1994 11 17 Nature - Vol 372 - Susan Blackmore

Magazine Overview

This issue of 'Autumn Books' from NATURE features a review of Jim Schnabel's book "Dark White: Aliens, Abductions and the UFO Obsessions." The review is written by Susan Blackmore, who is based in the Department of Psychology at the University of the West of England. The publication date is November 17, 1994, with a price of £16.99.

Book Review: Dark White: Aliens, Abductions and the UFO Obsessions

Susan Blackmore reviews Jim Schnabel's book, which seeks to answer the question of why seemingly sane and intelligent people believe in alien abductions. A Roper opinion poll suggests nearly four million Americans have reported such experiences. The stories are remarkably consistent, often involving waking up in the dead of night or being taken from vehicles, encountering large-headed, small-bodied, grey aliens with huge eyes. These aliens reportedly transport abductees into spacecraft for humiliating or terrifying medical and gynaecological procedures, often resulting in 'missing time' of two to three hours.

Blackmore notes the parallels between these accounts and older folklore, such as fairy abductions, incubi, succubi, and the 'Old Hag of Newfoundland.' Schnabel effectively portrays the main characters involved in the UFO abduction phenomenon.

Budd Hopkins: A New York artist who began investigating 'missing time' experiences in 1964. He learned to use hypnosis to help people 'remember' abductions. Schnabel depicts Hopkins as a sincere man convinced of the reality of aliens and UFOs. Hopkins also encountered stories of the alien hybridization program, where women reported strange scars and disappearing pregnancies, and men told of being removed from by female aliens.

Whitley Strieber: Contrasted with Hopkins, Strieber is portrayed as more erratic. His best-selling book 'Communion' blended fiction and biography, initially intended to be titled 'Body Terror' but changed to avoid frightening readers.

Psychological and Spiritual Interpretations: The review highlights the tension between terror and enlightenment in abduction narratives. Leo Sprinkle, a psychologist from Wyoming, reported that his abductees often experienced spiritual and 'consciousness-raising' events. John Mack, a Pulitzer prizewinning author and professor of psychiatry at Harvard University, also collected accounts from abductees who believed aliens had peaceful intentions and sought to warn humanity about environmental disaster.

Ken Ring, another psychologist, draws parallels between alien abductions and near-death experiences, suggesting both point towards human consciousness progressing towards unity and harmony.

Scientific Explanations: The book explores scientific explanations for these experiences. Schnabel discusses sleep paralysis, where the paralysis of dreaming sleep can carry over into waking, and compares it to abduction myths. He also considers childhood trauma, hypnosis, and the arguments surrounding false memory.

A significant theory presented is by Michael Persinger, a Canadian neuroscientist. Persinger argues that abduction experiences are caused by firing in the temporal lobes of the brain, potentially triggered by changes in magnetic fields. Schnabel marshals evidence for this theory, concluding that abduction accounts might be similar not because the aliens are alike, but because our brains are. Stimulation of specific brain areas, combined with cultural and personal material, could account for the phenomena.

Reviewer's Conclusion: Blackmore finds the book convincing and believes abduction accounts are worthy of serious research. She emphasizes that the focus should be on understanding what these experiences reveal about our minds and brains, rather than solely on the existence of aliens.

Other Content

The issue also includes a brief mention of Zenon Pylyshyn from the Center for Cognitive Science at Rutgers University, New Brunswick, New Jersey.

Recurring Themes and Editorial Stance

The primary theme of this section is the exploration of anomalous experiences, specifically alien abductions, through the lens of psychology and neuroscience. The editorial stance, as reflected in the review, is one of open-minded inquiry into subjective experiences, seeking to understand the underlying psychological and neurological mechanisms rather than dismissing them outright. The review advocates for serious research into these phenomena to gain insights into the human mind.