Close Encounters of the Facial Kind

FIGURE 7: The mother’s face immediately after birth. Cloudiness was added to Figure 6 and the image was coincidentally smoothed to remove the residual high spatial frequencies. Squinting at the picture enhances the “UFO alien” effect even more.

This is an article I was reading that investigated the similarities between the classic "Grey Alien" encounter and how a newborn child recognizes faces. Quite a fascinating read and definitely worth further investigation (I know the article is from 2003).

Close Encounters of the Facial Kind:
Are UFO Alien Faces an Inborn Facial Recognition Template?

by Frederick V. Malmstrom

The Descriptions of alien faces historically reported by UFO abductees are almost boringly uniform. Long before “close encounters” became a catchword in the ufologist’s vocabulary, self-proclaimed UFO abductees described their abductors as bulbous-headed humanoids equipped with oversized, wraparound eyes, vertical double-slit nostrils and gray skin. Is there another explanation for this uniformity of features besides the most obvious — that it is a description of an actual alien race?

Link to full article

Personally, I find this very intriguing. I know many will dismiss it out of hand, especially since it comes from a (if not the) skeptical source. However, keeping an open mind and denying ignorance works both ways. Dismissing something simply because it conflicts with what you currently believe is what ATS exists to prevent, not encourage.

So please, keep an open mind, and enjoy the read

[edit on 10-11-2009 by Esoterica]

The Descriptions of alien faces historically reported by UFO abductees are almost boringly uniform.

Lets just entertain the idea. Tickle our fancy. Let's say these historical descriptions are based on real observations...

are they "boring" or are they just honest descriptions of what the witnesses and abductees saw/experienced?

Sorry I know you wanted a reply to the OP and the overall content, but it is a huge pet peeve of mine when the 'historically' accounts are so flippantly disregarded.

[edit on 11-10-2009 by silver tongue devil]

Originally posted by silver tongue devil
Lets just entertain the idea. Tickle our fancy. Let's say these historical descriptions are based on real observations...

are they "boring" or are they just honest descriptions of what the witnesses and abductees saw/experienced?

Sorry I know you wanted a reply to the OP and the overall content, but it is a huge pet peeve of mine when the 'historically' accounts are so flippantly disregarded.

[edit on 11-10-2009 by silver tongue devil]

Nothing was disregarded or said to be dishonest. In fact, the study requires that people do honestly report seeing the classic grey alien. It simply provides a different interpretation of what these people saw, or think they saw.