Table Of Content

en At the recent Fortean Times UnConven­ jectile, and sailed away. There was no tion {see BackPage) I was shown a copy known airship of this earth that could LU of a popular weekly magazine, pub­ have appeared in Vermont in July, lished in 1925. TP 'sand Cassell 's 1907." MAGONIA 86 Weekly was edited by T. P. O'Connor, Well the first phenomenon (incorporating MUFOB 133) 1- an Irish Nationalist M.P. who repre­ sounds like some sort of astronomical � NOVEMBER 2004 sented a constituency in Liverpolo. Un­ sighting -things which han around for like the tabloids oftoday, the articles in hours and appear night after night, usu­ EDITOR T.P 's Weekly are intelligent commentar­ ally are. The second is more puzzling, JOHNRIMMER ies on current events and brief articles but perhaps ball-lightning is not a com­ [email protected] 0 on such topics as 'Bards of Modem pletely unreasonable suggestion. So far Wales', Literary Past of Ipswich -Nei­ so unremarkable. But the real interest of ASSOCIATEED ITOR JohnH amev ther Robust nor Inspiring;, and 'Droll this letter is who it's from. The proud [email protected] z Fifteenth Century Sermons', as well as winner of the Right Hon. T. P. O'Con­ a page of readers' questions. nor's guinea (that's £1.05, to you CONTRIBUTINEGD ITOR Marl< Pilkington But our main interest I ies in youngsters) was none other than Charles [email protected] 'T.P's Post Bag, and in particular the Fort! Fort lived in London for just three first letter -"A Weekly Prize of One years, spending most of his time in the REVIEWSE DITOR Guinea is offered for the most interest­ British Museum Reading Room. Was Peter Rogerson I ing letter printed". And here is that let­ he, I wonder, a regular contributor to SUBSCRIPTIOND ETAILS ter in its entirety: the popular press of the era, or was this Magoniiasa vailabblyee x­ "SIR,-There are recorded indications letter a one-oti? Maybe he tried to changwei toht hemarg azines, <( that this earth has, from time to time, augment his income by winning 'most orb ys ubscriptiaottn h efo llow­ been visited by explorers from other interesting letter' prizes! If anyone can ingra tes: U. K.: £9. 50 (6 issues) worlds. In Nature {May 25, 1893) is throw light on this, or come up with Europe: 20.00 euros (6 issues) published an account, by Captain Char­ another Fortean contribution contempo­ USA: $20.00 (6 issues) les 1. Norcock, of H.M.S. Caroline. of a rary journals, we would be eager to Others: £8.00 (4 issues) fleet of lights in the sky, which he saw, learn of it upon the night of February 24, 1893, llliiiBB llliiilllliBi!lllliiSIIIIIIiil 11111 111111 111111111 111111 US subscribers must pay in � between Shanghai and Japan. These dollabri llsWe. are unablteo luminous objects, if not lights Can anyone explain to me why the accept checkdsra wn on American banks. upon several vessels from some other American MUFON organization still world, moved, sometimes in a massed appears to be taken seriously? The latest European subscriberss hould 0 formation, and sometimes in an irregu­ issue of its Journal received at Magonia payi nE uro notes. lar line. Anything of a meteoric nature has a cover showing a crude drawing of is excluded, because the duration was a face with large 'alien' -style eyes. This Chequesa nd money orders two hours. The next night these appear­ is supposed to depict Raechel (sic], the must be made payable to JOHN RIMMER,n ot' Magonia'.I- ances were observed again, moving as if college roommate of a girl called Ma­ exploring, for seven hour's and a half. risa, whose mother tells the story. Allco rrespondence, "Upon July 2, 1907, according Raechel is described as a very strange subscriptionasn de xchange to an account by Bishop John S. person, and the clear implication is that magaziness houldb ese ntt o Michaud, published in the Monthly she is some sort of alien-human hybrid. theed itor Weather Review (Washington), .1907, The main reason for this seems to be 0 JohnRim mer page 310, a "torpedo-shaped body" ap­ that she didn't have a boyfriend and had JohnDe e Cottage peared in the sky, over the city of Bur­ never heard of Simoo and Garfunkle! 5 James Terrace lington, Ve nnont. For a while it was Raechel seems to have been a MortlakeC hurchyard LU stationary, and then it slowly moved very lonely person who may have suf­ LondonS,W 14 BHB away. "Tongues of fire" issued from the fered from a form of Asperger's Syn­ United Kingdom object. There was a terrific drome and had difficulty socializing. VisMiatg oniOan -Une at explosion. Because conditions were But in the climate of fear which is be­ www.magonia.demotLco.uk stormy at the time, an attempt was made ing promoted by researchers like Budd to explain the explosion and something Hopkins, such people seem to be in @ Magoni2a004 . Copyrighitn signed articles writhe mtahien s that was seen to fall in terms of "ball­ danger of being marginalised even fur­ authors. lightning," but the account is of a vessel ther. This pernicious nonsense is going which appeared, seemed to fire a pro- to end in a tragedy. 3 Visions Before Midnight Witchcraft, Folklore and the Prehistory of the Abduction Phenomenon David Sivier interpret and communicate with the underlying entities by occult means are still carried out today. Ever since Vallee and Keel put pen, or typewriter One of the most notorious exam­ ples of this is arguably Alien H. ribbon to paper in the 70s, it's been an axiom Greenfield's Secret Cipher of the among proponents of the psychosocial Ufonauts, which used Qabalistic numerological systems derived hypothesis that the UFO phenomenon is merely from Aleister Crowley to plumb the cosmic mysteries behind the the modem variant of a range of paranormal phenomenon. I Thomas Bullard's research into the 'Old Hag' phe­ encounters and visitations by supernatural others. nomenon, and Persinger' s now no­ Despite their technological trappings, modem Far from being en­ torious hypothesis that such en­ counters with objec­ counters originate in disturbances UFO sightings are merely the scientistic expres- tively real, nuts and of the brain's Temporal Lobes bolts extraterrestrial have added further weight to the sion of deep religious and mystical impulses from spacecraft, UFO visita­ psychosocial view that alien en­ tions, and much of the counters are essentially an internal, within the human psyche, impulses, which have culture surrounding psychological experience, despite given rise to previous ages' myths of encounters them, is a twentieth Bullard 's own view that the Old century technological Hag phenomenon is an objectively with angels, demons, elves and ghosts. religious experience. real, rather than folkloric experi- This is, and always has ence. been, explicit in the Although the above short case of UFO religions summary of the psychosocial posi­ such as the Aetherius tion is now so well known as to Society of George King and the appear trite, particularly to its op­ Unarius sect founded by Ruth ponents, it's not often appreciated Norman in California. Although how closely the UFO and Abduc­ King and Adamski have passed tion experiences come to their on, the era of the Contactee with traditional predecessors in religion his or her extraterrestrial message and folklore. The lengthy com­ for mankind still continues, with parisons of a few years ago of channelled messages about im­ alien abduction investigators and pending ecological and planetary medieval witch-hunters by James catastrophe from 9-foot tall Ple­ Pontolillo and others, while im­ iadian reptilians, Ashtar Space mensely controversial, were almost Command and any number of literally accurate in their analysis communicating entities, or given of the relationship between the to those unfortunates who believe, two. In itself, this was not particu­ or are led to believe, that they lar revolutionary. Janet and Colin have been abducted and medically Bord in the 1970s researched the tortured by the aliens aboard the similarities between the entities spacecraft. reported from UFOs, and the de­ Furthermore, attempts to mons of medieval theology, based 4 on their reading of Nicholas of Anglia during the Interregnum, the statements given by the violat­ Remy's 16th century Demonlatry. cases which parallel the contem­ ing entities as explanations are es­ In confirmation of their research, porary abduction experience, sentially the same. Boreham's they note that during a conversa­ though with the obvious difference statement that they fought 'for all tion with six alien beings a com­ that these lack the technological of her' certainly compares with poser from Malvesi, in Narbonne, imagery characteristic of the Streiber's statement that they 'did France, had on 12 December 1987, Twentieth century. have a right' to carry out their ex­ one of the beings in answer to his The origin of some de­ periments, and indeed Fort's own question 'So you'r e monic encounters in visions during oft-repeated dictum of an putative extraterrestrials then?' replied a hypnopogic state is apparently alien presence on Earth, 'I think 'ciel, demon' (sky, demon). 'The born out in Steme's description of we are property.' use of the word demon goes some Anne Boreham's initiation into The parallels with the way towards confirming what their company. Boreham 'con­ Greys of the Abduction phenome­ some researchers have long sus­ fessed that as she awoke out of a non become even closer when one pected: that the UFO entity phe­ dreame she saw uglie men (as she considers that the familiars who nomenon is not peculiar to the thought) a fighting, and asked accompanied these witches were twentieth century but has occurred them why they fought, who an­ similarly diminutive. Elizabeth throughout history, the origins and swered that they would fight for Hubbard confessed that 'she had intentions of the entities being un­ all her, and then one vanished three things' come to her in the derstood in accordance with the away, and then came to her into likeness of children', 4 while Ed­ dominant beliefs of the age.' 2 bed, and had the use of her body.' ward W right similarly possessed Pontolillo, however, took the 3 There are obviously problems to two imps like little boys. 5 Of accepting such state­ course, elves had long been imag­ ments, along with ined to be diminutive in size, and other confessions from Lord Bemers · 1534 translation of the accused at face the fourteenth century French value, due to the im­ Huon ofBordeaux describes mense physical and Oberon, the fairy king as about the psychological stresses 'but of iii fote' in height. 6 Given under which those ac­ the association between fairies and cused were placed by witchcraft, it was to be expected their judicial tormen­ that the attendant imps should tors in order to extract similarly be envisaged as lacking confessions of guilt. adult human stature. Even the Although torture was paradoxically asexual nature of the not used in England, attacking entities themselves is and so the number of described in Steme's case studies, witchcraft cases was just as modem Abduction narra­ consequently small, tives describe similar highly sexed, nevertheless coercive but curiously sexless aliens. One measures such as walk­ of Steme's victims, Bush of Ban­ ing and watching -by ton, confessed that Satan appeared which Hopkins and his by her bedside as a young black cohorts denied the ac­ man -traditionally the colour of cused witches of sleep evil, but not yet the Grey of the -as well as leading Abductionists -'but could not questions and the un­ perform nature as man, ' 7 while bearable psychological Anne Crick stated that 'the Devill pressures to confess, had the use of her body, but she comparison one step further to means that it's possible that some, said she could not tell whether he include the conduct of the Abduc­ at least, of the testimony obtained performed nature or not.' 8 This tion researchers themselves, pre­ from suspected witches was latter, though, could have been due senting an image of their activi­ formed, consciously or uncon­ to the strong social pressures ties, including the willingness to sciously, to conform to the witch­ against confessing intimate -and inflict emotional pain on the vic­ finders' own prejudices and ex­ in this case, unnatural-sexual ac­ tims of such supernatural visita­ pectations. Nevertheless, Bore­ tivities in public, as Crick stated tions, which the Abduction re­ ham's statement, along with other clearly that 'she could not confess searchers naturally found abhor­ 'spectral evidence', certainly sug­ before much company.' 9 Al­ rent. Nevertheless, the similarities gests the origins of some witch­ though these encounters probably between these witch-hunters, past craft cases in encounters with didn't arise from the deliberate use and present, are very strong and sexually predatory incubi and suc­ of hallucinogens as a means of al­ can provide profound insights into cubi, demonic encounters of much tering consciousness, nevertheless the nature of the phenomenon. For the same type with the equally they bear a strong similarity to the example, the writings of John sexually predatory aliens, which 'machine elves' produced by the Steme, the friend and fellow also rape their human victims. The DMT experience, suggesting that witchfmder of the notorious Mat­ only difference here is that these they may indeed be autonomous, thew Hopkins, contains numerous latter incubi violate their victims but alienated sections of the hu­ cases of witchcraft they discovered on high-tech dissection tables, man psyche, rather than objective, during their reign of terror in East rather than their own beds. Even corporeal entities. 10 5 As for the confused, and to humiliate and control them. The its mythology of government often tortured emotional state of American sceptical sociologist, complicity and alien conspiracies, many abductees, this too is paral­ JeiTrey S. Victor, noted that "Ado­ are on the contrary deliberately leled by Steme's description of the lescents who see themselves as acting against its interests to ex­ motivations of the purported being "evil" create a psychological pose it as a manipulative and per­ witches victimised by himself and environment consistent with their secuting order. Hopkins. According to Steme, the self-concept. They see the world As for the Abductees Devil carefully observed his vic­ as they sec themselves, a place themselves, their experiences also tims to entrap them when they where malicious evil is more recapitulate the experiences of the were psychologically most vulner­ genuine than compassion.' 13 One medieval saints, some of whose 1. See: Steve Moore, review of Secret C� able, "as when any fall into a pas­ example where a belief in their torments also seem to have arisen pher of the Ufonauts, by Alan H Greenfield, sionate sorrow, accompanied with own evil has led to the develop­ from sleep paralysis. The 1438 llluminet Press, 1995, in Fortean Times no. solitarinesse for some losse, a ment of pseudo-Satanic beliefs, is English translation of the Golden 81, June-July 1995, p. 62 husband, wife, children or such that of Christina who used 'satan­ Legend of Jacobus de Voragine, 2. Janet and Colin Bord, Life Beyond like, the Devil offers himself to ism (sic) to rebel against her par­ describes such a nocturnal Satanic Planet Earth, Man's contacts with space comfort such in their sorrowful! ents· religion ... When her mother assault on Saint Edmund. One people, Grafton, 1991, p.115 melancholy mood.' 11 Of course, asked her directly about her sa­ night the saint fell asleep at his to contemporary Christian funda­ tanic beliefs, Christina told her books before he could meditate on 3. J. Steme,A Confirmation and Discovery mentalists searching for real, pres­ mother that there was nothing the Passion of Christ. As a result, of Witchcraft, 1648, repr. University of Exe­ ent day servants of Satan, such good in the world that was why 'the feende that had gret envy to ter, 1973, p.32 melancholy behaviour and the she liked satanism (sic).· 14 hym laye so hcvye on Scynt Ed­ avoidance of human company is Moreover, Victor elsewhere rec­ mond that he had no power to 4. Sterne, op. cif., p.26 very much a symptom of occult ords instances where suspected Sa­ blesse hym with the ryght hondc 5. Sterne, op. cit., p. 26 involvement, rather than a symp­ tanic criminals have been captured ner with the lyft honde.' /5 Never­ tom of a disturbed emotional state using material from the manuals theless, the saint was able to tri­ 6. G. Edward. Hobgoblin and Sweet Pucj; that may make an already vulner­ produced by the Satan hunters umph over the adversary when he fairy names and natures, Geoffrey Bles, able person particular susceptible themselves as the basis for their finally remembered, by the grace 1974, p. 168 to the delusion that he or she has perverted beliefs. The conclusion of God, Christ's passion, at which been violated and entrapped by to be drawn here seems to be that the Devil "fylle downe anone fro 7. Sterne, op. cif., p.29 predatory supernatural beings. an exaggerated, repressive empha­ hym.' 16 Furthermore, the saint 8. Sterne, op. cif., p.30 Here Steme also has a sis on Satan and the power of evil, was able to gain from the De''il few valuable lessons for today· s far from drawing people to the information on how best to defend 9. Sterne, op. cit., p. 30 Satan hunters, though his com­ saving power of Christ, produces himself from further Satanic as­ ments, from the background of an its demonic opposite. As a result, sault. This was indeed meditation 10. See: R. Rickard, 'Watch the Sky­ explicit believer in the reality of Christian ministers would be best on the Passion, which granted Watchers' review of Paul Devereux and the Devil"s agents on Earth, actu­ advised to avoid too much hell-fire anyone so occupied immunity Peter Brookesmith, UFOs and Ufolofy, ally corroborate instead the con­ and damnation preaching in favour from the Dcvil's attacks. /7 Blandford, 1997, in Fortean Times, 106, clusions of the Sceptics. Rather of other, more positive aspects of It has been stated that January 1998,p . 55 than demonstrating the fire-and­ the religion. Unfortunately it's a the Abduction phenomenon has 11. Rickard, op. cif. . p.55 brimstone sermon as a true path to message the fundamentalist Satan part of its origins in late Twentieth Christian salvation, Steme de­ hunters don't seem to have re­ -early Twenty-first century victim 1'2. Rickard, op. cif., p. 59 scribes instances where it has had ceived, particularly those fixated culture, and there is also an ele­ the opposite effect on its audience: on the supposedly demonic influ­ ment of this in the cult of the me­ 13. J. S. Vtctor, Satanic Panic; the creation ·For I have heard many of them ence of Harry Potter. dieval saints. Apart from the se­ of a contemporary legend. Open Court, say, that the Devil hath inticed Back in the world of vere asceticism practiced by them, 1993, pp. 148-9. them to witchcraft by some ser­ Ufology, although no doubt the their saintliness was also vindi­ 14. Victor, op. cif., p. 149, citing A. M. mons they have preached; as when Abduction researchers currently cated by the spiritual and psycho­ Spelz,' Treating Adolescent Satanism in ministers will preach of the power interrogating their percipients for logical privations they experi­ Art Therapy', The Arts in Psychotherapy of the devil, and his tormenting details of their supernatural as­ enced, such as demonic assault. 17,S ummer 1990,p p.147-155 the wicked' after which the Devil saults would be shocked and deny Although such assaults could con­ approached the novice witch, the comparison, nevertheless they tinue throughout the saint's life, 15. N. F. Blake,M iddle English Religious "asking them, How do you think to do seem to be recapitulating the his sanctity guaranteed that he Prose, Edward Arnold, London, 1972, be saved?' before promising them aims and approach of the medieval would be able to fend them off, p.168. that if they gave their soul to him, witch hunters in their pursuit of and even provide comfort and ex­ 16. B�ke,op. cff,p. 168 he would free them of the tor­ technological incubi. The main orcism to those who also suffered. ments of hell. As a result of this, difference between the two groups Indeed, his ability to protect him­ 17. Blake,op. cff,p. 168 according to Steme, '(i)gnorant of inquisitors is that the medieval self from such attacks through his people have been thus seduced.' and Early Modem witch hunters personal religious devotion itself 12 acted as the agents of a persecut­ vindicated his saintliness, marking Contemporary sceptical ing culture attempting to re­ him out as one of the elect rather opponents of the Satanism scare establish threatened socictal and than a demoniac requiring the mys­ have come to similar conclusions, religious norms. The tical aid of a true saint. noting that children with low Abductionists, on the other hand, The Abduction culture self-esteem may similarly become far from being the agents of the also stresses its adherents· status involved in pseudo-Satanic crime state or established church, per­ as the valorous victims of super­ through an overwhelming belief in ceive themselves as essentially natural assault, during which they their own evil derived from an opposed, or at least marginalized, may also receive messages of authoritarian, punitive background by the establishment, and in the spiritual import. Moreover, as with in which religious threats arc used case of 'Dark Side' ufology with the 'holy anorexia' and demonic 6 torments of the medieval saints, vival, Stars and Rumours of Stars, as prefiguring the similarly glam­ some researchers into the Abduc­ in which stars were seen to ac­ orous alien women of the tion phenomenon have detected a company the preaching of Mrs. Contactee era, such as Aura similar aetiology behind their su­ Mary Jones, 'the Welsh seeress' in Rhanes. pernatural persecutions in hysteria Egryn. It is possible, however, to Moreover, while the ap­ and various dissociative disorders, find episodes in 19th century folk­ pearance of the flying light is often expressed in trickery, such as lore, which also prefigure the 'in­ clearly related to the visions of those of poltergeists, fraudulent terrupted journey' of the Abduc­ stars documented in the Welsh mediums or shamans. In this view, tion narar tives and encounters with revival, it is also curiously remi­ such experiences are symptomatic sexually alluring, but dangerous, niscent of the UFO visions of the of a spectrum of hysterical disor­ supernatural entities. In 19th cen­ Twentieth Century, such as the ders of which Multiple Personality tury Shetland, for example, the flying light apparently produced by Disorder and Munchausen's Syn­ fairies, as well as being short, Paul Solem before reporters in drome are the most extreme. The were described as dressing uni­ Prescott, Arizona, in 1969. Solem classic example of the latter in formly in dark grey, 20 a feature had experienced his own extrater­ conventional Western religion is shared by the machine elves of the restrial epiphany in 1948 when he probably Benedetta Carlini, a sev­ contemporary technological psy­ heard the mental message, 'We are enteenth century Italian nun who che. Unlike these later creatures, from another planet. You will hear wounded herself in order to fake however, they were somewhat from us later', as three flying discs the stigmata, as well as suffering more colourful, with yellow com­ flew over his head. This initial demonic attack, as well as posses­ plexions, red eyes, green teeth and telepathic contact was succeeded sion by Jesus Christ and a cherub, natural brown wool mittens. 21 by a later meeting with a 'Venu­ The yellowish com­ sian angel.' Unlike the two Ork­ plexions also provide a neymen, who felt this was a per­ further similarity with sonal message meant only for some of the early themselves, Solem believed his Ufonauts, who were experience was of far wider import often described as hav­ and began addressing Indian meet­ ing a swarthy or orien­ ings during which he prophesied tal appearance. an approaching Day of Purifica­ Furthermore, tion, in which the faithful would in the 1870s two be taken by the aliens to safety young men, C. and S., and happiness on other worlds, from Deemess in Ork­ while those not so fortunate would ney were returning to perish on Earth. 23 The similari­ the farm where they ties between this, and other reviv­ worked one night alist messages of an approaching through a low valley apocalypse, are not coincidental, when they met two both deriving from an essentially girls wearing what religious impulse. looked like white night Other Contactees whose dresses. When they at­ experiences paralleled that of the tempted to embrace two Orkneymen included the Sicil­ them, however, the ian, Eugenio Siragusa, who heard two girls vanished, one an inner voice informing him of appearing to evaporate the 'mysteries of creation' after into thin air, while the being struck by a brilliant ray of other melted into the light emitted by a glowing object ground. Another even­ in 195 l. After 11 years of this Splenditello. 18 There is one dif­ ing, when they were again passing mental instruction, he was finally ference, however. The Abductees through the same valley, a bright motivated in 1962 to drive to Mt. are condemned to be perpetual, star, or ball of fire, came towards Etna to meet two silver clad fig­ passive victims of their tormen­ them. As it passed over their ures with long blond hair who tors, unable to prevent or defend heads, they heard a voice coming gave him a message of intergalac­ themselves from their assaults, un­ from it, saying 'I'm sent.' This vi­ tic love, fraternity and justice. like their medieval predecessors, sion was so terrifYing that C. col­ Significantly, Siragusa received his though some writers on Abduc­ lapsed to the ground, and took extraterrestrial revelation while tions have produced their own so­ some time to recover. Thinking waiting at the bus stop for the lutions to this abject state, ranging about it afterwards, however, the morning trip to work. 24 The gen­ from the caricature hats in tinfoil, two young men considered it a der of the extraterrestrials isn't to Greenfield's suggested magical sign 'not to associate with certain noted, but it is significant that techniques for warding off their girls of dubious reputation.' 22 many of them, whatever their sex, attacks. 19 While the clerics of the Middle wore their hair long and blond, or Elsewhere, Kevin and Ages would probably conclude had a peculiar feminine appear­ Sue McCiure have discussed par­ that the vision of the two girls in ance, a further parallel to the allels between 19th century relig­ their night atrti e were succubi, in­ spectral girls sene by the Orkney­ ious experience and that of con­ tent on using their sexual allure to men. temporary ufology in his analysis ensure the young men's damna­ The islanders' experi­ of the 1905 Welsh religious re- tion, it's also possible to see them ence here and that of the 'inter- 7 rupted journey· may have their demonic phenomena, at least, were for the privations of their origins in the stresses and psycho­ illusory. The Canon Episcopi, for poverty-stricken lives by imagin­ logical states induced by a long, example, considered the belief that ing they travelled to feast with the nocturnal journey, those of con­ women rode out at night with Queen of the Fairies, in return temporary Abductees, like the is­ Herodias as heretical, not that such gaining the power to heal, without landers in the tale, taking place at a night flight objectively occurred. objectively journeying to any such night. The psychological stresses Similarly, the 15th Munich occult gathering. 28 This follows similar of a long journey through monoto­ manuscript contains spells to pro­ claims by Carlo Ginzburg in his nous terrain can produce disorien­ duce the illusion of a mighty cas­ study of the Benandanti in The tation and trance-like states in tle, 25 while a 12th century Night Battles: Witchcraji and 18. J. Schnabbel, 'The Munch Bunch', in travellers -horizon fatigue -and grimoire from Rheims included Agrarian Cults in the 16th and Fortean Times, no. 70, August-September is recognised as particular hazard instructions for the summoning of 17th Centuries. Even in the British 1993, pp. 23-29 afef cting visitors to the wilder an illusory boat or horse to convey Isles, some folk stories suggest 19. Moore, op. cit., p.62 parts of the Australian outback. Al­ the necromancer to whichever des­ this. The fifteenth century account though Orkney isn't a barren, iso­ tination he desired. 26 It is possi­ of the exorcism of the fairy king 20. E. W. Marwick, The Folklore of Orkney lated, dangerous wilderness on a ble here to speculate on possible Gwyn ap Nudd from Glastonbury and Shetland, Batsford, 1975, p.42 par with the Australian desert, the connections between the sk-y ships Tor by the sixth-century saint Col­ two Orkneymen were presumably of Magonia in 8th century France len, which ends with the saint 21. E. W. Marwick, The Folklore of Orkney also tired after a long day of hard and these illusory vessels, crewed, alone on the hill top, after Gwyn, and Shetland, Batsford, 1975, p.42 agricultural work, and so may according to the Munich manual, his court and indeed his entire have been drifting towards a by spirits that were neither good palace had vanished, suggests a 22. E. W. Marwick, The Folklore of Orkney and Shetland, Batsford, 1975, p.98 semi-trance-like state where un­ nor evil, not in Hell or Heaven, 27 visionary experience not unlike the usual stimuli from their external though it could simply come from grimoires· description of illusory 23. Bord, op. cit., p. 185 environment could also generate the use of ships as a familiar and magical castles produced by de­ bizarre imagery from within their ready means of transport. mons. If the UFO is merely an 24. Bord, op. cit., p. 173 own minds. The bright light they The medieval theologi­ updated version of these super­ observed could have been a me­ ans formulated their views of the natural flying ships, whose ap­ 25. R. Kieckhefer, Magic in the Middle Ages, teor, a briefly glimpsed part of the illusory nature of much supernatu­ pearance has been modified in line C.U.P. .. 1989, p.6. Aurora Borealis, or even an Earth­ ral phenomena for dogmatic rea­ to produce a suitable technological 26. R. Kiechhefer, op. cit., p.158 light, like those of Hcssdalen on sons: demons, as God's creations, image of an advanced vehicle in the other side of the North Sea, or could not be seen to usurp the line with the scientistic culture of 27. R. Kiechhefer, op. cit., p.169 perhaps the distorted light from a creative power of the Almighty, no the Twentieth century, then it is distant farm house. Whatever the matter how powerful they may more than reasonable to suppose 28. G. Henningsen, 'The ladies from Out­ precise origin, it may well be that have appeared. Such theological that, as the medieval churchmen side: An Archais Pattern of the Wrtches this light, distorted by distance and niceties have left contradictions in partly recognised, it similarly Sabbath', in B. Ankarloo and G. Henningsen fatigue, acted on the men's minds the texts. For example, if the ships shares these ships· illusory nature. (eds.) Early Modem European Witchcraft to produce a vision of supernatural or horses were illusory, it could be Not all hypnogogic vi­ Centres and Peripheries, O.U.P., 1990, pp. 191-218. imagery and import. The phrase asked how they could be expected sions are necessarily malign, how­ T m sent" suggests its origin in to convey someone anywhere. The ever. There was one episode, re­ 29. R. Hunt. The Drolls, Traditions and traditional religious beliefs re­ answer to that may be that the corded in the 19th century by the Suiperstitions of Old Cornwall (Popular Sll­ garding celestial omens as things mortal traveller aboard them either folklorist, Robert Hunt, in which a perstitions of the West of England): First se­ literally sent from Heaven, while suffered further illusions of the frail old lady in Penberth Cove, ries: Giants, Fairies, Tregagle, Mermaids, stars themselves have always bene journey to his destination, or per­ Cornwall, sadly rendered bedrid­ Rocks, Lost cities, Fire Worship, Demons symbols of the mystic and numi­ haps reaJiy did go there, but during den, was entertained throughout and Spectres, Llanerch facsimile reprint of 1881, edition, FeUnfach, 1993, p.120 nous, either directly through as­ a fugue state brought on by his the day 'day by day, and all day trology or through images of the occult experiments, similar to the long' by the Small Folk, who 30. R. Hunt, op. cit. same page Star of Bethlehem in the story of dissociative states during which ·were her only company.· 29 'No the Nativity. Thus, to religious Abuctees and other experiencers sooner was the old woman left 31. R. Hunt, op. cit. same page percipients of such celestial prodi­ have travelled far across America alone that in they came and began gies these phenomena may auto­ during UFO flaps. The description their frolics, dancing over the raf­ 32. E. Conze, Buddhist Scriptures, Penguin, matically generate numinous feel­ of such vessels in the Munich ters and the key-beams, swinging 1959, p. 229 ings and imagery, thus accounting manuscript does suggest that the by the cobwebs like rope-dancers, for the mystical, or supernatural necromancer writing it was think­ catching the mice and riding them 33. E. Conze, op. cit, same page. content, of their visions. ing primarily in terms of a solid in and out through the holes in the Despite the parallels vessel, which he then piously tried thatch. When one party got tired with medieval magic and witch­ to reconcile with the church's doc­ another party came, and by day­ craft, there is one important point trine of the illusory nature of de­ light, and even by moonlight, the where the contemporary Abduc­ monic artefacts. old bedridden creature never tion phenomenon differs consid­ Nevertheless, regardless wanted amusement.' 30 The per­ erably from its predecessors. of the theological origins of their manent confmement of the woman While some contemporary opinions, the medieval churchmen to her bed suggests that her vi­ ufologists and Abduction re­ may have been substantially cor­ sions were experienced, or partly searchers strongly resist the idea rect as to the illusory nature of experienced, while she was sleep­ that UFOs are anything except many witches' Sabbaths. Gustav ing or dozing in hypnogogic state. concrete, objectively real extrater­ Henningsen has discussed the Si­ It is possible here to catch a restrial spacecraft piloted by cor­ cilian fairy cult of the 'Ladies glimpse of a woman in very poro poreal, organic beings, the from Outside'-Donas de Fueras­ health, living in abject poverty, for churchmen of the Middle Ages, on as arising from a dissociative state whom, like the Donas de Fueras' the contrary, considered that some in which its members compensated visits to their fairy banquets, the 8 visionary games of her elfin corn- humanity. The Abduction experi- into a rainbow, and you will find panions were a welcome relief and ence is probably too far gone, too yourself in paradise among the compensation from the immense delepy entrenched in the contem- angels'. 33 In the case of living, vicissitudes of a hard life. porary psyche for this, and the ma- secular encounters with the super- It is a marked contrast to trix of contemporary fears and natural, such spiritual advise may some of the other stories in which terrors too extreme for this too be of little help, though it does re- the fairies are responsible for the occur. Nevertheless, this episode, inforce the suggestion that such theft of goods and children from and others like it from traditional visions can be altered or modified fairy lore do hold out to a more benign version by the the possibility of a re- percipient mastering his or her in- turn to a far more be- ternal states. Otherwise, it offers nign variety of the comfort that however disturb- ufological visionary ing the visions and their attendant experience. horrors are, they are nevertheless It also sug- illusions, which will pass, leaving gests that Tibetan the victim to caryr on with their Buddhist doctrine as life, hopefully unscarred by the expressed in the Bardo incident. Thodo/ also known in Thus an analysis of the the West as The Book parallels between the contempo- of the Dead (literal rary Abduction phenomenon and translation: Liberation its predecessors in medieval and by Hearing in the Early Modem spirituality and After-Death Plane) magical beliefs strongly indicates may also be substan- that both share a common origin tially correct in ascrib- in internal experiences and hallu- ing the demons and cinations arising from dissociative monsters encountered or otherwise disturbed mental after death not to ob- states. The theologians of these jective spiritual enti- epochs partly recognised this, ties, but as projections though their continued belief in from the percipient's objectively real occult forces re- own mind: 'They ter- sponsible for these illusions, rify you beyond words, which were nevertheless capable and yet it is you who of real corporeal and spiritual have created them. Do harm, resulted in the deaths of their mortal neighbours. Possibly not give in to your fright, resist countless thousands accused of the benign nature of the fairies, your mental confusion! All this is such crimes. While the worldview who came to entertain this poro unreal, and what you see are the and methodologies adopted by lady resulted from the percipient's contents of your own mind in contemporary Christian funda- own good nature. The woman her- conflict with itself.' 31 Although mentalist witch hunters and Ab- self is described as 'a good old the state of the percipients in these duction researchers may differ creature' who, despite her priva- circumstances differs considerably from their medieval predecessors, tions, nevertheless enjoyed the -those encountering witches, an- nevertheless their activities reca- support of her relations, 'who gels and Ufonauts being very pitulate extremely closely the me- dropped in once a day, rendered much alive, rather than dead or dieval and Early Modern inquisi- her the little aid she required, and dying as in the case of the audi- tors' attempts to root out super- left food by the bedside.' 31 Cer- ence to whom the Bardo Thodol is natural evil and their human vie- tainly her recorded good nature, addressed, nevertheless it suggests tims and agents, the 'women who and those of the creatures she ob- that these visions do originate in copulate with the Devil', in the served while in a trance state, who subconscious dissociative states. In words of the Anglo-Saxon witch- came to keep her company, sug- the latter instance it may well have craft legislation. An awareness of gest that the content and character arisen in the further breakdown of the essentially illusory nature of of the creatures produced by the neurological functions in the dying the experience, and the dangers of subconscious partake or are brain, as controversially suggested emphasizing the ]X)Wer of evil, is a strongly informed by the character some years ago by Sue Blackmore. powerful weapon for combating and the mental state of their un- For Tibetan Buddhists, this reve- the extremely harmful claims of conscious creators. Kevin McClure lation is liberating as seeing both types of modem day witch- has suggested in the past that if through the troubling visions they finders. Such an approach is no somehow the Abduction hysteria, may face after death and recognis- doubt disappointing to supporters and social and psychological ten- ing them for what they are offers of the ETH, for whom Close En- sions and fears which infonn and the opportunity for the deceased to counters are evidence of objec- support it were somehow re- gain paradise: 'What you see here tively real encounters with alien moved, then it's possible that the is but the reflection of the contents entities, though it also suggests Close Encounter experience itself of your own mind in the mirror of that such experiences, by virtue of would revert to its earlier form in the Void. If at this point you their internal nature, thus partake which a traveller, late at night, should manage to understand that, of the rich and complex psychol- encountered a spaceman on a the shock this insight will stun ogy at the heart of shamanic con- lonely road with a message for you, your subtle body will disperse tact with the transcendent other. 9 Al i e n M i m i c ry i n P o p u l a r C u l t u re M ichael McH ug h technologies, but as moral and emotional idiots, with no more Iafl ieevnresca met oe artthot a rd,er aid conscience or empathy than so­ or sliytma pkpeit cruefso Gra lactic ciopathic career criminals. Their relationships and interpersonal Geogarphicg amnzaeiit, a wlaysse meed skills are so stunted and undevel­ oped that one wonders whether tom et ahtt hewyou lddo s ob yd sigusiing such a society could long survive, tehmeslevsa ntdh ietre cnholgoyi ns uhc since its members are so wooden, robotic and zombie-like, usually aw ayt hat stihmlepyye nbdldei nwi th motivated by fear and power con­ siderations. thneat ivaessm uhca sp osislb.eE tiher The aliens depicted in thaotrt, h ewyou lhdie l rolcatso d om uhc No matter whether the Cocoon movies are one excep­ their intentions were tion to this, and seem to have so­ of thef owtroh reakm n adc ats g udies sinister, benevolent or cial, emotional and empathic andit nereptrerEsv.eo nn e art,hp epole neutral, they would try qualities that match their advanced to mimic humans at technology, but my guess would whon eetdow orokrd ob unseisisn least to some degree, be that in popular culture, the ali­ simply in order to ens from imbalanced, paranoid and foirngec ountdroit eihssa l tlh temi e,a nd carry out their tasks aggressive cultures, with stunted alost rtyol earn sthoigmno ef tnhatei ve without being dis­ personalities and severe turbed. In the TV mini­ psychosocial deficiencies heavily langgueaa ncdu smtsob efotrheeg yo . series V, for example, outweigh the healthy, benevolent, the reptilian Visitors well-adjusted ones. It was a run­ &0tiil0l00ill0002�M%l0li4i0i00t0t020ili00)0��00i000800&l0li0Mf walkaroundatfirst ning commentary on the fears and wearing human suits disappointments of the 20th Cen­ and talking of peace and love, al­ tury, and on the loss of faith in though their disguise wears thin humanity in the wake of two very quickly when it becomes world wars in thirty years and hor­ clear that their real intentions are rors like Auschwitz and Hi­ to strip the earth of its resources roshima. There was a very com­ and enslave or exterminate the mon assumption that in an ad­ population. vanced technocratic society, the This is one of the main human personality would become themes running through science narrower, less individualistic and fiction books and movies. Aliens emotional and more like the ma­ who try to mimic humanity are chines that society now relied on never very successful for long, ei­ for everything. If the aliens of the ther because they are so much movies were just a anti-utopian worse than humans or sometimes vision of what humans feared their -so much better. Their deficien­ future would be like, then they cies are usually on the social and saw themselves evolving into emotional side, since they are of­ highly intelligent drones and ten shown as cultures with highly automatons. Moreover, virtually developed mental powers and none of the alien societies were 10 free and democratic, but usually an lot to do with this, of course, and 'lost' China and failed to liberate authoritarian or totalitarian system perhaps it was only coincidental North Korea. lt was probably the of some kind. that the first big UFO wave was in most dangerous time of the Cold Three classic films im­ 1947, the same year that regular War, except for the Cuban Missile mediately came to mind when I commercial television began Crisis of 1962, and if Stalin had thought of this genre of aliens try­ broadcasting in America. made a move in Europe. then the ing to blend in among humanity: U.S. really would have used its The Day the Earth Stood Still While not an actual war movie, nuclear weapons. ( 1951) , Invasion of the Body The Day the Earth Stood Still was This was the atmosphere Snatchers (1956), and Village of made during the Korean War, in 1951 when The Day the Earth the Damned ( 1960). One reason I which is long-forgotten now but at Stood Still was released, and under chose these as examples is because the time seemed like the prelude the circumstances, making a movie they reached a huge audience in to a third world war. For Ameri­ like this was courageous. It was an America though television, which cans on the political right, like the ugly and anxious time in Ameri­ always had regular slots for sci­ McCarthyites, it was also an ex­ can history, and science fiction ence fiction and horror movies, tremely frustrating war, since it was one of the safer ways to get like the famous Creature Feature seemed likely to end in a stale­ dissenting views across. Even so­ on WOR TV in New York. Obvi­ mate. Americans in general were ber and hard-headed types like ously, Hollywood aimed most of used to having their wars end in George Kennan thought world war these movies at a juvenile audi­ complete victory, and their great­ might break out at any time, so it ence and whole generations grew est victory of all in 1945 was still is no surprise that many people up watching them again and again a very recent memory, so it was a were hoping for some act of di­ bitter pill to swallow vine intervention or a helping hand that the country could from friendly aliens to prevent not work its will in a civilization from self-destructing. place like Korea. This The horrors of World War 11 were was not because still fresh in everyone's mind, and Americans are a natu­ there was more support in Amer­ rally war-like people. ica at the time for a strong United If anything, they are Nations organization to keep the natural isolationists peace than exists today. who would prefer not to be involved with the This is the message that outside world in any the benevolent alien Klattu wants way, and it took ex­ to deliver when he lands his flying treme provocations to saucer in Washington D. C. on a before they joined in summer's day in the Cold War. lf the world wars. Once humans do not surrender their they are at war, power to make war to some higher though, they insist on authority, then they are going to complete victory, and destroy themselves, an idea even if this is impossible some presidents like W oodrow prefer to do nothing at Wilson and Franklin Roosevelt all. would have agreed with. Klattula evethse p eopolfee a rthwith as implech oiceei:th geriv eu pth ep owert o Total victory Klattu is everything we makae ggreswasri avnedth r eateeanc ohth ewirth nukeosrfa cet otoabllit eraatito nw as no longer possible would expect from a diplomatic theh andso fG ort. in a world where other representative of a higher civiliza­ countries also had nu- tion: polished, urbane, cultivated, clear weapons. The speaking like the dean of the fmest on TV, but Day the Earth Stood hydrogen bomb, first tested in English department in the land. In Still, Invasion of the Body Snatch­ 1952, effectively meant destructive this movie, the humans come off ers and Children of the Damned power without limit, and thus badly in comparison to the alien, were also serious 'message pic­ rendered traditional concepts of and appear as cynical and self­ tures' , using the theme of ETs victory not only impossible but interested, or paranoid, aggressive mainly as a hook to get the atten­ meaningless. General Douglas and militaristic, while Klattu looks tion of the audience. I have no Macarthur had wanted to escalate like he would make a good leader way of guessing the actual number the Korean War to the nuclear for earth. From the very start of of people who saw these, but it is level, but President Truman fired movie, when a trigger-happy sol­ safe to say that anyone in America him -and privately called him in­ dier shoots up a communication who had even a remote interest in sane - for which he suffered the device that Klattu intended to give such subjects had a chance to see rabid backlash of the right wing to the president, we can tell his them, not just once but many and the McCarthyites. For years, mission will go badly. The elite times. If aliens really were visiting the Democratic Party was scared will not listen to him so he de­ earth, it was the worst kept secret by the viciousness of the attacks, cides to escape from the hospital in history, and even among my and presidents like John Kennedy where the government has him grandparent's generation, it was and Lyndon Johnson were ex­ confined and live incognito among already a commonplace that UFOs tremely edgy about right wing ac­ the common people--in order to were real and that such sightings cusations about 'losing' Cuba and get a better understanding of hu­ were nothing unusual. TV had a Vietnam the way Truman had manity and perhaps decide if it is

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en At the recent Fortean Times UnConven­ jectile, and sailed away. There was no tion {see BackPage) I was shown a copy known airship of this earth that could LU of a popular weekly magazine, pub­ have appeared in Vermont in July, lished in 1925. TP 'sand Cassell 's 1907." MAGONIA 86 Weekly was edited by T. P. O'Connor, Well the first phenomenon (incorporating MUFOB 133) 1- an Irish Nationalist M.P. who repre­ sounds like some sort of astronomical � NOVEMBER 2004 sented a constituency in Liverpolo. Un­ sighting -things which han around for like the tabloids oftoday, the articles in hours and appear night after night, usu­ EDITOR T.P 's Weekly are intelligent commentar­ ally are. The second is more puzzling, JOHNRIMMER ies on current events and brief articles but perhaps ball-lightning is not a com­ [email protected] 0 on such topics as 'Bards of Modem pletely unreasonable suggestion. So far Wales', Literary Past of Ipswich -Nei­ so unremarkable. But the real interest of ASSOCIATEED ITOR JohnH amev ther Robust nor Inspiring;, and 'Droll this letter is who it's from. The proud [email protected] z Fifteenth Century Sermons', as well as winner of the Right Hon. T. P. O'Con­ a page of readers' questions. nor's guinea (that's £1.05, to you CONTRIBUTINEGD ITOR Marl< Pilkington But our main interest I ies in youngsters) was none other than Charles [email protected] 'T.P's Post Bag, and in particular the Fort! Fort lived in London for just three first letter -"A Weekly Prize of One years, spending most of his time in the REVIEWSE DITOR Guinea is offered for the most interest­ British Museum Reading Room. Was Peter Rogerson I ing letter printed". And here is that let­ he, I wonder, a regular contributor to SUBSCRIPTIOND ETAILS ter in its entirety: the popular press of the era, or was this Magoniiasa vailabblyee x­ "SIR,-There are recorded indications letter a one-oti? Maybe he tried to changwei toht hemarg azines, <( that this earth has, from time to time, augment his income by winning 'most orb ys ubscriptiaottn h efo llow­ been visited by explorers from other interesting letter' prizes! If anyone can ingra tes: U. K.: £9. 50 (6 issues) worlds. In Nature {May 25, 1893) is throw light on this, or come up with Europe: 20.00 euros (6 issues) published an account, by Captain Char­ another Fortean contribution contempo­ USA: $20.00 (6 issues) les 1. Norcock, of H.M.S. Caroline. of a rary journals, we would be eager to Others: £8.00 (4 issues) fleet of lights in the sky, which he saw, learn of it upon the night of February 24, 1893, llliiiBB llliiilllliBi!lllliiSIIIIIIiil 11111 111111 111111111 111111 US subscribers must pay in � between Shanghai and Japan. These dollabri llsWe. are unablteo luminous objects, if not lights Can anyone explain to me why the accept checkdsra wn on American banks. upon several vessels from some other American MUFON organization still world, moved, sometimes in a massed appears to be taken seriously? The latest European subscriberss hould 0 formation, and sometimes in an irregu­ issue of its Journal received at Magonia payi nE uro notes. lar line. Anything of a meteoric nature has a cover showing a crude drawing of is excluded, because the duration was a face with large 'alien' -style eyes. This Chequesa nd money orders two hours. The next night these appear­ is supposed to depict Raechel (sic], the must be made payable to JOHN RIMMER,n ot' Magonia'.I- ances were observed again, moving as if college roommate of a girl called Ma­ exploring, for seven hour's and a half. risa, whose mother tells the story. Allco rrespondence, "Upon July 2, 1907, according Raechel is described as a very strange subscriptionasn de xchange to an account by Bishop John S. person, and the clear implication is that magaziness houldb ese ntt o Michaud, published in the Monthly she is some sort of alien-human hybrid. theed itor Weather Review (Washington), .1907, The main reason for this seems to be 0 JohnRim mer page 310, a "torpedo-shaped body" ap­ that she didn't have a boyfriend and had JohnDe e Cottage peared in the sky, over the city of Bur­ never heard of Simoo and Garfunkle! 5 James Terrace lington, Ve nnont. For a while it was Raechel seems to have been a MortlakeC hurchyard LU stationary, and then it slowly moved very lonely person who may have suf­ LondonS,W 14 BHB away. "Tongues of fire" issued from the fered from a form of Asperger's Syn­ United Kingdom object. There was a terrific drome and had difficulty socializing. VisMiatg oniOan -Une at explosion. Because conditions were But in the climate of fear which is be­ www.magonia.demotLco.uk stormy at the time, an attempt was made ing promoted by researchers like Budd to explain the explosion and something Hopkins, such people seem to be in @ Magoni2a004 . Copyrighitn signed articles writhe mtahien s that was seen to fall in terms of "ball­ danger of being marginalised even fur­ authors. lightning," but the account is of a vessel ther. This pernicious nonsense is going which appeared, seemed to fire a pro- to end in a tragedy. 3 Visions Before Midnight Witchcraft, Folklore and the Prehistory of the Abduction Phenomenon David Sivier interpret and communicate with the underlying entities by occult means are still carried out today. Ever since Vallee and Keel put pen, or typewriter One of the most notorious exam­ ples of this is arguably Alien H. ribbon to paper in the 70s, it's been an axiom Greenfield's Secret Cipher of the among proponents of the psychosocial Ufonauts, which used Qabalistic numerological systems derived hypothesis that the UFO phenomenon is merely from Aleister Crowley to plumb the cosmic mysteries behind the the modem variant of a range of paranormal phenomenon. I Thomas Bullard's research into the 'Old Hag' phe­ encounters and visitations by supernatural others. nomenon, and Persinger' s now no­ Despite their technological trappings, modem Far from being en­ torious hypothesis that such en­ counters with objec­ counters originate in disturbances UFO sightings are merely the scientistic expres- tively real, nuts and of the brain's Temporal Lobes bolts extraterrestrial have added further weight to the sion of deep religious and mystical impulses from spacecraft, UFO visita­ psychosocial view that alien en­ tions, and much of the counters are essentially an internal, within the human psyche, impulses, which have culture surrounding psychological experience, despite given rise to previous ages' myths of encounters them, is a twentieth Bullard 's own view that the Old century technological Hag phenomenon is an objectively with angels, demons, elves and ghosts. religious experience. real, rather than folkloric experi- This is, and always has ence. been, explicit in the Although the above short case of UFO religions summary of the psychosocial posi­ such as the Aetherius tion is now so well known as to Society of George King and the appear trite, particularly to its op­ Unarius sect founded by Ruth ponents, it's not often appreciated Norman in California. Although how closely the UFO and Abduc­ King and Adamski have passed tion experiences come to their on, the era of the Contactee with traditional predecessors in religion his or her extraterrestrial message and folklore. The lengthy com­ for mankind still continues, with parisons of a few years ago of channelled messages about im­ alien abduction investigators and pending ecological and planetary medieval witch-hunters by James catastrophe from 9-foot tall Ple­ Pontolillo and others, while im­ iadian reptilians, Ashtar Space mensely controversial, were almost Command and any number of literally accurate in their analysis communicating entities, or given of the relationship between the to those unfortunates who believe, two. In itself, this was not particu­ or are led to believe, that they lar revolutionary. Janet and Colin have been abducted and medically Bord in the 1970s researched the tortured by the aliens aboard the similarities between the entities spacecraft. reported from UFOs, and the de­ Furthermore, attempts to mons of medieval theology, based 4 on their reading of Nicholas of Anglia during the Interregnum, the statements given by the violat­ Remy's 16th century Demonlatry. cases which parallel the contem­ ing entities as explanations are es­ In confirmation of their research, porary abduction experience, sentially the same. Boreham's they note that during a conversa­ though with the obvious difference statement that they fought 'for all tion with six alien beings a com­ that these lack the technological of her' certainly compares with poser from Malvesi, in Narbonne, imagery characteristic of the Streiber's statement that they 'did France, had on 12 December 1987, Twentieth century. have a right' to carry out their ex­ one of the beings in answer to his The origin of some de­ periments, and indeed Fort's own question 'So you'r e monic encounters in visions during oft-repeated dictum of an putative extraterrestrials then?' replied a hypnopogic state is apparently alien presence on Earth, 'I think 'ciel, demon' (sky, demon). 'The born out in Steme's description of we are property.' use of the word demon goes some Anne Boreham's initiation into The parallels with the way towards confirming what their company. Boreham 'con­ Greys of the Abduction phenome­ some researchers have long sus­ fessed that as she awoke out of a non become even closer when one pected: that the UFO entity phe­ dreame she saw uglie men (as she considers that the familiars who nomenon is not peculiar to the thought) a fighting, and asked accompanied these witches were twentieth century but has occurred them why they fought, who an­ similarly diminutive. Elizabeth throughout history, the origins and swered that they would fight for Hubbard confessed that 'she had intentions of the entities being un­ all her, and then one vanished three things' come to her in the derstood in accordance with the away, and then came to her into likeness of children', 4 while Ed­ dominant beliefs of the age.' 2 bed, and had the use of her body.' ward W right similarly possessed Pontolillo, however, took the 3 There are obviously problems to two imps like little boys. 5 Of accepting such state­ course, elves had long been imag­ ments, along with ined to be diminutive in size, and other confessions from Lord Bemers · 1534 translation of the accused at face the fourteenth century French value, due to the im­ Huon ofBordeaux describes mense physical and Oberon, the fairy king as about the psychological stresses 'but of iii fote' in height. 6 Given under which those ac­ the association between fairies and cused were placed by witchcraft, it was to be expected their judicial tormen­ that the attendant imps should tors in order to extract similarly be envisaged as lacking confessions of guilt. adult human stature. Even the Although torture was paradoxically asexual nature of the not used in England, attacking entities themselves is and so the number of described in Steme's case studies, witchcraft cases was just as modem Abduction narra­ consequently small, tives describe similar highly sexed, nevertheless coercive but curiously sexless aliens. One measures such as walk­ of Steme's victims, Bush of Ban­ ing and watching -by ton, confessed that Satan appeared which Hopkins and his by her bedside as a young black cohorts denied the ac­ man -traditionally the colour of cused witches of sleep evil, but not yet the Grey of the -as well as leading Abductionists -'but could not questions and the un­ perform nature as man, ' 7 while bearable psychological Anne Crick stated that 'the Devill pressures to confess, had the use of her body, but she comparison one step further to means that it's possible that some, said she could not tell whether he include the conduct of the Abduc­ at least, of the testimony obtained performed nature or not.' 8 This tion researchers themselves, pre­ from suspected witches was latter, though, could have been due senting an image of their activi­ formed, consciously or uncon­ to the strong social pressures ties, including the willingness to sciously, to conform to the witch­ against confessing intimate -and inflict emotional pain on the vic­ finders' own prejudices and ex­ in this case, unnatural-sexual ac­ tims of such supernatural visita­ pectations. Nevertheless, Bore­ tivities in public, as Crick stated tions, which the Abduction re­ ham's statement, along with other clearly that 'she could not confess searchers naturally found abhor­ 'spectral evidence', certainly sug­ before much company.' 9 Al­ rent. Nevertheless, the similarities gests the origins of some witch­ though these encounters probably between these witch-hunters, past craft cases in encounters with didn't arise from the deliberate use and present, are very strong and sexually predatory incubi and suc­ of hallucinogens as a means of al­ can provide profound insights into cubi, demonic encounters of much tering consciousness, nevertheless the nature of the phenomenon. For the same type with the equally they bear a strong similarity to the example, the writings of John sexually predatory aliens, which 'machine elves' produced by the Steme, the friend and fellow also rape their human victims. The DMT experience, suggesting that witchfmder of the notorious Mat­ only difference here is that these they may indeed be autonomous, thew Hopkins, contains numerous latter incubi violate their victims but alienated sections of the hu­ cases of witchcraft they discovered on high-tech dissection tables, man psyche, rather than objective, during their reign of terror in East rather than their own beds. Even corporeal entities. 10 5 As for the confused, and to humiliate and control them. The its mythology of government often tortured emotional state of American sceptical sociologist, complicity and alien conspiracies, many abductees, this too is paral­ JeiTrey S. Victor, noted that "Ado­ are on the contrary deliberately leled by Steme's description of the lescents who see themselves as acting against its interests to ex­ motivations of the purported being "evil" create a psychological pose it as a manipulative and per­ witches victimised by himself and environment consistent with their secuting order. Hopkins. According to Steme, the self-concept. They see the world As for the Abductees Devil carefully observed his vic­ as they sec themselves, a place themselves, their experiences also tims to entrap them when they where malicious evil is more recapitulate the experiences of the were psychologically most vulner­ genuine than compassion.' 13 One medieval saints, some of whose 1. See: Steve Moore, review of Secret C� able, "as when any fall into a pas­ example where a belief in their torments also seem to have arisen pher of the Ufonauts, by Alan H Greenfield, sionate sorrow, accompanied with own evil has led to the develop­ from sleep paralysis. The 1438 llluminet Press, 1995, in Fortean Times no. solitarinesse for some losse, a ment of pseudo-Satanic beliefs, is English translation of the Golden 81, June-July 1995, p. 62 husband, wife, children or such that of Christina who used 'satan­ Legend of Jacobus de Voragine, 2. Janet and Colin Bord, Life Beyond like, the Devil offers himself to ism (sic) to rebel against her par­ describes such a nocturnal Satanic Planet Earth, Man's contacts with space comfort such in their sorrowful! ents· religion ... When her mother assault on Saint Edmund. One people, Grafton, 1991, p.115 melancholy mood.' 11 Of course, asked her directly about her sa­ night the saint fell asleep at his to contemporary Christian funda­ tanic beliefs, Christina told her books before he could meditate on 3. J. Steme,A Confirmation and Discovery mentalists searching for real, pres­ mother that there was nothing the Passion of Christ. As a result, of Witchcraft, 1648, repr. University of Exe­ ent day servants of Satan, such good in the world that was why 'the feende that had gret envy to ter, 1973, p.32 melancholy behaviour and the she liked satanism (sic).· 14 hym laye so hcvye on Scynt Ed­ avoidance of human company is Moreover, Victor elsewhere rec­ mond that he had no power to 4. Sterne, op. cif., p.26 very much a symptom of occult ords instances where suspected Sa­ blesse hym with the ryght hondc 5. Sterne, op. cit., p. 26 involvement, rather than a symp­ tanic criminals have been captured ner with the lyft honde.' /5 Never­ tom of a disturbed emotional state using material from the manuals theless, the saint was able to tri­ 6. G. Edward. Hobgoblin and Sweet Pucj; that may make an already vulner­ produced by the Satan hunters umph over the adversary when he fairy names and natures, Geoffrey Bles, able person particular susceptible themselves as the basis for their finally remembered, by the grace 1974, p. 168 to the delusion that he or she has perverted beliefs. The conclusion of God, Christ's passion, at which been violated and entrapped by to be drawn here seems to be that the Devil "fylle downe anone fro 7. Sterne, op. cif., p.29 predatory supernatural beings. an exaggerated, repressive empha­ hym.' 16 Furthermore, the saint 8. Sterne, op. cif., p.30 Here Steme also has a sis on Satan and the power of evil, was able to gain from the De''il few valuable lessons for today· s far from drawing people to the information on how best to defend 9. Sterne, op. cit., p. 30 Satan hunters, though his com­ saving power of Christ, produces himself from further Satanic as­ ments, from the background of an its demonic opposite. As a result, sault. This was indeed meditation 10. See: R. Rickard, 'Watch the Sky­ explicit believer in the reality of Christian ministers would be best on the Passion, which granted Watchers' review of Paul Devereux and the Devil"s agents on Earth, actu­ advised to avoid too much hell-fire anyone so occupied immunity Peter Brookesmith, UFOs and Ufolofy, ally corroborate instead the con­ and damnation preaching in favour from the Dcvil's attacks. /7 Blandford, 1997, in Fortean Times, 106, clusions of the Sceptics. Rather of other, more positive aspects of It has been stated that January 1998,p . 55 than demonstrating the fire-and­ the religion. Unfortunately it's a the Abduction phenomenon has 11. Rickard, op. cif. . p.55 brimstone sermon as a true path to message the fundamentalist Satan part of its origins in late Twentieth Christian salvation, Steme de­ hunters don't seem to have re­ -early Twenty-first century victim 1'2. Rickard, op. cif., p. 59 scribes instances where it has had ceived, particularly those fixated culture, and there is also an ele­ the opposite effect on its audience: on the supposedly demonic influ­ ment of this in the cult of the me­ 13. J. S. Vtctor, Satanic Panic; the creation ·For I have heard many of them ence of Harry Potter. dieval saints. Apart from the se­ of a contemporary legend. Open Court, say, that the Devil hath inticed Back in the world of vere asceticism practiced by them, 1993, pp. 148-9. them to witchcraft by some ser­ Ufology, although no doubt the their saintliness was also vindi­ 14. Victor, op. cif., p. 149, citing A. M. mons they have preached; as when Abduction researchers currently cated by the spiritual and psycho­ Spelz,' Treating Adolescent Satanism in ministers will preach of the power interrogating their percipients for logical privations they experi­ Art Therapy', The Arts in Psychotherapy of the devil, and his tormenting details of their supernatural as­ enced, such as demonic assault. 17,S ummer 1990,p p.147-155 the wicked' after which the Devil saults would be shocked and deny Although such assaults could con­ approached the novice witch, the comparison, nevertheless they tinue throughout the saint's life, 15. N. F. Blake,M iddle English Religious "asking them, How do you think to do seem to be recapitulating the his sanctity guaranteed that he Prose, Edward Arnold, London, 1972, be saved?' before promising them aims and approach of the medieval would be able to fend them off, p.168. that if they gave their soul to him, witch hunters in their pursuit of and even provide comfort and ex­ 16. B�ke,op. cff,p. 168 he would free them of the tor­ technological incubi. The main orcism to those who also suffered. ments of hell. As a result of this, difference between the two groups Indeed, his ability to protect him­ 17. Blake,op. cff,p. 168 according to Steme, '(i)gnorant of inquisitors is that the medieval self from such attacks through his people have been thus seduced.' and Early Modem witch hunters personal religious devotion itself 12 acted as the agents of a persecut­ vindicated his saintliness, marking Contemporary sceptical ing culture attempting to re­ him out as one of the elect rather opponents of the Satanism scare establish threatened socictal and than a demoniac requiring the mys­ have come to similar conclusions, religious norms. The tical aid of a true saint. noting that children with low Abductionists, on the other hand, The Abduction culture self-esteem may similarly become far from being the agents of the also stresses its adherents· status involved in pseudo-Satanic crime state or established church, per­ as the valorous victims of super­ through an overwhelming belief in ceive themselves as essentially natural assault, during which they their own evil derived from an opposed, or at least marginalized, may also receive messages of authoritarian, punitive background by the establishment, and in the spiritual import. Moreover, as with in which religious threats arc used case of 'Dark Side' ufology with the 'holy anorexia' and demonic 6 torments of the medieval saints, vival, Stars and Rumours of Stars, as prefiguring the similarly glam­ some researchers into the Abduc­ in which stars were seen to ac­ orous alien women of the tion phenomenon have detected a company the preaching of Mrs. Contactee era, such as Aura similar aetiology behind their su­ Mary Jones, 'the Welsh seeress' in Rhanes. pernatural persecutions in hysteria Egryn. It is possible, however, to Moreover, while the ap­ and various dissociative disorders, find episodes in 19th century folk­ pearance of the flying light is often expressed in trickery, such as lore, which also prefigure the 'in­ clearly related to the visions of those of poltergeists, fraudulent terrupted journey' of the Abduc­ stars documented in the Welsh mediums or shamans. In this view, tion narar tives and encounters with revival, it is also curiously remi­ such experiences are symptomatic sexually alluring, but dangerous, niscent of the UFO visions of the of a spectrum of hysterical disor­ supernatural entities. In 19th cen­ Twentieth Century, such as the ders of which Multiple Personality tury Shetland, for example, the flying light apparently produced by Disorder and Munchausen's Syn­ fairies, as well as being short, Paul Solem before reporters in drome are the most extreme. The were described as dressing uni­ Prescott, Arizona, in 1969. Solem classic example of the latter in formly in dark grey, 20 a feature had experienced his own extrater­ conventional Western religion is shared by the machine elves of the restrial epiphany in 1948 when he probably Benedetta Carlini, a sev­ contemporary technological psy­ heard the mental message, 'We are enteenth century Italian nun who che. Unlike these later creatures, from another planet. You will hear wounded herself in order to fake however, they were somewhat from us later', as three flying discs the stigmata, as well as suffering more colourful, with yellow com­ flew over his head. This initial demonic attack, as well as posses­ plexions, red eyes, green teeth and telepathic contact was succeeded sion by Jesus Christ and a cherub, natural brown wool mittens. 21 by a later meeting with a 'Venu­ The yellowish com­ sian angel.' Unlike the two Ork­ plexions also provide a neymen, who felt this was a per­ further similarity with sonal message meant only for some of the early themselves, Solem believed his Ufonauts, who were experience was of far wider import often described as hav­ and began addressing Indian meet­ ing a swarthy or orien­ ings during which he prophesied tal appearance. an approaching Day of Purifica­ Furthermore, tion, in which the faithful would in the 1870s two be taken by the aliens to safety young men, C. and S., and happiness on other worlds, from Deemess in Ork­ while those not so fortunate would ney were returning to perish on Earth. 23 The similari­ the farm where they ties between this, and other reviv­ worked one night alist messages of an approaching through a low valley apocalypse, are not coincidental, when they met two both deriving from an essentially girls wearing what religious impulse. looked like white night Other Contactees whose dresses. When they at­ experiences paralleled that of the tempted to embrace two Orkneymen included the Sicil­ them, however, the ian, Eugenio Siragusa, who heard two girls vanished, one an inner voice informing him of appearing to evaporate the 'mysteries of creation' after into thin air, while the being struck by a brilliant ray of other melted into the light emitted by a glowing object ground. Another even­ in 195 l. After 11 years of this Splenditello. 18 There is one dif­ ing, when they were again passing mental instruction, he was finally ference, however. The Abductees through the same valley, a bright motivated in 1962 to drive to Mt. are condemned to be perpetual, star, or ball of fire, came towards Etna to meet two silver clad fig­ passive victims of their tormen­ them. As it passed over their ures with long blond hair who tors, unable to prevent or defend heads, they heard a voice coming gave him a message of intergalac­ themselves from their assaults, un­ from it, saying 'I'm sent.' This vi­ tic love, fraternity and justice. like their medieval predecessors, sion was so terrifYing that C. col­ Significantly, Siragusa received his though some writers on Abduc­ lapsed to the ground, and took extraterrestrial revelation while tions have produced their own so­ some time to recover. Thinking waiting at the bus stop for the lutions to this abject state, ranging about it afterwards, however, the morning trip to work. 24 The gen­ from the caricature hats in tinfoil, two young men considered it a der of the extraterrestrials isn't to Greenfield's suggested magical sign 'not to associate with certain noted, but it is significant that techniques for warding off their girls of dubious reputation.' 22 many of them, whatever their sex, attacks. 19 While the clerics of the Middle wore their hair long and blond, or Elsewhere, Kevin and Ages would probably conclude had a peculiar feminine appear­ Sue McCiure have discussed par­ that the vision of the two girls in ance, a further parallel to the allels between 19th century relig­ their night atrti e were succubi, in­ spectral girls sene by the Orkney­ ious experience and that of con­ tent on using their sexual allure to men. temporary ufology in his analysis ensure the young men's damna­ The islanders' experi­ of the 1905 Welsh religious re- tion, it's also possible to see them ence here and that of the 'inter- 7 rupted journey· may have their demonic phenomena, at least, were for the privations of their origins in the stresses and psycho­ illusory. The Canon Episcopi, for poverty-stricken lives by imagin­ logical states induced by a long, example, considered the belief that ing they travelled to feast with the nocturnal journey, those of con­ women rode out at night with Queen of the Fairies, in return temporary Abductees, like the is­ Herodias as heretical, not that such gaining the power to heal, without landers in the tale, taking place at a night flight objectively occurred. objectively journeying to any such night. The psychological stresses Similarly, the 15th Munich occult gathering. 28 This follows similar of a long journey through monoto­ manuscript contains spells to pro­ claims by Carlo Ginzburg in his nous terrain can produce disorien­ duce the illusion of a mighty cas­ study of the Benandanti in The tation and trance-like states in tle, 25 while a 12th century Night Battles: Witchcraji and 18. J. Schnabbel, 'The Munch Bunch', in travellers -horizon fatigue -and grimoire from Rheims included Agrarian Cults in the 16th and Fortean Times, no. 70, August-September is recognised as particular hazard instructions for the summoning of 17th Centuries. Even in the British 1993, pp. 23-29 afef cting visitors to the wilder an illusory boat or horse to convey Isles, some folk stories suggest 19. Moore, op. cit., p.62 parts of the Australian outback. Al­ the necromancer to whichever des­ this. The fifteenth century account though Orkney isn't a barren, iso­ tination he desired. 26 It is possi­ of the exorcism of the fairy king 20. E. W. Marwick, The Folklore of Orkney lated, dangerous wilderness on a ble here to speculate on possible Gwyn ap Nudd from Glastonbury and Shetland, Batsford, 1975, p.42 par with the Australian desert, the connections between the sk-y ships Tor by the sixth-century saint Col­ two Orkneymen were presumably of Magonia in 8th century France len, which ends with the saint 21. E. W. Marwick, The Folklore of Orkney also tired after a long day of hard and these illusory vessels, crewed, alone on the hill top, after Gwyn, and Shetland, Batsford, 1975, p.42 agricultural work, and so may according to the Munich manual, his court and indeed his entire have been drifting towards a by spirits that were neither good palace had vanished, suggests a 22. E. W. Marwick, The Folklore of Orkney and Shetland, Batsford, 1975, p.98 semi-trance-like state where un­ nor evil, not in Hell or Heaven, 27 visionary experience not unlike the usual stimuli from their external though it could simply come from grimoires· description of illusory 23. Bord, op. cit., p. 185 environment could also generate the use of ships as a familiar and magical castles produced by de­ bizarre imagery from within their ready means of transport. mons. If the UFO is merely an 24. Bord, op. cit., p. 173 own minds. The bright light they The medieval theologi­ updated version of these super­ observed could have been a me­ ans formulated their views of the natural flying ships, whose ap­ 25. R. Kieckhefer, Magic in the Middle Ages, teor, a briefly glimpsed part of the illusory nature of much supernatu­ pearance has been modified in line C.U.P. .. 1989, p.6. Aurora Borealis, or even an Earth­ ral phenomena for dogmatic rea­ to produce a suitable technological 26. R. Kiechhefer, op. cit., p.158 light, like those of Hcssdalen on sons: demons, as God's creations, image of an advanced vehicle in the other side of the North Sea, or could not be seen to usurp the line with the scientistic culture of 27. R. Kiechhefer, op. cit., p.169 perhaps the distorted light from a creative power of the Almighty, no the Twentieth century, then it is distant farm house. Whatever the matter how powerful they may more than reasonable to suppose 28. G. Henningsen, 'The ladies from Out­ precise origin, it may well be that have appeared. Such theological that, as the medieval churchmen side: An Archais Pattern of the Wrtches this light, distorted by distance and niceties have left contradictions in partly recognised, it similarly Sabbath', in B. Ankarloo and G. Henningsen fatigue, acted on the men's minds the texts. For example, if the ships shares these ships· illusory nature. (eds.) Early Modem European Witchcraft to produce a vision of supernatural or horses were illusory, it could be Not all hypnogogic vi­ Centres and Peripheries, O.U.P., 1990, pp. 191-218. imagery and import. The phrase asked how they could be expected sions are necessarily malign, how­ T m sent" suggests its origin in to convey someone anywhere. The ever. There was one episode, re­ 29. R. Hunt. The Drolls, Traditions and traditional religious beliefs re­ answer to that may be that the corded in the 19th century by the Suiperstitions of Old Cornwall (Popular Sll­ garding celestial omens as things mortal traveller aboard them either folklorist, Robert Hunt, in which a perstitions of the West of England): First se­ literally sent from Heaven, while suffered further illusions of the frail old lady in Penberth Cove, ries: Giants, Fairies, Tregagle, Mermaids, stars themselves have always bene journey to his destination, or per­ Cornwall, sadly rendered bedrid­ Rocks, Lost cities, Fire Worship, Demons symbols of the mystic and numi­ haps reaJiy did go there, but during den, was entertained throughout and Spectres, Llanerch facsimile reprint of 1881, edition, FeUnfach, 1993, p.120 nous, either directly through as­ a fugue state brought on by his the day 'day by day, and all day trology or through images of the occult experiments, similar to the long' by the Small Folk, who 30. R. Hunt, op. cit. same page Star of Bethlehem in the story of dissociative states during which ·were her only company.· 29 'No the Nativity. Thus, to religious Abuctees and other experiencers sooner was the old woman left 31. R. Hunt, op. cit. same page percipients of such celestial prodi­ have travelled far across America alone that in they came and began gies these phenomena may auto­ during UFO flaps. The description their frolics, dancing over the raf­ 32. E. Conze, Buddhist Scriptures, Penguin, matically generate numinous feel­ of such vessels in the Munich ters and the key-beams, swinging 1959, p. 229 ings and imagery, thus accounting manuscript does suggest that the by the cobwebs like rope-dancers, for the mystical, or supernatural necromancer writing it was think­ catching the mice and riding them 33. E. Conze, op. cit, same page. content, of their visions. ing primarily in terms of a solid in and out through the holes in the Despite the parallels vessel, which he then piously tried thatch. When one party got tired with medieval magic and witch­ to reconcile with the church's doc­ another party came, and by day­ craft, there is one important point trine of the illusory nature of de­ light, and even by moonlight, the where the contemporary Abduc­ monic artefacts. old bedridden creature never tion phenomenon differs consid­ Nevertheless, regardless wanted amusement.' 30 The per­ erably from its predecessors. of the theological origins of their manent confmement of the woman While some contemporary opinions, the medieval churchmen to her bed suggests that her vi­ ufologists and Abduction re­ may have been substantially cor­ sions were experienced, or partly searchers strongly resist the idea rect as to the illusory nature of experienced, while she was sleep­ that UFOs are anything except many witches' Sabbaths. Gustav ing or dozing in hypnogogic state. concrete, objectively real extrater­ Henningsen has discussed the Si­ It is possible here to catch a restrial spacecraft piloted by cor­ cilian fairy cult of the 'Ladies glimpse of a woman in very poro poreal, organic beings, the from Outside'-Donas de Fueras­ health, living in abject poverty, for churchmen of the Middle Ages, on as arising from a dissociative state whom, like the Donas de Fueras' the contrary, considered that some in which its members compensated visits to their fairy banquets, the 8 visionary games of her elfin corn- humanity. The Abduction experi- into a rainbow, and you will find panions were a welcome relief and ence is probably too far gone, too yourself in paradise among the compensation from the immense delepy entrenched in the contem- angels'. 33 In the case of living, vicissitudes of a hard life. porary psyche for this, and the ma- secular encounters with the super- It is a marked contrast to trix of contemporary fears and natural, such spiritual advise may some of the other stories in which terrors too extreme for this too be of little help, though it does re- the fairies are responsible for the occur. Nevertheless, this episode, inforce the suggestion that such theft of goods and children from and others like it from traditional visions can be altered or modified fairy lore do hold out to a more benign version by the the possibility of a re- percipient mastering his or her in- turn to a far more be- ternal states. Otherwise, it offers nign variety of the comfort that however disturb- ufological visionary ing the visions and their attendant experience. horrors are, they are nevertheless It also sug- illusions, which will pass, leaving gests that Tibetan the victim to caryr on with their Buddhist doctrine as life, hopefully unscarred by the expressed in the Bardo incident. Thodo/ also known in Thus an analysis of the the West as The Book parallels between the contempo- of the Dead (literal rary Abduction phenomenon and translation: Liberation its predecessors in medieval and by Hearing in the Early Modem spirituality and After-Death Plane) magical beliefs strongly indicates may also be substan- that both share a common origin tially correct in ascrib- in internal experiences and hallu- ing the demons and cinations arising from dissociative monsters encountered or otherwise disturbed mental after death not to ob- states. The theologians of these jective spiritual enti- epochs partly recognised this, ties, but as projections though their continued belief in from the percipient's objectively real occult forces re- own mind: 'They ter- sponsible for these illusions, rify you beyond words, which were nevertheless capable and yet it is you who of real corporeal and spiritual have created them. Do harm, resulted in the deaths of their mortal neighbours. Possibly not give in to your fright, resist countless thousands accused of the benign nature of the fairies, your mental confusion! All this is such crimes. While the worldview who came to entertain this poro unreal, and what you see are the and methodologies adopted by lady resulted from the percipient's contents of your own mind in contemporary Christian funda- own good nature. The woman her- conflict with itself.' 31 Although mentalist witch hunters and Ab- self is described as 'a good old the state of the percipients in these duction researchers may differ creature' who, despite her priva- circumstances differs considerably from their medieval predecessors, tions, nevertheless enjoyed the -those encountering witches, an- nevertheless their activities reca- support of her relations, 'who gels and Ufonauts being very pitulate extremely closely the me- dropped in once a day, rendered much alive, rather than dead or dieval and Early Modern inquisi- her the little aid she required, and dying as in the case of the audi- tors' attempts to root out super- left food by the bedside.' 31 Cer- ence to whom the Bardo Thodol is natural evil and their human vie- tainly her recorded good nature, addressed, nevertheless it suggests tims and agents, the 'women who and those of the creatures she ob- that these visions do originate in copulate with the Devil', in the served while in a trance state, who subconscious dissociative states. In words of the Anglo-Saxon witch- came to keep her company, sug- the latter instance it may well have craft legislation. An awareness of gest that the content and character arisen in the further breakdown of the essentially illusory nature of of the creatures produced by the neurological functions in the dying the experience, and the dangers of subconscious partake or are brain, as controversially suggested emphasizing the ]X)Wer of evil, is a strongly informed by the character some years ago by Sue Blackmore. powerful weapon for combating and the mental state of their un- For Tibetan Buddhists, this reve- the extremely harmful claims of conscious creators. Kevin McClure lation is liberating as seeing both types of modem day witch- has suggested in the past that if through the troubling visions they finders. Such an approach is no somehow the Abduction hysteria, may face after death and recognis- doubt disappointing to supporters and social and psychological ten- ing them for what they are offers of the ETH, for whom Close En- sions and fears which infonn and the opportunity for the deceased to counters are evidence of objec- support it were somehow re- gain paradise: 'What you see here tively real encounters with alien moved, then it's possible that the is but the reflection of the contents entities, though it also suggests Close Encounter experience itself of your own mind in the mirror of that such experiences, by virtue of would revert to its earlier form in the Void. If at this point you their internal nature, thus partake which a traveller, late at night, should manage to understand that, of the rich and complex psychol- encountered a spaceman on a the shock this insight will stun ogy at the heart of shamanic con- lonely road with a message for you, your subtle body will disperse tact with the transcendent other. 9 Al i e n M i m i c ry i n P o p u l a r C u l t u re M ichael McH ug h technologies, but as moral and emotional idiots, with no more Iafl ieevnresca met oe artthot a rd,er aid conscience or empathy than so­ or sliytma pkpeit cruefso Gra lactic ciopathic career criminals. Their relationships and interpersonal Geogarphicg amnzaeiit, a wlaysse meed skills are so stunted and undevel­ oped that one wonders whether tom et ahtt hewyou lddo s ob yd sigusiing such a society could long survive, tehmeslevsa ntdh ietre cnholgoyi ns uhc since its members are so wooden, robotic and zombie-like, usually aw ayt hat stihmlepyye nbdldei nwi th motivated by fear and power con­ siderations. thneat ivaessm uhca sp osislb.eE tiher The aliens depicted in thaotrt, h ewyou lhdie l rolcatso d om uhc No matter whether the Cocoon movies are one excep­ their intentions were tion to this, and seem to have so­ of thef owtroh reakm n adc ats g udies sinister, benevolent or cial, emotional and empathic andit nereptrerEsv.eo nn e art,hp epole neutral, they would try qualities that match their advanced to mimic humans at technology, but my guess would whon eetdow orokrd ob unseisisn least to some degree, be that in popular culture, the ali­ simply in order to ens from imbalanced, paranoid and foirngec ountdroit eihssa l tlh temi e,a nd carry out their tasks aggressive cultures, with stunted alost rtyol earn sthoigmno ef tnhatei ve without being dis­ personalities and severe turbed. In the TV mini­ psychosocial deficiencies heavily langgueaa ncdu smtsob efotrheeg yo . series V, for example, outweigh the healthy, benevolent, the reptilian Visitors well-adjusted ones. It was a run­ &0tiil0l00ill0002�M%l0li4i0i00t0t020ili00)0��00i000800&l0li0Mf walkaroundatfirst ning commentary on the fears and wearing human suits disappointments of the 20th Cen­ and talking of peace and love, al­ tury, and on the loss of faith in though their disguise wears thin humanity in the wake of two very quickly when it becomes world wars in thirty years and hor­ clear that their real intentions are rors like Auschwitz and Hi­ to strip the earth of its resources roshima. There was a very com­ and enslave or exterminate the mon assumption that in an ad­ population. vanced technocratic society, the This is one of the main human personality would become themes running through science narrower, less individualistic and fiction books and movies. Aliens emotional and more like the ma­ who try to mimic humanity are chines that society now relied on never very successful for long, ei­ for everything. If the aliens of the ther because they are so much movies were just a anti-utopian worse than humans or sometimes vision of what humans feared their -so much better. Their deficien­ future would be like, then they cies are usually on the social and saw themselves evolving into emotional side, since they are of­ highly intelligent drones and ten shown as cultures with highly automatons. Moreover, virtually developed mental powers and none of the alien societies were 10 free and democratic, but usually an lot to do with this, of course, and 'lost' China and failed to liberate authoritarian or totalitarian system perhaps it was only coincidental North Korea. lt was probably the of some kind. that the first big UFO wave was in most dangerous time of the Cold Three classic films im­ 1947, the same year that regular War, except for the Cuban Missile mediately came to mind when I commercial television began Crisis of 1962, and if Stalin had thought of this genre of aliens try­ broadcasting in America. made a move in Europe. then the ing to blend in among humanity: U.S. really would have used its The Day the Earth Stood Still While not an actual war movie, nuclear weapons. ( 1951) , Invasion of the Body The Day the Earth Stood Still was This was the atmosphere Snatchers (1956), and Village of made during the Korean War, in 1951 when The Day the Earth the Damned ( 1960). One reason I which is long-forgotten now but at Stood Still was released, and under chose these as examples is because the time seemed like the prelude the circumstances, making a movie they reached a huge audience in to a third world war. For Ameri­ like this was courageous. It was an America though television, which cans on the political right, like the ugly and anxious time in Ameri­ always had regular slots for sci­ McCarthyites, it was also an ex­ can history, and science fiction ence fiction and horror movies, tremely frustrating war, since it was one of the safer ways to get like the famous Creature Feature seemed likely to end in a stale­ dissenting views across. Even so­ on WOR TV in New York. Obvi­ mate. Americans in general were ber and hard-headed types like ously, Hollywood aimed most of used to having their wars end in George Kennan thought world war these movies at a juvenile audi­ complete victory, and their great­ might break out at any time, so it ence and whole generations grew est victory of all in 1945 was still is no surprise that many people up watching them again and again a very recent memory, so it was a were hoping for some act of di­ bitter pill to swallow vine intervention or a helping hand that the country could from friendly aliens to prevent not work its will in a civilization from self-destructing. place like Korea. This The horrors of World War 11 were was not because still fresh in everyone's mind, and Americans are a natu­ there was more support in Amer­ rally war-like people. ica at the time for a strong United If anything, they are Nations organization to keep the natural isolationists peace than exists today. who would prefer not to be involved with the This is the message that outside world in any the benevolent alien Klattu wants way, and it took ex­ to deliver when he lands his flying treme provocations to saucer in Washington D. C. on a before they joined in summer's day in the Cold War. lf the world wars. Once humans do not surrender their they are at war, power to make war to some higher though, they insist on authority, then they are going to complete victory, and destroy themselves, an idea even if this is impossible some presidents like W oodrow prefer to do nothing at Wilson and Franklin Roosevelt all. would have agreed with. Klattula evethse p eopolfee a rthwith as implech oiceei:th geriv eu pth ep owert o Total victory Klattu is everything we makae ggreswasri avnedth r eateeanc ohth ewirth nukeosrfa cet otoabllit eraatito nw as no longer possible would expect from a diplomatic theh andso fG ort. in a world where other representative of a higher civiliza­ countries also had nu- tion: polished, urbane, cultivated, clear weapons. The speaking like the dean of the fmest on TV, but Day the Earth Stood hydrogen bomb, first tested in English department in the land. In Still, Invasion of the Body Snatch­ 1952, effectively meant destructive this movie, the humans come off ers and Children of the Damned power without limit, and thus badly in comparison to the alien, were also serious 'message pic­ rendered traditional concepts of and appear as cynical and self­ tures' , using the theme of ETs victory not only impossible but interested, or paranoid, aggressive mainly as a hook to get the atten­ meaningless. General Douglas and militaristic, while Klattu looks tion of the audience. I have no Macarthur had wanted to escalate like he would make a good leader way of guessing the actual number the Korean War to the nuclear for earth. From the very start of of people who saw these, but it is level, but President Truman fired movie, when a trigger-happy sol­ safe to say that anyone in America him -and privately called him in­ dier shoots up a communication who had even a remote interest in sane - for which he suffered the device that Klattu intended to give such subjects had a chance to see rabid backlash of the right wing to the president, we can tell his them, not just once but many and the McCarthyites. For years, mission will go badly. The elite times. If aliens really were visiting the Democratic Party was scared will not listen to him so he de­ earth, it was the worst kept secret by the viciousness of the attacks, cides to escape from the hospital in history, and even among my and presidents like John Kennedy where the government has him grandparent's generation, it was and Lyndon Johnson were ex­ confined and live incognito among already a commonplace that UFOs tremely edgy about right wing ac­ the common people--in order to were real and that such sightings cusations about 'losing' Cuba and get a better understanding of hu­ were nothing unusual. TV had a Vietnam the way Truman had manity and perhaps decide if it is

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