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There are several categories encompassed within the UFO
phenomenon: unidentified flying (or seaworthy) objects, abducting and/or
encountered entities, orbs, et al.
And our interest lies in the flying/seaworthy things, but
the encountered humanoid encounters are prominent among a significant number of
ufologists.
So, they need to be considered – dealt with – to help
unclutter the phenomenon. (Or maybe we should consider UFOs as phenomena, as
some noted UFOers have suggested.)
Pressing some of my psychological pals and contacts
proffered the designation in the title above, Deliria oneirica:
“Bianchi says: ‘these deliria are constituted of scenes from
dreams, changing, varied, and uninterrupted, the subject being as if he were in
a somnambulic dream. These occur generally at night, but sometimes they
continue after waking. On recovery the patient has no recollection of his
delirium.’” [A Text-Book of Psychiatry, Tindall & Cox, London, 1906]
While persons experiencing such “deliria” are not mentally
ill – forgive me Tom Szasz – they do experience an actual psychological
delirium, as noted, meaning that the whole scenario of being taken by abductors
– in this instance, alien (extraterrestrial) beings in UFOs – is a psychotic
(or near psychotic) episode, from which the participant does not end up with a
determined mental breakdown, a mente capti.
The event is not real, obviously.
That some UFO “researchers” insist that the episodes are
actual UFO kidnappings goes to the heart of the flimsy approach to such
meandering events.
UFO abductions (kidnappings) are so blatantly a psychiatric
phenomenon, it is beyond understanding why the “abduction fiction” is so
readily accepted by persons who seem to be of sound mind, but are more
disturbed, apparently, than the persons who think (dream) that they have been
taken aboard a UFO and maltreated by alien entities.
The study of such maladaptive behavior – toward which I
believe John Mack was headed – may be grist for those of us enamored of
psychology, but for those seeking an explanation of the UFO enigma, the
continuing pursuit of abduction tales is a waste of time and a blight on
intelligent thought.
