Inside the brains of a computer in the cluttered basement of a Westminster man's house, people from all over the world meet to talk about space aliens, government coverups and the latest lights in the sky. 

Known as Paranet, the electronic twilight zone has grown from a small computer bulletin board system (BBS) available on six computers across the country in 1986 to an international clearinghouse for the paranormal that can be reached by 6 million users of the Internet across the world at any time. 
 
  

Paranet's system operator (sysop), Michael Corbin, a real estate broker and computer systems consultant who used to scoff at tellers of UFO stories, says the network is a place for people with extraordinary claims to air their views with people who have similar interests or experiences. 

"Paranet has made its mark as an even-handed source because we allow both ends of the spectrum, both the skeptic and the believer," said Corbin, 39. The system does not censor claims of sightings or abductions, but it doesn't endorse them, either. 

Paranet is not meant for unsubstantiated claims, Corbin says. 

"There are numerous, numerous abduction stories, but there is not one shred of evidence that aliens are abducting people," he said. "We insist on extraordinary proof for extraordinary claims." 

To date, he says, he has never seen that proof. "But I do believe there is anecdotal proof by testimony," he said. "Something is going on." 

His conviction comes from experience. At one time he considered the tellers of UFO stories to be delusioned drunks or drug addicts. But it only took a few minutes under the stars to change his mind. 

While watching the heavens from a reclining position on his backyard picnic table on a clear summer night in 1987, he noticed something large and "delta-shaped" obscuring the crystal-clear sky. 

"My mind, at first, could not comprehend it," he said. Making absolutely no noise and creating no turbulence, the object defied every aerodynamic principle he knew. His brain was offering far more logical explanations: It was Batman. Pterodactyls. 

"Ridiculous things like that. I thought it was gonna squash me," he said. In 45 seconds, the object was gone. 

Corbin tried talking to a Catholic priest, but the only response he got was that the church made no judgments about UFOs. "What frustrated me was that there was a lack of acknowledgment that there is a problem here (with UFOs)," he said. And mental health experts told him there was no foundation aside from psychological disorders for dealing with people who claimed to see lights and almond-eyed beings. 

The people who would listen to him, however, were on computer networks. 

At that time he used CompuServe, a national version of a BBS. During the growth of the New Age movement in the mid-'80s, people had begun to talk freely about their UFO experiences in designated on-line UFO groups, giving him a chance to discuss his experience with others. 

One of the people he met, Jim Speiser, asked Corbin in 1989 if he wanted to take over his then 2-year-old Paranet system. He agreed, and within a few months he had quintupled the number of Paranet sites across the world armed with only a Tandy 3000 and a modem. 

The big change, however, happened the same year when he made the system available on the Internet. 

Traditionally, the Internet has been the domain of scientists and the military, since its creation by the Department of Defense. But in the spirit of the plowshares-from-swords post-cold war era, it is emerging as an alternative mode of communication for people who wouldn't dare risk exposing their ideas face to face or who live far apart. 

"Internet is a whole different world. You have a wider variety of people than you have on bulletin boards," Corbin said. 

Sifting through the Paranet files, the diversity of people and opinions comes through. 

In the abduction group, people freely share their ideas. One small clique is involved in a heated discussion about post-traumatic stress syndrome, which some psychologists say indicates that alien abduction is a real event. 

"PTSD in an abductee does not automatically mean that it derived from a physically real traumatic abduction," says one member of the group, citing an article from a British psychology magazine. An abductee in the circle isn't impressed with the study, and writes that it doesn't explain her trauma. "Something came into my house that night and I did not dream it up." 

Meanwhile, from his office computer at Southwest Texas State University, a professor asks people to send him information about the implants that aliens allegedly leave in their victims' bodies. "Any information such as locations, descriptions or pain would be appreciated," he says. "Only serious replies will be looked at." 

Occasionally, the network becomes a wire service, as it did when the 1990 Belgian UFO Reports were released, representing the first time a government entity openly cooperated with a UFO group. 

Opening the floodgates to the Internet not only brought in scientists and professional "ufologists" (those who study UFOs), but it also invited unmoderated "trash," Corbin said. 

One contributor, for example, recently notified netters about his company, which sells a UFO detector that is said to pick up flying saucers by finding alternating magnetic fields. 

As for the UFO occupants, or "grays," who are thought to abduct people in their sleep, another writer gives foolproof advice for protection. "You might want to try sneezing on a gray," says the writer, who leads a group called the Terran Defense Initiative. "When you sneeze, germs and mucus leave your body at hundreds of miles per hour. This material could be absorbed by the grays, and cause them to become sick." 

Corbin isn't terribly happy about these kinds of computer invasions. 

"We discourage it, but we can't stop it," Corbin said. "You're going to find a lot of chatter, but there are pearls in the midst of all that. That's the drawback of having an unmoderated news group.' 

The Paranet BBS can be called directly by modem at 429-2713. 

The six main Paranet conferences also can be found in Usenet News under the headings alt.paranet.abduct, alt.paranet.paranormal, alt.paranet.science, alt.paranet. 

skeptic, alt.paranet.psi and alt.paranet.metaphysics. Usenet news is being made available on most national computer systems and also can be accessed through some bulletin boards.