Chris has had no luck so far in his quest to be abducted by aliens. As I used to investigate UFOs, alien abductions and other strange phenomena for the MoD, he asked for my advice at the beginning of the series. Now, midway through, he's asked me to come back in and give him some further pointers. We meet in a deserted warehouse, because that's the sort of thing they do in The X-Files.
This series has really captured the public imagination and that of the UFO community in particular. A variety of ufologists and abductees have sent Chris videos in which they tell of their own experiences and offer various tips and hints on things Chris might do to improve his chances of being abducted - including advice on "bringing you more into tune with these beings". It's interesting that some people take this sort of New Age approach to the phenomenon, while others adopt a more scientific methodology. There are some fairly colourful characters associated with ufology, so we'll need to choose carefully and pick people who seem authoritative and genuine. There are, sad to say, a few hoaxers in this field, and even - difficult though this may be to believe - the odd crackpot.
Chris and I wade through video after video and draw up some files. Clearly Chris can't see everyone so he asks me to make some recommendations. I suggest that we pick 2 people: one ufologist and one abductee. And in view of the two contrasting approaches that people take, I think we should pick one person who views the phenomenon spiritually and another who uses science. My first selection is James Basil, a young abductee who reports a lifetime of encounters with reptilian entities - yes, it's those lizards you may have heard about!
I thought hard about the second recommendation, but selected the UFO investigator Michael Soper. There were two reasons for this. Firstly, he uses instrumentation and data analysis in his research. Secondly, he heads a group called Contact International, which although sounding like a dating agency, is actually one of the world's longest established UFO research organisations. I think Chris needs to meet some ufologists as well as abductees, because these people have been studying UFOs and alien abductions for decades and may have all sorts of help to offer Chris - things that even the abductees themselves haven't thought of, perhaps because they're too close to things and too emotionally involved. I also think Chris should go out on a skywatch with a UFO group. He accepts my various recommendations and readies himself for fresh experiences.
