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How Aleister Crowley Introduced the Iconic Gray Alien
Posted on Tuesday, November 20, 2007 (CST) by Thoth
 It is common within UFO and abduction narratives to find references to Whitley Strieber's groundbreaking and now classic book, Communion. Although there were several abduction oriented books before its publication, and many varying depictions of the gray alien, for whatever reason, that particular book and its cover image seemed to finally cement the UFO/abduction phenomenon and the image of the alien into our consciousness.
The image was powerful not only on this mass scale, but individually also; there are accounts of people noticing the cover's rather menacing bug-eyed alien and subsequently uncovering their own abduction encounters. In short, the image is and was undeniably powerful. But why?
There are many so called "nuts and bolts theorists"-those believing in the literal, tangible, straightforward reality of UFOs and aliens--who would argue (maybe rather exasperatedly) that the answer is obvious: that Strieber, being an "experiencer" himself, with full memory, and full writerly abilities, conveyed the abduction experience and attendant aliens in narrative and visual form, exactly. While it's possible, it's merely a logical deduction, and the alien story is an assumption.
Many might
be surprised to learn that Strieber himself doesn't (or didn't)
necessarily adhere to the nuts and bolts theory, or even that the
entities are necessarily aliens. In a Barnes and Noble Author's chat
transcript, dated April 12, 1997, he makes these following curious
statements: "Is there such a thing as 'grays?' I don't know." " I don't
know what the 'visitors' are." And, "I assume aliens are the answer
when we don't know what's going on."
Even the aliens are vague
on their origins and intentions. Upon further examination, even stories
in which the aliens seem to allude that they are from another planet,
it is clear they are not in admission of such. For example, in the
Barney and Betty Hill abduction case, Betty, looking at a 3D "star
map", asks one of her abductors to show her from where they originate.
The answer is curious; the alien asks her if she knows where Earth is
on the "map", and she replies that she doesn't. He then asks her if she
doesn't even know where she is, how can he possibly tell her where they
are from?
That the alien did not
simply show Betty where earth was by pointing, and where his own home
planet was by pointing, may imply an impossible fault with the
question, rather than coyness on the alien's part.
So, if these entities we
know as the grays are not from another planet, or perhaps not even
aliens after all, then what? The theories and speculations are legion.
It has been postulated that primates may have not been the only of
earth's species to evolve into intelligent creatures, that the grays
may be the end result of the evolvement of dolphins, turtles, whales,
insects, or dinosaurs-and that these evolved forms may be either
terrestrially or non-terrestrially oriented.
The grays have been
proposed as being drones or robots. There are notions that they could
be demonic hoaxsters. Then, there's the fairly worn out, if not
now-pedestrian idea that they grays are evolved humans; "us, time
traveling in the future," trying to save our species.
Then, there is the
interdimensional theory. Although this theory is rather another obvious
deduction, and has been around in generic forms for a while, in his
brilliant and epic book, Supernatural, Graham Hancock makes an almost
inarguable case that the traditional, psychedelic plant-induced
shamanic visions and experiences, fairy lore, and now modern
abduction/alien scenarios stem from and share the same root, a kind of
trance-induced, other channel of reality, in which these same
gray-beings have won the starring roles.
What is even more
intriguing is that within the story of what could be the very first
modern, recorded appearance of this same entity, he is clearly
described as an interdimensional being, with no pretenses of alien
origins. In this story, there are other ideas that fit within Hancock's
theory, such as the use of a meditative trance, drug induced, for
purposeful contact (as in shamanism) with the otherworld.
In 1917-1919, the occultist
Aleister Crowley was living on the Central Park West area in New York
City, with what would be one of his many female companions, Roddie
Minor. During a hashish and opium induced trance, Ms. Minor described
to Crowley her rich visions. It is important to note here, that many of
the narratives and articles which tell of the ensuing experiences,
referred to as The Amalantrah Workings, are somewhat quick to dismiss
Ms. Minor's visions.
But, in actually reading
her documenting text of them, it is clear they are not only archetypal
in nature due to the characters and transformations involved, there are
many specific details in line with the ancient shamanic visions and UFO
experiences Graham outlines extensively and most exhaustively in his
book. Notably, Minor describes the descent to a cave, tubes, a
disembodied eye in the sky, an eagle, a turtle with human qualities, a
platform in the sky (reminiscent both of shamanic descriptions and
perhaps a UFO itself,) and a general storyline involving a baby. Anyone
reading Graham's book will immediately be struck by these striking
features within Minor's trance narratives.
Additionally, much has been
made of her trance-received statement "It's all in the egg." The
reproductive features of the shamanic visions and perhaps more familiar
to us, the UFO abduction narratives, cannot be overemphasized here; the
symbol of the egg has become entwined within such aesthetically and
culturally. For example, from pop culture, recall pre-Communion Mork
from Ork's spaceship. I own a copy of a 1974 children's short chapter
book called A Man Named Egbert Ovum, in which Fred and Wilma Flintstone
essentially undergo a type of abduction experience, albeit
untraditional.
The alien's name, Egbert
Ovum, is most curious; given that he is a male, and the story has
nothing whatsoever to do with human reproduction (it does involve a
main storyline of reproducing money.) It seems even in 1974, far before
the mainstream, commonly held belief that abducting aliens are hell
bent on creating hybrids and otherwise involved with human
reproduction, the idea of an egg was somehow intrinsic to the alien.
Also, the egg on its own symbolizes origins and a beginning, and within
my postulation that Minor and Crowley introduced this gray-character
into the modern era, it fits all the more.
So, with all this rich
symbology within Minor's visions, it isn't surprising that Aleister
Crowley took it seriously. He was quite experienced and actively
engaged in exploring alternate and astral realms, and considered them,
as do all the ancient shamanic cultures and many modern enthusiasts and
researchers, to be "real." It is said he also recognized components of
earlier "workings" (magickal practices) within her reports, so decided
to conduct more formalized, regular sessions with her, culminating in
what is known as The Amalantrah Working.
Amalantrah was a character
within Minor's original visions, which became somewhat of an oracle
channeled rather conversationally directly between Minor (and
sometimes, others) and Crowley. Questions were asked and answers
received, and much symbolic information gathered. From these sessions,
Crowley drew a portrait of an entity which tangibly appeared, finally
called "LAM."
Although there is a wealth
of precise occult information concerning all the information gathered
in the Amalantrah Working, the mythology and general narratives
describing it generally follow the thought that Crowley opened up a
magickal portal that allowed this entity LAM, others like him and their
representational consciousness into the modern world.
It is also usually reported
within such narratives that although Crowley made certain to close that
opened portal, the rather bumbling occultists L. Ron Hubbard and Jack
Parsons (the founders of Scientology and the Jet Propulsion Laboratory,
respectively) perhaps accidentally reopened it by the introduction of
their own magickal endeavors, called the Babylon Working (much to
Crowley's disgust.)
That the Babylon Working
took place in 1946-just one year before the modern UFO era would be
ushered in with Kenneth Grant's famous saucer sightings, and the
Roswell announcement adds to its idea of opened portals and alien
entities.
Nothing may be so poignant
in this association though, as the LAM portrait drawn by Crowley in
1918, and given by him to Kenneth Grant, head of Ordo Templis Orientis
organization in 1945, after an astral working, and just two years
before Crowley's death. Grant has made statements concerning the
importance of the LAM entity, whom he describes as a class of entity
rather than a single persona. The portrait is to be used as a
meditative device by OTO adherents, and is said to represent the
dwarf-self, and the inner god.
Indeed, there has even been
a formal "inner cult" developed by the OTO, with precise directions
regarding meditation rites and techniques, for the purpose of
communicating with the LAM consciousness. This can clearly be seen to
parallel ancient shamanic trance practices, in which similar
communication with similarly described entities are the goal.
Clearly, the LAM image is
seen by many to be important and sacred. It is often pointed out that
there is a great similarity to the modern gray alien, but that LAM
lacks the all important feature of the 'wraparound-eyes.' If only
Crowley had included those big praying mantis eyes, there might be some
obvious connection here, some undeniable mystery to be decoded.
I have seen the portrait of
LAM perhaps 200 times, and always viewed it within this idea of it
being a curiously similar gray prototype. However, I dedided to 'stare
into its eyes' as suggested by the OTO document.
After a minute or so,
another, more familiar image emerged--that of a full blown gray.
Crowley has drawn the wraparound bug eyes, and they can be seen when
LAM's 'real' beady, lower eyes are negated, either as imagined, or by
holding a pinky or a pencil across them. Looking at the drawing then,
there is a fully formed gray-like bug eye on the right, and a lesser
formed eye on the left.
I don't believe these light
colored areas should or can be casually dismissed. Kenneth Grant
himself notes that the white area on LAM's forehead is a "well
developed Anja chakra." The other areas would seem to be of importance
too. Viewing the portrait in this way, the face retains almost the
exact same proportions of Strieber's gray that caused so much commotion
on the Communion cover. Could Crowley have either consciously or
unconsciously, visually, kind of subliminally, encoded the portrait so
it becomes implanted in our collective visual record more subtly, only
to make such an impact 80 years later, when its fullness is revealed?
That the gray alien has
become a ubiquitous cultural icon may be no small matter. However easy
it is to dismiss its presence as random, whimsical folly is a mistake.
Yes, we turn on the television, and within ten minutes, can probably
hope to view a local car commercial in which a wacky little alien
swerves around in a flying saucer above SUVs and trucks, or walk into a
dollar store and find gimmicky gray alien ID cards and alien bodies
hanging from key chains.
But, the mass appropriation
by mainstream culture of this gray icon may lend some credibility to
what Graham Hancock asserts in Supernatural, Kenneth Grant, and
innumerable theorists, writers, and ufologists assert-that, for better
or for worse, this being is somehow deeply connected to us, intertwined
with our existence, and may hold clues to our enlightenment and
evolution as a species.
Copyright: Associated Content
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