Glad to hear it. I’m more of a “cheerleader” for alternate theories than a UFO researcher.

“an approach from the outside with a touch of that maverick finesse would be a breath of fresh air.”

Bravo!

Thank you for your thoughtful comments.

As I understand it, there are problems with Marjorie Fish’s interpretation of the star map, discussions about which you can find online. This throws the whole “map” episode into question, not to mention the reliance on Betty Hill’s memory of details.

I also have questions about contamination of the database by the pubhsing of Simon’s book. Of course, many people who have had these experiences never heard of, much less read Interrupted Journey, but all of the researchers did. This may also bring up the problem of subconscious cueing during hypnotic recall.

If you want to go further, there may also be a problem of “contamination of a collective unconscious,” involving nonlocal, mental communication about abductions, and a template that was laid down by Dr. Simon and the Hills which we all use, even though we’re not aware of it.

Of course, this has been shot down by abduction researchers, but the things they are examining lie outside the pale of normal experience and classical scientific scrutiny as well.

Perhaps we have been making up the rules as we go, either under the control of our expectations, or the control of whatever causes abductions, or both.

Thank you. I’m only 60 pages or so into the book, which I should have read years ago, but waited until someone bought it for me. Hansen actually called me once, but didn’t leave a number (at least I don’t remember that he did.)

That said, I would like to see parapsychology involved in it more in the coming years in a much more active way. New questions need to be asked, with broad studies and documentation to paint a rational picture of what we’re dealing with, similar to the early work of Vallee involving pattern recognition. Theorizing and gossip can only take us so far, but I agree with you, an approach from the outside with a touch of that maverick finesse would be a breath of fresh air.

“The phenomenon appears to have standardized itself over the last 20 years or so. Abductions are carried out by what look like humanoid beings, often of the type depicted on the cover of Communion, at least much of the time–if we are to believe researchers who study this type of thing. Does this mean that the rest of the aliens decided that we weren’t worth the time, or that they are on a cattle kick now?”

It is interesting to note that Betty Hill described her abductors as being of two different types in the book “The Interrupted Journey”. Although this was dismissed by Simon and even Barney to some extent, the “Leader” and the “Doctor” were described by her as being taller and the skin color as being brownish. This extends the descriptions of this type to about 45 years or so. It also, if true, changes another common fallacy in that many refer to ‘Greys’ (which I believe were the other type she was attempting to describe) as Zeti Reticulans (relating to the two stars discovered to correlate to the map drawn by Betty). However, Betty asked the ‘Leader’ (the taller, brownish entity) where he was from, not the shorter of the two types. Ergo, the taller brownish entities would be the ones from Zeti R. and not the Greys. It is also telling that she was told that some of the points on the map were “trade routes” indicating a potential consortium of entities. Not trying to quibble here, but these are the facts. Ask Stanton sometime if you get the chance…

It also tends to substantiate the journal entry of Jane Lead I posted a few days back.

“For it was secretly whispered to my Spirit, that in some there might be a refined and spiritual Emulation, as in others a more Gross and Sensual. Both of which I had councel, and caution, how to walk with; so as no occasion of stumbling might be given justly to the gainsaying Spirits: Whose pryings were to see how we would walk, while in the Wilderness state.”

At the very least, they are consistent…IMO.

“How can we theorize about something that stands outside what we can describe or even think about?”

A question every Fortean should ask -and answer- first.

I love this piece! I agree, well said.

Yes, everyone should read Trickster and the Paranormal!

“Missouri-itis means having the incorrect idea that what you see is really right before your eyes. In fact what people see is never right before their eyes; it’s always a mental picture or image formed in the back of their brain. This fact indicates that human brains work like cameras (Pribram 1971). But the brain is much more flexible than a real camera. When a real camera forms images, it can only use input from the outside world. The human brain doesn’t have that limitation…Eccle’s work (1958) clearly shows that healthy human brains do not automatically separate mental pictures or images that based on people’s imaginations, memories, and emotional feelings from mental pictures or images based on obvious facts…the origin of the brain’s mental pictures doesn’t matter; the brain still uses those mental pictures, whatever their origin, to control people’s cognitive, emotional, and physical reactions.” (RATIONAL BEHAVIOR THERAPY, Maxie C Maultsby, pg 16-17)