A Spectrum of Sanity: Exploring Our Fascination with Monsters/Aliens/Demons?

I listened to a 'Lucid Cafe' podcast titled -
A Spectrum of Sanity: Exploring Our Fascination with Monsters

And I couldn't help thinking of the horror stories that Whitley Strieber was churning out before he came out of the closet as an "abductee" who claims that he was anally raped and repeatedly taken by "the visitors", whatever that means?

I like Whitley and I did buy his "non-fiction" novel 'Communion' when it came out, but at the time I just wondered how for real this author was, and if he just made the story up to give this horror story of his more teeth in the book market that Stephen King was starting to dominate and has to this day.

In the years since Whitley wrote 'Communion' I have grown to think that Whitley does believe that he was taken by "the visitors", but I can't say that I'm convinced that he was.
His novel and life still fascinate me though, as his novels have had a massive ripple effect on modern pop culture, for better or worse.

I listened to a 2012 'Hidden Experience' podcast featuring Whitley Strieber just the other day, where Mike Clelland author of the book 'The Messengers' and self-proclaimed "abductee" also, admits to being fascinated by Whitley's book 'Communion' when reading it in the early 90s.

Hidden Experience Podcast: Whitley Strieber/Interview

I very much have my doubts about Mike's beliefs about being an "abductee" as well, but it's all fascinating reading to me as to just what motivates Mike on his life journey.
Mike even hosts a podcast at Whitley Strieber's website named 'The Unseen' where Mike interviews some interesting guests.

Maybe Wendy should interview Mike and/or Whitley on her 'Lucid Cafe' podcast sometime soon?

I can't help thinking how Whitley's 'Communion' story really damaged the alien's somewhat more positive Hollywood depictions from 70s/80s movies like 'Close Encounters of the Third Kind' and 'ET'.

Whitley's books even used religious sounding titles for his books to seemingly demonize aliens in the minds of the general reading public, and to spread more fear.

Not even the more believable Travis Walton incident from 1975 painted aliens in such a bad light as Whitley's probing encounter.
Although the producers of the movie 'Fire in the Sky' certainly did their best to scare the paying audience.

Starring Roddy McDowall as Peter Vincent

I guess everyone likes a good scary/happy story, real or not?-)

The Philosophy of a Hidden Experience?