Abduction Phenomenon

The Abduction Phenomenon is as umbrella term used to describe a number of hypotheses, claims or assertions stating that extraterrestrial creatures kidnap individuals--sometimes called "abductees"--usually for medical testing or for sexual reproduction procedures. Many — but not all — such encounters are described as terrifying or humiliating, and many abductees report that extraterrestrials communicate via telepathy.

While few mainstream scientists believe the phenomenon literally occurs as reported--some experts contend the field is rife with kooks and pseudoscience--there is little doubt that many thousands of sincere persons report alien abductions they believe are utterly genuine. Stigma and self-doubt may be obstacles to more widespread study and/or reporting.

In his books, Harvard Medical School professor Dr. John Mack explains that common features of alien abduction experiences include the feeling of paralysis, the perception of having been transported immaterially, frequently through a beam of light; the sense of having been surgically probed or implanted with devices, the freezing or slowing of time, and sexual or reproductive contact or manipulation by the aliens. Local support groups for experiencers of the phenomenon are not uncommon.

Proposed psychological alternative explanations of the abduction phenomenon have included hallucination, false memories (such as the ones medically shown to be produced by hypnosis), near-sleep mental states (hypnogogic states and sleep paralysis), and temporary schizophrenia.

People experiencing Sleep Paralysis may mistake the resulting inability to move and constriction of breath for effects of an alien presence or force.

Abduction claimants do not always attempt to explain the phenomenon, but some take independent research interest in it themselves, and explain the lack of greater awareness of Alien Abduction as the result of either extraterrestrial or governmental interest in coverup.

The alien abduction phenomenon has been the subject of conspiracy theory and as such has become a staple of popular science fiction works such as The X-Files.

See also UFOs


Contents

Notable abduction claims

Notable figures

See also

External Links

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