Universe people

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Asthar Sheran and his wife Ester, depicted with help of Ivo A. Benda and "other terrestrials with mission".

Universe people or Cosmic people of light powers (Czech: Vesmírní lidé sil světla) is a Czech movement centered around Ivo A. Benda. Its belief system is based upon existence of extraterrestrial civilizations communicating with Benda and other "contacters" since October 1997 telepathically and later even by direct personal contact. According to Benda, those civilizations operate a fleet of spaceships led by "Ashtar Sheran" orbiting the Earth. They closely watch and help the good and are waiting to transport their followers into another dimension. The Universe People teaching incorporates various elements from ufology (some foreign "contacters" are credited, though often also renounced after a time as misguided or deceptive), Christianity (Jesus was a "fine-vibrations" being) and conspiracy theories (forces of evil are supposed to plan compulsory chipping of the populace).

Opponents consider Benda and some more active of his followers psychically ill and the Universe people as having some characteristics of a cult or religious movement. The group's enthusiastic propaganda on the internet (a large website in garish colours) including spam, naivety of their recorded "messages" as well as attempts to comment on every aspect of life and appropriate any popular notion (life in The Matrix, for example) has built it a "cult" following who make fun of it, visit Benda's frequent rambling public lectures to try to catch him in the discussion part etc.; even beside this hard core, the Universe People have managed to become the embodiment of crackpots for Czech public.

Benda claims to have thousands to hundreds of thousands of sympathisers. Estimates by critical experts are in order of hundreds in the Czech Republic and Slovakia.

Benda has adopted philosophy of Swiss citizen Mr. Eduard Albert Meier. Benda's adopted philosophy is in direct conflict with Meier's original one. Meier has declined any contacts with Benda and does not recognize his movement.