What if we are alone?

I was sixteen when I first indulged in what has been described as ‘Earth centered parochialism’. In simple terms, I was arguing for the existence of flying saucers and alien civilizations visiting our planet. 
Now some five decades on I find myself more than a little convinced that we might be the only sentient beings around in this Universe. The world renowned futurist Ray Kurzweil, in his book ‘The Singularity is Near.’ dismantled the assumption that, ‘Because of the size of the Universe other intelligent life has to exist’. Kurzweil’s critique profoundly affected me. I am now embarrassed to say that I used that same ‘given assumption’ as my opening gambit at a UFO conference some years ago. 
Assumptions presented as ‘a given’ are a perfect launch pad for all varieties of theories favoring the existence of aliens. The use of analogy as a template from which arguments are developed can betray a deep desire to mold the argument to fit the unproven theory.
Personally, I would love to see the non-believers proved wrong just for the hell of it. If I am being honest I wonder if this desire has been the driver, powering my extensive research.

I have interviewed and spoken to folk who truly believe they have been abducted. Listening to them I have been always struck by their sincerity, bafflement, and often great fear about what had happened to them. In my opinion, whether aliens were responsible or not, there is some new facet of our existence being presented to, or arising in, our consciousness. This new awareness begs to be examined open-mindedly without assumption.
In all my years of research I have met bizarre, delusional, enraptured, angry, desperate, and thoroughly scrupulous researchers from both sides. They have one thing in common, the assumptions they work with are often presented as given facts.
There are reams of well documented interviews with people across the world who have had what is termed a close encounter of the 4th kind: were a person claims they have been abducted by aliens. Integral theorists* and other notable social scientists have concluded that every culture unconsciously presents it's unique cultural viewpoint and archetypes.
Abductions by unknown forces should, one could reason, have triggered such a cultural response. Personal abduction accounts therefore (if I accept the intergral theory) should vary according to the country and culture.
Yet, the detailed descriptions of abductions remain consistent whether the story is being told by a poor farmer living in the Peruvian mountains or, an urban stockbroker from New York.
If alien abduction experiences transcend our cultural bias and archetypes surely this is worthy of serious investigation? Would such commonality not indicate that a new paradigm is unfolding which emcompasses the global unconscious? Surely this is worthy of investigation?  
Crop Circles, are seen by many as an attempt by aliens to establish contact with us. This notion has been thorughly debunked. However, I am inclined to believe that faced the complexities of current crop circles designs the debunkers ‘the man with stick’ explanation is no longer relevant. 
Thousands of people in Mexico City saw the fleet of lights in the sky, At a push, skeptics can use mass hysteria to explain why, though, I am not sure how you infect video cameras?
Few people are neutral about Ufology; this creates lots of drama. I have the feeling that, like most dramas we perceive in our lives, the underlying truth will be quite simple.
That is not to say this truth or truthes will not be profound or even completely change the way we evaluate reality. The whole subject deserves to be elevated from it's science fiction/religious base and be embraced by all scientific and humanistic communities.
What if we are alone?
If we are the only sentient intelligent beings in the Universe we have an awesome responsiblity. If we are encountering extra terrestrial intelligences we have an awesome responsibility. That responsiblity is to ensure that we (humanity) reach our full creative potential, and break free of ‘Me, Me parochialism’.

In simple terms, I am arguing that it is time to transcend all bias that promotes fear, separateness, and reach for inclusiveness and understanding.
The signs that we need to change are all around us We have a choice and I suspect little time in which to exercise that choice 'To reach for a higher way 'TO BE' in the world'. Join me exercise your creativity now. Reach....