UFOs have persisted to be a mystery until today. They usually appear unexpectedly and always unpredictably. Probably this is why they have been invisible for the eyes of academic science for so long.

UFOs are a fantastic phenomenon with a broad range of interpretations. It can raise inconvenient questions – it may even appear as a threat to scientific certainty itself. For most observers, it will ultimately continue to be a rather unreal reality.

Are UFOs more than a cultural neomyth? Is it nothing but hard to explain yet natural phenomena – or is it a portent of extraterrestrial civilizations after all?

UFOs are and remain a challenge to our thinking. After 65 years of being at a loss when faced with them, it appears to be time for a new beginning.

The new paradigm of reflexive UFO research claims: The only way to understand this contradictory phenomenon is through the interaction of natural and cultural sciences. This requires theoretical openness and empirical willingness to cooperate on both sides.

Only a natural- and cultural-scientifically informed approach to UFO research will have a chance to find a way into academic science: beyond all previous prohibition of thought.