In fact, the book's true purpose doesn't begin to emerge for at least 100 pages. The first two chapters cover the history of abduction reports and abduction research. In the third chapter, the authors present two case studies of abductees they have interviewed.

The first thread leading up to the authors' ultimate goal appears in chapter four, where they discuss the difference between contactees, who believe aliens are essentially benevolent, and abductees, who describe horrible experiences at the hands of evil or unemotional aliens. The chapter begins: "As we look at the abduction phenomenon, we can't help but notice some glaring inconsistencies in the attitude of the UFO researchers."

With that phrase, the authors set the ball rolling--they are out to get UFO researchers. For the next 300 pages, the authors build a convincing case to show how these researchers plant the seeds of evidence of alien abduction into unwitting victims minds. "The key to understanding how so many abductees can tell stories that are so consistent when they have never met each other is because of those who conduct the research," the authors write. "They are providing the clues and the links between the cases because they all know the secrets."

The authors criticize the researchers for overlooking more obvious, psychological explanations for memories of abduction. In particular, the authors believe that many abductees suffer from psychological problems including sexual dysfunction and lack of self esteem.

The authors also blame the influence of pop culture for many of the details provided by abductees during their sessions of hypnotic regression. Add memories of the aliens from Close Encounters of the Third Kind to psychological problems, throw in a dash of sleep paralysis, stir with a few leading questions from a UFO researcher and--voila!--an abduction experience emerges, the authors say.

In case readers haven't been convinced by the time they finish the last chapter, the book concludes with the transcript of an interview from the 1970s with alleged abductee Pat Roach. The authors explain that the transcript is intended to show how researchers lead the witness to provide information that points to alien abduction.

If the book had been presented as a scientific counterargument to claims of alien abduction, it would seem to have accomplished its task. But in the end, a lingering question remains--why did the authors go to so much trouble to point out that they believe in aliens? Were they trying to avoid offending those who believe in alien abduction?

If so, they shouldn't have bothered. The introduction doesn't come close to making up for the book, which practically accuses abduction researchers of comitting fraud and identifies alleged abductees as disturbed individuals. It would have been nice to see the two threads resolved, possibly with a chapter about what the authors do believe about extraterrestrials. Without this synthesis, the book ends up seeming a bit... enigmatic.