Are alien Abductions really happening?

[Man of Shred]

Meet Jim sparks. A man who claims to have been abducted for years with close to 90% recall. Are abductions real? or just our subconcious telling us what what our guts have been telling us for years: We are killing our planet. Will we survive? full interview with Art bell: http://video.google.ca/videoplay?doc...arch&plindex=1

[Oneiro]

I don't think that they're real. I think that they are examples of false awakening dreams in which people see "space aliens", as opposed to the "old hag" or whatever. Remember Whitley Streiber? Made a fortune from his "story".. now, apparently, he's completely into LDing.

[dragonoverlord]

Its really interesting stuff,I dont know what to make of it. If i wasn't so cheap i'd buy his book.

[Sornaensis]

When I look at alien abductions, this is what I see: A whole lot of words and pictures, but not much proof. I don't see why some people don't think people could just make these things up. People do that kind of thing all the time, just go read a Novel .

[dragonoverlord]

Btw ranma you seem to be interested in the whole OBE/alien abduction phonomenom if that thread you made a deal of time ago is any indication. did you ever get abducted or know someone who did?

[Bonsay]

The part he describes about the sounds, the heart racing or falling downwards, it's something I've experienced a bunch of times. Not saying anything but, it is explainable scientifically. That or I'm abducted as well.

[Man of Shred]

Btw ranma you seem to be interested in the whole OBE/alien abduction phonomenom if that thread you made a deal of time ago is any indication. did you ever get abducted or know someone who did? I have no idea if i have or not. When i was very little me an my brother would wake up in our room and have shared hallucinations of transperent beings, clowns, cartoon etc. having a shared hallucination is very odd. They might be screen memories for something I dunno. I have a friend who is into hypnosis, and i let him practice on me. I told him to go to the time of my hallucinations. I don't remember anything but i remember my body being frozen and being absolutely terrified of something. but that's all i could remember. so maybe??? BTW i ordered his book. out of all of the abductee people i have listened to. this guy is probably closest to being credible. 1. because of the detail. and 2. It IS very possible.

[dragonoverlord]

I have no idea if i have or not. When i was very little me an my brother would wake up in our room and have shared hallucinations of transperent beings, clowns, cartoon etc. having a shared hallucination is very odd. They might be screen memories for something I dunno. I have a friend who is into hypnosis, and i let him practice on me. I told him to go to the time of my hallucinations. I don't remember anything but i remember my body being frozen and being absolutely terrified of something. but that's all i could remember. so maybe??? BTW i ordered his book. out of all of the abductee people i have listened to. this guy is probably closest to being credible. 1. because of the detail. and 2. It IS very possible. Weird dude cause when i was little me and my sister had a shared hullicination with clowns too. the clowns were glowing green and blue auras and making hand gestures like they were talking. I think there is something to this abduction stuff too, ill check it out his book do you know if its available as an eba.

[skysaw]

As skeptical as I am of most extraordinary claims with little evidence, I actually think it's possible. Most likely, the majority of claims are hogwash, but I still think it's possible it's happened to some.

[Bonsay]

I didn't finnsih watching. Did he put up some cameras or something to see if someone is actually abducting him?

[Taosaur]

This quote pretty well sums up my thoughts on the matter, particularly the phrase I bolded, but I suppose it's possible that spacemen really are fascinated by our bottoms. The similarities between UFO abduction and NDEs have been explored by a number of writers and researchers, the most famous and credentialed of which is undoubtedly Dr. Ken Ring. Dr. Ring did an extensive series of clinical studies on the NDE and published his results in Life at Death and Heading Toward Omega. Then he did a follow-up project in which he studied UFO experiencers (primarily "abductees"), and specifically compared this phenomenon to that of near-death. His full report can be found in The Omega Project; he found strong similarities between the two types of experience, and hypothesized that they may actually be two variants of a more basic underlying phenomenon. Ring also quotes other commentators, who make the following remarks: According to polls, we live in an age where now most people believe that UFOs are real and that 'people like us live on other planets.' In that context, since angels and demons are out of style, they now dress in the costume of our own epoch's archetypal figure - the extraterrestrial alien - whom we can see precisely because we can now CONCEIVE of him; he conforms to and expresses our current ideas of possibility. Abductions may represent a contemporary form of shamanic journey - one that fits and is phrased in terms of a highly technological society which has already turned its imaginative attention to star flight ... Perhaps the (ancient) otherworld journey motif is 'camouflaged' in the modern lore of space travel which, like the fantastic voyage legends of the past, exemplifies what might be called the lure of the edge. These ecological and millennial themes have been part of the canon of the UFO world and its literature for a long time, and many persons have already commented on their quasi-religious character. Indeed, in an age where secular thinking has come to be the standard but from which the religious impulse has never disappeared, it is psychologically very understandable why traditional religious images of salvation have come to be projected onto the screen of a universe where, for some, it is easier to believe in ETs than in God I've also heard a psychologist describe demographic similarities between experiencers of both phenomena. Both tend to have a history of trauma, particularly childhood sexual abuse, and the experience, either abduction or NDE, tends to provide a profound catharsis, letting them get on with their lives as more well-adjusted people than they'd been before. .

[Oneiro]

Nice post Taosaur.. 99.9% of these abduction stories have one thing in common: words to the effect of "I woke up in bed, and.." False awakening dreams, guys..

[Mes Tarrant]

I think this is complete BS. You know what, I'm going to go around and tell people that I was abducted by magical pink unicorns from a parallel universe where they fed me honey-tasting star bits and had kinky pony sex with me. Not to sound disrespectful to anyone's fantasies, but I just had to share my opinion.

[Oneiro]

"Kinky pony sex" ? Good grief..

[Mes Tarrant]

Precisely my reaction to alien abduction stories.

[Taosaur]

I think this is complete BS. You know what, I'm going to go around and tell people that I was abducted by magical pink unicorns from a parallel universe where they fed me honey-tasting star bits and had kinky pony sex with me. Not to sound disrespectful to anyone's fantasies, but I just had to share my opinion. Just because the surface narrative is almost certainly false doesn't mean there's nothing extraordinary going on here. These experiences--alien abduction, near death, and angelic/demonic visitation--have real, consistent characteristics and profound effects. Dismissive and reductionist assessments won't do anything to improve our understanding.

[Mes Tarrant]

Just because the surface narrative is almost certainly false doesn't mean there's nothing extraordinary going on here. These experiences--alien abduction, near death, and angelic/demonic visitation--have real, consistent characteristics and profound effects. Dismissive and reductionist assessments won't do anything to improve our understanding. Um, yeah. I'll consider taking it seriously when someone who has never heard of the bible or has never seen a movie about aliens comes forth and details an experience of this sort. Otherwise, all it is is people dreaming about something they heard of or read about or saw on TV the days before.

[Taosaur]

Um, yeah. I'll consider taking it seriously when someone who has never heard of the bible or has never seen a movie about aliens comes forth and details an experience of this sort. Otherwise, all it is is people dreaming about something they heard of or read about or saw on TV the days before. So, you find it likely that people throughout history have been fooled by ordinary dreams that just happen to exhibit identical structure regardless of whether they're about Jesus or space aliens, that the majority of those people just happen to have unusual levels of trauma in their past, and that the 'dreams' just happen to coincide structurally and in psychological outcome with the experiences of people who die and are resuscitated? On the basis of having seen too many Fox 'documentaries' their psychology changes profoundly and they make a vivid dream the center of their lives? Obviously, that's the simplest explanation

[Mes Tarrant]

So, you find it likely that people throughout history have been fooled by ordinary dreams that just happen to exhibit identical structure regardless of whether they're about Jesus or space aliens, that the majority of those people just happen to have unusual levels of trauma in their past, and that the 'dreams' just happen to coincide structurally and in psychological outcome with the experiences of people who die and are resuscitated? On the basis of having seen too many Fox 'documentaries' their psychology changes profoundly and they make a vivid dream the center of their lives? Obviously, that's the simplest explanation Well yeah... precisely. I can't tell if that last sentence was sarcastic or not... ?

[Sornaensis]

@All: tl;dr -------------------------- I think that pretty much any kind of metaphysics can be attributed to: 1. People making shit up because they do not understand/nor want to understand what is really happening 2. People coming to any desired conclusion through a series of vagueness and lying to themselves 3. Fear caused by the unknown

[Man of Shred]

Well i'm glad SOME people at least consider this a possibility. And mes, people don't make shit up like this for fame. In Most "abduction" cases, The people involved are very hesitant to say anything to anybody out of fear they will look like lunatics. People have been reporting abduction like cases eons before the famous Betty and Barney hill case. There's even pictures of greys depicted in ancient cave paintings. and I disagree with that 99% of abduction cases are sleep paralysis. Many abductions reportedtly happen during the day with often multiple people involved. And then theres cases of missing time, where people dissapear and then re appear for hours during the day, All people involved, wether abducted or witneses report such missing time. I really suggest you do some better research mes, before you bash a subject like this. At least get an informed decision and then make up your mind. eitherwise all you are doing is spitting rhetoric backed by nothing but your opinion. And opinions are like assholes, everyone has one.

[Mes Tarrant]

Ouch! Wow, look at you spit your wrath at me, The Unbeliever! How incredibly mature. I envy you and your communication skills. Sorry, but I totally agree with Seis. I can report missing time all you want, too. Doesn't mean anything I say is legitimate. And I didn't mention "fame" anywhere in there, but I appreciate you stuffing words into my mouth. That's what all of these things are: stories. Point me to a source of legitimate research, I'd be interested in seeing that. In any case, if this rocks your boat then fine... not here to wage war on the belief in alien abductions. It is a little humorous though to see the lack of will to discuss these things with people who don't share those views.

[dragonoverlord]

In the case of alien abductions something realy is happening, you cant make that shit up. If is not alien abductions then im sure its something equally news worthy is going on.

[dragonoverlord]

"Kinky pony sex" ? Good grief.. haha i like where this thread is going....

[Spartiate]

OK, for something to be a fact, it has to be observed, documented, analyzed and duplicated. Even if all those factors are taken into account, the credibility (and variety) of the sources must be questioned. So until there are cases of alien abduction that meet with all of the above, it remains conjecture and most definately can't be passed off as a fact or something that is currently ongoing. A fact is false until proven otherwise, not the other way around. Or else we could just pass anything off as a fact and claim that we just haven't observed it yet. Now as for the possibility of alien abductions, I believe that far more logical answers lie within the imagination and psyche of the human mind. So yeah, even though some of these stories probably have some kind of basis (i.e. they aren't completely made up, but the basis doesn't have to be extraterrestrial in nature), I think they can be rationalized.