Hello-
I recommend reading Spanos, N.P, Cross, P.A, Dickson, K. & DuBreuil (1993).
Close encounters: An examination of UFO experiences. Journal of Abnormal
Psychology, 102, 624-632. To my knowledge this is the most recent
empirical study of UFO experiences.
Spanos, et al. do a nice job of reviewing the (limited) research that has
been done in this area. In addition, they also examined the two dominant
hypotheses that have been suggested to account for the UFO abduction
phenomenon, assuming, of course, that such experiences aren't real :).
The first hypothesis suggests that individuals who report these
experiences are psychologically disturbed. The second hypothesis suggests
that such individuals are simply fantasy-prone individuals that, under
conditions of strong expectation and confusion, interpret confusing
sensory experiences as a "close encounter".
Their findings, not surprisingly, fail to confirm either hypothesis. UFO
subjects did not differ on various measures of psychopathology with
control subjects. Further, UFO subjects did not differ on various
measures of fantasy-proneness, even those individuals who report intense
UFO experiences (e.g., missing time and communicating directly with
aliens).
Some highlights of their results:
-UFO reporters tend to be white-collar, relatively well-educated
representatives of the middle class.
- "The finding that most clearly differentiated the UFO groups from the
comparison groups was belief in UFOs and in the existence of alien life
forms" (p.629)
- The majority of UFO experiences occur at night and are associated with
sleep. The relatively common experience of sleep paralysis may clearly be
playing a role here.
- Further, intense UFO experiences were more likely reported from those
individuals in the UFO group most fantasy-prone.
In summary, "a rich fantasy life, restricted sensory environments [night
time], and sleep-related imagery of unusual beings [common in
sleep-paralysis] are in and of themselves probably unlikely to produce
believed-in UFO experiences. Also likely to be required is a belief
system that assigns at least some initial credibility to the
extraterrestrial hypothesis" (p.631).
Incidentally, I favor emphasizing the sleep-paralysis and sleep-related
explanation to students. This semester I incorporated this topic into the
sleep/dreaming/levels of consciousness unit and students really seemed to
be fascinated. Of particular interest is the incorporation of lucid
dreaming into the discussion, a similar but emotionally very different
experience of gaining consciousness during sleep.
Good Luck!
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Michael Tagler Department of Psychology Office: 559 Bluemont Hall
1100 Mid Campus Drive Kansas State University Manhattan, KS 66506
### Phone: (785) 532-6850 (msg) ### *** [EMAIL PROTECTED] ***
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Date: Wed, 14 Apr 1999 10:32:22 -0400
From: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
Subject: ALIEN ABDUCTIONS
Message-ID: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
From: NAME: Mark Galway
FUNC: CATT. CO. CAMPUS
TEL: 716-372-1661 EXT 581 <GALWAY, MARK AT A1 AT
JCCV06>
To: IN%"[EMAIL PROTECTED]"@MRGATE@JCCW22
We often hear stories about people being abducted by space aliens,
taken to a flying saucer, probed, inspected and returned.
Assuming that the people making these claims are suffering from
some kind of delusion, I would like to know what kind of delusion -
grandeur, influence or persecution. I kind of lean toward delusion
of influence, but I would like to get some other opinions.
