Strange Arrivals is a production of I-Heart Radio and Grim and Mild from Aaron Mankey.

For the best experience, listen with headphones. This is a bonus episode of Season 3 of Strange Arrivals.

Bonus episodes feature interviews that I conducted during my research, but that

I either didn't use or use sparingly in the main episodes. They were great conversations

that for one reason or another didn't make the cut,

but I think they add valuable perspective to the ideas we explored this season.

Dr. Diana Pisulka is Professor of Philosophy and Religion at University of North Carolina Wilmington,

and the author of the very interesting book American Cosmic.

I interviewed her in May of 2022 just a few days before the first

congressional hearing in more than 50 years to focus on military reports of

UFOs.

As you'll see, we have quite different takes on the

UFO phenomenon, but I think she has a unique approach

and I really enjoyed our conversation.

So I am Diana Pizulka and I'm a professor at the University of North Carolina in Wilmington.

And I have been a professor there for 20 years. I have a PhD in religious studies and my field has been in Catholic history and Catholic traditions. That's what I was trained in.

Before that, I lived in California.

I grew up in the California environment of eclectic spirituality.

My mother is kind of like a reformed Jew and my father was

Catholic. I went to Catholic schools. I was Catholic really I mean you know and I went to a Catholic high school and then after that I decided to attend the

Jesuit school theology which is a tribute it's affiliated with Berkeley's,

UC Berkeley's, they have a partnership,

...