AMMACH for abduction cases

[falkor]

this video purports to be A film about one of Britain's strangest phone helplines - Anomalous Mind Management Abductee Contactee Helpline, or AMMACH

AMMACH is a perfectly respectable organisation, the people who run it strike me as being fair minded and reasonable

but the video is far more than a platform to explain AMMACH, it shows the people who believe they were abducted, this video has quite a daft, silly title but is excellent and I recommend that you sit back for 45 minutes and take it all in

[Thulsadoom]

I have to admit, I watched this when it was on TV and to be honest, I wasn't impressed. I thought it was one of those 'mock'-umentaries in the literal rather than the fictional use of the word. The creators obviously weren't interested in the serious subject matter and had cherry picked (possible) abductees that would make the subject look ridiculous. No offence to the individuals who were filmed, but in each case they had clear reasons why they might have psychologically convinced themselves that they were abducted to avoid real-world issues, and elements of their stories that were just too trivialised to take seriously.

We all know there are many cases of serious professional people who have reported abductions corroborated in various ways with things such as local witnesses seeing lights right through to radar or aircraft witnesses. Instead we get individuals who half-believe that aliens choose to abduct them when they're having KFC...

I've read a lot of books on abductee testimonials over the years, and it's a genuine and emotionally traumatic subject for all involved, that needs to be taken seriously by people, regardless of what they think the reasons are behind it. I can't help feeling that programs like this only do more damage than good and vastly help the case of those who would trivialise and make fun of it. Not unlike the recent BBC article on their website about the recent release of MOD files. No mention of the cases that were seriously unusual involving pilots or other professionals such as the police etc... oh no, just a couple of examples of a kid who sent a picture of an alien waving and mention of someone who thought they were living with an alien, to trivialise the subject. This is the real problem that the subject of UFOs and abductions has to deal with, and we need to be the ones who take a step back and look at the serious stuff and make others who would otherwise laugh, sit up and see that it's something serious.

Sorry if I come off as having a bit of a rant there... it always annoys me when a very serious subject like this damages itself from within, because documentary makers want a cheap laugh.

[falkor]

no problem The Guardian has come out with your stance pretty much:

the Channel 4 documentary about alien abuduction not only lacked any sceptical voices, its tone was mean-spirited and patronising
On Thursday evening, Channel 4 broadcast Confessions of an Alien Abductee. The programme, which was directed, produced and filmed by Guy Gilbert, was one of the worst documentaries I have seen in a long time (well, at least since Channel Five's Did We Land on the Moon? last December). It left me wondering what on earth Channel 4 was hoping to achieve by broadcasting such a one-sided and mean-spirited programme.

The programme focused upon the activities of the Anomalous Mind Management, Abductee, Contactee Helpline (AMMACH), which offers counselling and support for people who believe that they have been abducted by aliens and is run by therapist Joanne Summerscales and ex-broadcast engineer Miles Johnston. Such a helpline might be a good idea if it took a neutral stance on the veracity of the experiences reported and simply helped callers to deal with their emotions. But it became clear that Joanne and Miles were intent on finding evidence to support their belief in extraterrestrial visitation.

it wasn't "one of the worst documentaries." it was watchable and entertaining and to me "fair"

I take on board Thulsadoom's comments, ok if that is your take, I can see some your point of view but not all

The depiction of AMMACH? that was ok surely? did anyone else see it?

[rob42]

no problem The Guardian has come out with your stance pretty much:

the Channel 4 documentary about alien abuduction not only lacked any sceptical voices, its tone was mean-spirited and patronising
On Thursday evening, Channel 4 broadcast Confessions of an Alien Abductee. The programme, which was directed, produced and filmed by Guy Gilbert, was one of the worst documentaries I have seen in a long time (well, at least since Channel Five's Did We Land on the Moon? last December). It left me wondering what on earth Channel 4 was hoping to achieve by broadcasting such a one-sided and mean-spirited programme.

The programme focused upon the activities of the Anomalous Mind Management, Abductee, Contactee Helpline (AMMACH), which offers counselling and support for people who believe that they have been abducted by aliens and is run by therapist Joanne Summerscales and ex-broadcast engineer Miles Johnston. Such a helpline might be a good idea if it took a neutral stance on the veracity of the experiences reported and simply helped callers to deal with their emotions. But it became clear that Joanne and Miles were intent on finding evidence to support their belief in extraterrestrial visitation.

it wasn't "one of the worst documentaries." it was watchable and entertaining and to me "fair"

I take on board Thulsadoom's comments, ok if that is your take, I can see some your point of view but not all

The depiction of AMMACH? that was ok surely? did anyone else see it?

I saw it, as did a fried of mine, although we've not had a chance to have a chat about it yet... I'm not sure that the cases were cherry picked, so to speak, but more a cross representation of the people that contacted AMMACH.

Also I don't really see how it was one sided? Maybe I need to watch it again.

[falkor]

one of the main contenders was The Labour councillor for Whitby

The Labour councillor for Whitby has said he lost his virginity to an alien at the age of five.


Simon Parkes, 53, said he had a "holographic sexual experience" with the alien as a child while appearing on This Morning.

He explained that he was first abducted while in his mother's womb and was thereafter frequently taken by seven foot-tall aliens named Mantids, which he had drawn pictures of.

Discussing his virginity, he said: "It was a holographic sexual experience so I didn't exactly lose my virginity ... it was using much more advanced technology than anything we have on Earth, or anything the army think they have. To aliens it's not about age, it's about experience and souls."

Parkes' story hit the headlines after appearing on a Channel 4 documentary about people who believe they have been abducted by aliens.


In Confessions of an Alien Abductee, Parkes, who is also a qualified driving instructor, said he had an alien family with an extra-terrestrial lover.

The programme explains that Parkes never knew his father and that his mother was an alcoholic. The filmmaker asks if maybe he invented the abductions as a child as a way to escape, but the councillor denies this suggestion.

Following the programme, Parkes, a married father of three, said his extra-marital activities with an alien had caused tension with his wife: "My wife found out about it and was very unhappy, clearly. That caused a few problems, but it is not on a human level, so I don't see it as wrong."

[Thulsadoom]

I was torn on the depiction of AMMACH. At first they seemed fairly even handed, but when they sent that woman a device that was basically a crystal with a few wires and a battery to ward of abduction, my opinion went down a little. They also seemed way too eager to interpret anything and everything as alien, such as when running a UV light over that woman for signs of alien contact. I mean, honestly, so many things could have caused a slight reaction to UV light. But otherwise they seemed genuinely decent and eager to help people, which was good, and provide them all with a common way to get in touch and discuss their experiences.