Recollections vol 3 no 2

Magazine Overview

Title: RECOLLECTIONS
Issue: Volume 3 Issue 2
Date: March 1996
Publisher: The Australian UFO Abduction Study Centre
Country: Australia

This issue of "Recollections" delves into the complex world of UFO abduction experiences, with a significant focus on the work of Professor John Mack. The newsletter highlights the ongoing research and community engagement within Australia concerning these phenomena.

John Mack in Australia

The lead article summarizes a lecture given by Professor John Mack in Sydney. Mack, a psychiatrist, initially struggled to find colleagues interested in abduction research, encountering reactions like "I already have enough reality to work with." He observed a timing in how people absorb new information. His own journey into the subject began when his son developed an interest in Transcendental Meditation. A pivotal moment was his encounter with Holotropic Breathwork, which he found opened new horizons. Reading a paper by Keith Thompson in 1989, which posited UFO abductions as a form of 'spiritual emergency,' led him to meet Budd Hopkins. Initially, Mack viewed experiencers as insane, but upon meeting them, he realized his psychiatric training offered no clinical explanation for their accounts. He came to believe that what they described was happening, though it defied conventional understanding. Mack later moved on to suggest that these beings "mean business" and that humanity is out of balance, having lost original instructions for being human, and that these encounters serve to return people closer to source. He views the UFO abduction phenomenon as an "outreach programme for the spiritually impaired."

Mack's research has involved approximately 110 experiencers in the United States and people from other countries, including indigenous populations, finding common elements across diverse backgrounds. He poses the question of who defines reality, pointing to media, politicians, and the general population. The abduction phenomenon challenges the human-centric view of the cosmic hierarchy. Mack's work has also extended to cross-cultural perspectives, noting the universality of the phenomenon and the Lakota and Hopi traditions of interacting with "Star People." He also shared an account from a Zulu chief in Zimbabwe who described an abduction experience involving an alien with human-like eyes, resulting in the chief being missing for three days.

Since the Abduction

This section features the account of an Australian experiencer referred to as "C," who began sharing her experiences since an abduction in 1988. Initially skeptical of "New Age" views, she now wants to inform others that these events can happen to anyone. She describes a shift in her dream patterns, including "electric dreams" where she feels she is being pulled by an evil force, experiences pressure on her chest, or feels a lack of control over her body. These dreams are often accompanied by an "electric shock" if she feels she is slipping into deep sleep. "C" also noted an indentation on her head that appeared after the event. She has also experienced precognitive dreams related to spirituality. Her encounter with a 90cm tall, red-skinned grey alien, which seemed angry, caused her to fall back asleep. "C" has also developed electrical sensitivity to everyday objects and experienced a sharp pain in her head and behind her left eye during a magnetic resonance scan, along with a "funny energy" sensation.

"C" also discusses channelling, differentiating between channelling from the heart and "dissociation," where spiritual information emerges. She has named energies like "possibility" and "poet." In 1995, which she calls the "year of the hermit," channelling became a way of life. She also engaged in automatic writing, contacting an entity named "Concord," which claimed she brought these energies into existence. "C" believes these experiences are leading to a shift in human consciousness, possibly a cataclysmic change.

Paralysis and Removal

Following John Mack's television appearance, several people reported their experiences. Ben, a 22-year-old student from Adelaide, recounts an initial event in April/May 1995 where he woke up paralyzed and felt a presence. He was then "shut off" and found himself on a moving stretcher, later waking up to see a small, dark figure near his foot, which he kicked. He experienced a second event two weeks later, remembering only the paralysis and an indescribable waking up, feeling that "they" were displeased with him. Ben actively researched his experiences after receiving John Mack's book, "Abduction-Human Encounters with Aliens."

Lidia describes a series of experiences starting in 1994. She felt a sense of presence and experienced a "dream" where she was on a cold, metal table with four to five beings with large, black, almond-shaped eyes standing over her. She felt no fear. She also recounts an event where a voice communicated with her and her boyfriend, and their car was followed by a white light. Later, a small blue ball hovered in her bedroom. Lidia has developed automatic writing abilities, feels she has a capacity for telepathy, and has had visions and precognitive dreams. She also witnessed two lights in the sky that stopped and hovered before vanishing. Lidia has found unusual markings on her body, including a "stick figure" on her arm and a triangle shape.

Sleep Paralysis

This section explores the phenomenon of sleep paralysis and its potential connection to UFO abductions, referencing several academic articles. It defines sleep paralysis as a condition of being unable to move upon awakening, often with hallucinations and a feeling of weight on the chest, seen by psychotherapists as a defense against aggression. The articles cited discuss "Old Hag" phenomena in Newfoundland, "Ghost Oppression" in Chinese culture, and studies on the prevalence of sleep paralysis among Nigerian nursing students and healthy young adults. The research suggests that cultural expressions and questionnaire phrasing can influence reported prevalence rates.

New Books

The issue reviews two books: "Beyond My Wildest Dreams" by Kimberly Carlsberg, which offers a sociological, cultural, and artistic response to her UFO abduction experiences, illustrated with color images. The second book is Patrick Harpur's "Daimonic Reality: A Field Guide to the Otherworld," which examines UFOs, fairy lore, and angel lore, suggesting a connection between these phenomena and historical supernatural beings. The review notes Harpur's approach of giving serious attention to these matters and finding lessons within them.

Feedback and Interviews

There are calls for participation in a weekend gathering for experiencers and researchers in June 1996, to share experiences and conduct discussions. Kelly Cahill is seeking Australian experiencers for a book project, planning interviews in Sydney, Brisbane, and potentially Adelaide. The "Visits" section notes the diversity of views among subscribers and emphasizes the importance of sharing experiences and research. The "A Question" section asks for recollections of "dual identity" or "warfare" related to UFO experiences from Melbourne.

Upcoming Events

The Australian International UFO Symposium is announced for Brisbane from October 11th-13th, 1996, featuring prominent figures in the UFO field, including John Mack and Whitley Strieber.

Recurring Themes and Editorial Stance

The recurring themes in this issue are UFO abductions, the psychological and spiritual impact on experiencers, the challenges of defining reality, and the importance of community and shared research. The editorial stance, as reflected in the content and the call for a gathering, is one of open inquiry, encouraging the sharing of diverse perspectives and experiences within the UFO community. The focus on John Mack's work suggests an openness to integrating scientific and psychological approaches with the subjective accounts of experiencers.

This issue of "RECOLLECTIONS", identified as issue number 11, focuses on themes of unity in UFO research and reports on significant developments in the field, including alleged alien implant removals and an upcoming international symposium.

Recollections: A Plea for Unity

The first section, titled "RECOLLECTIONS," presents a message purportedly received from alien intelligences via a contactee. The core of this message is a plea for UFO researchers and organizations to overcome their individual differences and collaborate. The intelligences state that "each piece that has been given to them will never come together as one picture" if they remain separate. They believe this unity is necessary for humanity to expand its consciousness and achieve a greater scale of communication. The message critiques the concept of "truth" as a subjective fallacy that leads to division, urging researchers to place their findings together to "see a picture form." It implies that humanity is not yet ready to receive further information until this unity is achieved.

The author of this section, inspired by this message, proposes the creation of a "Register" for all UFO organizations and researchers. This Register would serve as a central database listing names, organizations, research areas, meeting availability, and membership details. The goal is to make this information publicly accessible, both within Australia and internationally, fostering collaboration and potentially leading to a unified gathering "under one roof."

The section concludes by acknowledging the various labels given to those involved in UFO research (enquirers, contactees, abductees, researchers) but stresses the importance of demonstrating readiness to receive information.

Contact information for the "UFO Encounters & Support Line" is provided via telephone or fax at 03 9702 2773.

Overseas News: Alien Implants

This section introduces Derrel Sims, identified as the Chief of Abduction Investigations and Director of Physical Investigations for the Houston UFO Network in the U.S., who is also an experiencer. The report details an event in August 1995 where Sims arranged for two individuals from Houston to travel to Los Angeles. There, surgeon Dr Roger Leir performed operations to remove what were described as apparent "implants" from their bodies. These objects were reportedly discovered accidentally when X-rays were taken for unrelated reasons.

The first extracted object is described as a "triangular object, measuring 1.5 cm each side" removed from a person's big toe. A second anomalous object was also removed from the same toe. The article notes that further details and analysis of these objects are awaited.

Australian International UFO Symposium 1996

The second page of the magazine is dedicated to promoting the "AUSTRALIAN INTERNATIONAL UFO SYMPOSIUM 1996," scheduled to take place in Brisbane from October 11th to 13th.

The symposium features a notable lineup of speakers, including Professor John Mack, Whitley Strieber, John Carpenter, Linda Moulton Howe, Walt Andrus, Stanton Friedman, Pat Bailey, Joe Lewels, Keith Basterfield, Bruce Cathie, Stan Deyo, and Glennys Mackay.

Information regarding the cost of attendance is provided: Aust$240 for the three days, with a discounted rate of Aust$195 if paid by July 30th, 1996. An additional cost of $45 is mentioned for a cocktail hour and dinner on Saturday evening, presented as an "opportunity to meet the speakers."

Contact details for further information and bookings are listed, directing inquiries to Glennys Mackay. This includes a phone/fax number (07 3849 6450), an email address ([email protected]), and a postal address (106 Dykes Street, Mt Gravatt, Brisbane, QLD 4122).

Recurring Themes and Editorial Stance

The recurring themes in this issue are the need for collaboration and unity within the UFO research community, the potential for communication with non-human intelligences, and the reporting of physical evidence related to UFO phenomena, such as alleged implants. The editorial stance appears to be one that advocates for a more organized and unified approach to UFO research, emphasizing the sharing of information and the potential for significant discoveries if researchers can work together. The inclusion of the symposium promotes engagement and the dissemination of knowledge within the field.