A global picture of unidentified anomalous phenomena: Towards a cross‐cultural understanding of a potentially universal issue

Abstract Over recent years, the issue of unidentified anomalous phenomena (UAP) has increasingly captivated attention and even concern, as reflected in the US military establishing a UAP Task Force in 2020. However, the discourse and debate around this important topic are beset with misunderstandings and a general lack of knowledge and information. One prominent point of contention is the claim or insinuation that this is a uniquely Western concern, and even one exclusively centred on North America. Crucially though, this is an incorrect assumption and perhaps reflects the Western‐centrism to which academia is liable. To redress this issue, this paper reviews the publicly available information on the prevalence of UAP sightings and reports worldwide, showing that, even if these are heavily biased towards the United States, this is nevertheless a global phenomenon. The discussion concludes though by noting that this is a very poorly understood topic – despite the dawning recognition of its importance – and much more work is needed to better ascertain its cross‐cultural dynamics.