Dreamcatcher

The excised objects were taken back to Houston for study. Some unimpressive facts emerged, such as the fact that the objects fluoresced under a black light. Big deal! Many common substances glow under ultraviolet light — Vaseline, aspirin, many organic compounds. Ever looked at friend’s teeth by black light? The enamel glows brightly. Is it significant that the removed objects fluoresced? Not especially.

Analysis of the membrane around the objects was a no-brainer, too. It was made of coagulated blood proteins and keratin, the protein that makes up our hair and nails. In other words, the body detected a foreign object and created a sheath of blood and keratin around it to protect the body — exactly what you’d expect to happen.

Dr. Leir notes that there was no evidence of inflammation around the objects, no fibrosis, etc. “This is not the usual finding in foreign body tissue reactions,” he wrote. I’d like a second opinion, doc. What is the usual state of inert foreign matter in the body after it has been in situ for twenty, thirty years? The pencil lead in my hand is not inflamed and never has been.

At the core of the nodules were slivers of metal, the analysis of which has not been revealed (even though they were removed in August 1995). I have a theory, not very exciting or exotic: that these objects are simply metal slivers both patients acquired in the active lives. The fact that they were in the hand and toe of the patients I find particularly enlightening; after all, what parts of the human body come on constant contact with the sharp, slivery, pointy parts of the world? Our hands and feet, of course. Unless more dramatic evidence is presented (and I’m not holding my breath), these so-called implants fall far short of being evidence of alien abduction, or even anomalous.

This is not to say I am denying the UFO experiences of Ms. Damly or Mr. Parrinello. I have not investigated them or their claims, so I am not qualified to comment on them. But the objects cut from their extremities in August of last year should not convince any rational person that aliens are implanting weird devices in human test subjects, any more than the devil was marking his worshippers in central Europe, four centuries ago.

by Paul B. Thompson