FOLKLORIC SIGNIFICANCE OF ALIEN ABDUCTIONS
WHAT IS FOLKLORE?
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"Folklore is informally-learned, unofficial knowledge about the world, ourselves, our communities, our beliefs, our cultures and our traditions, that is expressed creatively through words, music, customs, actions, behaviors and materials. It is also the interactive dynamic process of creating, communicating and performing as we share that knowledge with other people." (Sims & Stephens)
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WHAT ARE ALIEN ABDUCTIONS?
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Alien abduction, sometimes also called abduction phenomenon or UFO abduction, is a personally held belief in which the alleged "abductee" describes "subjectively real experiences" of being secretly kidnapped by non-human entities and subjected to physical and psychological experimentation.
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ABSTRACT:
The culture associated with Alien Abductions has been studied greatly throughout different disciplines. Anthropologists, Psychotherapists, Religious Studies Professors and Folklorists have found the phenomenon of alien abductions as an extraordinary narrative that shows modern day supernatural creatures and the significance of breaking the boundaries as what is seen as reality. These tales indicate a new idea, a new legend and the growth of beliefs as a society. Whether that belief is real technologically advanced aliens, delusion, a means to science or explained by mental health, Alien Abductions play a large role in society today and they are often seen as a means of blending folklore and science.
HOW DO THEY RELATE?
WHAT DO THESE REPORTS MEAN?
The legends of these Alien Abductions not only show the connection society has with magical elements and divine beings, but it also demonstrates the ability to have complex legends with extraordinary content take hold in modern society. The old legends of other supernatural creatures i.e., fairies and dwarfs have been replaced by a more technologically advanced creature that works to satisfy todays elaborate thinking and satisfies the narrative that is created by these reports.