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Dr John Mack

Dr John Mack – A Tribute

Dr John Mack did not believe that alien abductions were simply hoaxes, delusions and hallucinations. Based on his work counselling abductees, Mack arrived at the astounding conclusion that this was a phenomenon which was ‘real’, but which didn’t so much have its basis in the physical universe as Henry Corbin’s “imaginal realms“, accessible only through a widening of conscious perception. This hypothesis is in stark opposition to the current scientific paradigm, which is based on the mechanistic assumption that consciousness is a by-product of a physical brain.

Needless to say, such opposition to orthodoxy comes with its price. Mack, who had previously won a Pulitzer Prize for his biography of T.E. Lawrence and was a respected Harvard psychiatrist, was lambasted by his colleagues and even investigated by Harvard. This despite his eloquent and detailed explanation of his hypothesis that the abduction phenomenon displayed clear patterns indicating some objective ‘reality’, and was worthy of further research. Mack’s crime was that he challenged the dogma of physicalism. Not that he would have had it any other way, for he believed that it was important that we began to reclaim a science of the soul:

in the focus on the material realm to the exclusion of the subtle realms, we have virtually rid the cosmos of nature, rid nature of spirit and, in a sense, denied the existence of all life other than that which is physically observable here on earth…the Western world view, what Tulane philosopher Michael Zimmerman calls anthropomorphic humanism, has reduced reality largely to the manifest or physical world and puts the human mind or the human being at the top of the cosmic intellectual hierarchy, eliminating not only God but virtually all spirit from the cosmos. The phenomena that really shake up that world view are those that seem to cross over from the unseen world and manifest in the physical world.

Mack didn’t jump to this conclusion lightly. The hypothesis formed itself over several years of counselling abductees, perhaps part of the reason why he didn’t seem ready for the orthodox onslaught against him – he was, as he puts it, a frog that died in gradually heating water, never noticing the impending danger. He also admits that the proposal of his extraordinary hypothesis took a great deal of challenging of my his own materialist scientific and clinical upbringing.

I don’t know whether John Mack was right. But I appreciate his contribution to shaking us out of our narrow-minded, anthropomorphic thinking once in a while. John Mack was a scientist and skeptic in the true definition of those words, and his ability to challenge his own epistemological ideas shames all those who attacked him for his work on alien abductions. Indeed, he even welcomed the input of those challenging his hypothesis…

For then if we can embrace the questions and polarities that the critiques represent, perhaps we can go to a deeper level of understanding instead of finding ourselves, as we tend to, in opposition to the people that will not take in what we are trying to communicate.

The greatest tribute we can give to John Mack is to continue investigating his ideas with an open mind, in order that his legacy lives on. One of the few to challenge the mainstream scientific paradigm openly and with eloquence, others must fill the breach in his absence. Dr John Mack was a fine man and a true scientist – he will be sorely missed.

Those interested in Dr Mack’s research are encouraged to visit the website for Passport to the Cosmos, which features a large number of essays, lectures and interviews. Further information can be found at the website of the John E. Mack Institute.

Editor
  1. Dr. Mack
    Thank you for your information on Dr. Mack. I knew him and can tell you he was one of the kindest people I have known. Your article was the first that I had read to let me know what had happened to him. He is a great loss to this world, but his contribute here will live on.

    Deb

  2. Dr. John Mack
    What can I say about such a great man other than the world will be a much better place because of John Mack’s contributions. That being said, we who knew him, cared about him, and respected him for the work he was so passionate about, have all lost someone very dear to us. I only wish more people realized what a wonderful man was just lost, to his family, friends, colleagues, the academic community, and the world at large.

    My condolences to the Mack family at this time.
    John was a diamond in the lives of all who knew him. He will be greatly missed.

    Nicholas Roesler
    Mutual UFO Network

    1. Good riddance to John Mack
      Good riddance to him.

      The man was not only a fraud, but a dangerous one.

      Once he got his hands on a patient, they suddenly became convinced, under
      hypnosis, that they had been “abducted by aliens.”

      How convenient, that every patient on his couch had something to contribute to
      John Mack’s books.

      John Mack wasn’t a doctor. He was a mean-spirited, greedy brainwasher.

      1. perspective
        Well I guess it’s all in the perspective, although I would be happier to know who you are, and that this is not just a spiteful attack.
        I don’t know a whole lot about John Mack, but I do know that he believed in what he was doing and he did it honestly.
        I think the last thing I read about him was that he felt he had come on to something spiritual that is in all of us,that ufos are of the spiritual realm and the abduction scenario belongs to something of long gone ages, way deep in the psyche of the first homo sapiens.
        Without bringing in a conspiracy theory, maybe this is the way things go,maybe he was tapping into something quite esoteric and from a perspective never before chanced upon, and thus he died.

        You don’t seem to realise that for John Mack to take the path he did was dangerous for him.He almost lost his position at Harvard, he was ridiculed by his colleagues,he met more opposition than you probably faced in a lifetime.
        There was nothing at all for him to gain by taking the stance he did.
        He went against the establishment, openly and decidedly,believing until he died that there was something in the alien abduction scene.

        Could you extrapolate on your post?
        I would be interested in what you have to say.
        Thanks,

        shadows

      2. I can only state what I perso
        I can only state what I personally have gained from Dr Mack’s essays, lectures & books. That is, a renewed vigour in allowing myself to be open to ALL possibilities in this or any other dimension. Your attack on Dr Mack seems rather personal and very negative. Why not give your blinkered mind a little more freedom to move in other than what you perceive to be “The Truth”..

        1. RE –
          Sorry man, and sorry for Oxford -english—Tartuffe tu connais??

          Iknow DR. MACK (= MACK TRUCK ) RIGHT ????

          Don’t play a funy game , he was a big man pavel

          Excuse me if I am wrong EHHHHHHH

      3. John Mack / Anonymous is dangerous and very negative
        What you wrote was the first really negative and scary thing I have read on this site, other sites, in books, vocal conversations on the phone, anywhere other than the news….and it is disturbing. You write something like that, and you do not let any one know who you are, you seem very scared. You seem like a child who wants to place bags of dog shit on people’s doorstep, then ring the bell, run away and hide in the bushes and get your rocks off while you watch the people have a hard time cleaning up the shit you left…..It is people like you that cause harm and do not help others. But don’t you realize people can read through what you wrote and how childish and negative you are? I am sure you are proud of yourself, but it also seems to me in a way you are crying out for help. You know what “they” say when people start writing and vocalizing disturbing messages, they themselves are the disturbed person, not the person they are attacking….I will not read anymore of your posts, where ever they may be. You dishonor the human race and the other participants in this site whom so far seem very positive, intelligent and searching for good things. I guess thanks for freedom of speech, so I can tell you what I feel about you and what you said. How do you feel about yourself? Do you like yourself? Obviously not others, and not your name. Too bad for you. Glad its your mentality and soul, and not mine. Hope you have a nice day.
        No actually I don’t, come to think of it, as a nice day to you may mean harm to others, like you are an arsonist…..

        Dr. Colette M. Dowell ND
        Circular Times
        Moving Forward Publications

        1. Welcome Colette
          Welcome to the Daily Grail Colette, I hope you enjoy it as much as I do.

          I have to wonder though why you assert that “anonymous” is dangerous.
          Negative…yes, and he did say that someone’s day would come.
          Or something like that.

          But in his first post I got the feeling that he had had a bad experience in some way…maybe not from John Mack but in the realm of alien abduction.

          We all have bad days.
          You should hear me on a bad day.Oh you probably can!

          I don’t hold with rudeness either but I do believe in cutting people a bit of slack, specially if I don’t know them and what might be happening in their lives.

          Don’t you think you are being rather black and white on this? There are shades of grey in all situations.

          That man could now be posting on this site under a name so I feel maybe he should have a chance.

          Don’t want to hassle with you on your first post so I’ll move on.
          Tell me about your magazine.

          shadows

          1. The Anonymous guy / answer to shadows
            Dangerous as in hurting other people’s well being either mentally or spiritually. Hurting a reputation, hurting a group….no I don’t think the guy is going to hack off some one’s head, only verbally…..I thought about the guy myself, wondering if he had some experiences which were never addressed. So he is blown up inside with frustration of sorts, maybe, maybe not, maybe he wanted to see John and couldn’t book an appoitnment. All this is suspect. What he wrote was in front for everyone to read, it just seemed really out of taste, but that was my first day on the site. There will be days as you say that I am upset and I really tear away and get freaky, I have never belonged to a group, so this is strange and I do not know how it really works….This place seems like a place full of wonderment of science, alternative thinking, ufos, ancient man, philosophy….I guess that is why I was a shocked to read that person’s statement , it seemed to be out of the context of what this site seemingly wants to portray, but I don’t know all of what it really wants to portray because I am new here, so maybe the guy is not out of line…I am new…maybe I am out of line for saying he is rude….You see, I knew John from the very old years, the pioneer days. No I was never a “patient” of his.

            My mag, Circular Times……I will get into that at another time…..Got to go right now….but is was similar to this, except it was a magazine….hard copy…..then web…for 5 years…long story that is why it has to wait…still up and running…..am finishing a review for Robert M. Schoch right now on Voyages of the Pyramid Builders, that is how I found this site as I was searching for sites to post reviews of the book……Small world eh?

            Later…..
            Dr. Colette M. Dowell ND
            Circular Times
            Moving Forward Publications

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