'Imminent' Review: Government Insider Luis Elizondo's New UFO Book

Many people told me that Luis Elizondo's book 'Imminent: Inside The Pentagon's Hunt For UFOs' is full of "mind-blowing" information on unidentified aerial phenomena (UAP) - or UFOs as we used to call them. Having served as the head of the Pentagon's Advanced Aerospace Threat Identification Program (AATIP), he's certainly well placed to share such revelations.

Luis Elizondo is a well-known figure in the UFO world. His position in AATIP gave him direct access to some of the most intriguing military investigations into unexplained phenomena, which has earned him credibility among UFO enthusiasts. This background, combined with his public appearances and interviews, led to high expectations for his book.

However, despite the anticipation, the book doesn't quite live up to the hype. I can't help but feel that these people who've been wowed by his writing must be new to the world of UFOs. There's nothing in this book that hasn't been covered elsewhere. Luis recounts his involvement in various cases, most of which are already in the public domain. Any new information he presents is anecdotal, with no supporting evidence or corroboration. To be clear, I'm not saying his claims are untrue - although they could be - or that he lacks credibility, but nothing in this book convinced me that I was learning anything new. My mind remains firmly unblown.

Luis describes UFOs as a serious national security issue, citing their advanced technology that surpasses anything humans have developed. These unidentified craft have violated sensitive military airspace, and we believe we should be taking these incursions seriously. 

Luis stops short of explicitly declaring that any of these unexplained craft are proof of extraterrestrial visitation. Although he does use terms like "visitors" and "friends from out of town" a lot. He also talks about the intent behind these visitors' actions, debating whether they are benevolent or malevolent. For example, he writes, "How would we feel if other lifeforms travelled billions or even trillions of miles for something as simple as a glass of water?" So, although he attempts to remain credible by not directly talking about aliens, reading between the lines, he implies indirectly throughout that he is talking about aliens. He also discussed the alleged advanced manoeuvres and physics-defying capabilities of some of these objects. He tells readers that this technology is beyond human capabilities, which again suggests the involvement of a non-human intelligence.

One of the key points in the book is Luis' claim that the US Department of Defense has actively impeded efforts to investigate and disclose information about UAPs, but still, this is nothing new. The idea that the US government has withheld information about UFOs is something that has been suggested by Luis and others for years, particularly since his involvement with the release of the Pentagon's UFO videos in 2017.

The tone for 'Imminent' is set right from the disclaimer in the opening pages, which immediately tells readers: "The views expressed in this publication are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of the Department of Defense or the US government." It goes on to say that clearance for public release doesn't imply factual accuracy or endorsement by the Department of Defense. This doesn't exactly fill readers, looking for solid evidence about the seriousness of these threats, with confidence.

The foreword by Christopher Mellon, a former US Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense, comes across as somewhat self-important. Christopher discusses extraterrestrials' supposed fascination with American military capabilities, and it reads a bit like an American-centric version of the 'Independence Day' film. He seems to be suggesting that the world's fate rests solely on America's shoulders. Meanwhile, Christopher also points out that, according to the intelligence community, "no reasonable amount of US military force could succeed in pacifying Afghanistan," yet somehow extraterrestrials are no match for the American defence systems. It's a conflicting and slightly arrogant view.

Early in the book, Luis brings up the Stargate Project, a CIA programme from the Cold War era that explored the use of psychic abilities of remote viewing for intelligence purposes. Luis recounts the old tale about remote viewers who were able to locate a downed Soviet spy plane in 1976 to support this claim.

He's referring to an event that involved a young administrative assistant named Rosemary Smith and is often regarded as one of the programme's few successes. Rosemary, under the direction of project leader Dale Graff, used remote viewing to pinpoint the plane's location, which was later confirmed and recovered. Despite this success, the Stargate Project was ultimately shut down due to a lack of consistent, reliable results.

Luis doesn't offer any new insights or evidence relating to the Stargate Project. He simply recounts it as another example of unexplained phenomena, leaving the reader with familiar but unsubstantiated claims. This becomes a recurring theme throughout the book: intriguing historical cases are mentioned, but without new proof or further exploration, they fail to offer anything particularly groundbreaking.

By the time we reach chapter four, there's still nothing new. Luis touches on well-known and over-reported incidents like Roswell and Rendlesham Forest, but again, he brings no fresh evidence to the table. These cases have been picked apart for decades, and without new proof, simply rehashing them feels redundant. Surely, anyone interested in UFOs would already know about huge cases like these.

Chapter five delves into comparisons between UFOs and biblical accounts, arguing that the bible may contain references to extraterrestrial encounters. An interesting take, but again not a novel one. Relying on ancient texts doesn't feel like the best way to expand on an investigation into modern UFO phenomena, especially when the majority of the global population would say the bible itself isn't a factual record of anything.

A later chapter is dedicated entirely to Luis' personal encounters with orbs, mysterious floating lights often reported in paranormal and UFO sightings. He shares his experiences of these lights flying through his house. While this could be true, once again, we are left with only his word. There are no photos, no videos - just anecdotal stories. For someone so committed to transparency, why didn’t he make any effort to capture video evidence of these encounters to further his mission of informing the public?

Luis then covers the now infamous "Tic Tac" UFO sightings, perhaps the aspect of UAP research for which he is best known. He writes about the encounter reported by David Fravor, a US Navy pilot whose testimony was highlighted during the 2023 US Congress hearings on UAPs. There's no denying that this is an important modern UFO case, but Luis doesn't offer anything beyond what is already widely known.

One of the more bizarre sections in the book revolves around alien implants. Luis writes, "When researchers scrape away the human tissue, they find objects that resemble a technical device in size and shape but without any circuitry whatsoever." What does that even mean? The size and shape of a technical device could describe almost anything from a hearing aid to an MRI scanner. He even states that the AATIP has photos of these implants, some of which allegedly moved after being extracted from human bodies. Unsurprisingly, none of these photos are shared in the book.

Throughout the book, there is talk of angels, demons, and various psychic abilities. These are interesting topics in their own right, but they're not what I'd expect to find in a former government insider's book on UAPs. 

Again, none of this means that Luis isn't telling the truth, his credibility and experience in the UFO field can't be dismissed, but 'Imminent' feels more like a collection of well-worn stories than the groundbreaking exposé it was hyped up to be. If you're new to the topic, you might find some of the material engaging. However, for seasoned UFO researchers or enthusiasts, the book offers little that's truly new or compelling.