There is a group of fish swimming at the bottom of a lake. For those fish the water of this lake is their world as they know it, their reality. One of the fish decides that he wants to swim up, closer to the waters surface, the rim of his reality, he asked the others but no one wants to come along. So the fish goes alone and when he approaches the surface, he sees above him a large cilindrical object. (a fisherman sitting at the side of that very lake!. The object seemed to be dancing there on the water, on the edge of the fishs reality. The fish swimms back to the others after he had his strange encounter, but the other fish laughed, such things do not exist after all. And ofcourse the others didn't wanna come along to take a look for them selves. So the second time the curious fish encounters the strange object (fisherman's tools) and comes close to it, he get's pulled out of the water, out of his world as he knows it. There beyond the edge of his reality he encounters a strange being, feels a sharp stinging pain caused by some unknown object (a fishing hook!), feels being watched by this strange alien-being that shortly after the strange encounters, throws him back into the water. The other fish will NEVER believe the experience of that one fish in the example Yet this scenario happens thousands of times worldwide, each day! If we take a look at the abduction-phenomena, then all it ones it seems the reactions are similar. Abductees encountering strange beings at the rim of our reality, of our world, get pulled out and thrown back, just like the fish actually, and we're afraid that, just like the fish, you would be disbelieved by most. A rather strange thing...

Just imagine you'ld be walking through town and a bus passes you. You look through its windshield but there's NO driver behind the wheel. Wouldn't that strike you as, at least being weird? Ofcourse it would, it is normal, rational thinking to assume a craft of somekind CAN have someone actually steering the thing. Why then does it seem so hard for some people to accept the reality of alien abduction, one might ask. But before going in to that we will go through what is known as the abduction-scenario.

What Happens During An Abduction?

The place where an abduction-experience begins is actually hard to point out, because according to most experiencers it could happen every where. But most encounters we can seperate in two kinds.

A. The bedroom visitation:

The abductee is in his/her bed, when the events begin to happen. Most abductees describe a tinkeling feeling down from there legs up. Together with this they see a light appear near the window, or the wall, followed by feeling completely paralized accept for their heads, in most cases. In that light then beings will appear. It's been reported that these beings seem to have the ability to walk right through windows or even walls, but what adds to the strangeness is that they appearantly can take there human "guest" with them.

The visitors themselves have been described in many different ways and many different styles, but the most common seen there is the "grey". These creatures are described as being 3,5/4 ft tall, greyish smooth skin. A thin corso with long and thin arms and legs, some claim they've three fingers, some say four and others claimed them to even have six fingers. The head is seems to be of proportion compared to their bodies and is shaped somewhat like an upside-down pear.

The thing most abductees do agree on however is the face features of the beings. They're reported to have large, almond-shaped black eyes, no nose just an nostrille-like feature, and they have just a slit for a mouth. According to most abductees the beings don't use their mouth for communication like you would suppose. They claim these "greys" communicate with them by telepathy, through their thoughts. After being taken from their bedrooms the abductees accounts are very simular.

B. Roadside visitation:

The abductees in this cases are driving on a quiet lonely road, mostly at night, when the see a light (or more) approaching their car. The car than seems to stop by itself, even the lights have been reported to go out. After a while they start to see the UFO and then they're paralized simular to the "bedroom-abductions".

In both cases people reported being inclosed by a blue-white light (or beam of light). After that they were 'floated' into the UFO. There the accounts somewhat differ in most cases, but also we can find a lot of simularities too. Most abductees are being brought to somekind of examination-table, tests not understandable to us are conducted, in some cases the beings communicate with their "victim", say they're concerned for mankind and the enviromental issues on this planet and in some cases even show the abductee realistic imagery of apocalyptic events.

Where Do This Beings Originate From?

The most commonly spread explanation, that is all to gladly used by debunkers and true sceptics is ofcourse the one that it's all a psycho logical event. And ofcourse in some cases this is defently true, this doesn't add up to the profile of the 'everage' abductee. These people are shown NOT to be psychotic and NOT to be diagnosed with Borderline or the like. This should at least give us something to think about.

Also there are numerous indications these events actually occure, not all of them gotten through hypnotic regression, such as recovered implants and marks on the abductees bodies, witnesses who also saw the craft etc. We think a lot of harm is done by telling abductees they're psychologically ill. This will in the end unfortunately be true, since these people have no where to turn with their life-changing experiences. We at A.U.R.A. see it as our duty to LISTEN to those people, help them try to find some answers and finaly help them to give these events a steady place in their lifes.

So, let's for the sake of the argument, accept those beings to be, real genuine beings, a product of their own evolutionary process. Debunkers do often argue that we cannot be visited by extra-terrestrial because such things are biologically impossible. The number of genetic mutations leading from the single-celled of three billion years ago to the human beings of today could not possibly have been duplicated on any other planet.

Since our knowledge of other planets in the universe is rather small at the current time this looks like 'jumpin' to conclusions' to us. How can you determin an evolutionairy process of a planet you don't even know that it's there in the first place? Also may we remind you that it's very well possible that similar looking beings evolve from different points within the same phylum. The most striking evidence for this we can find right here on earth, dolphin (mammal), shark (fish) and ichthysaurus (reptile).

Well, if it's within the bounds of possibility that a succesfull oceanic predator would turn out looking something like a shark, one could argue that it would also make sence that, on a planet similar to earth, a succesful, rational creature with the capability to develop a technological society would look somewhat humanoid. That would mean it's very well possible these being originate from some other planet. Also maybe it's useful to turn around the argument 'They cannot look like us'. What if we look like them...?

DOUBLE 'ABDUCTIONS' OF KOOLEN COUPLE

After visiting a lecture about UFOs and the possibilties of extra-terrestrial life A.U.R.A. met with a couple that lives in Nijmegen. These people were supposed to tell something about their abduction-experiences but in the end, chose not to do so, and ofcourse we could accept that. Afterwards we switched adres and phonenumber, and told these people that if they ever wanted to talk about their experiences or felt they wanted to report them, they could call A.U.R.A. anytime. Months past without hearing from the Koolens. But since they both are 'spiritual therapists' we figured they just had a buisy life. We also thought it was a hint at their integrety that they didn't have the urge to go public at that lecture.

THEIR OWN LECTURE

But some months later, fall of 1997, we heared from other sources they were planning to give a lecture on the subject abduction that very week. We were a bit stunned at first. One day after we heard about the lecture Frans and Mary Koolen appeared with a big picture of themselves, in our regional newspaper. This hit us as a surprise because it's our experience that it is not common for abductees to look for public intention in this way. Ofcourse this happens a lot but still these people are but a small percentage of all abductees. Anyway A.U.R.A.-members went to that lecture and spoke to Mary and Frans one more time. Their knowledge of Ufology seemed to be nihil and the lecture made a 90 degree turn after the first 15 minutes, from abduction to spiritual teaching, energetic beings, auras, ReiKi and so on... In other words, rather your typical "50-60ies-contactee-tale". It made us a little cautious to say at least.

OUR FIRST APPOINTMENT WITH THE KOOLENS

After the lecture we spoke with them again and, this time they fully agreed with A.U.R.A. investigating their case. We made an appointment for an interview right away. We thought this case to be interesting for following reasons:

* They both had these experiences, and would be possible to verify part of their stories, while being seperated.

* They both gave the impression to have practically no knowledge of the field of ufology, wich would be a good thing.

* They agreed on an investigation without a sensable touch of doubt.

When we finally got to their house, we were welcomed in a friendly way and they made a calm and rational impression. They had no problem with our interest for their book-collection. There was one UFO-book on the shelfs, so we didn't find that highly unusual nor suspicious. We agreed that notes would be made during our conversations and we also agreed to come back and try to tape an interview. During the conversation (I did let them begin with the talking)I noticed something in the body-language of Mary, I noticed before at her lecture, there was a consistent 'blinking away' with her eyes each time she mentioned UFOs or the ETs.

On their lecture they told the public they had recieved an implant, just a few months ago. Frans managed to remove it from Mary's back, and they said it turned to a greyish black color as soon as it came in touch with the air. According to what they told at their lecture and to us is that it was shaped like a corn of rice, and about the same size. Ofcourse A.U.R.A. asked them wether they had the piece still in their possesion or not. They didn't. They threw it away, since they saw it, that was proof enough and the beings instructed them to throw it away.

After asking several times we never got the see the scar where the 'alledged' implant was located. We also asked if they knew the purpose of the implant. According to the beings, they were for contacting us and speaking to us Frans cleared things up. Mary added that there was no need for such a device in their case, cause they communicating telepathicaly already. Question remaining is why, if they had the capability to communicate with them by "mind-power" why travel that way to insert an implant that was taken out (on their agreement,according to the Koolens) the next day? It was to proof something was the couples reply. Proof that must be thrown away after only two people took notice of it?

Then there was this story of a hybrid baby, the result of the aliens experiments. A strange side to this abduction-case is also the wide variation of UFO-inhabitants that the Koolens encountered. Everything was present greys, nordics, little green men with pointed ears and astral beings. This baby was the result of cross-breeding with a reptilian being, with a tail, somewhat like dinosaurs. That was the weird thing with the baby too, it had a tail.(We were pointed to an X-file show with that subject). She one day noticed she had an outer-uternal pregnacy, and her doctor could verify that, so Mary said had her lecture. When we ask to see a doctors testemony it was quite a different matter. They didn't know if the doctor wrote all that stuff down, back than (1995).

This was also quite surprising to hear out of Mary's mouth. In the newspaper- article it said she was a nurse. Nurses should KNOW that doctors keep records. Most certain of pregnancies.But she than agreed in trying to get these documents. After that they were seperated and asked to draw the crafts and the beings as they saw them. The craft were hardly a match. Except for the triangle... There was some uniformity in the drawings of the beings. Mary pointed at one of the grey-like beings on the paper, it had some kind of hose attached to it's back. She told us that those beings are very rough, did very painful experiments and were meaner that the others(...) The hose was attached to their suedes, so Mary said, underneath those smooth grey masks they are wrinkled, pink-grey...(I couldn't help remembering a scene in Fire in the Sky, the Walton story, where these exact beings wear these exact same things, now here's the problem: Travis Walton himself claims that those on-board-scenes as depicted in the movie, were the fantasy of some Hollywood writer and had NOT HAPPENED during his experience...).

But there was another claim that bothered us somehow: On their lecture and in the first interview they told us about the capability to use "X-ray-like-vision" since their abductions. This ofcourse came in usefull in their job as healer and spiritual counseler. But we didn't want to assume the worst right away. It could very well be possible that 'they' would choose spiritually educated people. We decided to keep that question open, and wait how the case would evoluate Further descriptions that were given to us were the regular abduction scenario, mixed with a new agey sense of happiness about all the 'spiritual wisdom' received from their abductors. But one should keep in mind that we all have our own way to deal with a traumatic experience, someone who tends to an esoteric thinking will search for his/her peace of mind in that.

After the first interview we went back home with more questions than answers, and after thinking everything over, we contacted the Koolens on the phone several times. In one of those conversations I asked about the possibilty of getting the documents on her pregnancy, since we then would at least have one thing to go on. To our surprise we were now told that she didn't feel too much for the idea of getting those documents. After some asking she finally agreed (again) to call her doctor. At that time she didn't want to give us the identity of her physician. The only thing she told us that he was a local, working in Nijmegen. In another phone-conversation Frans told me that they just finnished an interview for a dutch tabloid for women called "Vrouw Vandaag"(Women Today). This was quite a suprise, like stated before, we are not use to abductees seeking the public's attention in that way. But the biggest surprise was yet to come!

After their appearance in the magazine, we went to interview the Koolens again. This time with one of our colleagues of UFO Werkgroep Oost Nederland, Jeroen Kummeling and a tape-recorder. A new story emerged. Mary told us she awoke one night and saw an female grey alien standing next to her, the being was looking sadly at her and after Mary had asked her what was wrong, the alien being told her that she was sad about her sister, one of the aliens captured during the Roswell-crash. She is now still imprisoned on that secret Roswell-base. Seems to us that she got Roswell, New Mexico and Area 51, Nevada mixed up there! On this visit we noticed several new things wich could shed a different light on this case: We noticed all editions of the X-factor(paranormal/ufo-tabloid)nicely together, and we also noticed several books and ordners that revealed the Koolens were members of the A.M.O.R.C. (Ancient Mystical Order of the Rose Crusians). We were also told the name of their doctor, dr. Dijkstra.

The stories were actually the same as we heard before no details added, no questions answered. Only this time (it was an interview for a UFO-Magazine Frontier 2000) they 'announced' their contact with the aliens helped them in their work as 'therapists'. Coming out of the mouth of two "rei-ki"-masters ( an ancient Japanese method of healing) this sounded strange. For following reasons:

* Becoming a reiki-master is rather expensive, about 15.000,- gulden (ca. 7,500 $) but ones you've got your master-degree, you can teach ReiKi to others, cashing in 300,- gulden (ca. 150 $) per "pupil"(or customer?)

* It's a fact that ReiKi's popularity increased, so there are many ReiKi-healers and the prices have dropped aswell. A new "X-ray-vision" given by aliens, would be a very good PR in this days.

* ReiKi is (accept from the price) a very open an positve teaching. Yet the Koolens had a secret given to them by wiser beings, and they were not allowed to make these teachings public yet.

We also turned sceptical by the fact that in a short period of time they had managed to appear in the news-paper, on radio twice and on television. Meanwhile we still had NO answer what so ever on the doctors documents we were so anxious to see. When we called them later Frans answered the phone, and in a rather angry tone he let us know there was never an effort made to obtain these documents, nor will there ever, and then he said something interesting: "Mary told you that before!" No, she never told us, on the contrary, she agreed several times in trying to get them! By this time, this was one many not fitting part in their case. After the we found out that their existed no dr. Dijkstra in Nijmegen and that Mary was no nurse as she claimed in the papers, A.U.R.A. sadly decided to close this case. We think the people who really experienced abduction and encounters with unknown beings are unfortunately the ones to suffer from people like this getting press, the most. Too bad...