In an unexpected twist, a common thread has emerged recently between US President Donald Trump and former US President Barack Obama.
No, it is not a policy decision or political stance. It is aliens and unidentified flying objects (UFOs).
From Jaadu in Koi Mil Gaya to E.T., a look at the recent remarks and our continued obsession with aliens and the psychology behind it.
President Donald Trump on Thursday said he will direct the Pentagon and other federal agencies to release government records related to extraterrestrial life and UFOs.
“Based on the tremendous interest shown, I will be directing the Secretary of War, and other relevant Departments and Agencies, to begin the process of identifying and releasing Government files related to alien and extraterrestrial life, unidentified aerial phenomena (UAP), and unidentified flying objects (UFOs), and any and all other information connected to these highly complex, but extremely interesting and important, matters,” he said in a post on Truth Social.
It was not immediately clear what information the records contain or when they would be released. The Pentagon in recent years has expanded efforts to catalog, track and investigate reports of UFOs through its All-domain Anomaly Resolution Office, which reiterated in a2024 report that it has found no evidence of alien life.
Trump’s remarks come after former President Barack Obama drew media attention over the weekend when he appeared to confirm the existence of aliensin an interview with podcast host Brian Tyler Cohen.
“They’re real but I haven’t seen them,” Obama said when asked whether aliens are real.
The former president later clarified in an Instagram post that he was referring to the statistical likelihood of life existing on other planets given the vastness of the universe.
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“But the distances between solar systems are so great that the chances we’ve been visited by aliens is low, and I saw no evidence during my presidency that extraterrestrials have made contact with us,” he added.
When asked about the comments on Thursday, Trump said on Air Force One, “Well, I don’t know if they’re real or not. I can tell you he gave classified information. He’s not supposed to be doing that. He made a big mistake.”
The topic of UAPs or unidentified anomalous phenomena – commonly known as UFOs – has garnered tremendous public attention, fueled in part by conspiracy theories about the US government hiding evidence of aliens.
There have been pushes in recent years for more transparency on the matter, including a 2023 House hearing where three military veterans warned that the sightings of UAPs are a national security problem and that the government has been too secretive about them.
The Pentagon, working with the Office of the Director of National Intelligence and other government agencies, had received a total of 1,652 reports of UAPs as of 2024, according to a report published that year.
Some of the sightings still have not been explained, while others have been attributed to “balloon or balloon-entities,” as well as drones, birds, weather events or airborne debris like plastic bags.
Jon Kosloski, the director of the All-domain Anomaly Resolution Office, acknowledged in 2024 that a number of cases had not yet been plausibly explained, requiring additional data and analysis.
Kosloski said some of these were “interesting cases that I – my physics and engineering background, and time in the (intelligence community) – I do not understand, and I don’t know anybody else who understands them either.”
Both Hollywood and Hindi cinema have long been obsessed with what lies beyond our world.
Hollywood’s handling of aliens has evolved through several distinct phases. In the 1950s, movies like The War of the Worlds and Invasion of the Body Snatchers used aliens as allegories for Cold War anxieties and the fear of “the other” infiltrating society. Alien and The Thing shifted to “body horror,” where the obsession was about the frailty of the human body and the terror of unknown biology.
Parallel to the horror, E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial and Close Encounters of the Third Kind portrayed aliens as misunderstood or benevolent, sparking a “wonder-based” obsession. Recent films like Arrival and District 9 use aliens to explore linguistics, grief, and social issues like refugees and apartheid.
Bollywood’s approach has often been more “human-centric,” blending sci-fi with song, dance, and social drama. Koi… Mil Gaya (2003) remains the gold standard, where the alien “Jadoo” serves as a catalyst for a protagonist’s personal growth, blending the sci-fi obsession with deep family emotions.
PK (2014) used an alien perspective to question human dogmas and religious hypocrisy, turning the “obsessive” search for a higher power back on humanity itself.
The interest in UFOs and aliens is driven by a deep-seated mix of psychological needs, sociological shifts, and ancient human instincts. According to researchers and historians, this fascination serves as a modern framework for addressing timeless questions and anxieties.
The “Technological Angel” Archetype: Famous psychiatrist Carl Jung theorized that UFOs are modern versions of “heavenly ascents”. Where past societies looked for angels or saints to descend from the heavens, modern humans look for technological saviours who might solve our unsolvable problems, like climate change or war.
The Quest for Meaning: Belief in extraterrestrial life often stems from a desire to feel part of something larger than ourselves. It provides psychological comfort in an era where traditional religion or social structures may feel less certain.
Fear of Being Alone: As social animals, humans have an inherent aversion to isolation. The search for aliens is, at its core, a search for validation that we are not the only sentient life in the universe.
A “Blank Screen” for Anxiety: UFOs often serve as a projection screen for current societal fears. During the Cold War, they represented nuclear terror; today, they may symbolize anxieties about technology, surveillance, or “the other”.
Modern Folklore: Scholars view UFO stories as a form of contemporary mythology. These narratives help us make sense of inexplicable events and maintain a sense of mystery in a world that feels increasingly mapped out by science.
Government Mystery: The UFO narrative is deeply tied to a distrust of authority. The idea that “the government knows and won’t tell us” creates a compelling, unending story that keeps the public engaged regardless of definitive proof.
The “Wanderlust” Instinct: Human history is marked by discovery and exploration. Looking for life in the stars is the ultimate new frontier, appealing to our innate curiosity to learn how life works and where we came from.
