Contact Has Begun

by Russ Miller courtesy The Goldendale Sentinel

GOLDENDALE, Washington (STPNS) -- It’s an exciting time at James Gilliland’s ranch outside of Trout Lake – not because there’s nearly daily sightings of flying saucers, that’s been happening for years – but because a documentary about the sightings has just been released.

The movie is called “Contact Has Begun,” and Gilliland said it is expected to be shown in select theaters across the country starting in August 2007. It’s also available on DVD. The documentary was filmed at Gilliland’s ranch, a place called Sattva Sanctuary. The movie delves into Gilliland’s life story and includes interviews with physicists and other experts who have visited the sanctuary and seen phenomena that they call “definitely off-world visitations.”

Gilliland said the documentary is similar to “What the Bleep Do We Know!?” – a 2004 documentary filmed in Portland, Ore., that blends science and spirituality.

Recently, on a lawn near Gilliland’s house, a half-dozen guests had set up tents and blankets on the ground. Some had just arrived. Others had spent the previous night there. Some claimed they said they saw the flying saucers that Gilliland said have been showing up about every evening, and sometimes during the day, for at least the past 10 years. Greg Acuna, of Portland, and three family members, described what they saw the previous night. “There was a light moving in a particular trajectory,” Acuna said. “Then it just lit up, as if it was powering up. It moved in different directions and then shot up and out of sight.”

His kids said they saw it, as well as a beam of light appear in the trees behind them. These aren’t airplanes, Gilliland and the others standing in the field said. They are UFOs. “Nothing flies like that, at those speeds, and then changing directions they way they do,” Acuna said. He added that this was his tenth visit to the sanctuary over the past few years and he said he sees at least three to 16 or 20 UFOs each night. “Only once did I see none,” he said.

Typically, the flying saucers appear as a shining light about the size of a dime in front of Mount Adams, 13 miles away. They come closer, moving in and out of the trees, and even overhead. And guests at the sanctuary have taken a lot of videos and still footage of the strange lights Gilliland said are ships from other planets.

Gilliland’s Web site, www.eceti.org., has numerous photos and videos of flying saucers appearing over and near Sattva Sanctuary. “Most of the footage and photos on the Web site are from guests,” Gilliland said, “and if you want to argue with them about what these objects are, then you can.”

Some of the videos guests have taken of flying saucers at Gilliland’s ranch can also be seen are on youtube.com. “These beings are extremely spiritual and technologically advanced,” Gilliland said. He also maintains the beings inside the ships are also telepathic. So, although Gilliland allows people to come to Sattva Sanctuary to see for themselves, the strange lights in the sky, he asks for two big favors. The first is to call in advance to make a reservation. He doesn’t charge admission, but he does expect a donation. The second favor is for people “to keep an open mind,” he said. “These beings pick up on negative energy and fear,” he added, and both will keep the ships at bay.

According to Gilliland, how close the ships come to the field largely depends on the emotional states and attitudes of the guests.

Saturday was Deborah Warren’s first day at the sanctuary. She traveled from Vernon, British Columbia, Canada, to see the flying saucers. “I’ve wanted to come here for a very long time,” she said. She said she had heard of Sattva Sanctuary from friends and the Internet.

Gilliland recently conducted a conference at Sattva Sanctuary where more than 350 guests and UFO and spiritual experts gathered. It was the second one of its kind at the ranch. Gilliland also hosts a radio show on the bbc.com radio network every Saturday night. His show, where he often interviews experts from many fields of study, is called “As You Wish Talk Radio.” He’s also appeared as a guest on the nightly AM-radio show, “Coast to Coast AM.” Five times, according to his count.

When Gilliland came to Trout Lake more than 21 years ago, he wasn’t expecting, nor was he planning on, seeing UFOs. According to his biography, Gilliland was raised in a small desert town spending most of his time in “nature.” In high school, he was a water polo team captain and on the swim team. He said he experienced a wide variety of friends of all kinds. College was very diverse, he said. He studied biology, chemistry, physics, psychology, pre-law and pre-dental, yet did not acquire a degree or practice professionally. He said having the diversity was more important in understanding all walks of life.

He said he also learned all facets of the construction, grocery and real estate industries. He owned his own commercial real estate company, which developed and managed shopping centers and other large multi-million dollar projects. He was also on the board of directors for the chamber of commerce. Then came a near-death experience. He almost drowned. And then he said he realized that he could not continue life as usual. This began a spiritual journey and 20-year quest which included six years of yoga, The Inner Christ Ministry, and the Tibetan Foundation, where he was certified as being an intuitive visionary of the highest consciousness and energy. He has studied with other yogis, lamas, master teachers and continuously has been taught from within through his extensive practicing of meditation.

Others recognize him as a teacher, spiritual counselor, energetic healer and published author. He has written two books and was recently honored by a venerated teacher in the lama traditions as “Rigdzin Norbu,” which translated, means “Jewel of Pure Awareness.”

He found his ranch, he said, through dreams and visions of Mount Adams and the Trout Lake area. While living in Hood River, he “dowsed” a map, and located the ranch that he would later call Sattva Sanctuary. He said he kept largely to himself, that is, until he felt as if beings from other worlds were communicating with him. “I thought it was my imagination,” he said. But then, the beings began visiting the ranch with their ships in the sky. “I wasn’t looking for UFOs,” he said. “They found me.”

One day, about 10 years ago, while meditating, he said his sister pounded on his door, urging him to come see what was outside. Above two trees, he said, was a ship. Then a being came out of the ship and approached him. “I’ve had face-to-face contact with them,” he said.

“They are here now because we are at a crucial point in evolution, a shifting of the ages and need their help to get through some upcoming major cosmic events, and the tumultuous social, economic and physical earth changes we are seeing now that will continue to escalate,” Gilliland said on his Web site. They likely have chosen to regularly visit Sattva because of the diversity of the guests that come here, he added. “People come from all religious and spiritual backgrounds."

For information about the video, pictures, video footage and more information: http://eceti.org. To arrange a visit to Sattva Sanctuary, e-mail Gilliland at ufojames {at} gorge.net.