Articles | Alien Contact Team

What is an Experiencer and am I one?

Gwen Farrell, CHt, RT

Human contact with UFOs, extraterrestrials (ETs), interdimensional or otherworldly beings varies widely. For most people who go through them, such events prove to be the most frightening, enlightening and weighty happenings of their lives. Although the media and entertainment industry tend to pigeonhole contact with ETs into a limited range of images that fit neatly into news blurbs and movie plots, in reality, it is far more than that.

According to firsthand accounts by individuals who have been there, it’s possible to come face-to-face with alien beings in different places and at different times, and find oneself entangled in a maze of inexplicable experiences, positive and negative, in daylight or at night, once in a lifetime or more. Some experiencers think they are going crazy, some think they are seeing angels, demons or ghosts, and some think it’s just a dream and roll over and go back to sleep.

In the past, popular culture and Ufology has lumped all ET contact events into the general domain of “abductions” (being taken without consent) without attempting to characterize them further. However, contemporary comprehensive research and investigations reveal that such events are not homogeneous; indeed, they are quite varied in nature and effect. Based on current research and reporting, the terms “abduction” and “abductee” no longer accurately describe or represent the multi-faceted aspects of the contact experience and thus, they have generally been replaced in the UFO/ET lexicon by the terms “experience,” “experiencer” and “contactee,” although the older terms are still sometimes used.

Dictionaries define the word “experiencer” simply as “someone who experiences something.” The field of psychology defines an experiencer as “the thing that experiences the effect of an action, state or process” or “the thing, feeling or being affected by an experience.” Based on those definitions, since we are all affected by different experiences every day, in truth, we are all experiencers. But in the context of this book and in the field of human-ET contact, the term “experiencer” means much more. Of course, not all human beings experience contact with UFOs and ETs, although I suspect many people have had such experiences, but either don’t recall or don’t want to admit them.

As mentioned before, reported contacts with non-human beings vary widely – abductions, takings, visits, programmed events, psychic contact, encounters, etc. While all contact experiences have similarities, they are not identical. No two human beings are the same, nor do they process their experiences in the same way. And whether one person’s experience is like someone else’s doesn’t determine its validity. Every contact must be considered individually.

For some experiencers, contact begins in childhood, although they may not become aware of it right away, unless something happens that causes the memories to return. In some people,

contact stops at puberty, but for others, it runs continuously throughout their lives. Some individuals are visited frequently – every week or every month – and some only once or twice every few years.

Some people experience feelings of anticipation or physical sensations, such as buzzing or ringing in their ears before contact, and some are taken completely by surprise, with no warning at all. After contact, some experiencers have memories of the event to which they respond with joy and feelings of privilege and blessing, even with eager anticipation of future contact; while others react with fear, dread and confusion, even perhaps doubting their sanity. However, in most cases, there is

no conscious memory or, at best, only vague partial recollections or recurring dreams that don’t make sense.

Contact with alien beings is not normal, and yet for the most part, experiencers are normal people with families, jobs and routine lives. At the same time, they are amazing individuals with the strength and grace to persevere through what are often frightening and remarkable ordeals.

Am I an Experiencer?

As mentioned before, many different types of contact are reported and most aren’t fully recalled, although parts may be. For some, encounters with otherworldly craft and beings are traumatic and destructive; for others, they are positive, uplifting and life-affirming. It is estimated that millions of people alive on Earth today are experiencers, who haven’t realized it yet. Consequently, contact between ETs and human beings is probably much more common than generally thought.

If you think you might be an experiencer, how do you know for sure? A few studies and surveys on the nature and effects of contact on human beings have been published to date (see Beyond UFOs: The Science of Consciousness and Non-Human Intelligence, by The Dr. Edgar Mitchell Foundation for Research into Extraterrestrial and Extraordinary Experiences, 2018) and, while the following is not an exhaustive list, it represents the most commonly reported signs of ET or otherworldly contact. Of course, there are normal explanations for most of these as well, but the possibility of contact increases when the signs can be connected to sightings of UFOs. Keeping that in mind, if you have had all or most of the following, it’s likely that you are an experiencer. Even if you haven’t had these experiences, the following may help you better understand what being an experiencer of contact with otherworldly beings is like.

Missing time – a period of time you can’t account for

In some cases of contact, experiencers recall driving somewhere when something strange and unexpected happened to them and they arrived at their destination safely, but later than planned, with no rational explanation. There may be minutes or hours they can’t account for at the time, but within a few days, weeks or longer, they may remember, or they may have a dream in which they see their drive being interrupted by a craft that suddenly appeared above the road and non-human beings taking them onto the craft and releasing them sometime later. This is just one type of missing time event; there are many others. Missing time has been reported in many different locales and circumstances and while it isn’t always involved, it is a common aspect of human-ET or otherworldly contact. If you have experienced a period of missing time in connection with the sighting of a UFO, it’s likely you are an experiencer.

Marks on the body that defy rational explanation

Experiencers sometimes report finding marks on their bodies, including circle or triangle-shaped marks, bruises, burns, etc., they think might be the result of contact with ETs. There

may be logical explanations for such marks, such as insect bites, injuries, allergic reactions or skin aging that weren’t noticed before. Contact doesn’t always result in physical marks, so the presence

or absence of a mark cannot be considered conclusive evidence. However, such marks are often found as results of contact events and may mean you are an experiencer.

If you find a suspicious mark on your body in connection with a UFO sighting and you want to document it, you should get some good photographs of the mark (a black light can sometimes make marks more visible), write a description of the mark, the location on your body and the circumstances in which you think it happened, and have a doctor examine the mark to determine what it is. And, of course, if you are ill or injured, get medical help immediately.

Please Note: Possible evidence of ET physical contact on your body is very personal. Don’t feel that you must share such information or evidence with anyone, including investigators or researchers. As much as we all want irrefutable proof of contact, no one has the right to violate your privacy in pursuit of that proof, unless there is a valid medical or legal reason.

Foreign objects in the body that didn’t get there by normal explainable means

Some experiencers report finding objects they believe were implanted in their bodies during contact with otherworldly beings. Implants are thought to be utilized for various purposes, but the most common may be for tracking a human subject’s location and biological status, and as healing devices. Although many objects thought to be alien implants have been removed from human bodies over the years, very few have been thoroughly studied and compared, so there is still a lack of solid evidence about their origins and purposes. Such devices are usually difficult to preserve, rapidly degrading once removed from the body. Like marks left by contact, alien implants are not part of all otherworldly scenarios, but they are sometimes reported, and if you have one and you want it investigated, be sure to document it thoroughly.

Wounds on the body, unexpected bleeding from natural body openings or unexplainable pain in body cavities

Some experiencers report that during experiments or procedures by alien beings, natural body openings were penetrated or probed by tools, instruments or energies that resulted in pain, bleeding, bruising or other tissue damage that could not be attributed to normal injury or disease pre-existing the contact. Implants may also sometimes be found in those locations. Of course, bleeding from the mouth, nose and other body openings may result from normal physical illness or other issues; however, if you experience such in connection with the sighting of a UFO and you can’t attribute it to anything else, you may be an experiencer.

Unexpected pregnancy or unusual experience relating to a pregnancy

Many women report participating in alien procedures related to reproduction and recall being impregnated with alien or human-alien DNA or being implanted with alien fetuses as part of hybridization programs. Often, such implants end in miscarriages due to incompatibilities between human and alien physiology. Some female experiencers also report having their fetuses removed before they reach full term by the experimenting ETs. Even normal pregnancies are not without problems and, in most cases, alien beings are not involved. But if you have experienced abnormalities in connection with a pregnancy and have had recent sightings of UFOs, you may be an experiencer.

Family history

Research indicates that ET contact often runs in families, which may indicate that aliens are monitoring certain genetic lines for specific purposes. However, contact has also occurred in blended families where there were no genetic links, so at least in those situations, the aliens seem to have

familial interests that extend beyond blood line. Perhaps families with a history of alien contact are more accepting and less resistant to continuing. Some experiencers report seeing brothers or sisters being taken along with them, but later when questioned about it, the siblings deny being taken. Maybe they actually don’t recall the event or they just don’t want to talk about it. Not all members of the same family may have had contact, but it’s fairly common, so if someone in your family is an experiencer, it’s likely you are too.

Waking up with clothing inside-out or backward or in strange clothing

Reports of this type are rare, but not unheard of. Many experiencers say they see other humans aboard alien ships, they are often naked and almost always in an altered state of consciousness, so it would be easy to get the wrong clothing when returned to their original location. For this and other reasons, investigators always advise experiencers to retain and preserve whatever they were wearing before and after a contact event. If you have awakened wearing clothing that did not belong to you or someone else in your home, or with damage to your own clothing that you can’t account for, it’s likely that you are an experiencer.

Frequent vivid dreams about alien abduction or contact

When you are asleep and your conscious mind is taking a break, memories may emerge from your subconscious mind during dreaming. Such memories frequently have emotions attached to them that make them very vivid and powerful. If you are an experiencer and memories of contact events are still in your subconscious mind, they may come out in vivid dreams or nightmares about them.

Seeing beings that didn’t look human in your bedroom or elsewhere, including public places

While most reported abduction events begin at night in an individual’s home, contact events also occur in other locations – even public places. Some ETs may look and behave enough like humans that they can live and work among us undetected, and they may be attempting to assume human identities and assimilate into society for a variety of reasons. However, individuals who are especially sensitive or have heightened ESP or intuitive abilities may be able to detect human-appearing ETs. If you can see alien beings, it may be because you possess advanced psychic abilities or are an experiencer.

Memories of being inside a UFO and interacting with the occupants

Not all human-ET contact events take place aboard alien craft, but many experiencers do relate being taken from their homes or other Earth environments and transported to ships where they interact with aliens and sometimes other humans. If you have memories of this happening to you, you may be an experiencer.

Difficulty falling asleep or staying asleep for unexplained reasons

Traumatic events of any type can cause disruption of sleep, and there are many reasons why you might have trouble falling asleep and staying asleep throughout the night. But experiencers may find it especially difficult due to nightmares, memories of past contact or fear of future contact. If

you have trouble sleeping, you have ruled out all normal causes, and you have had sightings of what you believe were UFOs, you may be an experiencer.

Fear or anxiety over the subject of UFOs or ETs

If you feel nervous or uncomfortable around anything pertaining to UFOs or ETs, you could be experiencing fear caused by a past contact event, even one you don’t recall. Much of what is presented about aliens in media, movies, video games, etc., is frightening and repulsive enough to cause even non-experiencers to cringe, but if contact has happened or is happening to you, exposure to similar material can be even more unnerving. If taken to the extreme, it may even manifest in a phobia that can have serious long-term consequences. If you feel unusually fearful when you see TV shows, movies or pictures of UFOs or ETs, you may be an experiencer.

Deep conviction that you are on Earth for a special purpose

It’s not uncommon for people to have strong interests in specific activities or subjects, but individuals who have contact with otherworldly beings may have an especially strong sense that they are part of something outside their physical, earthly existence. This conviction may motivate and shape them throughout their lives, and yet they may not truly understand it until their true stories are revealed to them. If you have a deep personal conviction that you are on Earth for a special purpose, even if you don’t understand it, you may be an experiencer.

A more extensive list signs of possible ET contact can be found in the Appendix of the book “Forbidden Questions: A Guide to Human-ET Contact” 2019, by Gwen Farrell.

What should you do?

If you believe you are an experiencer and you are okay with that, you don’t really need to do anything. But if you are interested in looking at the possibility, one-on-one experiencer therapy may be helpful or support groups and meet-ups can help fill in the gaps, answer questions and encourage your own recollections. Keep in mind, though, there are a lot of different opinions and beliefs about UFOs, ETs and contact, not all of which are helpful, so don’t get involved in a group you don’t feel good about. If the possibility that you are an experiencer is creating difficulties in your life, you should talk to a qualified therapist or counselor who is also knowledgeable in the UFO/ET field. If you find that you are an experiencer, for good or ill, your life will never be the same.

Human-ET contact is amazing and complicated. Some people who are not experiencers wish they were, and some experiencers wish they were not. If you are an experiencer, I hope it’s a positive and enlightening adventure for you. But if it isn’t, please reach out for help dealing with the difficulties, and remember you are not alone. There are others who can help, if that’s what you want.

Good luck!

Adapted from “Forbidden Questions: A Guide to Human-ET Contact” by Gwen Farrell. Available on Amazon.

©Gwen Farrell, 2023

Self Therapy for Memory Recovery

Gwen Farrell, CHt, RT

As mentioned elsewhere in this book, memories of abduction/contact events can return on their own, gradually over time or in chunks or floods if they receive the correct stimulus, and often they don’t need to be much more than a specific sight, sound or even a fragrance to pull them out. The problem with that type of remembering, though, is that it is often haphazard and frightening, and may not make sense. One avenue of help at that point can be therapy or counseling, as I’ve discussed, but it may also be possible to recall experiences – ET and non-ET – through certain kinds of meditation or self-hypnosis, or other focused techniques for oneself. Some options may be:

Support Groups

If you are comfortable sharing your experiences with other people and are willing to listen to theirs, you might benefit from attending an experiencer support group. A group can be a good place to start and may be all you need to jog your memory, and you can meet people you share a lot with and who won’t think you’re nuts – at least no more than they are. There are a variety of support group types available online that may be helpful and enjoyable.

Therapist-facilitated groups are led by a therapist or counselor and may be open to the public or by referral and may or may not include therapy as a regular component. There may be a cost or requested donation.

Peer-facilitated groups, meetups or UFO and paranormal interest groups are usually informal get-togethers that advertise on-line or in local magazines or newspapers and do not include therapy in meetings. Donations may be asked to cover expenses of the meeting.

Experiencer groups at conferences are informal meetings facilitated by qualified therapists or counselors who may also be conference speakers. They are usually offered at least once a day and may or may not charge admission.

Experiencer groups can be helpful in recalling and working through known or suspected abduction/contact experiences on a lighter level and are less expensive than private therapy. They can help you develop friendships and feel less isolated. However, they may not be as effective as private therapy, you won’t get the individual guidance and personal support you may need, and you’ll need to exercise judgment about the group’s motives and intentions. In addition, support groups should be temporary and supportive and not be relied on as mechanisms to enable or mask serious issues that result from contact experiences.

Meditation

There are many different types of meditation techniques – some linked with religions or spiritual pathways, and some very complicated and involved that require years of practice to master. Fortunately, that type of work isn’t necessary to take advantage of the natural ability of your mind to focus, uncover and understand memories of past events, of whatever kind. Most people have difficulty focusing their mind when they begin a meditation practice, so some effort is required, but in many cases it can be as simple as finding a quiet, comfortable place to take a break, relaxing, making an intention that you will recall whatever you want to recall that’s possible, and letting your mind do the rest. It may take several attempts to achieve anything, and it might not work at all because there are no guarantees. But if nothing comes back to you during the meditation session, you may find that things begin to come back to you later, or things you knew before but didn’t understand, may now begin to make sense.

Set aside about 15 minutes (to start with) every day or so when you can be quiet and undisturbed and sit or lie down comfortably – cross-legged or complicated postures and hand positions aren’t necessary. Then bring your mind to a quiet, focused place – such as the natural ebb and flow of your breath - and review in your mind the event you want to remember. The most harmful thing you can do is to let yourself get anxious or impatient – that cuts off memory recovery - so keep it easy and trust yourself. Remain positive, open-minded about what you want to know, and when your mind wanders, just gently bring it back to the thought as long as you want. Then, when you are done, if you want your memory to continue to be open when you aren’t meditating or to be open to new helpful information, just tell your mind that. Of course, it’s possible that memories of your experiences may have been forgotten and may not be reachable, but some may still be in your subconscious mind and recoverable.

If you are open to dreaming, you can ask for help there. While in bed and before you drift off to sleep at night, tell yourself that you want to recover any memories you have of a particular event that will show up in your dreams and that you will remember when you awaken. Keep some paper and pen or a recorder near your bed so you can write down anything you recall as soon as you wake up. Again, this may take some effort, but with regular practice, it may work. Keep in mind that dreams can be very messy and difficult to interpret, but if you keep asking for information about certain events and make notes of what you see or recall later, they can work.

Journaling

Whether you decide to work with a therapist, in a group or on your own, keeping a journal of what you recall about contact event can help. Not only can it help clarify memories of recent events, it can also serve as a basis for other memories that you may recall in the future and prevent details from being lost over time. If you are diligent about writing down details as they happen or as you recall them – even small bits and pieces – after a while, things can begin to come together and form a complete picture. If you want to journal:

You can either write, type or record your journal entries, whichever you prefer, but it’s imperative that you do so as soon as possible after the contact happens or memories begin to return.The longer you wait, the less you’ll remember.

Include as many descriptions of what happened as you can recall, including smells, sounds and emotions.

Accuracy is not as important as making a record of the event. Just write down or record as much as you can recall at the time.

Try not to make judgments at the time, just record as much as you can remember, then take a look at your journal after a few months.

For some experiencers, it may be easier and more natural to recreate memories of their contact events by drawing, painting or sculpting, instead of writing – or even a combination of different methods.

Review your journal every few months and see if anything makes sense to you.

There are many books and recordings designed to assist in memory recovery, but keep in mind that there are no guarantees. Memories are forgotten over time, so what you are seeking may no longer exist, and if they do, they may be very different from what you thought they would be.Whether you decide to explore your possible contact memories or allow them to remain at rest is up to you.Don’t allow anyone to force you into doing anything.

Good luck!

Excerpted from “Forbidden Questions: A Guide to Human-ET Contact,” by Gwen Farrell, CHt, RT,

available at amazon.com.

Should I Get Therapy for my Contact Experiences?

Gwen Farrell, CHt, RT

There are many types of anomalous experiences that people have involving extraterrestrial, interdimensional, paranormal and other kinds of beings that greatly affect them. While many of these events share similarities, each experience is as different as the person who experiences it. Some happen once and some over and over through the course of a lifetime. Some experiencers respond with joy and a feeling of blessing and privilege, even anticipating the next occurrence, while many others react with fear and frustration, maybe even doubting their sanity. Most individuals have only vague partial recollections of their experiences, or dreams that may fill them with confusion and dread. They may realize that they need help, but not know where to turn or who to turn to. If they are faced with skepticism or ridicule from their peers or the condemnation of family, friends or religious leaders, their situation can become even more difficult and their search for understanding more desperate.

Occasionally, memories of past events return on their own over a period of time, but when they do, they are frequently too confusing and frightening for a person to deal with alone. At that point, many experiencers realize the value of consulting a trained hypnotist or hypnotherapist who may be able to assist them to recall certain events and gain an understanding and clear perspective of them. Serious medical or psychological issues resulting from contact or anomalous events should always be referred to medical or mental health professionals. But for experiencers who are not suffering that level of trauma, careful, guided working to recover memories may be enough.

For the last one hundred years, hypnosis has provided safe and beneficial in a variety of applications including mental and behavioral issues, childbirth, preparation for and recovery from surgery, pain control and the palliative care of terminally ill patients. We all go in and out of hypnosis naturally and, in most cases, don’t even think about it. Common examples are daydreaming or losing track of time while you are deeply focused on a work project, reading a book or watching a movie, or driving somewhere and suddenly realizing that you arrived at your designation but you don’t recall details of the drive. A hypnosis session is similar, but with a structure and a specific purpose.

Like all therapeutic techniques, hypnosis is limited to what it can accomplish. While it has proven effective in recovering memories from many areas of a person’s life and helping to work through some difficult events, it does not work for everyone. There are no guarantees, but success is more likely when you work with a qualified, experienced hypnotist or hypnotherapist.

Some people are concerned that if they undergo hypnosis, they will somehow be placing themselves under the control of the hypnotist or therapist and end up brainwashed. That is not true. The fact is that under hypnosis alone, it is impossible for a person to be coerced into doing anything that is not ethically acceptable to them.

Many people ask me if they should try to recover their experiencer memories. That depends on what kind of effects those events or memories are having on you. If you are not suffering traumatic or negative results from your experiences, you probably don’t need to remember the memories. But if you want to learn more about what happened to you and if you feel positive about whatever it might be, hypnosis to remember might be good for you. However, if you are having problems that result from any experience you have had, you should speak with a doctor or therapist about it.

Options for hypnosis

Anyone you reach out to for help with memory recovery should at least be trained and certified in basic hypnosis, with a full understanding of how to appropriately utilize it. The preference is a certified or licensed hypnotist with experience and additional training in psychology, human behavior and any specialty you need, such as alien contact, paranormal contact (spirits, hauntings, ghosts, etc.) or spiritual experiences (out-of-body, near-death, past life). Another option is a certified or licensed hypnotherapist, who will have more training and experience and will be able to help you better navigate through the memories you may recover.

Pros and Cons of regression hypnosis

Know that your decision to recover and explore memories of anomalous experiences will be one of the most important decisions you ever make.Whether it turns out positive or negative, you won’t be able to turn back.

Timing is important.Are there things going on in your life – family or work obligations, health issues, etc. – that might make you more vulnerable at a particular time?Explorationofmemories can be traumatic and take a long time, and problems or instability in your work or personal life may not provide a secure foundation for what comes up.

Hypnosis is a natural function of the mind that we all experience every day, but when it comes to hypnosis with specific goals, most people need more than one session to get significant results.Of course, everyone is different, but just be aware that it may be difficult.

Memories aren’t dangerous and can’t hurt you, but when memories emerge, they often bring other memories with them that may not be pleasant and may bring up more questions.Such revelations can alter a person’s life and even family relationships.If you aren’t prepared for that possibility, you should reconsider getting hypnosis to recover memories.

There are no guarantees.A hypnotist or hynotherapist cannot make you remember anything, and you will not be able to remember anything that your mind is not ready to recall.Success in hypnosis depends on both the client and the hypnotist or hypnotherist.But often, memories that emerge in hypnosis can continue to emerge after the session, if you are open to that.A hypnotherapist will be able to help you with that.

Professional hypnotists and hypnotherapists charge for their services.Nearly everyone is hypnotizable, but only about 12% of the human population is hypnotized, which means most people have a bit of difficulty with it and will need more than one session to accomplish their goals.This kind of work cannot be rushed, so it could get time-consuming and costly.

Remember that any exploration of past events through memories can lead to both positive and negative developments and such a decision should be your choice, based on careful consideration of the pros and cons. Don’t let anyone push you into it if you aren’t ready and, if you do decide to make that journey, be sure to find a qualified and ethical hypnotist or hypnotherapist to be your guide.

Good Luck!

Excerpted from “Forbidden Questions: A Guide to Human-ET Contact,” by Gwen Farrell, CHt, RT,

available at amazon.com.