I haven't been blogging here for some
time because I've been quite busy with investigations and other MUFON
business. Approximately once every year Indiana MUFON tries to do a
hypnotic regression event involving as many UFO experiencers who may
be abductees as possible. This year I was directly involved in get
this years session in operation. Unfortunately it did not work, and a
great deal of time and effort done by our state director Stuart Hill
and to a lesser degree myself has been wasted.
There are quite a number of important
issues involved in using hypnotic regression to recover lost or
hidden memories of a UFO related event. If any of these factors come
into play they could taint or invalidate any evidence recovered using
hypnosis. Far from our favorite form of investigation, hypnosis is
rather on the bottom of the list of evidence sought by MUFON
investigators. Its primary advantage is that it is evidence where
other evidence is unobtainable. The stories and information obtained
with hypnotic regression are susceptible to suggestion, subconscious
fears, underlying psychiatric disorders which may present themselves
as delusions that are perceived as reality, and on some occasions the
strong desire of the subject consciously or unconsciously to please
the investigators. Any of these can cause a confabulation to be
presented during the session instead of a real memory.
The biggest obstacle however is anxiety
on the part of the subject. It is widely believed that hypnosis can
bring forth memories that have been long submerged. These can be
terrifying images or experiences that the subject may not be ready to
face. Therefore the most difficult issue is getting the subject to
voluntarily present themselves at the session.
Another obstacle is the widely held
belief that it is impossible to present or maintain a false story
during the hypnotic state. An alleged witness who is in fact
perpetrating a hoax will want to avoid any hypnotic regression for
fear of being discovered.
This year after lining up all subjects
for hypnotic regression and obtaining our certified hypnotherapist,
all the subjects backed out and the session had to be canceled.
Hypnotic regression ranks last in the
hierarchy of evidence for UFOs behind trace evidence, photographic
evidence, and eye witness testimony. It does however offer some major
advantages. It can fill in blanks in the story of a witness, and
offer therapeutic relief for the extreme anxiety that often plagues
the witness. This year MUFON Indiana lost an opportunity to fill in
some of the blanks in our investigations and perhaps offer some
needed assistance to UFO witnesses who may or may not be abductees.
This is been to us a great disappointment.
Indiana MUFON conducts hypnotic
regression sessions in full compliance with the guidelines presented
to us by the MUFON international leadership. These guidelines state
that the actual hypnotic session must be conducted by a certified
hypnotherapist. This essentially defines the hypnotic session as a
medical procedure. In addition to the confidential nature of almost
all investigations and the promise of MUFON to maintain the
confidentiality of any UFO witness who wishes to remain anonymous,
hypnotic regression sessions also fall under the HIPPA law. Detailed
information on this very important law can be found at this website.
http://www.hhs.gov/ocr/privacy/
This law protects your privacy during
any medical procedure. Unauthorized release of such information can
in fact cause great harm. Let me offer this hypothetical example.
Nurse "Betsy" works on a medical floor of a major hospital.
Congressman "X" has just been admitted to her floor. He is
there with a mild cardiac complaint. Nurse "Betsy" is a
member of a major political party and strongly believes in the
platforms in the policies of that party. Congressman "X" is
a major player in the party on the other side of the aisle. He has
recently announced his candidacy for the presidency. The policies and
platforms that he believes in are in direct opposition to those held
important by nurse "Betsy". While studying the medical
record of Congressman "X" Nurse "Betsy" discovers
that in the past the Congressman has been prescribed antipsychotic
drugs and undergone electroshock therapy. Nurse "Betsy" now
wonders if she might be doing a public service by leaking this
information about the Congressman's background. If she were to do
this she would not only be violating the confidentiality of her
patient but she could also face several years in a federal prison for
violating a federal law. And consider the other harm done to the
Congressman. There is a huge amount of prejudice involving the kind
of therapies the Congressman reportedly had. In fact the Congressman
might be more sane and capable then Nurse "Betsy".
Information obtained during a hypnotic
regression session or any other medical procedure whatever is
restricted specifically to the medical caregivers directly involved
in the patient's care and to those whom the patient has designated to
receive this information.
