BAE 4.4

Magazine Overview

Title: Bulletin of Anomalous Experience
Issue: Volume 4, Number 4
Date: August 1993
Publisher: David Gotlib, M.D.
Country: Canada

This issue of the Bulletin of Anomalous Experience (BAE) focuses on UFO abduction phenomena, exploring various facets from individual case studies to societal influences and ongoing research initiatives.

Editorial: A Case Study

Dr. David Gotlib presents a detailed case study of a man named 'Mike' who suspected he was an abductee. Mike reported a history of unusual experiences, including missing time, encounters with entities, and a strong sense of recognition upon reading about abduction experiences. A significant aspect of Mike's case was a longstanding severe obstructive sleep apnea and narcolepsy, diagnosed in his thirties. Gotlib posits that Mike's missing time experiences and childhood encounters were most likely caused by his sleep disorder, a conclusion that provided Mike with relief and improved his mood and anxiety. The editorial emphasizes that subjective reality of an experience does not necessarily equate to event-level reality and highlights the importance of considering medical conditions that can mimic abduction phenomena.

Mail

More on "Alien Abduction Workload"

Dennis Stacy continues a discussion regarding Bob Durant's "Alien Abduction Workload" article. Stacy questions Durant's implications about introducing new numbers into abduction literature and defends the New Revised Abduction Scenario (NRAS) numbers, including the Roper Report's estimate of 3.7 million American abductees. Stacy argues that if the Roper Report numbers are taken literally, the abduction phenomenon must be psychological, as a massive physical intrusion of alien abductors would have been evident in medical and psychiatric literature. He also points out that the Roper Report dealt only with adults, while the NRAS posits that abductions begin in childhood.

Networking

MUFON's Abduction Transcription Project

Dan Wright details the Mutual UFO Network's (MUFON) Abduction Transcription Project, initiated in 1992. The project aims to compile and analyze audio cassettes of hypnosis sessions and interviews with suspected abductees. Over 300 audiotapes were submitted, and a cross-referenced index of significant keywords and phrases is being created. The project seeks to determine if human society is being visited by a single alien force or multiple entities with potentially conflicting agendas, and whether these entities are benevolent or malevolent. Researchers and individuals interested in participating are invited to submit credentials.

Abductions and Astrology: A Research Project

Astrologer Robert S. Kimball is conducting a study to determine if major astrological configurations correlate with apparent UFO abduction experiences. He hypothesizes that intense experiences are indicated by specific planetary alignments in a person's natal horoscope. Kimball is seeking participants to provide their birth data and details of significant encounters to statistically analyze this potential correlation.

Contact Forum: The Round Table of Universal Communication

Marc Davenport announces a new magazine, "Contact Forum," published by WildFlower Press, which aims to provide a forum for communication among abductees, contactees, channelers, and researchers. The magazine emphasizes that most abductees do not exhibit psychopathology, suggesting their experiences are real. It seeks personal accounts of contact, coping mechanisms, and insights into the phenomenon, aiming to foster understanding and ease the transformation of human consciousness.

PSI Research in Freiburg, Germany

This section provides information on parapsychological research institutions in Freiburg, Germany, including the Institut für Grenzgebiete der Psychologie und Psychohygiene and the Psychological Institute of the University of Freiburg. It details their history, research focus (including spontaneous psi phenomena and psychokinesis), libraries, and publications, such as the journal "Zeitschrift für Parapsychologie und Grenzgebiete der Psychologie."

Australian UFO Experiencer's Support Group

The formation of the UFO Experience Support Association (Inc) (UFOESA) in Australia is announced. This non-profit organization is dedicated to helping UFO event witnesses and experiencers cope with and understand their encounters, offering a supportive environment with researchers, therapists, doctors, and other professionals.

Original Research

Further Evidence for a Connection Between The Magnet Response and the Anomalous

N.A. Reiter presents the third report in a series on his ongoing research into Magnetic Response (MR) testing. Over sixty individuals were tested, and about seventy-five percent experienced reactions around the left ear or temple. The research aims to confirm a correlation between MR+ individuals and anomalous experiences. Preliminary data from surveys suggests differences in childhood experiences, health, and interest in the paranormal between MR+ and MR- individuals, with MR+ individuals reporting more unusual experiences like witnessing unusual lights and experiencing missing time.

Book and Research Reviews

This section includes reviews of several books:

• Testing Reality: A Research Guide for the UFO Abduction Experience by Richard Hall.
• The SLI (Street Lamp Interference) Effect: A Provisional Assessment by Hilary Evans.
• Soulmaker: True stories from the far side of the psyche by Michael Grosso.
• Demons, Doctors, and Aliens by James Pontolillo.

From the Scientific Literature

This section briefly mentions "Dissociated states of wakefulness and sleep" and "Current Abstracts of Interest."

Experiencers' Section

How are Experiencers' Needs Being Met?

Georgia Flamburis addresses the needs of UFO experiencers, suggesting that while individual researchers have transcribed stories, a more responsive approach is needed to prioritize their needs as people. The UFOESA aims to provide this supportive ear.

Late News: Alien Scripture

Kevin McClure is launching a new magazine titled "Alien Scripture," described as investigating contact with Non-Human Intelligences. It is presented as a follow-up to his publication "The Wild Places" (TWP), which covers paranormal phenomena and their impact on people's lives.

About BAE

The BAE newsletter is described as a networking forum for ideas and information on the UFO abduction phenomenon, encouraging contributions from mental health professionals and interested scientists. It aims to tread a path between academia and the marketplace, publishing diverse viewpoints. An "Experiencer's Section" has been introduced to include their perspectives. Instructions for participation, including submission guidelines and subscription information, are provided.

Recurring Themes and Editorial Stance

The recurring themes in this issue revolve around the UFO abduction phenomenon, its potential psychological and physiological underpinnings (particularly sleep disorders), the societal context of reporting such experiences, and the ongoing efforts of researchers and organizations to understand and support experiencers. The editorial stance, as exemplified by Dr. Gotlib's approach, is to explore these phenomena with an open mind, considering both conventional and unconventional explanations, and emphasizing the importance of rigorous research and interdisciplinary collaboration. The publication appears to be a forum for diverse ideas, encouraging debate and the sharing of information without necessarily asserting a single viewpoint.

This issue of the Bulletin of Anomalous Experience, Volume 4, Number 4, dated August 1993, is published by The International Fortean Organization (INFO). It focuses on "Book and Research Reviews" and explores various anomalous experiences, including UFO abductions, paranormal phenomena, and sleep-related disorders.

Book and Research Reviews

Testing Reality: A Research Guide For The UFO Abduction Experience

This paper, by Richard Hall and published by the Fund for UFO Research, offers guidelines for UFO abduction investigators. It emphasizes a naturalistic science approach, encouraging careful observation and recording without preconceived ideas. The paper also addresses the ethical dilemmas and practical challenges of working in a field where the boundaries between investigator, therapist, and friend can blur. It cautions against imposing personal, philosophical, or religious views on experiencers and provides recommendations for initial contact, interviews, follow-up, and support group management. The review highlights that the authors obtained invaluable feedback from experiencers on their methods and approaches to psychological and social support, noting that reactions were highly individualistic and no single formula applied to all cases. The support group activities were found to be draining, often involving conflicts over whether abduction experiences were good or bad, reflecting individual beliefs. The review notes that investigators often found themselves "practicing therapy without a license" and needed to establish trust with experiencers, who required practical advice and emotional support. The paper suggests a modified approach to dealing with abductees, acknowledging the need for mental health professionals who are informed about the UFO subject and can address the experiencers' real needs without reinforcing fears of paranoia or delusion. The inherent conflict between investigation and therapy is addressed, with the investigator's need for information potentially clashing with the abductee's psychological needs.

The SLI Effect: Street Lamp Interference: A Provisional Assessment

Compiled by Hilary Evans with ASSAP, this 52-page booklet analyzes 77 cases of Street Lamp Interference (SLI), a phenomenon where people claim to involuntarily cause street lamps to go out. The study evaluates physical features, social and psychological parameters of experiencers, and compares SLI with other anomalous phenomena. The review suggests that SLI deserves study because it appears to be an effect not consistent with current knowledge of human interaction with the physical world. Characteristics of SLI include reports from people without a pre-existent model for their experiences, the large public nature of street lamps making tampering unlikely, and minimal emotional involvement from the witness, reducing bias. If proven, SLI would be significant evidence that the human mind can, under certain circumstances, cause physical events at a distance. The provisional conclusion is that SLI is a phenomenon in its own right, with potentially hundreds or thousands more unknown cases. The review also notes that many individuals reporting paranormal phenomena also report odd behavior from electrical and electronic equipment. The booklet includes a questionnaire for individuals who have experienced SLI.

Soulmaker: True stories from the far side of the psyche

By Michael Grosso, this 149-page book is described as a more personal work than his previous "Frontiers of the Soul." Grosso explores his own paranormal experiences, including a UFO encounter, and insights gained through drug experiences. The book is praised for its intimate and inspiring portrait of "soulmaking," which involves exploring the boundaries of the soul and confronting the "shadow" or dark side of oneself. Grosso discusses the "dance of opposites" in human psychology, drawing on Carl Jung's ideas of individuation, and emphasizes the importance of fidelity to personal experience over official science. He notes a special affinity between the "modern soulmaker" and the feminine, suggesting that fear of the feminine is a fear of the soul. The book also touches on the interconnectedness of psyche and spirit, and how paranormal phenomena can erode the "male ego" and encourage a balance between the masculine and feminine.

Demons, Doctors, and Aliens: An Exploration into the Relationship Among Witch Trial Evidence, Sexual-Medical Traditions, and Alien Abductions

This paper by James Pontolillo, published by The International Fortean Organization, examines folkloric parallels between abduction narratives and historical traditions, particularly the Great Witch Hunt. It asserts that the driving force behind the abduction phenomenon is the societal abuse, marginalization, and repression of women, viewing core abduction events as a variation of misogynistic folk traditions. The paper argues that no credible evidence supports the objective reality of alien abductions, suggesting they are a continuation of ancient religio-mythic beliefs reconstructed through hypnotic recall and media influence. The author concludes that the phenomenon is a "delusional belief" with a self-fulfilling, self-referential verification system, and that a unifying thematic element is a pathological hatred, contempt, and fear of women, reflecting deep-seated misogyny in Western culture.

From the Scientific Literature

Dissociated States of Wakefulness and Sleep: Two Recent Articles

This section reviews two articles: "Dissociated states of wakefulness and sleep" by Mark W. Mahowald and Carlos H. Schenck (Neurology, 1992) and "Status Dissociatus - A Perspective on States of Being" by Mark W. Mahowald and Carlos H. Schenck (Sleep, 1991). These articles explore unusual clinical and experimental phenomena that represent admixtures, incomplete declarations, or rapid oscillations of wakefulness (W), REM sleep, and NREM sleep. They explain phenomena like narcolepsy, REM sleep behavior disorder, and disorders of arousal. The research suggests that the "all-or-none" concept of state determination is challenged by data showing that states can oscillate rapidly, leading to bizarre clinical syndromes. The articles discuss REM sleep intrusions (narcolepsy, sleep paralysis, hypnagogic hallucinations) and NREM sleep intrusions (automatic behavior, night terrors, sleepwalking). They also touch upon "parasomnia overlap syndrome," where elements of multiple states occur simultaneously, and the potential role of these dissociated states in post-traumatic stress disorder and psychogenic dissociative states.

Literature Roundup

On the reliability of recall

This review by Franke FH discusses the dependability of adult reports of childhood abuse and trauma, particularly in the context of multiple personality disorder. It highlights that memories recalled with the aid of hypnosis are often undependable due to inaccuracies, and memories recalled without hypnosis can also be distorted by intentional or unwitting cues. The author concludes that the recent enthusiasm for adult discovery of childhood abuse has not adequately considered factors affecting recall, including therapeutic bias and the potential for hypnosis to aggravate distorted recollections.

Persinger's Corner

Geophysical variables and behavior: LXXI. Differential contribution of geomagnetic activity to paranormal experiences concerning death and crisis: an alternative to the ESP hypothesis.

This study by MA Persinger analyzed 621 reports of putative psi experiences related to death or crisis. It found that telepathic experiences correlated with lower global geomagnetic activity, while precognitive and postmortem experiences did not show this relationship. The study suggests that nocturnal psi experiences and temporal lobe epilepsy may share a similar mechanism, but different classes of subjective psi experiences may not be affected by the same stimuli.

Average diurnal changes in melatonin levels are associated with hourly incidence of bereavement apparitions: support for the hypothesis of temporal (limbic) lobe microseizuring.

MA Persinger's research suggests that transient suppressions of nocturnal melatonin levels due to enhanced geomagnetic activity may precipitate bereavement apparitions, particularly in individuals with grief-sensitized brains. The study found a significant association between melatonin levels and apparitions, but not with telepathy or precognition when held constant.

Paranormal and religious beliefs may be mediated differentially by subcortical and cortical phenomenological processes of the temporal (limbic) lobes.

MA Persinger's work proposes that endorsements of paranormal beliefs are associated with elevated subcortical temporal lobe experiences, while religious beliefs are linked to right hemispheric equivalents. The study found support for this hypothesis in men and women, with religious affiliation not being a significant factor, but extreme religious beliefs were associated with weekly church attendance, primarily in men.

Near-Death Experiences

Culture, biology, and the near-death experience. A reappraisal.

This article by A. Kellehear argues that life review and tunnel sensations in near-death experiences are culture-bound phenomena, largely confined to societies with dominant historic religions. The author suggests that biological theories for these experiences may be premature and that social and historical explanations are more persuasive.

Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder

Psychophysiologic testing for post-traumatic stress disorder: Pitman RK Orr SP

This review discusses the limitations of the PTSD diagnosis due to the subjective nature of traumatic events and syndromes. It suggests that psychophysiologic measurements can strengthen PTSD's forensic value by providing a more objective assessment technique, aiding in establishing arousal criteria and estimating the probability of the disorder's presence.

Post-traumatic stress disorder and the law: critical review of the new frontier.

AA Stone reviews the impact of PTSD on criminal and civil jurisprudence, noting its creation of a "cottage industry" for attorneys and practitioners. The diagnosis has influenced insanity defenses, self-defense law, witness credibility, and tort doctrine. The author highlights the challenges PTSD poses for psychiatry, including the illusory objectivity of causative events and the dependence on subjective reports.

Post-traumatic stress disorder due to devastating burns overcome by a single session of eye movement desensitization.

This article reports on the successful use of a single session of eye movement desensitization (EMD) in treating a severe case of PTSD in a burn survivor with extensive physical trauma and suffering.

Miscellaneous Items of Interest

This section includes a brief mention of a Russian study on the dynamics of somatosensory and visual evoked potentials as a correlate of reversible states of altered consciousness, involving extrasensory subjects and healthy individuals.

Experiencers' Section

How are Experiencers' Needs Being Met?

By Georgia Flamburis, this section addresses the issue of how well experiencers' needs are being met within the UFO community. Flamburis shares her personal experiences and raises 10 points for discussion, including the challenges of becoming a support person, the risk of over-interpreting experiences, the potential for experiencers' needs to be overlooked in research projects, and the importance of awareness regarding suggestibility and confabulation. She also discusses the potential distraction of "warding off abductions," the difficulty of reconciling anomalous experiences with core identity, the labeling of experiencers, the issue of factions within the UFO community, the influence of hoaxes and disinformation, and the importance of support group leadership and goals. Flamburis emphasizes that experiencers need to be informed, empowered, and supported in finding personal meaning in their experiences, and that research must be conducted responsibly and ethically.

Recurring Themes and Editorial Stance

The recurring themes in this issue revolve around the investigation of anomalous experiences, the psychological and sociological factors influencing these experiences, and the methodologies used in their study. There is a strong emphasis on the importance of ethical research practices, the need for careful documentation, and the challenges of dealing with subjective phenomena. The issue also highlights the potential for cultural narratives, such as misogyny, to shape the interpretation of anomalous events. The editorial stance appears to favor rigorous, yet compassionate, investigation of these phenomena, acknowledging the subjective reality of the experiencer while maintaining scientific skepticism and ethical considerations. The publication seems to aim at fostering understanding and discussion within the anomalous experience community.