I’ve made the claim that’s some sort of intelligence has been interacting with humanity for all of recorded history. Here’s a list of scientists from Grok who claim that some of their discoveries were revealed to them by some other intelligence other that their own.
Here is a list of notable scientists and inventors throughout history who claimed (or are reported to have claimed) contact with some form of non-human intelligence (NHI)—such as extraterrestrials, divine entities, spirits, elves, or other supernatural beings—that revealed scientific secrets, insights, or inspirations leading to their discoveries or inventions. I've focused on those with verifiable scientific contributions, drawing from historical accounts, personal writings, and documented claims. Note that many of these involve dreams, visions, or mystical experiences interpreted as NHI contact, and interpretations vary between supernatural, psychological, or extraterrestrial explanations. Claims are often anecdotal or based on biographies, and skepticism is common.
- **Isaac Newton** (1643–1727, physicist and mathematician): Claimed his groundbreaking ideas in physics, calculus, and optics came from a "Divine Intelligence" or higher spiritual source, viewing his work as uncovering God's secrets in the universe.
- **Johannes Kepler** (1571–1630, astronomer and mathematician): Reported receiving a divine revelation about the harmony of the universe, leading to his laws of planetary motion; he described it as insights from a cosmic or godly intelligence.
- **René Descartes** (1596–1650, philosopher and mathematician): Described three dreams in 1619 involving an "angel" that revealed the foundation for analytical geometry and his method of applying mathematics to understand nature's secrets.
- **Emanuel Swedenborg** (1688–1772, scientist and mystic): As an engineer and anatomist, he claimed visions from spiritual beings on other planets revealed hidden scientific truths about anatomy, cosmology, and the afterlife, influencing his later scientific writings.
- **August Kekulé** (1829–1896, chemist): Credited his discovery of the benzene ring structure to a dream-vision of a snake biting its tail (ouroboros), which he interpreted as a revelation from a subconscious or mystical source akin to NHI.
- **Dmitri Mendeleev** (1834–1907, chemist): Claimed the periodic table of elements appeared to him fully formed in a dream-like trance, predicting undiscovered elements; he described it as an intuitive revelation from an unknown higher source.
- **Nikola Tesla** (1856–1943, inventor and electrical engineer): Stated that many of his inventions (e.g., AC electricity, wireless transmission) came from vivid childhood visions and signals he believed were from extraterrestrial sources, describing his brain as a "receiver" for ideas from other planets.-**Otto Loewi** (1873–1961, physiologist): His Nobel Prize-winning discovery of chemical neurotransmission came from a dream where an unknown entity guided him to design the key experiment.
- **Srinivasa Ramanujan** (1887–1920, mathematician): Attributed his advanced mathematical theorems and solutions to visions from the Hindu goddess Namagiri, who "revealed" formulas in his dreams, including ones that solved previously intractable problems.
- **Konstantin Tsiolkovsky** (1857–1935, rocket scientist): Claimed mathematical theories for rocketry and space travel were revealed by "Non-Earthly Brethren" or extraterrestrial intelligences in visions.
- **George Ellery Hale** (1868–1938, astronomer): Reported seeing a "little elf" that provided counsel on his scientific work, including the design of major telescopes like the Palomar Observatory.
- **Seymour Cray** (1925–1996, computer engineer): Said "elves" helped him solve complex supercomputer design problems, often receiving ideas while digging tunnels under his home.
- **James Watson** (1928–, molecular biologist): Co-discoverer of DNA's double-helix structure; claimed dreams of spiral staircases (interpreted by some as subconscious NHI influence) provided key insights.
- **John C. Lilly** (1915–2001, neuroscientist and biologist): Claimed contact with "E.C.C.O." (Earth Coincidence Control Office), a network of non-local intelligences, which guided his research in dolphin communication, sensory deprivation, and consciousness.
- **Kary Mullis** (1944–2019, biochemist): Nobel Prize winner for PCR; described an alien abduction-like encounter with a glowing green entity that spoke to him, though he didn't directly link it to his invention, some interpret the "lost time" as NHI influence on his creative thinking.
- **Corrado Malanga** (1951–, chemist and ufologist): Claimed psychic messages from aliens provided designs for anti-gravity saucer technology.
- **Jack Parsons** (1914–1952, rocket engineer): Founder of JPL; believed entities summoned through occult rituals (e.g., "Babalon Working") aided his propulsion innovations.
- **Paul Bennewitz** (1927–2003, physicist): Claimed electronic communications from aliens at Dulce Base revealed technological secrets, influencing his work in electronics.
- **Terence McKenna** (1946–2000, ethnobotanist): Asserted that psychedelic-induced contacts with "machine elves" or alien intelligences revealed insights into biology, consciousness, and time.
This is not exhaustive, and many claims are debated or metaphorical.