Diana Walsh Pasulka
Professor of Religious Studies
BIOGRAPHY
Tenured humanities professor with a strong publication record in mainstream religious studies. Her ethnographic methodology is the credibility pillar - she reports what her sources tell her without endorsing it.
NOTABLE CONTRIBUTIONS (3)
'American Cosmic'
Reframed the UFO phenomenon as a new religious movement and provided rare academic access to high-credentialed insiders ('James' / 'Tyler') working on the problem privately.
'Encounters'
Follow-up book deepening the framework and introducing additional source material from her continuing fieldwork.
Vatican / Catholic-tradition framing
Bridged religious-history methodology to UFO studies, drawing parallels between Marian apparitions, hagiography, and modern encounter reports.
PUBLICATIONS (3)
American Cosmic: UFOs, Religion, Technology
2019 • Oxford University PressEncounters: Experiences with Nonhuman Intelligences
2023 • St. Martin's EssentialsHeaven Can Wait: Purgatory in Catholic Devotional and Popular Culture
2014 • Oxford University PressTIMELINE (3)
Publishes 'Heaven Can Wait'
Establishes academic reputation in Catholic religious studies.
Publishes 'American Cosmic'
Crossover hit that brings UFO scholarship into mainstream religious studies.
Publishes 'Encounters'
Deepens her framework and continues access to insider sources.
KEY QUOTES (2)
“The UFO is the most pervasive belief on the planet that is not connected to a traditional religion.”
American Cosmic•2019
“When you look at the data, the people studying this seriously are not the people you'd expect.”
Joe Rogan Experience #1908•2022
