Whitley Strieber

[JayR]

Ever read The Key by W. Strieber? It's an interesting account of his meeting a man who came in his Toronto hotel room in 1999 (I think- not clear on the dates) and they had a conversation. I think for WS, this was a turning point in his life on how to use writing to address certain aspects of the phenomena. There seems to be shift in his writing concerning the subject after this strange encounter with this man who has now been deemed "The Master of The Key."

ANother interesting part of this encounter is that it also closely resembles a strange encounter with the late Dr. Karla Turner (Alien abductee and investigator) which is chronicled in her book Into the Fringe.

 

[Poi]

The Key is the last good thing he wrote, imo, JayR.

I've wondered if that experience is what turned his tide, sent him over the edge. While I never doubt his sincerity, he appears to be manic depressive. Consequently, his writing is flat, one dimensional, in fact, almost deprived of imagination he once enjoyed.

Maybe it's best to live with one's creativity instead of investigating it to a fare-the-well.

 

[Kieran]

Come on seriously, Whitley can go to different worlds in a pick up trunk. 'Fact, he actually siad it, am i wrong, do you honestly believe a human could go to not one, but two worlds in a pick up trunk. We have barely gone outside our solar system, the moon is the exception. Yet whitley done it in a pick up trunk, are some people really that stupid come on.

 

[Cailean]

I have not come to any firm conclusion about him, but he makes sense some of the time...

 

[Rocketsauce]

Ever read The Key by W. Strieber? It's an interesting account of his meeting a man who came in his Toronto hotel room in 1999 (I think- not clear on the dates) and they had a conversation. I think for WS, this was a turning point in his life on how to use writing to address certain aspects of the phenomena. There seems to be shift in his writing concerning the subject after this strange encounter with this man who has now been deemed "The Master of The Key."

ANother interesting part of this encounter is that it also closely resembles a strange encounter with the late Dr. Karla Turner (Alien abductee and investigator) which is chronicled in her book Into the Fringe.

I also read the Master of the Key, it's the only Whitley book I've read. Communion just looked like it would scare the crap out of me so I never read it.

I picked up the Master of the Key because of the possibility that it just might be true. It's possible it's all crap, but if it is true I thought there might be some worthwhile insights to gain. Regardless, I did like the book and will probably read it again at some point.

I ocassionally check out his journal on his site and heard an interview with him on paratopia and he's just such a total Debbie Downer-

 

[MafiaGeek]

Yeah.. I really think old whitely had something happen to him in the past. But he seem to me to be a moody attention whore with self esteem issues. What i want to hear is a interview with his son.

 

[Chuckleberryfinn]

Some may have seen this. Another take on Whitley as observed by Aeolus Kephas.

Through a Fractured Glass, Darkly

"What are we to make of the strange case of Whitley Strieber?

Worth the read, whether you're a fan or not.

A fascinating essay, thanks for the link. I've never heard of or seen anyone doing actual borderline academic literary criticism on Whitley Strieber. My main problem with the essay, however, is that the author tries to explain the contradictory representations of the aliens as either good or bad, angel or devil, as functions of Strieber's ego, fragmented by his frightening experiences. It is much more reasonable, I think, to see these apparent contradictions as examples of literary play.

The beliefs expressed in a work of fiction need not represent the beliefs of the author, yet the writer of that essay seems convinced that Strieber must actually believe in the ideas expressed in his fiction. That's the whole point of his essay; it's an attempt to reconcile these apparent problems. However, there really is no need to "synthesize" the so-called contradictions because they aren't actually contradictions. Strieber is simply exploring different ideas and beleifs in a fictional format, so of course his narrators -- not necessarily synonymous with Strieber himself -- provide different perspectives on what may be the same general picture of the alien abduction experience.

 

[Jonah]

I'm glad you liked it. In a way Aeolus is very much like Whitley in his writing so it's a bit like the pot etc etc.
However, in fairness to the author, the only work of fiction mentioned in the entire article is '2012'. The rest are the considered "non-fiction" works, journal entries and the like. And if you read them, you'll see the the same theme expressed in certain ways at certain times throughout. Aeolus wrote:

"2012 is an intensely personal work that reveals a depth of psychological self-exploration unusual (to say the least) for genre fiction. It reveals so much about its author, in fact, that it takes the reader beyond mere darkness into chthonic realms of madness worthy of Edgar Allan Poe."

I haven't read the book myself but I'm inclined to take the authors word for it.

I think the thing with Whitley is that he fulfilled his purpose (through the mass circulation around the globe of his writings) long ago and is now kinda chugging along like an aging rock star. Not much else -for- him to do so I give him a bit of understanding. But I'll tell ya what...there are those who have experienced what he has experienced, and for them, it doesn't matter. In a sense, for them, it's like there by the grace of god go I when it comes to peculiar relationships.

As a side note...there was a whole period around 2003 and on for a few years when his board became infested shall we say, with a particular breed of troll. I'm not going to go into it, but those who were there know what I'm talking about. I believe this had a particular influence on him early on in the situation re: the Journal entries on MK Ultra and so on. I'm not sure Aeolus factored in those particular facts in his commentary. In essence, IMO, both Whitley and Aeolus got played.

I agree, a fascinating piece, as is 'The Lucid View'

 

[Kieran]

The problem with Whitley, is that you cant tell what is fiction and what is non fiction. If, he is real contactee, he should stick to facts of his experience, anything else is just confusion.

Too much of his storys sound made up 'others dont, but if you can't tell the real story from the bullshit story, than you can not learn and gain value from it.

 

[Mogwa]

Like so many other paranormal investigators before him, Strieber seems to have wandered off into what Robert Anton Wilson once described as "the Hall of Mirrors," a debilitating state of confusion that leaves the victim unable to distinguish between discrete external phenomena and purely self generated delusion.
How many researchers can you name whose early careers were marked by work of remarkable quality, only to watch them gradually abandon any sort of critical thinking and endorse every unsubstantiated wild tale as being gospel truth? All too many, by my count.
I believe the way to avoid sharing that fate is to always maintain a sense of humor when dealing with this weirdness, never fear to admit that you have been wrong, and do the tedious grunt work when investigating cases. Sometimes you may feel that you're only chasing phantoms, but frustrating as that may usually prove to be, it's the only way to proceed without becoming a gullible tool.

 

[Poi]

I think it helps to *take on* an idea, live it for a while, to find inherent fallacies. Then life has a way of throwing fallacies in my face, all too hard to ignore. Big magnet thing going on before I discard a theory. But there's some invisible line I never cross or I never fail to reason, don't know.

Makes sense that mind control might require punishing extremes in order to break a person. It's his extremes that have left me rather cold toward him now. I'm ashamed of myself for feeling that way, but his website reflects a righteousness I can't handle too. He seems to have adopted political agendas I find disturbing.

 

[aNorthernSoul]

After listening to him on Paratopia, I am back to completely undecided on him. I can't help but think there is more to it then a simple explanation when it comes to him.

 

[maninblack]

I question my sanity everyday, but then I turn on the news and see that the people running this country are crazier than I might be.

 

[ALPHA ROMEO UNIFORM]

Hi maninblack & other folks,
Mr Whitley Strieber interview on Paratopia was very intresting but as we all know Uflology is full of smoke & mirrors. Mind you Mr Whitley Strieber accounts of grey's smoking has some connection to my own unexplained experince of some ecounter which they left smoke buts around the lawn. I don't smoke nor does my family.

 

[Kieran]

Hi maninblack & other folks,
Mr Whitley Strieber interview on Paratopia was very intresting but as we all know Uflology is full of smoke & mirrors. Mind you Mr Whitley Strieber accounts of grey's smoking has some connection to my own unexplained experince of some ecounter which they left smoke buts around the lawn. I don't smoke nor does my family.

I guess anything is possible. Plenty of Humans smoke and plenty of those Humans who smoke are not idiots. They are aware of the problems it will cause to their health. I laughed when I heard that account not on Paratopia.

I watched a YouTube video of Whitley Streiber speaking.Were he made that claim. Whitley has had experiences. I have many reasons for believing he has. I just don't believe in everything he told. I've certain opinions to what I believe. And in my opinion. I think Whitley, had a number of encounters with non/humans, but those experiences have been embellished. I could be wrong; I'm open to that possibility.

 

[vonmazur]

Forumites and Foamites: I have some personal experience with Whitley, dating back a long way...I happen to think that he is hallucinating and writing based on that. Like most UFO claims, very little evidence and lots of endless speculation......

Here is the chief feature of all of the abduction tales....None are ever anachronistic. There are no 18th century tales with 20th century technology, for example. No one today reports, (r at least we don't see any reports);Ghost Airships or Ghost Aircraft like was the case earlier in the turn of the 19th and 20th Centuries...Entirely too much of the supposed experiences are dependant on cultural pardigms for my comfort level of acceptance....

John Mack, IIRC;(Reportedly) dismissed any cases that did not fit the template, the same goes on here in Alabama with the local UFO Buffs, they have split into various groups over some doctrinal dispute about what they are looking for...

In short, I am wary of subjective experiences being turned into doctrine...

Dale in AL

 

[brownie]

Forumites and Foamites: I have some personal experience with Whitley, dating back a long way...I happen to think that he is hallucinating and writing based on that. Like most UFO claims, very little evidence and lots of endless speculation......

Here is the chief feature of all of the abduction tales....None are ever anachronistic. There are no 18th century tales with 20th century technology, for example. No one today reports, (r at least we don't see any reports);Ghost Airships or Ghost Aircraft like was the case earlier in the turn of the 19th and 20th Centuries...Entirely too much of the supposed experiences are dependant on cultural pardigms for my comfort level of acceptance....

John Mack, IIRC;(Reportedly) dismissed any cases that did not fit the template, the same goes on here in Alabama with the local UFO Buffs, they have split into various groups over some doctrinal dispute about what they are looking for...

In short, I am wary of subjective experiences being turned into doctrine...

Dale in AL

Dale,

Why do you think Streiber is hallucinating? - A form of mental illness or drug use?

The book by Streiber that has meant the most to me is The Secret School. Some of his childhood experiences are similar to mine. Having stated that, I still can't figure out if Streiber is conning the public. It's a bit much that in Confirmation (I think it was) an alien sucked on candy and threw the wrappers on the floor while Streiber meditated right in his home. I don't know how one goes from the terror he described in his earlier books to then having a candy-sucking alien guru helping him meditate. Hmmm......

I think the book that he and his wife Anne compiled of the various letters sent to them from self-proclaimed abductees/experiencers/contactees that had *conscious* recall is a very good one : The Communion Letters. Their experiences go against the grain of some of the abductionologists like Mack (who you've mentioned), Jacobs and Hopkins.

I have the book by reporter Ed Conroy - Report on Communion and he (Conroy) meticulously checked out all the people that Streiber mentioned and it appears he (Streiber) wasn't lying or making up people. They all checked out and went on the record.

 

[trainedobserver]

I have the book by reporter Ed Conroy - Report on Communion

Conroy's work is largely ignored but I found "Report on Communion" actually more compelling than Communion itself. Conroy's experiences while investigating Strieber were very strange.

 

[vonmazur]

Conroy's work is largely ignored but I found "Report on Communion" actually more compelling than Communion itself. Conroy's experiences while investigating Strieber were very strange.

Don't get me wrong, I firmly think something is going on here, but the same thing bothers me as others posted above, the money and the "Artistic Enhancement" if that is the right term, seem to muddy the waters with his reporting about supposed abductions...

Just because people mentioned can be found to exist, does not prove extraterrestrial abduction...

I agree with Vallee and Keel, there is a lot of cultural influence on this, and Whitley's template makes all the subsequent reports a little suspect...

Dale

 

[Kieran]

Don't get me wrong, I firmly think something is going on here, but the same thing bothers me as others posted above, the money and the "Artistic Enhancement" if that is the right term, seem to muddy the waters with his reporting about supposed abductions...

Just because people mentioned can be found to exist, does not prove extraterrestrial abduction...

I agree with Vallee and Keel, there is a lot of cultural influence on this, and Whitley's template makes all the subsequent reports a little suspect...

Dale

I believe Communion is a genuine account of some usual events having occurred. Everything told after that is just rubbish and gobble. You can see how he is gone downhill since Communion. I honestly do believe he was visited at one time in his life, but he is trying to rationalise and make sense of what happened to him. Which he can't, so he has created, a number of stories around his experiences ( all false) and this other stories were worked out by him so to help build a fan base of loyal follower's and believers and also help him earn a living from his experiences. Even though i believe all this, i still think he saw something in the 80's that changed him for the worse.