Questioning Alien Abduction Research Methodology

Dr. Ellen Tarr recently posted some thoughts on UFO-related survey results as conducted and presented by FREE (Foundation for Research into Extraterrestrial Encounters). Tarr holds a Ph.D. in Molecular Biology and Immunology, is an Associate Professor at Midwestern University, and graciously offers analysis from time to time on such topics as Project Core and alleged Sasquatch DNA. She interpreted survey results as reported by FREE to be unclear on details like numbers of respondents and exactly how FREE arrived at some of its figures. Tarr's pointed observations included "the myriad problems with the survey itself and the analysis," as well as "the lack

By Jack Brewer ufotrail.blogspot.com 4-16-17

of controlling which respondents answer follow-up questions." As she explained:

There are numerous cases within the survey where more people responded to follow-up questions about a specific type of experience than had claimed to have had the experience. For example, 211 respondents reported having sex with an ET and 236 gave answers regarding what type of ET they had sex with. The likelihood that many items include responses from people who did not have the experience calls many results into question.

Tarr also noted survey results were represented by FREE as specifically including people who reported UFO-related contact experiences with a non-human intelligence, yet it is unclear if all who responded actually interpreted that to be the case. For instance, fewer people reported a craft or ship associated with their experiences than participated in the survey.

Budd Hopkins and David Jacobs at a
2004 Intruders Foundation Seminar

Hopkins, Jacobs and Westrum

Such challenges with surveys and their interpretations have long plagued the UFO community. The design of a 1991 Roper Poll funded by Robert Bigelow and conducted by Budd Hopkins, David Jacobs and Ron Westrum was competently called into question by qualified professionals. The trio arrived at the stunning conclusion 3.7 million Americans had been abducted by aliens through a survey of less than 6,000 people who were never even asked. Instead, those surveyed were subjected to a series of questions of which Hopkins and Jacobs felt themselves qualified to interpret if the responses indicated abductions had occurred. To directly ask respondents if they'd ever been abducted, it was rather incredibly rationalized, would give false results because many people were unaware of their abductions until after hypnosis.

Of a total of 5,947 people interviewed, 119, or two percent, were identified as likely alien abductees. It was from there the conclusion was drawn that about two percent of the American population, which at the time equated to 3.7 million people, had been abducted by aliens.

Critical review was provided by parapsychologist Susan Blackmore and sociologist Ted Goertzel, among others. The work of the late psychologist Robyn M. Dawes and political scientist Matthew Mulford, the latter of which became an expert in research methodology at the London School of Economics and Political Science, showed how questions on the survey were poorly constructed in ways known to produce flawed results. Goertzel wrote:

This conclusion is also strongly supported by Dawes and Mulford's (1993) innovative study at the University of Oregon which demonstrated that the dual nature of Hopkins, Jacobs and Westrum's first item, which asked about waking up paralyzed and about sensing a strange person in the room in the same item, actually led to an increased recollection of unusual phenomena as compared to a properly constructed single-issue survey item. Textbooks on questionnaire writing universally warn against "double-barreled" questions of this sort because they are known to give bad results. Dawes and Mulford confirm this and further offer the explanation that the combination of the two issues in one item causes a conjunction effect in memory which increases the likelihood of false recollection.

While the Hopkins, Jacobs and Westrum scale is not a valid measure of UFO abduction, they have inadvertently constructed a useful measure of another phenomenon: the tendency to have false memories.

The poll and its questionably interpreted conclusions continue to be cited in UFO circles in spite of its flawed construction. The problematic aspects of its methodologies are typically not addressed when claims are made of some 4 million Americans being abducted by aliens. The objectivity of Budd Hopkins was further questioned due to such circumstances as his claims surrounding alleged alien symbols purported to have been seen by abductees while aboard alien craft. His questionable interpretations and desire to "stack the deck," as he put it, were documented in the 13-minute video clip below shot by Carol Rainey.

Standards of Evidence

An important point, in my opinion, is that Dr. Tarr and other qualified experts demonstrate a willingness to address the UFO phenomenon and offer review of research produced by ufology. The scientific community is often criticized for dismissing the topic out of hand, and the complaint may be justified at times, but there are clearly exceptions.

Furthermore, it should be noted that such critical review is part and parcel of the path to establishing fact-based evidence. The critiques of qualified professionals should be embraced and addressed, not discarded with aversion. It is when standards of evidence are recognized, and professional research protocols are collectively respected and implemented, that the UFO community will mature and begin to gain the credibility it has long claimed to seek.

Please join me this summer in Roswell at a conference themed 70 Years Later: Modern Challenges to the Extraterrestrial Hypothesis. I'll be discussing exploitation in ufology, the intersection of the UFO and intelligence communities, and related topics.

Continue Reading ►

See Also:

Emerging Technologies Could Make or Break Alien Abduction Cases

The Singer's Hybrid Daughter -Pt 1-

Ufology Talking Points

REPORT YOUR UFO EXPERIENCE

(Some) UFO History

It's About Time

70 years. That's how long it's been since intelligence analysts coined the term "ghost rockets" for select reports of aerial phenomena. Some UFO researchers eventually attributed the sightings to extraterrestrial visitation, a remarkably unsupported conclusion. 69 years. That's the amount of time since Kenneth Arnold reported seeing multiple unidentified flying objects while involved in an investigation of what turned out to be an extremely suspicious UFO case.

By Jack Brewer ufotrail.blogspot.com 12-5-16

69 years is also the time since Project Seal, which had actually been discontinued, was misrepresented to the press as an ongoing top secret operation involving an airborne super weapon on the scale of the atomic bomb. Articles about the Arnold sighting and what would later prove to be the false weapons development story were in at least one instance published on the same newspaper page.

It's also been 69 years since the Roswell Army Air Field issued a press release stating the 509th Operations Group recovered a "flying disc," quickly followed by a second statement advising a "weather balloon" was retrieved. The story went on to - oh, never mind. Let's just say decades of unreliable research and unverified claims were followed by a hair brained mummy story and an unpublished debate.

Allen Dulles

63 years. That's how long since DCI Allen Dulles formally green lighted MKULTRA, a behavior modification project consisting of torture, drugs, hypnosis and involuntary human experimentation. It's been 53 years since the creation of the KUBARK interrogation manual which contained techniques for use on uncooperative detainees. It was 14 years since the Bush administration began using Guantanamo Bay as a prison, and seven years since ex-Bush official Lawrence B. Wilkerson told the AP most detainees were innocent and there was no meaningful attempt to discriminate who was transported to Cuba for interrogation. Two years is how long since the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence released its 500-page summary of the still classified 6,000-page CIA torture report, and it's been a little over a year since publication of the Hoffman Report, a document calling into serious question the relationship between the CIA and American Psychological Association. It was about a year ago the ACLU filed a lawsuit against two psychologists who developed "enhanced interrogation techniques" for the Agency, and it's been a few days since writer and researcher Joseph Hickman, who served in the 629th Military Intelligence Battalion at Guantanamo Bay, stated in an interview that ideas about operations and techniques used at Gitmo came from the MKULTRA program. For more info see the work of Jeffrey Kaye, the reporting of Jason Leopold, and the Seton Hall Law Center paper, Guantanamo: America's Battle Lab, among other sources.

60 years is the length of time it's been since the FBI launched Counterintelligence Program, or COINTELPRO. It was a brutal effort, later acknowledged by the FBI to be "rightfully criticized," to "expose, disrupt and otherwise neutralize" targeted organizations. About a month is how long it's been since the FBI director questionably chose to formally announce an investigation of a presidential candidate while failing to disclose the Bureau's quite likely investigation of a rival candidate.

David Jacobs

Over half a century. It's now been 53 years since Dr. Benjamin Simon employed hypnosis with Betty and Barney Hill. In spite of all the material now published by qualified experts establishing hypnosis as extremely ineffective as a memory enhancer - and the fact Dr. Simon was reportedly treating trauma, not conducting a UFO investigation - a segment of the UFO community continues to promote hypnosis-induced testimonies as accurate interpretations of objective reality. It's been some 40 years since Leo Sprinkle influenced the genre with his hypnotic regressions, 35 years since Budd Hopkins employed hypnosis to establish himself as a supposed UFO expert, and 20+ years since former MUFON Director of Abduction Research John Carpenter covertly provided Robert Bigelow with data, including recordings of hypnosis sessions, from case files of alleged alien abductees in exchange for cash. It was six years ago the story broke that amateur hypnotist David Jacobs instructed Emma Woods during telephone hypnosis sessions to tell people she suffers from multiple personality disorder, consider wearing a chastity belt - that he could send her - as a strategy for dealing with alleged ET-human hybrids, and mail him her unwashed underpants without thinking about it afterwards. Jacobs rather incredibly described himself as an advocate of scientific methodology.

27 years ago Bill Moore, while delivering his keynote speech at the annual MUFON con, told attendees he collaborated with Richard Doty and additional undisclosed members of the intelligence community to publish disinformation directed at Paul Bennewitz and the collective UFO community.

Vance Davis of the GB6

26 years ago half a dozen NSA intel analysts deserted their posts in West Germany and lit out for Florida to protect the world from the Antichrist. Claiming to be under the direction of aliens and Mother Mary, the group, dubbed the Gulf Breeze Six, was eventually taken into custody - under arguably unusual circumstances - literally down the street from where the annual MUFON con had just wrapped up. The late Philip Coppens reported that when the case was declassified, 1400 of its 1600 pages were withheld.

20 years is how long we've been tolerating fantastic stories of Skinwalker Ranch since an article ran in the Eugene Register-Guard. The article stated property owner Robert Bigelow declined an interview, while CIA consultant and non-lethal weapons expert John Alexander told the newspaper details of how or why research was being conducted would not be provided. Former ranch owner Terry Sherman said Bigelow had him sign a nondisclosure agreement. It was five years ago James Carrion wrote he and an accompanying scientist were denied access to the ranch, and Bigelow, during dealings with MUFON, moved funds on behalf of an undisclosed financial sponsor, the identity of which was revealed only to John Schuessler, but not to the rest of the MUFON board of directors.

It's been over three years since UFO disclosure activist Steve Bassett stated, "The goal of the Citizen Hearing on Disclosure is the end of the truth embargo in 2013," and two years since he announced a "concentrated three-month effort" which, if followed by Congressional hearings, would make it "quite likely the truth embargo will collapse." It's been six months since Bassett declared, "We are going to get disclosure this year," adding that he was 85 percent sure Obama would make an announcement before leaving office.

Atacama humanoid, featured in Stephen Greer film

Two years ago Stephen Greer, who considers himself the father of the disclosure movement, released a crowdfunded film that would once and for all blow the lid off UFO secrecy. A year ago he initiated crowdfunding for a film that would once and for all blow the lid off UFO secrecy.

Last week Gene Steinberg, a podcaster who's perpetually spinning one suspicious story or other about why everyone should send him their money, wrote his e-list that he's falling behind on rent for a residence he urged them to send him cash to obtain in the first place about two months ago.

You were right if you chose less than a week on the over/under on how long it would take the new International Association of UAP Researchers (IAUAPR) to stumble into public relations problems. Just a few days after issuing a release about its intentions to up ufology's game via such activities as accepting and reviewing research papers, the group's organizer became entangled in social media flame-throwing about proper protocol for conducting professional research.

Right now - as Van Halen put it - Tom DeLonge is promoting work which includes an upcoming film framing the U.S. intelligence community as heroic for its cover-up of alleged aliens. He says he has high level sources in his disclosure camp. Good thing, 'cause we're obviously an extremely discriminating bunch about where we get our information.

Continue Reading ►

See Also:

Mirage Men Conclusively Linked to UFO Summer of '47

Ghost Rockets Documentary – A Review

The CIA’s Actual Involvement with UFOs: The Agency’s Public Statements are Deliberately Deceptive

REPORT YOUR UFO EXPERIENCE

Emerging Technologies Could Make or Break Alien Abduction Cases

Excerpt from Chapter 5 of The Greys Have Been Framed:
Exploitation in the UFO Community

Tyler Kokjohn, who holds a Ph.D. in Biochemistry, warned the UFO community that investigators' hypotheses should be tested and evolve accordingly, not chronically remain stagnant and unchallenged.1 Such tests could include the use of emerging genetic analysis technologies that could swiftly and cost effectively identify alleged genomic adulterations. Nonetheless, opportunities for such testing appears to be of minimal interest to investigators of alleged alien abduction who would potentially benefit enormously from the results. It seems reasonable to suspect such investigators failed to foresee and were unprepared for the current era in which scientific advances would allow them to actually validate or negate their fantastic claims. Rather than eagerly seek the potential validation of hypotheses, investigators often seem instead to fear those very tests and what the results would actually indicate.

By Jack Brewer ufotrail.blogspot.com 4-2-16

Microbiologist works with DNA samples

Addressing the alleged disappearing fetus syndrome of abduction lore, Kokjohn explained that, during gestation, mother and fetus exchange cells which may remain for years or even decades after birth or termination of pregnancy.² Powerful genetic analysis methods now allow examination of such circumstances via a simple blood draw from the mother. This would obviously enable investigators claiming to know such women, as well as those who claim to have experienced such occurrences, to attempt to obtain supporting physical evidence. It is reasonable to critically question their apparent collective lack of interest.

Podcaster and former publisher of UFO Magazine Don Ecker addressed the topic of alleged missing pregnancies during an online discussion in early 2011.³ He explained that during the 1990's he and his wife knew a practicing gynecologist, Dr. Richard Neal. The doctor was very familiar with the work of Hopkins and Jacobs, Ecker indicated, including the alleged missing fetus syndrome. The gynecologist wanted to try to scientifically establish the extents of validity of the reported circumstances. He requested that Ecker and his wife introduce him to Hopkins and Jacobs, which they did. Explaining what happened next, Ecker wrote:

After the intro Neal told Hopkins and Jacobs that what he wanted to do was to interface with "abductees" that Hopkins and Jacobs were working with, that claimed having been pregnant and then the fetus disappeared. Neal wanted to speak and share information with the abductees [sic] doctors of record. The bottom line? (and I am not suggesting anything beyond what I am saying here...) neither Hopkins nor Jacobs had any interest in working with Neal nor introducing him to any of these abductees.

Ufology hypnotists and investigators continue to regularly make claims that have long since worn old in their simultaneous sensational content and complete lack of supporting physical evidence. In 2013 I emailed Barbara Lamb and inquired about her pending MUFON appearance in which she was scheduled to discuss her claim that “ET-human hybrids are real and they are here.”⁴ According to a series of MUFON promotional emails that were circulating and contained the assertion, Lamb had hypnotically regressed over 900 people, some of which, with her “help,” discovered themselves to be ET-human hybrids.

Barbara Lamb

When asked via email if medical tests were conducted by qualified third parties on such alleged hybrids, Lamb replied that she was in a huge rush and provided minimal information during a subsequent exchange of messages. When urged to directly address if physical exams were conducted, and if any such data was available for public review, she ceased corresponding.

I also emailed Jan Harzan, eventual executive director of MUFON, about the matter. At the time of my emails, which was March, 2013, Harzan held a MUFON leadership role in Southern California, where Lamb was scheduled to appear at the time. I pointed out that MUFON emails were distributed containing assertions of the reality of ET-human hybrids and that Lamb claimed to personally know some of them. I asked Harzan to please comment on how an organization such as MUFON, claiming to be dedicated to scientific study, could promote such unsubstantiated and fantastic claims. He failed to respond to multiple emails.

I caught up with David Jacobs at the 2012 Ozark UFO Conference. The resulting interview was included in my three-part blog post, The Bizarre World of Doctor David Jacobs: An Interview and Review.⁵

Jacobs claimed, among other things, that hybrids have progressed through multiple stages. He was apparently referring to hybrids created directly by aliens and housed somewhere in Alien Land, as opposed to those that seemingly have birth certificates and participate in hypnosis sessions with Barbara Lamb. At this point, he asserted, they are “human in every way except for sleep cycle and ability to control others.”

Those are obviously some extremely questionable claims, considering we have no reasons to believe any of the beings have ever been physically examined. As a matter of fact, they cannot be demonstrated to so much as exist, but that did not stop Jacobs from confidently purporting to be qualified to inform me of their physical and mental conditions.

Jacobs may have been implying there were no reasons to attempt to obtain DNA and related evidence of the beings because they had become so similar to humans. Some people of course found that stance to be a rather convenient way of keeping one's hypothesis non-falsifiable, even if it does not actually make sense. I wrote at the time that I found such a notion – hybrids being physiologically nearly identical to humans - to be mentally unhealthy. I might add that I found it an insult to intelligence.

I urged Jacobs to comment on how he could perpetually be unable to obtain physical evidence of hybrids allegedly using a computer at the home of Elizabeth, one of his research subjects as described earlier. He offered me excuses such as Elizabeth lived 125 miles away from him, and that the curtains on the windows of her home did not allow anyone to see inside. He also mentioned there would be no fingerprints for some unspecified reason or other. I remain very unconvinced and found the lines of reasoning to be absurdly inadequate, as well as rather irrational directions to take.

The person lives 125 miles away and their curtains don't allow anyone to see inside? That's what makes it impossible to obtain supporting physical evidence of ET-human hybrids frequenting the premises? I will reiterate that I found many of Jacobs' claims to be insults to intelligence.

*       *       *       *

Jacobs has continued his assertions that a currently active wave of hybrids is virtually indistinguishable from human beings, at least physically.⁶ While that conveniently makes points related to purpose and procreation more convoluted and confusing than ever, numerous additional questions continue to arise.

How old are these alleged hybrids? If they are any older than mere children, say, in their 20's or 30's, that would mean they were being developed from pretty much the outset of when Jacobs began writing and lecturing on the topic. We might reasonably ask how he missed it all this time, or why he failed to mention the circumstances until recent years.

And what kinds of vaccination programs do these aliens administer to these hybrids that are physiologically just like humans? It's potentially pretty serious from an immunology standpoint to even travel from one continent to another, so I would think being released to earth from the mother ship could stir up some pretty nasty bugs. If the hybrids are physiologically just like us, let's hope their alien handlers know more about ebola than we do.

Would the antibody profile of such a hybrid reflect the full complement of vaccinations humans currently administer to children, or would it indicate pediatric vaccines licensed and available 20 to 30 years ago? Along the same lines of considerations, each encounter with a pathogen leaves a record in the immune system, so qualified examination of forensic evidence would still prove potentially important. The antibodies of such alleged beings would help reveal how long they have been hanging around our neighborhood.

Unfortunately for David Jacobs, his assertion that some hybrids are “human in every way except for sleep cycle and ability to control others” does not exempt his hypothesis from potential validation or falsification. Forensic evidence might very well continue to be extremely important, and his failure to take advantage of cost effective technological advances now available likely speaks volumes in and of itself.

Endnotes

1). JayVay: I'm Sorry, Your Hypothesis Appears to be Dead
https://jayvay.wordpress.com/2014/02/11/im-sorry-your-hypothesis-appears-to-be-dead/

2). JayVay: Try a New Hypothesis, Sherlock
https://jayvay.wordpress.com/2014/02/18/try-a-new-hypothesis-sherlock/

3). The Paracast: Hopkins Ex-wife Dumps
http://www.theparacast.com/forum/threads/hopkins-ex-wife-dumps.7891/page-2

4). Examiner.com: Barbara Lamb and MUFON: ET-human hybrids: They are real and they are here
http://www.examiner.com/article/barbara-lamb-and-mufon-et-human-hybrids-they-are-real-and-they-are-here

5). The UFO Trail: The Bizarre World of Doctor David Jacobs: An Interview and Review, Part One of Three
http://ufotrail.blogspot.com/2012/04/bizarre-world-of-doctor-david-jacobs.html

6). YouTube: Contact In The Desert - David Jacobs - New Findings In Abduction Research
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uUMPDtD4hfA

Visit Jack's Site ►

See Also:

Ufology Talking Points

The Greys Have Been Framed: Exploitation in the UFO Community

MUFON, Sham Inquiry and the Woods/Jacobs Scandal

REPORT YOUR UFO EXPERIENCE

Aliens Walk Among Us? Indeed, Claims Retired Temple Professor

Tweet

By DANA DIFILIPPO
philly.com
7-15-14

   

Retired Temple professor David Jacob in his Wyndmoor home. (Andrew Thayer philly.com)

THE WAY David M. Jacobs sees it, aliens from outer space have been kidnapping humans for aeons and sexually molesting them to create human-alien hybrids that walk among us today undetected and will soon take over Earth.

He knows that sounds crazy.

But he long ago quit caring what people think of him. As director of the International Center for Abduction Research, Jacobs, 71, has made it his life's mission to investigate claims of extraterrestrial abduction.

"What I'm doing will either be an interesting but nonessential footnote to popular culture or the most important thing that's ever happened to humankind. I see it as the latter," said Jacobs, who's now working on his fifth book, tentatively titled The New People. . . .

Continue Reading . . .

See Also:

Susan Clancy Is Sick of Space Aliens

UFOlogy Run Amok!

Budd Hopkins' Response to the ABC Peter Jennings "Seeing is Believing" TV Program

SHARE YOUR UFO EXPERIENCE

Budd Hopkins Memorial: "Lovely Affair Celebrating the Life and Work of this Wonderful Man"

Tweet

By David Biedny
www.facebook.com/dbiedny
10-11-11

     I wanted to briefly comment on the memorial held yesterday for Budd Hopkins, at the 15th Street Friends Meeting House. The weather could not have been better, it was a clear, perfect day for this lovely affair celebrating the life and work of this wonderful man - one I'm proud to be able to call a true friend - and it primarily focused on his work in the art field, clearly demonstrating that Budd was really one of the most respected Abstract Expressionists of the famed New York School.

Leslie Kean started the proceedings with her cool, professional demeanor, even though it was obvious that she misses her partner, friend and love. Any of us would be blessed to have that kind of tenderness in our lives, and something that was plain to see was the depth of respect and love that these two people had for each other, it was both reassuring and inspiring.

His daughter showed slides of many of Budd's artworks, which were bold, colorful and as direct as the man himself. Another thing that many spoke of was Budd's sense of humor, and I can personally attest that he loved laughing like few others, and there was some really nice footage of Budd being, well, Budd.

Peter Robbins delivered an eloquent eulogy, describing working with Budd, and how much influence Budd had on his own way of thinking and dealing with others. Randy Nicherson played a video tribute to Budd, full of poignant, heartfelt scenes - there was another video compilation presented towards the end, done by Seth Keal and Charles Miller, with some really heartwarming footage of Budd dancing with his granddaughter. Another picture of Budd, his daughter, son-in-law and granddaughter clearly demonstrated the uncanny resemblance of Budd and his daughter's daughter. He will live on in her.

David Jacobs spoke about Budd's work in the field of abduction research, but what really came through was how much David loved Budd as a human being and close friend. That was also evident in the way that people spoke about Budd afterwards, small conversations overheard during the subsequent reception confirmed that there was not a bad thought about Budd anywhere near the event.

There are many more details - some interesting UFO folks were in attendance, but they were outnumbered by the artist friends, thankfully - but suffice it to say that any of us would be happy and fulfilled to have this much love manifest at our departures.

To those who would attack his research, and accuse him of being a flawed human, of not being 100% hardass about his dealings with alleged abduction victims and potential hoaxers - I personally witnessed the degree of comfort this brave man gave some very distraught people, folks who were scared, confused and who didn't have anyone to turn to without being marginalized or ridiculed, and for that work alone, he should be celebrated and respected. If he was fooled by some unscrupulous folks, his decision to err on the side of kindness and compassion is perhaps a byproduct of his intensely powerful humanity and sincere desire to help others. Those who would vilify him would be well advised to check their own glass houses for hidden piles of large, rough stones.

Budd Hopkins was a great man, and I for one will miss him
something urgent.

. . . More

See Also:

ART, LIFE AND UFOs A memoir by Budd Hopkins

Noted Ufologist, Author & Creator of The Intruders Foundation, Budd Hopkins Has Passed Away

Budd Hopkins' Response to the ABC Peter Jennings "Seeing is Believing" TV Program

SHARE YOUR UFO EXPERIENCE

HELP SUPPORT THIS SITE

ABOUT DONATIONS

↑Grab this Headline Animator