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|    UFO    |    Debating & discussing Planet Crackpot...    |    366 messages    |
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|    Message 6 of 366    |
|    RIXTER to All    |
|    SUBJECT: WHAT'S REALLY GOING ON?     |
|        |
      MSGID: 1:229/426 62755AA5       SUBJECT: WHAT'S REALLY GOING ON? FILE: UFO101                     IT'S STILL DARK OUT. YOU'RE LYING IN BED, FULLY AWAKE BUT, YOU DISCOVER,       YOU'RE UTTERLY PARALYZED. YOU SENSE SOMEONE IN THE ROOM. YOU TRY TO CRY       OUT. BUT YOU CANNOT. SEVERAL SMALL GRAY BINGS LESS THAN 4 FEET TALL ARE       STANDING AT THE FOOT OF YOUR BED. THEIR HEADS ARE PEAR SHAPED AND BALD,       AND LARGE FOR THEIR BODIES. THEIR EYES ARE ENORMOUS, THEIR FACES       EXPRESSIONLESS AND IDENTICAL. THEY WEAR TIMOCS AMD BOOTS. YOU HOPE THIS       IS ONLY A DREAM, BUT AS NEARLY AS YOU CAN TELL IT'S REALLY HAPPENING.       THEY LIFT YOU UP AND, EERILY, THEY AND YOU SLIP THROUGH THE WALL OF YOUR       BEDROOM AND FLOAT OUT INTO THE AIR, RISING HIGH TOWARD A METALLIC, SAUCER       SHAPED SPACECRAFT. THERE, YOU ARE ESCORTED INTO A MEDICAL EXAMINING ROOM.       A LARGER BUT SIMILAR BEING EVIDENTLY SOME KIND OF PHYSICIAN TAKES OVER.       WHAT FOLLOWS IS EVEN MORE TERRIFYING. YOUR BODY IS PROBED WITH SPECIAL       MACHINES, EXPECIALLY YOUR SEXUAL PARTS. IF YOU'RE A MAN, THEY MAY TAKE       SPERM SAMPLES; IF YOU'RE A WOMAN, THEY MAY IMPLANT SEMEN OR REMOVE OVA       OR FETUSES. THEY MAY FORCE YOU TO HAVE SEX. AFTER WARD, YOU MAY BE       USHERED INTO A DIFFERENT ROOM WHERE HYBRID BABIES, PARTLY HUMAN AND PARTLY       LIKE THESE CREATURES, STARE BACK AT YOU. YOU MAY BE GIVEN AN ADMONITON       ABOUT HUMAN MISBEHAVIOR, ESPECIALLY IN DESPOILING THE ENVIRONMENT; SCENES       OF FUTURE DEVASTATION ARE DISPLAYED. FINALLY, THESE CHEERLESS GRAY       EMISSARIES USHER YOU OUT OF THE SPACE CRAFT AND OOZE YOU BACK THROUGH THE       WALLS INTO YOUR BED. BY THE TIME YOU'RE ABLE TO MOVE AND TALK, THEY'RE       GONE. YOU MAY NOT REMEMBER THE INCIDENT REIGHT AWAY; YOU MIGHT FIND SOME       PERIOD OF TIME UNACCOUNTABLY MISSING. BECAUSE ALL OF THIS SEEMS SO BIZARRE,       YOU'RE CONCERNED ABOUT YOUR SANITY; NATURALLY, YOU'RE RELUCTANT TO TALK       TO ANYONE ABOUT IT. AT THE SAME TIME, THE EXPERIENCE IS SO DISTURBING THAT       IT'S HARD TO KEEP BOTTLED UP FOREVER. IT ALL POURS OUT WHEN YOU HEAR SIMILAR       ACCOUNTS, OR WHEN YOU'RE UNDER HYPNOSIS WITH A SYMPATHETIC THERAPIST, OR       EVEN WHEN YOU SEE A PICTURE OF AN "ALIEN" IN ONE OF THE MANY POPULAR MAGAZINES       AND BOOKS ON UFO'S. IN A RECENT ROPER POLL OF NEARLY 6000 AMERICAN ADULTS,       SPECIALLY COMMISSIONED BY THOSE WHO ACCEPT THE ALIEN ABDUCTION STORY AT FACE       VALUE, 18 PERCENT REPORTED SOMETIMES WAKING UP PARALYZED, AWARE OF ONE OR       MORE STRANGE BEINGS IN THE ROOM. SOMETHING LIKE 13 PERCENT REPORTED ODD       EPISODES OF MISSING TIME, AND 10 PERCENT CLAIMED TO HAVE FLOWN THROUGH THE       AIR WITHOUT MECHANICAL ASSISTANCE. FROM THESE RESULTS, THE POLL'S SPONSORS       CONCLUDED THAT 2 PERCENT OF ALL AMERICANS HAVE BEEN ABDUCTED, MANY REPEATE-       EDLY, BY BEINGS FROM OTHER WORLDS. IF ALIENS ARE NOT PARTIAL TO AMERICANS,       THE NUMBER FOR THE WHOLE PLANET WOULD BE MORE THAN 100 MILLION PEOPLE. THIS       MEANS AN ABDUCTION EVERY FEW SECONDS. IT'S SURPRISING THAT MORE OF THE       NEIGHBORS HAVEN'T NOTICED. WHAT'S GOING ON HERE? COULD ALL THESE PEOPLE BE       MISTAKEN, OR LYING, OR HALLUCINATING THE SAME OR A VERY SIMILAR STORY?       WHEN YOU TALK WITH THEM, MOST SEEM VERY SINCERE, ALTHOUGH IN THE GRIP OF       POWERFUL EMOTIONS. A FEW PSYCHIATRISTS WHO HAVE EXAMINED THEM FIND NO MORE       EVIDENCE OF PSYCHOPATHOLOGY THAN IN THE REST OF US. BUT COULD THERE REALLY       BE A MASSIVE ALIEN INVASION, REPUGNANT MEDICAL PROCEDURES PERFORMED ON       MILLIONS OF INNOCENT MEN, WOMEN AND CHILDREN, AND HUMANS APPARENTLY USED       AS BREEDING STOCK OVER MANY DECADES AND ALL THIS NOT GENERALLY KNOWN AND       DEALT WITH BY RESPONSIBLE MEDIA AND THE GOVERNMENTS SWORN TO PROTECT THE       LIVES AND WELL BEING OF THEIR CITIZENS? WHY SHOULD BEINGS SO ADVANCED IN       PHYSICS AND ENGINEERING CROSSING VAST INTERSTELLAR DISTANCES, WALKING       LIKE GHOSTS THROUGH WALLS BE SO BACKWARD WHEN IT COMES TO BIOLOGY? WHY       GO TO ALL THE TROUBLE OF REPEATED SEXUAL ENCOUNTERS BETWEEN ALIENS AND       HUMANS? WHY NOT STEAL A FEW EGG AND SPERM CELLS, READ THE FULL GENETIC       CODE AND THEN MANUFACTURE AS MANY COPIES WITH AS MANY GENETIC VARIATIONS       AS YOU LIKE? EVEN WE HUMANS WHO CANNOT QUICKLY CROSS INTERSTELLAR SPACE       OR SLITHER THROUGH WALLS ARE ABLE TO CLONE CELLS. THE PREOCCUPATION WITH       REPRODUCTION IN THESE ACCOUNTS RAISES A WARNING FLAG ESPECIALLY CONSID-       ERING THE UNEASY BALANCE BETWEEN SEXUAL FREEDOM AND REPRESSION THAT HAS       ALWAYS CHARACTERIZED THE HUMAN CONDITION, AND THE FACT THAT WE LIVE IN       A TIME FRAUGHT WITH NUMEROUS GHASTLY ACCOUNTS, BOTH TRUE AND FALSE, OF       CHILDHOOD SEXUAL ABUSE. THE POLLSTERS NEVER ACTUALLY ASKED WHETHER THEIR       SUBJECTS HAD BEEN ABDUCTED BY ALIENS; THEY DEDUCED IT: THOSE WHO'VE       EVER AWAKENED SENSING STRANGE PRESENCES AROUND THEM, EVER UNACCOUNTABLY       SEEMED TO FLY THROUGH THE AIR, AND SO ON, HAVE THEREFORE BEEN ABDUCTED       BY ALIENS. THE CONCLUSION THAT MILLIONS OF AMERICANS HAVE BEEN SO       ABDUCTED SEEMS EXTREMELY DOUBTFUL. STILL, AT LEAST HUNDREDS OF PEOPLE,       BELIEVING THEY HAVE BEEN ABDUCTED, HAVE SOUGHT OUT SYMPATHETIC THERAPISTS       OR JOINED ABDUCTEE SUPPORT GROUPS. SO WHICH IS MORE LIKELY THAT WE'RE       UNDERGOING A MASSIVE BUT GENERALLY OVER LOOKED INVASION BY ALIEN SEXUAL       ABUSERS, OR THAT PEOPLE ARE EXPERIENCING SOME INTERNAL MENTAL STATE THEY       DO NOT UNDERSTAND? ADMITTEDLY, WE'RE VERY IGNORANT BOTH ABOUT EXTRATERR-       ESTRIAL BEINGS, IF ANY, AND ABOUT HUMAN PSYCHOLOGY. BUT IF THESE REALLY       WERE THE ONLY TWO ALTERNATIVES, WHICH WOULD YOU PICK? IT'S CURIOUS THAT       EMOTIONS CAN RUN SO HIGH ON A MATTER ABOUT WHICH WE KNOW SO LITTLE. AFTER       ALL, EITHER HYPOTHESIS EXTRATERRESTRIAL INVASION OR AN EPIDEMIC OF       HALLUCINATIONS TEACHES US SOMETHING WE CERTAINLY OUGHT TO KNOW ABOUT.       MAYBE THE REASON FOR SUCH STRONG FEELINGS IS THAT BOTH ALTERNATIVES HAVE       EXTREMELY UNPLEASANT IMPLICATIONS. THE FIRST ALIEN ABDUCTION STORY IN THE       MODERN GENRE BEGAN WITH BETTY AND BARNEY HILL, A NEW HAMPSHIRE COUPLE SHE       A SOCIAL WORKER AND HE A POST OFFICE EMPLOYEE. DURING A LATE NIGHT DRIVE       IN 1961 THROUGH THE WHITE MOUNTAINS OF NEW HAMPSHIRE, BETTY SPOTTED A       BRIGHT STAR LIKE UFO THAT SEEMED TO FOLLOW THEM. BECAUSE BARNEY FEARED IT       MIGHT HARM THEM, THEY LEFT THE MAIN HIGHWAY FOR NARROW MOUNTAIN ROADS.       THEY ARRIVED HOME TWO HOURS LATER THAN THEY HAD EXPECTED. THE EXPERIENCE       PROMPTED BETTY TO READ A BOOK CLAIMING THAT UFO'S WERE SPACESHIPS FROM       OTHER WORLDS. SOON AFTER, SHE HAD A REPETITIVE NIGHTMARE IN WHICH SHE AND       BARNEY WERE ABDUCTED AND TAKEN ABOARD THE UFO. BARNEY OVER HEARD HER       DESCRIBING THIS DREAM TO FRIENDS AND VOLUNTEER UFO INVESTIGATORS. SEVERAL       YEARS LATER, BARNEY'S PSYCHIATRIST REFERRED HIM TO A BOSTON HYPNOTHERAPIST,       BENJAMIN SIMON, M.D. BETTY CAME TO BE HYPNOTIZED AS WELL. UNDER HYPNOSIS       THEY SEPARATELY DESCRIBED A MEMORY OF THEIR TRIP HOME OF SEEING A UFO,       WATCHING IT LAND ON THE HIGHWAY AND BEING TAKEN PARTLY IMMOBILIZED INTO       THE UFO, WHERE LITTLE HUMANOID CREATURES SUBJECTED THEM TO UNCONVENTIONAL       MEDICAL EXAMINATIONS. I WAS GLAD TO HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY TO SPEND SEVERAL       HOURS WITH MR. AND MRS. HILL, AND WITH DR. SIMON. THERE WAS NO MISTAKING       THE EARNESTNESS AND SINCERITY OF BETTY AND BARNEY, AND THEIR MIXED FEELINGS       ABOUT BECOMING PUBLIC FIGURES UNDER SUCH BIZARRE CIRCUMSTANCES. WITH THE       HILL'S PERMISSION, DR. SIMON PLAYED FOR ME SOME OF THE AUDIOTAPES OF THEIR       SESSIONS UNDER HYPNOSIS. BY FAR MY MOST STRIKING IMPRESSION WAS THE       ABSOLUTE TERROR IN BARNEY'S VOICE AS HE DESCRIBED RELIVED WOULD BE A BETTER       WORD THE ENCOUNTER. SIMON REJECTED THE NOTION THAT THEY WERE LYING. SO       WHAT'S LEFT? THE HILLS, SAID THEIR PSYCHIATRIST, HAD EXPERIENCED A SPECIES       OF "DREAM." IN 1894 THE INTERNATIONAL CENSUS OF WAKING HALLUCINATIONS WAS       PUBLISHED IN LONDON. FROM THAT TIME TO THIS, REPEATED SURVEYS HAVE SHOWN       THAT 10 PERCENT TO 25 PERCENT OF ORDINARY, FUNCTIONING PEOPLE HAVE       EXPERIENCED AT LEAST ONCE A VIVID HALLUCINATION HEARING A VOICE, USUALLY,       OR SEEING A FORM WHEN THERE'S NO ONE THERE. IN SOME CASES, THESE ARE       PROFOUND RELIGIOUS EXPERIENCES. PROBABLY A DOZEN TIMES SINCE THEIR DEATHS       I'VE HEARD MY MOTHER OR FATHER, IN AN ORDINARY, CONVERSATIONAL TONE OF       VOICE, CALL MY NAME. THEY HAD CALLED MY NAME OFTEN DURING MY LIFE WITH       THEM. I STILL MISS THEM SO MUCH THAT IT DOESN'T SEEM STRANGE TO ME THAT       MY BRAIN OCCASIONALLY WILL RETRIEVE A KIND OF LUCID RECOLLECTION OF       THEIR VOICES. SUCH HALLUCINATIONS MAY OCCUR TO PERFECTLY NORMAL PEOPLE       UNDER ORDINARY CIRCUMSTANCES. BUT THERE ARE VARIOUS CIRCUMSTANCES IN WHICH       THEY CAN BE ELICITED: BY A CAMPFIRE AT NIGHT, OR UNDER GREAT STRESS, OR       BY PROLONGED FASTING OR SLEEPLESSNESS OR SENSORY DEPRIVATION, OR THROUGH       HALLUCINOGENS SUCH AS LSD, PSILOCYBIN, MESCALINE, HASHISH OR ALCOHOL. THESE       HALLUCINATIONS HAVE A VIVID AND PALPABLE REALITY. HALLUCINATIONS ARE       COMMON. IF YOU HAVE ONE, IT DOESN'T MEAN YOU'RE CRAZY. INDEED, THEY ARE       SOUGHT OUT IN MANY CULTURES. WE SURELY WOULD BE MISSING SOMETHING IMPORTANT       ABOUT OUR OWN NATURE IF WE REFUSED TO FACE UP TO THE FACT THAT HAVING       HALLUCINATIONS ARE PART OF BEING HUMAN. BUT NONE OF THIS MAKES       HALLUCINATIONS REAL. MOST OF US REMEMBER BEING FRIGHTENED AT THE AGE OF 3       OR SO BY REAL SEEMING BUT WHOLLY IMAGINARY "MONSTER." IF WE'RE CAPABLE OF       CONJURING UP MONSTERS IN CHILDHOOD, WHY SHOULDN'T SOME OF US, AT LEAST ON       OCCASION, BE ABLE TO IMAGINE SIMILAR THINGS AS ADULTS? THERE'S A COMMON,       ALTHOUGH INSUFFICIENTLY WELL KNOWN, PSYCHOLOGICAL SYNDROME VERY MUCH LIKE       ALIEN ABDUCTION: MANY PEOPLE HAVE EXPERIENCED SLEEP PARALYSIS. ON FALLING       ASLEEP OR WHEN WAKING UP-JUST FOR A FEW SECONDS, OR MAYBE FOR LONGER PERIODS       YOU SEEM TO BE PARALYZED AND ACUTELY ANXIOUS. YOU MAY FEEL A WEIGHT ON       YOUR CHEST, YOUR HEAT BEAT IS QUICK, YOUR BREATHING LABORED. YOU MAY       EXPERIENCE AUDITORY OR VISUAL HALLUCINATIONS-OF PEOPLE, DEMONS, GHOSTS,       ANIMALS OR BIRDS. IN THE RIGHT SETTING, THE EXPERIENCE CAN HAVE "THE FULL       FORCE AND IMPACT OF REALITY," ACCORDING TO DR. ROBERT BAKER, A PSYCHOLOGIST       AT THE UNIVERSITY OF KENTUCHY. SOMETIMES THERE'S A MARKED SEXUAL       COMPONENT TO THE HALLUCINATION. BAKER HAS FORCEFULLY ARGUED THAT THESE       COMMON SLEEP DISTURBANCES ARE BEHIND MANY IF NOT MOST OF THE ALIEN       ABDUCITON ACCOUNTS. HE AND OTHERS SUGGEST THAT SOME ABDUCTION CLAIMS ALSO       ARE MADE BY FANTASY PRONE INDIVIDUALS OR HOAXERS SEEKING FAME AND FORTUNE.       EVEN IF NO KNOWN HALLUCINATIONS WERE TO FIT THE ALIEN ABDUCTION PATTERN,       IT'S CERTAIN THAT HUMANS COMMONLY HALLUCINATE. THERE'S CONSIDERABLE DOUBT       ABOUT WHETHER EXTRATERRESTRIALS EXIST AND FREQUENTLY VISIT OUR PLANET. WE       MAY ARGUE ABOUT DETAILS, BUT THE ONE CATEGORY OF EXPLANATION SEEMS MUCH       BETTER SUPPORTED THAN THE OTHER. THE MAIN RESERVATION YOU MIGHT THEN       HAVE IS: WHY DO SO MANY PEOPLE REPORT THIS PARTICULAR SET OF HALLUCINATIONS?       WHY LITTLE GRAY BEINGS AND FLYING SAUCERS AND SEXUAL MOLESTATION?       DEMONS, THE EARLY CHURCH FATHERS TAUGHT, COME DOWN FROM HEAVEN AND HAVE       UNLAWFUL SEXUAL CONGRESS WITH WOMEN. ST. AUGUSTINE BELIEVED WITCHES WERE       THE OFFSPRING OF THESE FORBIDDEN UNIONS. IN HIS FAMOUS BULL OF 1484, POPE       INNOCENT VIII DECLARED: "IT HAS COME TO OUR EARS THAT MEMBERS OF BOTH       SEXES DO NOT AVOID TO HAVE INTERCOURSE WITH EVIL ANGELS, INCUBI, AND       SUCCUBI, AND THAT BY THEIR SORCERIES, AND BY THEIR INCANTATIONS, CHARMS,       AND CONJURATIONS, THEY SUFFOCATE, EXTINGUISH, AND CAUSE TO PERISH THE       BIRTHS OF WOMEN," AS WELL AS CAUSE SUNDRY OTHER CALAMITIES. WITH THIS       BULL, INNOCENT INITIATED THE SYSTEMATIC ACCUSATION, TORTURE AND EXECUTION       OF COUNTLESS "WITCHES" ALL OVER EUROPE. TWO INQUISITORS APPOINTED BY       INNOCENT DECLARED: "DEVILS...BUSY THEMSELVES BY INTERFERING WITH THE       PROCESS OF NORMAL COPULATION AND CONCEPTION, BY OBTAINING HUMAN SEMEN,       AND THEMSELVES TRANSFERING IT. "THE OFFSPRING OF THESE DEMONIC UNIONS       ARE ALSO, WHEN THEY GROW UP, VISITED BY DEVILS-ALTHOUGH NOT ALL WITCHES       ARE CREATED THIS WAY. AND WITCHES WERE WELL KNOWN TO FLY THROUGH THE       AIR. THERE IS NO SPACESHIP, BUT MOST OF THE ESSENTIAL ELEMENTS OF THE       ALIEN ABDUCTION STORY ARE HERE. IN 1645, A CORNISH TEENAGER, ANNE JEFFRIES,       WAS FOUND GROGGY AND CRUMPLED ON THE FLOOR. MUCH LATER, SHE RECALLED       BEING ATTACKED BY LITTLE MEN, CARRIED PARALYZED TO A CASTLE IN THE AIR,       SEDUCED AND RETURNED HOME. SHE CALLED THE LITTLE MEN FAIRIES. THEY       RETURNED TO TORMENT HER. THE NEXT YEAR SHE WAS ARRESTED FOR WITCHCRAFT.       FAIRIES TRADITIONALLY HAVE MAGICAL POWERS AND CAN CAUSE PARALYSIS BY THE       MEREST TOUCH. THE ORDINARY PASSAGE OF TIME IS SLOWED IN FAIRYLAND. FAIRIES       HAVE SEX WITH HUMANS AND CARRY OFF BABIES FROM THEIR CRADLES. IF ANNE       JEFFRIES HAD KNOWN ABOUT ALIENS RATHER THAN FAIRIES, AND UFOS RATHER THAN       CASTLES IN THE AIR, WOULD HER STORY HAVE BEEN DISTINGUISHABLE FROM       THE ONE "ABDUCTEES" TELL? IS IT POSSIBLE THAT PEOPLE IN ALL TIMES AND PLACES       OCCASIONALLY EXPERIENCE VIVID, REALISTIC HALLUCINATIONS, OFTEN WITH       SEXUAL CONTENT - WITH THE DETAILS FILLED IN BY THE PREVAILING CULTURAL       IDIOMS, SUCKED OUT OF THE ZEITGEIST? WHEN EVERYONE KNOWS THAT GODS REGULARLY       COME DOWN TO EARTH, WE HALLUCINATE GODS; WHEN EVERYONE KNOWS ABOUT DEMONS,       IT'S INCUBI AND SUCCUBI; WHEN FAIRIES ARE WIDELY BELIEVED, WE SEE FAIRIES;       WHEN THE OLD MYTHS FADE AND WE BEGIN THINKING THAT ALIEN BEINGS ARE       PLAUSIBLE, THEN THAT'S WHERE OUR HYPNAGOGIC IMAGERY TENDS. SNATCHES OF       SONGS OR FOREIGN LANGUAGES, IMAGES AND STORIES WE WITNESSED IN OUR       CHILDHOOD CAN BE ACCURATELY RECALLED DECADES LATER WITHOUT ANY CONSCIOUS       MEMORY OF THE SOURCE. IN OUR EVERYDAY LIFE, WE EFFORTLESSLY INCORPORATE       CULTURAL MOTIFS AND NORMS AND MAKE THEM OUR OWN. TODAY ALIENS ARE THE       SUBJECT OF INNUMERABLE SCIENCE-FICTION STORIES AND NOVELS. UFOS ARE A       REGULAR FEATURE OF WEEKLY NEWSPAPERS DEDICATED TO FALSIFICATION AND       MYSTIFICATION. ONE OF THE HIGHEST-GROSSING MOTION PICTURES OF ALL TIME       IS ABOUT ALIENS VERY MUCH LIKE THOSE DESCRIBED BY ABDUCTEES. ALIEN       ABDUCTION STORIES WERE COMPARATIVELY RARE UNTIL 1987, WHEN A PURPORTED       FIRSTHAND ACCOUNT WITH A HAUNTING COVER PAINTING OF AN "ALIEN" BECAME       A BEST-SELLER. IT IS STRIKING HOW SIMILAR MANY OF THE ABDUCTION ACCOUNTS       ARE NOW, AND HOW LITTLE WE HEAR ABOUT INCUBI AND FAIRIES. BUT IT MIGHT       NOT BE ALTOGETHER SURPRISING THAT, IN OUR TIME AND SOCIETY, SHORT, GRAY       ALIENS WITH BREEDING PROGRAMS ON THEIR MINDS ARE WHAT WE MAINLY REACH FOR       WHEN WE MUST DESCRIBE THESE HALLUCINATIONS. NO ONE WOULD BE HAPPIER       THAN I WOULD IF WE HAD REAL EVIDENCE OF EXTRATERRESTRIAL LIFE. BUT THE       ISSUE COMES DOWN TO THE QUALITY OF THE EVIDENCE. PROPONENTS OF ALIEN              --- Renegade vY2Ka2        * Origin: Joey, do you like movies about gladiators? (1:229/426)    |
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