With adoration in her eyes and a hitch in her breath, one Bakersfield woman waited in anticipation for national radio show host George Noory to arrive Saturday at the first Central Coast Science-UFO Symposium.

Noory hosts the radio show “Coast to Coast AM,” which listeners faithfully tune in to after 10 p.m. to hear guests speak on conspiracy theories, UFOs, ghosts, politics and alternative medicine.

The cheers for Noory filled the room at the Santa Maria Inn as he was introduced and then he quickly had the crowd laughing with an old story from Art Bell, the founder and previous host of Noory's paranormal-themed show.

“We're making a lot of government leaders listen very closely,” Noory told the crowd.

He explained that guest speakers who call in on the program often get their phone lines cut when they hit a controversial topic.

“But we aren't going to stop. We're getting bigger and bigger,” Noory said over the applause from the crowd.

A 79-year-old Santa Maria woman said she was excited to see Noory as opposed to just hearing him on the radio.

Advertisement

“I just have a lot of curiosity,” said Louise, who preferred not to give her last name, when asked why she came. “I think there is always a possibility.”

David Evans, 58, of Cambria, came to the symposium for his interest in politics, although he said he does believe extraterrestrial beings exist.

Awareness, Evans said is the reason nearly 300 people had registered for the symposium Saturday and Sunday. Like himself, he said, they are aware that there is more to life than meets the eye.

Many of the speakers at the UFO symposium brought books and DVDs of their studies and their findings. There were also vendors selling alien sculptures and paraphernalia and also vitamins and supplements.

Symposium attendees could also get aura imaging done, where a person's energy balance is captured on film in the form of a colored haze.

Jason Arguello, 34, of Lompoc said he has always been interested in paranormal phenomena like UFOs, Bigfoot and the Loch Ness monster.

“I'm a fan because they're a mystery and with all the science and technology we still haven't figured it out,” Arguello said. “It's about discovery and a personal journey.”

The Central Coast Science-UFO Symposium was organized by William and Alice Leavy of Santa Maria and included panel discussions from the world's leading UFO researchers.

One Santa Maria man said he came to the symposium for the chance to learn more.

“When we unite we learn what's going on,” said 27-year-old Adrian Soto. “We read between the lines and start to learn how things are hidden then we can start to discover who we are.”

The symposium ends today, and tickets are still available, either for the whole day or a specific presentation. Registration begins at 8 a.m. followed by the first presentation by Dr. John Lerma and his recounting of his patients' near death experiences. Noory will again be present later in the day as the moderator for a panel discussion at 1:15 p.m.

Sam Womack can be reached at 739-2218 or swomack@santamariatimes.com.

August 17, 2008