Since August 1945 the Western world has been fascinated with the notion of 'flying saucers' or UFOs. In the 1950s & 60s, reported sightings became wrapped up in any number of beliefs and legends. The authors unpick the origin of these beliefs, looking carefully at the key individuals involved. This reveals how the paranoia of the Cold War era generated its own myths and also shows that many aspects of the subsequent 'New Age' ideology had their origins in the UFO cults.