By KEN KORCZAK
Limited by a Quadriplegic Body, a Colorado Man’s Consciousness Explores the Universe
Some of the best UFO books are small-market, usually independently published gems written by “ordinary folks.” That is, they’re not professional writers, UFO investigators, former military “insiders” or government types who once held top security clearances.
Furthermore, these books aren’t just about UFOs. Rather, they tell the personal stories of people facing all kinds of life challenges –- while the UFO aspect is tangential to their lives but still essential to the narrative.
That’s the case for the book I will look at today: Uncommon Vision by Matt Hendrick.
Hendrick is a quadriplegic who has been confined to a wheelchair for almost 30 years. At age 21, he suffered injuries to his neck and spine in a car accident while on a trip with his mother in upstate New York.
It was the beginning of a lifelong series of paranormal encounters, starting with a brief NDE (Near Death Experience) at the time of the car crash. Henrick recalls leaving his body and floating above the scene of the crash. He met with certain “beings” in the out-of-body state. They advised him to “let go” of his physical body and life on earth, telling him it was “all okay” and that he was “done.”
However – and to his regret – Hendrick opted to reject the offer of his “spirit guides” and return to his damaged physical body. He rejoined a damaged vessel that had no function of arms or legs. Most of his hand function was gone as well. In a recent interview on Whitley Strieber’s Dreamland webcast, Hendrick said that if he had a second chance, he should have taken his exit from physical life on the day of his accident.
Hendrick was transformed from a healthy young man in his prime who was popular with friends and “girls” to a person who would never enjoy many of the activities, relationships and adventures in life that most of us take for granted.
After years of struggle to accept his situation, Hendrick painstakingly adjusted to the life of a profoundly handicapped man who needed to find joy and purpose while accepting the stark reality of extreme limitations.
A UFO APPARITION
It was 10 years after his accident, the year 2011, that Hendrick was driving with his mother and brother in an SUV through a rural scenic area in Colorado, his home state. Suddenly in the sky above a massive and classic “flying saucer” UFO appeared to the family trio. They could do nothing but gape up in wonder.
Even though Hendrick had an expensive Nikon camera sitting in his lap, he never thought about getting a photograph. The same behavior is reported so often in UFO incidents. The witnesses are so agog at what they’re seeing that the commonsense notion to start clicking photos just doesn’t occur to them until it’s too late.
Another common reaction is for witnesses to refuse to discuss their UFO encounter after the fact. That was the case with Hendrick’s mother and brother. He wanted to delve into an excited conversation about the amazing experience they had just shared, but his two family members simply clammed up.
Whatever the case, Hendrick believes that his UFO sighting was no accident. He thinks that the occupants – or the intelligence behind the UFO – wanted him to know that “They” were here and somehow connected to him.
The encounter added a greater sense of purpose and meaning to his life.
PARANORMAL ACTIVITY GALORE
Today, the “UFO Thought Universe” has evolved to recognize that what is going on here is an “all of the above” situation. That is, more and more, UFO encounters are believed to be connected to an array of paranormal phenomena.
In this case of Hendrick, he writes about:
- More UFO encounters.
- Bizarre synchronicities and coincidences.
- Hauntings & harassment by spirits of the dead.
- Frequent poltergeist-like activity in his home.
- More brushes with death and miraculous interventions.
- Expanded consciousness & visionary experiences.
… and more.
Yes, it’s all intriguing but the real “secret sauce” of this book is how the author gives voice to the plight of someone who was handed a cruel set of cards to play in the game of Earth-bound existence. It’s a window into the life of a quadriplegic – a circumstance that makes us see the UFO phenomena from a unique perspective. In that way, it adds to our understanding, but it also deepens the mystery.
Hendrick made liberal use of several AI illustration and writing tools to craft this book. I give him credit for “full disclosure” in this regard.
AI notwithstanding, I hasten to add that Matt Hendrick‘s narrative is full of heart. This book’s tone of genuine authenticity shines on every page. Hendrick has rendered an honest, soulful – and truly heroic – account of an incredibly strong man who is navigating the mysteries of life and reality couched in a situation that the rest of us might not have the courage to face.
It’s not overwrought to say that Uncommon Vision is a classic “Heroes Journey” tale.
NOTE: For more original stories of UFO encounter, please see: KEN-ON-MEDIUM.