What is the reason for the "probe" in alien abductions?

Question

Seems commonplace in the stories.

Answer 1

Generally abduction experiences are dreams. People generally can put anything into their dreams from their past or current fantasies.  Sexual fantasies are very common.   Most people have them, so it is not surprising that they will turn up in dreams.

Answer 2

To see where we are going in the near future. Maybe it's just a Colonoscopy they perform for your "Regular" check-up. I guess things are "looking up" for us after all.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Colonoscopy

Answer 3

Yes, anal probes are comedic gold, plain and simple. Every good story needs a punch line, and getting a probe up the wazzoo gives an alien abduction story the spark it needs.

Answer 4

People generally report that they are "taken" at night by aliens some of who run medical tests.  Throughout the ages, people have reported experiences involving the common myth of the day (ie hundreds of years ago, many Japanese reported a large demon sitting on their chests during the night).  In fact, these images are explainable as a stage in sleep that some people experience: part of your mind is awake, but your body is paralyzed.  At that stage, dreams and night fears can appear to be astoundingly real.  No one's getting abducted, though.  In fact, people with a "history" of repeated abductions, have been observed with video cameras.  They still report the abductions, but, of course, they've gone nowhere.

Answer 5

Well, basically it's the sub concious fear of being violated by every human being.  The thought of being "probed" by an alien being is rather revolting if you ask me.  Even if the theory behind the probe is to gather scientific data and materials for "field research" by the alien's if you will.  The originators of the probing theory were not really looking for anything other than a dramatic and frightening event so as to make their readers more jumpy and give them a reason to keep reading.

Answer 6

see at sit http://www.csicop.org/sb/2007-03/abducti...

Answer 7

The whole idea of aliens has appeal because we have a fear of being subject to another species.  The probe idea extends that fear by making the victim subject to the will of another and being sexually violated.  It's just fear stacked on top of fear.

Answer 8

I think it's maybe not-so-strange afterall. This kind of behavior occured in Incubus/Sucubus accounts from the middle-ages. It's also occured in celtic lore regarding fairies -which weren't very nice beings. They abducted people and did those inappropriate medical exams as well.

The larger question is what are "aliens" and where do they come from(Extra-Terrestrial Hypothesis, Extra-Dimensional Hypothesis, Pscho-Social Hypothesis, Inner-Earth Hypothesis ect.). When we can get a handle on that, maybe we'll know why they are badly behaved.

Answer 9

I personally am not interested as I find abductions, let alone a mere visitation to this planet from an advanced race rather dubious, what I want to know is what was the marketing department thinking when they agreed on the name Ford Probe? Admittedly, there is 10% less anal leakage.

Answer 10

I think to give you a CAT scan of some sort

Answer 11

If you had someone strapped down in front of you, and you could do anything you wanted to without reprocussions, what would you do? Of course, give them the old anal probe.

Answer 12

I don't get it.Where does the probe go?Oh!Yikes!