UAP-CDS

Contact Depth Scale

16 items across 4 categories measuring phenomenological depth of UAP contact experiences. Score range 0–32. Structurally parallel to the Greyson NDE Scale.

Purpose

The UAP Contact Depth Scale answers: "What happened?"— not "is it true?" (ESS) or "how did it change you?" (CTI). It is deliberately modality-agnostic — scoring the depth of the reported experience regardless of whether contact occurred physically, in a dream, during meditation, or through an ambiguous altered state.

A vivid bilateral dream contact can score higher than a distant physical sighting. This is intentional — the CDS measures depth of the experience as reported, not physical proximity.

Contact Modality Tags

Non-scoring metadata for analytical filtering. A single encounter may span multiple modalities.

physical_sightingclose_encounterdream_visionmeditation_ce5abductionongoing_contactambiguous

The 16 Items

Each item scored: 0 = Not present, 1 = Mildly/ambiguously present, 2 = Definitely present

CD-1

Observation & Physical Encounter

Whether something anomalous was perceived, what form it took, how close it was, and whether it left physical traces.

CD-1a

Anomalous Perception

Did the witness perceive something anomalous?

0No anomalous perception described

1Vague or uncertain impression

2Clear anomalous perception — specific object, entity, or event described

CD-1b

Structured Form

Was a distinct structured form observed?

0No distinct form — only vague feelings or intuitions

1Partial form — basic shape but lacking detail

2Structured form — craft with geometry, entity with features, or geometric patterns

CD-1c

Proximity

How close was the encounter?

0Distant or no spatial proximity

1Moderate proximity — overhead, within a few hundred feet

2Intimate proximity — face-to-face, physical touch, inside craft/environment

CD-1d

Physical Effects

Were there physical effects on the witness or environment?

0No physical effects described

1Subjective sensations — tingling, heat, vibration, paralysis

2Observable or persistent effects — marks, equipment malfunction, ground traces, missing time

CD-2

Entity Interaction

Whether a non-human intelligence was perceived and the depth of interaction.

CD-2a

Entity Perceived

Was a non-human entity or intelligence perceived?

0No entity perceived — only objects or phenomena

1Ambiguous — felt presence, sensed intelligence, vague dream figure

2Clear entity — described with features, apparent agency, identifiable source

CD-2b

Bilateral Awareness

Did the entity appear to acknowledge the witness?

0Entity did not appear to notice the witness

1Entity seemed to orient toward or respond to witness

2Entity directly addressed, approached, or demonstrably responded to witness

CD-2c

Communication

Was information exchanged?

0No communication of any kind

1Ambiguous — vague impressions, unclear transmission

2Explicit communication — specific messages, information download, detailed visual imagery

CD-2d

Transportation / Immersion

Was the witness taken somewhere or immersed in an environment?

0Witness remained in their normal environment

1Partial displacement — different perspective, partial vision of another place

2Full immersion — aboard craft, different realm, immersive environment

CD-3

Consciousness Alteration

How the witness's state of consciousness was affected during the encounter.

CD-3a

Altered State

Was the witness's consciousness altered?

0Normal waking consciousness throughout

1Mildly altered — heightened awareness, time distortion, focused attention

2Significantly altered — trance, dissociation, OBE, complete shift in perceptual reality

CD-3b

Telepathic / Non-verbal Contact

Was non-verbal or telepathic communication experienced?

0No telepathic or non-verbal contact

1Possible telepathy — felt understanding, vague knowing

2Clear telepathy — specific thoughts received, bilateral mental communication

CD-3c

Time Anomaly

Were there anomalies in time perception?

0Normal time perception

1Mild distortion — time seemed faster or slower

2Significant anomaly — missing time, time slip, simultaneous perception of past/future

CD-3d

Expanded Awareness

Was there an expanded or non-ordinary perception?

0Normal perceptual range

1Mildly expanded — heightened senses, seeing energy, unusual clarity

2Significantly expanded — panoramic vision, cosmic awareness, perceiving multiple dimensions simultaneously

CD-4

Transcendent Elements

Whether the experience included transcendent, numinous, or reality-shifting elements.

CD-4a

Ontological Shock

Did the experience fundamentally challenge the witness's understanding of reality?

0No paradigm challenge described

1Mild surprise or confusion about what was experienced

2Profound ontological shock — fundamental questioning of reality, deep existential impact

CD-4b

Numinous Quality

Did the experience have a sacred, awe-inspiring, or deeply meaningful quality?

0No numinous quality described

1Mildly awe-inspiring or meaningful

2Profoundly sacred, numinous, or awe-inspiring — described as the most significant experience of their life

CD-4c

Emotional Overwhelm

Was there intense emotional response during or after the encounter?

0No significant emotional response described

1Moderate emotional response — fear, wonder, excitement, unease

2Intense emotional overwhelm — terror, ecstasy, profound peace, complete emotional transformation

CD-4d

Pattern / Recurrence

Is this part of a larger pattern of experiences?

0Isolated, single event

1Some indication of related experiences or prior anomalous events

2Clear pattern — recurring contact, lifelong experiencer, multiple encounters across years

Score Interpretation

0–6Minimal Depth

7–13Moderate Depth

14–21Deep Contact

22–32Profound Contact

Design Decisions

Modality-agnostic by design: Dream and meditation contacts are scored identically to physical sightings. This captures depth of experience regardless of physical reality.

Not a truth detector: A high CDS score means the experience was phenomenologically rich and deep, not that it actually occurred as described.

Video as unit of analysis: If a speaker describes multiple encounters, items are scored based on whether that feature appeared anywhere across all described experiences.

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