Some Ignorant Thoughts on Abductions.

Greetings. Alien abduction. 

The term "alien abduction" brings to mind a whole slew of specific details. Medical examinations. Being taken aboard a flying saucer. Interceptions on a dark, lonely road. Floating out of a cozy bedroom or living room. The characteristic details are familiar, even to those who have no specific knowledge or interest in the UFO topic.

Beginning with the Antonio Villas-Boas abduction case from October 16th of 1957, the first historical case on the books, the abduction enigma has evolved over time, with some witness details remaining constant and unchanged, while other details have altered to an extent, with some newer ones becoming part of the reported scenario. The result of these gradual changes is that the entire abduction enigma seems to have evolved as our society has during the same time frame.

Abductees have reported their alleged events, and for the most part, have pushed back against any explanations other than the fantastical or the extraterrestrial. More likely explanations like sleep paralysis are looked at as attempts to debunk abduction accounts, when in reality such reasonable possibilities are simply on the investigative table, to be considered on equal terms with any other prospective answer. With a large cashe of anecdotal information, witness testimonials, and a severe shortage of physical evidence, firm answers to the abduction enigma have been elusive to say the least. Sounds familiar doesn't it? Reminiscent of the entire UFO problem. 

As with other aspects of the UFO phenomenon, a few historical cases take all the air out of the investigative room; the Betty and Barney Hill abduction event from September 19th and 20th of 1961, the Travis Walton abduction event from November 5th of 1975, and the Hickson/Parker abduction event from October 11th of 1973, to name only a few. Like other historical UFO cases, troubling details are often overlooked, or ignored by many in the UFO subculture, likely in an effort to maintain some level of notoriety and/or importance to the overall picture. Some of the best known abduction researchers themselves have come under some scrutiny, with the professional integrity and techniques of Budd Hopkins, Peter Robbins, David M. Jacobs, and R. Leo Sprinkle being called into question. 

Adding fuel to the questioning fire, the technique of regression hypnosis has been called into question in recent years. Medical professionals don't know how the technique works, a disconcerting reality which the UFO subculture completely ignores. Scientific research has demonstrated that the use of hypnosis creates false memories, and that the technique does not assist in the recovery of accurate memories. The prior two statements have to be troubling, but as is usually the case, a large percentage of the UFO subculture offers a pair of blind eyes to the situation. If hypnosis was embraced and understood by the medical and scientific communities, then its usage would not be an issue, however, that is not the case. 

Having said all this, I still adhere to the position that alien abduction has occurred, but only on a few, extremely rare occasions. Of course, my opinion is of no importance, the only thing that matters is what we can prove beyond a shadow of a doubt through the use of the scientific method. 

Thank you for your time and consideration.