By KAY JENNEY

The Daily News

LAUGHLIN -- Shakespeare's conundrum "to be, or not to be?" is still being pondered in various ways. One of the leading researchers in the field of extraordinary experiences announced a new way of perceiving reality Thursday at the 12th Annual International UFO Congress Convention and Film Festival held at the Flamingo Hotel and Casino.

Dr. John Mack began his journey delving into human consciousness as a professor of psychiatry at Harvard Medical School and now through his years of research on a number of nontraditional subjects, foresees changes on the horizon for all societies.

"There will be a restructuring of reality. It's arrogant to put it in a box," Mack said.

Mack has investigated Unidentified Flying Object (UFOs) and subsequent reports of alien abductions, near death experiences, spiritual/mystical aberrations, organ transplant memory, magnetic shifts, zero energy power sources, cold fusion, spirit visitation and more. These studies, he said has led him to conclude the extraordinary experiences of individuals will lead to changes in how the world population views reality. Mack called it a "world view shift in consciousness."

Mack said there will be changes across the board in every aspect of society.

"All institutions will be affected," Mack said.

He said the mental health profession will view extraordinary experiences not as pathological conditions, but rather as a starting point for personal growth and learning. Philosophically, people will understand the universe as one teeming with life forms, some seen, some unseen Mack said.

"It's arrogant to believe human beings are the pinnacle of success," Mack said. He said people will understand the oneness of the world while appreciating the differences.

Science, Mack said, will study subjects now considered taboo. He said politics will be changed most of all. Mack said the economy will move away from a war-based economy. He suggested the military should be used to build infrastructure instead of making war.

"We need leadership that thinks beyond borders," Mack said. "Nationalism in its malignant form would become unthinkable." Mack said keeping political power meant keeping an enemy in front of the subjects at all times. If the people question that, they are accused of lack of patriotism.

"Does that sound familiar?" Mack asked.

Mack said people who have experienced alien abductions understand his views, "They get this," Mack said. He said "we must become galactic citizens and so far we have not done very well.

"There must be councils (of extraterrestrial aliens) trying to figure out what to do with us without exterminating us. They've been very tolerant," Mack said.

First-time visitor to a UFO convention, Paul Harrison of North Carolina, said he is a skeptic.

He said he only came to this conference because his son, who he said is a government agent "is into this stuff" and urged him to attend.