A Genealogy of the Extraterrestrial in American Culture
A Genealogy of the Extraterrestrial in American Culture
A Genealogy of the Extraterrestrial in American Culture
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abductees feel<strong>in</strong>g like gu<strong>in</strong>ea pigs.” 296 Or as one abductee put it, his experience left him feel<strong>in</strong>g<br />
like “someth<strong>in</strong>g <strong>in</strong> a cage, an animal, be<strong>in</strong>g a specimen.” 297<br />
Abductees do consistently report an exception to this rule <strong>of</strong> affectlessness. As discussed<br />
earlier, one sometimes f<strong>in</strong>ds <strong>in</strong>cluded <strong>in</strong> <strong>the</strong> abduction scenario a creature that looks similar to<br />
<strong>the</strong> o<strong>the</strong>rs, but is a bit taller (closer to average human height) and different <strong>in</strong> coloration (closer<br />
<strong>in</strong> color to a Caucasian human), a figure generally understood as <strong>the</strong> leader <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> crew and <strong>of</strong>ten<br />
referred to by abductees as a “doctor.” This figure speaks directly to <strong>the</strong> abductee, generally<br />
without any apparent use <strong>of</strong> speech per se—<strong>the</strong> abductee simply “hears” <strong>the</strong> creature’s voice <strong>in</strong><br />
her head. These taller e.t.’s <strong>of</strong>fer consolation to <strong>the</strong> abductee; “You are safe. No harm will come<br />
to you. You will be returned safely and soon to your home.” One abductee recalls, “I remember<br />
one be<strong>in</strong>g, <strong>in</strong> particular, whom I perceived as male, who was always <strong>the</strong>re. I knew him, and he<br />
was <strong>the</strong> only one who could always calm me.” 298 This figure generally <strong>of</strong>fers <strong>the</strong> only po<strong>in</strong>t <strong>of</strong><br />
identification for <strong>the</strong> abductee. In fact, abductee accounts <strong>of</strong>ten refer to a very <strong>in</strong>tense<br />
identification with <strong>the</strong>m. Given <strong>the</strong> overall vertig<strong>in</strong>ous nature <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> experience, any <strong>of</strong>fer <strong>of</strong><br />
consolation and/or recognition would be a strong po<strong>in</strong>t <strong>of</strong> ca<strong>the</strong>xis. Put differently, <strong>the</strong> only<br />
available po<strong>in</strong>t <strong>of</strong> identification <strong>in</strong> such a scenario would accrue a force born out <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> desperate<br />
search for mean<strong>in</strong>g <strong>in</strong> a context that eludes comprehension. These more communicative grays<br />
seem related to <strong>the</strong> abductee <strong>in</strong> some <strong>in</strong>timate way. They appear to have a deep and abid<strong>in</strong>g<br />
knowledge <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> abductee as if <strong>the</strong>y had longstand<strong>in</strong>g l<strong>in</strong>ks with <strong>the</strong>m. John Mack, <strong>in</strong> his<br />
overview <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> abduction phenomenon relates, “(t)he attitude <strong>of</strong> abductees toward <strong>the</strong> leader is<br />
generally ambivalent. They <strong>of</strong>ten discover that <strong>the</strong>y have known one leader-be<strong>in</strong>g throughout<br />
296 Jerome Clark, Abduction Phenomenon <strong>in</strong> “The UFO Book: Encyclopedia <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> <strong>Extraterrestrial</strong>” (Detroit: Visible<br />
Ink, 1998) 8.<br />
297 John E. Mack, Abduction: Human Encounters with Aliens. (New York: Charles Scribner’s Sons, 1994) 85.<br />
298 Streiber 1997, 102<br />
206