Vermicious knids are a species of amorphous, shape-shifting monsters which invade the Space Hotel USA

Source

The NIDS (National Institute for Discovery Science) meanwhile is strangely amorphous (and mysterious) organisation created by space hotel pioneer Robert Bigelow.

They were set up with the express purpose of funnelling Bigelow's real estate billions into paranormal research and a lot of people speak highly about him (especially those on the receiving end of his largesse). They famously bought Skinwalker Ranch as well as doing a lot of research into cattle mutilation and becoming the sole depository for the FAA's black triangle reports. On the other hand there are a lot of claims of deep links with the military-industrial (military-occult?) complex and suggestions that it is either a CIA-front or, in the wilder areas of the Net, that it goes deeper, much much deeper suggesting links with (potentially non-existent) shadow organisations like the Aviary/Cabal. After they concluded their Skinwalker Ranch investigation they rapidly wound up operations and disappeared off the map. Little was really heard from them until chief investigator Colm Kelleher published his book.

I've been keeping an eye on them for a while and while I saw these articles when they were originally published on the Starstream Research site they have been republished at the American Chronicle and I'll use the circumstances to look at a few of their claims and you have to give the credit - they know how to hit the ground running with attention grabbing opening paragraphs like this from the first part:

Loose nukes and STAR GATE 9/11. Warp drives and wormholes. Vacuum reaction weapons. Skinwalkers and more. Starstream Research examines how the U.S. Government intends to leap beyond science fiction on a quest for the ultimate weapons.

Phew. And it only gets better. The first half gets rounded off thusly:

Dr. Eric Davis, author of the highly controversial report on teleportation commissioned by the U.S. Air Force, has been very forthcoming answering questions about observations of strange creatures and other anomalous phenomena made by NIDS personnel at Bigelow's Skinwalker Ranch. The Skinwalker is a shape shifting being said to haunt this remote part of Utah near Salt Lake City. Strange creatures, strange objects, floating black triangles, animal mutilations, disintegrated dogs, telepathic messages -- a smorgasbord of every strange and imaginable terror has been served to those unfortunates spending any period of time at the ranch. The strangeness is reported in "Hunt for the Skinwalker," by former NIDS staff scientist Colm A. Kelleher, and veteran UFO reporter George Knapp. In the Air Force teleportation study Davis examines potential scientific explanations for the weird phenomena, including spacetime wormholes, teleportation, and manipulation of the quantum vacuum.

If the STAR GATE program was any measure of the interest displayed by the DIA in this kind of weirdness, it wouldn't be surprising to learn that the Utah ranch has been the subject of at least a few confidential memos for the record. Perhaps the DIA would like to 'read in' a Skinwalker or two as part of their secret paranormal war on terror.

Rumors are one thing. Confirmation from a highly placed advisor to the U.S. government should be a different kettle of fish, altogether. Part two of this particular 'fish-story' lends at least some credence to rumors of continued government interest in accessing paranormal paraphysical phenomena in the guise of advanced technology.

Shortly after Starstream Research uncovered files that America's psychic intelligence agents had remote viewed information warning of the rise of Usama bin Ladin and the devastating attacks of September 11, 2001, we inquired about on-going interest in the use of paranormal phenomena by the Defense Intelligence Agency.

In the past few months we have received additional confirmation that anomalous mental and paraphysical phenomena continue to elicit high interest in high places. A highly placed source, who has asked to remain anonymous, has confirmed that the strange events investigated by Las Vegas businessman Bob Bigelow's National Institute of Discovery Sciences have been the subject of discussion at DIA sponsored meetings on the threats of emerging technologies.

...

Our high level source confirmed that NIDS data has been discussed by members of an elite DIA TIGER committee, at least informally. Life sciences are probably more concerned these days with the avian virus, but never underestimate the appetite for weird and wild science, even at an official level. A list of names of committee members involved in this particular wild 'tiger tale' apparently was intercepted by the NSA, or so we are told.

On a private level, the NIDS investigation of the Skinwalker phenomena was flawed as a result of budget constraints. One of the lead investigators, a physicist who has recently worked under government contract, lamented the lack of available detection equipment. Some of the 'creatures' on the ranch could only be seen using ITT night vision binoculars. The lack of a color thermal imager meant there was no means of determining if the shadowy beings emitted heat. This particular 'entity' was completely invisible to the unaided eye.

The ability to enter an environment without detection and interact with the local surroundings, would be of immense interest to the DIA. Paranormal stealth was a driving force behind the original STAR GATE psychic spy programs.

...


Science is a moving target, and there is never a shortage of researchers looking to upset the status quo. The problem nowadays for the would be alternative scientist, is that the mainstream is getting back into the game as well. Not only are some of the mainstream leaders discovering exciting possibilities in previously forbidden ground, but there is data coming in that looks to support a whole new view of man, mind, and the (multi/mega) universe.

The Aviary is concerned not so much with the hardware of an alien civilization, but with a deeper and more sinister dilemma. Take command and control of the flow of the collective unconscious mind, and you have taken control of the human race. A meme is an idea that spreads like a virus: an idea that replicates, evolves and infects like the common cold, moving from host to host. The Aviary's "core story" has revealed a virus of unearthly intent set upon the leadership of our planet.


The primary conceptual basis for the Space Time Threat Assessment Reports comes from the reports of anomalous information appearing within human perception.

Source

A lot of claims but little substance at the moment. However, we'll keep an eye on both the Starstream Research site and Gary S. Bekkum's blog as there may be interesting snippets thrown out. The blog, for example, contains a response to his claims that NIDS data has come up at intelligence briefings.

Books:

Colm A. Kelleher and George Knapp (2006)
Hunt for the Skinwalker: Science Confronts the Unexplained at a Remote Ranch in Utah (pb)
Amazon.co.uk
Amazon.com

Paul H. Smith (2006)
Reading the Enemy's Mind: Inside Star Gate--America's Psychic Espionage Program (pb)
Amazon.co.uk
Amazon.com

Jon Ronson (2005)
The Men Who Stare at Goats (pb)
Amazon.co.uk
Amazon.com

W.Adam Mandelbaum (2000)
The Psychic Battlefield: A History of the Military-Occult Complex (pb)
Amazon.co.uk
Amazon.com

Links:

• Wikipedia: NIDS - a lot of my links are on the NIDS Wikipedia page I created.
• Bush Privatizes UFO Information To "NIDS"
• Status of Bigelow's funding of UFO Research