The CE4 Corner
The Cosmic Bridge, Close Encounters and Human Destiny
by Craig R. Lang, Certified Hypnotherapist
Hypnotic Growth, Exploration and Healing for Mind, Body, Spirit and Beyond
Brooklyn Center, MN 763-257-7334 e-mail: craig@craigrlang.com
March/April, 2008, False Memories, Screen Memories and Cryptocritters
©2008 by Craig R. Lang, MS CHt
I had an interesting piece of
correspondence some time ago, dialoging via e-mail with an experiencer. The man
had described how, over the years, he had seen a number of what I call
“cryptocritters.” His description at first reminded me of such mystery
creatures as “Bigfoot,” “Nessie,” “Rods,” etc. Yet
his particular memories could best be described as
caricatures of common animals, such as cats, dogs, etc. In this case, the man
described seeing strange "cats," and as a result, throughout his life
he had felt fear whenever cats would be near him.
As he described these memories, I
wondered if his "cat" memories might be screen memories masking
abduction events. Thus, I asked him more questions along these lines. As we got
to talking further, I eventually described what I had learned about the
screen-memory process. At that point, he responded, sounding slightly indignant
(Note: One can't gauge another's emotional response
via e-mail, but that's the tone I got from his words). He said that his memories
were real, but that he recalled substituting the memories of cats from later
experiences he had had in veterinary work.
From his comments, I wondered if he
thought I was suggesting that his memories were implanted false memories,
rather than phenomenon-associated screen memories. That evening, as the gears
turned in my mind, I realized that there might be a fair amount of confusion
between these two phenomena. So, what are they? How are they similar,
and how are they different?
First, let’s
consider screen memories. These are memories, typically substituted by the
experiencer of a powerful event, usually to soften its emotional impact. They
usually overlay the actual memory. When an experiencer’s memory of an event
contains logical paradoxes – things that don’t make
sense – I suspect that such a phenomenon may be at work. Like many phenomena of
the mind, they seem to be nature's way of helping a person to survive, or at in
this case to deal with powerful experiences.
Screen memories do not appear to be
actual changes in a person’s memory. The memory of the event is actually there,
but the mind alters the interpretation of what the person recalls. It
substitutes something like a harmless squirrel, deer or cat for a potentially
malevolent alien. Usually, the characteristics of the alien are still present,
but the person’s mind simply decides that the creature was a “harmless animal”
(to quote one experiencer).
If the experiencer is up to it (and his/her comfort level is crucial) I sometimes ask the person
to recall or visualize the eyes of the critter. More often than not, the eyes
are dark, have no pupils, etc. If the eyes are solid black (like those of a
gray), then we might wonder if the person has an abduction screen memory. If
the eyes are some other color, then the memory is most likely something
unrelated (note, this is an inexact rule of thumb. The universe throws many
weird things at us and we have only begun to scratch the surface). Often, in
hypnosis, when the person again looks at the "critter" previously
described, he/she often sees a gray, and describes it with the usual terms.
In contrast to the screen memory is
the “false” memory. In this phenomenon, a memory is somehow, actually altered
within a person’s mind. It is not a mask for another memory, but an actual
change in the memory of the event. This is something of which CE4 researchers
do need to be careful - keeping questions and instructions during hypnotic
regressions as generic as possible to avoid affecting a person’s memory. Memory
is a plastic process and, as the pioneering hypnotist and Physician, Ernst L.
Rossi stated in his book, The Psychobiology of Mind Body Healing,
"Every access is a reframe." Each time a memory is
accessed it is potentially changed.
Rather than being a screen for
something else, the proverbial “false memory” is an actual modification of the
information stored within a person's mind/brain. Skeptics claim that false
memories, implanted by well-meaning but overenthusiastic UFO researchers, are
responsible for many/most of experiencers’ abduction memories. I treat that
argument with a huge volume of skepticism. However, I think that it really is
an open question, how much of a role the plasticity of memory plays in the
accounts of UFO abduction. I suspect the role is far more subtle than UFO
skeptics claim.
In my experience wit
In contrast, far from being false, a
screen memory appears to be an interpretational cover for a (possibly)
accurately remembered event. In summary, while the names sound similar, the two
phenomena are actually very different things. Yet I frequently hear the two
terms interchanged. Like so many aspects of the phenomenon, this can become a
point of confusion and misunderstanding.
In my view, understanding the difference between these phenomena, and the mechanism of each, is yet another key to our understanding of the UFO/CE4 phenomenon. It is another aspect of the complex relationship between the experiencer and the Visitors (and researchers). And, like so many other aspects of UFO and anomaly studies, it can teach us much. Cryptocritters, false memories and screen memories - all of these are potential clues to the mystery that is the close encounter phenomenon.
Bio: Craig R.
Lang is a field investigator with Mutual UFO Network, and is a certified
clinical hypnotherapist with the
National Guild
of Hypnotists. He
lives in
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