I sat down over the weekend to read Raymond E. Fowler's The Allagash Abductions -Undeniable Evidence of Alien Intervention. You will note -by all the Post-It notes- that quite a few things were questionable or needed looking at.
The following is my final (internet) appraisal of the case.
This 1976 incident was not included in my book UFO Contact? because there were claims and counter claims being made. These claims against the event being a real one turn out to be very weak at best. They seem to depend upon "inconsistencies" in the accounts that were given yet far from factual inconsistencies.
The mind plays many tricks and after a traumatic event it is necessary to treat the percipient(s) carefully. Not suggesting things that that can then be woven into a false memory. If you take something said in an edited interview whether recorded for TV, radio or a newspaper there are bound to be what some call inconsistencies since journalists are there to sell a story or attract views/controversy. Having looked at the alleged inconsistencies I find that none stand up to scrutuny of any real kind.
It is noted that Chuck Rak recanted his story. He claims that it was all a story concocted to gain money. In fact, Rak appears to have seemingly felt isolated by the fact that the Weiners and Foltz could recall what had happened at the Allagash and become closer while he failed as a subject of hypnosis -which he clearly stated was a great disappointment as he thought hypnosis would make him re-live the experience with "all four senses". It is very probable that Rak may have resisted hypnotic regression because he subconsciously did not want to relive what happened. Fowler states that Rak was a true "macho man" and he certainly appears to have shown this from the Allagash account and his life profile. If the Weiners and Foltz had difficulty over certain events such as sperm taking and not being able to resist what they were 'told' to do then Rak certainly might have had problems. I have no doubt that he put on a brave face but whether he really wanted to relive the event is open to debate.
Interestingly, Rak confirmed all the details of the UFO sighting but for whatever reason (lack of recall) denies the abduction scenario. I am aware of very "macho" people who underwent traumatic events (non UFO) but denied them, sometimes violently while others involved were more open (Male combat veterans’ narratives of PTSD, masculinity, and health paper by Nick Caddick Brett Smith Cassandra Phoenix published: 20 January 2015 and Militarized Masculinity and Post Traumatic Stress Disorder by Sandra Whitworth In Jane Parpart and Marysia Zalewski (eds.), Rethinking the Wo/man Question in International Relations, (London: Zed Books, 2008), 109-126 look at the masculinity of military men facing trauma etc).
Despite an internet source such as Wikipedia stating that the case was "an alleged multiple persons abduction case, which was revealed as a hoax in 2016" and citing Potila, Jessica (2016). "Subject of 1976 UFO incident casts doubt on 'Allagash Abductions'" Rak, the subject involved, confirmed the UFO sighting again but was obviously bitter and resentful -again, possibly because he did not want to event to have been real because of the implications.
As I noted in UFO Contact? and in more detail in Contact: Encounters With Extra Terrestrial Entities? the percipients in these events are without doubt suffering from Post Traumatic Stress -in his book Fowler refers to this having been detailed by Dr Jacobs (prior to Dr Jacobs "going off the deep end"). The solution? More hypnosis. The logical, sensible and human action to take should be treatment by a person medically qualified to handle PTSD cases not Ufologists and Ufological hypnotherapists.
Certainly the Weiners and Foltz experienced flash-backs in their dreams. It is clear that the twins experienced night paralysis as well as vivid dreams -Jack's wife, Mary, could not confirm any event at their home only what Jack had told her. The idea that Mary holding a pendulum so that "Mary You" -her subconscious- could respond to questions is equivalent to having a Tarot reading to discover the truth. Fowler seems to stretch credulity at points and even writes that the Jack and Mary abduction was confirmed by her: it was not.
It seems that all four percipients had read either Budd Hopkins (Missing Time) and/or Whitley Streiber's book, Communion. Therefore their memories would certainly be tainted by this. And yet, despite this Ufological reading, the actual Allagash event is quite clear and each percipient confirms the others' account under hypnosis -apart from Rak who confirmed only the UFO sighting. The Alien Entities involved are fairly unique in appearance -although after Hopkins and Jacobs non peer reviewed work and talks the "abduction phenomenon" is now full of reptoids, insectoids et al.
Fowler and the hypnotist cannot be praised for their techniques. As a self confessed "alien abductee" or "experiencer" seems to be almost evangelistic in his beliefs and fitting in the details of other cases to match his. This leads to unprofessional behaviour such as when, as an hypnotic session is about to be ended he "snapped a quick question at Jim (Weiner): when did you see these creatures again?" Weiner responded with Texas and the year 1980 -detailed later in the book and here is why this was so unprofessional: Weiner's subconscious would have immediately thought of the Texas incident as it was, without doubt and even Fowler suggests (not very firmly) that this might have been a flash-back.
When one looks at how one of the pioneers of UFO abduction percipients hypnosis, Dr R. Leo Sprinkle, worked as a professional and always taking care to ensure the well being of his subjects as well as his work, it seems Fowler and hypnotist Tony Constantino threw this out the window. I may well be a little unkind there but things were done that I would not expect serious experienced -Constantino was a fairly inexperienced Ufologist- investigators to do. It calls into question whether persons who are outspoken about being "experiencers" should really be involved in investigating alien abduction reports. I tend to think not.
That Fowler presents his questioning at points almost as an interrogation -questions asked with added exclamation marks and often repeated until he gets an answer is not something to be proud of. At times those involved seem to lose themselves: when asked to view images as though watching TV one says "I see those things!" and is then asked "Where?" and then he says "on it" he is asked "on what?" at this point I said out loud "On the bloody TV screen you told him to see all of this on!" At one point Foltz recounts a vivid dream that he found very upsetting and it was clearly a flash-back but because he rarely had vivid dream Constantino and Fowler stretch and push facts in leapsand bounds to make the dream a real event despite Foltz stating he believes it was just a rare, disturbing dream. The investigators then chalk this up as another abduction experience being witnessed.
It seems that Fowler and Constantino (David Webb a more experienced Ufologist was involved in the case but not at all the sessions) perceive every obvious dream or PTSD flash-back as genuine, real world experiences.
When it comes to Fowler's hypothesis that the twins were the focus of the Allagash event things fall to pieces. At the very outset Fowler states how excited he is that twins were involved since that would be a Ufological -as Fowler puts it, after not paying much attention to Jim Weiner when he approached him at an event but on hearing twins were involved: "Suddenly I became very interested in what Jim was trying so hard to tell me"- first and it seems that he loses interest in Foltz and Rak (this may indicate why Rak appears to be resentful as Fowler and Constantino appear -judging by Fowler's book- to have given up on trying to get to his memories of the event as he was awkward and resisted hypnosis).
Some of Jim Weiner's experiences could be down to his Temporlimbic epilepsy (TLE) -but as his doctors pointed out this could not account for the others memories of the Allagash incident. However, having already read Budd Hopkins book before the hypnotic sessions, it could well have affected his memory -created false ones. Bringing in an alleged "ghost" ("Harry") does not help the case or point to childhood abductions of the twins as Fowler seems to insist. Also, it is clearly stated by Foltz that the entities involved appeared to be interested in the twins as they looked so alike. One might ask whether, if the twins were abducted from an early age, the entities had not noticed that they looked alike? This almost falls into Jacobs' realm where we appear to have attracted anything but the galaxy's brightest. I believe that everything points to a one off event.
Rak's recall of a previous event -which he recalled but later recanted and may have been influenced by his reading of Hopkins/Streiber- can be negated and it is 100% not 'evidence' of any type and certainly not of life-long abductions. It should be pointed out he was not the only member of the four who felt Hopkins book might have influenced other memories.
Looking at the information presented it seems that the Allagash Four (or Three) had a one time experience. As the entities in the object involved seemingly had not really paid much attention to their presence on the lake it has to be asked whether Foltz, by signalling "SOS" with a flash-light actually drew the entities attention? We cannot know what alien entities might think, however, people in a canoe signalling them might be considered as "Hi. We want to meet you". There are other UFO incidents in which objects have approached people signalling with flash-lights. This Allagash event might well have been a case of "You were curious and signalled them so you got not quite what you wanted"
We also come across the "scoop marks" so much cherished and highlighted in these cases. "Unexplained lumps" appearing on shins -possible ganglions or proof of alien abduction? I have a lump on my right shin. My father and brother as well as one sister had the same. My mother and father sighted a UFO in Germany before I was born. Am I a UFO abductee? No. Objects get stuck in skin or you get cuts and they leave scars but you do not notice. One evening I was washing what's left of my hair and felt a bump to the back of my head. Then another -and dried blood. It took me a long while to remember that a tree branch had scraped past my head the day before but I had no idea it had cut my skin. A doctor once found a mysterious 1 mm greyish object under my left forearm skin and cut it out: it was a piece of pencil lead from where another pupil had stabbed me with a pencil in 1972 -completely forgot about it.
Ganglions. According to Tibial periosteal ganglion cyst: The ganglion in disguise a paper by Anjuna Reghunath, Mahesh K Mittal, Geetika Khanna and V Anil in The Indian Journal of Radiology Imaging. 2017 Jan-Mar; 27(1): 105–109:
"Soft tissue ganglions are commonly encountered cystic lesions around the wrist presumed to arise from myxomatous degeneration of periarticular connective tissue. Lesions with similar pathology in subchondral location close to joints, and often simulating a geode, is the less common entity called intraosseous ganglion. Rarer still is a lesion produced by mucoid degeneration and cyst formation of the periostium of long bones, rightly called the periosteal ganglion. They are mostly found in the lower extremities at the region of pes anserinus, typically limited to the periosteum and outer cortex without any intramedullary component. We report the case of a 62 year-old male who presented with a tender swelling on the mid shaft of the left tibia, which radiologically suggested a juxtacortical lesion extending to the soft tissue or a soft tissue neoplasm eroding the bony cortex of tibia. It was later diagnosed definitively as a periosteal ganglion in an atypical location, on further radiologic work-up and histopathological correlation."
Rather like the scam of running an EMF (Electro Magnetic Frequency) meter over a removed 'alien implant' (most EMF meters will begin 'reacting' if squeezed slightly so the person holding it is seen to not be touching anything to get the reaction) the idea that every bump and scrape is evidence of aliens "biopsy punches" from childhood on can be ruled out.
What I find odd is fig. 3 on p. 30 of Fowler's book in which a balding, white haired man is sat down in front of the quartet. The note reads "...seated man came out of the woods, stayed for a while, left, and never gave his name". That is the only mention of this in the book. I am guessing the famous photo was taken by camera on auto since there were only four present. The photo with the extra man is an odd one. Every single detail -position of items held, angle of arms and hands, details in the background all match. So why is this photo with the mystery man not on the internet and I have looked and why is the photo so significant when it is used nowhere but the book?
Only those involved can say 100% what happened at Allagash and all but one (who has changed his story slightly but actually falls short of saying it was a hoax) stick by that story and as for it being a hoax to get money -the four had not even seen a copy of the book before they appeared on the Joan Rivers Show. They were pretty lax about "cashing in" on a UFO sighting.
Sadly, it was Fowler's book that prevented me from including this case in UFO Contact
The following is my final (internet) appraisal of the case.
This 1976 incident was not included in my book UFO Contact? because there were claims and counter claims being made. These claims against the event being a real one turn out to be very weak at best. They seem to depend upon "inconsistencies" in the accounts that were given yet far from factual inconsistencies.
The mind plays many tricks and after a traumatic event it is necessary to treat the percipient(s) carefully. Not suggesting things that that can then be woven into a false memory. If you take something said in an edited interview whether recorded for TV, radio or a newspaper there are bound to be what some call inconsistencies since journalists are there to sell a story or attract views/controversy. Having looked at the alleged inconsistencies I find that none stand up to scrutuny of any real kind.
It is noted that Chuck Rak recanted his story. He claims that it was all a story concocted to gain money. In fact, Rak appears to have seemingly felt isolated by the fact that the Weiners and Foltz could recall what had happened at the Allagash and become closer while he failed as a subject of hypnosis -which he clearly stated was a great disappointment as he thought hypnosis would make him re-live the experience with "all four senses". It is very probable that Rak may have resisted hypnotic regression because he subconsciously did not want to relive what happened. Fowler states that Rak was a true "macho man" and he certainly appears to have shown this from the Allagash account and his life profile. If the Weiners and Foltz had difficulty over certain events such as sperm taking and not being able to resist what they were 'told' to do then Rak certainly might have had problems. I have no doubt that he put on a brave face but whether he really wanted to relive the event is open to debate.
Interestingly, Rak confirmed all the details of the UFO sighting but for whatever reason (lack of recall) denies the abduction scenario. I am aware of very "macho" people who underwent traumatic events (non UFO) but denied them, sometimes violently while others involved were more open (Male combat veterans’ narratives of PTSD, masculinity, and health paper by Nick Caddick Brett Smith Cassandra Phoenix published: 20 January 2015 and Militarized Masculinity and Post Traumatic Stress Disorder by Sandra Whitworth In Jane Parpart and Marysia Zalewski (eds.), Rethinking the Wo/man Question in International Relations, (London: Zed Books, 2008), 109-126 look at the masculinity of military men facing trauma etc).
Despite an internet source such as Wikipedia stating that the case was "an alleged multiple persons abduction case, which was revealed as a hoax in 2016" and citing Potila, Jessica (2016). "Subject of 1976 UFO incident casts doubt on 'Allagash Abductions'" Rak, the subject involved, confirmed the UFO sighting again but was obviously bitter and resentful -again, possibly because he did not want to event to have been real because of the implications.
As I noted in UFO Contact? and in more detail in Contact: Encounters With Extra Terrestrial Entities? the percipients in these events are without doubt suffering from Post Traumatic Stress -in his book Fowler refers to this having been detailed by Dr Jacobs (prior to Dr Jacobs "going off the deep end"). The solution? More hypnosis. The logical, sensible and human action to take should be treatment by a person medically qualified to handle PTSD cases not Ufologists and Ufological hypnotherapists.
Certainly the Weiners and Foltz experienced flash-backs in their dreams. It is clear that the twins experienced night paralysis as well as vivid dreams -Jack's wife, Mary, could not confirm any event at their home only what Jack had told her. The idea that Mary holding a pendulum so that "Mary You" -her subconscious- could respond to questions is equivalent to having a Tarot reading to discover the truth. Fowler seems to stretch credulity at points and even writes that the Jack and Mary abduction was confirmed by her: it was not.
It seems that all four percipients had read either Budd Hopkins (Missing Time) and/or Whitley Streiber's book, Communion. Therefore their memories would certainly be tainted by this. And yet, despite this Ufological reading, the actual Allagash event is quite clear and each percipient confirms the others' account under hypnosis -apart from Rak who confirmed only the UFO sighting. The Alien Entities involved are fairly unique in appearance -although after Hopkins and Jacobs non peer reviewed work and talks the "abduction phenomenon" is now full of reptoids, insectoids et al.
Fowler and the hypnotist cannot be praised for their techniques. As a self confessed "alien abductee" or "experiencer" seems to be almost evangelistic in his beliefs and fitting in the details of other cases to match his. This leads to unprofessional behaviour such as when, as an hypnotic session is about to be ended he "snapped a quick question at Jim (Weiner): when did you see these creatures again?" Weiner responded with Texas and the year 1980 -detailed later in the book and here is why this was so unprofessional: Weiner's subconscious would have immediately thought of the Texas incident as it was, without doubt and even Fowler suggests (not very firmly) that this might have been a flash-back.
When one looks at how one of the pioneers of UFO abduction percipients hypnosis, Dr R. Leo Sprinkle, worked as a professional and always taking care to ensure the well being of his subjects as well as his work, it seems Fowler and hypnotist Tony Constantino threw this out the window. I may well be a little unkind there but things were done that I would not expect serious experienced -Constantino was a fairly inexperienced Ufologist- investigators to do. It calls into question whether persons who are outspoken about being "experiencers" should really be involved in investigating alien abduction reports. I tend to think not.
That Fowler presents his questioning at points almost as an interrogation -questions asked with added exclamation marks and often repeated until he gets an answer is not something to be proud of. At times those involved seem to lose themselves: when asked to view images as though watching TV one says "I see those things!" and is then asked "Where?" and then he says "on it" he is asked "on what?" at this point I said out loud "On the bloody TV screen you told him to see all of this on!" At one point Foltz recounts a vivid dream that he found very upsetting and it was clearly a flash-back but because he rarely had vivid dream Constantino and Fowler stretch and push facts in leapsand bounds to make the dream a real event despite Foltz stating he believes it was just a rare, disturbing dream. The investigators then chalk this up as another abduction experience being witnessed.
It seems that Fowler and Constantino (David Webb a more experienced Ufologist was involved in the case but not at all the sessions) perceive every obvious dream or PTSD flash-back as genuine, real world experiences.
When it comes to Fowler's hypothesis that the twins were the focus of the Allagash event things fall to pieces. At the very outset Fowler states how excited he is that twins were involved since that would be a Ufological -as Fowler puts it, after not paying much attention to Jim Weiner when he approached him at an event but on hearing twins were involved: "Suddenly I became very interested in what Jim was trying so hard to tell me"- first and it seems that he loses interest in Foltz and Rak (this may indicate why Rak appears to be resentful as Fowler and Constantino appear -judging by Fowler's book- to have given up on trying to get to his memories of the event as he was awkward and resisted hypnosis).
Some of Jim Weiner's experiences could be down to his Temporlimbic epilepsy (TLE) -but as his doctors pointed out this could not account for the others memories of the Allagash incident. However, having already read Budd Hopkins book before the hypnotic sessions, it could well have affected his memory -created false ones. Bringing in an alleged "ghost" ("Harry") does not help the case or point to childhood abductions of the twins as Fowler seems to insist. Also, it is clearly stated by Foltz that the entities involved appeared to be interested in the twins as they looked so alike. One might ask whether, if the twins were abducted from an early age, the entities had not noticed that they looked alike? This almost falls into Jacobs' realm where we appear to have attracted anything but the galaxy's brightest. I believe that everything points to a one off event.
Rak's recall of a previous event -which he recalled but later recanted and may have been influenced by his reading of Hopkins/Streiber- can be negated and it is 100% not 'evidence' of any type and certainly not of life-long abductions. It should be pointed out he was not the only member of the four who felt Hopkins book might have influenced other memories.
Looking at the information presented it seems that the Allagash Four (or Three) had a one time experience. As the entities in the object involved seemingly had not really paid much attention to their presence on the lake it has to be asked whether Foltz, by signalling "SOS" with a flash-light actually drew the entities attention? We cannot know what alien entities might think, however, people in a canoe signalling them might be considered as "Hi. We want to meet you". There are other UFO incidents in which objects have approached people signalling with flash-lights. This Allagash event might well have been a case of "You were curious and signalled them so you got not quite what you wanted"
We also come across the "scoop marks" so much cherished and highlighted in these cases. "Unexplained lumps" appearing on shins -possible ganglions or proof of alien abduction? I have a lump on my right shin. My father and brother as well as one sister had the same. My mother and father sighted a UFO in Germany before I was born. Am I a UFO abductee? No. Objects get stuck in skin or you get cuts and they leave scars but you do not notice. One evening I was washing what's left of my hair and felt a bump to the back of my head. Then another -and dried blood. It took me a long while to remember that a tree branch had scraped past my head the day before but I had no idea it had cut my skin. A doctor once found a mysterious 1 mm greyish object under my left forearm skin and cut it out: it was a piece of pencil lead from where another pupil had stabbed me with a pencil in 1972 -completely forgot about it.
Ganglions. According to Tibial periosteal ganglion cyst: The ganglion in disguise a paper by Anjuna Reghunath, Mahesh K Mittal, Geetika Khanna and V Anil in The Indian Journal of Radiology Imaging. 2017 Jan-Mar; 27(1): 105–109:
"Soft tissue ganglions are commonly encountered cystic lesions around the wrist presumed to arise from myxomatous degeneration of periarticular connective tissue. Lesions with similar pathology in subchondral location close to joints, and often simulating a geode, is the less common entity called intraosseous ganglion. Rarer still is a lesion produced by mucoid degeneration and cyst formation of the periostium of long bones, rightly called the periosteal ganglion. They are mostly found in the lower extremities at the region of pes anserinus, typically limited to the periosteum and outer cortex without any intramedullary component. We report the case of a 62 year-old male who presented with a tender swelling on the mid shaft of the left tibia, which radiologically suggested a juxtacortical lesion extending to the soft tissue or a soft tissue neoplasm eroding the bony cortex of tibia. It was later diagnosed definitively as a periosteal ganglion in an atypical location, on further radiologic work-up and histopathological correlation."
Rather like the scam of running an EMF (Electro Magnetic Frequency) meter over a removed 'alien implant' (most EMF meters will begin 'reacting' if squeezed slightly so the person holding it is seen to not be touching anything to get the reaction) the idea that every bump and scrape is evidence of aliens "biopsy punches" from childhood on can be ruled out.
What I find odd is fig. 3 on p. 30 of Fowler's book in which a balding, white haired man is sat down in front of the quartet. The note reads "...seated man came out of the woods, stayed for a while, left, and never gave his name". That is the only mention of this in the book. I am guessing the famous photo was taken by camera on auto since there were only four present. The photo with the extra man is an odd one. Every single detail -position of items held, angle of arms and hands, details in the background all match. So why is this photo with the mystery man not on the internet and I have looked and why is the photo so significant when it is used nowhere but the book?
Only those involved can say 100% what happened at Allagash and all but one (who has changed his story slightly but actually falls short of saying it was a hoax) stick by that story and as for it being a hoax to get money -the four had not even seen a copy of the book before they appeared on the Joan Rivers Show. They were pretty lax about "cashing in" on a UFO sighting.
Sadly, it was Fowler's book that prevented me from including this case in UFO Contact
