Just been re-reading a book by English researcher Jenny Randles, after digesting more of the posts on out-of-body experiences:
http://anomalies-australiancomments.blogspot.com
The book is "The complete book of aliens and abductions." Piatkus. London. 2000.
On page 40 Jenny writes about the October 1974 Aveley, Essex, England case. "The witnesses told under hypnosis of how the car was stopped in the mist and they were then 'beamed' into a UFO. They could see their own physical bodies back in the car, as their 'other selves' wandered about the UFO."
Later, (page 41) Jenny commented "The second phase of this abduction memory is far more like an out-of-body experience than a ride in a spacecraft."
Here, we have an episode where the individuals involved described viewing from a location that was not coincident with their physical bodies, and of seeing their own physical bodies. A classic OBE perspective. Given the latest scientific research on OBEs and its apparent brain generated origin, what then does this say of this abduction?
I read further into Jenny's book looking for other examples. On page 49 there is a description of events at Lindholman, Sweden from 24 March 1974. A voice in a man's mind told him to walk across a road, when there was a blinding flash of light and the man fell to the ground. Later, when regressed "...as the light beam struck, he had begun to float upwards as if in an out-of-body state..." Then followed shades of Albert Budden's work (see previous posts), the witness "...seemed hypercharged with electricity for days after the encounter...When he went near electrical equipment it stopped working properly." Interestingly, a witness was found to some of the event. This person related seeing "...a light beam fall to the ground..." but did not see the witness abducted by a UFO.
On page 82. In 1963 Olaf Neilsen was walking in woods "...when he was struck by a swirling sensation that made him dizzy. He floated upwards and could see a hovering object. His next memory is of being inside a room on a couchlike bed with an entity of human size and appearance nearby."
Did anyone conduct a medical examination of Olaf? Was there some sort of medical seizure which precipitated the floating sensation?
Interesting that the shift from normal perception to OBE perception almost always happens in an instant with the OBE percipient unaware of how the change happened. Recall, that in alien abductions the transition from bed to strange room or car to strange room seems to happen in an instant. Could this simply be the transition from external to internal brain mode?
Reading on, to page 143 where Jenny reminds of of her "Oz factor." "In case after case we hear witnesses describe the 'Oz factor.' They tell of all environmental sounds fading, time stretching out and a sort of inward tuning of consciousness where the external world temporarily disappears."
This switch from being aware of external factors to focussing inwardly, is an important clue. Does it indicate the event was internally brain generated?
Finally, on page 144, talking of consciousness researcher Lilly. "By 1964, Lilly was regularly able to slip into the "Oz factor." This was marked by the sensation of floating out of his body. Many abduction stories start with this claim by the witness."
Well now. Isn't this telling? Start with the latest scientific OBE research, and go back through some of the UFO abduction literature and I start seeing it all from a new perspective - that of a brain generated event. Happy reading!
Saturday, October 31, 2009
Tuesday, October 27, 2009
Alien hand syndrome
An individual who has the medical condition termed "alien hand syndrome" believes that their physically real and existing hand, does not belong to them. Their hand can apparently perform all on its own volition.
Contrast this with an individual who suffers from phantom limb pain of the hand. An amputee with a missing hand feels sensations from a missing limb, as if the limb were still physically present.
With the recent findings of neuroscience, relating to out-of-body experiences and the sense of self (see Keith Basterfield's excellent blog at:http://anomalies-australiancomments.blogspot.com )
both 'alien hand syndrome' and 'phantom limb pain' can be seen as bodily-self image issues. With 'alien hand syndrome' your brain is telling one hand of yours that it does not belong to you, i.e. does not form part of your body self image; with phantom limb pain of a hand, your brain continues to tell you your hand is still there - still part of your body self image.
An extension of this concept occurred to me while I was reading the latest OBE scientific literature. It may explain why some UFO abductees and contactees speak of their belief that they are not human. They talk of the sense that they do not belong, and in fact must therefore be of extraterrestrial origin.
Could this feeling of being 'alien' indicate that the bodily self image within the brains of these individuals has been totally distorted? They would then not feel the sense of 'self' which other people do?
It would certainly be a much more mundane explanation than that they are really from out there.
Contrast this with an individual who suffers from phantom limb pain of the hand. An amputee with a missing hand feels sensations from a missing limb, as if the limb were still physically present.
With the recent findings of neuroscience, relating to out-of-body experiences and the sense of self (see Keith Basterfield's excellent blog at:http://anomalies-australiancomments.blogspot.com )
both 'alien hand syndrome' and 'phantom limb pain' can be seen as bodily-self image issues. With 'alien hand syndrome' your brain is telling one hand of yours that it does not belong to you, i.e. does not form part of your body self image; with phantom limb pain of a hand, your brain continues to tell you your hand is still there - still part of your body self image.
An extension of this concept occurred to me while I was reading the latest OBE scientific literature. It may explain why some UFO abductees and contactees speak of their belief that they are not human. They talk of the sense that they do not belong, and in fact must therefore be of extraterrestrial origin.
Could this feeling of being 'alien' indicate that the bodily self image within the brains of these individuals has been totally distorted? They would then not feel the sense of 'self' which other people do?
It would certainly be a much more mundane explanation than that they are really from out there.
Saturday, October 24, 2009
OBEs and abductions
Just been looking at the current work of Keith Basterfield. He has a blog reporting on the topic of out-of-body experiences. Over the last few years there has been some significant scientific work on OBEs, which bears relevance to the topic of our interests. Go to:http://anomalies-australiancomments.blogspot.com
Thursday, October 22, 2009
A sense of presence!
In a previous post on 'infrasound' there was a mention of a "sense of presence" of "being watched." This sense of 'someone' or 'something' observing you is a well known aspect of the paranormal in general, and alien abductions in particular.
The other day, while trawling the web, I came across an article from the online COSMOS magazine dated 25 September 2006 titled "Scientists discover 'shadow person.'
The story reported on a 22 year old female, under evaluation for epilepsy. When her left temoroparietal junction of her brain was electrically stimulated she told of seeing a 'shadow person' which mimicked her own bodily movements.
She had a sense that there was another person present, which she described as young, of indeterminate gender, who did not speak or move.
The researchers involved, including one Olaf Blanke from University Hospital, Geneva, Switzerland, believed that the woman was experiencing a perception of her own body.
"The temporoparietal junction is known to be involved in creating the concept of 'self' and the distinction between 'self' and 'other.'
I recall reading of similar observations from abductees, where they would report feeling an invisible 'sense of the presence of someone or something else' watching them.
The research reported in the COSMOS article may be the start of an understanding that there may not be a 'real' alien presence there. It might well be the creation of a "Shadow person' within the mind of the abductee.
Have any readers come across similar research material?
The other day, while trawling the web, I came across an article from the online COSMOS magazine dated 25 September 2006 titled "Scientists discover 'shadow person.'
The story reported on a 22 year old female, under evaluation for epilepsy. When her left temoroparietal junction of her brain was electrically stimulated she told of seeing a 'shadow person' which mimicked her own bodily movements.
She had a sense that there was another person present, which she described as young, of indeterminate gender, who did not speak or move.
The researchers involved, including one Olaf Blanke from University Hospital, Geneva, Switzerland, believed that the woman was experiencing a perception of her own body.
"The temporoparietal junction is known to be involved in creating the concept of 'self' and the distinction between 'self' and 'other.'
I recall reading of similar observations from abductees, where they would report feeling an invisible 'sense of the presence of someone or something else' watching them.
The research reported in the COSMOS article may be the start of an understanding that there may not be a 'real' alien presence there. It might well be the creation of a "Shadow person' within the mind of the abductee.
Have any readers come across similar research material?
Sunday, October 18, 2009
What to make of Budden's hypothesis?
It is still Sunday, so I have had plenty of time today to think just what to make of Budden's ideas.
1. There certainly needs to be more research conducted on this topic.
2. Science as whole, has not yet given sufficient resources to looking at the potential explanations for abduction experiences, although some promising work has occurred in the area of the relevance of sleep paralysis to these experiences.
3. Budden's focus on why certain individuals report these experiences and not others is important. Budden has documented a raft of things which these individuals have happen in their lives, including apparent exposure to electromagnetic hot spots. I think this question of why some and not others is the key issue to pursue. We need to more closely analyse what can be found out about these individuals. A previous post spoke of the 2008 journal article looking at 19 UK abductees, and what made them different.
4. I don't think Budden has sufficient evidence to support his claim that the unconscious is able to "...provide the effects of an advanced,magical technology." However, we do know that " sense of presence" which features in so many abduction accounts can be felt by some people under certain circumstances, and some scientific research suggest that this sense is of mental origin and not physical origin, eg. see my previous post about infrasound.
PS Take a look at:http://www.p-e-g.co.uk/Web/Articles/ARTICLESArticle12.htm
1. There certainly needs to be more research conducted on this topic.
2. Science as whole, has not yet given sufficient resources to looking at the potential explanations for abduction experiences, although some promising work has occurred in the area of the relevance of sleep paralysis to these experiences.
3. Budden's focus on why certain individuals report these experiences and not others is important. Budden has documented a raft of things which these individuals have happen in their lives, including apparent exposure to electromagnetic hot spots. I think this question of why some and not others is the key issue to pursue. We need to more closely analyse what can be found out about these individuals. A previous post spoke of the 2008 journal article looking at 19 UK abductees, and what made them different.
4. I don't think Budden has sufficient evidence to support his claim that the unconscious is able to "...provide the effects of an advanced,magical technology." However, we do know that " sense of presence" which features in so many abduction accounts can be felt by some people under certain circumstances, and some scientific research suggest that this sense is of mental origin and not physical origin, eg. see my previous post about infrasound.
PS Take a look at:http://www.p-e-g.co.uk/Web/Articles/ARTICLESArticle12.htm
Psychic close encounters - 4
Budden continued...
"...the central principles of the ESH, namely that the human unconscious, in response to specific field exposure that produces altered states of consciousness, can present dramatically 'staged' perceptions of interactions with 'aliens' and their spacecraft..." p217.
His hypothesis as set out in this book is tested against a range of both personally investigated cases, or detailed case studies from other investigators.
So, let me see if I have the hypothesis:
(1) People saturated with electromagnetic fields
(2) Living in electromagnetic hot spots
(3) Generate alien abduction and contact experiences
(4) As a result of interaction between the physiology of the ES individuals and EM fields
(5) by means of altered states of consciousness
)6) whereby the unconscious mind presents the person with a 'staged' perception
(7) The material for this staged perception is "The 'spacecraft' images that the 'picture library' contains are derived partly from the mass media..."p35.
As with the second book I reviewed previously I like the fact that Budden uses first hand investigations to test his hypothesis.
Finally, now that I have read both of Budden's books I can think about what he wrote and quietly digest the material.
"...the central principles of the ESH, namely that the human unconscious, in response to specific field exposure that produces altered states of consciousness, can present dramatically 'staged' perceptions of interactions with 'aliens' and their spacecraft..." p217.
His hypothesis as set out in this book is tested against a range of both personally investigated cases, or detailed case studies from other investigators.
So, let me see if I have the hypothesis:
(1) People saturated with electromagnetic fields
(2) Living in electromagnetic hot spots
(3) Generate alien abduction and contact experiences
(4) As a result of interaction between the physiology of the ES individuals and EM fields
(5) by means of altered states of consciousness
)6) whereby the unconscious mind presents the person with a 'staged' perception
(7) The material for this staged perception is "The 'spacecraft' images that the 'picture library' contains are derived partly from the mass media..."p35.
As with the second book I reviewed previously I like the fact that Budden uses first hand investigations to test his hypothesis.
Finally, now that I have read both of Budden's books I can think about what he wrote and quietly digest the material.
Psychic close encounters - 3
More on Budden...
"Individuals who have been subjected to prolonged exposure to electromagnetic or electrical fields eventually become 'overloaded' and actually emit fields of some coherent intensity themselves." p80.
"More importantly, however, these electrically sensitive (ES) people are chemically allergic to these emissions once the condition has been induced." p80.
"We can see from the list of symptoms caused by ES that subjects can become zombie-like and slip into a blank, day-dream-like state." p 103. Missing time or abductee.
"Another overlapping aspect between poltergeist phenomena and UFO/alien-theme encounters is that of pre-event sensation." p118. "These symptoms are a response to field exposure..."p119.
"It is clear from the author's own investigations that alien abduction and contact experiences take place in such electromagnetic hot spots and they are the product of the interaction of the physiological system of ES individuals with such prolonged irradiation." p135.
"It would appear that CE witnesses become disassociated during a 'time-lapse."p166.
They could still function, e.g. drive, but at some time experience "...an internal drama involving aliens and a medical examination." p166.
"Individuals who have been subjected to prolonged exposure to electromagnetic or electrical fields eventually become 'overloaded' and actually emit fields of some coherent intensity themselves." p80.
"More importantly, however, these electrically sensitive (ES) people are chemically allergic to these emissions once the condition has been induced." p80.
"We can see from the list of symptoms caused by ES that subjects can become zombie-like and slip into a blank, day-dream-like state." p 103. Missing time or abductee.
"Another overlapping aspect between poltergeist phenomena and UFO/alien-theme encounters is that of pre-event sensation." p118. "These symptoms are a response to field exposure..."p119.
"It is clear from the author's own investigations that alien abduction and contact experiences take place in such electromagnetic hot spots and they are the product of the interaction of the physiological system of ES individuals with such prolonged irradiation." p135.
"It would appear that CE witnesses become disassociated during a 'time-lapse."p166.
They could still function, e.g. drive, but at some time experience "...an internal drama involving aliens and a medical examination." p166.
Psychic close encounters -2
Sunday once more! Time to write up more from Budden's first book.
Speaking of artificial EM radiation -from TV transmitters ets. "It is evident that these electromagnetic fields register in the human body and are then represented by it as hallucinatory or apparitional phenomena, including UFOs and aliens."
"The ESH argues that the unconscious frequently responds to these fields during altered states, and presents perceptions and/or realities that are dramatic representations of interactions with aliens and their technology; the pur[poses of which it to establish an acceptance of the unconscious in society." p 24.
Why the 'unconscious"?
"It is in touch with the inner store imagery, experiences and beliefs of the individual..."p29. "The unconscious in any one indivdual scans the immediate environment around it on a more or less permanent basis, and when it detects such an energy, it uses it to create an apparition, vision or CE experience." p 29.
"It would seem, then, that when houses or buildings are saturated with ambient electrical fields, poltergeists occur; and when wider areas in the landscape are electromganetically affected, UFO encounters occur." p76.
Speaking of artificial EM radiation -from TV transmitters ets. "It is evident that these electromagnetic fields register in the human body and are then represented by it as hallucinatory or apparitional phenomena, including UFOs and aliens."
"The ESH argues that the unconscious frequently responds to these fields during altered states, and presents perceptions and/or realities that are dramatic representations of interactions with aliens and their technology; the pur[poses of which it to establish an acceptance of the unconscious in society." p 24.
Why the 'unconscious"?
"It is in touch with the inner store imagery, experiences and beliefs of the individual..."p29. "The unconscious in any one indivdual scans the immediate environment around it on a more or less permanent basis, and when it detects such an energy, it uses it to create an apparition, vision or CE experience." p 29.
"It would seem, then, that when houses or buildings are saturated with ambient electrical fields, poltergeists occur; and when wider areas in the landscape are electromganetically affected, UFO encounters occur." p76.
Thursday, October 15, 2009
Psychic close encounters - 1
Had a good few last days reading "UFOs-Psychic close encounters" by Albert Budden. Published by Blandford, London in 1995.
His hypothesis "...that the UFO close-encounter (CE) experience consists of dramatically staged events produced by the human mind in altered states of consciousness." p14.
"To be more exact, my approach states that it is the activity of the human consciousness in combination with a variety of natural and artificial energies that produces staged reality identified as the CE experience...It is the unconscious-or more descriptively, the unconscious intelligence (UI) - that utilises its reality-defying abilities, including psychokinesis or 'mind over matter' to produce the effects of an advanced, magical technology in these 'staged productions', its motivating purpose being to establish and maintain an external social identity." p 15
"The ability of the unconscious to manipulate the perception and, therefore, the reality of the witness, is facilitated by its interaction with electromagnetic radiation. " p17.
"The radical mistake that many researchers make is to fail to identify such CE experieces as two (at least) distinct sections,the confrontation with the UAP and the subsequent encounter experience." p18. Here a UAP is an unidentified atmospheric phenomenon.
His hypothesis "...that the UFO close-encounter (CE) experience consists of dramatically staged events produced by the human mind in altered states of consciousness." p14.
"To be more exact, my approach states that it is the activity of the human consciousness in combination with a variety of natural and artificial energies that produces staged reality identified as the CE experience...It is the unconscious-or more descriptively, the unconscious intelligence (UI) - that utilises its reality-defying abilities, including psychokinesis or 'mind over matter' to produce the effects of an advanced, magical technology in these 'staged productions', its motivating purpose being to establish and maintain an external social identity." p 15
"The ability of the unconscious to manipulate the perception and, therefore, the reality of the witness, is facilitated by its interaction with electromagnetic radiation. " p17.
"The radical mistake that many researchers make is to fail to identify such CE experieces as two (at least) distinct sections,the confrontation with the UAP and the subsequent encounter experience." p18. Here a UAP is an unidentified atmospheric phenomenon.
Sunday, October 11, 2009
Socorro saucer
Don't you love Sundays?
Time away from the job. Time to browse the net for items of interest. Time for emails to others to discuss and debate the topic of your heart's desire!
I keep my eye on two blogs at the moment. These are:http://www.ufomystic.com
and:http://www.drdavidclarke.blogspot.com
A ufomystic item caught my eye this week, concerning the classic 1964 Socorro, New Mexico, UFO and occupants report. Long regarded as a classic, and if my memory serves me correctly, one of the few US cases even Project Bluebook thought might be genuine. Click here.
Time away from the job. Time to browse the net for items of interest. Time for emails to others to discuss and debate the topic of your heart's desire!
I keep my eye on two blogs at the moment. These are:http://www.ufomystic.com
and:http://www.drdavidclarke.blogspot.com
A ufomystic item caught my eye this week, concerning the classic 1964 Socorro, New Mexico, UFO and occupants report. Long regarded as a classic, and if my memory serves me correctly, one of the few US cases even Project Bluebook thought might be genuine. Click here.
Saturday, October 10, 2009
Synchronicity
Well, well now! In the last post about Albert Budden's second book, I mentioned thatI would now like to read his first book, "UFOs-Psychic close encounters."
I was in the library yesterday and found this first book! Coincidence?
I will make some time over the next week to read this work, and post about it.
I was in the library yesterday and found this first book! Coincidence?
I will make some time over the next week to read this work, and post about it.
Thursday, October 8, 2009
Electric UFOs
I love this time of the year when the nights are cold and you can rug up, sit down and read a book which challenges your mind!
This past week's book was "Electric UFOs: Fireballs, electromagnetics and abnormal states" authored by Albert Budden, and published in 1998 by Blandford. ISBN 071 372 7306, courtesy of my local library.
Budden's central hypothesis is "...that alien abduction experiences are induced through prolonged exposure to EM fields in hot-spot locations." p41.
"In the course of my investigations over the past 4 years I have discovered that contactees, or 'abductees' as they have come to be known, have developed an environmental sensitivity syndrome which includes food allergies, chemical sensitivities, electromagnetic hypersensitivity...and symptoms of epileptiform conditions, their subsequent hallucinatory/visionary experiences being a symptom of this syndrome." p19.
MEE -a major electrical event- is one where a person is close to a lightning strike or is electrocuted and survives etc. EH - electromagnetic hypersensitivity - is enhanced in such individuals who have had an MEE. Individuals thus affected are sensitive to general environmental stimuli and begin to report psychic effects. Exposure to fields from EM sources can cause hallucinations/visions. pp21-22.
"It is suggested that the electrically produced fields from transmitters in the environment can carry allergic reactions to the body, which responds by producing hallucinatory experiences involving imagery of aliens...In my previous book...I suggested that, because parts of the brain are repeatedly stimulated the gray as a consistent type of entity is hallucinated." p105.
"Perhaps now we can begin to appreciate the elements which combine to induce the alien-abduction experience as a consistent set of perceptual events. The EH body apprehends the incoming fields as intrusive and alien to its system, especially if they are 'tagged' with an allergic response relayed from allergenic foods and/or chemicals; the resulting visions are driven by these field producing sensations both by direct stimulation of the body via induced body currents and through triggering focal seizures in the brain itself. This mixing and matching induces visual hallucinations." p111.
"However, it must be stated that the precise trigger for alien-abduction experiences per se, as opposed to any other depictions of formed figures, is unclear." p117.
"It is ironic that psychical researchers do not investigate cases in which the percipient encounters aliens, and ufologists do not consider the incidence of ghosts as being within their area of study..." p198.
"The approach presented could be usefully described as a 'unified theory' because it provides commonalities which link UFO/alien encounter experiences, ghosts and poltergeists." p199.
"'Abductees' have allergies, chemical sensitivities, EH and epileptiform symptoms, and I have yet to find one who has not experienced the sense of presence on an episodic basis...Also associated with 'abductees' or 'visitations' as a well-defined cluster of health effects..." p 200
I found the way he lays out his hypothesis made it a little difficult to understand at first glance. I think he is saying:
* An individual
* In an electromagnetic hot spot
*Is exposed to long term to electromagentic fields and becomes electromagentially hypersensitive to these fields. This EH is enhanced in some indivduals who have been in close proximity to lightning strike, ball lighting, suffered major electrocution p21
* This causes allergenic reactions to the individual's body
*Producing hallucinatory experiences. "...perceiving images...from their own unconscious image bank." p 22.
* These are due to induced body currents and triggering focal seizures in the brain
*Some of these hallucinations take the form of alien-abduction experiences. "EM-field-stimulated somatic sensations induce the recurring visionary depiction of an intrusive bodily examination by alien forms..."p24.
What I love about this work, is that the author conducted field investigations; spoke first hand to abductees; took the time to ask heaps of questions not normally asked by the standard UFO researcher; then took a look at the data; came up with what to him is a coherent systematic hypothesis; tested it and found that, in his opionion; it provided a big picture explanation for the data. This is the true scientific method, and Budden is to be congratulated for being bold enough to put this hypothesis out there.
There is much here that I find fault with; however, there seem to be kernels of truth which have been lost to the average UFOlogist. I need some time to digest what I have read and then will come back to it in a future post.
If you haven't read this book, you should. It will get you thinking. Go to your local library and get them to track down a copy for you. I now need to read Budden's previous book "UFOs-Psychic close encounters" published in 1995.
This past week's book was "Electric UFOs: Fireballs, electromagnetics and abnormal states" authored by Albert Budden, and published in 1998 by Blandford. ISBN 071 372 7306, courtesy of my local library.
Budden's central hypothesis is "...that alien abduction experiences are induced through prolonged exposure to EM fields in hot-spot locations." p41.
"In the course of my investigations over the past 4 years I have discovered that contactees, or 'abductees' as they have come to be known, have developed an environmental sensitivity syndrome which includes food allergies, chemical sensitivities, electromagnetic hypersensitivity...and symptoms of epileptiform conditions, their subsequent hallucinatory/visionary experiences being a symptom of this syndrome." p19.
MEE -a major electrical event- is one where a person is close to a lightning strike or is electrocuted and survives etc. EH - electromagnetic hypersensitivity - is enhanced in such individuals who have had an MEE. Individuals thus affected are sensitive to general environmental stimuli and begin to report psychic effects. Exposure to fields from EM sources can cause hallucinations/visions. pp21-22.
"It is suggested that the electrically produced fields from transmitters in the environment can carry allergic reactions to the body, which responds by producing hallucinatory experiences involving imagery of aliens...In my previous book...I suggested that, because parts of the brain are repeatedly stimulated the gray as a consistent type of entity is hallucinated." p105.
"Perhaps now we can begin to appreciate the elements which combine to induce the alien-abduction experience as a consistent set of perceptual events. The EH body apprehends the incoming fields as intrusive and alien to its system, especially if they are 'tagged' with an allergic response relayed from allergenic foods and/or chemicals; the resulting visions are driven by these field producing sensations both by direct stimulation of the body via induced body currents and through triggering focal seizures in the brain itself. This mixing and matching induces visual hallucinations." p111.
"However, it must be stated that the precise trigger for alien-abduction experiences per se, as opposed to any other depictions of formed figures, is unclear." p117.
"It is ironic that psychical researchers do not investigate cases in which the percipient encounters aliens, and ufologists do not consider the incidence of ghosts as being within their area of study..." p198.
"The approach presented could be usefully described as a 'unified theory' because it provides commonalities which link UFO/alien encounter experiences, ghosts and poltergeists." p199.
"'Abductees' have allergies, chemical sensitivities, EH and epileptiform symptoms, and I have yet to find one who has not experienced the sense of presence on an episodic basis...Also associated with 'abductees' or 'visitations' as a well-defined cluster of health effects..." p 200
I found the way he lays out his hypothesis made it a little difficult to understand at first glance. I think he is saying:
* An individual
* In an electromagnetic hot spot
*Is exposed to long term to electromagentic fields and becomes electromagentially hypersensitive to these fields. This EH is enhanced in some indivduals who have been in close proximity to lightning strike, ball lighting, suffered major electrocution p21
* This causes allergenic reactions to the individual's body
*Producing hallucinatory experiences. "...perceiving images...from their own unconscious image bank." p 22.
* These are due to induced body currents and triggering focal seizures in the brain
*Some of these hallucinations take the form of alien-abduction experiences. "EM-field-stimulated somatic sensations induce the recurring visionary depiction of an intrusive bodily examination by alien forms..."p24.
What I love about this work, is that the author conducted field investigations; spoke first hand to abductees; took the time to ask heaps of questions not normally asked by the standard UFO researcher; then took a look at the data; came up with what to him is a coherent systematic hypothesis; tested it and found that, in his opionion; it provided a big picture explanation for the data. This is the true scientific method, and Budden is to be congratulated for being bold enough to put this hypothesis out there.
There is much here that I find fault with; however, there seem to be kernels of truth which have been lost to the average UFOlogist. I need some time to digest what I have read and then will come back to it in a future post.
If you haven't read this book, you should. It will get you thinking. Go to your local library and get them to track down a copy for you. I now need to read Budden's previous book "UFOs-Psychic close encounters" published in 1995.
Sunday, October 4, 2009
Infrasound
Hi
I've been doing some reading about infrasound (see my earlier post). A good link is: http://www.answers.com/topic/infrasound
Of particular interest is the statement "Infrasound has been known to cause feelings of awe or fear in humans [16] [17] since it is not consciously perceived, it can make people feel vaguely that supernatural events are taking place."
Reference 16 is John D Cody. Infrasound. Bordeland Science Research Foundation. See: http://www.borderlands.com/newstuuff/research/infra.htm
Reference 17 is V Tandy & T Lawrence 'The ghost in the machine.' Journal of the Society for Psychical research number 62, pp360-364. 1998. You can read the full text of this article by registering at the Library of Exploratory Science at: http://www.lexscien.org/lexscien/index.jsp
This will allow you to read abstracts of any issue of the Journal of the Society for Psychical research. Then you can get a free 7 day access to the full text of any article, which will allow you to read the full text.
I've been doing some reading about infrasound (see my earlier post). A good link is: http://www.answers.com/topic/infrasound
Of particular interest is the statement "Infrasound has been known to cause feelings of awe or fear in humans [16] [17] since it is not consciously perceived, it can make people feel vaguely that supernatural events are taking place."
Reference 16 is John D Cody. Infrasound. Bordeland Science Research Foundation. See: http://www.borderlands.com/newstuuff/research/infra.htm
Reference 17 is V Tandy & T Lawrence 'The ghost in the machine.' Journal of the Society for Psychical research number 62, pp360-364. 1998. You can read the full text of this article by registering at the Library of Exploratory Science at: http://www.lexscien.org/lexscien/index.jsp
This will allow you to read abstracts of any issue of the Journal of the Society for Psychical research. Then you can get a free 7 day access to the full text of any article, which will allow you to read the full text.
Thursday, October 1, 2009
Quirkology!
I have just finished reading a very unusual book written by one Richard Wiseman titled "Quirkology:the curious science of everyday lives," published by Pan Books, London, 2008. ISBN 978 033 0448 116.
It is the result of 20 plus years of academic research by psychologist Richard Wiseman. It covers a range of topics including "What does your date of birth really say about you?"; "The psychology of lying and deception;" through the search for the world's funniest joke to decision making.
What does this have to do with the subject of my blog? Well, pages 118-127 describe the work of Vic Tandy. Vic had an odd experience at work in 1998 when one night "...he started to feel increasingly uncomfortable and cold. Next, he had the distinct impression of being watched, and looked up to see an indistinct grey figure, slowly emerge in the left side of his peripheral vision. The hair on the back of his neck stood up...to turn and look at the figure. As he did, it faded away and disappeared."
Research by Vic indicated that the room experienced a low-frequency sound wave below human hearing. He located the source to be a newly installed air fan.
Wiseman relates that in the 1960's, NASA found that 'infrasound" could "...vibrate the chest, affect respiration, and cause gagging, headaches and coughing." It appeared that certain frequencies could vibrate eyeballs and cause distorted vision.
Vix went on to suggest that the ghost like effects at some haunted locations might be caused by infrasound.
Wiseman and friends conducted an experiment during two concerts during which infrasound was generated in the venue. Four times during each concert the audience used a questionnaire to note any unusual experiences. "The effect was far from trivial, with people reporting, on average about 22 per cent more unusual experiences with infrasound present." p126. What did they report? The effects included shivering, stomach sensations, and ears fluttering .
One can readily see the possibilities here for haunted locations if infrasound can cause objects to vibrate due to no apparent cause, cause sensations of cold, and generate apparent figures. It could also perhaps why only one person in a group sees a fleeting figure from their side vision.
I wonder if a person waking paralysed at night in a venue where infrasound occurred, could induce an apparent alien abduction? Has anyone carried out research in this area?
It is the result of 20 plus years of academic research by psychologist Richard Wiseman. It covers a range of topics including "What does your date of birth really say about you?"; "The psychology of lying and deception;" through the search for the world's funniest joke to decision making.
What does this have to do with the subject of my blog? Well, pages 118-127 describe the work of Vic Tandy. Vic had an odd experience at work in 1998 when one night "...he started to feel increasingly uncomfortable and cold. Next, he had the distinct impression of being watched, and looked up to see an indistinct grey figure, slowly emerge in the left side of his peripheral vision. The hair on the back of his neck stood up...to turn and look at the figure. As he did, it faded away and disappeared."
Research by Vic indicated that the room experienced a low-frequency sound wave below human hearing. He located the source to be a newly installed air fan.
Wiseman relates that in the 1960's, NASA found that 'infrasound" could "...vibrate the chest, affect respiration, and cause gagging, headaches and coughing." It appeared that certain frequencies could vibrate eyeballs and cause distorted vision.
Vix went on to suggest that the ghost like effects at some haunted locations might be caused by infrasound.
Wiseman and friends conducted an experiment during two concerts during which infrasound was generated in the venue. Four times during each concert the audience used a questionnaire to note any unusual experiences. "The effect was far from trivial, with people reporting, on average about 22 per cent more unusual experiences with infrasound present." p126. What did they report? The effects included shivering, stomach sensations, and ears fluttering .
One can readily see the possibilities here for haunted locations if infrasound can cause objects to vibrate due to no apparent cause, cause sensations of cold, and generate apparent figures. It could also perhaps why only one person in a group sees a fleeting figure from their side vision.
I wonder if a person waking paralysed at night in a venue where infrasound occurred, could induce an apparent alien abduction? Has anyone carried out research in this area?
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
The 13th November U.S. Congressional House of Representatives UAP Hearing
UAP Hearings In a post dated 26 October 2024 , I reported details of the three previously, modern times, U.S. Congressional UAP Hearings. Th...
-
Conference The 2024 conference of the U.S. based American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA) AVIATION Forum and 2024 ASCEND ... -
Introduction On a recent episode of the "WEAPONIZED" podcast , titled " The UFO Hearing-What Happened? What's Next, "... -
The purpose of this article is to provide background information about the Canadian government's interest in, or lack of interest in the...