Alien abduction stories have always held a strong interest among people all over the world, captivating our attention and curiosity as they propose yet another unsolved mystery of gigantic proportions and unthinkable consequences for humanity to contemplate. More so in modern times, and especially in the western world, where the media is a more significant part of culture, many science fiction novelists and screen writers brought out the issue to the public in the form of entertainment. This, due its widespread appeal, gave these stories a certain level of credulity among the masses, and sparked curiosity for closer investigation.
Conspiracy theories about alien abductions vary from the almost plausible-that the government allows aliens to research humankind in exchange for advanced technology, to the profoundly ridiculous-that Elvis was abducted by rock and roll loving aliens. UFO's and alien abduction are thoroughly imbedded in popular US culture that, as we shall see, they are really a part of how it developed and grew. By investigating the story narrative of alien abduction accounts we can trace their possible origins in ancient folklore and mythology, and recognise how they have influenced both conspiracy theorists and popular media to become one of the most familiar parts of conspiracy culture in America. Aliens and related conspiracy theories have a symbiotic relationship to American culture; the interest begins in natural human hopes and fears, which inspires a literature, which encourages alleged witnesses to validate the stories. Next there are calls for an explanation of these strange occurrences so conspiracy theorists drive the stories deeper into American culture, involving other aspects, such as major religi...
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...depth to every part. (page 166, Bullard)
Word count including references: 3590
Bibliography
All Benson references from: Benson, Michael: Inside Conspiracy Theories-What they Don't want you to Know, Citadel Press Books, 2005, New York.
All Bullard references from: Bullard, Thomas E.: UFO Abduction Reports: The Supernatural Kidnap Narrative Returns in Technological Guise, The Journal of American Folklore, Vol. 102, No. 404. (Apr. - Jun., 1989), pp. 147-170.
All Southwell and Twist references from: Southwell, David and Twist, Sean: Conspiracy Files-Paranoia, Secrecy, Intrigue, Carlton Publishing Group, 2004, London
Websites:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Men_in_Black, accessed 17/01/06 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki /Majestic_12, accessed 17/01/2006
...ary knew about the crash and that they were going to transport the wreckage to another military base. Many eyewitness accounts with similar details eliminate the possibility of merely a single person making up the entire event. The government’s contradictory reports demonstrate that their knowledge of the incident is dynamic and dependent on how they want the people to react. This matter is important because it raises the possibility that if the government is hiding information from the public about a spacecraft accident, there may be other incidents where the government is concealing the truth from the public. Despite the government’s best attempts to cover up the Roswell incident, eyewitness accounts from the common person validate the idea that an unidentified flying object crashed in Roswell, New Mexico and eternally changed the lives of several people.
The mass hysteria of UFOs and the Salem Witch Trials share many similarities between each other. Some that were stated were the fact that people claim that they have witnessed UFOs or witnessed a Witch. These claims also lead to the similarities of how people were split in both topics, never agreeing to one side of the hysteria. A difference was also expressed in this paper saying that in the Trials people died compared to UFO sightings where no one died related to them. Overall they share many similarities and differences and there are many more that can be
These stories have a continued overlapping influence in American Fiction and have remained a part of the American imagination; causing Americans to not trust Native Americans and treat them as they were not human just like African Americans. In conclusion to all these articles, Mary Rowlandson and John Smith set the perception for Native Americans due to their Captivity Narratives.
Belzar, Richard. UFO?s, JFK, and Elvis conspiracies you don?t have to be crazy to believe. New York: The Ballantine Publishing Group, 1999.
In researching this and many other conspiracy theories, one can see many uses of sensationalism, mainly by the media. This media- the news (local and national), magazines, tabloids, television shows, movies, and so on- has a huge e...
Human trafficking is an issue that no one really wants to talk about. The media portrays this horrible crime as something that only happens in foreign lands. Americans do not want to believe that something so heinous could happen on our own soil. However when survivors of human trafficking come forward, people are forced to confront the reality that this issue is not that far from home. Some individuals still choose to deny that this is a real issue. However the facts make it extremely hard to deny that human trafficking happens on American soil.
Stanton T. Friedman is a nuclear physicist, a lecturer and a UFO researcher. He published more than 90 papers about flying saucers and “has appeared on hundreds of radio and TV programs including on Larry King in 2007 and twice in 2008, and many documentaries” (Blinn). Friedman also wrote a book, “Captured! The Betty and Barney Hill UFO Experience”, with Kathleen Marden (Betty Hill’s niece), in which they support the idea that we can rely on Betty Hill’s statements about her abduction. First, a few days after the sighting, Betty called her sister Janet who had seen an unconventional craft a few years earlier. Janet, after she consulted a physicist, told her sister to take a compass and place it near the car’s surface. Betty wrote her observations
In 1865 the United States passed the thirteenth amendment of the constitution which formally abolished the practice of slavery in the United States. Over a century has went by since this day, and yet somewhere behind the mask of freedom that our country holds with such pride lingers a hidden trade. This is the trade of modern day slavery that remains prevalent in our country. Despite the freedoms we are granted as a citizen of the United States,- human trafficking is an enormous issue that is often overlooked. In fact very little light is shown on this topic, but the awful reality is there. Every day women, children, and even men are kidnapped, taken from their families, and forced into free labor and sexual exploitation.
In the twenty first century statistics have proven that stranger abductions are feared most by parents but rarely happen, and the number one abduction that occurs is, parental abduction. “Over 800,000 children are reported missing in the United States each year. Child abduction is a tragedy that devastates parents and touches all of us,” writes Jenny Wanderscheid in her online article. The United States has feared abductions for over decades, but many people misjudge the stereotypical “abduction”.
...s she believes in. Subscribing to one theory results in a new thread to follow, until she wonders if there is any meaning at all and if this search will ever end. Similarly, in a close reading of the novel, readers also travel this journey, a journey in which readers experience the irrationality and disorientation that comes with conspiracies. The characteristics Keeley describes in his article are reflected in Pynchon’s novel, suggesting to readers to proceed with caution when faced with conspiracy theories.
Tillyard, E. M. W. "The Secret Agent Reconsidered." Conrad: A Collection of Critical Essays. Comp. Marvin Mudrick. Englewood Cliffs: Prentice-Hall, 1966. 103-110.
Strieber who was “abducted” by aliens but “is now open to the possibility that these nighttime terrors were dreams or hallucinations.” The Cult Explosion by Dave Hunt claims that there is a possibility UFOs are “demonic manifestations from another dimensions” and Hal lindsey who is the author of Planet Earth-2000 A.D. professes that these flying saucers are part of a Satanic plot but there is no evidence for any of these
There are numerous of different movies, books, and TV shows on how humans think aliens interact, look similar to, and what the media portrays aliens to be like. Occasionally, most will stumble across news articles with a variety of related headings about aliens, UFO’s, or recent known abduction stories. Every person has their own theories and or thoughts on these basic questions: do aliens exist? Could the government be covering up real life “space ships” or encounters? Countless folks have claimed to witness or have fanciful stories that have fascinated countless while several others are turned away. There are Videos, pictures and pieces of physical evidence to support nearly all of these stories. Even more alarming,
The story begins on Tuesday July 1, 1947, when one Steven Mackenzie, who was stationed in Roswell at the time, was ordered to track an unknown flying object. By Wednesday the object was over Roswell. On Thursday afternoon officials from Roswell were flown in to observe the activity. Then on Friday the object completely disappeared from radar and was thought to have crashed. On Saturday July 5th a rancher, by the name of William “Mac” Brazel, discovered the wreckage on his ranch a few miles outside Roswell. Brazel reported the debris to the local sheriff, Gorge A. Wilcox, who then in
The Roswell Incident, which enlightened our minds to the capacity of excepting all, has remained one of the most controversial issues today. In Roswell, New Mexico, 1947, a strange occurrence arises. An alien craft from outer space crashed in an open field. The issue lay still for almost thirty years, until the thought of a government cover-up arose.