From: mcgrath@cs.uiuc.edu (Robert McGrath)
Subject: Re: physical evidence
Reply-To: mcgrath@cs.uiuc.edu
Organization: University of Illinois, Dept of Computer Science
Date: Tue, 18 Aug 1992 13:52:19 GMT

In article <1992Aug17.210129.14637@acd4.acd.com>, gvb@TEFS1.acd.com (Gregg Brown) writes in part:
|> ...she was called every
|> wednesday by something, somebody or someone that would "gab" for quite some
|> time in some strange "tounge" and then hang up. This happened the entire
|> time she was carrying her first child, >27 times.
[...]
|> I figure there are a couple
|> explanations for the lack of a recording:
|> 
|> 1) Kathy just never really thought of it. Some people live life without
|>    a reaction to anything or anybody. 
|> 
|> 2) Its a possibility "the aliens" programmed her not to record the stuff.
|>    According to INTRUDERS abductees are pretty much controlled by the 
|>    abductors.
|> 
|> 3) It could all be a sham and never happened. Thats why recordings were never
|>    mentioned.
|> 
|> 
|>  One common thing I see is the "wet noodle" approach these abductees tend to
|>  have toward life and living. Could be the "aliens", if they exist, choose 
|>  these type of people so it is easier to control them. Sorry, I can't live
|>  like that. Could be too that all this abduction stuff is fake and the 
|>  "wet noodle" approach is an easy way to avoid substantiating the claim.
|> 
|> Gregg.

Quite.  Clinical psychologists would see a person with such a "wet noodle"
approach to life as possibly having a problem, depression, perhaps, or 
a very troubled marriage/family.  The correlation of these "symptoms"
to the pregnancy would be seen as possibly VERY significant.

A clinician would also investigate the following possibilities:

  -some HUMAN was harrassing her (related to the pregnancy).
  -the calls were made up after the fact (perhaps as a symptom of
   psychological problems).
  -the calls were self-created, hallucinations or conversations with
   herself (perhaps as a symptom of psychological problems).

In each case, the clinician would then ask, "What is really going on?"  
Is there a lot of family or psychological stress that is leading to the 
reports?  Is there some personal or interpersonal drama being played out?  
Is there abuse or pressure?  Is this baby coming at a bad time?
Is the family under financial or other stress?

Since people often have severe psychological stress and doubts
during pregnancy, and families are often stressed by pregnancy, most
psychologists would not leap immediately to the alien abduction hypothesis 
when presented with evidence of psychological symptoms in such a situation.

I would also note that reputable clinicians would probably try to "dry 
out" the noodle a bit, and try to start up a bit more active resistance 
toward adversity.

Note that I am NOT claiming that these things are what was going
on with Kathy.  I am indicating some possible hypotheses that should
have been checked on.  

One of the big problems I have with abduction enthusiasts is that 
they tend to leap to their favorite hypothesis (abduction) without 
considering other possibilities.  And once convinced, they indoctrinate
the victim in their view.  This is not likely to really help the
victim if some of the possibilities above were the real story.

-- 
  Robert E. McGrath
  Urbana Illinois
  mcgrath@cs.uiuc.edu