George Adamski and his 'Space Brothers' remain a significant chapter in the history of UFO encounters, blending intrigue and skepticism around his claims.

Born in 1891 in Poland, George Adamski arrived in America as a child. He had a fragmented education and developed an early passion for occult practices. By the 1930s, he had found his place within Southern California's mystical circles, where he founded the Royal Order of Tibet. This group's teachings were based on his psychic communications with 'Tibetan masters.' In the late 1940s, Adamski gained attention for his claimed UFO photographs, allegedly taken through his telescope.

While Adamski's UFO images stirred interest, it was the events on November 20, 1952, that truly immortalized him in UFO history. Following channeled guidance from extraterrestrials (who had replaced the Tibetan masters but continued their messages), Adamski and six companions journeyed to the California desert. There, Adamski separated from the group and encountered a landed spaceship, piloted by a friendly Venusian named Orthon, who was described as a tall, handsome, blonde-haired figure.

While serious UFO researchers ridiculed his claims, many people around the world believed Adamski, even as his stories became increasingly unbelievable. His 1955 book, 'Inside the Space Ships,' detailed his interactions with Venusians, Martians, and Saturnians, who had come to Earth concerned about humanity's self-destructive tendencies. These 'Space Brothers,' as Adamski and his followers called them, were long-winded and fond of delivering metaphysical platitudes.

In the wake of Adamski, other 'contactees' emerged to spread the message of interplanetary cooperation, drawing crowds of followers. The largest gathering took place each summer at Giant Rock, near Twentynine Palms, California. George Van Tassel, the driving force behind these gatherings, had made psychic contact with extraterrestrial ships ('ventlas') in early 1952. Shortly after, he published the first modern contactee book, the misleadingly titled 'I Rode a Flying Saucer!' In the following year, Van Tassel had a chance to board a spaceship himself, thanks to an invitation from his extraterrestrial friend, Solganda.

At the guidance of the space visitors, Van Tassel established the College of Universal Wisdom and sought donations to build the 'Integratron,' a rejuvenation device. Once completed, it was said to be capable of revitalizing up to 10,000 individuals a day. People would not appear younger, but their cells would be recharged. Despite raising a considerable amount of money, the Integratron was left incomplete by February 1978, when Van Tassel passed away from natural causes.

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