Future Hi: John E Mack

May 01, 2005

John E Mack

I just heard of John E. Mack, M.D. (Oct 4, 1929 - Sep 27, 2004) from a reader who pointed me to the John E Mack Institute. When I saw that he was writing about alien abductions my initial reaction was somewhat dismissive. Then I read the following blurb from someone I deeply respect - Ralph Metzner. For those of you who don't know Ralph, he along with Timothy Leary and Richard Alpert (Ram Dass) were doing the famous LSD studies at Harvard (1960-63). Here is what Metzner has to say about Mack's book, Passport to the Cosmos:

John Mack's research on the challenging phenomenon of alien encounters represents a stunning breakthrough in our understading of ourselves and our place in the larger cosmos. With a rare combination of empiricism, reason and empath, he skillfully guides us to reconsider our attachment to the bankrupt materialist worldview and open our minds to the possibilities of a universe with awesome diversity.

John Mack was a Doctor of Psychiatry at Harvard Medical School.

Here is what John Mack has to say,

What if the alien encounter phenomenon were subtle in the sense that it may manifest in the physical world but derives from a source which by its very nature could not provide the kind of hard evidence that would satisfy skeptics for whom reality is limited to the material? What if we were to acknowledge that the phenomenon is beyond our present framework of knowledge? Might not such an attitude of humility become, paradoxically, a way to enlarge upon what could then be learned? Is it possible that adopting an open attitude toward the testimony of witnesses could enable us to learn of unseen realities now obscured by our too limited epistemology, allowing us to rediscover the sacred and the divinity in nature and in ourselves?
I think of these experiences as a crossing over between the material world and what in Eastern philosophy is called the subtle realm. Like a reified “mystic's journey,” experiencers describe being brought into another dimension of reality from which a new perspective on life on Earth is possible. Sensitivity to our dysfunctional ecological and social conditions emerges as many come to feel that every living system is connected to what many call “Source,” or “Home.” An awareness of this relationship must be regained, they say, if we are to create a sustainable, peaceful world.

Having listened to the similar testimony of more than 200 experiencers from the West and from indigenous cultures, I have come to feel that the phenomenon is of great importance to our evolution, regardless of its ontological status.

Posted by paul at May 1, 2005 07:17 PM

Comments

I just came across this guy last week. Very intriguing mind. I'd like to read more of his work...

Posted by: lvx23 at May 2, 2005 12:38 PM

sometimes it takes the death of a man to form his notariety.there are few scientists willing to risk funding by challenging the boundaries of science.dr.mack was one of those few.in the face of publication bans,sceptic attacks and withdrawal of funding it is no surprise that there aren`t many scientific studies of alien abduction,despite the fact that people consistantly report this phenomenon with remarkable similarity.is it a new religion emerging or an alien species of proctologists roaming the earth at night?we won`t know unless there is more acceptance of the field so we can ask the questions.dr.mack was willing to do the work.we need more qualified people to pick up the yoke.

Posted by: alistair at May 6, 2005 12:32 PM

There's an interesting take on the UFO phenomena in the book "DMT: The Spirit Molecule" by Rick Strassman which would jibe with John Macks description of the alien abduction experience as a subtle reality state.

Although the book itself is a horrendous example of how not to adminster DMT to people, there are some fascinating chapters exploring how similar the ufo experience is to that experienced by DMT voyagers, especially those taking part in a laboratory experiment.

So it seems likely that these experiences are of some kind of special realm to which we all have access, rather than of literal beings from other parts of the normal universe.

Posted by: dlight at May 7, 2005 12:04 AM

Dr Mack was a brave, upright, intuitive man. (I'm surprised to hear he wasnt as well known as I had thought.) His loss last year was tragic and needless. Some are even saying his death was not an accident ... but that's a discussion for elsewhere.

'Passport to the Cosmos' is highly recommended to readers and users of this site. Most of the contactees interviewed are indigenous peoples from the Amazon and the wilds of Africa. There is a noticeable overlap between shamanism and their recollections. It is startling to realize how these rationally anomalous occurences are happening all the time all over the world. Over all, it really makes McKenna's position on the UFO problem seem even more plausible and a muxh more comprehensive definition than us being visited by 'extraterrestrials.' (Just as dlight pointed out above.)

I dont have any links at the moment, but there are quite a few articles and texts from Mack's lectures on the web. Search for his name, get past the obits and you are sure to find a wealth of material. But check out 'Passport' as well -- no one else in ufology as far as I know has approached the subject from the angle that he took.

-- Upwinger

Posted by: Upwinger at May 18, 2005 07:00 AM