Dimensions: A Casebook of Alien Contact [Paperback]

Jacques Vallee is a brilliant French-born professional astronomer, pioneering computer scientist and lately a successful San Francisco based venture capitalist whose prolific writings from the 1960s to the present span many subjects but focus on UFOs and related paranormal phenomena. He was the model for the French scientist played by Francois Truffaut in Spielberg's film `Close Encounters of the Third Kind.'

In October 2011 I was discussing the UFO phenomenon face-to-face with a number of French researchers. The subject of Jacques Vallee came into the conversation and one of them proclaimed, to general murmurs of agreement: "Vallee? `Ee eez a DEE-BURN-KERR!"

It's not difficult to see why this opinion is widespread: Vallee is well-known for arguing against the so-called `extraterrestrial hypothesis'. Since the 1970s he has consistently pushed his `control system' idea; that UFO phenomena and attendant encounters with occupants, reported in every part of the globe throughout the 20th century, have much in common with historic human interactions with faeries, elves, incubi/succubi and religious apparitions. He believes all these phenomena might be `interdimensional' and represent a deliberate intrusion on humanity to affect our perceptions. As he states on p42 of `Dimensions':

"...the close encounters with occupants...the ancient `beam from heaven' and the focussed light from UFOs seem to imply a technology capable of both physical manifestation and psychic effects, a technology that strikes deep at the collective unconscious, confusing us, molding us - as perhaps it confused and molded human civilizations in antiquity."

This is not a popular view; most people over the past 30 years or so who have examined Vallee's arguments in detail remain unconvinced. Despite his careful selection of cases to support his idea, the data-fit overall is poor (technically his methods of argument on this issue are `false dichotomy', `argument from spurious similarity' and `confusing correlation and causation'). But is he in fact a debunker? Personally, I don't think so: he's genuine, highly intelligent and with an unusual perspective eccentric enough to not fit neatly into any labelled `box'.

`Dimensions' is the first volume of Vallee's magnum opus trilogy, originally published between 1988 and 1991 and re-published (slightly edited and with newly written introductions) by Anomalist in 2008. In these three books, Vallee attempted to summarize his conclusions about the UFO issue after 30 years of research and study. Vallee is no armchair theorist: he gets out there and works on each case with field-study thoroughness until he has gained all possible data points first-hand. He collects forensic evidence, uses scientific method and laboratory analysis where relevant, and returns to interview witnesses again and again: this is rare - though not unique - in the field.

`Dimensions' is the weakest of the three books not because of its content, which is good, thoroughly organized and well-argued, but because it simply repeats and summarizes the author's published work prior to 1988 (the second book in the series is `Confrontations' and the third `Revelations' which both contain almost 100% original and previously unpublished casework).

If you have read `Passport to Magonia' (1970), `The Invisible College' (1975) and `Messengers of Deception' (1979) then you will find almost nothing new in `Dimensions'. The first 100 pages is practically a re-print of PtM: most of the same text copied and pasted, spiced up here and there with updated observations. Much of the content of TIC follows, in which Vallee discusses the Knock apparition, the Fatima visions and other religious `miracles' and uses them as ammunition for his artillery barrage against believers in the ETH and in support of his `control system' idea. Chapter 8, `Fighting the Triple Coverup' is basically a reprint of Chapter 2 in TIC, re-drafted with a light edit but using the same case material verbatim. Astute readers will also recognise great chunks culled from MoD, especially Chapter 9 `The Case Against Extraterrestrials' (a `case' which many readers find unconvincing).

With so much material repeated from earlier books, is `Dimensions' worth reading? I would say if you are not familiar with the author's earlier work from the 1970s then the answer is a definite `Yes.' `Dimensions' summarizes Vallee's ideas on the UFO issue succinctly and, if you can get past his formal but very literate writing style (pay close attention and you will find occasional dry Gallic humor here and there), is a good essay on his `control system' idea, supported by carefully chosen data points and case studies from his own files and from historic records. If however you know his earlier books, then the concluding summary chapters 10 and 11 are probably the only parts of `Dimensions' which are a `must read', as they do contain some original material.

Overall this is a good 4-star book on the subject, especially for the reader less familiar with Vallee's other work. It's also controversial and in places verges on the wacky (some wit told me a few years ago that Vallee's highly literate prose and academic style masks the "essential nuttiness" of his ideas) and the author does tend to quote the same cases several times in different chapters to drive home his points.

Due to the 2008 Anomalist reprint, paperback copies of `Dimensions' are plentiful and even original hardcover editions may be found at reasonable prices - unlike PtM and TIC, where prices are high due to rarity. The few glaring typos from the original text (like physicist Michio Kaku being referred to repeatedly as "Michio Taku" - even in the index) are unfortunately reproduced in the 2008 Anomalist reprint where the opportunity to correct these errors was missed (I don't know if any of these errors have been corrected in the kindle edition which of course would be easy to do, if the publisher can be bothered).

Vallee's `interdimensional control system' idea about UFOs and related paranormal phenomena is unique to him; he has stuck to it now for decades and few others have followed him down this peculiar road. His argument (even if made `from spurious similarity') is well summarised in `Dimensions', so if you're interested in this fascinating subject and don't know his work, then read the book carefully and decide for yourself if his reputation in some quarters as a `dee-burn-kerr' is deserved or if, in fact, he is a smart original thinker who might be onto something important.

This is a good book, I have not read the previous books by Vallee, but evidentally theres no need if you read this one. I agree with him on beings possibly coming here from other dimensions, its one of my theories on 'some' visitors here as i expound in my own book which you can find on amazon, the title is 'UFO's, Close encounters, Precognition, Mind reading, Ghosts and Trevor'. But I don't think its the answer to all UFO and Alien visitations, as with many people he seems to just take one of the extremes, but most things in life seem to lie in the gray area between extremes, and my guess is that this is probably the answer here too. Its a good read though and well worth having in your library and gives a different perspective to the usual. I also think its quite likely that some beings may take on familiar forms to us in order to interact and possibly influence us. I may buy some of the later books in this series for further study. well worth your time and money in my humble opinion.

The facts - exhaustively outlined by a brilliant scientist- are woven into a clear and courageous statement based wholly on observation and experience (like all good science): UFO's and inter-dimensional contacts are all part of the same experience. Believe in aliens? O.K. Believe in fairies, goblins, elves et alia? Er - well - ................. What's in a name? They are the SAME THING and Vallee has gone a long way towards a rational exposition of WHY they are the same thing. Take it, leave it, or find another and equally elegant explanation which accounts for the observed facts but doesn't offend your traditional/modern sensibilities. If you can!