It was Jacques Vallee who coined the phrase Esoteric Intervention Theory in Messengers of Deception, published in 1979. This idea struck a deep chord in me when I first encountered it and resulted in an article - a preliminary source study – published in AFU Newsletter no 19, April-Sept. 1980. I have since then followed up on all leads I could find relating to this theory or working hypothesis. An interesting comment on UFOs and esoteric intervention was made by esotericist Dane Rudhyar (1895-1985) in Occult Preparations for a New Age (1975).
There are two quotes in his book I find of special significance:
”The question almost inevitably comes to mind whether the Occult Brotherhoods, if they are indeed trying to establish a new public contact with mankind during the last quarter of this twentieth century, may not be ready to use the UFO myth for their purpose, just as they used — with quite unhappy results, alas — Spiritualistic and psychic phenomena in order to impress a transcendent kind of knowledge upon the collective mentality of our Western world, and through it, of mankind as a whole.” (p. 252)
”While in the nineteenth century Spiritualism sought to establish the existence of human minds and soul-entities beyond the borderline of the physical world, the twentieth century UFO movement — which also produced a wide variety of "communications" from "Space-People"— attempts to show that "men" from other planets or solar systems exist. Both movements represent an attempt at expanding consciousness and human contacts, and it will be interesting to see whether, after 1975, the occult "messenger" announced by HPB will use the UFO concept to gain public notice, and soon after also show that the usual interpretation given to flying saucers and space-people is not the correct one.” (pp. 43-44)
In 1984, the year before he died, I wrote a letter to Dane Rudhyar asking him about the American occultist Brown Landone and his assertion that some of the Tibetan adepts have moved their headquarters to South America, a claim mentioned in Rudhyar´s book. His reply may be of interest to students of the Esoteric Tradition.
Dane Rudhyar´s field of expertise was not UFO phenomena and the UFO movement, otherwise he most assuredly would have discovered the strong indications that there actually was an esoteric intervention, using the ”UFO concept” - but it happened already in the 1950s. From basically two sources it was stated that one or several esoteric lodges cooperated with benevolent alien visitors in an attempt or experiment to ”impress a transcendent kind of knowledge upon the collective mentality of our Western world, and through it, of mankind as a whole.” The two sources were the unique deep trance medium Mark Probert and the communications published by Borderland Science Research Foundation(BSRF). The second source was the information received from alien visitors and published in books, magazines and lectures by some of the first generation UFO contactees.
While Dane Rudhyar expected a new messenger, a traditional disciple, from the Planetary Guardians presenting facts like Helena Blavatsky and Alice Bailey this new experiment in influencing humanity was actually a brilliant idea suitable for the space age. That it was already planned int the 1930s is mentioned by the Tibetan D.K. in The Externalisation of the Hierarchy:
April 1935: "... the regenerative forces of Those extraplanetary Beings Who offer Their Help at this time." (p. 25)
April-May 1940: "Hovering today within the aura of our planet are certain great spiritual Forces and Entities, awaiting the opportunity to participate actively in the work of world redemption, re-adjustment and reconstruction.... the waiting extra-planetary Forces." (p. 222-223)
April 1943: "Certain great Energies of extra-planetary significance Who stand ready to intervene..." (p. 392).
Beginning in 1946 BSRF director Meade Layne began publishing the unique trance communications received through Mark Probert. The sixteen men and women, The Inner Circle, behind Probert often mentioned flying saucers and were adamant that ”the usual interpretation given to flying saucers and space-people is not the correct one”. Instead they reiterated that many of the UFOs and space people observed and contacted were from another part of the multiverse, the etheric level, and actually materialized in our atmosphere. The Inner Circle members also made an interesting comment on cooperation between the alien visitors and the Planetary Guardians or the Hierarchy:
”There is a certain secret work going on at present between the Etherians and certain high earth authorities (You understand, I suppose, that I do not use the word ”high” in the usual sense. I am referring to those belonging to some of the secret Lodges on Earth). This work has to do with the great possibility of the Earth´s destruction… These men have landed in Australia in a secret landing field. They have not only been to Scotland, but to high authorities in England, and to a few of your men and women here of high standing (I refer to the secret Orders).” (Seance Memoranda From the Inner Circle, November 28, 1951, p. 30).
Irene and Mark Probert
The Inner Circle presented themselves with names such as Ramon Natalli, Dr. Charles Lingford, Yada Di Shi´ite, Lo Sun Yat etc. Could these names be personas, fictional characters used by members of some of the secret lodges on earth? If this theory proves correct my guess would be the Yucatan Brotherhood mentioned by Charles Leadbeater, Annie Besant, Alice Bailey and Henry T. Laurency. This secret lodge created the first physical materialization phenomena that inspired the formation of the Spiritualist movement in the 19th century.
The second source asserting a cooperation between the Planetary Guardians and alien visitors is the information given to some of the first UFO contactees. An experienced esotericist can easily recognize which of the contactees present information in accordance with the Esoteric Tradition. As with the experiment using spiritualist phenomena in the 19th century, very soon imposters and various mystics glamoured and deceived by astral entities appeared in the UFO movement. This was probably one of the reasons that the experiment was terminated after about a decade. But the original messages from the core contactees had a profound cultural influence on 1950s society and and became an inspiration and hope for thousands of young people of this generation. The message or information presented to these contactees was a somewhat simplified version of the Esoteric Tradition with basic ideas such as: a multiverse reality, reincarnation, universal laws for the evolution of consciousness, Earth a quarantined or “prison planet”, man not alone in the universe etc.
Regarding the cooperation in this operation between the Planetary Guardians and alien visitors these quotes from American contactees ar of interest:
"Let us assume that there is on this planet a group of scientifically minded and spiritually dedicated men and women who are working to accomplish this great task. And, let us further assume that they have already established contacts with equally dedicated people of other planets. To continue their work and remain effective, they must of necessity remain behind the scenes. However, they can, in the interest of humanity in general, send out hints as to what will take place in the near future. Perhaps they send out scouts to make personal contacts for the specific reason of determining the reactions of every-day people. Perhaps it is done as a "smoke screen" to temporarily keep secret the real work which is going on until such time that the people are prepared to meet this new era with many changes it will bring...Then there are the personal contact stories, some of which are authentic, and which have been established for study purposes and for keeping alive a story which must eventually be brought before all people. If given in small doses, the general acceptance will be made over a period of time, and will take place almost naturally." (Howard Menger, From Outer Space To You, p. 7)
”There are also space craft, though of inferior design, which are built by people of this planet. These people are in communication and in service with people from other planets. They are people who possess a high spiritual understanding and have reached an awareness of natural law; therefore they have been entrusted with information enabling them to construct such craft.” (Howard Menger, From Outer Space To You, p. 159).
Howard Menger
”Question: Why has the information you have given me been passed through me? That is, why have I been used as the channel for it?
Ashtar: This information is well known in occult circles upon your planet, and has been known for many thousands of years by those you term initiates and adepts. This information, however, could not be revealed through their agency to the outside world. We therefore have selected individuals whose analytical minds and willingness to accept new concepts will make them channels for the truth. Your recognition of yourself and the channel for and not the originator of this material is both discreet and honorable.” (Trevor James Constable, They Live in the Sky, p. 170).
”The spacecraft that are appearing today are under the direction of the hierarchy of their own planets and are working in close harmony with the masters and mystery schools of the hierarchy on Earth… Thus we see that there is a definite connection between the mystery schools and the UFO. They are really one and the same force in operation… the UFO are in our skies, and we are talking with space men who tell us the same thing that the mentors of this planet have been telling us for many centuries.” (George Hunt Williamson and John McCoy, UFOs Confidential, p. 70).
The future prospects of humanity on this planet are not very bright unless something extraordinary happens. The ”forces of evil and destruction” evident in all aspects of society today are staggering and appalling. Trying to get humanity on our planetary Alcatraz to implement right human relations appears like a mission impossible. It will be interesting to se when and how the Planetary Guardians, eventually allied with benevolent alien visitors, plan their next move.
Watching the daily news I can fully understand the realistic view of life on Earth given by the ”Venusian” Bill to American journalist and contactee Paul M. Vest in the Summer of 1953: "Upon your earth the mere colour of one´s skin - a slight difference of religious belief - merely belonging to a different race or country - in fact the most trivial deviations precipitate animalistic belligerencies, hideous brutalities and the bloody slaughter of millions of your fellow creatures. Can you then truly be surprised when I tell you the the beings of certain other worlds view earth as earthlings might look upon a den of deadly serpents stinging each other to death."