In an effort to debunk UFO abduction/contact events, skeptics often claim that what experiencers interpret as memories of ET abduction/contact are actually the result of natural brain functions referred to as false memories.
Generally defined as "memories of events that didn’t really happen," false memories result from natural functions of the human mind in all areas of life (not just in ET encounters), and can be created in various ways:
- purposely as a fabrication or fantasy, or unintentionally as the result of mental disturbance or disease;
- when an individual intends to do something, and doesn’t follow through, but thinks they did;
- by an event that is too traumatic for the individual to face;
- by seeing or hearing something about the subject; or
- by a suggestion introduced in a highly suggestible state of mind, such as deep meditation or hypnotic trance.
There is no doubt that false memories exist and that everyone with a human mind experiences them. As such, it is possible, and even likely, that some ET abduction/contact experiences can be attributed to or may be a blend of valid genuine events and false memories. However, this is not proof that all reported contact experiences are such. Debunkers exhibit their misunderstanding of the functions of the human mind when they contend that if there is no incontrovertible proof that an ET abduction/contact event happened, it necessarily was a false memory.
False memories happen, and probably the greatest difficulty an experiencer will encounter in trying to come to terms with an ET abduction/contact event is figuring out what really happened and what may in fact be false memories. Talking about the event in a support group or with a therapist or counselor can make it easier to figure out.
Gwen Farrell, Cht, RT