UFOLOGY Glossary Series - C
A series to help people new to the topic understand the terms, concepts, and language used in the study of UFOs and alien phenomena.
The world of ufology is vast, mysterious, and often overwhelming for newcomers and seasoned researchers alike. With decades of reports, theories, terminology, and classifications, understanding the language of UFO research is essential for making sense of the phenomena.
This Ufology Glossary is designed to be a living, evolving reference guide for anyone interested in the study of unidentified flying objects, alien encounters, and the deeper mysteries of our universe. Whether you're exploring government disclosures, diving into abduction accounts, or just trying to decipher terms like “CE-5” or “anti-gravity propulsion,” this glossary is your companion through the strange and fascinating world of UFO phenomena.
Each entry is organized alphabetically and includes clear, concise definitions to help demystify the language used by researchers, experiencers, and theorists across the field.
We begin with the letter A, and from there, the glossary will continue to grow—entry by entry, mystery by mystery.
CE-1 to CE-5 (Close Encounter Scale)
A classification system created by astronomer J. Allen Hynek to categorize the intensity and type of human interactions with UFO phenomena:
CE-1: Visual sighting of an unidentified flying object.
CE-2: A UFO leaves physical evidence (e.g., scorched ground, electromagnetic interference).
CE-3: Sighting of an entity or occupant associated with the UFO.
CE-4: Abduction by alien beings.
CE-5: Voluntary human-initiated contact with extraterrestrials.
Channeling (in Ufology)
A method by which individuals claim to receive telepathic or spiritual messages from alien or interdimensional beings.
Clairvoyance (Alien Contact)
The ability to perceive events or beings beyond normal sensory range, sometimes reported during contact with extraterrestrials.
Cloned Alien
A being created through artificial replication, often speculated to be a manufactured biological entity used for specific alien tasks.
Close Encounter
A direct or near-proximity experience involving an unidentified flying object or its occupants.
Conscious Recall (Abduction)
Memories of an alien abduction or encounter recalled without the use of hypnosis or regression techniques.
Contactee
A person who claims to have had direct communication with alien beings, often receiving messages of peace, warning, or cosmic philosophy.
Contamination (UFO Landing Site)
Unusual changes in the environment (e.g., chemical, radiological, or biological) reported at alleged UFO landing sites.
Craft (Alien or UFO Craft)
A general term used to describe a vehicle of extraterrestrial origin, often exhibiting flight characteristics beyond human capability.
Crop Circle
Large, complex patterns formed in fields, traditionally believed by some to be the result of extraterrestrial communication or landing activity.
Cryptoterrestrial
A proposed race of intelligent beings that originate on Earth but remain hidden from human society, sometimes used as an alternative explanation to extraterrestrial contact.
Cattle Mutilation
A phenomenon involving unexplained deaths of livestock, often exhibiting surgical-like wounds, bloodless carcasses, and other anomalous features.
Cosmic Consciousness
A state of awareness or enlightenment often described by contactees or abductees after interactions with extraterrestrials.
Crash Retrieval
The alleged recovery of downed extraterrestrial spacecraft and their occupants by military or secret government organizations.
Crop Sampling (Abduction Context)
A reported procedure in which alien beings collect samples of Earth vegetation during abduction or visitation events.
Council of Nine
A group of supposed interdimensional or extraterrestrial beings often referenced in channeled messages as spiritual overseers or cosmic administrators.
Consciousness Transfer
The alleged process by which an alien or advanced being transfers its awareness into another body or form, often discussed in contactee literature.
Communication Beam
A beam of light or energy said to transmit messages, paralyze humans, or initiate telepathic contact.
Cover-Up (UFO Conspiracy)
The intentional suppression or distortion of information by governments or institutions regarding the existence of UFOs and extraterrestrial beings.
Cold Spot (Paranormal/UFO Overlap)
An area of sudden temperature drop often reported during high-strangeness events, sometimes coinciding with UFO activity or entity presence.