Reptilian Aliens: The Theory, Evidence, and Alleged Encounters

The Reptilian hypothesis proposes that a species of intelligent, reptile-like extraterrestrials has interacted with humanity throughout history. The modern version of this theory was popularized by British author David Icke in his 1999 book "The Biggest Secret," where he claimed that shapeshifting reptilian beings occupy positions of power in human governments and institutions worldwide.

Earlier references to reptilian beings in ufology predate Icke considerably. John Rhodes coined the term "Reptoid" in 1993 and established the Reptoids Research Center to catalog encounters with reptilian humanoids. Reports of reptile-like beings also appear in the files of researcher John Carpenter, who documented cases from the 1980s and 1990s involving beings described as tall, scaled, and possessing vertical-slit pupils.

One of the earliest modern reptilian encounter reports comes from Ashland, Nebraska in 1967, when police officer Herbert Schirmer claimed to have been taken aboard a craft by beings he described as having a slightly reptilian appearance with grey-white skin. Under hypnosis conducted by researcher Leo Sprinkle, Schirmer described the beings as having slightly slitted eyes and wearing uniforms with a winged serpent emblem.

In the 1980s and 1990s, numerous abduction researchers documented cases involving reptilian beings. Researcher Barbara Bartholic and later her student Karla Turner recorded accounts from experiencers who described encounters with tall, powerful reptilian entities, often in the context of underground facilities. These accounts frequently described the beings as six to eight feet tall with muscular builds, green or brown scaly skin, and an intimidating demeanor.

Serpentine and reptilian beings appear in mythologies across the ancient world, which proponents argue could represent historical encounters with such entities. The Naga of Hindu and Buddhist mythology are serpent deities that dwell underground, the Cerastes of Greek myth were horned serpent creatures, and Quetzalcoatl of Mesoamerican tradition was a feathered serpent god associated with knowledge and civilization.

The biblical serpent in the Garden of Eden and the dragon traditions found throughout Chinese, European, and African cultures have also been cited as possible cultural memories of reptilian beings. Skeptics note that reptilian archetypes more likely reflect humanity's deep evolutionary fear of predatory reptiles, as primates have coexisted with dangerous snakes and crocodilians for millions of years, making such imagery a natural product of the human psyche. The 1983 miniseries V, which put lizards in human skin in front of forty million viewers sixteen years before Icke, has its own entry on the Visitors of V.

Mainstream scientists and most UFO researchers regard the Reptilian hypothesis, particularly the shapeshifting and infiltration claims, as lacking credible evidence. Psychologists have noted that the theory draws on pattern recognition biases and can function as a framework for interpreting unrelated events as connected. Researchers like Michael Barkun have analyzed how Reptilian theories incorporate elements of older conspiracy traditions into a new mythological structure.

Critics also point out that video evidence purporting to show shapeshifting is consistently attributable to compression artifacts in digital video, lighting anomalies, or pareidolia. However, some ufologists maintain that while the political conspiracy aspects are unfounded, a smaller body of encounter reports involving reptilian-type beings deserves serious investigation alongside other entity encounter categories in the UFO literature.