THE CRYPTOTERRESTRIALS: A Meditation on Indigenous Humanoids and the Aliens Among Us Kindle Edition

Mac Tonnies died of heart problems at the age of 34 in 2009. It's a great shame, because this guy could write stimulating, thoughtful questions and observations. He starts from a simple question: What if the UFO phenomenon reported by witnesses is essentially as reported -- but (no matter what the UFOnauts say) what if they're not from OUT THERE but from HERE on Earth? Jacques Vallee said some of the same ideas when he observed that the modern generic "alien from space" character appears to fulfill the same mythological/cultural niche as fairies and "the Good Folk" in Celtic societies -- they are The Other, able to do un-Human things, and are often not to be bothered with Human concerns, but they are definitely also native to the planet we live on. Similarly, in his writings, John Keel describes some of the silly, repetitive actions of UFO intelligences as appearing to simply be the latest manifestation of a supernatural race of beings that are trying to restructure man's view of reality. After all, we only took samples of Moon rocks over SIX Apollo voyages; UFO occupants have been witnessed doing apparently the same thing HUNDREDS OF TIMES. (Maybe they have a bigger collectibles market?!?) But where Tonnies differs from these Great Old Men of UFO Thought is his next "what if": What if they are not supernatural (vide Vallee) or Ultraterrestrial (vide Keel)? What if they are physical critters? Think of the last Japanese World War II soldiers hiding in the jungle, not knowing the War was over -- and their worry that somebody might burn the jungle down and drive them into the open. If a group of such theoretical refugees in an occupied land were forced to forage in the outer world, what "cover stories" might they invent? And if the pockets of refugees (or "leftovers" from a once-mighty civilization) had lost contact with each other, mightn't they provide conflicting fibs? If "they" -- these elusive critters who CLAIM to be from "out there" -- were stuck here with us, this would explain the sudden warnings against global destruction and ecological disaster that arose as Man's Atomic Age dawned. What if these reputed "Aliens from space" are flesh-and-blood and merely possessed of a *slightly* higher rate of technology than us? Consider our own inklings of how electronic fields can influence the brain's perception of reality. Or, imagine a cloud of nanoparticles capable of instant coalescence into the material objects necessary for a little "reality charade." Such a concept could explain the impossible aerobatics of UFOs -- they're not solid objects UNLESS THEY CHOOSE TO BE. These Cryptoterrestrials' role would be akin to Grandma in the backseat watching as her drunk grandson drives the family car at a high rate of speed on a mountain highway. "Slow down before you kill us all!" And if the warning sounds more credible if relayed by a cop than if given by Granny -- what if "Granny" can (briefly) appear like a cop (to our eyes) if she wants to? Now, Tonnies posits this kind of question a lot more insightfully. Somebody could make a much longer book by simply unpacking a few of his paragraphs. The book is 127 pages long and was finalized by friends after Tonnies' sudden death. It doesn't seem truncated at all -- it just packs a big punch into a small package. He also considers where "they" might be living/hiding, and why they seem to take so many different forms. But you'll have to find out for yourself! If you have ready access to the book through your library, grab it NOW. I suspect that, like me, after reading it once you will then buy yourself a copy. It is a worthwhile book for many reasons, not just for the author's "Might They Live Here?" theory. He also makes many simple observations about various other theoretical explanations for UFO sightings that are "wow" moments many times over. You should really read this book.

I have a deep interest in this subject and I enjoy reading new theories on it. In this work, Tonnies challenges mainstream ufologists - if there can be such a thing - to think outside their proverbial boxes and realize that all is not as it seems. Part of this phenomenon really might depend on the observer's experience of it, and Tonnies makes a case for how this, in fact, might be indicative of the nature of this "otherworldly" culture that we find ourselves interacting with on an extremely bizarre and inexplicable level. He presents his case well, writes in a concise and yet informative manner, and it was an easy to follow text. I gave it only four stars because I would like to have heard more in the way of collective experiences - or rather, that is to say, I wish he'd included more personalized accounts or anecdotes from people. I personally enjoy hearing accounts of wildly fascinating interactions with the unfathomable. Having said that, the text was good, and if you're into this type of subject matter, you'll want to check it out.

This reads like a long introduction to a revelation which never actually comes. But I recommend it. It is beautifully written, elegant and does go over all the relevant material we have on abductees and theories of alien intrusion on the planet. And it does make the case that there is nothing in the evidence to rule out the possibility that "the aliens" are in fact indigenous to this planet. The essay is also rich in bibliographical references that might be of immense help to those readers knew to this field. What is NOT here is an interesting or well developed theory as to just who cryptoterrestrials might actually be, and what they want. Other books will have to take the speculation further. Again, I recommend this. I also recommend "The Gods of Eden" by William Bramley.

There is no one more well read on Non-human intelligence. Tonnies is the man. If you research NHI or UAP voraciously like me, then this is a must read.

Thus remains a promising theory of UFO-UAP origin. It’s a must to have knowledge of Tonnies theory.

It's not a bad book -- I'll say that much. But, as another reviewer noted, the author borrows so heavily from Jacques Vallee and the late, great John Keel (whose books already fill my shelves) that it feels like an unnecessary addition to the body of work which already comprises the cryptoterrestrial (or ultraterrestrial) theory. Further, most of what Tonnies writes is so repetitive, not only from chapter-to-chapter but also from one paragraph to the next, that I felt as though the book could have benefited from a bit of stern editing; indeed, far sterner than what it was already given, considering that the book was pieced together by Tonnies' family and friends after his untimely death.As it is, it definitely feels more like a collection of thoughts, rather than a solid body of independent work, and I was thus disappointed. Perhaps I was expecting too much from such a slim volume (it's only around 120 pages), but I believed the book was going to be an advancement of Keel and Vallee's work, instead of a mere re-hash. Go ahead and buy the book if you're still curious, but just don't expect anything groundbreaking.

Mac serves up a smorgasbord of theories for us to taste.Some readers will savor them, some will say not bad, and others will violently spit them out.I liked what he offers up here, although I must say, some things in the buffet were just a little exotic for my taste buds, but were worth a sample, anyway.And Mike Clelland's little illustrations throughout made an appetizing dessert to round the meal off.It's a shame that Mac is not around anymore to offer up second helpings, because I for one would be saying, "more please".

Excellent addition to my collection. I recommend it to anyone looking to expand their mind and see things from new, and interesting perspectives. Food for thought guaranteed.

This book is a real eye opener and definitely rings true, a must read! I love Mac Tonnies he had a great mind.

I found this well written book to be interesting and it contains some refreshing musing on the subject matter. I don't necessarily agree with with the hypothesis that the author puts forward. But, it is important to point out that the author himself, isn't claiming either that his hypothesis is the answer to the mystery. This fact is stated clearly in the afterward written by Greg Bishop.We don't know who or what is truly behind the mystery. Perhaps it is a mixture of all the leading hypotheses?, including this hypothesis that is presented in this book?Mac Tonnies sadly passed away at the age of 34 in 2009. This was his last book that he wrote. I highly recommend this book and I'm happy to have it in my collection.

It is interesting to read a different point of view on the subject. But I wouln't read a 400 pages of a book like this one. 120 pages was okGive it a try and you'll see

I'd read about this book online and I would advise anyone with an interest in Fortean subjects to read it.While I don't agree with everything in the book, it was an entertaining read.Buy it and see how we have lost a great Fortean thinker.