1987 12 00 OMNI - Abductions

Magazine Overview

This issue of OMNI magazine, titled "Secret Sharers," focuses on the phenomenon of UFO abductions and the controversial claims of alien-human hybrid creation. The cover features a striking painting of a man whose glasses reflect two flying saucers, with the headline "SECRET SHARERS" and a subtitle detailing the abductees' claims about aliens confiscating eggs and sperm to create a bizarre race of hybrids.

Article: Secret Sharers by Pamela Weintraub

The article begins with the personal experience of "Bruce," who is disturbed by the depiction of alien eyes on the cover of Whitley Strieber's book "Communion." This triggers repressed memories of a terrifying encounter in 1978 where his car stopped moving, and he witnessed alien figures. His wife, Marion, also experienced bizarre behavior during the event. Bruce recounts being surrounded by "formal military figures" and feeling a jab, later realizing he might have been trying to send his son, Steven, to safety.

Bruce's story is presented as one of many UFO abduction claims. The article highlights the growing number of people worldwide reporting similar experiences, often with uncannily similar details regarding alien appearance, surgical procedures, and alien craft. Psychiatrists who have studied these individuals find no evidence of psychopathology, suggesting severe trauma but not mental illness.

Explanations for these experiences range from repressed trauma and ancient racial memories to mass hysteria and culturally induced dreams. However, many abductees insist their experiences are literal and real.

The article introduces Budd Hopkins, an artist and UFOlogist who has worked with over 160 abductees. Hopkins's home in Wellfleet, Massachusetts, serves as a base for his research. He views abductees as individuals who have suffered unspeakable trauma and acts as a mentor and confidant.

Bruce, a thirty-two-year-old graduate student, seeks understanding from Hopkins, unsure if his memories are real or psychological side effects. Hopkins believes understanding can be gained through exploring the UFO phenomenon.

The history of UFO sightings is briefly traced, from Kenneth Arnold's 1947 sighting that coined the term "flying saucer" to the 1952 Washington National Airport sightings. The article notes the "Socorro, New Mexico" sighting in 1964 as a pivotal event that convinced some scientists of the extraterrestrial explanation.

The Abduction Experience: Bruce's Account

Bruce describes his encounter in detail: alien figures with "humongous eyes" and "grayish skin, pointed chin, receding lips." He recounts Marion's distress and her attempts to lock the car door. He remembers being transfixed by the aliens' eyes and then a door slamming, followed by Marion disappearing. He describes being surrounded by three more figures and feeling a jab, likening it to being poked with a hatpin. He recalls a period of cloudy memory and being dragged, eventually finding himself back in the car with his family, two hours later than expected.

Missing Time and Physical Examinations

Bruce's story includes a significant block of missing time. The article explains that abductees often report painful and extreme medical examinations aboard alien vehicles, including biopsies that leave scars, the insertion of transponder implants in various body parts, and the removal of eggs and sperm. The alleged purpose is to create a race of human-alien hybrids to provide genetic enhancement for the aliens.

The Questionnaire: Are You an Abductee?

A questionnaire is included to help researchers determine the percentage of OMNI readers who may have experienced abduction. It asks about childhood encounters with strange figures, unexplained wounds, recurring dreams, lost time, phobias, and unusual experiences. It also probes readers' general feelings about UFOs and abduction reports.

The Betty and Barney Hill Case

The article highlights the Betty and Barney Hill case as a significant early abduction account. After a UFO sighting, they experienced missing time and later recalled, under hypnosis, being taken aboard a craft for examinations, including the removal of skin samples and sperm.

Budd Hopkins's Research and Methodology

Hopkins, initially skeptical, became convinced of the abduction phenomenon after witnessing a UFO himself and investigating the George O'Barski sighting. He began using hypnosis to help abductees recall their experiences, developing a methodology that often involved working with psychologists like Aphrodite Clamar. He believes that abductees often suppress their experiences, and that the similarities in their accounts are too profound to be mere coincidence.

Case Studies and Similarities

The article presents several case studies, including that of "Steve Kilburn," who recalled an abduction experience involving examination and implants. Virginia Horton, a lawyer, reported a disappearance at age six with a scar on her calf, and a similar experience later in life. Hopkins notes that many abductees report having had the experience at least twice and often have mysterious scars.

Psychological and Scientific Scrutiny

Psychologists like Aphrodite Clamar and Elizabeth Slater have tested abductees, finding no particular psychopathology but noting a tendency towards being overly sensitive and guarded, with above-average intelligence. Slater was "flabbergasted" by the consistency of the stories. Donald Klein, director of research at the New York State Psychiatric Institute, conducted psychohistories on ten abductees and found them to be sane, with no discernible patterns of trauma or insanity that would explain their claims.

Skepticism and Criticism

Philip Klass, a prominent UFO skeptic, argues that hypnosis can create pseudomemories and that Hopkins exaggerates the similarities in abduction accounts. He criticizes Hopkins for violating clinical rules for hypnotists. Other critics suggest that abduction accounts can be explained by hallucinations related to stress and isolation, or by psychological epidemics and mass hysteria, possibly triggered by media like "Close Encounters of the Third Kind."

International Perspectives

Jenny Randles, a British UFOlogist, notes significant cultural differences in abduction reports between the UK and the US. While US reports often describe small, gray aliens, British reports more frequently feature taller, more humanlike aliens. Randles views the abduction phenomenon as a "vast cult movement" and questions whether the researchers are manipulating people into accepting their version of events.

Alternative Explanations and Theories

Some researchers, like Alvin Lawson, suggest that abduction stories may be submerged memories of birth. Leo Sprinkle, a psychologist studying abduction, believes in the reality of various alien groups with different purposes. Whitley Strieber, author of "Communion," suggests that the phenomenon might be akin to a transcendental, visionary experience, urging society to stop laughing and start describing these experiences, as they may represent the emergence of a powerful new religion.

Hybrid Babies and Alien Purpose

The article touches upon the concept of hybrid babies, with abductees describing unusual nurseries and the aliens' desire for human touch. The purpose of these hybrids is speculated to be the genetic enhancement of the alien race. The article also questions the aliens' methods, asking why they don't use advanced technologies for reproduction if they are capable of interstellar travel.

Recurring Themes and Editorial Stance

The recurring themes in this issue revolve around the nature of UFO abduction, the psychological impact on individuals, the methods used to investigate these claims (particularly hypnosis), and the ongoing debate between believers and skeptics. The magazine presents a comprehensive overview of the abduction phenomenon, featuring detailed testimonies and expert opinions, while also acknowledging the criticisms and alternative explanations. The editorial stance appears to be one of exploration and documentation, presenting the claims and research without definitively endorsing or dismissing them, but rather highlighting the complexity and persistent nature of the phenomenon.

This issue of the TransAmazon Rallye magazine, dated April 10-May 05, 1988, focuses on adventure and the exploration of the mind and the unknown. It promotes two major events: the TransAmazon Rallye 1988 and The Liberty Cup 1988, while also delving into topics of neuroscience, accelerated learning, and the psychological aspects of UFO abduction experiences.

TransAmazon Rallye 1988 The magazine announces the TransAmazon Rallye 1988, an "Adventure of a Lifetime" on the South American Continent. This event is described as the only F.I.S.A. sanctioned Marathon Rallye in the Western Hemisphere, covering 8,750 miles through Venezuela, Brazil, Bolivia, Peru, Chile, Argentina, and Paraguay. Amateur participants from over 20 countries are expected to compete with motorcycles, automobiles, and trucks. The rally concludes with celebrations on the beaches of Rio de Janeiro.

The Liberty Cup 1988 In conjunction with the rally, The Exploration Society announces The Liberty Cup 1988, billed as one of the largest amateur sailboat races in the world. This race will run from Miami to Caracas and is open to 300 sailing vessels, including one, two, and three-masted boats, as well as eight "Tall Ships."

Membership and Subscriptions Readers are invited to join "The Great Adventurers" as members of The Adventurer's Club. A $25 one-year membership includes a subscription to "Adventure Passport" magazine and the "Adventure Visa" newsletter, along with the TransAmazon Manual, a Rallye poster, and a membership card. Details are provided for sending checks or Visa/Mastercard/American Express information to The Exploration Society of America at their New Orleans address.

Brain Tune-up? This section explores the burgeoning field of brain and accelerated learning. It highlights discoveries made in the past three years, surpassing the entire history of brain science. Noted neuroscientist John-David, Ph.D., is credited with discovering "sound patterns" that, when directed to specific brain areas, can enhance concentration, creativity, peak performance, memory, and eliminate old self-sabotage patterns. Breakthroughs are available through cassettes, seminars, certification programs, and "Brain/Mind Salons." A toll-free number is provided for a free catalog.

UFO Abduction Phenomenon and Psychology The latter part of the magazine delves into the complex subject of UFO abductions, featuring insights from philosopher and Jungian scholar Dennis Stillings, who heads the Archaeus Project in Minneapolis. Stillings describes an "eruption of the unexplored aspects of the mind" in America, where the unconscious is being exploited. He suggests that the abduction phenomenon is a modern attempt to recreate religion, dressed in high-tech terms, as a response to the breakdown of organized religion over the past four hundred years.

Stillings posits that abduction scenarios are deeply religious, borrowing graphic imagery from religious motifs. He likens the "hybrids" to "wise babies" from religious traditions and notes that abduction experiences can involve mysterious pregnancies mimicking the Virgin Birth. He also points to the recurring motif of "three and four" in these narratives, referencing biblical and Platonic examples.

Aphrodite Clamar is mentioned in relation to the torment experienced by abductees. The article recounts the story of Leigh, a New York businesswoman who, under hypnosis by Budd Hopkins, recalled a traumatic abduction experience involving a "little gray kind of person" and a disturbing medical procedure. Leigh's experience, which involved missing time and strange sightings, left her deeply distressed.

The magazine also touches upon a support group for abductees, where individuals share their experiences. One young woman recounts an immaculate conception and her daughter's birth, attributing it to alien insemination and past abduction experiences. This experience, though initially leading to panic attacks and suicidal thoughts, has helped her regain control of her life.

Dennis Stillings, referencing the late Carl Jung, suggests that the images associated with religion and abduction phenomena are biological entities within the brain. He believes that while the religious instinct is vague, it takes form, and that if these phenomena appeared as angels today, they might be dismissed, but packaged in the form of E.T., they are more readily believed.

Advertising The issue also contains advertisements for Toshiba's 30" FST Magnum TV, highlighting its clearer picture and wider viewing area, and for Brother International Corp.'s daisy wheel word processor, emphasizing its ease of use with "On Screen" prompts and no prior experience required.

Recurring Themes and Editorial Stance The magazine's editorial stance appears to be one of promoting adventure and exploration, both physical (TransAmazon Rallye, Liberty Cup) and mental/spiritual (Brain Tune-up, UFO abductions). There is a clear interest in exploring the frontiers of human experience, from extreme physical challenges to the mysteries of the mind and consciousness. The coverage of abduction phenomena suggests an open-minded approach, presenting psychological and philosophical interpretations alongside personal accounts, without outright dismissal. The magazine seems to cater to an audience interested in unique experiences, self-improvement, and the unexplained.