American journalist who investigated the 1966-67 Point Pleasant 'Mothman' wave. Coined the 'ultraterrestrial' framing. Argued the phenomenon is not extraterrestrial but local and trickster-like.
John A. Keel was an influential American journalist and ufologist who pioneered the ultraterrestrial theory, challenging the standard extraterrestrial hypothesis. He is most famous for his exhaustive investigation of the anomalous events in Point Pleasant, West Virginia during the 1960s, culminating in his seminal book 'The Mothman Prophecies'. Keel's key contribution was his argument that UAPs and associated cryptids are manifestations of an interdimensional, deceptive intelligence that manipulates human belief systems. He meticulously documented the high-strangeness aspects of encounters, such as poltergeist activity, men in black, and psychic phenomena. His visionary work fundamentally expanded the conceptual boundaries of UAP research.