Aliens, Abductions and Psychology.

Bear with me - this does relate to the title of this post...

This post delves into my own professional life. I review MANY social and health care scientific journals each week. Last year, I had the pleasure of reading about 5,000 of these literary gems [sic].

I'd like to introduce you to TMS. Tension Myoneural Syndrome. Here in the UK, 50% of road trafic accident victims suffer from whiplash. Of those, 20% have long-term complications caused by the accident. At the same time it is well known that psysiotherapy doesn't help with complaints like whiplash. The researchers, while investigating this, discovered that Lithuanians never suffer from whiplash - in fact it isn't even in their vocabulary! The authors thought that this was rather strange.

So they conducted, in true scientific tradition, an experiment. They gathered several hundred volunteers, who were required to sit in a car surrounded by projection screens. The participants were shown a film of a car accident from their perspective. Guess what.

50% of those viewing the film suffered whiplash, of which 20% suffered long-term complaints caused by the 'accident'! Exactly the same as in real accidents. OK, they thought, something else is going on here.

In its most basic interpretation, a human mind consistes of two parts - the conscious, and sub-conscious. When the conscious mind is put under extreme emotional pressure (a car crash), the sub-conscious takes over in order to protect it. An extreme example would be a child going into a catatonic state after witnessing the death of a parent. However, the sub-conscious is easily led. What happens is that the sub-conscious takes over and looks for a way of diverting the emotional trauma. The victims conscious mind is crying out "WHIPLASH". So the sub-conscious fabricates a pain that corresponds to whiplash.

Researchers are well-aware of this relationship between psychological trauma and physical trauma. Currently, there is a global clinical trial in progress (by law) to ascertain the true links between the psychological and physical manifestations of the complaint.

Incidently, although whiplash is a largely UK phenomena, in the US the same thing occurs due to bad backs - basically, if you want to hurt, you're going to.

Now - how does this relate to aliens, abductions and psychology. Well, I think the link is pretty clear. If a person is so predisposed to a certain outcome, then, under the right cercumstances, it will happen (in a psychological sense). I truly believe this accounts for virtually everything (if not all) that we hear about the topic at hand.

In other words national psychology is the biggest determining factor in the percentage of reported cases, rather than actual cases happening.

Interesting, due to my own circumstances I have become very well read about the mind/body connection.
How this can play against other cultures is also of interest to me.
I'm looking forward to the contributions that will be made to this thread.

I really do agree.

I have suffered from a lot of sleep disorders because of neurological damage.
As a child my dreams were of a typical child's fears, but then as I got older watched a lot of movies and TV and enjoyed the subjects of UFO's and Aliens this carried over into my dreams.

In about 90% of sleep paralysis experiences it is always Alien abduction and this did not happen till I was exposed to the content I even remember exactly what it was - an episode of unsolved mystery's at age 10 -, don't get me wrong I understand how someone could confuse this with reality but for me I was taught by my doctors and neurosurgeons that my dreams are very dependent upon the content I subjected myself to so I've always had that to keep me grounded in reality through these truly terrifying experiences.

Also, when I began coming to ATS and reading "dream prediction" threads I myself began to have these prediction dreams as well.

I think it all comes down to the content we read/subject ourselves that make up our dream reality and we either choose to ignore it, deny it, or just simply let our imaginations take us over, which don't get me wrong can be fun.
I think the more people are educated about the human psyche and dreams the more they will come to understand this and I am in no way trying to lessen an individuals "real" abduction dreams because the are in fact real to the person who has them.

Some people just don't like to think that our minds are so vulnerable and easily influenced.
I think for those who already feel this is a real experience they aren't going to be taught otherwise or open to the possibility.
I have had people beg, plead with me,and ask me to send them my dreams and dream themes because they feel without a doubt they are real, even after explaining my life circumstances and why I really do have these dreams because of a medical condition.
The earlier people learn this kind of information the better, and it can also save children and adults a lot of sleepless, fearful nights that will carry over into all spectrum's of their life.

This actually relative to soo many things in life and also many subjects within the community of ATS.

Thanks for posting!

Well, this is definately one of the very interesting explanations that exist. Though I wonder- do you mean to suggest that everyone that has had these sorts of experiences or memories, had some sort of trauma at the time ?

First, that experiment seems to violate ethics if the goal was to see if people would develop whiplash (pain). In effect, it was no different than subjecting them to an actual crash. The proof of that observation is that was exactly what they were trying to reproduce and could not be denied. It was unethical to cause those complaints according to what you present. In the US, you would have a bunch of legal claims exactly on that point. Trauma was created solely by and for the experiment! It seems, again, on what you report, a very faulty study where the desired results could easily have been telegraphed to the subjects by the experimenters. Finally, really, how much of whiplash complaints are actually physically damage or brought on to get a settlement? It is quite common done in the US when the other party is at fault.

Lastly, my abduction experience happened before such were common. It happened before the Barry and Betty Hill case when such events were unheard of.

Why do some professionals, usually psychologist think (a pun there), that they know more than the person with the experience? It only stand to reason that the psychologist doesn't have a good grasp on reality. that is to say that they don't know what is going on in the real world. In this instance, This is a case of denial about every single aspect of UFOs, aliens, abduction cases, and every possibility or likelihood that a totally different intelligence could be coming to this planet and messin' with us in ways we cannot understand. It is a position similar taken by our governments: "We know best, you know nothing." Practical experience is dismissed out of hand without the slightest reason except for any such authority holding in mind their own superior theories and agendas.

Originally posted by Bluesma
Well, this is definately one of the very interesting explanations that exist. Though I wonder- do you mean to suggest that everyone that has had these sorts of experiences or memories, had some sort of trauma at the time ?

My explanation isn't interesting. It real.

First of all, these stats are real, conducted on real people suffering real events.

Do I presume that I can explain every event using these figures? No, of course not - but they do explain by far the majority. And the idea of a national psychology is extremely compelling.

I don't do the research. I'm just privy to seeing it. And they cost A LOT OF MONEY to view them in the most part. A lot of the most relevant research reviews examine many previous research cases. This will easily cost $20,000 or more to verify.

Of course, that isn't to say it's being hidden away from you. It simply costs an awful lot to do.

The point of my post was that national 'mental health problems' were difficult to understand. There's no simple explanation - it's just a matter of culture. In the UK we like to get bad necks, and in the US you like to get bad backs. For the record, 1 in 4 US and EU citizens suffer from a mental health condition. It's normal, not strange.

Originally posted by Bluesma
Well, this is definately one of the very interesting explanations that exist. Though I wonder- do you mean to suggest that everyone that has had these sorts of experiences or memories, had some sort of trauma at the time ?

No. Using the analogy I gave, some people actually smack their faces against the windshield, which I imagine would hurt. But the majority don't. It's all in their mind.

Originally posted by Aliensun
First, that experiment seems to violate ethics if the goal was to see if people would develop whiplash (pain). In effect, it was no different than subjecting them to an actual crash. The proof of that observation is that was exactly what they were trying to reproduce and could not be denied. It was unethical to cause those complaints according to what you present. In the US, you would have a bunch of legal claims exactly on that point. Trauma was created solely by and for the experiment! It seems, again, on what you report, a very faulty study where the desired results could easily have been telegraphed to the subjects by the experimenters. Finally, really, how much of whiplash complaints are actually physically damage or brought on to get a settlement? It is quite common done in the US when the other party is at fault.

Lastly, my abduction experience happened before such were common. It happened before the Barry and Betty Hill case when such events were unheard of.

Why do some professionals, usually psychologist think (a pun there), that they know more than the person with the experience? It only stand to reason that the psychologist doesn't have a good grasp on reality. that is to say that they don't know what is going on in the real world. In this instance, This is a case of denial about every single aspect of UFOs, aliens, abduction cases, and every possibility or likelihood that a totally different intelligence could be coming to this planet and messin' with us in ways we cannot understand. It is a position similar taken by our governments: "We know best, you know nothing." Practical experience is dismissed out of hand without the slightest reason except for any such authority holding in mind their own superior theories and agendas.

Well, firstly psychologists actually DO know more about your situation than you do. They often have a far better grasp on mental health than suffers of mental health problems. Also, practical experience isn't dismissed out of hand. It's extremely well considered. And prooven. Finally, it isn't mean't to be a catch-all situation. It's simply the norm.

As someone who has had such experiences myself, I know that I am open to such hypotheses which concern projections of the subconscious mind. Yes, for me, these experiences seemed as real any other moment of my day. But even I am not so sure that because all of my senses paint this for me that it is objectively true! I cannot claim to know for sure. Of course that also makes me have to face that NOTHING I think I know, based upon my experiences, can be sure. I remember making and eating oatmeal yesterday morning, but no one else saw me do it and can support the idea that it is true, so I cannot be sure it is objectively true.

The mind, and memory, is not so trustworthy. We've learned enough about our minds workings to know that, at least. The mirror neurons account for probably most of what this experiment illustrated. I have learned that my subconscious mind doesn't discern "I" and "other" very well, if at all. Nor does it make much separation between inside and outside- all that is what my conscious self awareness cuts through and organizes. If I am in a state where my conscious awareness is less active, inner and outer reality tend to blend and even my body will follow that lead.

The collective subconscious may get in there too, making things even more complicated, I think! Because much of what I experienced, I didn't have access to where I was at that time. I didn't know anything about the abduction phenomena, I was out of my country for a while, couldn't speak or read the language around me, had no internet at that time, nor TV channels in my own language, nor bookstores in my own language.

And yet my experiences mirrored those of many people at that time back in my country (I found out later).

So yes, one conclusion could be that it is simply a very real and physical, material event, in which my subconscious mind didn't get too involved in.

Or it could have been seeded in exposure of my subconscious to certain concepts and elements much earlier in my life that I was not aware of (through media)
Or it could be that the collective subconscious has concepts and forms in them which can travel from one mind to another regardless of space or individual exposure and experience! In the tradition of Jung's archetypes?

But as long as there are still more than one hypotheses out there that have not been proven impossible, I cannot come to a conclusion.

The biggest and most valuable lesson I took from these experiences is just that though- learning to let go of the need to believe I know in order to feel secure.

Originally posted by WhatAliens

Originally posted by Bluesma
Well, this is definately one of the very interesting explanations that exist. Though I wonder- do you mean to suggest that everyone that has had these sorts of experiences or memories, had some sort of trauma at the time ?

No. Using the analogy I gave, some people actually smack their faces against the windshield, which I imagine would hurt. But the majority don't. It's all in their mind.

But I mean, what is your assertion as to why the subconscious would project this to them? To cover a trauma? Or because they witnessed it happening to someone else and their mind grabbed it as if it was their own experience?
Why, do you propose, did the subconscious mind do this then?

Originally posted by Bluesma
As someone who has had such experiences myself, I know that I am open to such hypotheses which concern projections of the subconscious mind. Yes, for me, these experiences seemed as real any other moment of my day. But even I am not so sure that because all of my senses paint this for me that it is objectively true! I cannot claim to know for sure. Of course that also makes me have to face that NOTHING I think I know, based upon my experiences, can be sure. I remember making and eating oatmeal yesterday morning, but no one else saw me do it and can support the idea that it is true, so I cannot be sure it is objectively true.

The mind, and memory, is not so trustworthy. We've learned enough about our minds workings to know that, at least. The mirror neurons account for probably most of what this experiment illustrated. I have learned that my subconscious mind doesn't discern "I" and "other" very well, if at all. Nor does it make much separation between inside and outside- all that is what my conscious self awareness cuts through and organizes. If I am in a state where my conscious awareness is less active, inner and outer reality tend to blend and even my body will follow that lead.

The collective subconscious may get in there too, making things even more complicated, I think! Because much of what I experienced, I didn't have access to where I was at that time. I didn't know anything about the abduction phenomena, I was out of my country for a while, couldn't speak or read the language around me, had no internet at that time, nor TV channels in my own language, nor bookstores in my own language.

And yet my experiences mirrored those of many people at that time back in my country (I found out later).

So yes, one conclusion could be that it is simply a very real and physical, material event, in which my subconscious mind didn't get too involved in.

Or it could have been seeded in exposure of my subconscious to certain concepts and elements much earlier in my life that I was not aware of (through media)
Or it could be that the collective subconscious has concepts and forms in them which can travel from one mind to another regardless of space or individual exposure and experience! In the tradition of Jung's archetypes?

But as long as there are still more than one hypotheses out there that have not been proven impossible, I cannot come to a conclusion.

The biggest and most valuable lesson I took from these experiences is just that though- learning to let go of the need to believe I know in order to feel secure.

This is simply the best and most honest recount i've yet to hear. S&F.

I'm not an expert in anything. I only know what I know. But I do know that what you said is extraodinary - you excepted both sides of the argument. Cudos to you. My own humble opinion - you have mental health problems, but you are on top of them. And that's a BIG thing. I have them too, and not ashamed to admit it (1 in 4 of the population). Don't worry mate (miss?) you'll be OK!

Ultimatley, yes - it's the cultural influence. You (we) are programmed to think in such a way that isn't healthy. Its the modern world!

Originally posted by Bluesma
But I mean, what is your assertion as to why the subconscious would project this to them? To cover a trauma? Or because they witnessed it happening to someone else and their mind grabbed it as if it was their own experience?
Why, do you propose, did the subconscious mind do this then?

You got it pretty much. Trauma is a powerful thing. The most important thing for the brain is stability. When unstabalised, is does some very weird things. Like I said - I'm not an expert - just an observer.

However, I do know one thing. When under duress, the mind will react in ways not fully understood. Sometimes good, sometimes bad.

reply to post by WhatAliens
The article is Miracles of mindbody medicine.

The surprising results of the Lithuanian study led a group of researchers to hypothesise that the cause of chronic whiplash was unrelated to physical injury. To test this theory, they set up an experiment where 51 volunteers were involved in a placebo collision. The study involved a simulated car crash, with corresponding sights and sounds to make it appear to the subjects that an accident had taken place, though there was virtually no physical impact on the body. Three days after this placebo collision, 20 per cent of the study subjects reported symptoms of whiplash, and four weeks after the experiment, 10 per cent were still symptomatic. The mere thought that one was in an accident was sufficient to bring about pain in these subjects. Furthermore, the researchers found that psychological factors were highly predictive in determining who would develop pain14.

It's interesting and links into those newish avenues of physical pain and discomfort being closely linked to the psychological profile of the percipient. I'd like to read more and comments from peers, but a quick look drew blanks.

At the heart of the AA issue is human consciousness and psychology is one of the ways forward. Of course, studying people with researcher-bias assuming they're all schizotypal may not be that productive.

Thank you for bringing this research to my attention, I find it very interesting.
As the entire subject of "aliens" has stealthy and slowly permeated society over the decades, it is in many peoples subconscious. TPTB have been methodical - giving us "testimonies", "witnesses", "prophets", "good ones", "evil ones" - at the same time destroying the belief in God or removing him from as many aspects of society. They, through the MSM, the Internet, archaeology, these discussion boards - are now in the process of giving you the "God figure" (e.g. We were created by ET). They are nearly done creating the new RELIGION for many people.

With the above understanding, it's quite easy to see how this latest research applies.

I think that "whiplash" study is quite interesting.

I once found myself in a minor accident, me, my sister, her BF and some friend.
My sister drove and "slightly" bumped another car at very low speed, causing a minor fender bender.

What surprised me that she and her other, female friend went to to the hospital after this, "convinced" they had whiplash. The result was they were walking around with those casts for a week or two, 100% convinced they had whiplash - what for me was a very, very minor "bump" accident where i simply could not believe that anyone would have a physical injury from it.

But of course, i had no reason to doubt my sis and her friend...but i just found it odd.

You also have to know there are other, two interesting things to mention:

* If you bump into the back of another car, its often the other's fault
* If you get whiplash in such an accident and it has been proven the accident is the others party fault, you will get money from the insurance

I am NOT saying that my sis faked it (there was nothing indicating so)...but it is kind of like self-fulfilling especially if it turned out that experiencing whiplash would (after all) somehow benefit her.

The other factor was that she felt guilt (since she drove her BF's parents car for the first time)..she bumped into the other car and was devastated about it because she "caused" the accident.

By receiving an injury she would become the "victim"...and being the "victim" in the accident would make it psychologically more acceptable than "having caused the accident".

So..there were several psychological factors "in favor" of getting whiplash.

I am NOT saying she did not actually get whiplash, but that the psychological state might play a big role there.

Well, I may had mental problems at the time, these experiences stopped many years ago. I went to a psychologist, and to a psychoanalyst, and they both thought that besides these weird experiences, I was otherwise psychologically healthy, and they couldn't come up with a probable explanation.

But I started to do research and came up with my own diagnosis- that I was somewhat "traumatized" by having left my country, and living in one where I could not communicate with anyone, couldn't relate to the culture, and had no friends or family. Something related to Stendhal or Paris Syndrome, where loosing all familiar elements causes one to have their own indentity walls crumble, and they can hallucinate, become paranoid, and have de-personalization problems. They've foudn that having someone with you while traveling that is of your own culture can keep this from happening, as you both reinforce your familiar values and viewpoints. I didn't have that support, and my ego may have broken down, and I ended up open to "chaos"- or a state in which all of ones beliefs about reality fall apart.

Jung considered this a necessary phase of becoming self- constructed- before that happens, you continue to be a construct of the subconscious conditionings of your earliest years. In other words- to be sane, you have to go crazy first.

He also suggested that as that first ego loses it's walls, you also become vulnerable to the collective subconscious, and all the life within it.

This point became important eventually because my hallucinations became shared with others. Besides my first sighting in plain daylight, where many other drivers on the road were stopped and saw it with me, then my husband and children had experiences with me! I was not telling them about this, by the way. I was sure I was crazy and told them I was going to a shrink to deal with a little homesickness. But as things got more and more traumatic for them, I had to find a possible explanation for my hallucinations having transfered to them without my telling them.

The collective consciousness element worked for that. They could have picked up the same stuff subconsciously that way.