Md. Shawkat Alam Faisal

For decades, many people have been fascinated by the conspiracy notion that humans are not native to Earth but rather aliens from another planet. This idea proposes that humans were either seeded on Earth by an intelligent alien culture or that our forefathers were extraterrestrials who inhabited the earth long ago. Though orthodox science considers this idea as speculative fiction, it has gained tremendous popularity in popular culture, as seen by numerous reports, articles, novels, and even some scientific publications that investigate this intriguing topic.

This notion can be traced back to the ancient astronaut hypothesis, which was promoted by Erich von Däniken in his seminal book "Chariots of the Gods?" in 1968. In this study, von Däniken contended that ancient civilizations such as the Egyptians and Sumerians had contact with extraterrestrial aliens who influenced their culture, technology, and religion. Authors such as Zecharia Sitchin expanded on these concepts in his 1976 book "The 12th Planet", in which he argued that the Anunnaki, an alien civilization, genetically designed humanity as a slave species to extract gold on Earth.

As time passed, philosophers expanded on these notions, suggesting that humans may be of extraterrestrial origin. Some think that humans are the descendants of alien settlers who came on Earth thousands of years ago, while others believe that humans were purposely seeded here by an advanced society, a concept similar to panspermia theory. Panspermia, the theory that life exists across the cosmos and can spread to distant planets via comets, asteroids, or even deliberate involvement by sentient beings, has been the topic of scientific study. While mainstream science often examines panspermia in terms of microscopic life, some theorists have expanded this concept to encompass the potential that more complex life forms, such as humans, could have evolved off-planet.

One of the most powerful reasons advanced by those who believe in humanity's alien origins is on the so-called "missing link" in human evolution. They contend that the abrupt advent of Homo sapiens, with its sophisticated cognitive powers and rich language, cannot be explained solely by natural selection. In his 1997 book "Everything You Know Is Wrong", Lloyd Pye argues that the gaps in the fossil record suggest that human evolution may have been purposefully hastened by an external power, possibly extraterrestrial. Pye also promoted the concept of the "Starchild," a skull that some believed belonged to a human-alien hybrid. Although scientific examination, including DNA testing, has refuted these claims by showing that the skull is of human origin, the belief continues in some circles as evidence of extraterrestrial interference in human evolution.

While panspermia is not widely accepted as an explanation for human beginnings, it has received substantial consideration in astrobiology as a mechanism for the spread of life throughout the universe. Scientists such as Sir Fred Hoyle and Chandra Wickramasinghe were among the first to postulate that life could have been transported to Earth by comets, a theory they investigated in their book "Diseases from Space" (1979). Although their research focused mostly on the beginnings of microbial life, others have speculated that more complex life forms, such as humans, may have evolved off-planet. In his book "The Eerie Silence" (2010), astrobiologist Paul Davies examines the potential that life could be seeded throughout the cosmos, even suggesting that sentient civilizations may have deliberately spread life to distant planets as part of a cosmic mission. While Davies does not believe that humans are aliens, his work has been used as scientific evidence for the panspermia concept.

In addition to scientific hypotheses, proponents of the alien origins theory frequently reference ancient texts and legends from all around the world as evidence of extraterrestrial involvement in human history. The Sumerian scriptures, particularly the "Epic of Gilgamesh", are commonly cited because they describe beings that appeared from the sky. Similarly, Hindu classics such as the "Mahabharata" and the "Ramayana" describe flying aircraft known as "Vimanas", which some believe are alien spacecraft. Although orthodox historians and archaeologists disagree with these views, they are an important element of the story that alien visitors influenced, or possibly initiated, human civilization. Von Däniken popularized these theories in the twentieth century, and they have since been built upon in various books, films, and television shows.

Modern UFO sightings and abduction tales add to the belief that humanity may have a connection to extraterrestrial creatures. Books such as "Communion" (1987) by Whitley Strieber, which describes his alleged encounters with extraterrestrial entities, and "The Threat" (1998) by David Jacobs, which discusses the possibility of a secret alien-human hybridization program, have contributed to the narrative that aliens have been monitoring or interacting with humans throughout history. While these reports are widely viewed as anecdotal and lacking empirical evidence, they add to the larger conspiracy belief that humans have extraterrestrial origins.

Despite the long-standing popularity of the belief that humans are aliens, mainstream science and academics largely regard it as pseudoscience. Critics contend that the hypothesis is based on cherry-picked evidence, misinterpretations of ancient writings, and a misunderstanding of evolutionary biology. For example, the "missing link" argument is refuted by the fact that the fossil record is incomplete, and new discoveries are constantly filling in the gaps in our understanding of human evolution. Homo sapiens' abrupt arrival is explained by natural processes such as genetic drift, environmental pressures, and the evolution of complex social systems, rather than extraterrestrial involvement.

Furthermore, the interpretation of historical literature as evidence of alien contact is frequently condemned as archaic, as it imposes modern conceptions of extraterrestrial life on ancient cultures who had no concept of space travel or aliens. Scholars contend that these documents should be viewed in the context of the communities that produced them, rather than as literal reports of alien encounters.

To summarize, the belief that humans are aliens on Earth is a conspiracy theory that continues to captivate and intrigue, combining parts of ancient history, mythology, and modern UFO fiction. While it remains on the edges of scientific discourse, it represents a deep fascination with our beginnings and the notion that we are not alone in the cosmos. The theory's endurance, despite a lack of empirical proof, demonstrates the lasting allure of alternative explanations for human existence and historical puzzles. As long as there are unanswered questions regarding our origins, the possibility that humans are aliens will continue to arouse curiosity and speculation.

The writer is a, LLM Student at the University of Rajshahi and an Apprentice Lawyer at the Bangladesh Bar Council.