A new Experiencer Survey has been posted to the Mutual UFO Network (MUFON) website in addition to the ongoing Experiencer Questionnaire.
Alien abduction is reported in addition to UFO sightings in a small percentage of cases filed with the MUFON. The group has been using an Experiener Questionnaire.
“MUFON’s current Experiencer Questionnaire is a screening tool designed to determine what participants have in common with the 50 experiencers who participated in the “Marden-Stoner Commonalities Among Abduction Experiencers” Study in 2012,” MUFON Director of Experiencer Research Kathleen Marden said. “The yearlong study obtained quantitative evidence of 23 characteristics that experiencers share. We discovered that these characteristics are not common among the general population. Those who complete the questionnaire will be contacted by a member of MUFON’s Experiencer Research Team.”
MUFON’s Experiencer Research Team (ERT) works with experiencers in several different ways. It is a triage unit designed to assist experiencers in making the choices that are right for them. The initial step required to initiate this process is for experiencers to complete the Experiencer Questionnaire. The experiencer will be contacted by a member of MUFON’s ERT with their questionnaire results.
Marden said several options are offered.
“First, the experiencer might have had an event and would like to talk about it with someone, but not necessarily report it. The ERT provides a non-judgmental ear. Or second, they might have had an experience that caused trauma and are seeking therapy. The ERT assists experiencers in locating professional therapists if they are requested to do so. The third route is when experiencers would like to find a support group where they can meet like-minded people and discuss their experience/s without fear of judgment or ridicule. The fourth option is for experiencers who would like to report their event/s.”
If these individuals appear to have had a physical alien abduction, the ERT team member will instruct them on what to expect from an investigation by MUFON. If they’d like to file a formal report, they are directed to go to MUFON’s “Report a UFO” link and fill out the questionnaire on MUFON’s Case Management System (CMS). They will wait for a MUFON Field Investigator to contact them.
“This then begins the CMS Case process,” Marden said. “The first three steps do not necessarily lead to a formal CMS report. It is all about helping the individual cope with what has happened to them.”
In addition to providing support for experiencers, MUFON’s Experiencer Research Team conducts social research.
The Experiencer Survey expands upon the “Marden-Stoner Commonalities Among Abduction Experiencers” study. Participants are asked to complete the survey, answering all of the questions related to the research.
“They should plan on spending 20 minutes to answer all of the questions,” Marden said. “A prerequisite to participation is partial recall of their experiences. They will not be contacted after they complete this questionnaire unless they are selected to participate in phase two of the study. The results will be presented at MUFON’s 2016 MUFON International Symposium and via MUFON’s website. “
In past decades, people have been reluctant to file an alien abduction case, but Marden says that it changing.
“Yes, absolutely,” Marden said. “The ERT has received more than 1,000 reports in the past 18 months.”
As both the subject of UFOs and alien abduction is better understood people are more open to filing reports.
“The majority of the reports we receive are historical cases,” Marden said. “Yet many are ongoing and have occurred throughout the experiencer’s lifetime.”
Marden’s research in this field is tracking trends.
“The ‘Marden-Stoner Commonalities Study’ found 23 commonalities on the 45 question questionnaire. The majority of participants had conscious, continuous recall of at least one encounter. Most believe that their first experience occurred when they were less than 20 years old. Most describe their lives as stable and happy, except for the stress caused by their abductions. Questions about what occurred during periods of ‘missing time’ are troubling to many. Many experience difficulty falling asleep due to their fear of being taken. There are many additional trends, but since we are engaged in scientific research, we don’t want to skew our results by providing a lot of information about these trends.”
You can read more about MUFON’s Experiencer Research Team at their website.
