Page 9 - The 'X' Chronicles Newspaper - Late January 2019

Abductions Aren’t So Out Of The World 9

Some scientific

explanations for alien

abduction that aren’t so

out of this world

The Conversation

Accounts of mysterious flashing lights in the
sky, spacecrafts and encounters with “real”
aliens reflect high levels of public interest in
UFOs and the belief that there is “something out
there”. However, many psychologists are less
convinced, and think they can provide more
down-to-earth, scientific explanations.
Belief in aliens has increased steadily
since the birth of modern alien research in the
1940s and 1950s, following the news
surrounding a classified US military project at
Roswell Air Force Base, New Mexico. Surveys
in Western cultures estimated belief in aliens to
be as high as 50% in 2015. And despite the fact
that it is considered rare, a significant number of personality characteristics. move, a feeling of fear or dread, and the sense
people also believe they have experienced alien Several studies report that experiencers of another presence – perhaps evil or
abduction. do not typically differ from non-experiencers on malevolent – are common symptoms. Also
Present day awareness of alien objective psychopathological measures – those common are a feeling of pressure on the chest
abduction dates to the 1961 case of Betty and that assess psychological well-being and and difficulty breathing, and of being held or
Barney Hill, who witnessed odd lights and adjustment – and have no history of mental restricted to a lying position: most sleep
experienced “missing time” and “lost instability. However, one characteristic that is paralysis attacks occur while the individual is
memories” while driving. The reported associated with abduction experiences is a lying on their back.
consequences of abduction are often loss of proclivity for fantasy. Sceptic Michael Shermer once collapsed
memory, missing time, and problems such as Mixed evidence supports the theory that from sleep deprivation following an 83-hour
sickness, sleepwalking, nightmares and fantasy-prone people engage in elaborate bike race and his support team rushed to his aid.
psychological trauma. Following their imaginings and often confuse fantasy with Shermer was caught in a “waking dream” and
experience, Betty and Barney experienced reality. There are also other psychological so perceived them as aliens from the 1960s
psychological problems and subsequently explanations, such as dissociation – where an television series The Invaders. It also explains
sought therapy. individual’s mental processes detach from each some ghost sightings, such as the “night hag”,
Although the accuracy of the numbers is other and from reality, often in response to often experienced by those who suffer from
questioned, a poll by the Roper Center for extreme or stressful life events. A tendency sleep paralysis.
Public Opinion Research conducted 30 years towards being fantasy-prone and dissociation Temporal lobe sensitivity is a theory that
after this account said that around 3.7m has been linked in studies to childhood trauma suggests the temporal lobes of some people’s
Americans believed that they too had and hypnotic suggestibility. brains are more vulnerable to influence from
experienced alien abduction. Psychologists argue that hypnosis low-level magnetic frequencies. Michael
Sceptics argue that alien-related encourages the creation and recall of detailed Persinger, a neuroscientist at Laurentian
encounters are merely hoaxes created for fantasies. For example, Betty and Barney Hill’s University in Canada, is among those who
financial gain or social advantage. Perhaps account was typical of reported alien believes that increased temporal lobe activity
Roswell is the most famous example. Initial encounters: medical examinations or can explain paranormal experiences such as
reports from the 1940s left sufficient gaps of procedures, communication with alien captors, alien abduction. His theory is that magnetic
explanation for Ray Santilli to release in 1995 a powerful, mystical feeling, tours of spaceships fields stimulate the temporal lobes, resulting in
what he claimed was film footage showing an and journeys to other planets before being hallucinatory experiences similar to those
alien autopsy from the time, further confusing returned to the car. And it was under hypnosis reported by alien abductees.
the issue. He later admitted it was a hoax. The that these “missing memories” were None of this is to say that many people
incident sparked controversy and prompted “recovered”. who believe they have experienced alien
claims that an alien craft had crash-landed in the It’s for these reasons that it’s believed abduction are liars, merely that their accounts
New Mexico desert and that US authorities alien abduction experiences may arise from a and experiences can be explained through
were involved in a cover-up. combination of personality characteristics and recourse to theories with a scientific basis.
The theory that alien abductions are susceptibility to false memories. There are many logical, plausible scientific
hoaxes may be true in a few cases, but there is explanations, none of which rely upon the
no reason to assume that the majority of Brain sensitivity existence of aliens. However, it should also be
“experiencers” are frauds. In fact, psychologists noted that not all reported alien abduction
have come up with a number of plausible, Studies suggest that neuropsychological experiences can be easily explained by any of
scientific explanations for people’s supposed theories, particularly sleep paralysis and these scientific theories – and this throws up
alien encounters. temporal lobe sensitivity, also could explain many more questions.[]

claims of alien abduction.
Personality traits Sleep paralysis is a feeling of being For The Best Radio Programming
conscious but unable to move, which occurs From the
One explanation is that when people believe when a person passes between stages of World of the Paranormal
they have had an experience of alien abduction, wakefulness and sleep. To
they have misinterpreted, distorted and Experiencers’ claims share
conflated real and imagined events. Hence, characteristics with sleep paralysis: a sense of The Science of Parapsychology
sceptics of alien encounters explain them away being awake, not dreaming, and realistic 24/7/265 Visit
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