Right now, as I type this thread, I am watching "The Outsiders," which is a special on ABC that interviews various people who claim to have been abducted by Aliens, and then explores both the paranormal and realistic (they call it "scientific") side to the stories. It ends up giving a logical explanation for the supposed abductee's stories, claiming that they are victims of sleep paralysis [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sleep_paralysis]. Often throughout this special, the reporter hosting the show makes the common mistake of asking the "abductees", or implying to the them, that their stories might be wrong, and therefore, that Aliens don't exist. This angers me. It is quite common of many people to say that it is crazy to beleive that Aliens exist, because they, quite reasonably, believe flying saucers and abductions are silly, made up stories. However, just because it is probably true that Aliens have not visited Earth, does not mean that it is insane to believe that Aliens exist somewhere in the universe. There are billions of stars in outer space; is it really so crazy to believe that orbiting around one of them, a planet that is not Earth has multi-celled lifeforms, if not intelligent life?
However, thinking that Aliens exist and thinking that they have visited Earth, or abducted you, are often both treated the same way by society, and I find this to be quite disturbing. Having an open mind towards extra-terrestrial life is not the same as believing that you have encountered it, and should not face the same stigma. I, for example, believe that, while Aliens have probably not visited Earth (in fact, I believe that Earth is most likely the only planet in our solar system with intelligent life), it is highly probable that a species of primitive human, modern human, or above-human intelligence exists. Should people like me really be treated the same way as her [http://www.blossomgoodchild.com/]? This misconception between people who believe that Alien life might exist, and those who believe that it has visited Earth and/or abducted them, needs to stop, as it impedes upon those who approach subjects like these without preconcieved notions.
NOTES- 1. I am sorry if this post has offended those who believe that Aliens have visited Earth. I suppose it is possible that they may have, but the evidence for it, at least as I see it, is rather shaky. Therefore, I do not criticize people who do not believe in Alien abductions and similar stories.
2. I decided to add a poll to this thread, as I am curious what the Escapist Community thinks of the existence of Alien life.
3. Does anybody know if our solar system has a name other than "the solar system"?
However, thinking that Aliens exist and thinking that they have visited Earth, or abducted you, are often both treated the same way by society, and I find this to be quite disturbing. Having an open mind towards extra-terrestrial life is not the same as believing that you have encountered it, and should not face the same stigma. I, for example, believe that, while Aliens have probably not visited Earth (in fact, I believe that Earth is most likely the only planet in our solar system with intelligent life), it is highly probable that a species of primitive human, modern human, or above-human intelligence exists. Should people like me really be treated the same way as her [http://www.blossomgoodchild.com/]? This misconception between people who believe that Alien life might exist, and those who believe that it has visited Earth and/or abducted them, needs to stop, as it impedes upon those who approach subjects like these without preconcieved notions.
NOTES- 1. I am sorry if this post has offended those who believe that Aliens have visited Earth. I suppose it is possible that they may have, but the evidence for it, at least as I see it, is rather shaky. Therefore, I do not criticize people who do not believe in Alien abductions and similar stories.
2. I decided to add a poll to this thread, as I am curious what the Escapist Community thinks of the existence of Alien life.
3. Does anybody know if our solar system has a name other than "the solar system"?
