Jacques Vallee on the National Institute for Discovery Science

This document provides a historical overview of the National Institute for Discovery Science (NIDS), an organization founded by Las Vegas property developer Robert Bigelow, which operated from 1995 to 2004. The author, Keith Basterfield, utilizes diary entries from Jacques Vallee's book 'Forbidden Science: Volume Four' to detail the internal workings, board meetings, and evolving mission of NIDS. Initially, Bigelow sought to establish a scientific institute to study UFOs and the paranormal, including consciousness beyond death, by recruiting world-class scientists. The document chronicles the formation of the NIDS Science Advisory Board (SAB), which included notable figures such as Hal Puthoff, Dr. Kit Green, and later, Dr. Ian Stevenson. Throughout the period of 1995 to 1999, the institute's mission underwent frequent changes at Bigelow's instigation, moving from a granting agency to a working research body. A significant focus of the institute was the surveillance of a ranch in Utah, which was reported to have daily occurrences of cattle mutilations and strange lights. However, Vallee notes that the volume of UAP events at the ranch was extremely low, leading to frustration among staff who struggled to find physical evidence of UFOs. By 1998, Vallee observed that the ranch had become a site for every paranormal phenomenon except for flying saucers. The document also draws parallels between the NIDS era and the later Defense Intelligence Agency's Advanced Aerospace Weapon System Applications Program (AAWSAP) contract awarded to Bigelow Aerospace Advanced Space Studies (BAASS). It highlights the involvement of individuals like James T. Lacatski and Senator Harry Reid in the transition between these efforts. The author concludes that while NIDS possessed a fine collection of scientists, its research effectiveness was often hampered by administrative issues and Bigelow's shifting priorities. The document also includes commentary from other researchers regarding the lack of transparency and the potential missing links between NIDS, BAASS, and the AATIP program.