Customer Reviews

Communion: A True Story

5 star:		(32)
4 star:		(29)
3 star:		(12)
2 star:		(9)
1 star:		(10)

 

 

One of my friends, a deep NON-believer in extraterrestrials, told me that she was moved by this harrowing work. Out of mere curiousity I read it. And...it changed me. Most books on the subject of UFO's and extraterrestrials whiz right by me, and I've forget their message within days. However, Communion has stuck with me, and Whitley Strieber's riveting account continuously resurfaces in my mind. But, sadly enough, this book is not for the faint-of-heart. Its bizarre stories and explicit descriptions are downright frightening; I can honestly say that I have lost sleep over this book, lying awake, wondering if it's true. I would not recommend this book before bed. If Strieber's accounts of his alien abduction are true, then this book is more than a nonfiction work: it is undeniable proof that "they" do exist. But even if Strieber is lying through his teeth, Communion makes for a highly entertaining read.

You can believe him, or you can think he's crazy. But after reading this book, you will believe that Strieber firmly believes in what he's saying.

Once in a great while, a book comes along that changes the way one perceives reality. For me, and I venture to say many others, Communion is such a book.

I don't know if Strieber's "visitors" are real physical beings, multidimensional travelers, creations of the human mind, or none of these things. Neither does he. But some of the things Strieber describes in Communion have been experienced by far too many people, to be pure fantasy. There is SOMETHING very strange going on, be it alien abduction or widespread shared dreams. Either way, the subject deserves serious investigation.

Read this book. If you come away believing it, you'll be a changed person. If you come away believing it's fiction, you'll have read one hell of a story.

I have wanted to read this book for years but always held off because I was sure it would be terrifying. While it does contain a large amount of scary aspects, the book is mostly a very well written, very intelligent examination of one man's experience with the unknown.

Strieber's experiences with missing time, bizarre implants, and the now farmiliar Grey creatures are riveting and offputting at the same time. What makes this book really stand out from most of the ufoology is that Strieber really tries to figure out what the "visitors" as he calls them want with us. He comes up with several interesting theories, and the book is fresh and interesting throughout, never bogging down.

I would highly recommend this read for the open minded and the curious.

I made the mistake of reading this alone in bed in an empty house over a period of 2 days - what a bonehead. It scared the bejeesus out of me. Every time the house creaked I was up like a shot with a baseball bat in my hands. Thanks Whitley, for depriving me of a good nights sleep. God knows when I'll ever be able to sleep peacefully again! Next time my employer asks me why I've got bags under my eyes and my work performance is suffering I'll say "I've been reading Strieber". Having said that I found the book fascinating, in a very creepy horrible way. I know deep inside of myself that there is a lot more to this universe than meets the eye, and I've even had some weird and unpleasant experiences myself when I was young. Though of the ghostly, not the alien, kind. That said, I was deeply disappointed with the end of this book. I got the distinct impression throughout the book that Whitley was gradually gaining an understanding of these beings, what they were, why they were here, why they were doing what they were doing. But at the end - nothing. I was expecting some final chapter on Whitleys belief of just what it was all about. But no, all I got was talk about the Triad and how it represents the pinnacle of Spiritual evolution. He was saying that he thought maybe these beings were trying to 'join' with us, hence the name Communion, in some way to produce a better, more enlightened, more spiritual byproduct. Well Whitley, I already know how to evolve spiritually, to expand my consciousness. All it takes is a moral ethical life, renouncing mundane worldly things and above all turning to God, the Infinite Spirit, every day in meditation and prayer. What I don't need to advance spiritually is to be woken up in the middle of the night, by giant insectoid beings, frightened to death, stripped naked, beamed up to their craft, and then have things stuck in my head, nose and arse. No thanks. I think I can advance spiritually just fine my own way. One thing I did find intriguing though, on the subject of spirituality. I got the impression that Whitley himself has always been interested in spiritual matters and there are numerous references to him meditating throughout his life and trying to expand his consciousness. This is something that the average human being definitely does NOT do, but I wonder if this is true of most abductees? I have to wonder if those people, through their own spiritual practices, haven't crossed some threshold of consciousness, that the bulk of the human herd is still far below, and that this has opened up their lives to these and other bizarre experiences. If true then I'm stopping meditating immediately! These beings do seem to have the ability to come and go, bypassing locked doors, security systems, and not even being noticed by other people in the same room. It's almost as if there's some astral, or at least non-physical element to this that only people of a certain level of consiousness can perceive - a bit like the ghost phenomena. One person can perceive astral beings, disembodied spirits, whatever you want to call them, while the person standing next to him can see nothing and thinks he's crazy. They're both right, but they're both at different levels of consciousness. One has physical and astral perception, while the other only has physical perception. Well that's my theory anyway, I think it's worth further investigation at least. But that's another complaint about Whitley's story. He had the golden opportunity to do some investigation himself, to ASK these beings anything he wanted, but he didn't. There were many times he spoke to them and they seemed quite open and willing to answer, so why didn't he ask the obvious questions like "why are you doing this to me?", "where are you from?", etc. At one point, when told he was going to be operated on, he rightly said "You have no right", to which the alien responded matter of factly "We do have a right". What does this mean? That is a profound and loaded answer that he didn't inquire further on. Why not? Why do they think they have such a right? I'd love to know that answer, but Whitley didn't ask. Also, although these things frightened this poor guy half to death, he seemed to develop some affection, some love for them. Why? This was also true of the other abductees he met in the support group who nearly all said they felt love and loyalty to these beings, even though they'd been assaulted in all manner of horrible ways. Why? I felt there was something we weren't being told. Like these people had come to some deeper understanding of these beings and their role and found them deserving of love and loyalty. Either that or the aliens messed with their heads and made them feel that way toward them. Finally, there were the constant references to prophecy, to revelation of apocalyptic events in the near future, a recurring theme from many sources, not just alien, in recent decades. But these were only ever touched upon and never expanded. I found that fascinating, but almost deliberately obscure. Once again, Why? Maybe Whitley was saving that for another book. So to conclude, it was a good book that has and will deprive me of a lot of sleep, but with a lot of questions left unanswered that I can't help think Whitley may have known the answer to, or at least suspected. Whitley, if it's not too unpleasant why don't you get that alien being up in your head again and instead of getting her to show you her anatomy, ask her some deep probing questions instead. Now that would make a fascinating book.

This book is a true classic among the hundreds of alien abduction books out there. Whitley Strieber writes with sincerity on his feelings and thoughts about his abduction experience, and to the reader he'll come down as just an average human being who had this extraordinary experience. I've read many alien abduction books since, and still feel "Communion" is the best.

As the other reviewers mentioned, it is a chilling story. Yes, I also suffered from nightmares after reading it. Strieber was already known for his other books before "Communion" ("The Hunger", "Wolfen", etc.) Interestingly, Strieber claims that his horror novels were based on his subconscious fears caused by his lifelong abductions, unbeknownst to him when he wrote the novels. Because it is so well written, I think even skeptics would find it at least entertaining if not enlightening. Without a doubt, it's one of the scariest books I've ever read.

Readers of "Communion" might also find "Report on Communion" by Ed Conroy also interesting. I also recommend any book by Budd Hopkins, or "The Andreasson Affair" series by Raymond Fowler.

I doubt it. I read this book when I was 14, and it robbed me of approximately 3 years of sleep. I've tried to finish it 3 or 4 times, and have never succedded. I've passed it onto countless freinds, all of whom returned it to me, unfinished, scared to have it in the house with them. Now, at 26 I'm considering picking it back up, just to see if it's still as utterly horrifying as it was over a decade ago. Whether you believe in aliens or not is irrelevant, look at the other reviews, this book will scare you to death.

Whitley Strieber broke new ground with Communion, capturing the nation's attention and forcing serious consideration of that which is improbable or impossible, depending on your viewpoint: alien abduction.

Whitley, an up-and-coming novelist with a promising future, risked all by courageously revealing his belief that he has been an "abductee" for most of his life, repeatedly taken, examined, and manipulated by aliens of unknown origin, for incomprehensible reasons that he later attempts to explain in subsequent books. Financially, the book was a success, but he has paid a price, labeled a kook and ridiculed in interview after interview.

The power of this wonderfully written book is proven by more than its popular appeal. It initiated a coming-out of other abductees, which continued to the point of becoming a fad, and then a joke, similar to the contemporary psychiatric phenomenon of claiming one was abused by Satan worshipers as a youth. This is sad because--whatever the cause--there is a group of people to whom these events are very real. Whitley convinces the reader that he is one of these. With expressive style and absolute control of the English language, he allows us to witness the terror he is forced to deal with.

Whether or not you believe what happens to Whitley is caused by aliens from outer space, creatures from the center of the earth, bad dreams, or a creative imagination, the book is extraordinarily well done and worth reading. --Christopher Bonn Jonnes, author of Wake Up Dead.

There are a couple of important points to note, firstly this book is non-fiction largely because the author BELIEVES that the events that happened to him and his family are true. Upfront Strieber tells you where he is coming from - he would have laughed in anyone's face making the claims that he is now making - contact with 'visitors.' He was/is a skeptic. Later he is most eloquent in asking where the journey will end - for him it can only be in the human dimension - "I do not have it in me to be a true believer nor a true skeptic ... I loathe the narrow and love the broad."

This brings up the second point - the book is brilliantly written. The imagery he creates with the written word is powerful and the reader is carried along while the author moves from terrifying experiences to moments of clarity, insight and acceptance. He argues that perhaps the visitors are from inside the human unconscious and "if they were no more than wind in the eaves or moon lighting the fog... then it was a key to what I mean to myself" That is a lovely lyrical expression of self discovery.

He puts forward and explores various hypotheses about the origins of the vistors. The one I loved best was that we are a human 'larvae form' in contrast to them, the adult form - akin to the vast difference between a caterpillar and butterfly, which would explain the difficulty in relating to each other. After all he goes on "we are consuming our planets resources with the avidity of a caterpillar on a shrub." I found that line hilariously funny.

Even if you have had an interesting or unexplained experience of your own and how many of us have not, enjoy the book for what it is - a well written, sometimes frightening story that will periodically make you go Hmmm - I wonder. Don't be gullible and rush off to send your letter highlighting your experiences to the address provided - after all, authors should do their own work gathering material for their next book.

What makes this book so stunningly compelling is the fact of the author's doubt with regard to his own plausibility. Again and again, he attempts to assert a sense of neutrality, of scientific objectivity. He doesn't ask that you believe him or disbelieve him, only that you carefully consider what he has to say and to make your own judgement. At times, Streiber's writing has an ethereal quality to it that almost supersedes the amazing message he wants to bring to the world - his descriptions of places he's visited and lived and the things which have happened to him there are not detailed or accurate, but rather told almost unconsciously from the heart, as though he has a desperate wish to place you there himself.

Whitley Strieber's iconic 1987 book "Communion" is important mainly in that it introduced millions of people around the world to the reality of alien abduction: people who might otherwise have no acquaintance with this bizarre and obviously (at some level) very real phenomenon. It's extremely well written, as Strieber was already a successful writer when the experiences began to intrude through his consciousness in the mid-1980s. The publisher did an excellent promotional job and got the author interviewed on top-line mainstream media across the world; the book was very well promoted and distributed, and the striking cover image painted by artist Ted Jacobs - though not quite accurate in some details according to Strieber and other abductees who saw it - became an iconic and deeply disturbing image to many with suppressed memories.

The book is written in novelistic style with great skill, as the author tells his own story of the trigger-events in late 1985 which shockingly alerted him to the intrusion of the "visitors", as he terms them, into his life and the lives of his wife and son (whose ID is protected as his name is never mentioned in print). It's a real page-turner and highly readable, as the narrative builds and fills in the complex emerging picture of the interactions which are always on the visitors' terms and never (by them) explained.

Back in 1987, this reviewer first came across the name of Budd Hopkins through the pages of Strieber's book, but did not come to personally know and respect this intelligent, humanitarian and first-class investigator until many years later. New-York based Strieber was lucky to find Hopkins, who helped him unravel the complex tangle of memories and introduced him to others with similar experiences.

Strieber's book is by and large a pretty realistic picture of the abduction phenomenon and one experiencer's attempts to understand and come to terms with the suppressed memories as they emerge. It's downright scary in places, and those of a nervous disposition might be well advised not to read it alone in a quiet house at night. However it's also intelligent and thoughtful as the author explores exactly who or what these visitors might be, through his personal searching and meetings with psychiatrists, hypnotherapists and support groups made up of others going through the same trauma - always anxious to keep their IDs secret, such is the social stigma surrounding The Great Denial of this widespread phenomenon. Conclusions, however, are thin on the ground as Strieber seems to have failed, like many others, to really understand what might be going on and goes a bit "new-agey" in his musings about the meaning of the experience. He's not the only one to go this route, of course, as the visitors don't tell us what they are doing, or why.

One caution to the reader: many people who know Whitley Strieber point to his frequently unstable and odd social behaviour, and it has been said that he "has a difficult time telling fact from fiction." With this in mind, you are still recommended to read "Communion" because of its historical importance, because it is so well written, and its narrative is supported by many accounts from other abductees.

It was in "Communion" that the infamous "anal probe" procedure was reported, rarely if ever described by anyone else as it does not seem to be part of the visitors' normal investigative processes. Because of the book's notoriety and sales success, this possibly-imaginary detail stuck and became associated with the visitors in popular consciousness: ironic, as it seems in reality they don't do this.


BTW don't bother with the abysmal "Communion" film starring Christopher Walken playing the part of Strieber: it's overly melodramatic, uninvolving and doesn't work as drama. Instead see either the feature film or longer original mini-series version of "Intruders" starring Richard Crenna, Mare Winningham et al. It's much, much better - gripping, intelligent, superbly written and edited, and a more accurate dramatization of the phenomenon.