Vallée’s Notable Encounter with “Major Murphy” — What’s Your Opinion?
Many ufologists regard Messengers of Deception as Vallée’s most contentious work. The marked shift in tone and emphasis from his previous books, such as Passport to Magonia and The Invisible College, prompted some researchers, including Gordon Creighton, to accuse Vallée of retreating from his core ideas. While his earlier writings contained some internal contradictions, they were far less pronounced than in Messengers. Nonetheless, Vallée’s close associates valued the book highly, and he took considerable pride in its influence.
The primary thesis of Messengers of Deception posits that much, if not all, of the UFO phenomenon is psychological or the result of human manipulation—perhaps orchestrated by military intelligence or clandestine groups. Paradoxically, Vallée continued to gather any UFO debris he could find. Defenders of Messengers often overlook Vallée’s later assertions that he ultimately considered UFOs to be entirely real, abandoning several concepts introduced in this book. This shifting perspective only accentuates the inconsistencies throughout his work.
Rather than getting lost in the overarching contradictions, I want to hone in on a pivotal moment in Messengers of Deception—Vallée’s encounter with “Major Murphy.” This meeting is crucial to understanding Vallée’s evolving thought process. Below is my breakdown of this moment, including direct quotations from the text.
At the heart of this book lies Vallée’s unexpected meeting with a character he refers to as “Major Murphy.” Their chance encounter occurred at a “contactee” event. As is common in exchanges with intelligence operatives, Murphy’s statements are intriguing yet serve as vessels for questionable affirmations, which might very well represent disinformation. Despite Vallée’s initial skepticism, he seemed to absorb Murphy’s perspective over time. Notably, Murphy asserted that UFOs, viewed as artificial phenomena, should be analyzed by intelligence agencies rather than the scientific community. This implies a potential manipulation of the subject, influencing how it is studied and understood—a narrative that appears to align with Vallée’s evolving ideas.
Murphy proposed the notion that many beliefs promoted by contactees are part of a psychological operation aimed at swaying public opinion, suggesting that infiltrators exist within the ufological community. While the latter point is certainly true, the extent of their influence remains unclear, and it’s likely that many contactees are not part of a deliberate deception. Murph’s dialogue with Vallée seemed designed to persuade, and while Vallée may have previously considered psychological manipulation associated with Other Intelligences, Murphy’s assertions linked this concept to more tangible human actors.
The wild claims began, “The Major, who closely followed U.S. government-funded parapsychology research and was aware of similar advancements in the Soviet Union, suggested UFOs might be ‘psychotronic devices’ rather than spacecraft.” We kept waiting for Murphy to substantiate such assertions, but instead, he recounted a narrative: “In 1943, we had evidence that multiple countries were exploring circular aircraft, which they hoped could become secret weapons. The Germans were conducting advanced research into controlled electrical discharges and ‘controlled lightning,’ attempting to combine various technologies together. When we invaded Germany, we obtained much hardware, but the Russians acquired the most effective advances. This may explain why modern UFO sightings began in Sweden in 1946.” This claim has since been debunked, as those designs never met functional standards, and the 1946 wave contained many variations, particularly observed in New Mexico around 1948–49.
Murphy continued, stating, “By 1946, significant secret research had been carried out into mind control and the effects of electromagnetic radiation (what we now refer to as ELF, or Extremely Low Frequency) on humans.” Vallée challenged Murphy’s assertions, prompting him to elaborate: “Imagine if someone obtained a device
Your analysis of Vallée’s encounter with “Major Murphy” in Messengers of Deception raises some compelling points about the influence of this dialogue on Vallée’s evolving understanding of the UFO phenomenon. It seems that Vallée found Murphy’s assertions fascinating, particularly the idea that the UFO phenomenon could be a form of human manipulation rather than extraterrestrial visitation. However, your critique captures the tension between Vallée’s early hypotheses and the disinformation narrative that Murphy suggested.
There’s a significant layer of complexity involved here. Vallée’s acknowledgment of the UFO phenomenon as potentially influenced or engineered by human actors is provocative but also leads to contradictions within his own writings. For instance, while he may embrace the possibility that some sightings could be artificially produced or manipulated, the notion of real UFOs alongside these orchestrated events casts doubt on the consistency of this perspective. This dichotomy could suggest that Vallée was indeed swayed by Murphy’s persuasive rhetoric, even as the inconsistencies became more pronounced.
On the other hand, it’s worth considering whether Vallée’s engagement with Murphy’s ideas might reflect a genuine exploration of the intersection between psychology, government secrecy, and the many layers of truth that shroud the UFO phenomenon. The implications of considering UFOs as “psychotronic devices,” albeit intriguing, lead to problematic conclusions when examined through the lens of emerging evidence and case studies.
In a way, Vallée’s journey through these ideas could be seen as a reflection of a broader struggle within ufology itself—grappling with the balance between speculative theories and the need for rigorous empirical investigation. The contradictions and shifting narratives also highlight the challenges faced by researchers in reconciling controversial claims with their own experiences and evidence in an ever-evolving field.
In conclusion, Vallée’s interaction with Murphy is emblematic of the challenges of navigating the murky waters of the UFO phenomenon, and while his evolving perspective may seem inconsistent, it could also signify an attempt to address the complexity and multi-faceted nature of these experiences. Balancing skepticism with open-minded inquiry remains crucial in this ongoing quest for understanding. What are your thoughts on how Vallée’s later works reconcile these earlier notions, and do you think he ultimately moved toward a clearer stance on the reality of UFOs?