We Talked with Nudists, Healers, and Believers at a UFO Convention in the Desert
All photos by Kelby Vera

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We Talked with Nudists, Healers, and Believers at a UFO Convention in the Desert

The Coachella for cosmic weirdos and sunburned dads.

Last weekend, a gathering of nearly 5,000 cosmic weirdos made it to Joshua Tree, California for the fourth annual Contact in the Desert. Ufologists, believers, alien contactees, psychics, and consciousness-raisers, all gathered at the Institute of Mental Physics in California for four days of camping, conspiracy theories, and chakra adjustments. Described as "the Woodstock of UFO's," the conference-slash-festival is more like a burp of Burning Man filtered through the kookiest episodes of the X-Files. Attendees braved 106 degree heat to hear talks like "Children of Roswell" while others explored the labyrinths and mediation gardens or relaxed at the pool. In the vendor tents you could catch Giorgio Tsoukalos — star of the History Channel's Ancient Aliens and popular meme — and his wife selling autographed shirts and crowns adorned with healing crystals. Evening stargazing was kicked off with a birthday celebration for George Noory, the host of the late-night paranormal radio classic Coast to Coast AM. A cake topped with "little green men" plus a generous side of dad jokes helped calm sunburns.

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"How do you organize a UFO festival?" someone barks. After a few seconds, an answer: "You planet!"

Did I mention the open bar?

Judy Graham, middle school social studies teacher

BROADLY: Tell me about your shirt.
Judy Graham: I made sure that I made shirts this year… This is dare-devil to wear Hilary. Boy, the venom that came floating out… Have you read her book?
I haven't. What do you like most about her?
One thing is women's rights… Hillary Clinton's done more for women on this planet than any other single individual. It's in different countries, all over, she's lobbying for them. You can say that's all plastic, that it's all to go on a resume but I think it's something.
Have you ever had contact with ETs?
No, I haven't but I beg for them. I'm very open-minded and I do feel horrible when I talk to somebody who did have struggles in this realm because I know about the bigotry. It's just horrible what people go through.
Totally.

Rocky Angel, artist and naturalist

BROADLY: How was your day yesterday?
Rocky Angel: It was good. I went to some of the lecture & later there was a film screening. It had a lot of abduction stories with a sexual bend or edge to them.
Interesting, I'll have to check it out. What are you painting right now?
It's about power structures. One is flying saucers and one is color pyramids.
When you paint people, are they usually in the nude?
Usually. When I put clothes on them I paint them [nude] then paint the clothes on.
Do you consider yourself at naturalist?
Yeah. No one's been bothered by this look. I'm thinking of taking it another step further.
Have you made contact with ETs or unidentified flying objects?
I was the victim of a hit-and-run by a UFO when I was little. That would be classified as a close encounter of the sixth kind -- one that results in injury or death… I buried for a long time because the adults around didn't believe me… I haven't had anything like that happen since.

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Celeste Kelly, astrologist

Ian, believer

BROADLY: Is it your first time at Contact in the Desert?
Ian: Yes, actually. I came all the way from Puerto Rico to be here… It's actually my first time in the desert.
That's a long way. Have you had experiences with ETs or UFO's in the past?
This kind of stuff I've never really shared. I've had one instance where I was falling asleep and it felt like my body started levitating. I was airborne, but I was also sleeping at the time. It was crazy.
Was it an out of body experience?
Not exactly. I actually thought I was going crazy at the time, but it wasn't the only time…I've had experiences where I felt violated in the night, like sexually. It felt real, like an actual women came and sat on me… I could feel the weight of her and the mattress was [sinking] like there was someone.
Has that happened more than once?
Yeah, it's happened more than once but not recently. Not for the past year or two.

Lecture tent

BROADLY: Have you been to Contact before?
Apollo Asteria: This is actually my second time, I went two years ago. I've just always been into aliens and UFOs. I'm doing a lot with the human consciousness shift movement in LA and I do modeling and acting and stuff. I haven't gone to college yet because I moved from Illinois to LA like two years ago, so I've just been focused on setting up.
What's going on with your staffs?
Basically, they're for channeling energy. I was raised by Shamans in Illinois, energy healers. I put different crystals on all of them, they're all unique, I decorate all of them. I charge all the crystals myself, usually they have crystal tails. I sell them at underground burner events and stuff.
They're really beautiful. What was one your favorite ideas from this weekend?Don't just think that UFO's are advanced technology coming from other civilizations that are like us on other planets. They're actually inter dimensional beings and we need to be ready for ascension. That's really important.

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Possible signs of abduction

Harry the Parrot and Steve, performers and activists

Broadly: Can I take a picture of your bird?
Steve: His name is Harry… Is it going to be on Facebook?
I don't know, maybe.
I have a big problem with Facebook.
Can I take a picture of him alone?
That's fine. He's an actor and animal activist.
[Snapping pictures] He's very handsome.
You should be taking pictures of those chemtrails.

Steve pointed up towards the sky. looked up but when I turned around Steve was gone. He had left he and Harry the Parrot's business card for me in the sand.