Inherent fear of Grays. A possible explanation?

Hello ATS, a few months ago I stumbled across a thread an 'excessive fear of grays' by Draevin. This member had a similar 'condition' to myself, and he found as did I, that he was not alone with this particular form of phobia. I had until this point thought that I was just weird, which is true, but that in particular that my fear was a unique and personal experience.

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Ladies!

It was great for me to find some people with a similar feeling of distaste for these creatures, real or not as they may be, and after searching on the site I found another thread about the exact same problem. So first off I would like to thank both Mr Green and Draevin for alleviating my isolation somewhat.

So I got to thinking last night, for me it was another one of those difficult insomniac evenings, with racing thoughts bombarding me with waking every second. Making it virtually impossible to drift off to a nice relaxing sleep. As it was a clear night, having been a beautiful day, I decided to peer out my window, and of course my 1000 mile a minute mind (I have yet to benefit from, and I am certainly not bragging about), got on to the topic of the cosmos.

In particular how unlikely I believe our complete isolation here on Earth to be. This led my pondering on to the creatures that terrified me as a child, and can still send the shiver down my spine as a fully grown man. Were they real? I certainly have had no experience with them that I can remember, nor do I know anyone who has.

So why do I fear them? Why do they repulse me so? How can I be afraid of something no one can be sure exists? Is it saturation of these images in the media I viewed as a child and young adult?

Or is there a more primitive explanation? One that is grounded in reality, and relates to an experience that almost every member of the human race is united by. This is what I wish to discuss.

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The question of whether or not the widely available image of the Gray alien in popular culture, is the source of my fear, is the first question to address. I believe that this is too simple an answer and a lazy explanation for this phenomenon. Something a parent might tell their child to quell their fears, or the explanation for a particularly nasty nightmare. As we know nightmares and dreams in general can have absolutely no relation to the recent experiences of the person who dreamt them, and it is entirely possible to create new and unique creatures and landscapes within the mind of every person.

My reason for this belief is based on the fact that the description of the Gray alien and the phobic response it can produce, predates the contemporary media culture that I have grown up with.There are descriptions of such creatures and the mischief that comes with them, long before UFO sightings became the norm, and folks began to wonder who might be operating them. Sure they used to go by the name of goblins, ghouls, and demons but it is my belief these are descriptions of the same entity. The abduction phenomena also has a considerable legacy, but one uniting factor between the majority of cases, is the Gray alien type. Certainly pop culture could be responsible for some, but not all of the phobic responses produced. I can remember my fear of Grays before any memory of watching a film or television program about them.

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This brings me on to the next question, is there a more primitive explanation? I believe the answer to this question is yes, and here is why.

There is a theory that all abduction experiences relate to a primitive traumatic memory of childbirth. This may seem far fetched at first, but bare with me for a moment I am going somewhere with it.

This theory states that the feeling of paralysis that occurs in the beginning of abduction experiences relates to the journey of the baby out of the womb and along the birth canal. At this point the baby cannot move and is completely reliant on the mother to push. This constricted journey through a ridged tube like structure, is surely similar to the victim being sucked up into the spaceship? This of course following the initial feeling of despair after being ripped from your lovely warm bed. In addition to this most people find sleeping in the foetal position the most comfortable.

Following the constricted journey into the 'spacecraft' the victim is given a quick medical procedure which many find distressing.

Similar to the examination by the midwife and obstetrician following a successful birth, with vaccination shots etc. The surrounding environment is cold and sterile with many bright lights shining of the victim adding to the confusion and making it difficult to focus, similar in both the delivery room, and descriptions of the inside of a spaceship from abduction cases. The victims then often claim to see the saucer like craft at a distance before the feeling of safety and warmth fully return. This is represented by the placenta, which yes you guessed it, is saucer shaped in nature, and follows the baby out of the womb moments later.

So where does the Gray alien type fit into all this? You might be asking, and rightly so.

I believe that this theory is entirely plausible and if true, could give some insight into the primeval origin of the Gray alien type. The Gray alien could be the representation of the foetus. The foetus is similar in body shape and size to the Gray alien.

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The enlarged eyes and head, in contrast with the small almost withered body. So how does this become part of a primitive birth memory, after all there aren't many mirrors down there.

Well this is where my own thoughts on the matter come into play. I believe that the foetus represents the archetype of human competition, and is therefore synonymous with fear. To encounter another foetus in the womb means that from the earliest possible stage, from before you are even born. You are in direct competition for resources, affection, and ultimately life. The instance of twins or multiple births, automatically increases the possibility of complications, which are dangerous for both mother, and child, and therefore something to fear.

There is also the quite common occurrence of Vanishing Twin Syndrome (VTS), which is more widely diagnosed in today's society given the advancements in ultrasound technology. This is when the pregnancy begins with twins, however in this instance one twin spontaneously aborts usually within the first trimester, and the foetal tissue is absorbed by both the mother, and also it's twin.

Some studies suggest that in the US 21-30% of multiple births have an occurrence of VTS. It is also believed that VTS will occur in 50% of assisted ovulation pregnancies. Couple this with research that suggests that 1 in 8 of us started out with a twin and you have some very interesting statistics.

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[edit on 1-9-2010 by Big Raging Loner]

OK so there are a few problems with this theory that even I can see. The most pertinent of which is the memory issue. Allegedly no one remembers their own birth. However it is widely believed that the central nervous system is activated in utero not after birth as previously thought. After all it is quite clearly apparent that we have the ability to learn and process information at an exponential rate after birth. It is also widely accepted that foetuses recognise vibrations produced by voices of family members whilst in the womb. Is it therefore such an out-there concept that from a very early age we are making other associations, some of which are negative?

I don't think so. Couple this with the fact that every human develops at a different rate, therefore some people may have seen development of the hippocampus earlier than others. Allowing for this imprint of the foetal image to take place, and thereafter leave a lasting impression on many us who fear the Gray alien type. But even without this in utero foetal memory, due to evolution, we still have fears which are based on experiences of our ancestors. These are our primal instincts.

Well ATS what do you think a plausible explanation for the inherent fear of Grays experienced by more than a few members of society?

Sources;

multiples.about.com...

www.cirp.org...

thebrain.mcgill.ca...

www.forteantimes.com...

primal-page.com...

en.wikipedia.org...

Related Threads;

www.abovetopsecret.com...

www.abovetopsecret.com...

reply to post by Big Raging Loner
What a great OP. ATS threads with this amount of consideration are in the minority...a rarity.

I've read about this possible explanation before and it's worth taking the time to consider it.

I find the 'greys' concept/meme to be problematic. Sure, a lot of people accept them as a reality of UFO lore. They've become the 'Mickey Mouse' symbol of ufology...right up there with the flying saucer. They're all things to all people.

In terms of the birth experience, I'm not convinced. There's no credible evidence of bug-eyed greys prior to the 20th Century. No archetypes, no artistic depictions or folklore tradition. I tend to think that the 1000s of years of childbirth would have made the 'greys' a human stereotype way before the mid-20th Century. They should be a multi-cultural concept if child-birth was the root cause of such imagery.

As it stands, 'grey' imagery and concepts are grounded in western sub-cultures with an interest in extra-terrestrials and UFOs.






[edit on 1-9-2010 by Kandinsky]

OMG thanks for the scare! That episode of the X-Files freaked me out! I just posted about it on the other thread you mentioned...lol So not cool!

Ok about your theory, pretty good one I must say. I never thought of it that way but imo I believe grays exist. I do think for some it's a dream state but for others I believe it's completely real.

Also I am a twin, identical it's weird having someone else walking around looking just like you.

reply to post by mblahnikluver


In a weird way although they terrify me I still really hope they exist!

That is a freaky coincidence about the post in the other thread because I literally just read it on Draevin's before I came back to check the replies on this one!

What I find even more interesting is, I find great solace when I think of Greys.

I had an experience in 1997.

And although I can't recall 99.9% of it, I remember the instant I saw these creatures in my bedroom (and of course, woke up 3 hours later paralyzed in my own bed)

But, in trying to recall that night for the last 13 years now; when I think back......for some reason, I get a peaceful feeling. Not sure why.

So when I have trouble falling a sleep at night because I have too much on my mind, I just think back to this particular night of mine, and I fall right to sleep.


Funny how we all march to a different drummer.

reply to post by Human_Alien


Definitely a different drummer, that sounds like something that would keep me awake at night!

reply to post by Big Raging Loner


While I do not necessarily agree with your premise, Kadinsky is right that opening-posts like this are rare. You get a star-and-flag from me for a well-thought out and articulated post.

"The oldest and strongest emotion of mankind is fear, and the oldest and strongest kind of fear is fear of the unknown...' -- HP Lovecraft

It is not the greys themselves that cause a fear-reaction in people seeing a image of the suppose entities, it is their otherness. In our society, the grey has come to epitomize the alien. If abductees were claiming to see another entity, no matter how it appeared (as long as it was sufficiently alien), people have still have the same visceral response.

Originally posted by DoomsdayRex
reply to post by Big Raging Loner

 

While I do not necessarily agree with your premise, Kadinsky is right that opening-posts like this are rare. You get a star-and-flag from me for a well-thought out and articulated post.

"The oldest and strongest emotion of mankind is fear, and the oldest and strongest kind of fear is fear of the unknown...' -- HP Lovecraft

It is not the greys themselves that cause a fear-reaction in people seeing a image of the suppose entities, it is their otherness. In our society, the grey has come to epitomize the alien. If abductees were claiming to see another entity, no matter how it appeared (as long as it was sufficiently alien), people have still have the same visceral response.

You mean xenophobia on a cosmic scale.

You might be right about the unknown though, after all how many children/people are afraid of the dark?

That is the essence of the unknown. Maybe that is because only our mind can create our greatest fears. When there is a blank canvas so to speak, we can fill in the missing pieces, often incorrectly, based on negative assumptions as we imagine the worst case scenario.

So imagination is the real terror!

[edit on 1-9-2010 by Big Raging Loner]

reply to post by Big Raging Loner


Wow that is weird!!

Another odd thing is I think they are kind of cute in an alien way.

I think they exist but that is my personal opinion just from researching those little guys for 10 years. Everybody can't be lying or imagining them.

I know some think they are interdimensional beings but to me that still means alien since they aren't human and from Earth, but that is just my take on them. What they are really I do not know.

Maybe we should go back to using midwifes and give birth in a more comfortable environment. No wonder those poor babies cry. My dad says that when I came out, they didn't even cover me and they just brought me out in the cold hospital hallway to show my dad I was alive and breathing.

Yeah, this is a good explanation for western medicine based society but how can you explain this OrThis OR this?

There's like a million pics I could send to explain that this theory is really good, but it can prove to be true for everyone, like you said.

Good thread S+F!

reply to post by leira7


Could there be other, more earthly, explanations for those pictures?

Originally posted by Big Raging Loner
You mean xenophobia on a cosmic scale.

More like on the most primitive, biological scale. It is natural, inborn into us.

Originally posted by leira7
Maybe we should go back to using midwifes and give birth in a more comfortable environment. No wonder those poor babies cry. My dad says that when I came out, they didn't even cover me and they just brought me out in the cold hospital hallway to show my dad I was alive and breathing.

Yeah, this is a good explanation for western medicine based society but how can you explain this OrThis OR this?

There's like a million pics I could send to explain that this theory is really good, but it can prove to be true for everyone, like you said.

Good thread S+F!

Where did you get the second pic? I can't really tell what I am looking at. Is it a UFO?




BTW I love your avy! Darth Maul is one of my fav Star Wars characters. I actually have a huge collection of all Darth Maul memorabilia

reply to post by Big Raging Loner


It's funny that when I saw the image in your Opening Post I immediately got the idea of what the rest of your post would be, maybe you saw in that image the same things I saw.

It's an interesting theory, but although we can feel and hear while in the womb, we cannot see (not even after being born, we start life almost blind), so how do we associate the image with that? It's possibly an association that was made latter and that got connected to an unpleasant memory of being born.

The fact that some people find them cute is also a sign that they really have some characteristics that are recognised as those of a small child (either already born or before being born).

I think that's one of the reasons they are represented that way, to create an emotional response in the viewer.

For some reason I find them artificial looking and so I am not affected in any way, at least until I see one in front of me.

Originally posted by Big Raging Loner
OK so there are a few problems with this theory that even I can see.

Since you've pointed out the problems I can agree with those that the ability to recall such fetal events is likely to be limited to vague impressions at best and not any specific image like a gray.

I think I was probably a little creeped out by popular media culture description of abductions by grays, though after listening to the lost Betty Hill interview just posted and hearing that she didn't think her abductors were creepy, maybe I overreacted.

Besides after watching every episode of Stargate SG-1, I no longer fear grays but have replaced my media-influenced perception of grays as the loveable Asgard in that TV series.

Some of us do not have a fear reaction when seeing the image of a grey, but jubilant excitement...

Originally posted by Arbitrageur
I think I was probably a little creeped out by popular media culture description of abductions by grays...

I think media depiction of the grey is responsible for our fear of them. If the greys were presented as pure fiction, we would not fear them, any more than than we do any fictional creation. However, presented as a possible face of the aliens, our brains tells us it is something to fear.

i have fear of them i do ,i overcame it by getting it tattooed on my calf

so far so good

I think they're scary because they look like skulls, and insects, and oh...
... might abduct you and experiment on you!

Why would anybody be afraid of that?