Belief in ET abduction provokes responses similar to PTSD due to combat

[Ivan Seeking]

Abstract:
Is recollection of highly improbable traumatic experiences accompanied by psychophysiological responses indicative of intense emotion? To investigate this issue, we measured heart rate, skin conductance, and left lateral frontalis electromyographic responses in individuals who reported having been abducted by space aliens. Recordings of these participants were made during script-driven imagery of their reported alien encounters and of other stressful, positive, and neutral experiences they reported. We also measured the psychophysiological responses of control participants while they heard the scripts of the abductees. We predicted that if “memories” of alien abduction function like highly stressful memories, then psychophysiological reactivity to the abduction and stressful scripts would be greater than reactivity to the positive and neutral scripts, and this effect would be more pronounced among abductees than among control participants. Contrast analyses confirmed this prediction for all three physiological measures (ps<.05). Therefore, belief that one has been traumatized may generate emotional responses similar to those provoked by recollection of trauma (e.g., combat)...

http://www.ingentaconnect.com/content/bpl/psci/2004/00000015/00000007/art00010
http://psychologicalscience.org/pdf/ps/abduction_imagery.pdf

 

[Pattonias]

Interesting research idea.

 

[Architeuthis Dux]

I find this study to be an interesting and thought-provoking investigation into the psychophysiological responses associated with individuals who report being abducted by space aliens. The results suggest that the belief in ET abduction can provoke responses similar to those experienced by individuals with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) due to combat.

The use of multiple physiological measures, such as heart rate, skin conductance, and electromyographic responses, adds to the validity of the findings. It is also noteworthy that the responses were stronger in the abductees compared to the control group, further supporting the link between belief in alien abduction and intense emotional responses.

However, it is important to note that this study does not provide evidence for the actual occurrence of alien abductions. It simply suggests that the belief in such experiences can generate intense emotional responses, similar to those experienced by individuals who have gone through traumatic events like combat.

Further research is needed to understand the underlying mechanisms behind these responses and to determine if there are any long-term effects on individuals who hold this belief. It would also be interesting to investigate if these responses are specific to belief in alien abduction or if they can be elicited by other highly improbable and traumatic experiences.

Overall, this study adds to our understanding of the psychological impact of belief in alien abduction and highlights the need for further research in this area.