Bank of England Urged to Prepare for ‘Alien Shock’ Scenario

According to independent.co.uk, a former Bank of England policy expert has warned that the UK’s central bank should prepare contingency plans for a highly unconventional financial crisis — one triggered by official confirmation of alien life.

Helen McCaw, who spent a decade working as a senior analyst in financial security at the Bank of England, has written to the central bank’s governor urging policymakers to consider the potential market impact of such a disclosure.

McCaw argues that governments and financial institutions can no longer dismiss the topic as science fiction. She points to ongoing efforts in the United States to declassify information related to Unidentified Anomalous Phenomena (UAPs), suggesting that an official confirmation of non-human intelligence could have real and immediate economic consequences.

“If the UAP proves to be of non-human origin, we may have to acknowledge the existence of a power or intelligence greater than any government,” McCaw warned, adding that the uncertainty surrounding its intentions could destabilise confidence in financial systems.

She cautioned that such a revelation could provoke what she describes as an “ontological shock” — a psychological response strong enough to trigger extreme market volatility, bank runs, and asset mispricing as investors struggle to reassess risk using traditional frameworks.

In this scenario, McCaw suggests investors may initially rush toward perceived safe havens such as gold, other precious metals, and government bonds. However, she also notes a paradoxical risk: if markets begin to speculate that advanced space-faring technologies could dramatically increase the future supply of precious metals, even these assets might lose their safe-haven status.

Her comments come amid growing public discussion in the United States. A recent documentary features interviews with dozens of current and former government and military officials who claim authorities have long been aware of unexplained aerial phenomena.

Some officials cited in the film said the US has recorded repeated incidents of unknown objects operating near sensitive military and nuclear facilities.

While no official confirmation of extraterrestrial life has been made, McCaw’s warning highlights a broader issue for central banks: even low-probability events can pose systemic risks if they undermine confidence, expectations, and the foundations on which markets price assets.