Crouching Aliens, Hidden Meanings.

For varying reasons, none of which are relevant here, I haven’t visited ATS for some time. Now and again I’ve flitted in and out, purely to scan new posts and gauge the condition of ufology. In equal amounts, I find that nothing seems to have changed, and that we’re still grasping at anything and everything that could possibly justify our beliefs. I’m not sure if that’s a breath of fresh air, or the same old stale exhalations.

I feel my sojourn has been healthy. I’ve found the time to rest, to realise what is important in life. It has given me a much needed break from the persistent feeling of urgency one experiences when dealing with this subject. Maybe this urgency, this need to know the truth, is what pushed me away from ATS, indirectly, in the first place. IMO, we can’t know the whole truth.

How can you begin to understand a truth that is fluid in its manifestation, that alters its form depending on the experiencer, and that seemingly transforms to suit cultural variations and evolutionary belief systems? We’re being kept in a state of flux for some reason. It’s that reasoning that was driving me to distraction.

Since I left, I have had little to do with the subject. I was surprised that I did not miss it, nor did I feel inclined to pursue it. Other, far more significant matters occupied my waking hours. I highly recommend this course of action, though admit it may not suit everyone. Each to their own.

One purpose for my continued absence was an almost overwhelming obsession with the fact that I haven’t seen a UFO. I accept the testimony of other, genuine and sane folk who have. I accept and admire those professionals who have stepped up to the mark and voiced their experiences without fear of ridicule. They’re not all making it up. Intelligent people see unexplainable things.

I consider myself intelligent.

But I have seen diddly squat.

This brings me neatly to the reasons I have returned, briefly, to ATS. But first, a disclaimer.

Certain aspects of ufology make, and always have made me feel uncomfortable. They sit uneasily on a comprehension, standpoint and awareness of the world it has taken me over four decades and a lot of soul-searching to refine. To acknowledge these aspects could possibly be real, for some reasoning I cannot understand considering the outlandish nature of the subject, clashes jarringly with my world-view.

I’m talking about close encounters and abductions.

The following is not easy for me to type, for all manner of reasons. To elaborate on the motives for me posting this thread, I think the easiest thing is to simply give you a list of occurrences without any comment from me other than to say they’re personal:

Infrequent, but vivid dreams of UFOs. These are clear as day, bizarre in their complexity and full of strange imagery. Often, they include me handling and operating odd hardware. Most recent (last night) included a broken sphere dropped by a UFO. I awake feeling that the dream has left me with something that I’m supposed to understand but am totally missing.

Frequent bruises and cuts on my arms and hands found after a night’s sleep. Though small, they’re sufficiently painful to draw attention when showering.

An awareness of lights. This is hard to elaborate on, but the latest happened (two nights ago) just before I awoke. I felt as if I were in the process of lying down, and then craned my neck to glimpse a strong, but focused golden light shining through my bedroom curtains just as I became conscious.

Constantly tired after sleep.

Flitting shapes glimpsed out of the corner of my eye. Nothing, I hasten to add, that has any distinct outline.

On Saturday last, my wife noticed that her mobile phone’s clock was around twelve minutes fast. We laughed it off as an annoying glitch. I didn’t think, or feel the need to check mine. Later that evening, as we were returning from a dinner date, I noticed that my phone was also twelve minutes fast. I told her, we looked at each other and whistled the Twilight Zone theme. We have the same model of phone. They are both kept in the bedroom overnight.

This one is the most thought provoking. Last night I had trouble sleeping. Lying on my side, facing the bedroom window, I dozed fitfully. I opened my eyes and think I saw an indistinct shape crouching next to me. It didn’t disturb me, this classic grey with its face turned three-quarters away, which was obscured in the manner of the “Predator’s” invisible camouflage. It had a fuzzy, glass-like appearance. I held its gaze, and I felt as if it were uncomfortable with the attention. The first thought that sprang into my head was; ‘I can see you, you know?’ I fell to sleep straight afterwards.

So, there you have my confessions. I have a thousand rational explanations demanding to be heard for each of these occurrences. I also have a conditioned explanation that has been instilled upon me by my thirty year interest in UFOs. I’m not professing any elucidation of these incidents, yet. They may be related, they may not. Coincidence is a powerful method of convincing even the most horribly logical mind.

What say you, ATS?

Once again, and as many others have discovered on ATS, if a thread doesn't have tabloid headlines, or isn't overtly confrontational or repetetive in its subject matter, then it is discarded.

Sour grapes? No. Just one of the reasons that I've been steering clear of these boards. I can't help but feel that I should have headlined this:

HAVE I BEEN ADBUCTED??????

as then I surely would have gotten at least one answer.

But the truth is that's just not me, and that screaming banner was not what I was asking. All I wanted was some rational, or thought-provoking feedback. Some kind of helpful suggestions as to what could have been purely co-incidental, but nonetheless an intruiging set of events. Heck, even a straight:

'Nope, you ain't been abducted. You just need to stop worrying about things that are out of your control. And try valerium. Helps with the sleep.'

If anyone deems to read this aggreived bump, and can bring themselves to reply to my post, then thanks.

This thread is kinda difficult to respond to.If some one would say yes you are being abducted how would they really know? If some one would say no you're not being abducted the same thing how would they know?I have had a missing time episode followed by really strange dreams of a weird exam by what seems to be faceless doctors.Was I abducted? I just don't know. In the past I have awaken in the morning with dirty feet and dried leaves on my sheets at the foot of my bed.Was I abducted? Again I don't know.All signs may point to it some have told me,but with out any proof or memories of it I will not say that I was. I don't think there are any cut and dry answers what I can say is that I have had weird things that has happen to me that I can't explain.

The whole abduction thing with out any clear memories of it is very tricky.I have found the best thing you can do is reflect on it talk about it if you wish but don't expect any real answers. If we are lucky we may find the answers one day if not life will go on but just with personal mystery they may never get solved.

The things you mentioned are certainly signs of "their" involvement with you, and probably your entire family. I also have signs, and a history of sightings of crafts, always with family and friends, now my children, since I was 3. My mother told me of a strange obe she had when my uncle had tried to explain the theory of relativity to her. She was aboard a craft where they explained it to her. She said the pilate was shortish by North American male standards, maybe 5 foot 5, red hair, but she spoke with blue skinned humans. When it ended, she maintained the knowledge for only a short time. Now I used to reflect upon her story for many years as a child, and have tried to have an obe myself, but could never do it.
I say a grey when I was around 5, in fact that was roughly the age I was in a strange dream like memory of a possible abduction with my younger brother. I told my mother about seeing this. Never knew what it was until recently with all the pictures on the net. This was before we moved to the farm, and I remember the house well. I was always terrified at night in that house, and would wake up and swear I saw a vampire or something, and crawl into my parents bed, and then a little climb in with my brother in his room.
Then quite a few more sightings of crafts. I have had strange small marks on my arms that don't itch or really hurt for that matter, but take quite a while to heal. The last time, one above my wrist finally healed up 6 weeks ago to 2 months. But I have small scars on my upper arms from them. I have woken up with bruises all my life. I sleep very deeply. My thyroid completely shut off, and I now have chronic fatigue syndrom, so my sleep is usually deep.
My 17 year old son saw a small humanoid shape going down the stairs, late at night, and hid in the bathroom for a long time, he was so alarmed. This was pretty shortly after our sightings this year on April 12, and May 17 (the latter being a low flying triangular craft over our home that made a strange low vibrating pulsing sound).
I havent had any indications of anything strange lately, except yesterday my 6 year old, who has apraxia and is delayed in learning to read and write, waking up and saying he knows Japanese now. Then he drew a cross between a backward c with a line through it and a stylized backward e. I found some alien scripts and he started tracing them, then in a bit hiragana, which he had lots of fun with. This could be just a strange coincidence. He said he dreamed about climbing up a mountain and some monsters.

Theres lots of websites that give the signs of being abducted. I've been toying with some kind of hypnosis, but I equally don't feel like I want to be messed with in a non-diplomatic abduction scenario, rather than contact.
I know they can read our thoughts, apparently scan us all the time, from various accounts given, but even from the sighting in April of this year. Just prior to the sighting I was having a inner political rant. Thinking of women and children the world over, and in Africa, everywhere, and good men, I was thinking emphatically, that "they represent the human race!" as opposed to the PTB. I stood up, and felt rooted to the floor and couldn't move for a moment. Weird, and scary energy built up around my forhead to crown. Though I supposed wordless, it felt as though the words, with emphasis, shot into my mind: "WE represent the human race!" Thinking I was definately losing it, I went outside for a smoke and looked up... My 4 boys 6-17 spent 5 minutes seeing it as well as it hovered, waving, saying "We come in peace!", climbing our shed, and creating a commotion. I was afraid they may be targeted for a kidnapping and kept trying to get them inside. Also due to the message I assumed there were hybrids aboard.
Now that I know they are telepathic, and read our thoughts for sure, I go outside most evenings and sky watch, and mentally tell them that diplomatic methods would be far better, and tell them things, and suggest that since they may be our older brothers and sisters in the universe, our Parent will not allow the 10 year old to hurt the 6 year old, so pay attention, or bad Karma will follow. I'm hoping by doing this once in a while, especially when I sense something, to offset any more secretive stuff that could be occuring with our family.




[edit on 24-7-2008 by mystiq]

[edit on 24-7-2008 by mystiq]

I'm a little confused as to the question you're actually asking us. Are you asking if you've been abducted or just want to know what we think of your story ?

I'll first thank you for taking the write a well written and though out thread with plenty to go off and lots of detail. It's certainly an interesting story and should have provoked alot of debate but alas I think you are correct about the whole thread title issue added to the fact you've included alot of detail so there's not too many questions left to ask for most of the people who will ask the same questions!

My only real question for this thread though is do you have any evidence to support your story like pictures etc ? Perhaps start setting up a camcorder before you go to sleep facing towards you in the hope you can maybe capture some of this activity on film ?

flagged & starred as I'm curious how this pans out for you

[edit on 24/7/08 by Discotech]

I can't really say you have been abducted but the 12 minutes time difference, the cuts you seem to experience after you get up, the vivid dreams...it kind of sounds like abduction but then again, I haven't been abducted so I am not sure if these things are coincidence or simply signs of it.

What I would do though, is to write down your dreams 'vivid dreams' as soon as you wake up and each day after work (once your mind is somewhat relaxed and free of stress from work) study your notes based on your dreams, see if there is a pattern and what you believe they are trying to tell you. Perhaps it is a hidden message based on your vivid experience.

Do you practice meditation, going deep into your subconscious mind to see if you can make sense of this occurrences? This being you say you've noticed crouching beside you, have you tried telepathically talking to 'IT'? When you said you told IT that you could see it, did you get a mental image of some sort, as if IT tried to reply back?

Keep us posted to help you try to make sense of this. Maybe your experiences and your way about this will help someone else going through the same experience as you.

Cheers!

reply to post by Beamish

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I think anytime you're actually compelled to follow and try to understand a subject it's significant - whatever it is

since this subject is still wide open - and no one can prove anything for sure - one way or another - it could be something the mind needs to work out for itself - like any number of other subjects - philosophy, religion - even science

are we alone, why are we here, how are we here - does it even matter?

you don't have anything you can call "tangible" evidence - not even a siting

but you have your suspicions - and intuition - and clues

I have had a siting - and I have to say - it swings the balance from one end of the frustration with not knowing anything - all the way over to the other side of not knowing anything

no closure - just more questions

there's a book I like - BLINK - because it gives intuition some substance - and demonstrates how it's possible to know things we can't really know:

www.gladwell.com...

if you haven't read it - it's a good read - and not long

but - since it's important to you to know whether what you know and feel and suspect means anything - or nothing - this might help you

it helped me to look at a few things differently - and understand that our minds are constantly analyzing things - without our realizing it - or our conscious input

it won't give you any answers - but you might stop wondering why you're wondering

[edit on 7/24/2008 by Spiramirabilis]

[edit on 7/24/2008 by Spiramirabilis]

reply to post by Tricky63

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Thanks for the reply.



And to be honest, and as I've already stated, it was dificult for me to write. I just feel incredibly uncomfortable with the whole subject of "abduction", and always have, even from an early age.

Conversely, the subject of UFOs to me is a matter of common sense. Yes, odd things exist in our skies. How can that be denied? But the suggestion of direct interference by "aliens" etc. just doesn't gel with me. That may well have been reflected in the tone of my post, so I don't blame anyone for having problems in replying.



I agree. However, some will proffess knowledge. Just count the threads regarding this self same subject. I believe, in retrospect, that I don't understand the reasoning behind my original post. I really don't expect anyone to be able to tell me unequivocaly: 'Yes. That's an abduction scenario.' I just want to begin to understand how the human mind can either create these events, and why, or how it copes with them if they're real.

Obviously, without rock-solid proof any recollections I supply are just amusing and entertaining intellectual excercises.



Nothing weird has ever happened to me. Zip. Nothing. It's as if my life, which has been filled to the rafters with stories of strange and Fortean events all belonging to others, has been shrouded from any similar experiences. Can you imagine how intensely annoying that is? I have read voraciously on most paranormal subjects, which in theory should give me a good grounding and preparation for witnessing the same. But, nothing.



To be honest, it is not the sort of thing I'll discuss openly. Here, on ATS, I'm relatively anonymous. In real life, I wouldn't dream of braoching the subject to my family. That's how difficult I find it.

And yes, I'm of the same mind with your view that if something happened, then it'll remain a conundrum in my understanding of reality, a hiccup in my personal continuum, a glitch in my character. That's a sad prospect though, isn't it?

reply to post by mystiq

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Thanks for your reply.

You provided an incredible amount of information in your post, and you pu it across very matter-of-factly. I find the sheer quantity, and complexities, of your accounts of interaction with UFOs quite overwhelming.

For me, having had no experiences at all, your continuous sightings etc. are the stuff of dreams. And quite literally, the sleeping world is the only place where I have seen UFOs.

I find it quite hard to relate to the reality you inhabit without questioning mine. What separates us so? Why have you, and your family, been chosen to observe such wonders? Is it down to upbringing, religion, culture? Or is it just sheer luck?

I am not asking direct questions of you and am not looking for answers.

It's just that maybe the same ellusive reasoning behind my inability to recognise that I may have actually had my first paranormal incident, has previously countered any earlier happenings. I have wanted to see the unbelievable, but consistently denied my horribly rational brain leave to do so.

Perhaps that is approaching the answer. Maybe subconsciously, after a lifetime of reserved scepticism, I am teaing down the walls of reason, and am allowing the unreasonable to enter my world.

reply to post by Discotech

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Thanks for reply.



I'm not asking questions. Who would be qualified to answer them, if I were?

With respect, how could I, or anyone, ask questions of something that could well be the product of my own creative psyche, as opposed to a series (?) of factual happenings that defy analysis and rationalisation?

I've said before that I am ill-at-ease with the whole concept of bonafide, physical contact with EBEs. I cannot explain, even to myself, why that is. Logically, I should look upon them with as balanced an eye as I do reports of UFOs. They deserve to be studied with as much fervour as any other strange human experience. Yet, I read of them, read of the genuine fear they have instilled, read of the honest folk who have seen extraterrestials, and still cannot give them credence.

Maybe it's the fact that there are so many wildly differing accounts of alien species visiting our world that, to me, the whole topic begins to delve into perplexing realms; our subconscious capability to defend ingrained perceptions by identifying something that challenges us at such a profound level that we have to recreate it as something culturally acceptable.

And if that is the case, what exactly are we seeing that our minds have to alter their appearance so?

What did (and if I did) I see when I saw that translucent "grey" crouching next to me?



Thank you. You are very kind.



I wish I wasn't.

I do not feel the need to proclaim at the top of my lungs what may have happened to me. And, believe it or not, and even though I did have a little whinge about the lack of replies, I am not looking for attention. Just discussion. Yes, I could have easily plastered a provocative headline over this thread, but that's just not me. As it's not like me to start seeing "greys" next to my bed. But I felt the need to talk it over, here, on ATS, in a civilised manner. Spouting lurid claims is strictly for the woo woos.



Perhaps I'm aiming too high. Perhaps they're aren't any clear cut answers available, though I'm pretty convinced some will try to offer them. And I will listen.



I have absolutley no evidence.

If I had, please be assured that it would be all over this thread. I do not possess a camcorder. Even if I did, I'm not sure if I would want to set it up to record my sleep. That may sound odd, but in all seriousness, what would be the reaction if the same happened to you, and you did capture something on screen?

Bang goes your own little personal bubble of reality.

What balanced individual would really be willing to step into that undiscovered country without some kind of emotional safety net? I need to deduce what (and again I have to state if anything) happened to me, and allow my mind to prepare for that complete paradigm change if something did, before I even think about obtaining proof.



Me too.

reply to post by TheEnlightenedOne

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Thanks for the reply.



The cuts could be simply me scratching myself during the night.

The dreams the product of my interest in UFOs and my haunting the boards relevant to this subject on ATS.

The visualisaton of lights and the entity all fabrications of my mind just before I sleep or just after I awake.

See how maddeningly logical my mind is? I want to believe what I've just written. In fact, I do as they are perfectly reasonable explanations. But are they the right ones?
How can you tell the difference between the awareness encapsulated in my body creating spurious scenarios that seem real, and real events that feel dream-like? That is just as maddening.

I like the idea you suggested of recording dreams. I will try and implement some kind of regime where I make time for this to happen. If nothing else, they may make for good fiction material.



Consider this thread my meditation.



I have, so far, only seen it once.

It seemed as if it was subdued; it looked at me sideways on. There was the impression that it was cowed by something. I had the feeling it was hugging its knees to its chest. I felt no fear, which was unusual. If me thinking: 'I can see you, you know?' can be considered an attempt at communication, then yes i tried to contact it, though in all honesty I was simply making an observation. The "grey" turned its head away from me very slowly after this comment, almost like it was ashamed. Figure that one out...



That is a very nice attitude, and one I applaud wholeheartedly.

reply to post by Spiramirabilis

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Thank you for your reply, and the links to 'Blink'.



I couldn't agree with that concise analysis more.

To be pursuing something that does not sit well with me is quite unusual.

As to what the potential significance of these events ultimately turns out to be (if I'm lucky enough to come to a satisfactory conclusion), then to simply have achieved some form of culmination will have made the search worthwhile. I only hope I can apply any adverse or confrontational effects of a possible remarkable outcome to my life in a positive manner.

And conceivably you could be right when you asked "does it even matter", in respect to all of the reat unanswered questions.

On an individual level, yes it does.

In the great scheme of things, with the ever encroaching pressure of societal conformity bearing down, perhaps not.

Life may well change if I was "visited" by ET, but life will still go on, regardless.
Routine things won't change.
Bills will still have to be paid.
Tears will be shed.
Laughter will be quick to come.
But life won't change.

Maybe that's the trick in being able to consent to extraordinary events happening in your life: don't forget what's important to you afterwards.



And would we ever stop asking, even with new knowledge available to us about our place in the universe?

No.

I really empathize with you here -

love this site - and I'm willing to follow an idea almost anywhere -

love ideas - and intellectual exercise

when it comes to my own experiences however - that's a little harder

I'm also a pretty analytical, logical person - regardless of what I believe is possible

my family is enough like me that we can share anything - but - in the closet mostly as far as sharing with the rest of the world

not even because it embarrasses me - but because I too wonder if it's a "glitch" in my basic makeup

and we can't have that - can we? :-)

sometimes I think it would actually be comforting to have someone just declare me officially off my nut

but, no such luck - so - just get to ponder it for the duration

carry on regardless...

in any case - the book is helpful in demonstrating how you can know things without actually knowing

I'd be interested to hear back sometime if you do read it - and see if you get what I mean

I really meant to mention before - this made me laugh out loud

seriously - I know it was not a good moment for you

but - I like that a lot

Yes, on reading that a second time, my laid-back reaction does come across as humorous. I've already said that I didn't feel any kind of apprehension. Relaxed curiousity would be the more apt description, along with mild feelings of concern. Little invisi-grey didn't look a happy bunny.

As to your empathy with my situation, well, I thank you, and agree with your sentiments regarding the personal qualities of this kind of event.

Maybe my mind-set is altering. If it is, then it is an unconscious process, I think. Icannot rationally begin to undertsand why I'd let this kind ofthing happen in my solid, stable life. Perhaps it's a form of growing up. If that's the case, I am at a loss as to how much more growing up I can do.