The terms alien abduction or abduction phenomenon describe "subjectively real memories of being taken secretly against one's will by apparently nonhuman entities and subjected to complex physical and psychological procedures". People claiming to have been abducted are usually called "abductees" or "experiencers". Due to a paucity of objective physical evidence, most scientists and mental health professionals dismiss the phenomenon as "deception, suggestibility (fantasy-proneness, hypnotizability, false memory syndrome), personality, sleep paralysis, psychopathology, psychodynamics [and] environmental factors". However, the late Prof. John Edward Mack, a respected Harvard University psychiatrist, devoted a substantial amount of time to investigating such cases and eventually concluded that the only phenomenon in psychiatry that adequately explained the patients' symptoms in several of the most compelling cases was Posttraumatic stress disorder.[dubious -- discuss] As he noted at the time, this would imply that the patient genuinely believed that the remembered frightening incident had really occurred.[citation needed] Skeptic Robert Sheaffer sees similarity between the aliens depicted in early science fiction films, in particular, Invaders From Mars, and some of those reported to have actually abducted people. Typical claims involve being subjected to a forced medical examination that emphasizes their reproductive system. Abductees sometimes claim to have been warned against environmental abuse and the dangers of nuclear weapons. While many of these claimed encounters are described as terrifying, some have been viewed as pleasurable or transformative. The first alien abduction claim to be widely publicized was the Betty and Barney Hill abduction in 1961. Reports of the abduction phenomenon have been made around the world, but are most common in English speaking countries, especially the United States. The contents of the abduction narrative often seem to vary with the home culture of the alleged abductee. Alien abductions have been the subject of conspiracy theories and science fiction storylines (notably The X-Files) that have speculated on stealth technology required if the phenomenon were real, the motivations for secrecy, and that alien implants could be a possible form of physical evidence. Some abduction reports are quite detailed. An entire subculture has developed around the subject, with support groups and a detailed mythos explaining the reasons for abductions: The various aliens (Greys, Reptilians, "Nordics" and so on) are said to have specific roles, origins, and motivations. Abduction claimants do not always attempt to explain the phenomenon, but some take independent research interest in it themselves and explain the lack of greater awareness of alien abduction as the result of either extraterrestrial or governmental interest in cover-up. The 1980s brought a major degree of mainstream attention to the subject. Works by Budd Hopkins, Whitley Strieber, David M. Jacobs and John Edward Mack presented alien abduction as a genuine phenomenon. Notable abduction claims: 1956: Elizabeth Klarer (South Africa) 1957: Antonio Vilas Boas (Brazil) 1961: Betty and Barney Hill abduction (USA)[6] 1967: Betty Andreasson (USA) 1967: Schirmer Abduction (USA) 1973: Pascagoula Abduction (USA) 1975: Travis Walton (USA) 1976: Allagash Abductions (USA) 1978: Valentich disappearance (Australia) 1978-1981: Pier Fortunato Zanfretta (Italy) 1979: Robert Taylor incident (United Kingdom) 1970s--1980s: Whitley Strieber (USA) 1973: Pascagoula Abduction (USA) 1990: Danielle Egnew (USA) 1994: Meng Zhaoguo incident (China) 1997: Kirsan Ilyumzhinov (Russia)
