Alien abduction claimants
Alien abduction claimants (also called abductees and experiencers) are people who have claimed to have been abducted by aliens. The term "abduction phenomenon" describes claims that non-human creatures kidnapped individuals and temporarily removed them from familiar terrestrial surroundings. The abductors, usually interpreted as being extraterrestrial life forms, are said to subject experiencers to a forced medical examination that emphasizes the alleged experiencer's reproductive system.
The first alien abduction narrative to be widely publicized was the Betty and Barney Hill abduction in 1961. Since that time, the credibility and mental health of alleged experiencers has taken on great importance to those seeking to determine the veracity of the abduction claims. Mainstream academics and members of the skeptics movement generally doubt that the phenomenon occurs literally as reported, and have proposed a variety of alternative explanations.
Such skeptics often argue that the phenomenon might be a modern-day folk myth or vivid dreams occurring in a state of sleep paralysis. By contrast, ufologists and paranormal researchers hold positions closer to the face-value of abduction claims. The discovery of common psychological traits shared by abductees would have the potential to determine a neurological explanation for the claims, while other commonalities or differences may serve to reinforce that the claims of the experiencers do in fact correspond with objective reality.
Abductees and the paranormal
As a category, abductees have some psychological characteristics that render their testimony suspect. Dr. Elizabeth Slater conducted a blind study of nine abduction claimants and found them to be prone to "mildly paranoid thinking", nightmares and having a weak sexual identity. According to investigator Benton Jamison, abduction experiencers who report UFO sightings that should have been, but are not, reported by independent corroborating witnesses often seem to "be 'psychic personalities' in the sense of Jan Ehrenwald". Dual reference emerges in hypnotic regression sessions wherein the subject reports pre-birth or pre-life existence as one of the same species as those he or she would later report abducting them. Randles concludes "the abduction is essentially a young person's experience". It could also be partially because people over the age of forty are less likely to have "hormonic" or reproductive activity going on.
Children as abductees
Although abduction and other UFO-related reports are usually made by adults, sometimes young children report similar experiences. These child-reports often feature very specific details in common with reports of abduction made by adults, including the circumstances, narrative, entities and aftermaths of the alleged occurrences.
Hopkins Image Recognition Test
UFO and abduction researcher Budd Hopkins has designed an image recognition test (known as the Hopkins Image Recognition Test, or HIRT) for children that he claims is helpful in verifying legitimate occurrences of alien abduction.
Procedure
The test would be administered to two groups of about 10-12 children individually, one group being composed of children who are thought to be possible abduction experiencers, and a control group.
List of notable abduction claimants
* Antônio Vilas-Boas
* Alan Godfrey
* Betty and Barney Hill
* Calvin Parker
* Emilcin
* Ilkley Moor
* Pier Fortunato Zanfretta
* Riley Martin
* Robert Taylor
* Stan Romanek
* Travis Walton
* Whitley Strieber
The first alien abduction narrative to be widely publicized was the Betty and Barney Hill abduction in 1961. Since that time, the credibility and mental health of alleged experiencers has taken on great importance to those seeking to determine the veracity of the abduction claims. Mainstream academics and members of the skeptics movement generally doubt that the phenomenon occurs literally as reported, and have proposed a variety of alternative explanations.
Such skeptics often argue that the phenomenon might be a modern-day folk myth or vivid dreams occurring in a state of sleep paralysis. By contrast, ufologists and paranormal researchers hold positions closer to the face-value of abduction claims. The discovery of common psychological traits shared by abductees would have the potential to determine a neurological explanation for the claims, while other commonalities or differences may serve to reinforce that the claims of the experiencers do in fact correspond with objective reality.
Abductees and the paranormal
As a category, abductees have some psychological characteristics that render their testimony suspect. Dr. Elizabeth Slater conducted a blind study of nine abduction claimants and found them to be prone to "mildly paranoid thinking", nightmares and having a weak sexual identity. According to investigator Benton Jamison, abduction experiencers who report UFO sightings that should have been, but are not, reported by independent corroborating witnesses often seem to "be 'psychic personalities' in the sense of Jan Ehrenwald". Dual reference emerges in hypnotic regression sessions wherein the subject reports pre-birth or pre-life existence as one of the same species as those he or she would later report abducting them. Randles concludes "the abduction is essentially a young person's experience". It could also be partially because people over the age of forty are less likely to have "hormonic" or reproductive activity going on.
Children as abductees
Although abduction and other UFO-related reports are usually made by adults, sometimes young children report similar experiences. These child-reports often feature very specific details in common with reports of abduction made by adults, including the circumstances, narrative, entities and aftermaths of the alleged occurrences.
Hopkins Image Recognition Test
UFO and abduction researcher Budd Hopkins has designed an image recognition test (known as the Hopkins Image Recognition Test, or HIRT) for children that he claims is helpful in verifying legitimate occurrences of alien abduction.
Procedure
The test would be administered to two groups of about 10-12 children individually, one group being composed of children who are thought to be possible abduction experiencers, and a control group.
List of notable abduction claimants
* Antônio Vilas-Boas
* Alan Godfrey
* Betty and Barney Hill
* Calvin Parker
* Emilcin
* Ilkley Moor
* Pier Fortunato Zanfretta
* Riley Martin
* Robert Taylor
* Stan Romanek
* Travis Walton
* Whitley Strieber
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