Changes

Krapf began work in 1963 as a reporter for a local newspaper in San Fernando, California, where he progressed to the rank of managing editor, receiving several journalism awards.  His work for the LA Times spanned 25 years of a 30-year career and culminated in his sharing a [[Pulitzer Prize]] with other members of the Metro team for the paper's reporting on the 1992 Los Angeles riots.   

Krapf began work in 1963 as a reporter for a local newspaper in San Fernando, California, where he progressed to the rank of managing editor, receiving several journalism awards.  His work for the LA Times spanned 25 years of a 30-year career and culminated in his sharing a [[Pulitzer Prize]] with other members of the Metro team for the paper's reporting on the 1992 Los Angeles riots.   

 

According to Krapf's account, he went to bed on the evening of June 10, 1997 only to be awakened by a blue light in the room that he could not attribute to a television or any other source.  The light constricted and became the vehicle for his abduction.  In seconds he appeared on an examination table in a large room on an alien spacecraft and was introduced to some of the aliens he would spend several days conversing with and learning from.  These individuals, with reference to a lushly vegetated home planet, called themselves the Verdants and identified themselves as the largest of numerous thousands of [[civilization]]s in their well travelled [[universe]].  They also distanced themselves from some of the less pleasant reported types of alien abduction activity.   

According to Krapf's account, he went to bed on the evening of June 10, 1997 only to be awakened by a blue light in the room that he could not attribute to a television or any other source.  The light constricted and became the vehicle for his abduction.  In seconds he appeared on an examination table in a large room on an alien spacecraft and was introduced to some of the aliens he would spend several days conversing with and learning from.  These individuals, with reference to a lushly vegetated home planet, called themselves the Verdants and identified themselves as the largest of numerous thousands of [[civilization]]s in their well travelled [[universe]].  They also distanced themselves from some of the less pleasant reported types of alien abduction activity.   

Krapf, hitherto a self-described [[skeptic]], says he accommodated himself to the shock and came to learn through an introductory orientation program about the aliens, their non-hostile [[intention]]s (he described himself as reconciled to his own taking), a complex intergalactic federation of [[sovereignty|sovereign]] planetary civilizations, and the general protocols surrounding a civilization's approach to its first exploratory steps into [[space]].  He was also informed that while [[earth]] was an uncharacteristically internally diverse civilization, preparations were underway to introduce its population to the new concept that extraterrestrial life was a [[fact]], involving close cooperation between the Verdants and humans of general respect and credibility.   

Krapf, hitherto a self-described [[skeptic]], says he accommodated himself to the shock and came to learn through an introductory orientation program about the aliens, their non-hostile [[intention]]s (he described himself as reconciled to his own taking), a complex intergalactic federation of [[sovereignty|sovereign]] planetary civilizations, and the general protocols surrounding a civilization's approach to its first exploratory steps into [[space]].  He was also informed that while [[earth]] was an uncharacteristically internally diverse civilization, preparations were underway to introduce its population to the new concept that extraterrestrial life was a [[fact]], involving close cooperation between the Verdants and humans of general respect and credibility.   

 

Krapf says he was asked to write a white paper regarding the plan, as a reference resource for individuals unfamiliar with the preparatory efforts.  He turned the account into a more personal factual narrative report, including his individual reactions to the new [[culture]] shock and intense interest in the [[experience]].   

Krapf says he was asked to write a white paper regarding the plan, as a reference resource for individuals unfamiliar with the preparatory efforts.  He turned the account into a more personal factual narrative report, including his individual reactions to the new [[culture]] shock and intense interest in the [[experience]].   

 

The book makes unusual claims but also includes intriguing discussions of technical details, a discussion of a purportedly 600 million year old civilization with maximal or "perfect" [[intelligence]], having bioengineered themselves to a ceiling lifespan of approximately 20,000 earth years.  Krapf further describes discovering to his own shock (being an atheist) the extraterrestrials' civilizations' individual yet ubiquitous [[religion]], reportedly involving direct scientific evidence but only sketched in general description.  He also relates the brief episode of being [[sexuality|sexually]] propositioned at one point by a particular [[individual]], a surprising turn which he politely declined and relegates to part of an intercultural learning process between the characters.  He also attempts to anticipate several normal prospective objections to the credibility of his account.   

The book makes unusual claims but also includes intriguing discussions of technical details, a discussion of a purportedly 600 million year old civilization with maximal or "perfect" [[intelligence]], having bioengineered themselves to a ceiling lifespan of approximately 20,000 earth years.  Krapf further describes discovering to his own shock (being an atheist) the extraterrestrials' civilizations' individual yet ubiquitous [[religion]], reportedly involving direct scientific evidence but only sketched in general description.  He also relates the brief episode of being [[sexuality|sexually]] propositioned at one point by a particular [[individual]], a surprising turn which he politely declined and relegates to part of an intercultural learning process between the characters.  He also attempts to anticipate several normal prospective objections to the credibility of his account.   

In a followup book, ''The Challenge of Contact'' (Origin Press, 2003), Krapf amplified on his post-experience life, two follow-on visitations, and the freeze on the disclosure program which as noted above he said the [[911|September 11 attacks]] resulted in, which took place only weeks prior to what would otherwise have been the beginnings of the first steps of disclosure.  Among other things he alludes to clandestine politico-economic entities with specific disinterest in any progress toward a worldwide awakening to the [[reality]] of the extraterrestrial [[phenomenon]].  He alleges that the [[human]] [[race]] was effectively assessed as borderline in its collective moral development, would be contained if it were to attempt to seriously explore space while still warlike, and is essentially at the [[moment]] now on probation as to whether its good and decent elements will prevail in containing and arresting its sociopathic elements.  Whether the attacks themselves or other related factors were key to the decision is not made explicit.   

In a followup book, ''The Challenge of Contact'' (Origin Press, 2003), Krapf amplified on his post-experience life, two follow-on visitations, and the freeze on the disclosure program which as noted above he said the [[911|September 11 attacks]] resulted in, which took place only weeks prior to what would otherwise have been the beginnings of the first steps of disclosure.  Among other things he alludes to clandestine politico-economic entities with specific disinterest in any progress toward a worldwide awakening to the [[reality]] of the extraterrestrial [[phenomenon]].  He alleges that the [[human]] [[race]] was effectively assessed as borderline in its collective moral development, would be contained if it were to attempt to seriously explore space while still warlike, and is essentially at the [[moment]] now on probation as to whether its good and decent elements will prevail in containing and arresting its sociopathic elements.  Whether the attacks themselves or other related factors were key to the decision is not made explicit.   

 

In a third publication, ''Meetings with Paul'' (Origin Press 2008), Krapf discussed a figure in greater length mentioned in his first book, whom the Verdants identified to him as his "[[angel]]".  While a skeptic might argue the subjects are connected merely as [[New Age]] ephemera, the [[rationality]] inculcated by Krapf's apparently sincere initial atheism allowed him to explore the possibility such entities were empirically real based on the Verdants' comments and his own [[experience]] with Paul's claimed physical manifestation.  The work takes up chiefly his discussions of [[spirituality]] with Paul independent of [[tradition|conventional]] theological constraints, but also updates the "controversy surrounding my initial performance as the initial spokesperson for the contact" and the contact-readiness and ambassadors situation since the [[911]]-related suspension of disclosure plans.     

In a third publication, ''Meetings with Paul'' (Origin Press 2008), Krapf discussed a figure in greater length mentioned in his first book, whom the Verdants identified to him as his "[[angel]]".  While a skeptic might argue the subjects are connected merely as [[New Age]] ephemera, the [[rationality]] inculcated by Krapf's apparently sincere initial atheism allowed him to explore the possibility such entities were empirically real based on the Verdants' comments and his own [[experience]] with Paul's claimed physical manifestation.  The work takes up chiefly his discussions of [[spirituality]] with Paul independent of [[tradition|conventional]] theological constraints, but also updates the "controversy surrounding my initial performance as the initial spokesperson for the contact" and the contact-readiness and ambassadors situation since the [[911]]-related suspension of disclosure plans.