Are Crop Circles Real?
A design appears in a field. For some it is a sign, a message from beyond. To others it is yet another hoax. Either way, the phenomenon of crop circles is as mysterious as it is actual. There is no question that crop circles are real – unlike other strange phenomenon, when crop circles suddenly appear in a farmer’s field they are documented, walked into, flown over and studied.
Image courtesy of https://commons.wikimedia.org/
The real mystery is who is making them and for what reason?
What do they mean? Are they man-made? Are they messages from ETs? Or from Mother Earth herself? Or something even stranger? Is there an unknown science hidden with the circles, waiting to be discovered? Or are the hoaxes a psychological operations of some kind?
Circular Beginnings
“Crop Circles” is a name coined by Colin Andrews for the unusual geometric formations that have been discovered in various crops since the 1960’s, although there is some historic evidence via woodcuts and the like that dates them back to the 1600’s. Most researchers agree that the modern crop circle sensation began in 1966 with the Tully event in Australia, when a farmer named George Pedley heard a sound and saw a UFO rising from a swamp. He then found a circle of pressed reeds that was photographed and documented. Subsequently, other circles started to be discovered. Throughout the 1960’s and 70’s the formations consisted of mainly circles and rings.
Many theories abounded as to what was causing these “saucer nests”; natural meteorological events such as lightning or wind were put forward as possible causes, which seemed to be accepted by most people.
In 1991 all that changed with the appearance of the Barbury Castle formation. This formation contained not only straight lines, but appeared to most as being intelligently designed and containing some kind of message.
This particular formation was obviously not the result of weather: it divided people between those who thought a deeper mystery was presenting itself and those who maintained the simple designs were natural occurrences and the more complex designs must be man-made.
Image courtesy of https://commons.wikimedia.org
This idea was reinforced when, in the same year, two men came forward, Doug Bowler and Dave Chorley, who claimed they had been making the circles for 13 years. They disclosed themselves as the creators of several formations that had been deemed “genuine” (unexplainable and/or not man-made) by Pat Delgado, one of the experts at the time. Using boards, ropes and a sighting device, they gave a demonstration to the press. This demonstration convinced some and was scoffed at others.
It was pointed out that circles had been starting to appear all over the world and in several locations on the same night, so the claim they had made all of them prior to 1987 was questioned. However most mainstream sources considered the “case closed” on crop circles, despite the occurrence of increasingly complex designs in the decades that followed.
Crop circles today are still routinely written off as hoaxes by the mainstream media and other scientific institutions such as the Smithsonian.
Going Around in Circles
Bowler and Chorley’s admission sparked a new wave of crop circle artists, or “Doug & Daves” and since 1991 the occurrences of crop circles has boomed all over the world. For some, creating crop circle designs became a form of “Land Art.” There were others who saw the crop circle phenomenon as a communication between humans and ETs; therefore started to create the designs as a way of answering back. Others simply like to create them as a joke or a hoax. However there is also a marked military interest in crop circles; many times military helicopters are seen overhead when a crop circle appears.
This has created a more conspiratorial point of view for some… has the military “cracked the code” and crop circles are being studied as an actual form of communication with an unknown source? Or perhaps they being created by the military as a psychological operations to monitor public reaction, or to test or measure advanced secret technology?
It began to become apparent to some that there was indeed some sort of technology involved that could not be explained.
Far from being trampled, as would be the effect from boards and ropes, some crop circles began to display an amazing flow and weaving of stalks that had been flattened within the circles. The plants were bent without haven been broken and were still alive and flowering. Despite this, the average man on the street still overwhelming believed that the crop circles were man-made.
As an average of 200 crop circles were and are occurring every year in over 60 countries, serious researchers began to find ways to assess if a crop circle was genuine or man-made by more stringent methods rather than by the complexity of the designs alone.
Enter the Doctor
As it turns out, in that same year of 1991, a biophysicist named Dr. William C. Levengood began to study the stalks found within crop circles and almost immediately found anomalies. Over the next 10 years, thousands of samples of stalks within and outside the crop circle formations were sent to his lab to be studied. What he discovered was a lengthening of the apical nodes (the first “node” of a plant stalk beneath the seed-head) which seemed to be the result of some kind of electromagnetic or microwave energy exposure.
This exposure caused the stalk to bend at various angles, sometimes as much as 90˚, depending on the degree, without killing the plant. This “expulsion of the node” sometimes affected only a single row of cells within the stalk, something that we do not currently have to technology to recreate.
Another discovery made almost by accident was that the seeds within the crop circle seemed to have been exposed to an “electron-ion impulse,” an effect subsequently repeated in the lab and dubbed MIR. Seeds exposed to electron-ion impulse caused the resulting plant to have increased growth-rate, increased yield and increased tolerance to environmental stresses. This effected all the seeds within the crop circle whether the stalk had been flattened or not, as some of the formations had “standing parts” at the center of the circles.
Around the same time, attempts to witness crop circles as they were being formed were attempted by various groups led by Colin Andrews, Pat Delgado and Terence Meaden. None succeeded, although each group came away with enough equivocal data to suggest a non-man-made phenomenon had been observed had been observed.
Colin Andrews, who was actually quite critical of Dr. Levengood’s work, concluded after decades of research that 20% of crop circle formations were indeed “genuine” (unexplainable and/or not man-made).
In 1992, an investigation dubbed “Project Agnus” led by Michael Chorost also found anomalies in the plants and soil of crops within crop circles, although they concluded that they had failed to find the “smoking gun.”7 Despite the inconclusive evidence it seems fairly clear that some crop circles contain features that can not be hoaxed and should alone provide a basis of physical proof that something else besides boards and is creating a certain percentage of crop circles. Why then, does the “hoax” verdict dominate the mainstream?
Social Circles
Perhaps because the initial crop circle that was found in Tully, Australia was discovered alongside a report of a UFO sighting, causing the first circles to be dubbed “saucer nests,” as well as other sightings of balls or light or light beings above or within the circles, UFOs and aliens have become linked with the crop circle phenomenon. After the famous Roswell UFO crash in 1947, “belief” in UFOs was deliberately ridiculed and became socially taboo; any professional who admitted their belief could damage or lose their career. This is still true today for many in the mainstream, although worldwide sightings, scientific discovery of thousands of earth-like planets and the sheer numbers of people who have had direct experience has skyrocketed, causing a slow but persistent shift in social acceptance.
Image courtesy of https://commons.wikimedia.org/
However it would seem that the connection of crop circles with UFOs and ETs provides enough “taboo” contamination for any actual scientific research to be taken seriously.
Much of the western world’s social stability is strictly secular and relies on the scientific method, with no room for the magical or mysterious.
In short, western culture relies on facts, or at least, facts that support the status quo. There is, of course, the fact that many crop circles are indeed man-made. Documentaries such as the one produced by the National Geographic Channel in 2009, “Crop Circles: Is it Real?” provide the skeptic with an abundance of assumptions that support the dismissal of crop circles as supernatural. For those who do not give the subject of UFOs a second thought and feel the “more intelligent” way to go is to assume the crop circle mystery has been solved, or at least can be explained by existing technology, there is ground to stand on, and those people are, in fact, in the majority. The psychology behind this cognitive dissonance is perhaps the subject of another article.
Meanwhile as researchers and enthusiasts continue their studies of crop circles, the ET connection is coming into question.
There is no doubt that something unexplainable is happening, but current research is showing an emergence of what can only be described as a “psi connection” between people and whatever force is at work.
Gary King, a crop circle tour guide and researcher, sites an example of a Mexican group interested in ancient Mexican history who visited the Wiltshire area, only to have a beautiful Mayan design appear the very next day, seemingly “just for them.” Researcher Lucy Pringle recalls a time in 2013 when Peter Knight, a expert on the “Long Barrow” (an ancient edifice in Wiltshire) was speaking at the WCCSG Conference in Marlborough. He had led a talk and meditation the night before and had “prayed for a crop circle.” Amazingly, the next day one appeared near the Long Barrow. Colin Andrews for his part is convinced that some sort of communication is taking place. They are far from alone.
Many other people, from curious visitors to other dedicated researchers, have reported similar experiences and impressions, causing a consciousness link to be considered as an integral part of crop circles phenomenon.
The issue, of course, is when creation and meaning are not actually scientifically provable and the arena of consciousness is introduced into the mix, it’s a bit of a game-over as far as reaching a unified understanding.
Like any kind of symbolic interpretation, crop circles mean different things to different people, although some have displayed mathematical language and computer code, which leave almost no room for speculation.
The famous 2008 Pi Crop Circle formation, the 2002 Chilbolton Crop Circle featuring an alien face and a disk containing ASCII code, and the 2001 Arecibo Message Crop Circle that seemed to be a direct response to the message sent by SETI from the Arecibo radio telescope in 1974, are but a few.
The Chilbolton Crop Circle features an alien face and ASCII code. Image courtesy of Wikipedia Commons.
Markings of an Agenda?
So at the end of the day, who is making the “genuine” or unexplainable crop circles, and what they mean, continues to be a mystery. The skeptics have their arguments on hand and ready, for example, “Why are there never any witnesses?,” “If they are trying to deliver a message why use such obscure symbolism?” “The science hasn’t’ been proven.” These are valid questions and concerns, however, there is evidence that a larger manipulation may be taking place.
According to researcher and best-selling author Freddie Silva, the origin of “Doug and Dave’s” pranks traced back to the British Military.
Other exposed hoaxers, such as Robert Irving and Jim Schnabel, admitted on a secretly recorded tape that many hoaxes and debunking efforts were being carried out by the American, British and Germany Secret Services, under a larger “super-national” organization, and that hoaxers often received large amounts of money for their services.
Farmers are not exempt, according to an ex-police sergeant whistleblower some are “paid off” to immediately mow crop circle formations.
And as documented in Episode 3 of Gaia’s Crop Circles: Embrace the Mystery crop circle enthusiasts sometimes encounter men in newly discovered formations that claim to be the creators, identifying the formation as a hoax in order to dis-empower it. Although, their claim as the “creators” may itself be a hoax.
The Enigma Continues
Ultimately the choice whether to believe crop circles are the work of over-enthusiastic graduate students, land artists or other jokesters, a communication from an unknown cosmic, spiritual or earthly source, or a military psy-ops of some kind, is up to the observer. Being confronted with scientific facts does not necessarily make people change their minds.
One thing is for sure, crop circles continue to emerge and engage the imaginations of many. It is up to each one of us whether to embrace the mystery or not.
About the Author
Praying Mantis Aliens: The Mysterious Insectoid Extraterrestrial Race
Table of Contents
- Mythology and Ancient Connections
- Origin Theories
- The Iranian Petroglyph
- Characteristics of Mantis Beings
- What are the Praying Mantis Aliens’ Intentions on Earth?
- Interdimensional or Higher-Dimensional Roles
- What Do Praying Mantis Aliens Really Want From Humanity?
Mantis aliens, also known as Praying Mantis aliens, are perhaps the most mysterious extraterrestrial creatures described in modern contact reports. These beings appear in numerous alien encounter accounts, with contactees often waking in the dead of night to find tall, insectoid figures looming beside their beds. While the Mantis is not as frequently reported as the Grey or Nordic alien, it holds an important and unsettling role in many alien abduction narratives and spiritual contact experiences.
Some researchers have even proposed that Mantids could represent an early form of intelligent life that once evolved on Earth, a hypothesis suggesting a hidden chapter of human evolution. Others view them as an advanced mantis race originating from distant star systems, weaving them into the same cosmic lore that includes Greys and Reptilians. Whatever their origin, the stories share a consistent fascination with their otherworldly appearance, telepathic abilities, and the powerful emotional impact they leave on witnesses.
These accounts raise questions about our place in the universe. Are Mantis beings ancient overseers, benevolent teachers, or enigmatic visitors with motives beyond our understanding? To explore this phenomenon, the sections below examine their mythological roots, physical traits, reported encounters, and the ongoing cultural fascination with these mantis beings.
Mythology and Ancient Connections
Insect beings appear within mythologies throughout the world, including Native American and African folklore. The Khoisan tribe of Africa specifically regards the mantis as the first living creature on the Earth. According to their legends, this primal figure:
- Granted life to animals and humans
- Invented language to help early people communicate
- Brought fire to humankind
- Created the moon, hurling a gallbladder into the night sky to guide hunters
Insects embody a quality of “otherness” in their demeanor and appearance, and this lack of mammalian attributes tends to alienate and upset human beings, a reaction that has led humans to kill insects despite their ecological importance. The praying mantis stands apart as the most human-like arthropod, yet it still inspires a deep, instinctive discomfort.
Could this human reaction explain the common experience of paralysis that Mantis beings induce when contacting Earthlings? The possibility of paralysis as a precautionary measure against the overwhelming human urge to destroy the “other” cannot be discounted.
Origin Theories
The true origin of Mantis aliens remains an open mystery. Researchers and experiencers propose a range of possibilities, each adding layers to the broader extraterrestrial narrative:
- Interstellar Hypothesis: Many accounts place them in distant star systems such as Draco or Orion. In this view, the mantis race works alongside the Reptilians, forming part of a far-reaching cosmic alliance that wields advanced technology and subtle influence over Earth.
- Ancient-Earth Hypothesis: A smaller group of theorists speculates that Mantids could represent an early branch of intelligent life native to our own planet, an evolutionary path that diverged long before humans appeared and perhaps resurfaced as a hidden species or interdimensional visitor.
- Hybrid Perspectives: Some experiencers suggest that the beings may move between physical and non-physical realms, blurring the line between extraterrestrial travelers and spiritual entities.
While concrete evidence remains elusive, these ideas contribute to the intriguing and complex narrative surrounding Mantis aliens and their place in the broader extraterrestrial landscape.
The Iranian Petroglyph
A remarkable archaeological find in Iran adds a striking visual layer to the lore of mantis beings. Between 2017 and 2018, a joint team of entomologists and archaeologists documented a unique rock carving at the Teymareh site in central Iran.
Discovery and Description
The carving shows a six-limbed figure with the unmistakable head and grasping arms of a praying mantis. Circles appear near the figure’s sides, echoing the well-known squatter man motif found in other ancient petroglyphs. Early estimates place the artwork anywhere between 4,000 and 40,000 years old, though precise dating remains difficult because international sanctions prevent the use of modern radioactive dating techniques.
Interpretations and Symbolism
Researchers note that prehistoric humans were fascinated by the praying mantis, often associating it with mysticism and transformation. The Iranian carving could represent:
- A shamanic figure channeling mantis energy during trance states
- An artistic depiction of the insect itself, celebrated for its eerie stillness and predatory power
- A symbolic connection to sky phenomena, given the circular shapes reminiscent of celestial objects
While some in the UFO community interpret the carving as evidence of ancient contact with mantis aliens, the scientific view remains open. Whether a spiritual emblem, an artistic marvel, or a prehistoric encounter with something beyond our understanding, the Teymareh petroglyph reinforces humanity’s long-standing fascination with mantid-like forms.
Characteristics of Mantis Beings
Mantis aliens are distinguished by their unique physical and behavioral characteristics, setting them apart from other ancient aliens. Their insectoid features and advanced cognitive abilities offer a fascinating glimpse into the diversity of life forms that may exist beyond Earth.
Physical Appearance
Accounts of these beings reveal a remarkable resemblance to the terrestrial praying mantis, but scaled to a daunting, human-sized frame. Common descriptions include:
- Height: Typically 6 to 7 feet tall, though some reports claim individuals as tall as 9 feet.
- Build: Slender, elongated torsos with long limbs and multiple joints at the neck, elbows, and fingers, giving them an unsettling flexibility.
- Head and Eyes: Distinctly triangular heads with large, slanted eyes ranging from deep brown to glossy black, sometimes reflecting faint inner light.
- Coloration: Most witnesses describe dark brown exoskeletons, but shades of green, black, or even pale gray have been reported.
- Surface Texture: A segmented exoskeleton that some say is coated with a thin, oily sheen that glistens under light.
- Clothing: Contactees frequently note flowing robes in muted or jewel-toned colors, perhaps indicating rank or function, while others describe beings entirely unclothed yet regal in posture.
- Facial Details: Some experiencers mention faint antennae or small horn-like protrusions near the brow, reinforcing the unmistakable mantid-like silhouette.
Communication Methods
Although the Mantis tend to communicate with human contactees using telepathic messages, they have also been witnessed engaging one another using auditory language. Several contactees describe the Mantis language as a series of clicking sounds exchanged between the creatures, rhythmic and deliberate rather than random noise. These clicks are sometimes accompanied by subtle trills or high-frequency tones, leading some to believe the sounds form a structured insectoid language with layers of meaning beyond human comprehension.
In their exchanges with humans, the telepathy is often described as calm, authoritative, and impossible to ignore, transmitting fully formed ideas or vivid mental images rather than spoken words. Many abductees also report that Mantis beings can influence physical and emotional states during contact, inducing a deep sense of calm or even temporary paralysis. Witnesses say they remain fully conscious yet unable to move or speak, a condition interpreted by some as a protective measure to prevent panic or resistance while communication takes place.
Abilities
Some experiencers state that Mantis aliens possess high-level telepathy that goes beyond simple thought transmission, allowing them to share complex images, concepts, and even multi-sensory impressions in a single instant. Witnesses often describe receiving entire scenarios or symbolic visions that feel more like direct downloads than ordinary communication.
Reports also attribute advanced technological or energetic skills to these beings. Contactees describe Mantids manipulating light or electromagnetic fields, operating craft silently, or appearing and disappearing without visible machinery. A few accounts even claim that Mantis beings can subtly alter human perception of time, creating the sense that minutes or hours pass in a compressed instant.
Some narratives include shapeshifting or projection abilities, where Mantids cloak their true insectoid appearance behind a human-like form or generate convincing holographic environments. These abilities, whether biological or technological, support the widespread belief in their role as master planners and overseers in UFO lore, echoing descriptions found in abduction stories and speculative studies of advanced alien intelligence.
What are the Praying Mantis Aliens’ Intentions on Earth?
The perceived motivation of the Mantis’s interest in humans remains just as mysterious as their appearance. Some contactees describe these creatures as positive, uplifting beings who seek to protect humanity and the Earth, presenting themselves as careful watchers rather than aggressors. One common thread reported in many abduction scenarios centers on the use of holographic projections as a means of education, with contactees often shown striking images of the destruction of planet Earth to illustrate the potential negative impact that our species could have on the planet.
Others have reported an increase in psychic abilities following contact, describing heightened intuition, clearer dreams, or an unexplained boost in creativity. Many experiencers also claim that the Mantis beings possess an uncanny ability to put contactees at ease, offering telepathic words of comfort that remove fear and create an unexpected sense of calm during an encounter.
Encounters and UFO Sightings of the Mantis Race
Mantis alien encounters and UFO sightings have been reported in locations all over the world, adding to the mystery surrounding these insectoid beings. In the United States, several claims come from Phoenix, Arizona, where residents reported seeing unexplained UFOs accompanied by descriptions of praying mantis aliens standing near or inside the craft. Similar accounts have emerged from rural areas of the United Kingdom, where witnesses describe strange lights in the sky followed by interactions with towering mantis-like figures. Other sightings span the Amazon region of Brazil and Canadian provinces such as Alberta and British Columbia, showing that these reports are not limited to one culture or continent.
During alleged abductions, Mantis aliens are often described as overseers or leaders, appearing to hold positions of power. They are typically accompanied by smaller Grey aliens, who seem to perform tasks under the Mantis’s direction. These smaller Greys are assumed to function as drones, controlled by a hive mind and utilized by various alien races.
The nature of these encounters often involves a mix of medical examinations, telepathic interrogation, and visual demonstrations meant to teach or warn the human subjects. Contactees consistently emphasize the mantid-like appearance of these beings as tall, jointed, and alien, yet strangely intelligent, which reinforces their reputation as calculated observers in the wider network of reported extraterrestrial races.
Human DNA Harvesting and Hybridization Theories
Some return from their experiences with the Mantis with a darker perspective, suggesting that the Mantis people may wish to conquer and control Earth, conducting long-term genetic experiments that involve harvesting human DNA. A recurring belief is that a Mantis-led hybridization program is underway, designed to create a new species that combines human and insectoid traits.
Among the most unsettling reports are sightings of the so-called Tall Blacks, creatures thought to be the result of such hybridization. Witnesses describe these beings as incredibly tall and more humanoid than insectoid, with black skin, extremely long limbs, and extra joints on their appendages. Their glowing red eyes and silent, deliberate movements are often compared to those of the Mantis beings themselves, reinforcing fears of a shared origin. Many of these encounters involve medical procedures or biological sampling, echoing themes found throughout broader alien abduction narratives.
Interdimensional or Higher-Dimensional Roles
Some reports describe Praying Mantis aliens not just as travelers from distant galaxies but as higher-dimensional beings. Witnesses claim they can shift between vibrational states, appearing as luminous or energy-based forms that move through physical barriers and materialize without warning. This perspective presents the Mantids as more than extraterrestrials, suggesting an intelligence that operates partly outside normal space and time.
Believers often connect this interdimensional quality to the Mantids’ environmental warnings and psychic teachings. Their telepathy, holographic visions, and subtle manipulation of energy are viewed as signs of a consciousness able to work across multiple planes. Whether taken literally or symbolically, these accounts portray the Mantis aliens’ mission on Earth as one of guidance and awakening rather than simple observation.
What Do Praying Mantis Aliens Really Want From Humanity?
Regardless of the true motivations behind the Mantis species, their fascination with human DNA and behavior is evident from countless abductee accounts. Across cultures and decades of reports, these beings are described as both benevolent overseers and unsettling experimenters, leaving their intentions open to interpretation.
Praying Mantis aliens continue to blur the lines between ancient mythology, modern UFO encounters, and theories of higher-dimensional intelligence. Are they guardians guiding humanity toward a greater purpose, or enigmatic figures conducting experiments beyond our understanding? Keep an open mind, as only time will truly tell.
