SUN 40 (July 1996)

Magazine Overview

This issue of the Skeptics UFO Newsletter, dated July 1996, focuses on critical analyses of UFO abduction research and the Roswell incident. The main cover story highlights UFO-abduction guru David Jacobs' admission that "incompetent hypnotists" and "false memories" pose serious problems for the field. The newsletter also delves into a contradictory sworn statement from Roswell witness Jim Ragsdale and critiques the commercialization of the Roswell incident.

UFO-Abduction Research and Hypnosis Concerns

The lead article details David Jacobs' acknowledgment that hypnosis, a primary tool for abduction memory retrieval, can lead to the generation of false memories by "amateur and inexperienced hypnotists." Jacobs stated that "some hypnotists' validational questioning has led to fantasies that abductees remember as 'fact.'" He noted that while many researchers consider consciously recalled abduction accounts reliable, they are often unaware that these memories can be as unreliable as those recalled with incompetent hypnosis. Jacobs also pointed out that some abductees' accounts are confused with sexual abuse or past lives. He admitted that "abduction researchers have become vulnerable to charges that abductions are the result of False Memory Syndrome, and/or hypnotically suggested remembrances."

During a question-and-answer session, Dr. Fred E. Frankel, a Harvard psychiatrist with extensive experience in clinical hypnosis, questioned Jacobs about his technique and whether it had been published in a peer-reviewed journal. Frankel suggested that it would be more appropriate to publish in journals read by hypnosis professionals rather than those focused solely on UFOs. Jacobs countered that UFO-focused individuals are the ones doing much of the hypnosis work in this field.

Dr. Frankel later presented a paper challenging the ability of hypnosis to obtain accurate memory recall. He advised abduction researchers to stop using hypnosis, stating, "You can not expect to get the truth from a system that is itself so clouded....Hypnosis is such a confused entity."

Jacobs conceded that "anybody can do hypnosis" but emphasized that asking the right questions requires training. He also discussed the issue of "perceptual alteration" where abductees might recall finding themselves in a small room within a UFO that appeared much larger from the outside.

Jacobs admitted that abductees often confabulate, and hypnotists may inadvertently prompt them to create more information about events that did not happen, calling it a "Mutual Confirmational Fantasy." He criticized the lack of standards in abduction research, leading to people believing in military-aliens collaborations or benevolent ETs due to improper hypnosis techniques. He also acknowledged that "false memories do happen" and that therapists can facilitate these memories, sometimes leading subjects to recall sexual abuse that did not occur.

Despite these admissions, Jacobs rejected the idea that "False Memory Syndrome" could explain all abduction tales. He argued that the timing and nature of UFO abductions, which can occur throughout a person's life, differ from childhood sexual abuse. The newsletter's comment suggests an alternative explanation: that some subjects might fabricate tales for ego gratification or media attention.

Jacobs also claimed that corroboration exists for abduction events, with multiple people being abducted and extraordinary sounds being heard. He suggested that ETs can intentionally implant "screen memories" of disaster scenarios to mask the true nature of abduction events.

Jacobs believes he has "solved the UFO problem" through proper hypnosis techniques. He hinted that the key to the abduction phenomenon lies in the production of hybrid creatures, with abductees reporting interactions involving babies that are a cross between humans and non-humans.

The newsletter raises several questions regarding this hybrid theory, such as why ETs would abduct ordinary individuals, why only babies are reported, and if hybrids could mate with each other. It also questions whether Nordic-type ETs could produce hybrids indistinguishable from Earthlings, posing the speculative question of whether President Clinton could be an ET hybrid.

False Memories of Sexual Abuse

A survey of individuals who retracted accusations of sexual abuse, reported by Dr. Harold Leif, revealed that many spurious memories of childhood sexual abuse arose during psychotherapy, often prompted by direct suggestion from therapists. Approximately 68% of respondents reported that their therapists used hypnosis to recover these memories, and nearly 78% used "age regression." The newsletter notes that roughly 80% of UFO-abduction reports are obtained through hypnosis.

Roswell Incident and Jim Ragsdale's Conflicting Statements

A significant portion of the issue is dedicated to Jim Ragsdale, one of the key "witnesses" from the book "The Truth About The UFO Crash At Roswell." A recently revealed sworn statement from Ragsdale contradicts his earlier statement given to authors Kevin Randle and Don Schmitt. The new statement, dated April 15, 1995, claims the crashed-saucer impact site was 53 miles WEST of Roswell, not 35 miles NORTH as previously reported. This change was reportedly influenced by a contract with "another organization to provide his story for monetary inducements."

Ragsdale's original sworn statement from January 27, 1993, described an incident in July 1947 involving a severe lightning storm, a bright flash, a light source moving southeast, and finding wreckage and bodies near a ravine. He also described a military convoy arriving to secure the area.

However, in his 1995 statement, Ragsdale placed the incident in the "Pine Lodge area, west of Roswell," describing a flash, an object passing through trees, and finding four bodies. He claimed to have collected material in gunny sacks and then heard approaching trucks and heavy equipment.

This new account flatly contradicts Ragsdale's earlier description of a military convoy, including six-by-six Army trucks and a 1947 Ford car, that allegedly cleaned up the site. The newsletter notes that it would have been difficult for a two-wheel drive 1947 Ford to reach the site.

Randle/Schmitt had characterized Ragsdale as their "star witness," and the article in the International UFO Reporter concluded that Ragsdale's affidavit and public accounting made the Roswell case stronger.

However, Randle later stated that Ragsdale had lost all credibility due to his actions, though Randle still believed Ragsdale's original account was true.

Max Littell, whose family-owned company produced Ragsdale's new booklet, included comments from Roswell researchers Stanton Friedman and Karl Pflock. Friedman found Ragsdale believable, while Pflock found the new story plausible in some respects but equally or more suspect in others.

Glenn Dennis, museum vice president, endorsed Ragsdale's veracity, claiming his report of a "ruby red" saucer corroborated his own observation of "purple hue" crash debris.

Forbes Magazine Challenges Ragsdale's Impact Site Claim

A Forbes magazine article by William P. Barrett questioned Ragsdale's veracity and his Pine Lodge impact site. The article highlighted the commercialization of the UFO mystique in Roswell, with multiple museums, competing landing sites, and a growing UFO festival generating significant tourism revenue. Barrett interviewed locals near Ragsdale's claimed impact site, and one resident, Dorothy Epps, called the story "all a hoax."

Other Short Shrift Items

Several other brief items are included:

• An "Alien Autopsy" movie replica was produced by an Argentine company, which later admitted it was a hoax.
• Bogus Pentagon seals were found on the film cans of Santilli's controversial autopsy movie (SCAM).
• The Air Force is preparing another report on the Roswell Incident, with predictions that a "star witness" may be shown to tell "tall tales."
• Walter Haut resigned as President of the Roswell International UFO Museum due to a desire for more leisure time and differences over the museum's commercial activities. Haut was the public information officer who wrote the original press release announcing the recovery of a flying saucer.
• An analysis of abduction transcripts suggests that only 27% of male abductees reported sperm extraction and 28% of females reported ova extraction or embryo insertion, questioning the hybrid creation theory.
• A report on the UFO situation in Germany suggests that subjects involved in alien abduction cases are psychologically disturbed.

Recurring Themes and Editorial Stance

The Skeptics UFO Newsletter, as its name implies, adopts a critical and skeptical stance towards UFO phenomena and the research surrounding it. This issue consistently questions the reliability of evidence presented in the UFO community, particularly concerning the use of hypnosis in abduction research and the veracity of witness accounts, such as Jim Ragsdale's. The newsletter emphasizes the importance of rigorous scientific methodology, peer-reviewed publications, and the potential for psychological factors and commercial interests to influence UFO claims. The editorial stance appears to be one of debunking unsubstantiated claims and promoting a more rational, evidence-based approach to understanding UFO phenomena.