▁to ▁Catholic ism . ▁ ▁Life ▁ ▁When ▁Michael ▁H es emann ▁was ▁around ▁ 1 4 ▁years ▁old , ▁his ▁father ▁had ▁a ▁U FO ▁sight ing ▁that ▁( as ▁Michael ▁H es emann ▁would ▁recall ▁three ▁dec ades ▁later ) ▁inspired ▁his ▁son ▁to ▁become ▁a ▁U FO ▁research er . ▁H es emann ▁studied ▁History ▁and ▁Cultural ▁Anth rop ology ▁at ▁the ▁University ▁of ▁Gött ingen ▁in ▁Germany . ▁ ▁From ▁ 1 9 8 4 ▁to ▁ 1 9 9 0 ▁H es emann ▁published ▁the ▁German ▁magazine ▁Mag az in ▁ 2 0 0 0 , ▁which ▁de alt ▁with ▁par an ormal ▁phen omena ▁and ▁religious ▁topics . ▁In ▁ 1 9 9 0 , ▁he ▁sold ▁the ▁Magazine ▁and ▁served ▁as ▁its ▁editor - in - ch ief ▁for ▁the ▁next ▁de cade . ▁In ▁ 1 9 9 5 , ▁together ▁with ▁his ▁co - editor ▁at ▁Mag az in ▁ 2 0 0 0 , ▁H es emann ▁hosted ▁a ▁global ▁u f ology ▁con gress ▁in ▁Düsseldorf , ▁Germany , ▁where ▁he ▁presented ▁alleg ed ▁video ▁evidence ▁for ▁the ▁al ien ▁aut ops y . ▁ ▁In ▁ 1 9 9 9 , ▁he ▁was ▁acc red ited ▁to ▁the ▁Holy ▁See ▁Press ▁Office . ▁In ▁ 2 0 1 0 , ▁the ▁Wall ▁Street ▁Journal ▁described ▁him ▁as ▁" a ▁religious ▁historian ▁who ▁helps ▁the ▁V at ican ▁date ▁re lic s ". ▁He ▁is ▁German ▁representative ▁of ▁the ▁P ave ▁the