UFO Potpourri No 379

Magazine Overview

Title: UFO POTPOURRI
Issue: no. 379
Date: October 1993
Headline: DREAMS OR REAL?

This issue of UFO Potpourri tackles the contentious debate surrounding UFO abductions, exploring the polarization between researchers who believe abductions are real and those who attribute them to dreams or sleep paralysis. The publication presents insights from various sources, including an article by Sanjida O'Connell of the Vancouver SUN and commentary from academics like Professor Donald Symons and Professor Jim Horne.

Dreams vs. Reality: The Abduction Debate

The central theme is the ambiguity between genuine UFO abduction experiences and the subjective reality of dreams or sleep paralysis. The article notes that while some researchers have concluded abductions are real after working with victims, others, relying on professional knowledge, argue they are psychological phenomena. Neither side has definitively proven their case.

Insights on Dreams and Consciousness

Michel de Montaigne's paradoxical notion, "We are awake while sleeping," is introduced, highlighting the need for vigilance even during sleep, a trait important for ancestral survival and still relevant for emergencies. Professor Donald Symons of the University of California, Santa Barbara, explains that dreams are designed not to interfere with this vigilance. He posits that dreams primarily engage vision and movement sensations, while other senses remain active in monitoring the environment for danger. Symons likens dreams to a "TV in the mind with the sound turned down." During REM sleep, associated with dreaming, muscles are temporarily paralyzed, and eyes are closed, rendering individuals effectively blind and immobile. Sensations like temperature, taste, smell, and touch are largely absent from dreams, though the sensation of touch can be conjured in the brain. The absence of pain in dreams is noted, with the adage "pinch yourself" offered as a test for wakefulness.

Symons humorously points out that a mammal hallucinating pain would either have its sleep interrupted or risk becoming prey.

The issue also touches upon the purpose of dreams, noting that religious explanations were once common, followed by Freudian theories of wish-fulfillment. Today, science offers a more prosaic interpretation. Professor Jim Horne, director of Loughborough University's sleep research laboratories, suggests that "Far too much has been attributed to dreaming." Research since the 1950s has focused more on the physiological aspects of dreams. While early research suggested dreams aided memory, it was found that patients on REM-suppressing anti-depressant drugs did not suffer memory loss. Horne argues that dreams are a substitute for brain stimulation, functioning as a "cinema of the mind."

Investigating Abduction Cases

Approximately fifteen years prior to the publication, the Houston-based VISIT group examined abduction cases for evidence of technology. They identified two categories: one with significant technological evidence, and another lacking sensory data like odor or noises, suggesting the latter might be akin to dreaming. To address this, the group developed a detailed set of questions to help researchers differentiate between actual experiences and dreams in future cases, aiming for more consistent data collection.

Very Small Transmitter

Separately, the issue mentions a technological development: a very small transmitter. G. Conway shared an article from the Vancouver PROVINCE (October 30, 1993) describing a tracking transmitter developed by scientists at Konstanz University in Germany. This device, weighing just 0.4 grams, can be attached to a locust and record the insect's wing beats. Previously, locust movements were only observed in wind tunnels, suggesting this technology offers new possibilities for observation.

Recurring Themes and Editorial Stance

The recurring theme is the critical examination of extraordinary claims, particularly UFO abductions, through scientific and psychological lenses. The publication seems to favor a skeptical yet open-minded approach, presenting different viewpoints and encouraging rigorous research methodologies to distinguish between subjective experiences and objective reality. The editorial stance appears to be one of inquiry, seeking to clarify phenomena that are often shrouded in mystery and debate.