Overview
This episode of Psicoactivo Podcast features host Pavel presenting and commenting on clips from a separate interview with Jonathan Caplan, a King's Counsel (senior British barrister) who has recently published a book titled Not for Disclosure: UFOs, The World's Best Kept Secret. The episode covers Caplan's claims about the British Royal Family's interest in UFOs, the institutional reasons for government secrecy, and two specific alleged contact events between US officials and non-human entities.
Bottom Line
This episode is primarily a curated highlight reel from another interview, interspersed with the host's commentary. Listeners will encounter Caplan's specific claims about Prince Philip, the structure of UFO secrecy in the US and UK, and two second- or third-hand accounts of alleged contact events. It requires little background knowledge but assumes a degree of existing interest in UFO disclosure topics. Those already familiar with figures like David Grusch, Tom DeLonge, or Eric Davis will find the most to engage with.
Key Themes
- British Royal Family's involvement in UFO research
- Why elected officials are excluded from UFO briefings
- The institutional structure of UFO secrecy in the US
- Two alleged US government contact events
- Religious fundamentalism within intelligence circles
- Cold War context for the origins of the cover-up
What Was Discussed
Jonathan Caplan's background and book Caplan is introduced as a King's Counsel with experience representing foreign royalty, including in a high-profile Spanish royal case. His book, Not for Disclosure, covers the history of UFO secrecy. The host presents him as unusually well-connected to elite circles that, by his account, have longer and deeper access to this subject than elected officials.
Prince Philip and Royal Family interest Caplan describes a role he held in the 1970s delivering copies of a scientific magazine to Prince Philip's equerry. He states that Philip's equerry, Sir Peter Horsley, conducted witness interviews at Buckingham Palace with Philip's consent, passing reports back to the prince. Caplan also mentions Lord Mountbatten as having shared this interest.
Why politicians are excluded Caplan argues that presidents, prime ministers, CIA directors, and even the US congressional "gang of eight" are treated as temporary employees and are not automatically briefed on UAP programs. He describes the relevant gatekeepers in the US as small units within the CIA — specifically the Counter Proliferation Mission Center and the Research and Development Projects division — as well as the Department of Energy. He notes that reverse engineering work is contracted to private defense companies, placing it outside Freedom of Information Act reach.
Origins of secrecy Caplan traces the cover-up to the late 1940s, when President Truman was briefed after Roswell. He argues secrecy was driven by two factors: the potential technological advantage from recovered craft, which was classified above the atomic bomb program, and the absence of answers to fundamental questions — origin, intent, beliefs — that governments still cannot answer today.
Two alleged contact events Caplan describes two instances he says he is confident enough to reference. The first, sourced from two separate intelligence contacts, is a claim that a craft landed by arrangement in Russia and met with local militia, communicated to US intelligence during the Clinton presidency in 1994. The second is drawn from physicist Eric Davis, who reportedly told Caplan that former President George H.W. Bush confirmed a craft landed at Holloman Air Force Base, was filmed, and that occupants described as having "Nordic" characteristics spoke with CIA and military personnel. Bush, according to this account, was denied access to the film when he later became CIA director.
The Collins Elite Caplan describes a group within the CIA called the Collins Elite — officers briefed on UAPs who are religious fundamentalists and conclude the phenomenon is demonic. He states this group has communicated its views to senior politicians, and suggests Vice President JD Vance holds similar beliefs.
Notable Points
Caplan states that the reverse engineering of recovered craft is conducted through private defense contractors, which he says exempts the programs from Freedom of Information Act requests — a structural point that, if accurate, explains why congressional oversight has been limited.
Caplan claims that the research programs stemming from recovered craft were classified at a higher level than the atomic and hydrogen bomb programs. He presents this as a key reason the subject has remained so tightly held since the 1940s.
The Holloman Air Force Base account, attributed by Caplan to Eric Davis and said to originate with Bush Sr., includes the detail that Bush was denied access to the film when he became CIA director — suggesting, in Caplan's framing, that even a former president with direct intelligence leadership did not have full access.
Caplan describes the Collins Elite as having actively shaped political views on UAPs through their religious interpretation, and names the current US Vice President as someone who he believes holds the view that the phenomenon is demonic — though he stops short of saying Vance is a member of the group.
Worth Listening If…
- You are following British perspectives on UAP disclosure and want to hear a senior legal figure's account of Royal Family involvement
- You are already familiar with the Tom DeLonge, Eric Davis, or David Grusch threads and want to hear how Caplan's claims relate to or expand on them
- You are interested in the structural and institutional arguments for why UFO secrecy has persisted across administrations
Skip If…
- You are looking for verified, sourced journalism — virtually all claims here are second- or third-hand and presented without documentary evidence
- You want the full Caplan interview rather than a curated clip package with host commentary; the original Heretics interview is linked in the episode description and would provide more depth