9 March 2011

ABDUCTIONS AND HYBRIDS: STILL A DANGEROUS GAME

Carol Rainey's article below gives insights into more than the activities of Hopkins and Jacobs, for it sheds light on how people become converts to new (to them) religious movements, and the mentality of closed communities which see themselves under siege. We all know of people who have converted to the religion of a new partner, particularly where that religion is a major part of said partner's life.
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When this religion is one which is seen as dissident by the newcomer's original community it can place huge demands on them. Often the newcomer for a time at least becomes more fervent than those who have held the belief for their lifetime. We can see in Carol's case some of the attractions of this - one can see oneself as part of a new community to which one must give total commitment, which offers what it claims are profound insights into the human condition, and gives the adherent the sense that they are in the front line of a cosmic battle.

Of course the claims of any new religion are often difficult for the newcomer to accept In the case of abductionism this included biologically impossible claims of human/alien hybrids, and physically impossible claims of abductees becoming invisible or being sucked through solid walls. But that's the point of a high demand religion, it doesn't cost much to believe in things that are relatively easy to believe in, its believing the impossible which takes real faith. Of course the more impossible the things you start believing the more alienated you become from outside family, friends and the wider community, and the more you depend on the in group and its charismatic leader(s).

Like all cult leaders Hopkins does not look for equal companions and colleagues in his life, but disciples; so it is no surprise that when Carol Rainey started to lose her new faith and ask awkward questions, she was ejected as part of the 'enemy', the dreaded unbelievers.

The reaction of the wider UFO community to the first version of Carol's article when posted on UFOUpDates, and to the complaints of Emma Woods, resembles rather the reaction of the institutional Catholic Church towards allegations of child abuse - blame the victim and shoot the messenger. There is also an eerie similarity between this implosion and the collapse of the Middle Eastern dictatorships, the hysterical attacks on critics, and the cringing, arse-licking messages of loyalty to the dear and glorious leader who has sacrificed everything for you, his ungrateful children. When things really get tough going they can always fall back on the hate-fest. Up on the screens goes the picture of Emmanuel Goldstein Klass, and the whole people can shout abuse and rage at him. Anyone who challenges the great leader and wise helmsman is of course an agent of the imperialist running dog Klass, no doubt spending their time pissing in the peoples' beer, crapping in their burgers, sabotaging their factories and skinning their cats.

What the supporters of Hopkins and Jacobs want to hide is that they have never once offered any real help or healing to their victims, only confirmed them in their worst fears, and told them time and again how helpless they are before the terrible greys, reinforcing dependency some might call it. What they and their ilk are doing is finding frightened and confused people who have had unnerving experiences or deep seated fears and moulded their memories and imaginations into their own canvasses. And, as is obvious from Hopkins's autobiography, are in effect projecting their own inner demons onto their victims. Never once, it seems, do they care whether the said experiences might be caused by medical conditions which might require counselling or treatment, because they know the answer. Messing with vulnerable peoples minds is a kind of mental rape.

If that were all it would be bad enough, but invoking the notion of the hybrids as being out their in the real world is far far worse. What they are suggesting is that there are people out there in the community who are not properly human, who are indeed quasi-demonic enemies of humankind. That is just about the wickedest thing anyone can suggest. One of the contributors to UFO UpDates asks whether critics are comparing Hopkins and Jacobs to Hitler. Substitute the word 'Jews' for 'hybrids' in their writings and the you will see that the proposition is not as absurd as you think. Indeed their hybrid talk falls into a category which has been called 'antisemitism without the Jews', in which ancient antisemitic stereotypes are employed, but attributed to substitute groups such 'the Illuminati', etc.

Of course you might think that few people would take all this literally, but clearly Hopkins (an artist), Jacobs (a history professor) and Andrus (a not unsuccessful businessman) do. We already have someone claiming that she suspects the son of an abductee is a hybrid (what does she propose doing one wonders). In Britain a good few years ago there was a person who went round claiming that his neighbours and members of the local community were alien 'vermin' and making threats against them. Fortunately he did not have access to guns, unlike many such characters in America. If he had there can be little doubt there would have been a massacre.

All of this brings another important insight, how people who at least think of themselves as good and decent people can fall into doing wicked things, because they see themselves as acting in the cause of righteousness. In fighting the imaginary grays, the abduction hunters become identical to them.
On a less sinister note, if people start suspecting the neighbourhood kids of being hybrids, then maybe some will take this identity on board, and we will have the start of a new youth culture, rather like the wannbe vampires and goths. The hybrid motif may well resonate with alienated young people in the liminal zone between childhood and adulthood, who feel neither one thing nor the other. Perhaps they will meet in sterile-looking clubs called hives with minimalist decor and reclaimed dental and medical furniture. The most fanatical will get their eyes surgically elongated and their lips amputated, this done by the more sleazy variety of plastic surgeon; the less well off in dingy tattoo parlours in the parts of town where, if you are not careful, your wallet will walk away leaving you bleeding to death on the ground.
The Garry McKinnon case rumbles on with arch turncoat Clegg abandoning him. Sadly the debates about McKinnon's mental health have obscured the real issue, that by a treaty that previous less politically correct generations would not have hesitated to call treasonous, the entire British people have been made subject to the laws of a foreign realm, the United States. I actually doubt that the US government cares a fig for McKinnon, it is all about humiliating the British government and people, and rubbing the former colonial power's nose in it. There are only two groups of people who could rightfully be extradited from the UK to the US: US citizens who have committed a crime there and fled here from justice, or British citizens who have voluntarily physically entered the US and placed themselves under the protection of the local laws with the reciprocal duty to obey them, and commit a crime over there and then flee justice. Garry McKinnon has, as far as I know, never once set foot in the US and is under no more duty to obey the laws of the United States than he is to obey those of China or Iran. Can you actually imagine that a US court would even for a moment consider extraditing a Tibetan nationalist to China who had hacked into the Chinese defence system and nearly disabled their nuclear arsenal?
On a lighter note, on a Radio Programme about Charlie Chaplin [LINK]  there was a reference to a day in 1916 when over 800 people across the USA reported seeing Chaplin, and that this was investigated by the Boston Society for Psychical Research. Any further details anyone?

2 comments:

Carol Rainey said...

Thanks for the perceptive commentary. It certainly coincides with the sense I have that I'm attempting to exit a cult.It's not something you can see while inside....

tinyjunco said...

"What they are suggesting is that there are people out there in the community who are not properly human, who are indeed quasi-demonic enemies of humankind......"

really, there are so many terribly problematic aspects of the whole 'US style alien abduction' belief. this idea, that some people really aren't and are out to destroy the entire human race, is one of the more troubling. this belief justifies ANY aggressive, immoral, despicable action against either the suspected 'alien/hybrid' or anyone 'in the way' (ie. Emma Woods). Haven't we seen the horrible consequences of this story enough? (the holocaust, rwanda, pol pot, etc.)

and a big 'thank you' to Ms. Rainey for her continued efforts in bringing these problems to light. i've followed ufo developments for over 40 years, and had my own share of 'high strange' experiences. it's so disheartening to see both topics exploited for thrills and 'bills', not to mention the people who are just looking for some help with extraordinary aspects of their lives. Thank you so much for bringing a compassionate, level-headed approach to this topic - it's very rare! best wishes, steph