Retired Army Colonel Karl Nell recently declared: “There’s a hierarchy of beings. Non-human intelligence has been interacting with humanity. This interaction is not new; it’s ongoing, and there’s zero doubt.”

For those studying unidentified aerial phenomena (UAP) and the broader question of extraterrestrial contacts, the announcement was more than just an admission.

Unlike the often sensationalized declarations that dominate the internet, Nell’s words carry weight. A career military officer and UAP task force consultant, his credibility makes his remarks hard to dismiss.

Yet, the implications of his statement are not confined to congressional hearings or classified briefings. They seep into the broader fabric of human understanding, hinting at an intelligence that is both ancient and purposeful.

Nell’s assertion invites us to consider not just if we are alone, but how such interactions, hidden in plain sight, have shaped humanity. And more importantly, what does this ongoing interplay reveal about the motives of non-human intelligence (NHI)?

A Hierarchy Beyond Our Understanding

Nell’s idea of a “hierarchy of beings” echoes through history. His use of the term is striking in its universality. By speaking of “humanity” rather than governments or individuals, he situates this interaction at a level that encompasses all human existence.

His concept finds a parallel in the work of Diana Pasulka, a scholar whose book Encounters explores the intersection of faith and the UFO phenomenon.

Pasulka describes a taxonomy of beings proposed by a pseudonymous researcher, Tyler, placing God at the apex, followed by angels, extraterrestrials, intelligence factions, ordinary humans, and animals. This layered structure suggests not a chaotic cosmos but a meticulously organized reality, one in which humanity’s position is both humble and precarious.