The Messengers: Owls, Synchronicity and the UFO Abductee

by Mike Clelland, Richard M. Dolan (Foreword)

Without question, this is a classic by one of the most exciting new authors in the UFO field today. After reading it, your view of reality will never be the same.

The owl has held a place of reverence and mystique throughout history. And as strange as this might seem, owls are also showing up in conjunction with the UFO experience.

Mike Clelland has collected a wealth of first-hand accounts in which owls manifest in the highly charged moments that surround alien contact. There is a strangeness to these accounts that defy simple explanations. This book explores implications that go far beyond what more conservative researchers would dare consider.

But the owl connection encompasses more than the UFO experience. It also includes profound synchronicities, ancient archetypes, dreams, shamanistic experiences, personal transformation, and death. From the mythic legends of our ancient past to the first-hand accounts of the UFO abductee, owls are playing some vital role.

This is also a deeply personal story. It is an odyssey of self-discovery as the author grapples with his own owl and UFO encounters. What plays out is a story of transformation with the owl at the heart of this journey.



 The book has been revised and updated in 2020. Several accounts have been expanded to include new information. Reviews of THE I would characterize very few UFO books as beautiful, but this one is. —Richard Dolan, author of UFOs and the National Security State It’s a wonderful book… because it's a book that advances us in consciousness—it advances us—it takes us from where we were before we started reading it to a new place in terms of understanding the close encounter experience. I can name, just on the fingers of one hand, the number of books that actually do that. —Whitley Strieber, January 2016 I get a strong sense that Mike Clelland was guided to write this by the UFO intelligences, and I think the reader will get that. This is the first time I have seen this level of both a book and its author being inextricably linked to the phenomenon itself since Strieber and Communion. Communion was clearly more than just a book; I believe the phenomenon intended it to be written, published, and read on a large scale. I think Mike’s book is another example of this. —Nick Redfern, author of Men In Black

Genres: Nonfiction, Paranormal, Conspiracy Theories, Occult, Mystery, Monsters

392 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 1, 2015

About the author

Mike Clelland is an avid outdoorsman, illustrator and UFO researcher. He has written extensively on the subject of alien abductions, synchronicities and owls. It was his first-hand experiences ​with these elusive events that have been the foundation for this research.

His website, Hidden Experience, explores these events and their connections to the alien contact phenomenon. This site also features over 200 hours of audio interviews with visionaries and experts examining the complexities of the overall UFO experience.

Beyond that, Mike is considered an expert in the skills of ultralight backpacking, and has authored or illustrated a series of instructional books focused on advanced outdoor techniques. He spent nearly 25 years living in the Rockies, and now lives in the Adirondacks.

Reviews

[Ross Blocher · Rating 3 out of 5]

"The Messengers: Owls, Synchronicity and the UFO Abductee" is every bit as entertaining and head-scratching as you might expect from the title. Mike Clelland designates himself a folklorist, and has become fixated on the owl in its role as messenger, archetype, and harbinger/avatar of aliens. Synchronicity, defined as meaningful coincidence, is the other key to this volume, and Clelland has a mind acutely tuned to detecting coincidences and imbuing them with significance. I met Mike Clelland briefly when he gave a talk at the Ozark Mountain UFO Conference, which I reported on for my podcast (http://www.maximumfun.org/oh-no-ross-...). At that time, I was already hugely entertained by his stories and conclusions.

You'll learn almost everything you need to know about owls in this book: some information on their biology (small body compared to their sizeable plumage, whisper-quiet flight, up-to-270-degree head rotation, etc.) as well as their representation across cultures and over time. Owls have often been connected with death, wisdom and the mysterious, and are revered as sacred animals whose appearance presages events to come. Clelland's fascination began with some early sightings, including an encounter with three owls flying overhead while he was camping with a female companion (his camping experiences and interactions with various girlfriends, potential girlfriends and ex-girlfriends is a recurring theme). He asked Kristen what they were talking about when the owls showed up, and she said she was sharing her deepest thoughts about God. Whoooooaaaa. This begins the synchronicity detection, and it never lets up.

Clelland also had some early UFO and alien experiences, but they didn't strike him as significant until he began collecting stories of owl/alien connections online from readers of his blog. In addition to a steady stream of emails, he asked speakers and attendees at various UFO conference, "Have you had any unusual experiences with owls?" These sources provide him the fodder to construct a variety of theories. Oversized owls are often aliens who are in disguise, transmogrifying the experiencer's recollections into "screen memories". Seeing an owl increases the likelihood of seeing a UFO, and vice versa. Owls might be remote cameras for aliens, keeping an eye on us. People who experience owls but have no memories of aliens or UFOs are "maybe people" in Clelland's parlance, meaning they are likely unwitting abductees or contactees. Owls might be warning us to pay attention to our surroundings, or even providing warnings to avoid death. Owls can communicate "downloads" of great significance (though no one in the book seems to know yet what the important messages were just yet). Owls may be avatars of loved ones who have died and are seeking to communicate with us. All of these are treated as simultaneously true, and Mike Clelland relies on the authority of shamans, animal psychics, clairvoyants, psychedelic drug users, intuitives, and a reverse speech analyst (an "expert" who stands out, even in this motley crew, for having nothing of value to offer). Clelland professes a modicum of skepticism, and can even briefly cast his own observations in a critical light, but offers these dubious testimonies regardless.

The synchronicities range from impressive to patently absurd. If a correspondent sees an owl right after receiving an email from Mike, it's a sign. If they hear an owl while reading his book, it's a sign. If they see an owl two days after meeting Mike, it was caused by his presence. If they see a plush owl stuffed toy after spotting a UFO, it's a sign. You get the idea. With this kind of evidence allowed, everything is significant in a world populated with owls, popular depictions of owls, and words that include "owl" midstream (knOWLedge and J.K. ROWLing are actual examples). This is accomplished with numbers and dates and names and places as well. There are many UFO experiences with the name (or middle name) Chris, Christopher, Christina or Christina. WHOA! What uncommon names! Anything that occurs at (or around) 11:11 AM or PM, 3:33 AM or PM (one such story cleverly concludes on page 333), or 1:23 AM or PM is intensely significant. Mike will look up the meaning of a person's name and find significance there, or the name of the town that person comes from, or that person's birthday. Saw a hawk or a dove instead of an owl? No problem! They are lumped in, too. Some owls fill people with dread, and others imbue a deep and abiding peace. Casting so wide a net, and with such inconsistent evaluation and a host of fudge factors, there's no way you can avoid finding synchronicities. I had my own meaningful connection, which gave me a good chuckle. I was attempting to finish this book for many days, but finally reached the last page on March 10, 2018. Exactly five years to the date after one of Mike's three core encounters that he drew on a straight line on a map. WOW-WOW-WEEWA! These are the kinds of connections that stand as evidence of profound universal intervention in this book.

Mike Clelland is unsure of the ultimate meaning of all these stories, and there are no reliable predictions to be garnered from an encounter with an owl. He concedes this enduring mystery, and his work is ongoing. I do not doubt his sincerity: I think he is perfectly earnest and trying to represent these stories as faithfully as he can, but is overly impressed with the assertions of others, unable to detect the mutually exclusive nature of the claims, and overly quick to draw connections where there are [mostly likely] none. Still, it's well written and a highly entertaining and insightful look at the mind of a believer. I'll leave you with Clelland's own words: "I am trying to be clear in the way these ideas are explored, but also clear that this is a personal journey. This is not science, and I don't pretend that it is."

[Lex · Rating 5 out of 5]

This amazing book delves deep into the mystery surrounding owls throughout human history, their connection to the dead, wisdom, knowledge, spiritual evolution and what is known in modern times as the "ufo/alien abduction" event. The writer provides many examples of his own weird and synchronistic experiences with owls- both real, physical wild animals and what might be projected "screen memories" marking greater spiritual events in his life. He also re-tells the experiences of many other ufo "abductees" and their relationship to owls and owl symbolism. The book is a pleasing balance of historical information on the owl and its role throughout various civilizations, its role in different mythologies around the globe, and modern accounts of owls in relation to so-called "aliens". Even if you consider yourself a "skeptic" (and by that I mean committed to disbelief regarding all things paranormal) this book has enough in it to make you sit up and pay attention (that is, unless you unfairly discount all of the author's personal experiences or consider him a liar, and I definitely do NOT think he is lying). If you are open-minded to the spiritual, to themes of archetypes, to dream imagery and all the "weird" stuff in existence that most people ignore because it doesn't tend to yield immediate, easy answers... if you are that sort of questioner and on that sort of quest, this book may very well be an important piece of the puzzle for you.

If you believe that reality is something well-understood and exists only in the physical realms easily understood by us fallible humans, if you laugh at the idea of souls and spirits and things that go bump in the night, then skip this book.... it is not meant for you.

[Brian Charles Short · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a vast, exhaustive, compelling, obsessive book on the connective thread of meaning which owls, as symbol and as literal fact, play in their role as intermediary between the human and the other. These "aliens" (forgive the quotes; it's so difficult to know how to describe these critters), in one sense, are a living mythology, and the owl, as liminal creature – detailed by Clelland from a variety of perspectives, and a wealth of stories and research – suture us, from our day-to-day lives, from our dreaming lives, with that vibrant myth. I've read enough of UFO and abduction literature, because of my own obsession with it, to become saturated to the point of exhaustion, but The Messengers brings something quite refreshing and enlivening to the subject. I felt awakened again, excited and enmeshed in it – particularly, for some reason, with the chapter on reverse speech (go figure). Clelland looks toward the narrative thread of human meaning found in such baffling interactions with the "alien" other, with the owl serving as both messenger and language employed in the message.

[Mara · Rating 2 out of 5]

DNF at 60%

This book was unusual and I give the author credit for his imagination and creative ideas but it was written in a really repetitive and boring way. Not to mention that he jumps to a lot of conclusions and makes connections that are just silly at times (like his thing about the name Chris or Christine).

[Mitch · Rating 5 out of 5]

A life changing book.

Cleveland has written one of those rare books which can both shake up your life and reorient your entire existence. It is a book of depth and, almost spiritual, importance.

[S.M. · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.5*. A real slog at nearly 400 pages with a lot of repetition and straw-grasping, but some interesting stories are included.

[Claire Walker · Rating 5 out of 5]

Amazing opens your mind!

Love this I was a little apprehensive at first .. The only reason I came across this book was of my interest in UFOs and due to the fact that I watched the fourth kind and they used an owl in it and led me to think maybe there's more to it... This is an interesting book it doesn't just talk about alien abduction it opens your mind to thinking about the whole paranormal world and spirituality it talks about death , clairvoyance and how other animals connect to the unknown its worth a read if your into the unknown and mike clelland has clearly done his research!

[Diana Blick · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good of its kind

I hardly know what to say about this book. It's not my usual cup of tea. UFO's, owls? Together? Synchronicity in a nonspiritual setting? Yet at some points it seems plausible, and at others sheer volume makes me believe he's having us on. That much synchronicity is unusual, even in my household where it's a daily event. All I can say is, it will take me some time to process this.

[Stanley G Dau · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Back Story to UFO's?

Mike Clelland's book is in some ways a bookend to the MIB phenomenon. They both bracket UFOs and challenge us look deeper. Where MIB are dark, the owls seem light, but neither are overt and straightforward. Good read.

[Blake · Rating 4 out of 5]

A great exploration of owls and the mystery of everything. Clelland found a small note in the margins of the universe and expanded upon it. I have learned more about owls than I ever thought I would, while somehow learning the journey of Clelland and others. It is clear he has an abundance of owl stories, but it is the ability to piece them together that makes this book so compelling.

[Timothy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Excellent, weird

I do not know what to make of books like this — so outside of my experience.

But I would have to be a fool not to think about such things, at least now and then. Reality has hidden elements, and some of those elements may be purposefully evasive.

Like owls?

[William · Rating 3 out of 5]

Evocative subject-matter. Connections between history, mythology, personal experience. I felt like it needed a stronger thesis, ultimately. Grew repetitive in the final stretch. But yeah, the owls are definitely not what they seem. 🦉

[Brendan Ring · Rating 5 out of 5]

A very unusual but interesting take on the whole UFO/abduction phenomena.

[Ray · Rating 3 out of 5]

Mike Clelland opens with a disclaimer of sorts: those seeking answers within this book will be disappointed. He certainly lives up to his words, drawing no conclusions as to a proof or even a theory beyond his deep belief that owls mean... something.

This book at its core, a collection of stories from people dealing with (I think it's fair to say) a difficult moment or event in life. People share times of emotional disturbance, of huge life changes, and upheavals of their 'normality'. Perhaps Clelland meant to highlight an owls archetypal place in the discussion of UFOs but instead he has highlighted mankinds uncanny and unfailing ability to see meaning or 'synchronicity' in the smallest of coincidences.

While the stories within this book are highly entertaining one has to suspend reality to get through it- even the earliest accounts detail a woman's experience with not one, but five Sasquatch(es?). For some, they may feel a connection with this alternate version of reality where everything means something and random chance is not a side effect of physics, I personally felt a lot of this was not only absurd but exploitative. The way Clellend and his confidants attach such meaning to everyday nothingness seems an unhealthy way to view the world around them- in the same way I can sympathize with a child lost to SIDS and the resulting anti-vaxx stance, I can see where a call from the great beyond heralded by a winged messenger is easier to process than mental illness, or ones life falling apart. However sympathy with a reaction does not make the reaction correct, and indulging the fantasy seems both unkind and irresponsible.

This is not to say I don't believe anyonein this book. I have walked across open fields at three in the morning, I have swum naked in unknown waters, I have brushed through forests with yellow eyes barely visible at the edge of my vision. I understand the mind can do a great many things and I am fascinated by what those things can be. I think there is more to it than throwing ones hands up and simply repeating how very weird it all is- and that in conclusion its not definitely but its probably aliens.


I am torn on whether to admire Clelland for his acceptance of how little he understands his own subject matter, and frustration that he thinks that is an acceptable cop out. Dude, you can't just write a fucking book on all the crap everyone's every told you and say 'it obviously means something'. Well, evidently you can, and charge $40 for it. But I'm the sucker who bought it so what do I know?

3 stars, still worth a read because it's totally mad.

[Jay Rothermel · Rating 1 out of 5]

2025:

excerpts:

A heap of orchestrated clues was set in my path, some were vivid psychic flashes, while others were palpable and real. These events, and all the owls, carried an ominous weight that couldn’t be denied. I have been confronted with a conflict, what Dr. John Mack called the reified metaphor, something that is presenting itself as both real and symbolic. There is an anxious tension in this contradiction. The sound of that unseen yapping coyote was vividly real—more real than real—and at the same time it was something mythical. It was an animal totem screaming for my attention, howling at the stars to make itself known. That scrappy little trickster, quite literally, woke me up.
I’ve come to see the entirety of these experiences as both real and unreal. It’s as if reality itself is acting as a metaphor, and it’s happening for some profound reason. The reason is to wake me up, to make certain that I open my eyes. I’ll also say that all these experiences, or maybe the intelligence behind them, have conspired to make me write this book. That’s a bold thing to say, but that’s how it feels. I have tried to let go and allow the deeper story to emerge. Like sleeping under the stars on a desert night, this book has been an act of surrendering.

***

This book is more than just a collection of odd owl stories, it is meant to be a reflection of a mystery, something vital within the human spirit. Gathering all these owl accounts has been a kind of awakening for me, and I have become a disciple to the story. There is a deeper message folded into many of these personal narratives, well beyond just seeing an owl in the forest. It is my sincerest hope that some of these stories will someday be shared around the campfire, filling the listener with some elusive understanding, and perhaps a more heartfelt way to proceed forward with their own lives....





2018 note:
Interesting anecdotes about synchronous experiences of owls and UFOs.

Sadly, author is a little too in love with New Age euphemisms about mind-over-matter and individual spiritual growth.

What will people say about such preoccupations in a century?

[Austin · Rating 2 out of 5]

Overall, Mike Clelland’s book is a truly fascinating read that utilizes some of the most original research into the UFO subject in recent memory. But - I still had numerous problems with it, which I will discuss below.

I did enjoy a lot of the book, but I found it to be extremely repetitive. Many topics were discussed over and over again; I think the book would have been far more concise if at least 75-100 pages were removed. Clelland, in my view, got his point across easily after the first half of the book, but he continued to use anecdotal accounts that were basically just repeats of previous cases he had discussed earlier in the book. Another major problem I had with the book was the continuous use of self-fulfilling prophecy. I understand Clelland views himself more as a folklorist with this subject, but he tended to view his own personal experiences as validations that he had been chosen to play an incredible role in some sort of grand, cosmic plan. His personal experiences, if true, would certainly be classified as paranormal. But, that doesn’t mean he has been chosen as a conduit by alien beings to tell some sort of amazing truth to enlighten mankind. That’s quite the stretch.

My last gripe with the book was his depiction of alien/UFO abduction. If alien abduction is real, Mike’s view that alien abduction as a positive, spiritually enlightening experience is possible. That sort of view tends to go against a lot of other abductees’ experiences, where folks are commonly taken against their will in an utterly terrifying and disturbing manner. If this phenomenon is real, I don’t think being taken from your own environment without your consent is a positive experience whatsoever. Could abductees like Mike and others be experiencing some sort of abduction Stockholm syndrome?

With all of that said, I don’t want it to discourage others from reading this book. I think it’s definitely worth reading, but it might be important to pay attention to alternative ideas about what might actually be happening to Mike Clelland and other experiencers in his book.

[Stephanie Sanders-Jacob · Rating 3 out of 5]

I’m calling it quits halfway through. I think this book is really good at being what it says it is. I saw another reviewer use the word “exhaustive” and I couldn’t agree more. It’s obvious the author is passionate about the topic. I enjoyed what I read, especially the chapters on owls in pop culture and the physiology of owls, and found the stories of strange owl experiences interesting but can tell the rest of the book is gonna be more of the same - I think I’ll save them for another day.

[Ricky Mikeabono · Rating 3 out of 5]

An interesting work of amateur nonfiction, the main thesis being that owls are somehow (specifics unknown) connected to UFOs. The evidence? Well, the author rambles on about his own encounters with both, and recounts stories from strangers on the internet with similar experiences. He focuses on coincidences which he insists must mean something. I'm the kind of guy who wants to believe... but I am a skeptic. This book most certainly did not convince me of the owl alien connection. Owls are strange, sure, but I was hoping for more than testimony from Internet alien abductees.

The intro claims this book is unlike any others (except admittedly the cult classic Communion, which made the owl/ufo connection, so that's not even original). I thoughtis was a lot like Mothman Prophecies, but written by an armchair (computer chair) enthusiast instead of a professor and boots-on-the-ground guy like Keel. Clelland makes it well known that he is not a scientist and his research doesn't stand up to scientific scrutiny, as if "science" is some modern form of magic you can choose to believe in. He does talk about mothman, how can you write a book about alien owls without mothman, but strangely avoids mentioning the famous book and movie.

I should not have liked this book or author... but for some reason I did enjoy listening to it, and enjoyed taking notes as to why I shouldn't like it. I guess it's kind of why I like the supernatural as a whole, I don't believe any of it, but I want to believe. 

I also enjoyed the section on owl myth and owls in pop culture. owl in DC, bohemian grove, etc. I just always liked owls. I have no doubt that the author would take that as proof I've been abducted by aliens.

Some of my notes during this book:
- He talks about a group that was "collectively putting out the intention to experience to see in I guess the sky" then saw a weird light. Of course  youre going to see something if you want to that badly... Is that called groupthink? He calls it "meditative initiative protocols" to attract ufos. If you put out the right mental state, they will respond! The voices "came as a very clear voice in her mind."

- His research: he posts to his website that anyone who has experiences with both owls and ufos should email him. Then the emails he gets are proof!

- When people say things like "I was speaking my truth about my reality," I just dont' believe it...

- Why do some people seem to have multiple sightings, most have none? The aliens choose to manifest to them. That's the only answer the author can come up with.

Overall this book would be a great study in confirmation bias in a psychology course. Unfortunately the author is never read that Wikipedia page so he absolutely believes that the coincidences he comes across are completely meaningful and proof of his theories. He also needs to read the Wikipedia article on the Freudian theory of screen image, which he takes as a widely accepted fact.

When facts or 'experiecnces' don't fit his theory, its not rejected, its just further complicated and things are bent to fit. I'm not sure of the term for that one but it's quite common.

Just look at that. As much as I objectively don't like this book I've gone and written one of the longest reviews ever, because I did secretly like it.

[Steve Wehba · Rating 3 out of 5]

Very long book (seemed to take me forever for to finish) loaded with one anecdote after another about owls and their association with UFOs, death, the afterlife, and various other paranormal phenomena. Owls have occupied an important place in our mythos for millennia.

What to make of all the synchronicities? Who knows! Could owls sense and be attracted to deep human emotions? Possibly. Could owls sense and be attracted to intrusions by aliens into our dimension? Possibly. Could owls be biological drones piloted by aliens to keep an eye on us? Possibly (and my personal favorite hypothesis). Could owls be screen memories of contacts with gray aliens? Possibly. The challenge I had with the book is that many explanations are possible yet none is conclusive.

I have no doubt that something is going on with owls, but what exactly it is, I have no idea. At the very least, owls are extremely fascinating creatures, and it is easy for us to anthropomorphism their behavior. I will certainly be on the lookout for owls in my environs.

Given the voluminous data that Clelland has collected on owl encounters, I would love to see a statistical analysis: How often are owls sited in relation to UFO sightings? With any particular UFO sitings? At any particular times of day or days of the year? Are the sightings becoming more common? Which owls are seen more often? Are women or men more likely to see owls? How often are impossibly large owls seen? You get my point. Data, tables, and charts would be very interesting.

I'm probably being a bit harsh in my review. The book is worth a read if you are interested in UFOs if for no other reason than it is one of the better treatises on the "high strangeness" (and anti-ETH) explanation for UFOs. Where I really struggle is with categorizing owl sightings as "synchronicities". Where does a coincidence cross over into a synchronicity? After all, we humans are supremely skilled at seeing patterns where none exist.

[James · Rating 4 out of 5]

Owls… mysterious and haunting creatures rich in symbolism since the dawn of civilisation, but what exactly do they have to do with UFOs and alien encounters? And is there a connexion between their appearances and synchronicities in witnesses’ lives in a broader sense? What does any of this mean?

Mike Clelland might not answer any of these questions outrightly but through an extensive series of interviews and research, he raises important and deep questions about the inter-connectedness between owls and UFOs. Clelland is earnest and committed, this is clear throughout and especially when he recounts his own experiences with owls and alien abduction. Apart from the conclusion that there is definitely something happening on the borderline, exactly what it is remains unclear. And that is the driving force behind his writings and research: what is this connexion and what does it mean? This isn’t “hard science” but an honest attempt by a committed abductee to make sense of the new reality in which he and many others have found themselves in.

Reality is much more than what we perceive just by our senses alone, it seems. And through Clelland’s writings and on the wings of owls, we are able to pierce the veil just a little bit, what lies on the other side? The mystery continues.

[Patrick King · Rating 3 out of 5]

“I have changed. I now see magic in the world around me. It’s woven into the fabric of everything. This might seem naive, but I see owls, UFOs, and synchronicity as an expression of this magic, all blurring together and playing a singular role. These are deeply challenging ideas, but they are also seductive, and they’ve been tugging at my soul. No matter how highly evolved we want to see ourselves, we’re still just primitive people walking down the path at twilight.”

Man, what the hell did I just read? The subtitle tells it all—it’s all owls, UFOs, and synchronicities. I’m not sure how much of this I “believe” but I found it fascinating, if only as a view into the mind of a person who approaches discovery and spirituality from a wholly unique point of view. There were moments that I was vibing with the ideas, willing them to be true or plausible, but there were others where I was thinking, “nah dude, this is just c-r-a-z-y.” The backwards recording thing? C’mon, man. That’s the biggest stretch.

The best part? The fact that from the very start Clelland was not trying to give you an answer to the mystery. Instead he offers his evidence, tosses out some experiences, charts the paths to the conclusions and admits he can’t quite pin the whole thing down. He doesn’t know what the connections are, only that he sees their outlines and is compelled to keep trying to define them.

[Christine Best · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book had great potential. Unfortunately it did not have a ruthless enough editor. The author is studying the connections between observing owls and the UFO abduction phenomenon. He has a lot of data and has done his groundwork. He writes knowledgeably about the biology of owls and their symbolism. Even if the experience of abduction is purely psychological I can understand how it might be associated with owls and their symbolism. But then it all just goes ‘woo’. Too much talk of synchronicities and personal interpretation thereof and some simply daft comments ( is it significant so many witnesses have the same name- well, they may share a demographic in which that name was popular). Also, playing witness testimony backwards to find hidden interpretations is just nonsense. Despite all this, the book raises interesting ideas and is definitely work a look. A revised more tightly edited edition would be great.

[James · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is a sincere and lovingly crafted attempt to decipher the myriad mysteries of owls who precede, accompany, or stand-in for visitors from the beyond. Clelland collates numerous personal experiences submitted to him (as well as his own, which are legion) and also dives into the multi-cultural and symbolic significance of the Owl as a messenger, harbinger, omen, and possible screen memory.

I will not be overcritical about any typos or formatting issues because, frankly, I really enjoyed this book and I admire the effort that went into producing it. Mike seems so generous with his time having corresponded with so many individuals who’ve had owl/UFO experiences, and his book hits right at the heart of what makes the phenomenon so impactful: it is real but not tangible, remembered but often not understood, and outwardly magical while being deeply personal.

[Melissa Kelly · Rating 2 out of 5]

Lost...

While I appreciate the heartfelt narration, it makes it no more real for the reader. The connection is lost for those trying to understand. I've seen owls...in a house in Thailand. Does that make me an uninitiated?lt experiences of the various tales, I can't help but wonder olif any scientific thought was examined. I am a person of heart and soul - as much as the next - but in order for me to co.lrehend the universe I live in, I need both spiritual and scientific comprehension to translate the world i live in. If that makes me a weak or uneducated person, than so be it. An analogy of stories is exactly that. I could tell a lifetime of stories of living around the world but it

[Mary · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was recommended to me by someone who wanted me to understand them better. I'm saying that to explain that I would never have chosen to read this book on my own. I am glad that I was pushed out of my comfort zone and now feel like I have no other choice but to be open to the fact that "aliens" likely exist... and I will never look at owls the same.
*If* you are interested in this topic and/or have lots of owl experiences, I think this book would be a great and affirming resource for you.
In terms of the writing style... I did find it hard to get through and found it fairly repetitive ... but I think this is to really both lay the groundwork for research into this topic and also to affirm those with similar experiences.

[Anthony O'Connor · Rating 2 out of 5]

owls!! what the …

Owls and UFOs. Now I’ve heard everything. They are a bit spooky, I’ll pay that. The author hits all the buzz words. Paranormal. Shamanistic. Synchronicity. Which just shows anyone can throw words together. On several occasions he opines on the deep significance and meaningful coincidence of some names of people having the letters O, W and L in them. Really ! … honestly, what a load of codswallop. I wouldn’t waste my time or my money on this nonsense unless you are looking for a bit of silliness to shake your mind loose or maybe provide a few ideas for a sci-fi or horror novel.

[Randy · Rating 5 out of 5]

I've officially finished reading 'The Messengers' by Mike Clelland. It's absolutely phenomenal. You don't have to be a UFO person to be floored by it (I'm not). The stories are fascinating. The implications are mind boggling. I even ended up having my own strange synchronicities while reading the book!

As a side note, Mike is also extremely skilled as an author. Many authors in the paranormal nonfiction world aren't the easiest to read even if you're fully drawn in by their ideas. Mike's prose flows easily and smoothly. I've read two of his books so far (this and his excellent fiction novel 'The Unseen') and I can't wait to read more.

[Dan Zarfati · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was born as classic. Why? It is well written, and does present a wealth of information that everybody had already came across but did not put together. I reckon if I read this 20 years ago I would scoff as ridiculous and crazy, but it has been confirmed over and over again that the Abduction / Alien interaction may permeate our experiences in so many ways that we do not even imagine. And the rigid parameters of David Jacobs do not really apply, things are way more ample and crazy I must admit. This book just portrays that. Very good read indeed.

[Nicholai Mannerzim · Rating 3 out of 5]

Fun read. Really more of a memoir than anything else. A real testament to the delightful ability of the human mind to make meaning out of even the most minor happenings. Regardless of what i think about the content and its relation to reality, it was fun to to follow mike clelland's path and learn somthing about experiences that people seem to be so passionate about.

[Cade · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is an excellent book about the UFO phenomenon and probably the best that I have read regarding the more paranormal side of it. The author has collected hundreds of stories of people's crazy life experiences and pulls them all together wonderfully. He provides enough skepticism to allow the reader to form their own opinions.