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 cult^{[citation needed]} 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's 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^[who?] consider Benda and some more active of his followers mentally ill and the Universe people as having some characteristics of a cult or new religious movement. The group's prescence on the internet (a large website in garish colours) including spam^{[citation needed]}, their recorded "messages" as well as attempts to comment on several aspects of life and appropriate any popular notion (life in The Matrix, for example).

Benda claims to have thousands to hundreds of thousands of sympathizers. Estimates by critical experts^[who?] are in order of hundreds in the Czech Republic and Slovakia.

Benda based his philosophy on information from many independent books, including Angels In Starships (Giorgio Dibitonto), Inside The Spaceships (George Adamski), Bringers Of The Dawn (Barbara Marciniak) and others. He also adopted parts of Swiss citizen Eduard Albert Meier's philosophy. However, Benda's philosophy is in some points in conflict with Meier's and Meier has declined any contacts with Benda and does not recognize his movement.