Contact in the Desert 2025 Recap: UAPs, ESP, and the Unknown

One of the most enigmatic and highly regarded conventions for UFO and consciousness enthusiasts, Contact in the Desert 2025 made its 10th appearance at the Esmeralda Resort and Spa in Palm Desert from May 28 to June 2. CITD was co-founded by Captain Ron Janix, a long-time insider in the UFO and paranormal world . Set against a backdrop of desert mountains, starry skies, and a semi-remote location, the resort was an ideal setting for this convergence of experts, seekers, and the simply curious. The five-day event offered a packed schedule of lectures, workshops, intensives, and meetups — all centered around exploring the mysteries of consciousness, UAPs, advanced science, and ancient knowledge.

With hundreds of sessions on offer, it was nearly impossible to attend everything. I focused on themes including neuroscience, ESP, remote viewing, and — of course — the ever-evolving world of UAPs (Unidentified Aerial Phenomena). Across two full days, I attended lectures, explored vendor booths, and spoke with attendees in search of insight, answers, or simply new questions.

Autism, the Akashic Records & the Astral Realm
Dr. Diane Hennacy Powell

Among the most compelling presentations I attended was by Dr. Diane Hennacy Powell, a medical doctor and psychiatrist renowned for her research into consciousness and extraordinary cognitive phenomena. Her lecture centered on the “Telepathy Tapes” — a series of experiments involving autistic savants who display apparent telepathic communication. Her book, The ESP Enigma, dives deep into this frontier.

Dr. Powell shared how her own life experiences — including a serious accident that led to a hospital stay on a neurosurgery ward — heightened her awareness of consciousness and spurred her journey into medicine. She was inspired early on by the work of neurologist Dr. Oliver Sacks, particularly his book The Man Who Mistook His Wife for a Hat, which chronicled mathematical savants.

She studied savant syndrome at Johns Hopkins and later under Dr. John Mack at Harvard. A pivotal moment came when one of her psychiatric patients revealed uncanny, psychic knowledge about Dr. Powell’s personal life. That experience convinced her that precognition is real, and could hold the key to understanding consciousness itself.

Dr. Powell eventually left traditional academia to pursue independent research in ESP — a field often dismissed in conventional medicine. Working with children with savant traits, she found that many described a non-local sense of identity — often referring to themselves in the third person and describing their minds as disconnected from their bodies. These children demonstrated remarkable abilities in math, music, and sometimes telepathy — all without formal instruction.

“I thought telepathy could be the easiest to demonstrate in real time,” she said. “Because with precognition, you don’t know when that future is going to happen… but with telepathy, you can test both individuals and get data right away.”

“The left hemisphere is less dominant in autistic individuals,” she explained. “The right brain — the intuitive brain — becomes more active. That’s where we see the psychic openings.”

Dr. Powell also touched on the concept of the Akashic Records, described by some as a universal library of consciousness encoded in a non-physical plane. Though not scientifically validated, it remains a central theme in Theosophical and esoteric circles — and she suggested some of her autistic subjects may have had intuitive access to it.

For more information on Dr. Powell visit: here

Exploring the Psionic in You: Integrating Expanded Perception into Everyday Life by Tracy Garbutt Dolan

Another standout session came from Tracy Garbutt Dolan, a multidisciplinary researcher trained in psychology, archaeology, shamanic healing, and remote viewing. Her talk bridged ancient wisdom with modern consciousness exploration, emphasizing our ability to perceive beyond the five senses.

Tracy shared deeply personal stories about her struggle with severe anxiety and panic attacks, which at one point left her unable to drive or fly. After seeing doctors, a dietitian, and a psychologist, she finally revealed to her therapist that she was “seeing things.” To her surprise, the psychologist practiced shamanism and suggested exercises to help her ground her perceptions.

Through continuum movement therapy and relaxation techniques, Tracy began a path of healing that eventually led to a profound shamanic journey, where she connected to a polar bear spirit guide — an archetype from her childhood. This became the starting point for a daily meditation and spiritual practice that has lasted over two decades.

She continued her studies in remote viewing at the Monroe Institute, mediumship, and dreamwork — including a prophetic dream about a plane crash in Japan. She emphasized the value of dream journaling as a tool for intuitive development.

“It’s all about learning to tell the difference between the signal and the noise in your life,” she told the audience. “If you don’t tune your inner consciousness, someone else will tune it for you — to buy something, believe something, follow something.”

Her session was one of the most personally affecting for me — prompting further reflection and curiosity long after it ended.

You can find out more about Tracy Garbutt Dolan her husband Richard Dolan’s website

Investigating the Phenomenon: An Endless Loop of Questions and Answers with Jesse Michels

I stumbled into the Q&A session with Jesse Michels, creator of the YouTube series American Alchemy. Although unfamiliar with his work beforehand, I was quickly drawn into his multidisciplinary approach to consciousness, technology, and suppressed knowledge.

Michels, with experience at Google and Peter Thiel Capital, now focuses on interviewing top minds in controversial and cutting-edge fields — from parapsychology to ancient civilizations. His talk touched on everything from U.S. military aircraft to ERVs, remote viewing, and the nature of scientific taboo. His audience came prepared with deep questions, and Michels handled them with clarity and curiosity.

This gave an opportunity of his fans or viewers to ask any question they want, and Jesse with his wide knowledge was able to articulate that to each question with discretion of course. I did not include any of the questions as there may be the integrity of the audience and his answers at stake, not that it is not public knowledge but to avoid any controversy due to already sensitive topics.

To find our more about Jesse Michels visit his website.

Chris Bledsoe: UFO of God

Chris Bledsoe, a North Carolina-based experiencer, delivered one of the most emotionally intense accounts of the weekend. In 2007, while facing illness, financial collapse, and personal crisis, Bledsoe encountered glowing orbs during a fishing trip near the Cape Fear River — a moment that would transform his life.

“I knew I was looking at something that wasn’t from here,” he said. “I turned around and ran.”

What followed was a years-long cascade of missing time, poltergeist activity, prophetic visions, and contact with non-human intelligences. His book, UFO of God, describes the events and the spiritual transformation that ensued — now drawing interest from scientists, government insiders, and spiritual communities alike.

You can learn more about Chris Bledsoe by visiting his son’s website.

Jason Quitt: Interdimensional Phenomena

Jason Quitt brought a mystical, grounded perspective with his work on sleep paralysis, out-of-body experiences, and interdimensional travel. With training in Algonquin shamanism and energy medicine, he detailed firsthand accounts of astral projection and night-time portal journeys.

“Sleep paralysis is terrifying,” he said. “You’re awake but frozen — trapped in your body. And sometimes, there’s something else in the room with you.”

He described traveling with a shadow guide through portals and starfields — experiences that blur the line between mysticism and multidimensional science. His talk was a reminder that consciousness is far less contained than we might assume.

To find out more about Jason Quitt‘s work visit Crytal Sun website.

Linda Moulton Howe: Why Does the U.S. Government Lie About UFOs & ETs?

A featured panelist and legendary figure in the UFO field, Linda Moulton Howe — journalist, filmmaker, and Emmy-winning researcher — asked one of the weekend’s most pointed questions: Why is the U.S. government still hiding the truth?

“Some may find this offensive, and the government probably does… but no one is telling the whole truth,”she said. “If this is a government of the people, by the people, for the people — we deserve every iota of what they’ve found.”

She presented documents, testimony, and research from U.S. Navy sources and whistleblowers regarding “blonde ETs” and high-level contact — much of which she has covered in depth on her Earthfiles podcast. While her content may feel dense to newcomers, it remains central to any serious investigation into the disclosure movement.

You can find out more about Linda Moulton Howe work on Earth Files.

PANEL: Human 2.0:The Awakening of Evolution Live Demonstration  with Hakim Isler, Dr. Diane Hennacy Powell, Chris Ramsay and special guests from Telepathy Tapes

This live demonstration was perhaps the most provocative — and for me, the most contentious. A mother and her autistic daughter were brought on stage to perform telepathic exercises, such as identifying cards and reading text while blindfolded.

Though I respect Dr. Powell’s work with autistic savants, the demonstration involving the mother raised skepticism. She consistently identified shapes and colors with 100% accuracy, even reading full paragraphs while blindfolded. At one point, she read random text from the program book — never once shifting her gaze.

While the premise was fascinating, the execution felt more like stage magic than science. Still, the goal may have been more to provoke thought than provide proof — and it certainly did.

Richard Dolan: UFO Historian Extraordinaire

Richard Dolan is a leading historian, author, and speaker known for his in-depth research into UFOs, government secrecy, and national security policy. With a background in history and political science, Dolan brings a scholarly approach to the study of UAP disclosure, bridging the gap between classified military programs and public awareness. His multi-volume series UFOs and the National Security State is considered foundational reading in the field, offering a well-documented timeline of government involvement in unexplained aerial phenomena. As both an academic and an advocate, Dolan plays an integral role in pushing for transparency and reframing UFO discourse through a historical and geopolitical lens.

You can learn more at: Richard Dolan’s website

Vendors & Exhibitors: Where Worlds Converge

UAP Hollywood Alliance: A collective of filmmakers and creatives working to promote responsible storytelling about UAPs in media. Their booth showcased upcoming projects and discussed how film can shape public perception of disclosure.

For more information visit: Hollywood Disclosure Alliance

Missing 411: The UFO Connection: Based on David Paulides’ work, the booth featured maps of missing persons clusters near military bases and UAP hotspots — raising unsettling questions about patterns and possible explanations.

To watch the documentary visit: Missing 411: The UFO Connection

Allies of Humanity: Built on the work of Marshall Vian Summers, this booth presented stark warnings about covert alien intervention, spiritual awareness, and humanity’s need for sovereignty in the cosmos.

For more information visit: The Allies of Humanity

Quantum Alchemy Fusion: A visually rich but conceptually dense display blending quantum science, DNA upgrades, and ancient mysticism. Their message centered on high-frequency energy work for human evolution.

For more information visit: Quantum Alchemy Fusion

PSI Games: Blending science, play, and psychic exploration, Psi Games offers interactive tools designed to help individuals test and develop their intuitive abilities. Their booth featured information on games and activities based on ESP, remote viewing, telepathy, and precognition — all grounded in experimental psychology and parapsychological research. Attendees were invited to challenge their “psi” skills in real-time, making the experience both fun and thought-provoking.

For more information visit: Psi Games International

MUFON: One of the oldest and most established civilian organizations investigating UFO phenomena, MUFON is dedicated to the scientific study of UAPs (Unidentified Aerial Phenomena). Founded in 1969, the group provides a global platform for witness reporting, field investigations, and public education. At their booth, MUFON representatives shared tools for submitting sightings, explained how their trained investigators operate, and offered insights into decades of collected case data — reinforcing their commitment to credible, evidence-based research in the search for the truth.

For more information visit: MUFON

New Paradigm Institute: The New Paradigm Institute is a research and advocacy organization focused on fostering transparency, government accountability, and open dialogue around UAP (Unidentified Aerial Phenomena). Founded by attorney Daniel Sheehan, the institute works at the intersection of law, policy, science, and disclosure activism. At Contact in the Desert, their booth featured materials related to current legislation, whistleblower protections, and the push for public access to classified information regarding extraterrestrial contact and advanced technologies — emphasizing their mission to support a more informed and empowered public.

For more information visit: New Paradigm Institute

Final Thoughts: A Space for Wonder, Skepticism, and Possibility

Contact in the Desert 2025 is more than a conference — it’s a convergence of seekers, skeptics, healers, scientists, and experiencers. Not every lecture will resonate, and not every claim will convince. But the event creates a rare space where alternative models of reality are explored with sincerity, depth, and sometimes daring.

You don’t have to believe everything to get something out of it. Come with curiosity, leave with questions — and maybe, a broader understanding of the mystery we all share.

If you would like more information on next years event visit: Contact in the Desert

Here is a similar event to check also: Los Angeles Conscious Life Expo 2024