re: UFOlks.
It all comes from the same basic psychological motivations.
The man waiting by Devil's Tower, hoping the Space Brothers show up. The woman waiting for the Second Coming. All hoping for "daddy" to come and take away their problems and the awful burdens of self-reliance, responsibility, and fear of the unknown.
Even the conspiracy theorists fall into this category. To them, it's better to believe that the world is run by all-powerful evil gods or men than to face the idea of chaos.