Abduction Watch - No 06

Magazine Overview

This special issue of 'Abduction Watch', titled 'Abduction Watch 6: Recovered Memory & Hypnosis Special', delves into the author's perspective that the widely believed 'abduction myth' is not based on physical alien encounters but rather on the psychological phenomenon of recovered memories, often elicited through hypnosis. The author expresses a desire to address the 'serious target' of how this myth disturbs and disrupts real human lives, offering to provide the entire issue as an article to any responsible editor.

The Abduction Myth and Its Impact

The issue posits that if the author's premise is correct – that there has never been a physical, enforced act of abduction by non-human beings – then the belief in abductions has left many people confused. Some individuals believe aliens intervene for their benefit, providing love, support, and rescue, even if they feel used. This is described as a 'Stockholm Syndrome with invisible captors'. For a larger group, the implications are more serious: they have altered their lives based on abduction beliefs, including insemination by aliens, hybrid pregnancies, and foetus removal. These individuals recount memories during hypnotic regression and live in fear of further abuse, feeling a lack of control over their lives and sharing experiences with other 'abductees' or 'survivors'. The belief that abduction is 'generational' can lead them to not want to have children.

Historical Context and Lack of Evidence

A review of 'UFO close encounter' reports prior to 1981, before the publication of 'Hopkins' Missing Time', indicates that claims of physical, involuntary abduction were exceedingly rare and lacked the 'unpleasant elements' such as repeated interference with children, gynaecological/rectal examinations, or foetus implantation/removal. These concepts, the author argues, were introduced from 'recovered memory' material and gained publicity. Researchers like John Keel, Jerome Clark, D Scott Rogo, Brad Steiger, and Jacques Vallee, while exploring various phenomena, found no evidence for the type of abduction experience that became standard by the time Whitley Streiber's 'Communion' was released. The author asserts that the alleged 'physical' evidence, such as implants, 'cup and scoop marks', and UV fluorescence, is worthless and can be explained by ordinary abrasions, wounds, or other phenomena. There is no medical evidence of alien involvement in pregnancies or any tangible evidence of alien interaction with humans.

The Role of Recovered Memory Techniques

The widespread belief in alien abduction is attributed to three sources: 'memories' recovered through memory enhancement techniques (primarily regression hypnosis), the assertions of researchers that these accounts stem from real events, and individuals who become convinced they too have been abducted, often then undergoing regression themselves, completing a cycle of confirmation. The author strongly suggests that without 'recovered memory' techniques, the alien abduction phenomenon would not exist. The development of the mythos in the US is traced from the Hills case to contemporary researchers who rely on 'recovered memory' accounts and techniques. Similar approaches are noted in the UK, with researchers like Tony Dodd and Malcolm Robinson utilizing hypnosis, often refusing to disclose qualifications or details of their methods. The core issue, according to the author, is the unquestioned reliance on regression and hypnosis when real events are seldom forgotten.

Unreliability of Hypnosis and Regression

The evidence regarding 'recovered memory' techniques suggests they are wholly undependable, producing a mix of fabrication, misapprehension, remembered, and misremembered experiences, often influenced by the 'rememberer's' desire to please those present. The author views individuals affected by abduction beliefs as victims of abuse, not necessarily deliberate, but arising from mistaken personal beliefs propagated by those promoting the abduction myth. While emphasizing that this does not belittle real abuse, the author points to the disastrous consequences of hypnosis and regression in real human-to-human abuse cases, citing large damage awards in the USA for therapists who led patients to 'remember' horrific abuse, including Satanic Ritual Abuse (SRA), which were later found to be false.

Legal and Professional Scrutiny of Recovered Memory

Cases are cited where millions of dollars were awarded due to therapists implanting false memories of incest, cannibalism, murder, and abuse through hypnosis and sodium amytal. The issue highlights that 'recovered memory' techniques are seldom used by police, and courts increasingly require separate corroborative evidence. Regressions involving alien abduction are often conducted by amateurs, and even professionals involved are frequently already believers. The author quotes statements from the American Medical Association (1985) and 'The Comprehensive Textbook of Psychiatry' (Kaplan & Sadlock, 1985) emphasizing that hypnotic interventions produce confabulations, pseudomemories, and inaccuracies, and increase the willingness to report unclear memories as facts. Phil Mollon, Head of Clinical Psychology at Lister Hospital, Stevenage, is quoted stating that experiments show false memories, including those of alien abduction, can be implanted through hypnosis. The Guidelines Related to Recovered Memories of the Australian Psychological Society also state that reported memories can be accurate, inaccurate, fabricated, or a mixture. The International Journal of Clinical and Experimental Hypnosis (January 1996) lists problems with hypnotically induced memory, including increased suggestibility, confabulation, and decreased critical review.

The 'Alien Abduction' Defense and Conclusion

The author argues that the idea of aliens deliberately confusing abductees and blocking memories is an unprovable, arrogant suggestion used to protect the abduction myth. Unlike human accusers in SRA cases, aliens cannot be taken to court. The issue concludes that abductees need to realize they have been led into making unsubstantiated reports through unreliable and potentially dangerous recovered memory techniques. The author predicts that in ten years, new abductees will be fewer, and current ones will be embarrassed. The publication 'Abduction Watch' is monthly, with a UK subscription costing £10 for 12 issues.

Recurring Themes and Editorial Stance

The recurring theme is the profound skepticism towards the validity of alien abduction claims, attributing them almost entirely to the unreliability and potential for fabrication inherent in recovered memory techniques, particularly hypnosis. The editorial stance is critical of researchers and therapists who promote these claims without sufficient scrutiny, arguing that they cause significant harm. The author advocates for a responsible approach that prioritizes 'doing no harm' and aims to help individuals realize they have been misled, rather than perpetuating the abduction narrative. The issue frames the abduction phenomenon as a modern myth, comparable to past moral panics, sustained by flawed psychological methods rather than empirical evidence.