UFOs and Abductions: Challenging the Borders of Knowledge

396 Pages·2000·53.313 MB·English

by  David M. Jacobs (editor)

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CHALLENGING
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KNOWLEDGE
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EDITED BY DAVID M. JACOBS
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■ he subject of this breakthrough book is
controversial, but its message is simple: The study
of UFOs merits the serious attention of the intellec-
tual establishment. Advocating credibility for this
much-maligned field of research, historian David
Jacobs and his coauthors highlight some of the key
events, issues, themes, and theories surrounding
this elusive, complex, and compelling subject.

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Whether interplanetary tourists, interlopers from
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a parallel universe, or mere misfirings in the brain, B 1
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UFOs and “aliens” permeate popular culture. La2
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They’ve made the covers of Time, Life, and the New LS
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York Times Book Review; garnered CNN coverage; e,
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turned up on Larry King Live and other high-profile N t
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talk shows; attracted large audiences for films and
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television series; and swamped the Internet with
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thousands of websites and discussion groups.
Despite this pervasive presence, few scholars have
been willing to study the perplexing phenomena
behind these cultural signifiers. Wary of a field that
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seems tainted by suspect methods and outlandish
theories, many have logically stayed away.
The relative lack of academic participation,
however, creates a vicious circle that prevents
the development of standards that would attract
greater academic participation and, thus, credibil-
ity and funding for the field. Meanwhile, the
UFOs and Abductions

UFOs and Abductions
Challenging the Borders
of Knowledge
Edited by David M. Jacobs
University Press of Kansas
\
© 2000 by the University Press of Kansas
All rights reserved
Published by the University Press of Kansas (Lawrence, Kansas 66049),
which was organized by the Kansas Board of Regents and is operated and
funded by Emporia State University, Fort Hays State University, Kansas
State University, Pittsburg State University, the University of Kansas, and
Wichita State University.
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
UFOs and abductions : challenging the borders of knowledge / edited by
David M. Jacobs,
p. cm.
Includes bibliographical references and index.
ISBN 0-7006-1032-4 (pbk. : alk paper)
1. Human-alien encounters. 2. Alien abduction. I. Jacobs, David
Michael, 1942-
BF2050.U36 2000
001.942—dc21 00-028970
British Library Cataloguing in Publication Data is available.
Printed in the United States of America
10 987654321
The paper used in this publication meets the minimum requirements of the
American National Standard for Permanence of Paper for Printed Library
Materials Z39.48-1984.
To Jack and Addie
Digitized by the Internet Archive
in 2017 with funding from
Kahle/Austin Foundation
https://archive.org/details/ufosabductionsOOdavi
Contents
Acknowledgments ix
Introduction 1
—David M. Jacobs
1. Ufology and Academia: The UFO Phenomenon as
a Scholarly Discipline 7
—Stuart Appelle
2. Limited Access: Six Natural Scientists and the
UFO Phenomenon 31
—Ron Westrum
3. Science, Law, and War: Alternative Frameworks for
the UFO Evidence 56
—Don C. Donderi
4. UFOs, the Military, and the Early Cold War Era 82
—Michael D. Swords
5. The Extraterrestrial Hypothesis in the Early UFO Age
—Jerome Clark
viii UFOs and Abductions
6. UFOs: Lost in the Myths 141
—Thomas E. Bullard
7. The UFO Abduction Controversy in the United States 192
—David M. Jacobs
8. Hypnosis and the Investigation of UFO Abduction
Accounts 215
—Budd Hopkins
9. How the Alien Abduction Phenomenon Challenges
the Boundaries of Our Reality 241
—John E. Mack
10. The UFO Experience: A Normal Correlate of Human Brain
Function 262
—Michael A. Persinger
11. Research Directions 303
—David M. Jacobs
Notes 311
Selected Bibliography 351
Contributors 359
Index 363