Kelleher and Knapp examine the gamut of possible explanations for what they had seen. Hoaxes, hallucinations, conspiracy theories, military experiments are all investigated and essentially eliminated. Despite plotting out close to 100 incidents or anomalies, the authors do not lay out the full array of scientific data and charts in the book, preferring to gear their narrative to a lay audience.

NIDS disbanded in 2004, after paranormal phenomenon at the ranch and indeed throughout the nation seemed to dramatically decrease, starting in 2000, Kelleher said.

Did he feel his involvement with the group was worth it? While acknowledging that the field of the paranormal has "a bad reputation," his answer is unequivocal: "I firmly believe the study of anomalies can open doors into other fields."

For Kelleher, research into anomalies that occurred on the ranch are basic to the discovery process connected to science, because they ultimately open doors to advance mainstream knowledge.

"One hundred years ago meteors were not considered real in science. They were figments of imagination, hallucinations," he said. "That's the way science progresses."

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