The Ariel School, Zimbabwe UFO sighting - has it ever been debunked?

[Giddierone]

Since I've fought all my life with sleep terrors and other disturbances, I have deep empathy to people who experience frightening mental imagery. It may not be real, but it can be really distressing.
I just mean that there are different kinds of "experiencers", not all just want to believe in UFOs and be in the club.
I don't think Mack was totally off with that one.
He was, however, wrong to assume any of that was real in a physical way and also wrong to consider hypnotic regression a reliable method for treating memories and trauma.

I recently listened to a really good podcast (it was recent, say within the past couple of week, but which I cannot seem to now find) about Exploding Head Syndrome and it's similarity with various "anomalous/alien experiences".

 

[Todd Feinman]

Since I've fought all my life with sleep terrors and other disturbances, I have deep empathy to people who experience frightening mental imagery. It may not be real, but it can be really distressing.

I'm sorry to hear that; it sounds miserable.
As I've gotten older I've inherited what my mother calls "panic attacks". No fear or imagery, just waking up with profound feelings of loss and hopelessness. I think regular life and worries can generate long-term PSD for some people. It's not fun either.

 

[Ann K]

I recently listened to a really good podcast (it was recent, say within the past couple of week, but which I cannot seem to now find) about Exploding Head Syndrome and it's similarity with various "anomalous/alien experiences".

About 35 years ago I suffered a concussion when I was halfway up a cliff and some idiot kid threw a large rock off the top. Since then I get lots of auditory effects, including what I think they refer to as exploding head syndrome. Another thing that really bothered me is when the TV commentators had volume equalizers at large sporting events, so that the crowd noise was hushed somewhat when the announcer said something, but then when he stopped the full crowd roar came back, and it felt like a physical blow in my ear.

I wonder if things like a head injury, perhaps even a relatively mild one, might be responsible for people reporting the syndrome. But so far I've had no "alien" experiences!

 

[Fritzkquzerk]

I recently listened to a really good podcast (it was recent, say within the past couple of week, but which I cannot seem to now find) about Exploding Head Syndrome and it's similarity with various "anomalous/alien experiences".

Yeah that happened to me as well, during more stressing period.
Most of the time is just insomnia treated with meds and bad dreams.
I've had paralysis but with no aliens!
Maybe Mack was in good faith, maybe he thought about helping these people in a very unscientific way, and potentially dangerous too.
But I wouldn't say there's evidence he convinced them to have been abducted if they reported sexual abuse trauma.