Franklin, a well-known ''spiritual guru,'' ingested a substance, sat under a pyramid, and meditated, wishing to meet ''the aliens'' he believed spawned humankind.


    He went for a nightly stroll through a local park and saw a bright light hovering in the sky, which revealed itself to be a flying saucer.


    A beam pulled him up into the ship.


    "Hello, Franklin, you requested to see us," said a floating ethereal orb — blurry but beautiful.If you encounter this story on Amazon, note that it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it.


    "You read my thoughts?"


    "Indeed, Franklin, we''ve been monitoring your brainwaves for some time."


    "You mean my spirit?"


    "No, Franklin, your brain."


    "But …"


    "Franklin, love, religion, and consciousness are synergies of the mind rooted in the brain. There''s no ''spirit'' as such."


    The orb pulsated and flashed.


    Franklin fell unconscious and found himself in his bed. He grabbed a pen and paper and noted in his journal: ''Lay off the heavy stuff. That orb was so full of lies and deceptions … I know the truth!''