UFO Occupant Contact Behavioral Classification System

Introduction

Close Encounters of The Third Kind [footnote 1], the designation coined by Dr. J. Allen Hynek for UFO reports where animate beings are observed in connection wth an unidentified object, are an important part of the phenomenon. Some researchers believe that the key to understanding the phenomenon lies in these cases. Certainly, those cases which represent direct contact and attempted communication between witness and occupant must hold the attention of anyone concerned with UFO events.

Recently, another type of case, the abduction case, has also attained prominence in UFO research. The position of serious researchers varies with regard to these cases. Some dismiss them entirely. Others accept them wholeheartedly. Most are concerned about them and have varying degrees of doubt as to their validity.

The following is an attempt to impose order on CE3 and abduction reports by classifying them as members of categories.

The Classification System

This system is an extension to the author's previously defined Behavioral Classification System, which defines categories of UFO behavior and the behavior of occupants in what are generally non-contact situations (i.e. where little, transient, or no interaction with the witness occurs). As with any classification system, this extension is based on the observation of patterns in the data. No attempt has been made to make it symmetrical or otherwise suggestive, except in the choice of names for the categories.

Having names for things is critical. It enables both conceptualization and communication. In this classification system, the names provided are with reference to the phenomenon, not the witness perception (unlike the Hynek Classification System, which classifies cases according to observing conditions, proximity, and observed features, but like Vallee's first classification system[footnote 2], which classified events by the observed behavior of the object or occupants). In addition, under this system the names are intentionally suggestive of an interpretation of the behavior they represent, to make it easier for researchers to use the categories in conversation. The Behavioral Classification System contains a discussion of points raised by researchers who believe this approach is too anthropocentric.

Note that there is some overlap between the two systems.

Classifications

(Cases cited are from Vallee's original Magonia [footnote 3] catalog, unless otherwise noted)

Friendly	Occupants use gestures interpreted by witness as friendly, but do not engage in linguistic communication.	143 Sep. 10, 1954 2030 A farmer, Mr. Mazaud was walking home when he was suddenly confronted with a helmeted being of average height who made friendly gestures, then went back into the brush, entered a cigar-shaped object about 4 m long, which took off toward Limoges. A few minutes later witnesses in Limoges reported a disk-shaped, red object leaving a bluish trail.
Enticer	Witness is approached or "enticed" by occupants, but does not engage in linguistic communication. Gestures may be used.	Magonia 154, Sep. 24, 1954, 1000, Cesar Cardoso and three others saw two individuals, 2. 5 m tall, dressed in shiny clothes, emerge from a landed craft and gather flowers, shrubs, and twigs in a shiny box, then take off. They seemed to be inviting the witnesses aboard, but their language was not understood.
Persuader	Witness is approached or "enticed" by occupants, and is engaged in linguistic communication. Gestures may be used.	Magonia 878, Sep. 04, 1967, 0510, Police Officer P. A. Andrade was on duty at City Hall when he heard a humming noise and footsteps in a garage. He met a dwarf, 1 m tall, with a big head and bulging, reddish glowing eyes, wearing a silver-colored, metallic-looking coverall. Andrade pointed his machine gun at the creature, but a voice from a hovering disk said in Spanish that he should not harm the creature. The dwarf then tried to convince Andrade to come to "their world, " adding it was "very distant and much larger than the Earth, and with many advantages for Earthlings. " When Andrade declined, the creature flew back into the object, which left.
Paralyzer	Witness is paralyzed, often by a light beam, when approaching occupants near their object.	Magonia 144, Sep. 10, 1954, 2230, A metal worker, Marius Dewilde, 34, came out of his house as a dog was barking and saw a dark object on the railroad tracks, then observed two dwarfs walking toward it. When he tried to stop them, he found himself paralyzed as a strong orange light was projected at him. The creatures were under 1 m tall, bulky, and wore dark diving suits. No face or arms were visible. Traces made by an object of estimated weight 30 tons were noted by French Air Force and police on the ballast.
Warner	Witness is warned away by gestures from the occupants.	Magonia 303, Oct. 23, 1954, 0300, A farmer saw a flying craft descend to ground level about 50 m away, with a sound like that of a compressor. It was an egg-shaped machine with six wheels and complex machinery. The top half was transparent, flooded with bright white light. Aboard were six men in yellowish coveralls, having human faces and masks. When he touched part of the craft, the witness felt a strong electric shock. One of the occupants motioned for him to stay away. For the next 20 min, the witness was able to observe the six men, apparently busy with instruments. Reliable investigations were made.
Attacker	Witness is attacked by occupants, with no apparent provocation, and with no apparent attempt to kidnap.	Magnonia 354, Dec. 16, 1954, evening Three young men saw a dwarf, who attacked one of them, Jesus Paz, before fleeing into a disk-shaped machine, which flew off immediately. It was flat and shiny and had been hovering 1 m above ground.
Kidnapper	Witness is attacked by occupants, with the apparent aim of kidnapping the witness.	Magonia 352, Dec. 10, 1954, evening, Having seen a bright object land near the Trans-Andean Highway, two young men approached it, found it was -shaped like two bowls glued together, about 3 m diameter. The underside was a source of fiery light. Four small beings emerged and attacked them, in an apparent kidnapping attempt. The dwarfs were extremely strong, their bodies covered with hair. They fled into the machine, and it took off.
Demonstrator	Witness is engaged in visual communication by the occupants, who generate a holographic, video, or internally experienced visual message with no verbal content.	I have read of a case of this sort, but have been unable to find it for use in this presentation. Please contact the author if you have any information on this type of case.
Foreigner	Witness is engaged in a combination of incomprehensible audio and gestural communication by the occupants, who usually depart shortly afterward.	Magonia 581, Sep. 19, 1963, 2000, Four children saw a bright oval object hover in a field and drop something. Approaching the site, they were confronted with a 3 m tall man, dressed in "a white monklike suit, " who held out his hands and made unintelligible sounds. The children fled in panic, and one girl was admitted to the hospital in shock.
Communicator	Witness is engaged in linguistic audio communication by the occupants, usually, though not always, in the witness' primary language. Sometimes the occupants promise to return, and sometimes the witness returns with authorities at the promised time.	Magonia 881, Sep. 14, 1967, 1100, Fabio J. Diniz, 16, was walking near a hospital when he saw a mushroom-shaped craft on a playing field. It had a cupola on top, and a guillotine like door that slid up. The boy fled, but a voice told him in Portuguese: "Don't run away. " He saw two men, 2 m tall, dressed in green tight-fitting clothes. They told him not to be afraid and to return the next day, "otherwise we will take your family. " They had greenish skin, and round eyes set wide apart.
Explainer	Witness recieves a brief explanation of the purpose of the phenomenon, usually in his native language.	Magonia 447 Dec. , 1957, night, Edmund Rucker was awakened by a roaring noise and saw a strange object land near his house. "Its windows were lighted, and I saw strange looking heads there. " An opening became visible and four creatures emerged. They had large heads, dome-like foreheads, and bulging eyeballs. They delivered a message to the witness in English, stating that they had philanthropic and scientific purposes.
Recruiter	Witness is enlisted by the occupants as "their representative on earth" or to carry out a mission, or even to be a messiah-like character because of their special characteristics, which sometimes include a claim of extraterrestrial parentage. These are usually referred to as "contactees", and in most (though not all cases) the occupants have been described as pleasingly humanoid, and sometimes as decidedly human female.	Derenberger case, documented by Keel in "The Mothman Prophecies" Meier case, documented in "Contact From The Pleiades"
Tour Guide	Witness is abducted by the occupants, taken into the object, sometimes given a tour of an alien environment, and returned to earth, with no message or mission.	Magonia 393, May. 01, 1957, 0700, When his motorcycle suddenly failed, the driver observed a disk, 20 m in diameter and 5 m thick, hovering about 15 m above ground. He hid in a ditch and saw the craft come down, making a sound similar to air escaping from a valve. A sort of lift descended from its base almost to the ground. In it was a man of average height, who made friendly gestures to the witness. He was dressed in a plastic diving suit. The witness entered the machine and saw inside several people seated before instrument panels, lighted by an extraordinary light. He was then escorted out, and the disk rose to the northwest. During the next hour, six sightings were made along the same course by independent witnesses.
Rapist / Seducer	Witness is abducted by the occupants, taken into the object, and subjected to a sexual encounter with a more or less human occupant of the opposite sex.	Magonia 414, Oct. 16, 1957, 0100, Third observation by A. Villas-Boas. Alone in the fields on a clear night, he saw a big, red star which took the appearance of a luminous, egg-shaped object and stopped 50 m above his tractor. Its light was brighter than that of the headlights as it landed 15 m away. The top part was spinning. It became green as it slowed down, was then seen as a flattened dome. Three legs emerged from the machine as it settled down. The tractor engine stalled, and the witness was seized by unknown individuals and carried aboard the craft, where he was medically examined, then left with a woman of short stature with whom he had sexual intercourse. Villas-Boas reported that crew members wore tight, white clothes with a light on the belt, heelless white shoes, big gloves, and opaque helmets with a slit at the level of the eyes. Their language was shrill, and he could establish no verbal communication with them.
Naturalist	Witness vehicle is interfered with, the witness loses volition / consciousness, occupants are seen, the witness is taken into the object and subjected to an examination, apparently biological, and then released. The witness has no conscious memory of the examination, but does remember the events prior to and after. This is the common abduction, prototyped by the Hill event.. In some cases, witnesses to these events experience the abduction as a "out-of-body" remembrance, but it is not clear if this is a PTSD reaction or is representative of a nonphysical event.	9/19/61, Hill, NH, USA[footnote 4]
Burglar	Witness is sleeping, awakens, and is taken from home by occupants into an object or room. Witness has no volition and does not remember the experience consciously in many of these cases. The witness is returned to their bedroom, and awakens then or later. This is also known as the "bedroom visitant" abduction. In some of these cases there are parts of the events which suggest the occupants are non-physical or can engage in decidedly unusual relationships with physical matter, and that they do so casually.	Several events described by Strieber[footnote 5] and Hopkins[footnote 6]
Vision	Witness experiences an "out of body" abduction, or experiences a burglar event where the "taking" transports their "mind" rather than their body to another location. In at least one case, this was witnessed by someone other than the experiencer.	Strieber ("Communion"[footnote 7]) July 1972 and subsequent times. FRANKSTON, Victoria, Australia - In early 1972 a Mrs Maureen Puddy reported observing a disc shaped object in the sky. Later in July she related that her car stopped itself as the same object hovered overhead. Several months later she recounted being "mentally" abducted into a room, and of observing an entity there. This latter event occurred while two other people were physically present with Mrs Puddy but they only reported that Mrs Puddy lapsed into unconsciousness. On a later occasion she said the entity again appeared to her when she was driving the car.[footnote 8]

Concerns About Reports In These Categories

The Enticer, Attacker, and Kidnapper categories seem to be the most apparently reliable cases in the classification system. Why? Because they are consistent with the hit-and-run nature of the rest of the UFO phenomenon. They usually have a conventional entry phase where the witness is engaged in normal activities and is suddenly involved in an incident which ends just as quickly. There is often a conventional "escalation of hypothesis"[footnote 9]. There is no special further connection between the witness and the phenomenon, and thus one can have less concern regarding possible psychological causes for the report.

Obviously, the greatest worry for the serious researcher is raised by the Recruiter cases. In this class we have a witness claiming a special relationship with the phenomenon. Such claimants may be exhibiting a psychological need to be considered special. We also have the greatest percentage of exposed charlatans in this category. Recruiter witnesses tend to be repeaters, and past experience suggests that repeaters are also often persons who have a "need" to claim UFO experiences. We have a lot of experience with this category of case, dating back to the 1950s... or, if one considers religious events members of this category, even longer.

Demonstrator, Tour Guide, and Communicator cases are probably next in line for concern. However, these cases are more rarely repeater cases, and the witnesses usually descend immediately back into obscurity. In some cases, the classic "escalation of hypothesis" occurs. In a small subset of cases, the witness is promised that the occupants will return to reestablish contact, but this promise is only rarely kept. The witness in those incidents often brings other people, including authorities, to the promised location. A case[footnote 10] in the Tour Guide category was given an unusual psychological interpretation by the Lorenzens, but the basis for that interpretation is far from certain.

The remaining classes of case are generally lumped together as "the abduction phenomenon", but they do differ, and there are numerous subcategories. Of all of these, the Naturalist cases (especially the Hill case) have provided the opening wedge for the rest, and this is due to their occupying the borderline between the normal and apparently physical CE cases.

Nevertheless, one of the things which makes these cases of concern is that they represent a sort of polar opposite of the Recruiter cases - in these instances, the witness is a victim rather than a messiah, but there are well documented cases in psychology where victimhood has been found to be as desirable to some as the "delusions of grandeur"[footnote 11]. Munchausen Syndrome[footnote 12] is only the most extreme example of such problems. Like the Recruiter claimants, abduction claimants (especially in the non-Naturalist categories) tend to be repeaters.

A further concern is the apparent unwillingness of the occupants to enter human households in all other categories of UFO case. In fact, many cases exist indicating the unwillingness of occupants to enter homes, even when that is possible (such as Hopkinsville[footnote 13]). UFOs are clearly interested in vehicles, and the approach to vehicles in Naturalist cases is not in conflcit with this observed characteristic.

What complicates the picture here is that claimants in abduction cases are sufficiently sensitive that even raising the question of confabulation or psychological problems is difficult. Furthermore, the potential problems with abduction cases can sometimes be equally likely ascribed to PSTD (Post Traumatic Stress Disorder[footnote 14]) as to confabulation, hoaxing, or seizure disorders. For instance, PTSD victims sometimes reexperience the stress-inducing event as if it were real[footnote 15], when provoked by an apppropriate external stimulus (at least two "abduction" cases have been reported with these characteristics - that is, the abductee was clearly not absent when the abduction occurred[footnote 16]). In a different direction, the influences of the witness background frequently appear in abduction material obtained under hypnosis. The religious element of the Andreasson case[footnote 17] is but one example of this. Also the influences of the investigator's interests sometimes appear, as in Mack's cases[footnote 18], where environmental destruction is a frequent subtheme of the contact experience as reported through hypnosis (but often not until after the patient has been exposed to Mack for some time).

Though Hynek never extended his probability scale[footnote 19] to abductions, and to the best of my knowledge never indicated how he would expect abductions to be assessed, he did provide at least one important guideline - no single witness case should ever be granted a probability above 3. Thus, very few cases in the most suspect categories can receive probabilities higher than the best single witness UFO case. Further, it is my view that any event which is reported in proximity to an altered state of consciousness (sleep, sleep deprivation, psychogenic substance intake) must be accorded an even lower probability unless specific physical evidence which unambiguously suggests a UFO related event is present.

This is also important in regard to some of the physical evidence cited: marks on the body, unusual waking positions, etc. One must keep in mind that once the suggestion exists for the witness that they are abducted, the witness or investigator may notice things that seem to fit the abduction profile, and ignore possible mundane causes. This is how psychics manage to get people to believe their claims - they make a general claim and then the witness begins to tie anything that has even a possible relationship to the claim into a package of confirmation.

Almost everyone gets bruises, cuts, and even scars whose cause they did not notice or which they immediately forgot. But if an abductee receives such (though I am not saying that all such evidence is caused this way) then the abductee (and researcher) will tend to cast this material into the mold of the abduction experience. This has the potential to broadly contaminate the physical evidence data from abductions.

Conclusion

It seems clear that there is much more study needed on the subject of contact cases, and that much more work to assess the validity of abduction cases must be done - certainly in a more skeptical vein than has been the norm in the mainstream of abduction research. In particular, the use of double blind studies of specific abductees is essential for assessing their confabulation / error profile. Further, efforts must be made to avoid casting subordinate observations into the abduction mold even when an abduction is accepted as having probability 3 rating. That the initial event is accepted does not imply that subsequent events can escape the filtering process, any more than the validation of a CE-II means that the next sighting by that witness of an NL is valid.

This classification system is but the first simple step.

Related Work

The Webb Entity Classification system is included in the Australian Entity Case Catalog. That classification system is, like the Hynek system, witness centered, and does not delineate behavioral categories.

An analysis of this classification system has been performed.