Alien Abduction and Contactees: A new religion?

I'm still figuring out what seem to be suppressed memories and have had an incredible will/insight to learn as much as I possibly can about the spiritual ascendance recently, and also had a stint earlier on in my life before I looked into suppressed memories etc etc....

I've come to realize that many 'religions/cults' etc are aware of it but in a more 'covert' manner and get you to subscribe to their beliefs as the path to it, while you can personally do it yourself.. you are your own god!

I have personally seen a UFO, my entire family has experienced a spiritual encounter when my grandfather died (a shadowy apparition that swept through our car with a 'whooshing' noise when he died in another country) etc etc. So for me these things and more have led me to realize there's a lot more to life than our primitive senses can pick up and have made me have an open mind

Nice thread, starred and flagged!

I see the parallels you draw with religion : faith based revelation etc. It's just such a shame that it also leads to much 'religiosity' also (yes, TSOL, I talking to *you*).

For those who are interested I have created a Forums and Message site called Contact for Contactees, Abductees and other UFO/Alien experiencers. It is a site that is built with integrity, honesty and compassion toward those of who have experienced this phenomenon and wish to share with others in a safe environment to perhaps glean a bit of understanding, closure and comprehension concerning their experience. I welcome all who would benefit from such a safe haven and accept the tolerant and compassionate candor from those that would learn.

Cheers,

Erik

reply to post by spaceweaver


Abductees think they know what they know. As it is, people are easily mistaken, and there are always plenty of rational explanations for what they experience. The abductees who hear the explanations and still believe are deluded - they want to believe over actually knowing the truth. So yeah, from what I've read about abductees, I'd say it is more of a religion than anything else. You have people all believing in the same ideas, and no amount of rational debate and evidence-gathering can dissuade their beliefs. That sounds like pretty much every religion on Earth, to me.

Hi....just want to thank everyone who has replied and contributed their thoughts and ideas as well as being courageous enough to share their personal experiences and beliefs.
I won't reply to every single post individually but i will try to answer some these post here now In particular those posting in relation to UFO's.
First i want to thankRedwoodjedi, great reply, don't be afraid of throwing cogs....it might just get the wheels spinning the right way, thanks for the links, great thread....i actually looked at it earlier before your post here.
I think i have said earlier that we might need to distance UFO research from AAEC(alien abduction experience and contact) as i feel the UFO-logy is an inadequate source to explain AAEC.

The issue of evidence is particularly important in regard to the rule of parsimony (often referred to as Occam's razor). This maxim states that when interpreting a phenomenon, unnecessary assumptions should not be introduced.

www.virtuallystrange.net...
I throw this quote in( i know its the old empirical) to emphasis that even though there is ample evidence of UFO i think we have to seriously consider that just because we observe UFO that it does not account for the occurrence of AAEC and vice versa. I think separating the two can introduce both a positive and a negative to the argument for and against AAEC as an experience. The positive being we then can account for AAEC as a real phenomena on its own, although i do concede that this is a Pro for my argument. The negative Being that UFO may be attributed to Man made tech and also that UFO is not generally observed as occurring simultaneously with AAEC.
So i think its important for us to view these two phenomena as separate as, but i will agree this is difficult and welcome more links or suggestions to look at UFO related material or experiences if you believe they are relevant.

Originally posted by granny smith
I see the parallels you draw with religion : faith based revelation etc. It's just such a shame that it also leads to much 'religiosity' also (yes, TSOL, I talking to *you*).

Yes, we can list another parrallel to religion......the abuse of the believer. Prophets claiming to have special insight, gifts of visions and prophecy regarding the future of man.(hehe....yes TSOL i am looking at you, too.....umm lets not go there hey.....but you have probably observed my view there Granny.)

reply to post by atlasastro


Prophets claiming to have special insight, gifts of visions and prophecy regarding the future of man.(hehe....yes TSOL i am looking at you, too.....umm lets not go there hey.....but you have probably observed my view there Granny.)

Oh please no lets just not go there

There is nothing worse than a hasty judgement, and nothing could be more unworthy of the dignity and integrity of a philosopher than uncritically to adopt a false opinion or to maintain as certain some theory which has not been fully explored and understood. (Cicero)

www.spaceandmotion.com...

I am using this quote for inspiration.....i don't want to compare myself to a philosopher but the last part of the quote i find hard to disagree with. So lets explore.....

Lets look at some more opinion's in relation to AAEC, the people who have these experiences and possible reasons behind these experiences.
First of all, lets debunk something........that the majority of people claiming AAEC are mentally unstable, or on the fringe of society.
www.csicop.org...

Clancy’s interviewees, as a group, exhibited the same general ranges of education, socio-economic status and religious upbringing as the population at large. Even more importantly, her sample of alien abductees were no more likely to be psychotic than the general population. This observation is an important counter-argument to the pat explanation that those who claim to have been abducted by aliens are simply crazy. Nor can abduction claims be explained in terms of publicity seeking, since many abductees are reluctant to share their experiences with the general public.

So, this suggests that this phenomena is occurring to representatives of the majority of mainstream society. But what else is significant is what else sets them apart besides the AAEC that could be attributed as a cause or contributing factor for AAEC.

There is one aspect, though, in which abductees are different from the general population. On personality tests, they score higher on a characteristic called schizotypy. Schizotypic personalities are prone to fantasy and magical thinking. They also have more difficulty distinguishing real from imagined events than the general population, and they are more likely to hold paranormal beliefs.

Please don't freak out at the above quote, Psych labels can be quite negative in connotation but i think it is a significant claim that this research has found a common psych "profile" in relation to AAEC as this could be used for future research in which trends in AAEC may be predicted or forecasted and thus tested (and in doing so we can then make more solid claims attributing cause).
I know from reading many threads here that some of you with AAEC may ask......"i know what I know....I don't need another explanation" and that is just fine , but look at this.

It was clear that they had had some sort of traumatic experience, and that they were trying to find some “reasonable” explanation that fit their memories and the strong emotions they felt.

....since many abductees are reluctant to share their experiences with the general public.

I know i don't need to emphasise how traumatic an experience can be, add to that the very nature of these experiences leaving many people confused and alone with the knowledge of the AAEC and the burden that they cannot or should not share the experience out of many fears (that they could be labelled "crazy", scared of another repeat of AAEC, unsure of the meaning behind AAEC). What if we could resolve these issue by attributing its emergence to a specific cause.
At the moment we see people resolving these experiences through the anonymity of the Internet, Hypnotherapy or within the confines of groups containing people with similar AAEC. Are these not the new confessionals, prayer groups and churches of this growing religious movement. Where fears are shared, alien inspired messages are retold or interpreted and experiences rationalized and quantified.
And you know what i understand that people with AAEC are at odds with those like myself who would want to question a profound experience, or have those who experience AAEC as defined as simply having a predisposed personality or psychopathology. Opposing Subjects of faith are often at odds. ( i dare say always)

Suddenly, these balls of light appeared (the "orbs" that so many people are photographing), they were the size of softballs and some were clear and some were opaque and many shades in between.
My next thought was that I was having some sort of brain aneurysm... I mean, the balls of light were everywhere and were swirling around... I thought that it was a hallucination. But then I saw that the balls of light were literally illuminating an outbuilding that I was about 25' from. Imagine a thousand unseen children playing with flashlights... That is what it looked like as the lights shown on the walls of the building.

The above is the recollection of an experience, this is what he said next

but I swear on my soul that I am telling the truth. I was a practising attorney when this happened. I have given up the law, and given up most of what I owned (several homes, boats, other properties, etc..,) because this was the most important event of my life... And I want to understand it.
Suddenly, I knew that I was in the presence of..??????. I knew that ?????was just an invention, and that everything could be explained scientifically.
In that moment, I knew absolutely that I was wrong. I knew that I was in the presence of ??????... And I felt so ashamed. I also felt this INTENSE love, something so strong and pure that it is difficult to describe, emanating from the presence... Pure love. Pure compassion. Pure adoration.

What have i edited out with ??????.

In that moment, I knew absolutely that I was wrong. I knew that I was in the presence of god...

This guy Knows what he Knows.www.spiritual-experiences.com...
To the people who know what they know. We can suppose that God is alien, that Aliens have been that influence since the dawning of civilisation but until they remain the Visions of people who know what they know we have to define them with the gods, and the belief in them as religion.
reluctant-messenger.com...


[edit on 1-4-2008 by atlasastro]

Read the following as a disclaimer for a religious experience of god

reluctant-messenger.com...
The following information will be taken one of three ways. It will seem to be utter nonsense, heresy or as profound wisdom. Allow your preconceived ideas about God to be challenged. This information is also by definition incomplete and is at best a rough approximation of inexpressible truths. The radical nature of these concepts does not allow for a position between nonsense or truth. The challenge to one's established views are so dramatic that one can only process it

Now replace the word "God" with the word "Aliens".
and the term Religious experience for Alien Abduction Experience and Contact.
Here is a cool site discussing the inconsistencies within religion. We can add UFO and AAEC to this list of beliefs with logical inconsistencies.
reluctant-messenger.com...
hope for some more thoughts from you guys.

Geez, i have to say that i thought that the many of the Alien Abduction Experiencers and contatctees could help shed a little more light on this subject. Are you guys seeking alternative answers or are you perscribing to just the one ideological explanation for your experiences. How do you guys feel about this interpretation as an explanation for what you have experienced. Does it give you comfort that there may be a more Known cause behing the phenomena, or angry that I may be holding up an unfair solution to this growing trend of AAEC.

Originally posted by atlasastro
Geez, i have to say that i thought that the many of the Alien Abduction Experiencers and contatctees could help shed a little more light on this subject. Are you guys seeking alternative answers or are you perscribing to just the one ideological explanation for your experiences. How do you guys feel about this interpretation as an explanation for what you have experienced. Does it give you comfort that there may be a more Known cause behing the phenomena, or angry that I may be holding up an unfair solution to this growing trend of AAEC.

Like I said atlasastro this thread would have gone through the roof in skunk works. Most people see a UFO and just think "Wow Ive seen a UFO, Im going to go away now and search every possible photo I can/site I can to prove I actually did" This endless search for the greatest photo/ contact account will never lead to anything Im afraid.
I know the Grays exist, I fight a daily battle with them as they seem to have control over me in a big way. This is most certainly due to the implant I have but as I try to go against their wishes they just attack me mentally. They are horrible and they do not scare me. Fear is their greatest weapon with their abductees , we must not fear them. Last night they were not very happy with me as Id spoken against them . So they dragged me to some astral plane and said "Now you will feel the full force of us" I then looked up and saw Saturn of all things coming towards me at great speed and noise, "it" passed through me as I flinched with such energy and force it was frightening. They then repeated this 3 more times.

It was a warning to stop speaking out against them and I think it may work!! I know some of you whon't believe me but I don't care. You see I come on here just to give you my opinion and experiences, you can take it or leave it but remember there are many dimensions on which many things exist and the sooner you realize this the better.

reply to post by Mr Green

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I agree with you MG that it would have been better in skunk works only as it is relevant to alot of the threads posted there. But if you read the dicscription above for Skunk Works i find it difficult to believe my thread fits into this dicription. Mainly because i offer some substance to my arguement that tries to explain the AAEC phenomena. I also don't believe i have done this in a way that that suggests a conspiracy, cover-up or scandal.
Thanks again MG.

I agree with you MG that it would have been better in skunk works only as it is relevant to alot of the threads posted there. But if you read the dicscription above for Skunk Works i find it difficult to believe my thread fits into this dicription. Mainly because i offer some substance to my arguement that tries to explain the AAEC phenomena. I also don't believe i have done this in a way that that suggests a conspiracy, cover-up or scandal. reply to post by atlasastro



Yes I see this, I guess it is in the right place
I forget they actually have descriptions!

Ive exposed Drakiir for what he was I had to do it atlasastro he lied to me so badly I hope its OK. You know he never took the time to make any of us his friends in his profile, yet he did take the time to make YOU his foe! You must have made a very big impression on him. He was working for the Grays all along and he tricked me and only told me the truth after it was too late. He took me into the source stream at the request of the Grays, they needed a human to enter it, he was 40% Gray so he was no use. HOW DANGEROUS is that and he didn't tell me until Id gone in with him. So dangerous so I have exposed him for what I believe he is .

[edit on 5-4-2008 by Mr Green]

In light of the religious like fervor of the Ufo flyover threads i thought i'd bounce this one back into the mix, It seem that the recent trend of experience threads have dropped of to be replaced by UFO related stuff.....anyway.

reply to post by atlasastro


Yes I guess people don't want to become part of these religious groups and I for one don't blame them. There can be no religion associated with alien visitations, aliens are not Gods they are just like us, live beings.

reply to post by Mr Green


hi MG,
Yeah, i can agree with what yo say MG, but the trend of its emergence and its many traits can be called similar, if not typical , to religion wether people aspire to belong to it or not. Thanks for adding your thoughts.

reply to post by atlasastro


Anyone that follows a "New religion" based on emerging gurus and their "this is the only way to salvation" chants are heading for a fall. Do not underestimate the power of these wana be new leaders, they will use alien visitation, 2012, and any other old myth they can get their hands on to recruit followers.
Yes this is how religions start but at least the old religions seemed to have some basis, these new emerging ones are based on fear. Fear of not ascending, fear of becoming an alien clone, fear of becoming soul less, fear of being abducted by a reptilian and eaten..the fear list in this area is endless. People must learn to loose their fear and trust themselves a little more.

reply to post by Mr Green


I agree MG. As i think i stated in an earlier post we can see the emergence of a more centralised practice of the belief in many organisations and they offer many parrallels to mainstream religions. With one main exception, they are generally not accepted as geniune religions, but what new emerging belief ever is until it reaches a critical mass that makes it a norm, and thus a respected and accepted religious belief. We already see the general belief in the possiblity of alien life, its just that when it gets specific, like Scientology, or Urantia, Raelism, that we see this acceptance break down........but for how long. Perhaps this Awakening that permeates many threads could be this critical mass that brings about a norm.
Sadly, as you mention in your post, this new emerging belief displays the same pitfalls and dangers many other religions have. The false prophets, priests, con-men.


[edit on 24-4-2008 by atlasastro]

Atlas,

This is a great thread and I hope to see it gain more attention. For thousands of years humans have tended to spritualize things they do not understand. I think the majority of people in New Age Cults are being mislead. I think some are sincere about this, however, people are getting fleeced.

I say this having had conscious, direct, telepathic communication with an extraterrestrial.

I mean, it's possible but as to exactly how it's going to happen, and for someone to claim that creates a power base of "hidden knowledge" drawing crowds of people willing to pay good money to hear it.

No, I think they're all charlatans. BTW, I grew up in Berkeley California. I have friends who moved to Shasta and started their own Cult. I've seen this time and time again.

[edit on 29-5-2008 by telepath]

I think you're making this incredibly more complex than what it is.
yes, It's a good brain-jog to parse all the possibilities of what convoluted machination of the psyche could bring out this exact same experience in hundreds of thousands of people.
That's all good and fun for a thurs night forum chat..

But that's more difficult for me to even begin to even try to accept than the more obvious ... which is..
that these hundreds of thousands of people are not taking the risk of ruining their lives and acting all dramatic making up the exact same story, to appease some subconscious religious need or masochistic self destructive drive.

It's quite simple. It's happening exactly as they're saying it happens.
Things that look like what appear non-humans are interacting with them.
World wide.
There are just TOO many reports by hundreds of thousands of regular hard working, honest and loving people.

people scoffed at people going through what's been termed "morgellons syndrome" for about 6 years.
thousands of people reporting the EXACT same thing.
they were scoffed at, and ridiculed and called delusional.. or attention seeking, even though talking about it ruined their lives and careers more than the phenomenon themselves.
It wasn't some odd culture-wide need for attention..
And now the CDC and Armed Forces Department of Pathology are conducting a concisive year long study into it.

I think people that extrapolate so far into the reaches of pulling at strings for an answer "other" than what the people are reporting, do so because of one specific reason....
The reason being, that you personally think so little of the human race and have been shown the horrors of humanity daily, that you literally cannot, under any circumstances, believe that this is actually happening, and you'd rather persecute the individuals ..(however cushioningly) by hypothesizing that they are actually being completely delusional, possibly on purpose.
This combined with the belief that in an infinite universe, in all human history, it's completely impossible for multiple races to have been visiting here for millenia, and you've not been informed about it by your honest and loving governments.


I think a more apt mass-psychological study, would be in investigating the mental and emotional blocks within the belief systems that prevent people from accepting what's apparently happening around them as reported by their fellow humans... ie: this scenario...
and at whatever extent possible.. them extreme attempts at rationalizing it based on their current understanding of the world, in order to cope with it somehow.
this, no doubt is what I went through when I first started experiencing morgellons, and no doubt most likely what MANY alien abductees go through directly after their experience, at least their first.
denial.. any way to explain it.. that fits "in the box" etc... as far out as that may take them.
when in reality.. its just... reeeeally happening...

I think a massive study needs to go into people that just cannot accept that anything is literally possible.

It's this enigma I just described, that is going to cause soooo much damn panic and chaos when BIG things start to happen that are not congruent with these people's programmed version of reality.


THATS where the serious introspection needs to go...
and you've just opened yourself to it.


I apologize if I sound a bit hostile in responding to you, and I respect your willingness to express what you really think about in order to deal with this information.

but it's just completely wrong.
And I think it's condescending.