Commentary on Stuart W. Twemlow's "Misidentified flying objects?"
The Journal of near-death studies 1994 DOI: 10.17514/jnds-1994-12-4-p267-272. (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Commentary Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Key points | The author argues that their empirical research on near-death experiences and UFO abductions supports many of Twemlow's observations about similarities between the two, while differing from his psychoanalytic framing in favor of an "imaginal" perspective. The author endorses Twemlow's therapeutic stance toward anomalous experiences. |
Abstract
Stuart Twemlow's article has made an important dual contribution to our thinking about anomalous experiences: first in offering a heuristic psychodynamic model in terms of which to view them, and second, in suggesting a definite link between near-death experiences (NDEs) and unidentified flying object (UFO) abductions. I consider his argument largely from the standpoint of my own recent research, which also brings out the similarities between precisely these same two types of encounters. My empirical findings support many of Twemlow's observations, but important differences are noted between his more psychoanalytic perspective and my imaginal one. My comments conclude with a strong endorsement of Twemlow's therapeutic stance toward anomalous experiences.