be as unpolluted as possible by my first non-seeing pass-bye.
Thank you for stirring the muddy waters of my mind that I may see the mud, and let it settle.
My natural way of thinking is philosophical, yet the profundity of this book requires great effort to begin my hope to grasp. As I approached the conclusion, I could only think in terms of
“Humility”. It was pleasing to see Dr. Madden confirm that suspicion.
Now, I must take a break and then begin again, as if I have never read the book, seeking to be as unpolluted as possible by my first non-seeing pass-bye.
Thank you for stirring the muddy waters of my mind that I may see the mud, and let it settle.
January 11, 2025
The UFO phenomenon as a real-time development of a new religion, prepared by centuries of mythology.
This is the core idea of this book. But beware, this is a philosophical cocktail with ingredients such as Nietzsche, Aristotle, Heidegger, Plato, Vallee, Pasulka, Kripal and others.
His reflections that contextualize the UFO phenomenon with the current state of human thought and progress are quite dense, but immensely valuable.
If you want to understand this topic more simply and clearly, you can start with Jacques Vallee's trilogy: Dimensions, Confrontations and Revelations.
This is the core idea of this book. But beware, this is a philosophical cocktail with ingredients such as Nietzsche, Aristotle, Heidegger, Plato, Vallee, Pasulka, Kripal and others.
His reflections that contextualize the UFO phenomenon with the current state of human thought and progress are quite dense, but immensely valuable.
If you want to understand this topic more simply and clearly, you can start with Jacques Vallee's trilogy: Dimensions, Confrontations and Revelations.
June 6, 2025
It is a good effort to understand the phenomena... but... It is like to talk about 2nd war without the perspective of the germans.
The author explains, constructs, theorizes about all the actions and thoughts of the allies... but he (and we) does not know anything about the germans :)
The author explains, constructs, theorizes about all the actions and thoughts of the allies... but he (and we) does not know anything about the germans :)
January 29, 2025
a hard read
Some big ideas but a tough read. Lots of detours and not really a strong central set of ideas to carry us through.
Some big ideas but a tough read. Lots of detours and not really a strong central set of ideas to carry us through.
October 6, 2025
Great philosophical review of the epistemological framework necessary to think about uap in specific, but anomalous in general
December 16, 2023
What a brilliant piece of work.
Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews