Think you've been abducted by aliens? It was probably just sleep paralysis: Psychologist attempts to logically explain 'encounters of the fourth kind

Think you've been abducted by aliens? It was probably just sleep paralysis: Psychologist attempts to logically explain 'encounters of the fourth kind'

By Sarah Griffiths for MailOnline12:45 06 Nov 2015

Christopher C French, of Goldsmiths, the University of London, explained in an article for The Psychologist why people may be 'abducted' by aliensSleep paralysis - when the brain is working but the body has yet to catch up - could explain experiences of alien contact that people don't rememberExpert said false memories of close encounters could also be implanted He has also provided explanations for other types of encounters 

Agents Mulder and Scully may have said 'the truth is out there' in the X Files, but it may instead be buried inside the brains of people who claim they have been abducted by aliens.

Those who believe they have had a close encounter of the so-called 'fourth kind' may suffer from false memories or sleep paralysis, a psychologist has claimed.

A rare form of the condition, which can involve hallucinations or the feeling of being dragged out of bed, may explain 'alien abductions' that people sincerely believe happened but can't remember.

People who believe they have had a close encounter of the so-called 'fourth kind', in which they believe they have been abducted by aliens, (illustrated) may suffer from false memories or sleep paralysis according to a leading psychologist specialising in paranormal beliefs

Writing for The Psychologist, Christopher C French, of Goldsmiths, the University of London, who specialises in the psychology of paranormal belief and experiences, said there are plausible explanations for why people 'see' flying saucers and think they have been abducted.

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He noted that most of the people making these claims are clinically sane, but their belief in life in outer space may influence what they see or feel in strange situations. 

In 1961, the alien abduction story of Betty and Barney Hill captured the public's imagination.

In 1961, the alien abduction story of Betty and Barney Hill (pictured) captured the public's imagination. They claimed to have spotted a UFO driving from Montreal to New Hampshire and arrived home later than expected, unable to account for the previous two hours

Afterwards, Betty said she dreamt she was medically examined by aliens aboard their spaceship. Years later, when the couple saw psychiatrist Dr Benjamin Simon about marital problems, the revisited the 'events' of the night through hypnotic regression. A signpost showing the site of the 'abduction' is pictured

THE SLEEP PARALYSIS THEORY 

Some individuals believe they have experienced alien contact but don't remember.

For example, a person may have 'seen' a UFO then after having a 'missing time' experience, notices bruising on their body.

These are sometimes known as 'bedroom invader' incidents and they may be explained by sleep paralysis - the temporary inability to move for a few seconds just as you are about to fall asleep or wake up.

While this is relatively common and a bit disconcerting, some people suffer from rare forms, which cause them to 'feel' an evil presence or hallucinate by seeing lights or grotesque faces, hearing voices and feeling like they're being dragged out of bed.

Scientists have a relatively good understanding on why sleep paralysis is caused, Fr French explains.

During deep, or rapid eye movement (REM) sleep, which is associated with dreaming, the body's muscles are paralysed, perhaps to stop people acting out their dreams.

Sleep paralysis is caused when the mechanisms controlling the sleep cycle go wrong so it's as if the brain is working and the body has yet to catch up.

This means creepy imagery, perhaps involving aliens, creeps through into a person's wakeful consciousness, perhaps inducing terror or a belief in abduction.

They claimed to have spotted a UFO driving from Montreal to New Hampshire and arrived home later than expected, unable to account for the previous two hours.

Afterwards, Betty said she dreamt she was medically examined by aliens aboard their spaceship.

Years later, when the couple saw psychiatrist Dr Benjamin Simon about marital problems, they revisited the 'events' of the night through hypnotic regression.

It is now accepted the technique is likely to result in false memories, instead of recovering true ones.

While of course some people may deliberately fabricate stories and hoaxes, Dr French explained there is a growing body of evidence to suggest some people do suffer from false memories.

A 2003 study showed that dissociativity - detachment from immediate surroundings, - absorption and fantasy-proneness, correlate with susceptibility to suffer from false memories, and the tendency to report paranormal experiences.

As the name suggests, having a so-called 'fantasy-prone personality' (FPP) makes a person more likely to have an 'overactive imagination' or 'live in a dream world'.

This means they can have difficulty differentiating between fantasy and reality and may experience hallucinations. 

More recent research suggested people claiming to have had a close encounter with an alien tend to score more highly when it comes to fantasy proneness than 'control' people.

Some individuals believe they have experienced alien contact but don't remember it.

For example, a person may have 'seen' a UFO then after having a 'missing time' experience, notices bruising on their body.

These are sometimes known as 'bedroom invader' incidents and they may be explained by sleep paralysis - the temporary inability to move for a few seconds just as you are about to fall asleep or wake up.

While this is relatively common and a bit disconcerting, some people suffer from rare forms, which cause them to 'feel' an evil presence or hallucinate by seeing lights or grotesque faces, hearing voices and feeling like they're being dragged out of bed. 

Some experts believe some 'abductions' that a claimant cant remember may be caused by a rare form of sleep paralysis (illustrated with a stock image), when strange imagery, perhaps involving aliens, creeps through into a person's wakeful consciousness, perhaps inducing terror or a belief in abduction

...BUT WHAT ABOUT OTHER KINDS OF CLOSE ENCOUNTERS 

You'll have heard about 'close encounters of the third kind' thanks to the famous film, but there are actually four types of alien encounters, according to US astronomer J Allen Hynek's classification system.

A close encounter of the first kind is a sighting of a UFO with no supporting evidence. Dr French says 95 per cent are misidentified for no reason, often in poor visibility and people's belief systems dictate what they 'see'.

The second kind refers to a sighting with 'evidence' such as a photo or readings, but they are usually down to hoaxes or human error, such as misinterpreting readings.

The third kind refers to direct contact between aliens and humans. These are usually not taken seriously and tend to be hoaxes sometimes used to raise issues such as the dangers of nuclear war or global warming.

A close encounter of the fourth kind describes an alien 'abduction'. Dr French says hypnotic regression therapy may be responsible for planting false memories in people's brains.

Or sleep paralysis may explain 'bedroom invader' incidents where people wake in the night to see aliens in their bedroom and experience an abduction.

Scientists have a relatively good understanding on why sleep paralysis is caused, Dr French explains.

During deep, or rapid eye movement (REM) sleep, which is associated with dreaming, the body's muscles are paralysed, perhaps to stop people acting out their dreams.

Sleep paralysis is caused when the mechanisms controlling the sleep cycle are affected so it's as if the brain is working and the body has yet to catch up.

This means strange imagery, perhaps involving aliens, creeps through into a person's wakeful consciousness, perhaps inducing terror or a belief in abduction.

However, Dr French notes we should be wary of proposing a 'one size fits all' explanation for covering what people think of as alien abductions.

Nigel Watson author of the UFO investigations Manual told, MailOnline: 'The sleep paralysis theory is good for explaining what are called 'bedroom invader' incidents, where people wake in the night to see aliens in their bedroom and experience an abduction.

'It is harder to explain abductions experienced by people who are driving in their car at night or in other circumstances.'

He believes there are four reasons for abduction experiences, which interact and overlap with each other.

'A trigger event that could be a misinterpretation of a celestial or aerial object, geomagnetic phenomena, illusion or hallucination,' he explained. 

Dr French notes we should be wary of proposing a 'one size fits all' explanation for covering what people think of as alien abductions. A stock image of a UFO is shown above

'The 'observation' or experience can be due to neurosis or other pathological states of mind, abuse, trauma, stress, sleep paralysis, drugs, sensory deprivation, lack of sleep, dreams, trance states and other psychological factors.'

Alternatively, he said an abduction story can simply be a hoax or invention, or the outcome of hypnotic regression techniques.

He noted: 'The resulting abduction story is told in terms of the UFO mythology, derived from science fiction films and popular culture.

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