2004 00 00 Psychological Science - Vol 15 No 7 - Richard McNally

Magazine Overview

Title: Psychological Science
Issue: Volume 15, Number 7
Date: July 1, 2004
Publisher: SAGE, on behalf of the Association for Psychological Science
Document Type: Research Article

Research Report: Psychophysiological Responding During Script-Driven Imagery in People Reporting Abduction by Space Aliens

This research report investigates whether the recollection of highly improbable traumatic experiences, such as alien abduction, is accompanied by psychophysiological responses indicative of intense emotion. The study aimed to determine if these experiences elicit emotional reactions similar to those provoked by more conventional traumatic memories.

Abstract

The study measured heart rate, skin conductance, and left lateral frontalis electromyographic responses in individuals who reported alien abduction experiences. These responses were recorded during script-driven imagery of their reported alien encounters, as well as other stressful, positive, and neutral experiences. A control group of individuals who denied alien abduction also listened to and imagined the scripts. The researchers predicted that if alien abduction "memories" functioned like highly stressful memories, then psychophysiological reactivity would be greater for abduction and stressful scripts compared to positive and neutral scripts, particularly in the abductee group. Contrast analyses confirmed this prediction across all three physiological measures, indicating that the belief of having been traumatized can generate emotional responses similar to those provoked by recollection of trauma.

Introduction

The field of psychology has long debated the nature of recovered memories, particularly the concept of "false memories" of traumatic events that may not have occurred. Recent research has begun to explore memory function in individuals reporting recovered memories of trauma. Studies have shown that adults reporting recovered memories of childhood sexual abuse were more likely to exhibit false recognition of nonpresented words. Similarly, a subsequent study found false memory effects in individuals reporting recovered memories of alien abduction. The study notes that individuals with posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) typically exhibit heightened psychophysiological reactivity when recalling trauma. Clinical reports also suggest intense emotional reactions accompany the recovery of memories of improbable traumatic events, which some therapists interpret as evidence of horrific experiences. This study sought to investigate whether such improbable traumatic events provoke psychophysiological reactions indicative of intense emotion.

Method

Participants:

• Alien-Abductee Group: Comprised 6 women and 4 men with a mean age of 47.5 years (SD = 11.9) who reported alien abductions. Participants were recruited through newspaper advertisements, staff at the Program for Extraordinary Experience Research (PEER), and previous participants. Ethical guidelines were followed, and the protocol was approved by relevant university and medical center committees.
• Control Group: Comprised 7 women and 5 men, recruited from the community, with a mean age of 49.9 years (SD = 13.0). Control participants were matched with abductees of the same sex and age.

Procedure:

Participants underwent an initial interview about their experiences. The abductee group completed script-preparation forms, and then Natasha B. Lasko administered the Clinician-Administered PTSD Scale-Diagnostic Version (CAPS) and the Structured Clinical Interview for Axis I DSM-IV Disorders (SCID) to assess for PTSD and other Axis I disorders. Three abductees did not fully qualify for lifetime PTSD related to alien encounters, and one had current subthreshold PTSD. All abductees reported experiences of apparent sleep paralysis with hypnopompic hallucinations, which they interpreted as alien encounters. Eight of the ten abductees had undergone quasi-hypnotic sessions to recover detailed "memories" of alien encounters, such as sexual and medical probing.

Psychometrics:

Participants completed several questionnaires, including the Dissociative Experiences Scale (DES), Beck Depression Inventory (BDI), Trait Anxiety Inventory, Absorption Scale, and measures of schizotypy (Perceptual Aberration Scale and Magical Ideation Scale).

Scripts:

Five individualized scripts were prepared for each abductee, describing autobiographical events: two related to alien abduction, one stressful, one positive, and one neutral. Scripts were 30 seconds long, written in the second person, present tense, and incorporated the participant's own words and bodily responses. For data analysis, responses to the two abduction scripts were averaged. Control participants heard scripts from matched abductees. Examples of scripts included traumatic abduction experiences (e.g., sexual probing) and conventional stressful events (e.g., learning of a loved one's violent death).

Apparatus and Physiological Variables:

Physiological data were collected in a sound-attenuated room using a modular instrument system. Dependent variables included heart rate (HR), skin conductance (SC), and electromyogram (EMG) of the left lateral frontalis (LF) facial muscle. Analog outputs were digitized and sampled at 2 Hz.

Procedure and Data Reduction:

After a relaxation instruction, participants listened to scripts in four consecutive 30-s periods: baseline, listening, imagery, and recovery. They were instructed to imagine the events vividly. Self-reports of image vividness, emotional dimensions (valence, arousal, dominance), and discrete emotions were collected. Change scores were calculated by subtracting baseline values from imagery period values. Data for one control participant's HR could not be used.

Results

Psychometrics:

Abductees scored significantly higher than control participants on measures of absorption, magical ideation, and dissociation.

Reactions to Imagery Scripts:

The primary hypothesis was tested using contrast weights. Abductees exhibited greater psychophysiological reactivity to abduction and stressful scripts than to positive and neutral scripts. This effect was supported for HR (t(19) = 2.01, p = .03), SC (t(20) = 1.88, p = .04), and LF EMG (t(20) = 2.00, p = .03). Self-reported emotional responses were consistent with physiological findings, with abductees reporting heightened arousal, fear, surprise, and imagery vividness during abduction scripts.

Discussion

Recollections of purported traumatic encounters with space aliens are accompanied by physiological reactions and emotional self-reports akin to those accompanying other highly stressful experiences. The abductees' physiological responses to their abduction scripts were comparable to those of PTSD patients responding to their trauma scripts. However, the study cautions that while improbable traumatic memories can provoke physiological reactions similar to conventional traumatic memories, this does not confirm the authenticity of the memory. The physiological markers of emotion reflect the emotional significance of a memory, not necessarily its veracity.

Acknowledgments

The research was supported by a grant from the Clark Fund. The authors thanked various individuals and programs for their assistance in recruitment and data collection.

References

A comprehensive list of references is provided, citing works on PTSD, memory, dissociation, psychophysiology, and related psychological constructs.

Recurring Themes and Editorial Stance

This issue of Psychological Science features a research report that delves into the complex relationship between memory, trauma, and physiological responses. The study uses a rigorous experimental design to investigate the psychophysiological correlates of reported alien abduction experiences, framing them within the broader context of trauma research and the debate surrounding recovered memories. The editorial stance, as reflected in the journal's focus on empirical research, is to explore psychological phenomena through scientific investigation, emphasizing data-driven conclusions and cautious interpretation of findings, particularly concerning the authenticity of subjective experiences.

Themes: Alien Abduction, Memory, Trauma, Psychophysiology, PTSD, False Memories, Emotion, Imagery, Dissociation, Absorption, Magical Ideation.
Tags: alien abduction, recovered memories, false memories, trauma, psychophysiology, heart rate, skin conductance, EMG, script-driven imagery, PTSD, dissociation, absorption, magical ideation, sleep paralysis, hypnopompic hallucinations.