Title: Without Consent
Authors: Carl Nagaitis and Philip Mantle
ISBN: 1-903782-02-3
Price: £9.99
Reviewer: Brian Allan - October 2002
This excellent and remarkable fair-minded book is one of the very few presenting a comprehensive account of many alleged, British, alien abductions that have occurred over the past fifty years. I use the term fair-minded deliberately, because right from the start the book makes it clear that there are several, different, legitimate pinions held by researchers in the field of Ufology. These range from the 'Extra Terrestrial Hypothesis' (ETH) where UFOs are automatically assumed to originate from other stars and planets, through the opinion that the encountered are the result of environmental pollution to the view that UFOs have been around in various forms throughout recorded history. The only difference in this last interpretation being that they were described as chariots, ships, shields and other common symbols. This is described as the 'Psychosocial Hypothesis' and is often assumed to by part of what pioneering psychiatrist Carl Jung described as the 'Collective Unconscious'.
The book sets the scene by laying out some of the parameters (including 'missing time', troubled recurring dreams, anomalous marks on the body etc.) required for an event to be classified as an abduction. It also makes the point that in many cases abductees are loathe to come forward to share their experiences due to a justified fear of derision, particularly in the UK. In America however, this unwelcome response is almost always offset by the opportunity to experience Andy Warhol's 'fifteen minutes of fame' and the accompanying influx of money whether from film and book deals or appearance money; as the book says, 'America loves celebrities'.
One of the authors of this work Philip Mantle as a former director of investigations for The British UFO Research Organisation (BUFORA) is particularly well qualified to discuss and comment on the various incidents described in the book because he actually investigated many of the encounters. It is also refreshing to see alternative explanations presented for the bizarre encounters described by the various people involved. Right from the start, each chapter contains one particular facet of the abduction saga starting with 'basic' CEIV's (Close Encounters of the Fourth Kind) or contact with the assumed ET entities right through to truly surreal and fantastic happenings that are classified (quite correctly) as 'high strangeness'. In some ways the book acts as a 'do it yourself 'primer for anyone who may care to evaluate possible abductions for themselves by giving pointers to lookout for during an interview. For example, is the witness on medication? Are they depressed or anxious? Do they have obvious emotional problems? Are they attention seeking? Although it is open for anyone to set up as an investigator, it is not advisable to do so without some reputable training, BUFORA runs an excellent postal course for prospective investigators.
As well as presenting a range of actual cases, the book also includes a chapter entitled, 'Is it All in The Mind?' which examines the possibility that the events are purely subjective and it might be more rewarding to examine the 'experiencer' rather than the event. The authors draw the conclusion that while this view may have some validity, in cases where there is independent corroboration it is difficult to reconcile. Another aspect of the multifaceted problem taken into account are the ideas and opinions of researcher Albert Budden who attributes many of the encounters to electrically induced neuro-physiological and allergic reactions in the witnesses themselves. While providing an apt explanation for many of the factors experienced, this concept does not explain other aspects of the phenomenon particularly where a third party is involved.
Common themes throughout this work are the repeated references to the obvious sincerity of the witnesses. I have to admit, that as a researcher into Ufology and the paranormal I have encountered this many times. One of the cases cited in the book is a truly classic encounter that emerged from Scotland, 'The A70 Abduction'. As the representative of Strange Phenomena Investigations (SPI) in Scotland I have personally re-investigated this event and re-interviewed one of the two protagonists, Garry Wood. I can vouch for one thing; this man is utterly and totally sincere in his belief that he experienced an alien abduction, about this there is absolutely no doubt whatsoever.
It is in the last chapter entitled 'Stranger still' that the truly bizarre encounters are revealed. Reports so genuinely 'unworldly' that one can only guess at their origin. While one can hazard a guess at a possible extraterrestrial source of their experiences, it is perhaps also possible that the witnesses are experiencing some form of spiritual encounter in an altered state of consciousness.
In conclusion, anyone seeking a fair, straightforward, open minded and well-researched account of a difficult and extremely complex subject they could do much worse than buy this book. I recommend it as a valuable addition to the bookshelf of anyone interested in the abduction phenomenon whether as a researcher or casual reader.
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