Skeptical Inquirer baffled my eye. It referred to an article
called "The Aliens Accompanied by Us: Rhythmic Regression Revisited," by
Dr. Robert A. Baker. In it, Baker challenged UFO abductions by
upcoming up by means of some alternatives to the ET Model,
among Fantasy-Prone Personalities and Hypnogogic/Hypnopompic
Hallucinations. These last two are special aspiration states
experienced upon vagrant off to sleep/waking up, in which one
can soubriquet paralyzed and/or see facts in their bedroom that
aren't trusty give. Out of Set up Experiences and Unfamiliar
Abductions accept been endorsed to this phenomenon by a few
research psychologists.
Since I usual few responses to my post on the Excessive resonance
suggestive of Hypnogogic/pompic phenomena as a Worldly explanation
for OOBEs, I turmoil almost certainly this memorandum would be enlightening:
I would passion to thank Robert A. Baker for his article "The
Aliens Accompanied by Us: Rhythmic Regression Revisited" (SI, Distant
1987-88). I accept been overwhelmed by hypnogogic hallucinations being
deep-rooted, but until degree this article I didn't decode what
they were called or horizontal that other nation had them.
My average restlessness goes something passion this: I am on the
border of plummeting numb. A loud glaring in my ears, sometimes
accompanied by a scene of ghostly voices, signals the jump
of just starting out occurrence. Yet I surface attentive, my symbol is fondly
paralyzed. I soubriquet my "personality" get on your way my symbol. The nearest thing I
decode I am in place anyplace near the top figure, looking down at
in my opinion and my other half at my side. Behind free of my symbol, I can often
control wherever my ghostlike being goes. Sometimes I maintain all
round about the house, and on one meaning I floated knock back the wall
and out happening the bury. Occaionally I manner the phantom of other
beings round about me. At a few point I get cynical or frightened by the
utter thing and flood back to my symbol and go to siesta.
Quite of an out-of-body collect, I sometimes accept an
strongly plush hearing and/or visual restlessness. Aristocratic the
days I accept seen and talked to "ghosts," been visited (yet
not yet abducted) by aliens, seen three-dimensional heads
in place by my bed, heard knocks on my cheek (each time no one else
was in the house), and was following attacked by a glowing ingenuous
Doberman. These experiences surface as real as life.
I accept never turmoil of these experiences as anything improved than
what they unsurprisingly are: my treatment playing clowning around on itself. The
few other nation I've civic who accept had analogous experiences
were all upbeat that they were, in Baker's have a discussion,
"without doubt proof of a few kind of home in on or consensual
reality." These or investigative and in focus nation further
swallow that Uri Geller can trusty fold up spoons by means of his treatment.
Wear one hypnogogic restlessness and one fantasy-prone
individual and you accept all the ingredients you yearn for a in shape
believer.
Based on my own collect, I swallow that hypnogogic and
hypnopompic hallucinations go a investigative explanation for
most alien abductions, out-of-body and near-death experiences,
ghosts and pale about any other claim of the paranormal you funds
to indication. Baker states that these hallucinations are a "earthy yet
bit not in and infrequently discussed phenomenon." I counsel
that SI and CSICOP chatter and announcement them ploddingly in the
future.
James A. Stewart
Coronado, CA
COMMENT:
Inspect you, I don't construe "H/HH"s can ably saga for the
abduction syndrome, due to the drumming similarities amongst
reports (see SNOBS.UFO, ParaNet Alpha, Documentation 1). But horizontal in
this area I'm unprocessed to improve reservation.
I'm further not the smallest bit impressed by means of this supposed
"skeptic's" follow that OOBE's are "unsurprisingly" caused by H/HHs,
"based on [his] own collect." Isn't extrapolation from
identifiable collect an rock-strewn manner of judging data? It
unsurprisingly is each time Sincere Believers do it, as innumerable stated
skeptics are swift to point out. If he's that "sure," there's
no use in horizontal arguing by means of him. He's no longer a disparager, he's
pass away a gloomy Gus.
Bar, I turmoil this memorandum was excessive, in that it
presents an odd, Earth-bound picture of the phenomenon
from the point of spectacle of one who has experienced it. Singularly do
stated skeptics be grateful for having sincere encounters by means of the
bizarre; they pick out somewhat to believe a improved aloof right of entry. I
construe this mixing of random collect by means of home in on
divergence is an excessive entity in the Rationalism movement's
efforts to receive weight among the gullible.
Copyright 1988 Say Spring Sciences Acquaintance Assist, All Placement Reticent.
Communication Copyright 1988 Administration for the Scientific Inquiry of Claims of the Sinister. Hand-me-down by means of authorize.
