The Joe Rogan Experience
The Joe Rogan Experience

#2533 - Diana Pasulka

July 30, 2026

AI Summary

5 min read

The Preternatural, Deception, and the Government's Secret

Diana Pasulka, a professor of religious studies who stumbled into UFO research while studying medieval Catholic records of aerial phenomena, argues that the most useful framework for understanding these experiences isn't new—it's been sitting in Catholic theology for centuries. The category of the "preternatural," developed by thinkers like Thomas Aquinas, describes events that are neither natural (explainable by normal means) nor supernatural (miraculous interventions from God). They occupy a middle ground: real phenomena that can be angelic, demonic, or simply other—things God created that humans cannot normally perceive.

The Pattern Match That Isn't Proof

When J.D. Vance called UFOs "demons" on a previous episode, the headline simplified what Pasulka argues is a more nuanced theological position. She explains that Catholic tradition has three categories for anomalous experiences: supernatural (miracles from God), natural (hurricanes, ordinary events), and preternatural. The preternatural includes experiences that closely mirror what modern abductees report—beings that appear and disappear, luminous lights, entities that read minds or implant thoughts.

Continue reading the full summary in the app — free to try.

Read Full Summary →

Free • No credit card required

What you'll learn

  • 1 (00:26) **Travis Walton and the Consistency of Abduction Stories** - Rogan and Pasulka open by discussing the Travis Walton abduction case and the remarkable consistency of his and his coworkers' testimony over decades.
  • 2 (02:37) **The “Demon” Label and Catholic Theological Categories** - Pasulka explains why figures like JD Vance might call UFO phenomena “demons,” grounding the term in a specific Catholic theological framework.
  • 3 (11:03) **The Hitchhiker Effect and Negative Encounters** - Pasulka describes the “hitchhiker effect,” where anomalous phenomena follow people home from places like Skinwalker Ranch, and explains why this makes her wary of seeking a personal encounter.
  • 4 (14:40) **Deception and Prophetic Messages** - The conversation shifts to how these entities allegedly deceive experiencers, often through false or mixed prophetic information.
  • 5 (24:42) **The Dangers of Encounters: The Valentich Disappearance** - Rogan and Pasulka discuss the 1978 disappearance of Australian pilot Frederick Valentich as a concrete example of a dangerous and potentially fatal encounter.
  • 6 (30:10) **The “Super Spectrum” of John Keel and Jacques Vallee** - Pasulka introduces the theoretical framework of the “super spectrum” as a way to understand the phenomenon, drawing on the work of John Keel and Jacques Vallee.
  • 7 (38:25) **Bob Lazar, Credibility, and Government Secrecy** - Rogan defends the credibility of Bob Lazar, arguing that his consistent story, deep scientific knowledge, and the later corroboration of his claims point to a government cover-up.

+ Full timestamped outline available in the app

Guests on this episode

Show Notes

Diana Pasulka is a professor of religious studies at the University of North Carolina Wilmington and the author of several books. Her most recent, "The Others: UFOs, AI, and the Secret Forces Guiding Human Destiny," is out now.
https://static.macmillan.com/static/smp/the-others-9781250394866/
www.youtube.com/@Diana.Walsh.Pasulka
https://substack.com/@dwpasulka
www.dwpasulka.com


Perplexity: Download the app or ask Perplexity anything at https://pplx.ai/rogan.


Use code ROGAN at https://BlueChew.com to get 10% OFF + Free Overnight Shipping on your first order.


Switch today at https://www.Visible.com for just 25/mo. Or Save $10 on your first month of Visible+ Pro with code ROGAN. 

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The Joe Rogan Experience

More from this podcast

The Joe Rogan Experience →