Many close encounters appear to occur in a type of altered state. This does mean the experience is not real. Some cases involve physical effects, which are later substantiated. Experiencers report physiological effects, which have been confirmed by medical professionals. Most people do not understand the nature of the phenomenon. It has both physical and psychic components.
The skeptics are correct to some degree, regarding the hallucinatory nature of these experiences. A hallucination is the perception of something that is not physically real. Are the objects and entities reported in close encounters real? Yes and no. UFOs are not always physical objects, although they can produce physical effects. They are symbolic representations of something else. I think of them as doorways or windows into an alternate reality. I realize how perplexing this first sounds. How can something be hallucinatory, yet produce physical effects? There could be psychokinetic effects involved, produced by the UAP or the experiencer. The physiological effects could be induced psychosomatically. I do think, in some rare cases, that the hallucinations do find their way into physical reality. That is, the objects and entities establish a physical presence in our three-dimensional world, but only for a short period of time.
One of the most compelling close encounter cases occurred on September 16, 1994, in Ruwa, Zimbabwe. Over sixty children, between six and twelve years of age, claimed they saw an unknown object land near their school. They reported seeing beings around the object, dressed in black. These beings resembled the typical “gray” entity often reported in abduction experiences. The children claimed that these beings communicated with them telepathically. The overall theme of the communication was about the destruction of Earth’s environment. The incident occurred while the children were outside on a morning break, while the teachers were having a meeting indoors. It lasted about fifteen minutes. After the incident, the children went to tell the teachers about what they saw. John Mack interviewed several of the children. One of the children told Mack that the beings came to warn us about global pollution of the planet. Another child was told that the world would end, because we are not taking care of the planet. Recently, some of the children, now adults, were interviewed again. They were, and still are, psychologically affected by the close encounter.
In 1975, a family in Colorado experienced a range of unusual experiences on their ranch. The most interesting encounters involved a Bigfoot type creature. The ranch owner reported having encounters with this creature on several occasions. In one incident, a large, hairy creature ripped through a barbed-wire fence and chased family members into their house. They later found eighteen-inch footprints and tufts of hair on the wire. The hair was later tested by a Denver biologist, but he could not match it with any known species. In another incident, the ranch owner actually shot at and hit this creature. The creature hardly reacted to the gunshot. There was no blood found after the incident. When the owner chased after the creature, he heard a whining sound, and then an electronic beeping noise. In 1977, the owner felt compelled to travel up a hill on his property. He found a yellowish light in the trees. The light was coming from a metallic, box-like device. There was a humming sound. When he approached it, the humming changed to a buzzing sound, like a swarm of angry bees. That same night, he saw another light in the trees and went to investigate. This time he saw two men near the box. He described them as short. They had large eyes and blond hair. They were wearing tight-fitting clothes. There was a flying saucer about sixty feet away. According to the owner, the two strange men demonstrated the danger of getting too close to the box. A Bigfoot creature was also standing near the men. They ordered the creature to pick up the box. After picking the box up, the creature fell to the ground.
Hunt for the Skinwalker, Colm A. Kelleher and George Knapp, page 179-181
I mention the Bigfoot encounter, because there are other reports of this creature being seen in the vicinity of UAP. Some researchers believe that Bigfoot is some unknown, flesh-and-blood creature. Based on some of the reports I have examined, Bigfoot is just another paranormal materialization. Of course, those that believe Bigfoot to be an unknown, Earth-bound species will ask how a psychic projection can leave physical evidence. As I mentioned before, psychic forces can materialize and affect the physical environment. The Colorado case I just mentioned gives us clues as to the true nature of these creatures. After the ranch owner shot the creature, there was no blood. What type of animal does not have blood? A psychic materialization does not need blood to be sustained in physical reality. It is a psychic force, manifested by the unconscious mind or some other nonhuman intelligence. Under certain conditions, a physical materialization can occur. These materializations require energy, either artificially or naturally created. Geophysical forces are one source of energy. These materialized forms could be some type of plasma construction. Why not? Most of the universe is constructed of plasma.
Is there a connection between abduction experiences and out-of-body experiences? Some of the common features of OBEs are: experience was more real than a dream, same environment as physical body, feeling a sense of energy, able to pass through objects, vibrations in the body, perception of time changes, felt presence of other beings. In abduction experiences, people report the experience is more real than a dream. Abductees feel a hazy quality to the environment. They feel that the environment they are taken into is almost identical to the real environment, but there are slight differences. Abductees are often taken through solid walls or windows. They have reported feeling vibrations in their bodies. They might hear a buzzing sound or feel a “tingling sensation” at the base of their skull. During an abduction experience, people report the presence of beings, described as “aliens.” After an abduction experience, abductees report “missing time.” I do not think there is actually any missing time. The perception of time changes in the presence of UAP. In both OBEs and alien abductions, people often report feeling paralyzed. In both types of experience, floating sensations are reported. Telepathic communication is also commonly reported.
It appears that OBEs and alien abduction experiences are very similar. The main difference is, in the OBE there are no reports of aliens. The beings encountered in OBEs are interpreted to be spiritual beings. In some abduction cases, the aliens act like spiritual beings in the guise of aliens. These two types of experiences share too many common attributes to differentiate them into two separate phenomena. They both could have the same cause, which involves the unconscious mind. It could be one phenomenon interpreted in two different ways. One is the context of spirituality, leading to spiritual enlightenment. The other is in the context of alien intervention, leading to the expansion of consciousness.
According to abduction researcher, David Jacobs, aliens sometimes disguise themselves as dead relatives. In one of the cases he investigated, a woman woke up in a hotel room and saw an apparition of her dead brother. He was standing at the foot of her bed. Jacobs performed hypnosis on her to gather more details. Under hypnosis, the apparition took on a different form. She described it as having no clothes, small, with no hair, and large eyes. I am suspicious of this account, because of Jacobs is biased. He already believes aliens are responsible for abductions. Not to mention, Jacobs is not a mental health professional. Using regression therapy could bring up traumatic memories that can cause more harm than good. Should a situation arise where the person does experience severe reactions to a regressed trauma, a qualified mental health professional is better equipped to deal with it, not a history professor. Many abduction researchers seem to believe that the brain stores memories like a video, and regression therapy is a magical tool that can retrieve that video. This is absolute nonsense.
Extraordinary Encounters, Jerome Clark, page 18
The following account shows how a UAP close encounter can affect human personality. This encounter occurred in 1973. Peggy Robert, a Swedish woman, had a close encounter that changed her life. Peggy was driving by car to meet a friend, when she noticed a bright light on the left side of the road. She first thought it was a helicopter, but after it got closer to her she realized it was not a conventional aircraft. It was a flying disk with windows around the brim. Peggy stopped her car to see what the object would do. She studied it for about twenty minutes while sitting in her car. The object made no sound. It was oscillating and bobbing up and down, close to treetop level. She noticed there were beings moving back and forth inside the object. Peggy felt a sense of peace. She was “exalted and happy.” I will remind the reader that UAP encounters often involve the manipulation of emotional states. I think most people would be nervous and afraid if confronted by an object like this. After a few minutes, Peggy resumed her journey. The object disappeared behind the forest. As she got closer to the town where her friend lived, the object reappeared. This time it moved closer, coming within a few feet of her car. After a few minutes, it quickly moved across a lake. After she arrived at her destination, she felt a strong urge to sleep. She was utterly exhausted. When she got into bed, a force entered her body, going from her feet, up her spine and to her head. She felt as if her body was a lump of dough floating over the bed. The force then moved down her spine and out from her feet. She immediately fell asleep.
Peggy’s experience changed her life. Before the encounter, she described herself as a materialist, mostly interested in living the good life. Her experience led her on a journey of self-exploration. She actually traveled to India to meet Sai Baba, an Indian guru, where she found inner peace. After returning to Sweden, she started studying alternative medicine, Reflexology, and Acupressure. She was remembered as being a very loving person. Like some UAP close encounters, Peggy’s experience may have been entirely hallucinatory, but the impact it had on her life was very real.
EsoteriscismandUFOResearch, page 153
In the late 1980’s, the Soviet Union experienced a wave of UAP sightings, some involving landings and entity encounters. Emil Bachurin, a member of the Perm UFO research group, had a close encounter in 1986, while preparing to investigate other sightings in forest area near Perm. Bachurin encountered two humanoids near his home. The beings warned him to stop his research. They had gray eyes, slightly larger than human eyes, and stood about five feet tall. They wore caps and a jacket with a zipper in front. Their hair was short and gray. Bachurin felt a “psychic intensity” from one of the beings. After this incident, poltergeist activity started to occur inside his home. Electrical systems were damaged. Light bulbs had to be replaced several times a day. The transformer on the television burned out, even though it was unplugged at the time. Other strange incidents occurred the same day. A bus he was on broke down. Passengers had to be transferred to another vehicle, but it also broke down. Later that evening, a car rolled down a hill and nearly hit Bachurin. Over the next couple of years, Bachurin and his team would continue to document other strange encounters with UAP and strange entities.
UFO Chronicles of the Soviet Union, Jacques Vallee, page 150
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