RESEARCH DIGEST

Magazine Overview

Title: RESEARCH DIGEST
Issue: 21
Date: April 1991
Publisher: UFO RESEARCH AUSTRALIA
Country: AUSTRALIA
Focus: A preliminary catalogue of Australian and New Zealand abduction and potential abduction cases.

Introduction and Context

The Research Digest, Issue 21, compiled by Keith Basterfield and published by UFO Research Australia, presents a preliminary catalogue of abduction and 'missing time' accounts collected from Australia and New Zealand. The publication aims to provide brief summaries of these events, with the hope of producing a more in-depth document later. The introduction notes an increasing number of Australians reporting such experiences, often characterized as 'bedroom intrusions' occurring at the sleep/awake interface. It highlights that while numerically low, these claims are similar to those reported globally. The digest points to a lack of broad appreciation for the abduction phenomenon among health professionals in Australia, noting only a few individuals and organizations actively investigating, often in collaboration with psychologists. The publication directs readers to several cited works by researchers like Basterfield, Godic, Chalker, and Rodeghier, as well as a piece by Bill Chalker in Australian Penthouse and a review in the Journal of UFO Studies.

Documented Cases

The core of the issue is a catalogue of 43 specific cases, each assigned a number and detailing the date (or approximate date), location, and a summary of the reported event. These cases span from undated accounts in Adelaide to events in 1989 and 1990 across various Australian states and New Zealand.

Key themes and recurring elements in the cases include:

• Missing Time: Many reports involve periods where the individual cannot account for their time.
• Bedroom Intrusions: Several accounts describe entities entering bedrooms, often while the person is falling asleep or waking.
• Physical Examination: A significant number of cases involve being taken aboard a craft and subjected to medical examinations by various types of beings.
• Entity Descriptions: Descriptions of entities vary, including 'men' in silver/white suits, 'small entities', 'Caucasian types', 'tall Adamski type entities', and 'small grey type entities' with specific physical characteristics like large heads, large eyes, and no pupils.
• UFO Sightings: Many cases are preceded or accompanied by sightings of UFOs, often described as disc-shaped or spherical lights.
• Psychic Phenomena: Some individuals report associated psychic experiences such as telepathy, precognitive dreams, out-of-body experiences, lucid dreams, sleep paralysis, and hypnagogic imagery.
• Regression Hypnosis: Regression hypnosis is frequently used as a method to recover memories of these events.

Notable Case Examples:

• 001 (Undated, Adelaide, SA): A man reported multiple abductions, including being wheeled down a corridor and placed on an operating table.
• 003 (Late 1956, Near Hughenden, QLD): A twelve-year-old girl lost consciousness and woke in a room with two men in silver/white suits, later seeing a saucer-shaped object.
• 005 (1964 onwards, QLD): A woman recalled experiences from age three and a half, including entities examining her and later being floated to a spaceship.
• 007 (Sep/Oct 1970, Sydney, NSW): A man investigated a strange light, experienced 'missing time', and had an internal thought about remembering something.
• 008 (1-2 Aug 1971, Gladstone, QLD): A couple experienced a drastically shortened travel time, saw a green light, and their car was covered in an odourless oil.
• 010 (July 1972, Frankston, VIC): Mrs Maureen Puddy reported a UFO sighting and later being mentally abducted into a room with an entity, witnessed by investigators.
• 026 (21 Oct 1978, Bass Strait): The disappearance of Frederick Valentich is mentioned, with abduction by an object being one of the suggestions.
• 039 (16 Jun 1989, Yowah, QLD): Two brothers reported seeing a large disc and smaller objects, with missing time, and regression revealed narratives of a struggle between different types of entities.
• 042 (Lifelong, Adelaide, SA): A woman reported lifelong episodes including abduction from her bedroom by tall and small entities, medical examination, and numerous other psychic phenomena.

Research and Theoretical Work

The publication also touches upon theoretical work being undertaken, mentioning contributions from Bob Bartholomew and Bill Chalker. References are provided for works exploring 'Abduction States of Consciousness' and the 'Fantasy-Prone Hypothesis'.

Future Plans

UFO Research Australia plans to continue documenting these cases, publish in-depth studies, and pursue theoretical aspects of abductions.

Recurring Themes and Editorial Stance

The recurring themes are clearly the abduction phenomenon, missing time, and the associated paranormal and psychic experiences. The editorial stance appears to be one of diligent cataloguing and investigation of these reported events, acknowledging their similarity to international cases while focusing on the Australian and New Zealand context. The publication aims to provide a resource for further research and understanding of these complex phenomena.