Aliens are ‘watching us and could arrive on Earth in the next 20 years’
Erich von Daniken, author of infamous book Chariots of the Gods, claims extraterrestrials will visit our planet in the coming decades
ALIENS are watching us and could arrive on Earth in the next 20 years, the author of ground-breaking book Chariots of the Gods has claimed.
Erich von Daniken, 82, sparked controversy when he .
Today, Erich - who has sold 75million books to date - insists there is even more evidence to support his theory than there was when he crafted it in the late 1960s.
And he believes that when they do make their appearance it could be on television, or in a football stadium.
Speaking from his home in Switzerland, Erich said: "I believe that at the moment we are under observation.
"This is based on conversations with very intelligent people, who have been told officially that UFOs are reality, and we are being watched.
"I believe within the next 20 years some extra terrestrials will show up here - on television maybe or in football stadiums.
"Crop circles show that somebody is already trying to contact us without shocking us. And we should start to think about these things.
"I believe extraterrestrials will return to Earth and we should take this into consideration so we are not shocked.
“Because it will be good for mankind.
"We will learn to live in peace."
He went on: "We humans, we have a psychological problem with extra terrestrials. We look at earthlings at the biggest thing in the universe.
"We don't want extra terrestrials because they will crush our uniqueness. And therefore we try to deny they exist.
"But this has changed. Extra terrestrials were here and they promised our ancestors they would return.
"It would make more sense to look at this prospect in a speculative way, than to just throw it away. Don't say it's all rubbish.
"We should think about it as we do science fiction movies.
"Science fiction movies helps us to keep an open mind, and to ask questions about other life forms that might be out there."
Chariots of the Gods - which inspired Hollywood film Prometheus - speculates if landmarks such as Stonehenge and the Pyramids could be signs left by aliens who visited thousands of years ago and promised to return.
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And while it was welcomed by millions of readers, many scientists dismissed its claims as rubbish.
But Erich - who accepts that criticism for his book at the time was "completely normal" - insists he has won over many experts with his views as knowledge of space has improved.
These advances have opened up a new world of possibilities for those wishing to explore the universe.
Last month entrepreneur Elon Musk unveiled his vision to send people to Mars in just 10 years - with the aim of building a city on the red planet.
But while Erich welcomes the prospect of interplanetary travel, he says people will have to wait a lot longer if they want to live on Mars.
He said: "I support the mission to Mars but I know we absolutely cannot survive there without taking our own environment.
"That environment would have to be there for at least two generations before we create an earthly atmosphere.
"A mission to Mars would be great, but that's a story that goes on for the next 200 years."
In celebration of the Chariots of the Gods ’s 50thanniversary, Erich von Däniken will deliver a keynote speech on Saturday October 15 at The Princess Anne Theatre, BAFTA, Piccadilly London, for The Erich Von Daniken Legacy Night.
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