Last
night, while flipping around the cable because there didn’t seem to be much of
interest on, I came across another UFO show. Only a small part was devoted to
abductions, and frankly, I didn’t see much of that either. I mention this
because we were treated to the same lame arguments supporting the idea that
some people have been abducted by alien creates. What was annoying was that the
arguments being made were the same ones being made two decades ago when Bill
Cone, Russ Estes and I wrote The
Abduction Enigma. Research into abductions has not changed since then and
the evidence supporting the idea of alien abduction have not changed either.
This whole area has stagnated so that no progress is made but those same
arguments, refuted repeatedly, are still trotted out.
For
example, we were told, again, that this was a club that no one wants to join…
except, that simply is not true. There are people clamoring to join the club
because it provides them with a sense of identity. They meet others who share
an interest, they now can go on outings, and they have regular meetings. While
they complain about the horror of the abduction, they have found a group that
takes them for who they are and are delighted to find the support.
We
are told that sleep paralysis is not the answer because some of those claiming
abduction were awake when abducted… but David Jacobs, outlining the typical
abduction, (Chapter 3, page 49, Secret
Life) is describing an episode of sleep paralysis. But no one is suggesting
that all claims of alien abduction are the result of sleep paralysis, merely
than many of the initial experiences are an episode of sleep paralysis later conflated
by hypnotic regression.
The
abduction researchers all say that they are not asking leading questions but are
allowing the story to take its natural course. An examination of the
transcripts as published in various books, shown in various documentaries, and
recounted in various lectures proves that such is not the case. I discussed
this and these other
For
those who attempt to look at these things objectively, there is very little
real evidence that abductions are taking place. The alleged implants provide
nothing in the way of evidence, and many of them seem to be nothing more than
terrestrial objects that have been embedded under the skin in years passed.
Nothing has been recovered that suggests alien technology. Some are just lumps
of glass, bits of metal, or even just tiny pebbles.
For
those interested in exploring all of this in more depth, take a look at The Abduction Enigma. Or take a look at
these posts:
This
all, I believe, provides a comprehensive examination of what I, as well as
others including Bill Cone and Russ Estes, have learned about alien abduction.
But remember this… I was one of the very first UFO researchers to report on
alien abductions, and Budd Hopkins, in one of his books cites a case that I had
investigated. All this suggests that I have been at this for a very long time
and these articles and The Abduction
Enigma is a result of that work.
And
this latest “examination” of alien abduction on television is simply another
example of so few learning the lessons of the past. It’s just another reason to
dislike the stagnation of UFO research because we do not advance our knowledge.
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17 comments:
I was very surprised to learn recently that Barney Hill of the famous Betty and Barney Hill abduction case appeared on the old highly popular tv show "To Tell The Truth." www.youtube.com/watch?v=YhZ24yUpXSM. I wouldn't think abductees who thought their experiences were seriously terrifying would want to participate in a game show about it but to each his own. . .
I've always thought there was something to the abduction phenomena. Travis Walton and his mates all tricked the lie detector test? And Travis himself seems to me like a very responsible and virtuous man, as did Betty and Barney Hill. Dr Leir's work to me above all appeared to show there was something most certainly intelligent and 'paranormal' going on. You might have sold me your book Kevin, but if I'm not satisfied with your conclusions, I want my money back ;) Oh, and I want my copy signed by yourself, of course. Otherwise, no dice!
Hi Kevin,
Have you read "The Controllers" by Martin Canon? If so, I would love to hear your thoughts on his hypothesis.
Cheers,
On one hand, UFO organizations have continued to embrace abduction scenarios and have given achievement awards to David Jacobs and Barbara Lamb. Alleged hybrids have appeared on stage and hypnosis is commonly used to retrieve memories of abductions or other experiences.
On the other hand, since your book was published we have continued to learn more about how hypnosis and memory affect abduction reports. Susan Clancy explored psychological implications in her book Abducted (2005). Dr. Tyler Kokjohn has written articles about how DNA could be used to investigate abduction cases. Jack Brewer (The Grays Have Been Framed) has raised important questions about the ethics and validity of abduction research and the use of hypnosis. We have continued to learn how memories can be implanted, whether it be of satanic cults and abuse (as happened at Castlewood) or abductions.
Research has continued. It's just that certain segments of the UFO community have not responded to the challenges that the research presents. It's far easier for a television show to embrace a story about abductions than to question the research supporting the story.
@Kevin,
Even if the abduction phenomenon is -absolutely- the work of ETs, I've always proposed that it be a separate area of study and research, and never included in the UFO arena. It just muddies the waters. In UFO discussions, it shouldn't be necessary to address abduction cases.
I remember reading about some of the so-called 'investigations' of abduction cases and most are shoddy and incomplete. And absent hypnotic regression, completely fall apart.
Finally, the field of 'alien' abductions is past it's expiration date. The field is so polluted with sensationalism and misrepresentations that it's impossible for any investigation to achieve meaningful results.
That's my $0.02 worth.
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Erickson, check out a work called "The Controllers" by Martin Canon. It was one of the first works which dealt with the possibility that the abduction phenemonah might be a screen for something else. In his hypothesis, non-lethal weapons research.
Cheers,
@albert,
We can't separate abduction reports from UFOlogy because in many cases the abductee saw a UFO prior to being "taken." All aspects of the phenomenon suffer from muddied waters--muddied by skeptics as well as believers. And I don't buy "a screen for something else."
Mr. Nicholson (Louis): From watching the video one learns that stumping the To Tell The Truth panel could have resulted in $1000 split among the contestants, including Barney Hill.
A good deal of money back in the 1960's!
What bothers me more about the Hill case is that their hypnotherapist, Dr. Simon did not believe the Hills actually experienced an encounter with aliens. However, despite this, I do not believe Dr. Simon's opinion is sufficiently dispositive as to prove the Hills' case a fantasy.
But how did Walton and his mates beat the lie detector test. This to me is crucial.. ALL of them, beating the best in the business? How did they concoct such a story and get away with it? And Walton himself seems to be a man who does not want to be tainted with the abduction brush at all but seems to do it out of a sense of responsibility and integrity.
I've not investigated with any great depth, but that case in particular for me is compelling.
TheDimov -
You forget that Walton failed his first lie detector test, but passed the second and third. One of them, I believe didn't take a test and another's results were inconclusive, so it wasn't actually a clean sweep.
Might be because as far as they knew it, it was true; Walton had been kidnapped...by someone. His friends saw him approach a strange light then a beam shot out knocking him down. They panicked and left. This is where their testimony as witnesses ends. NO ONE actually witnessed him get on the craft and NO ONE witnessed any occupants. With that in mind how about this...
Once they were gone, another vehicle in hiding could have then picked Walton up and taken him who knows where until a few days later when under the cover of darkness, he is dumped back near the site. Is his memory of the event then accurate or possibly a screen? Either way, it is the "truth" as he knows it.
'The Controllers' lost me right from the start as the author failed to provide any evidence for his claims about the US using chemical and biological agents in Koean War.
A
@Adam S.
The witnesses said Walton approached an unusual lighted craft about 15 feet above the ground. It couldn't have been a motor vehicle and, unless the guys had serious visual and hearing problems (which to my knowledge they didn't) it wasn't a chopper. (Btw if Walton had been zapped by some conventional craft, why couldn't it have taken him away? Who needs a "vehicle in hiding?")
Almost half a century has passed since then. To my knowledge none of the seven men involved ever recanted their story. If your scenario is right even more humans would've been involved but again, none ever came forward.
@starman,
"...because in many cases the abductee saw a UFO prior to being "taken."..."
In such a case, I would investigate the UFO case separately, if possible. Many people are amenable to UFO theories, and many of those do not believe abductions are real. Neither experience (sighting/abduction) reinforces the other. You're going to bat with two strikes against you.
@andycher,
Such evidence, should it exist, should still be classified. The Korean War never "ended", and now we're facing the Korean War 2.0. If C/B weapons were used, I wouldn't expect declassification for many more years. 'Throwing gasoline on a fire' comes to mind.
. .. . .. --- ....
@Dimov. One of the lie detector tests that came up dirty was from one of the UFO witnesses that had a criminal past and was very nervous about the police in general. Travis did pass the second lie detector by Cy Gilson. I interviewed Gilson on the phone before I left MUFON many years ago. Gilson said the state administered the polygraph test that Walton failed. The polygrapher brought up a criminal incident in Walton's past that happened many years before the UFO incident. Travis became very nervous since this question was given to him before the test was administered. I asked Gilson flat out if he feels that the investigator did this on purpose to fail him, Gilson replied that he did not know, but would not have included the criminal incident question before the polygraph was given to Walton and the polygrapher should have known that this question might have tainted the results on the first test.
I re-interviewed the sheriff about the same time, he stood by his testimony that he believed something very unusual happened out in the forest but of course said he had no idea if there was alien abduction involved. This information is within the last 15 years. Rogers tested the tree that Walton was standing by when the reported beam of light from the UFO struck him. This tree showed unusual growth compared to the control samples of the other trees around it. I was asked to join this re-investigation to talk to some of the witnesses. Enthusiasm soon waned when Forestry records were found that showed that area of the ufo incident was artificially seeded before the Walton incident. That could have accounted for the unusual growth of the tree that Travis was next to when that beam of light zapped him. I did track down another officer who had been on scene with the sheriff during the initial investigation. He was in his 90's but thought the whole thing was a hoax. He believes someone was out in the forest with a welders torch hoaxing the UFO which in my opinion is ridiculous.
Now Kevin knows more about the implants than a medical doctor. Clearly Dr. Leir was fooled and Kevin knows more about Podiatry than Leir did, who only had 30+ years experience in the field. Lol, I couldn't resist making this comment!
ufodude2010 -
So, Dr. Leir was an expert in alien implants and this is something that is taught in medical school? Did Dr. Leir ever provide and uncontroversial evidence that the implants removed were of alien manufacture? Didn't say anything about Dr. Leir's medical credentials, just suggested that idea of alien implants is unproven, the evidence nearly non-existent, and that we should all keep that in mind when evaluating the unsubstantiated claims.
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