The disclosure movement is a group of people who believe that governments, especially the United States government, have hidden information about UFOs and beings that are not human. These beings are described in different ways, such as space aliens, creatures from other dimensions, Earth-born life forms, or even time travelers. The movement supports making this information public to help people and science learn more. Supporters of the movement believe that a future event called "disclosure" will happen, when this secret information is officially shared.

Some people who support the movement have said that leaders like Barack Obama, Hillary Clinton, Joe Biden, Donald Trump, or Pope Leo XIV might soon begin the process of disclosure. Observers sometimes compare the movement to a type of religious belief. Well-known people who support disclosure include David Wilcock, Steven Greer, and Christopher Mellon.

Beliefs

The disclosure movement is a group of people who believe that governments are hiding information about UFOs and space aliens. They want this information to be made public for reasons such as helping society, learning about science, or understanding spiritual matters. "Disclosure" refers to the moment when governments are expected to finally share all they know about UFOs, aliens, and alien technology. Some people in the movement once believed that U.S. presidents like Obama, Clinton, and Trump would start this process during their time in office. After Pope Leo XIV was chosen as the new pope, a professor named Kody W. Cooper said some people thought he might reveal secrets about UFOs that the Vatican was keeping.

According to journalist Alex Seitz-Wald, members of the movement believe the government is hiding "the greatest secret in history." Stephen Greer, a supporter, claimed that aliens are here to help humans, but the military-industrial complex is trying to scare people by creating the U.S. Space Force to prepare for a war with aliens. On the internet forum AboveTopSecret, which focuses on UFOs and conspiracy theories, people have discussed whether making UFO reports more accessible is the start of ending the cover-up or the start of a new one. Stephen Bassett, a UFO lobbyist, said these efforts are part of a plan by former government insiders to finally prove that the government has known about aliens for many years. Christopher Mellon, a disclosure advocate, called the possible revelation of alien contact "the biggest discovery in human history." Luis Elizondo, a media figure, told Congress that the government is hiding information that could change the future of humanity.

People in the disclosure movement use the term "non-human intelligence" to describe beings linked to UFOs, but there are different ideas about what this means. One theory, called the extraterrestrial UFO hypothesis, suggests that some UFOs are spacecraft from other planets or machines sent by aliens. Another idea, proposed by Leslie Kean, is that UFOs might come from other dimensions. The cryptoterrestrial hypothesis says that UFOs are evidence of a hidden, advanced civilization on Earth or unknown life forms. The time-traveler hypothesis claims that UFOs are proof of humans traveling through time using advanced technology. Some religious groups, like Christian fundamentalists, believe UFOs are signs of evil or demons.

Mark Pilkington wrote that disclosure supporters claim they want the truth, but they also want their existing beliefs about UFOs and aliens to be proven by a government they already distrust. Hari Kunzru noted that the movement has a spiritual side, as members believe that revealing hidden knowledge could lead to positive changes in society. He compared this belief to a religious idea called Gnosticism, which involves fighting against secret evil to achieve a moment of unity. Journalist Anna Merlan explained that supporters of disclosure often use language similar to that of religious leaders who talk about a final, important event that will divide people into those who are saved and those who are not.

History

Some people believe that important information should not be shared, comparing it to something as significant as an atom bomb. They claim that if scientists were allowed to study one of the many advanced machines that exist, it could greatly speed up technological progress.

The disclosure movement began in the 1940s with the work of Raymond A. Palmer and Richard Shaver. Unlike earlier ideas that focused only on government secrecy about UFOs, the disclosure movement supports ending secrecy to allow humans to use alien technology. In 1952, the US Air Force acknowledged reports of strange events but said there was no clear pattern or threat.

In 1955, Donald Keyhoe wrote a book arguing that the government should stop hiding UFO information. By 1963, he claimed the government would reveal UFO facts soon, but no major announcements happened. In 1977, US News and World Report reported that the CIA would share UFO information by year’s end, but nothing was released.

Steven Greer, who saw a flying saucer as a child, became a key figure in the disclosure movement. He started the Disclosure Project in 1993, which encourages the government to share UFO information and advanced alien technology. Some people linked to his work use a meditation method called "CE-5" to try to communicate with aliens. Greer also teaches a program called "Ambassador to the Universe."

In 2010, Robert Salas spoke at the National Press Club about a UFO incident linked to nuclear missiles. In 2011, some UFO advocates hoped President Obama would reveal UFO information, but he said there was nothing to disclose. Despite this, some continued to believe Obama would be the "disclosure president."

In 2013, Stephen Bassett organized a public event where UFO witnesses testified to former members of Congress. Each attendee was paid $20,000. During the event, Paul Hellyer claimed aliens were helping the government with clean energy, but the petroleum industry was suppressing this. The event was attended by about 100 people, including public figures and individuals dressed as aliens.

In 2015, John Podesta, a Clinton aide, said he failed to secure the release of UFO files. His comments led some to believe Hillary Clinton would support disclosure. After Clinton lost the election, the TV show Ancient Aliens suggested the CIA might have interfered to stop disclosure.

In 2017, the company To The Stars Inc. was formed by Tom DeLonge, Harold Puthoff, and Jim Semivan. It included people involved in the disclosure movement and released the first "Pentagon UFO videos" to the press.

Interest in UFO disclosure grew in 2017 when the New York Times published a story about the Pentagon’s UFO program. The article included videos of UFOs filmed by Navy pilots, which sparked more interest in government UFO files. In 2019, Navy pilot Ryan Graves founded a group called Americans for Safe Aerospace to push for more government transparency.

In 2021, figures like former President Obama and Director of National Intelligence John Ratcliffe discussed UFOs. Obama said the government has footage of unidentified objects but denied extraterrestrial encounters. In 2022, the US Congress held a public hearing on UFOs. In 2023, Senate leader Chuck Schumer proposed laws to speed up the release of UFO-related information.

In 2023, retired Air Force officer David Grusch claimed the government has a secret program involving alien technology but did not provide evidence. Some disclosure advocates, like Stephen Bassett, predicted the government would soon confirm the existence of extraterrestrials. That same year, author Garrett Graff wrote about a 2020 interview with CIA director John Brennan, who said he was unsure about recent UFO reports.

Adherents

In addition to Greer, other important people who have been connected to the disclosure movement or who support the idea of disclosure include: David Wilcock, Daniel Sheehan, Luis Elizondo, John Podesta, Harry Reid, Garry Nolan, Timothy Gallaudet, Christopher Mellon, Ross Coulthart, and David Fravor.