November 19, 1995: Communion - Whitley Strieber

Whitley Strieber joins Art Bell to discuss his latest book Breakthrough, which presents compelling evidence that the beings he calls "the visitors" are real. Strieber describes a recent physical encounter at his home that became the final chapter of his upcoming book The Secret School, including a severe allergic reaction he associates with the close approach of non-human beings. He recounts being transported forward in time, seeing himself decades in the future, and developing what he describes as memories from that timeline.

The conversation turns to geopolitical dangers, including the instability of the Russian government, the possibility of loose Soviet nuclear devices, and the compromised state of the CIA following the Aldrich Ames affair. Strieber warns that a nuclear detonation in Washington could occur without warning and leave no functioning government to respond. He shares his view that the intelligence community has been passing disinformation for years.

Strieber addresses the Roswell autopsy footage, noting the eye coverings as the one familiar detail from his own encounters. He discusses the military's troubled relationship with the visitors, the connection between the encounter experience and the dead, and his belief that humanity stands on the verge of a massive evolutionary leap in consciousness.