Customer Reviews

UFO Abductions: A Dangerous Game

5 star:		(4)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

In this book, Philip Klass deals with the phenomenon of "alien abductions"--that is, the by-now widely known instances in which individuals, often with the aid of hypnosis, recall being taken by aliens aboard spacecraft and subjected to biological experiments. Klass deals thoroughly and convincingly with the hypnosis aspect of the phenomenon, and rightly points out that far from being a gateway to "repressed memories," the technique is actually very likely to elicit fabrications, and perhaps even to plant memories of events that never happened. Additional space is given to cases like that of Travis Walton, which Klass maintains was almost certainly a hoax. Some discussion is also made of the possibility that temporal lobe epilepsy may be responsible for the experiences described by some individuals.

Klass' explanations range from the strong to the very weak. His dissection of hypnosis and the likelihood that most abduction "researchers" are in fact guilty of planting false memories (inadvertently, it should be noted) is devastating. When he brings up TLE, however, he's really reaching. Klass was also notable for promoting ball lightning as an explanation for many UFO sightings, and the same conclusion can be drawn here: perhaps a few cases can be explained in this way, but likely not many. More common phenomena, such as sleep paralysis and waking dreams, would seem to be more appropriate for explication.

In any case, this book is typical Klass. It's an entertaining and easy read, with the caveat that Klass' attacks on abduction "researchers" and abductees are occasionally nasty (in the case of one individual, the possibility that she might be of interest to alien researchers is discounted, albeit apparently in jest, simply because she is physically unattractive). His logic goes awry once in a while, but overall it is difficult to come away from a reading of this book and fail to appreciate the level of delusion required to consider oneself an abduction researcher. Klass makes a convincing case that the efforts of Budd Hopkins, Whitley Strieber and others are actually harmful to the individuals they analyze and to the public at large. For anyone interested in alien abductions, this book should be required reading.

Philip Klass, one of the leading UFO skeptics, delves into the UFO abduction phenomena with fascinating results. To quote the back cover, "If you have read Whitley Strieber's Communion or Budd Hopkins's Intruders, you owe it to yourself to read UFO Abductions." Mr Klass presents the other side of the coin in the abduction phenomena.

The book discusses the claimed experiences of Betty and Barney Hill, Betty Andreasson, Whitley Strieber and other celebrated abductions. He also writes a very cogent chapter on the dangers of using hypnotherapy to unlock these experiences.

After finishing this book, I couldn't help but wonder what the general consensus about UFO abductions will be in 300 years. Perhaps our descendants will know these visitors on a first-hand basis, or maybe they will laugh at our gullibility. As one of our current theories about the Salem witch trial concerns contaminated wheat, perhaps future scientists will decide that over-exposure to MSG or the newsprint used in the National Enquirer lead to this particular cultural phenomenon.

This is a great book if you don't believe in UFOs, and a horrible book if you want to believe in them. UFOs do exist. They are Undentified Flying Objects. This doesn't mean they must be aliens from another world. Are they aliens? Read this book and the truth will be obvious to you. This book does and excellent job of breaking through the fact and fiction on UFOs.

If you're afraid of aliens this book is also useful for you.

Any of the other reviewers who didn't like this book are morons. UFOs don't exist...get over it. A different species from thousands of light years away don't go zipping around in saucers and abduct people just for the heck of it. All you who REALLY want to find out about the UFO contriversy, read this book and everything else Klass has written. It's so refreshing to find a normal, logical person in the UFO contriversy and not some New Agey idiot.

Klass is to be lauded as one of the individuals who refused to jump on the bandwagon of aliens, UFOs, abductions, and other paranormal stuff to instead seek the truth. This highly readable book picks up right where UFOs: The Public Deceived leaves off. Klass begins by summarizing briefly and dismantling the Fire in the Sky case (Walton) and then proceeds to level a majority of his critical outlook on the quackery of Budd Hopkins' seeming exploitation of "abductees" with psychological issues, likely for his own gain (the part about Hopkins trying to get his book out ahead of Strieber's is very interesting). Klass demonstrates over and over that Hopkins is not in any way qualified to psychologically assess his "patients" and Klass systematically demolishes hypnosis as a means of recalling hidden memories. Klass' dry sense of humor shines through here more so than in other of his works and his analytical mind is a still needed and relevant counterbalance to the various trappings of New Age and Pseudoscience that get cranked out year after year, repackaging the same fallacies and errors of judgment if not outright hoaxes.

These days the History Channel has shows featuring nuts willing to tell us that every human achievement from the discovery of fire to building the Sydney Opera House was in fact the work of extraterrestrials. Evidently there's money to be made in aliens and as a result it's hard to find a good counterpoint. Klass tears this issue apart and leaves it a simpering shell of an argument only to be whined in one star Amazon reviews. By far the best thing this book ever did (for me) was to take all the wind of out of the Fire in the Sky case. That movie scared the crap out of me as a kid and I wish this book had been around then.

The mean-spirited aspect of the book seems to be a hanging point for some people here but I find it a bit refreshing. After all, everyone in the abduction world is deluded and ought to be brought back down to earth where they always have been in the first place. Overall, this is an enlightening and enjoyable read for anyone interested in getting the side of the debate that doesn't get to be on TV.

Mr. Klass is a popular forerunner of the skeptics in our society regarding the "u.f.o. phenomenon." In this book, he attepts to express his understanding that human percerption is inherently biased and, therefore, cannot be relied upon for accurate data (with respect to the ufo "abductions"). I think that if you are really interested in the validity of abductees, a thorough understanding of sensation and perception psychology is a necessity. Then, you would be better educated to decide whether there is any credibility to these "abductions." Mr. Klass makes interesting points in this book which are worthy of your time; however, dismissing testimony of an alleged abductee because she was not attractive does raise serious doubts as to Mr. Klass' priorities and scientific methods. I say, buy a book on psychology instead.

If you are interested in exploring the truth, you won't find it reading this book! Phil Klass is a government implant whose sole purpose is to debunk any and all facets of UFOLOGY, including The Abduction Phenomenon. Convinced that everything has a "prosaic" explanation, Klass deliberately and dutifly avoids those cases which remain unexplained or for that matter dismiss with any credulity what "alien abduction" may be, if in fact it is not happening. Don't waste your time!