While governments have been interested in the UFO phenomenon for decades, their scientific experts have focused extensively on the physical characteristics—the “nuts and bolts”[1] aspect of the phenomenon. In terms of observing the manifestations of UFOs and their impacts on witnesses, the scientific literature develops along two lines.
First, there is a substantial body of anthropological and socio-psychological scientific literature dating back to the 1970s on the subject of Unidentified Aerial Phenomena (UAP) observations. This involves studying testimonies by seeking cultural, sociological, or cognitive explanations for them. For example, the “sociopsychological model of the UFO phenomenon,” popularized in France by Michel Monnerie in 1977, emerged from this literature. This hypothesis explains the observations as misunderstandings, errors, or even hallucinations. Manuel Jimenez would describe UFO testimony as “the culmination of a misinterpretation process of a known phenomenon.” Generally, this literature questions the credibility of such testimonies.
There is also a substantial body of literature on abductions—accounts of being kidnapped by extraterrestrials. Here, the point is not to explain the phenomenon, but to listen to individuals who have experienced it, to focus on the witnesses. Parnell and Sprinkle, cited by Rabeyron T. in 1990, showed that abductees (those who have had contact with ETs), while relating an incredible experience, do not suffer from psychopathological disorders.
And the famous John Mack, a psychiatrist who was initially skeptical, has delivered over time a collection of extremely disturbing abductee testimonials. From his perspective as well, the witnesses do not suffer from mental illness. Their accounts “sound very real, truthful,” he emphasizes in an interview with Dr. Seymour. The emotion of the witnesses is intense, he says, and they describe having numerous common traits in their experiences. Seymour was the first to reveal a common impact among all abductees—the emergence of an ecological concern.
It is in this scientific landscape that a new study on witnesses by Dr. Gabriel de la Torre slots in. A neuropsychologist and faculty researcher at the University of Cadiz, one of his specialties is space. After working on an IAA project regarding missions to Mars, he now collaborates on a NASA project dealing with human adaptation and resilience factors during long-duration missions.
He published an academic paper in the International Journal of Astrobiology in December 2023 on the psychological impact of UAP. It presents the results of an online survey involving 245 people, including 93 witnesses. The education level of the sample is medium to high. He concludes that there is an “evident” psychological impact of observation on the witnesses, with a “transformative” effect. He identifies this impact as the “deep psychological engagement triad of UAP.” It is characterized by a nearly daily preoccupation with the subject, significant interest in the question, and the need to talk about it. Witnesses remain, in a way, connected with UFOs and describe their experience as having changed their life and perception of the human place in the universe. He does not describe any “global negative effect on the overall life of the witness” despite “a kind of non-pathological obsessive thinking about UAP.” However, he does not know if the engagement triad has a “neuroanatomical correlation,” due to the lack of relevant studies.
For Professor de la Torre, the study has managed to objectify the psychological impact of the UFO phenomenon; therefore, additional research is relevant. He wants to continue studying the witnesses, this time focusing on physiological and neurological aspects. He also hopes his study will help to take the witnesses and the phenomenon seriously. Indeed, he notes, despite many hypotheses, we still know little about UFOs.
Translated from French by Guillaume Fournier Airaud
This work is licensed under CC BY-NC-ND 4.0