American Alchemy with Jesse Michels

Episode: "The NSA Hired Me To Speak To Aliens!" — Retired Sergeant Dan Sherman
Date: October 17, 2025
Guest: Retired Technical Sergeant Dan Sherman

Episode Overview

This episode features Jesse Michels in a wide-ranging, in-depth conversation with retired Air Force Technical Sergeant Dan Sherman. Sherman claims to have worked in a deeply classified NSA program called Project Preserve Destiny (PPD), where his genetically enhanced telepathic abilities—attributed to alleged alien intervention—were used to enable telepathic communication with extraterrestrial beings. The discussion covers his personal history, recruitment, detailed explanations of the training and communication protocols, direct experiences with alien telepathic contact, and the implications of these encounters for both national security and the broader human experience. The episode is notable for its tone of open-minded skepticism, rich technical detail, and Sherman's grounded demeanor.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Sherman’s Background and Path to the Air Force

• Early Life Instability:

  • Moved frequently; attended 27 different schools (06:27).
  • Raised in poverty; no military family background (06:39).

• Unlikely Birth:

  • Mother suffered many miscarriages and was told she’d never carry a child to term (07:18).
  • Sherman attributes his survival—and life path—to something extraordinary, hinting at foreshadowing regarding alien intervention.

• Interest in the Military:

  • Inspired by an Air Force SR-71 pilot who boarded horses at the family’s stables (08:14).
  • Early fascination with technology and science fiction (09:17).

2. Military Career & Recruitment into Project Preserve Destiny (PPD)

• Career Trajectory:

  • Served 12 years in the Air Force, stationed in Korea, Italy, Colorado, North Dakota, Nebraska, Texas, the Philippines, and Japan (09:56).
  • Initially a security policeman, later cross-trained into electronics intelligence (ELINT) (11:46).

• Recruitment to PPD:

  • Sent to Fort Meade for advanced ELINT training; unexpectedly tapped for a mysterious "school" at the NSA complex (13:43).

• Initial Briefing by NSA Captain:

  • Sherman was told his mother was abducted and subject to "genetic management" by aliens while pregnant with him—purportedly granting him unique telepathic capabilities (23:49, 25:30).

  • Quote:
    “It was called Project Preserve Destiny. It was designed to genetically manage fetuses, human fetuses, so that they would have the heightened ability to do this particular thing that I was going to school for.” (23:49)

  • Purpose: Train and deploy "intuitive communicators" for a classified military need forecasted to occur in a future event (34:59).

  • Extreme compartmentalization was explained to him, referencing “black” and “gray” projects for deep secrecy (30:34).

3. Training Regimen and Telepathic Communication Protocols

• PPD School Procedures:

  • Transported in a windowless blue van to a secret underground facility (36:42).
  • Training involved sitting at a console with 10 boxes displaying sine waves, headphones, and the task of mentally “humming” tones to match or influence the waves, supported by unidentified pills (45:35).
  • Quote (Sherman):
    “He said that you will eventually feel a connection—the line will change. When I saw the sine wave move, I went, oh, okay. Well, there’s a mental disconnect there... this is not supposed to be happening. This is not possible.” (00:56, 50:29)

• Nature of Communication:

  • Training “unlocked” a new modality of the mind, where Sherman could control sine waves by thought (51:25).
  • Communicated at a level below or above conventional symbolic thought, likened to “carrier waves” in electronics (60:04).
  • Eventually, auditory hints and pills were no longer needed; the process became intuitive (62:43–63:50).

• Security and Secrecy:

  • Required to take official secrecy protocols extremely seriously. Contacts switched bases via “introduction” rituals, adding a cloak-and-dagger element (43:15).
  • The presence of a second mysterious van, traceable to “Noise Cancellation Technologies,” is suggested as a possible private contractor overlap (69:30–71:53).

4. Operational Experience: Communication with Aliens

• Assignment Locations:

  • Stations included Offutt AFB (Nebraska) and San Vito de Normani Air Station (Italy) (87:11, 197:56).

• Practical Work:

  • Simultaneously worked standard ELINT duties and “gray project” communications at secure workstations (87:13).
  • Received “preparing for communication” messages mentally; typed output into a special program (88:58–92:46).

• Quality of Telepathy:

  • Communications entered his mind as “areas” of a “colorful tapestry” (89:24–90:55).
  • Messages came as numbers, images, emotions, or sensory impressions (94:47).
  • Was designated “Staunch 118” in the system (77:08).

• Nature of Alien Contacts (“Spock” and “Bones”):

  • “Spock”:
    • First alien contact; logical, linear, businesslike, mostly numbers (99:01, 100:34).
  • “Bones”:
    • Second contact; more emotional, more visual or narrative images (143:13).
  • Alien personalities sensed as distinct; both seemed to be “functionaries” with limited latitude (147:09).

• Communications Content:

  • Early comms were training or system checks; later, Sherman believed he was relaying data about alien abductions and human subjects’ recall/pain levels (158:28).
  • Asked aliens about travel, time, religion, biology, and more; received enigmatic but sometimes pragmatic answers (106:30–154:49).
  • Notable Alien Answer on Time:
    “You can’t really go back and forward in time because time is a relative thing… but you can go around time.” (106:41)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Realization of Telepathic Ability:
  “When I saw the sine wave move, I went, ‘Oh… this is not supposed to be happening, this is not possible.’” (00:56)

• Sherman’s Attitude Toward His Participation:
  “I was wide-eyed and bushy-tailed, that’s all. I was just following orders.” (85:03)

• On Alien Motivations:
  “I didn’t ever get a sense of any type of anger... There’s no reason to be nefarious towards us.” (208:00)

• On the Emotional Burden of Reporting on Abductions:
  “I felt morally compromised because I didn't have any choice... I couldn't be a part of it.” (161:56)

• On Government Secrecy and the Possibility of Disclosure:
  “I honestly don’t think it’ll ever happen. I mean, the whole truth—we may get certain things that come out... but I know the truth. So my mystery... has vanished.” (201:07, 189:19)

Important Segments & Timestamps

• The Initial Recruitment Experience:

  • [23:49] — Sherman is briefed on his genetic alteration and recruitment into PPD.

• Telepathic Training Protocol Explained:

  • [45:35–63:50] — Details of the training, the use of tones, the mental clicking, and the “unlocking” of ability.

• First Alien Communications in the Field:

  • [86:28–101:04] — Transition from training to live missions; “Spock” as first contact.

• Alien Answers on Time & Travel:

  • [106:41] — Time as something you “go around”; hints of advanced physics.

• Ethical Struggle & Decision to Leave:

  • [161:56–178:42] — Moral dilemma as communications turn to abductions; Sherman orchestrates his exit using “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell.”

• Validation and FOIA Investigations:

  • [183:28–188:59] — Independent researchers corroborate the existence of Project Preserve Destiny; the NSA refuses to confirm or deny.

• Final Reflections on Alien Motives:

  • [207:51–210:11] — Sherman concludes aliens had no malicious intent; raises the Star Trek “Prime Directive” analogy.

Additional Highlights & Corroborations

• Aliens’ View on Sun and Religion:

  • Aliens referenced the sun as more mystical/significant than humans understand (110:04); made metaphysical claims about intelligent and non-intelligent creation (147:53).

• Electromagnetic Sensitivity:

  • Sherman claims heightened sensitivity to electronics, possibly relating to his “genetic management” by aliens (167:36).

• Noise Cancellation Technologies:

  • White van traced to a defense contractor with deep military links (69:30–71:53)—potential tie-in for civilian tech in black programs.

• FOIA Requests & Third-Party Validation:

  • Independent researcher’s FOIA request for PPD forwarded from the Air Force to the NSA, with the NSA invoking Executive Order 13526 (183:28–187:57).

• Foreign Press & Political Fallout:

  • Italian news outlet L’Espresso recently linked Project Preserve Destiny to White House intrigue and suggested it remains relevant (193:30–194:51).

Style, Language, and Tone

Sherman speaks with understated, measured confidence—a mix of technical clarity and spiritual detachment. He expresses playful skepticism, a clear desire not to be a UFO celebrity, and a preference for privacy. Michels’ role veers between rigorous researcher and curious skeptic, helping clarify jargon, challenge assumptions, and making the episode accessible to newcomers. The tone is candid, sometimes humorous, and marked by mutual respect and credence without sensationalism.

Conclusion

Dan Sherman’s narrative—backed by documentation of his military service, independent FOIA requests, and cross-referencing with other investigative work—offers a rare, detailed look into claims of government-sanctioned telepathic contact with extraterrestrial beings. His account, while unverifiable in totality, carries a degree of internal consistency, technical specificity, and personal humility that set it apart in the world of UFO whistleblowers.

Sherman’s parting thought:
"I just want to let it go into the ether. … My story is my story. Let people gel with whatever their stories are. It's a piece of the puzzle, and that’s all I'm good for." (130:21)

For further research, check out the host's substack: American Alchemy Magazine.