A Canadian filmmaker whose documentary on crop circles says he believes the phenomena are caused by a higher intelligence trying to bring about a "great awakening."   

"We're being communicated to by a higher intelligence -- no doubt -- and we're basically ignoring it," said Robert Nichol. "So that's my motive for doing the film. ... I'm really pleased to spread the good news that we're not alone in the universe."  

Star Dreams focuses on circles and other geometric patterns that mysteriously appear in fields of grain or flowers, rice patties and stands of trees as well as on ice, snow and salt flats.  

Nichol, who said he has produced more than 25 films, believes crop circles are "realizations of higher consciousness presented to humanity at this time to aid in this great awakening process that's happening on this planet now. So in that sense, it's a message to humanity."  

Crop circles were first mentioned in the eighth century in Britain, but Nichol said they are appearing more frequently, with 11,000 occurrences documented worldwide since 1980. He said the patterns are becoming more complex with some as large as 800 feet in diameter, yet accurate to within a quarter of an inch.  

While a few have turned out to be hoaxes, he said, "it defies common sense to say they're all man-made."

Nichol, who lives in an area called the Sunshine Coast, near Vancouver, B.C., said Star Dreams hasn't been picked up by mainstream theaters, but is becoming an underground hit.  

"It's a hit," Nichol said of his film. "The audiences are very deeply moved by this. They leave the theater feeling hopeful and uplifted. Some of them burst into tears when they see certain symbols. So it's working, and actually, I've found that the American audiences are far more receptive than the Canadian audiences for some reason. I guess they're hungry for this kind of material down there."  

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