The
Distortion theory suggests that most of the material contained in a close
encounter experience emerges from the individual unconscious of witnesses,
being able to take elements of the collective human mind (collective
unconscious and archetypes).
Everything
flows (drift) from the interaction (channeling) of the psyche of the witness
with an unknown external agent. The participation of an independent external
agent is confirmed by the incorporation of certain aspects of the experiences
that are common to hundreds of incidents.
For
example, humanoids shoot flashes of light to the witnesses, independent of
their appearance, tall, short, humans, monsters, et cetera.
What is
disconcerting about close encounters is that humanoids of radically different
physical aspects behave in the same manner, with "tools" (a light in
hand); they are dedicated to explore the ground and surroundings, collect
samples, but never leave tangible evidence that can be analyzed of their
numerous visits.
Also, as
noted, they shoot rays of light at the witnesses. That uniform behavior, in
cases of different "alien" appearances; shapes, sizes and colors,
into experiences that stand out as
having various incoherent elements, indicates that our unconscious chooses to
conform to these external aspects of experience (with information from TV,
science fiction, comics, movies, et cetera.), with an external agent adding the
"common elements.”
Moreover,
the existence of physical traces on the ground or on the witness indicates that
the external agent is capable of providing "material" to an
experience more typical of dreaming than reality.
Emulating
a film director, the external agent is able to maintain a
"homogeneous" screenplay somewhat consistent with the logic of the
dream world creating a scene that represents extraterrestrial visitation,
"eliminating" and "censoring "any unconscious material that
may hinder or divert the basic objectives of the experience.
The
external agent uses only the most useful elements from the unconscious to shape
the theatrical representation in the form of "flying saucer" along
with the garb of the humanoid, their physical appearance, height, behavior, et
cetera.
And
depending on the imaginative capacity of the witness and unconscious resources
(literature, comics, movies, et cetera) the experience contains more or less
detail.
The
theory of Distortion proposes an interesting equation: if we know many details
of the witness (analyzing his
personality and knowledge, studies, hobbies, and so on), we can guess what kind
of UFO experiences the witness has been familiar with.
And
contrary, knowing the details of a close encounter, we can discover what
aspects allow the witness to live this experience.
In this
way we can trace the origin of certain details of the experiences that seem
incoherent or anachronistic. Probably all these absurd elements in close
encounters are latent in the unconscious of the witness, which good research
certainly would find.
In the
following case, from Italy in 1951, but divulged in 1978, we can see many of
the features observed in the humanoids that were reflected in the cover of a
U.S. science fiction magazine published in 1957. Without having a connection
between one event and another, the similarities are striking, and can be
explained because that in the collective imagination would be contained
(stored) all the "ingredients" of science fiction (helmets,
spacesuits, antennas, equipment-contained breathing apparatus, ray guns, et
cetera) necessary for such encounters to sprout. But all these elements are combined and
distorted by the very psyche of the witness, using their own “oneiric
creativity.”
In
Voghenza (Voghiera, Ferrara) on August 14, 1951 at 13:00 pm, H. B., a farmer
and construction worker of 57 years, performing maintenance work in the local
cemetery felt an intense heat wave on his back at the same time he heard a
strange noise.Turning around he observed a huge a bright metallic object about 6 meters in diameter falling from the sky.
The
artifact was elongated with a dome on top and several vertical fins. There were
several round, blue windows. In the center was a ring-spinning dome. The lower part had the shape of a funnel and
was motionless. At low speed, the craft landed about fifty
meters from the witness, supporting itself on three telescopic legs emerging
from its base. Two side doors opened showing two staircases. Six humanoids of about 1.20 meters in height
emerged.They wore bright white one-piece suits and
wore boots which reached to the knees.
At their waists they wore belts with a green,
elongated lens. On their heads they had helmets of transparent
material from which protruded three antennas, two on each side and one in the
center.On the back was a “packet” from which emerged a tube joined to the helmet below the chin.
The arms of the humanoids were very long in relation to the body. They carried long objects in their hands that seemed to be some kind of weapon like a shotgun.
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As they
approached the witness, he could see more details of the face of beings. The facial features were simian-like. The
elongated head had high cheekbones and round blue eyes, The skin was white. (One appeared to be the "boss" of
the group and had a red-colored beard.) The rest of their heads were covered with a
dark material. One of the humanoids pointed the carried
object at the witness and fired a "flash" of light.
H.B. was so scared but he did not attempt to
flee, and the "light" did not cause any apparent damage. The "boss" made a friendly gesture
with his hand, and the witness returned the greeting, The humanoid nodded. Suddenly, all the humanoids returned to the
aircraft. A pink flame appeared from the lower funnel, the object is rose
vertically at high speed, and in two seconds was out of sight. A cemetery worker watched the flight of a
blinding light. Marks were left in a field by the landing: a circle of burnt
grass with soil devoid of vegetation about seven meters in diameter.
Several
incidents that Ahmad Jamaludin presented in MUFON UFO Journal, No. 141, took
place in November 1979, in Malaysia. One of the incidents contains the elements
described in multiple close encounters, including the Voghenza landing. In this incident, the imagination of the
children involved added a tunic decorated with stars, on a small humanoid. The use of a tiny "ray gun" by the
humanoid produced, once again, paralyzing effects. One child had paralysis of his right arm. Jamaludin narrateds this incident thusly;
"Occurred on August 19th, 1970, near the playground of the Stowell Primary
School in Bukit Mertajam. Eyewitnesses claimed that they saw five, 3-inch tall
humanoids march in a military fashion down the gangplank of a miniature flying
saucer into the schoolyard. Four of the beings wore identical blue uniforms
while the fifth, who carried himself with the aura of one who seemed to be in
charge, wore a bright yellow tunic decorated with stars and had a pair of
“horns” or antennas on his head. At first the unusual entities seemed to ignore
the onlookers and proceeded to climb a nearby tree where they erected an
“aerial-like device” in its branches. The purpose of this device or even if it
was recovered were facts that remain frustratingly unrecorded. In no time a cluster of six boys advanced on
the unexpected guests. The bravest of the bunch, one K. Wigneswaran, made a
grab for the garishly clothed leader, but the alien astronauts were quick to
defend themselves and wasted no time in drawing their “tiny laser pistols” and
opening fire on the inquisitive children. The kids scattered in a panic and
once the hubbub died down Wigneswaran would discover a scar on his thigh where
he had been hit by the laser pistol."
JOSE ANTONIO CARAV@CA