2001
RETURNING FROM THE DEAD - SO NOT MUCH LIKE SCOLE, THEN
RETURNING FROM THE DEAD - SO NOT MUCH LIKE SCOLE, THEN
Well, AW has been away for a while: the reasons are various. Firstly, I've been engaged in serious, ground-up research for a change, instead of just reacting to the crackpot of the month. Nothing wrong with reacting to crackpots, of course, but I did need to put in some real work on the 'Nazi UFO' material, which is set out at length in the current Fortean Studies and should by now be accessible, free, on the Magonia website. I'm quite proud that earlier versions of this material has been appearing on a variety of sceptical and anti-fascist sites on the Internet - the latter, in particular, are just where I want to be. In due course I hope that an extended version of this material will form part of a book dealing with the continuing desire of individuals to glorify both Nazis and neo-Nazis by crediting them with entirely fictional claims of mystical and occult knowledge, and of some authors and publishers to profit thereby.
Secondly, and more practically, a computer problem led to the AW subscription database vanishing, and it was only a few weeks ago that I found an old floppy disk containing a copy. I suspect that it wasn't up-to-date, and that most of you are going to receive a couple of extra issues as a result: considering how long you've been waiting, that seems entirely fair!
Since the last AW, the abduction issue itself has changed. Generally, the struggle to retain credibility for the abduction of humans by aliens as a real event is becoming increasingly desperate, seemingly driven primarily by those who have a financial interest in defending it. Streiber, ever the directionless mystic among the more astute abduction proponents, has more or less vanished in the world of mysterious visitors and doom-laden futures, but continues to lend his name to other projects, ensuring that the money keeps rolling in. Jacobs, despite the day-job, continues to fail to tell history from fiction. Hopkins has returned to the Napolitano myth as the sharp end of his publicity. Leir and Lorgen and Sims rave on, untouched by sense or logic or fact, still succeeding in giving the impression that events have happened when they have not, based on the implication of each having skills, experience and standing they have so far not proved. I see that Graham Birdsall is bringing superchiropodist Leir over for the Leeds Conference this year, so presumably that nonsense about implants still sells tickets.
Animal mutilation
In this country, Birdsall's UFO Magazine, which could surely not survive long without its abduction tales (after all, there's so little else to publish) has been putting out material which on examination appears to be less than helpful to its readers, and may prove to have misrepresented the competence of an organisation involved in regression hypnosis.
In the October 2001 issue, David Cayton again tried to persuade us that animals in the UK really are mutilated by aliens. His attempt at medical verification goes no further than providing a small scrap of skin from a dead sheep to a Pathologist at the University of Manchester. The pathologist makes the riveting finding that the piece of skin is dead, and covered in bacteria: I'm sure the University must be impressed by the pathologist's use of its headed paper, and by his misleading description, under that university heading, of retired engineer Cayton as a "Physician".
More indicative of Cayton's state of mind, and of the quality of speculation Graham Birdsall will publish just to keep the abduction farrago going, is his juxtaposition of Cayton's view of the only professional person to view the mutilated animals at Keighley Moor with his own, strange speculation. All we hear of the professional's view is that "A local assistant veterinarian called to the scene speculated whether the injuries could have been caused by a mink, since they were not typical of those inflicted by a fox or a badger."
The 'mink' hypothesis is, sadly, too simple for Cayton. He appears to take on board the fact that the sheep display evidence of attack by an animal, but, convinced that the physical evidence "revealed classic 'surgical' wound signatures, lending support to the 'ET' connection hypothesis", he says:
"As a personal afterthought, I just wonder if these alien mutilators conduct tissue and organ gathering with some form of 'pet' animal of their own alongside, such as a 'Chupacabras' for example? Could it be that, while the intelligent two-legged humanoids are busily engaged elsewhere, they let loose these hungry beasts to rampage at will, like a dog off a leash? Since these creatures have reportedly been seen worldwide, prior to where mutilated animals have been discovered soon after, it may not be as improbable a suggestion as at first appears."
No, it couldn't be that. I suggest that Cayton's approach is now so subjective, and so driven by his belief in alien mutilators, that it would be unwise to encourage him further by publishing his increasingly irrational conclusions. Didn't UFO Magazine learn anything from the 'Alien Ambassador' experience?
Nick Pope and the National Council for Hypnotherapy
More obviously misleading is the publicity given by Nick Pope in the February 2002 issue of UFO Magazine to the "National Council for Hypnotherapy", which he proudly announces has "issued a policy statement concerning alien abductions". Pope makes it clear that he refers abductees and experiencers to "psychotherapist and hypnotherapist David Howard, with whom I have been working for some time." Howard is also "The driving force behind this initiative".
Pope describes the issue of the policy statement as a "landmark decision", "the first time that any of the professional bodies representing British: hypnotherapists has made an official pronouncement on this issue, let alone issued guidance to its members." Aware that the term "professional" can suggest to some people the holding of professional qualifications, rather than just the taking of money from people in return for hypnotising them, I took a brief look at the NCH. I'd be happy for anyone out there in the mainstream media to pick up my very basic findings, and take them further.
The NCH has five levels of membership, none of which require any formal, earned, accredited qualification in medicine, nursing, psychiatry or psychology. Or anything else, so far as I can tell. Associate Membership is "Available to anyone with an interest in hypnotherapy", and the higher levels of membership ask only for support from other members, the completion of training courses (provided by other hypnotherapists), and of case studies (considered by other members). To climb from the second level of 'Licentiate' to be a 'Registered' member requires only 12 months hypnotising people. To rise to 'Accredited' status takes another four years of the same. The highest level, Fellowship, can only be "awarded, at the National Council's discretion, to those Accredited members considered to have made a significant contribution to the profession of hypnotherapy."
The Chair, and Ethics Officer, of the National Council is, unremarkably, a Fellow of the National Council. On his page on the NCH site he distinguishes himself as "Dr Shaun Brookhouse, FNCH."
In that Dr Brookhouse is both "the Director of Brookhouse Hypnotherapy, a private hypnotherapy practice, and Director of Training and Research of the Washington School of Clinical and Advanced Hypnosis", I do not doubt that appearing to be a 'Dr' gives a good impression to potential trainees and, er, patients. And he's proud of his certificates. In an article in 'Hypnogenesis', a net-only "Magazine for Hypnosis and Hypnotherapy", he says "I have 3 Doctoral Degrees, 2 Masters Degrees, 13 Certifications in Hypnotherapy, NLP and Psychotherapy, 2 Diplomas, 1 Post Graduate Diploma and am currently undertaking a 3rd Masters Degree, 7 Fellowships and going on 12 years clinical experience."
On the NCH site he is more specific, saying that he has "Doctorates in Clinical Hypnotherapy (American Institute of Hypnotherapy), Esoteric Studies (American Pacific University) and Psychotherapeutic Counselling (Honolulu University). Not being immediately familiar with these academic institutions, and aware that Brookhouse lives and works in the UK, I thought they were worth checking out.
An Internet search for the "American Institute of Hypnotherapy", which awarded Brookhouse the first-mentioned doctorate, leads only to a redirection to the site of the "American Pacific University", which awarded him the second.
American Pacific University does not require attendance. Indeed, attendance is unlikely: "APU is primarily a non-residential program and therefore does not have any dormitory or other housinq facilities." It does, however, have some unusual standards for awarding a doctorate, saying that "APU will allow students to transfer certain graduate academic coursework, which has been completed in the field of study, which may include hypnosis, counselling, behavioural science human performance, or esoteric studies." It also, I suggest significantly, states "American Pacific University is not accredited by (a recognized) an accrediting agency (or association) recognized by the United States Secretary of Education."
Funnily enough, "Honolulu University" - which awarded the third-mentioned doctorate - prints the same disclaimer about not being accredited, only without the words in brackets. It describes itself as "A University Without Walls", and also notes that "Honolulu University's degree programs are not designed to meet any particular local, state, or national licensing or credentialing laws, nor to meet any requirements established by independent professional associations."
It would, I suggest, be interesting to know why Brookhouse chose to take the non-UK, nonattendance, unaccredited route to obtaining his three doctorates, to know precisely who, and with what authority, supervised him in attaining them, and to know how much he paid for each 'doctorate'. And as he is not only the Chair, but also the Ethics Officer of the National Hypnotherapy Council, it would be helpful to hear his views on the ethics of persons who assume the title "Dr" on the authority of doctorates obtained from unaccredited 'universities'.
We will probably be fortunate to hear such explanations, but I do hope that Nick Pope will be able to explain why he chooses to recommend the NCH as in some way suited to dealing with "abductees/experiencers", including those that he introduces to David Howard. Indeed, it would be intriguing to know precisely what relevant and meaningful standing Howard himself has to deal with presumably disturbed and distressed persons by way of hypnotic regression when the medical profession has so clearly rejected the use of the technique.
The policy statement issued by the NCH is but a paltry thing, but it ends with the requirement that:
"Because of the necessity of regression in AAC's it is essential that therapists ensure that clients' full medical and mental health history is taken before the commencement of treatment."
This is disturbing. firstly, because the NCH has decided that it is "essential" to use hypnotic regression on "Alien Abduction Clients", but also because apparently amateur, non-medical, and quite possibly completely unsuitable 'therapists' are instructed to take the "full medical and mental health history" of clients. I do hope that they are all registered under the Data Protection Act.
Nick Pope has made substantial amounts of money out of promulgating alien abduction as real, and it might not be unreasonable to conclude that this is an unfortunate attempt to sustain the flow of accounts for publication. He says in his UFO Magazine article:
Like it or not, regression hypnosis is here to stay. It may enable us to access new data about the phenomenon and in many cases lead to a catharsis on the part of the abductee/ experiencer.
This being the case, we need to ensure that the technique is used responsibly. With this in mind, the work undertaken by David Howard and the NCH should be welcomed by anyone with an interest in the alien abduction phenomenon and anyone - believer or sceptic - who is genuinely concerned for the welfare of the abductees and experiencers themselves."
He also asserts that:
"abductees can rest assured that if they approach any hypnotherapist affiliated to the NCH, they will at least be dealing with somebody who has a basic awareness of the phenomenon, coupled with an understanding of how best to take forward an investigation."
Although it was never part of Pope's duties as a junior civil servant in the MoD to conduct research into alien abduction, he attempts to lend the NCH authority by claiming that he "submitted a paper to the NCH, drawing on my official Ministry of Defence research and investigation into this phenomenon". What he is actually doing is to send, and recommend, persons who have somehow formed a view that they have suffered abduction, and the emotional and physical distress that usually entails, to be regressed by persons without medical standing or medical insurance. I hope that he can summon up the decency to counter and withdraw his ill-considered assertions before anyone - or maybe anyone else - suffers in consequence. Graham Birdsall might, to be on the safe side, like to consider publishing a disclaimer just in case some over-blown amateur hypnotist really screws up the life of one of his readers.
The Cathars and Reincarnation
Once upon a time I thought that Arthur Guirdham had found and written down the best proof
of most of the things I really wanted to be true: survival of death, constructive and purposive
reincarnation, recall of fine and exciting past lives, and the eventual triumph of good over evil.
I gradually realised that little of what he said really cohered or convinced but, like a good deal
of what is currently attracting my attention, nobody had really taken the time or trouble to
find out how this complex delusion of group reincarnation had ever come about.
Thanks to the kindness - and long memory - of Leslie Price, I'm happy to recommend an excellent 51-page monograph which comes as close to a solution as anyone is ever likely to get. It's intelligent, thoughtful, well-researched and constructive, but it's also by no means afraid to identify the untruthful elements of the story where they're found. It's titled The Cathars and Arthur Guirdham - an investigation into the past lives of a Bath psychiatrist and his circle' By Lynda Harris, an academic and historian.
The difference between knowledge and understanding
Dr Arthur Guirdham worked for many years as a Senior Consultant Psychiatrist with the NHS. Like many of those who have supported the experiences recorded at the Scole circle as scientific evidence of the survival of intelligence after death and, indeed, some of the current most senior figures in the Society for Psychical Research, Guirdham provides a fine cautionary tale to show that knowledge and academic achievement in one field does not guarantee against becoming confused and being misled, by that which you want to believe in another. A recent example, involving a bright, informed and influential writer comes to mind. Telling us in FT155 how stories of shape-shifters "illuminate the relationship between the phvsiccl and the spiritual", Patrick Harpur says
"It is universally believed that witches fly, as do their counterparts, the witch-doctors or shamans who fly into the otherworld to retrieve souls that have wandered off from their owners or been abducted by malignant spirits or witches."
Actually, a minute proportion of the world's population believes that witches, or anybody else, can fly, The fact is that, at a real pinch, you can find somebody in most societies who is daft or deluded enough to believe that people can fly. At best, if you look really, really hard, ask foolish and uninformed people, or maybe put an ad in Kindred Spirit, this might be a belief that can be found universally. But that really is something quite different from it being "universally believed".
And in AW25 .
Apart from putting together 'Nazis On Mars', I'm elbow-deep in what calls itself the 'Grail Bloodline' material. Currently forming the basis of three very successful books by 'Sir' Laurence Gardner, one by 'Prince Michael of Albany', and another by the old UFO Reality crew of Jon King and John Beveridge, and grounded in the British Israelitism of the early part of the last century, in De Sede, Plantard, and Lincoln, Baigent and Leigh, this appears to be constructed from a series of hoaxed and constructed materials, published over a period of more than 50 years. It continues to grow and develop, each person adding new elements, probably to an extent unaware of the earlier deceits. It's a real task attempting to unravel even the key elements, but I'm getting there slowly. If you know of anyone who's involved in similar research, I'd be grateful to hear of it. Much as I did with the Nazi UFO material I hope to set out some initial findings - and probably a string of questions - in AW. Among those questions will be some about the supposed significance of blood, race, and alien genes in dealing with real world people and events.
