Another example is the writer Donna bassett, who pretended she was an abductee and became a “patient” of the late Dr. John Mack. Presumably she did this to expose him as a charlatan. By doing so Bassett intentionally sabotaged his research. And this is the poing of people like this who do these things: to put a big glitch in the work of UFO and paranormal researchers.

It is astounding, though not surprising, that at a CSICOP (now CSI) conference in 1994 no one objected to Bassett’s deception. In fact, in the CSI article about the conference, Bassett’s presence at the presentation was referred to as bringing “balance” to the proceedings. At the conference, Mack accused the (now deceased) debunker Philip Klass of having a hand in this, which caused Klass to take the stage:

At this time, Klass had heard enough and angrily approached the stage. Taking the microphone, he chastised Mack for making what he labeled "false innuendoes." "Before you made accusations . . . why didn't you check with me? I could have told you that the first time I talked to Donna and her husband about you and your work was when they called me on January 9."

What does this mean, that Klass was indeed, a party to this?

Bassett posed as a UFO abductee. She came to Mack with a lie, for she wasn’t a witness, not an abductee.Her actions were not only irresponsible but immoral. For her to do such a thing means she doesn’t think the work of a Pulitzer Prize winning academic and scientist is valuable, since the subject he took on was taboo by most of mainstream science. Therefore, her actions were justifiable. Or at least that’s how the thinking goes.

But it goes further than that. When things like this happen in the arena of honest research -- and it doesn’t matter if it’s within academia and science, or the lay UFO or paranormal researcher -- it puts a large wall up in the journey of understanding. Everyone has to stop and deal with the problems caused by these people, who believe that their self appointed roles as undercover provocateurs is answering a higher calling, and therefore justified.

Hashem had God on his side, Bassett had scienticism.

It’s a dangerous thing when one thinks that their religion, their personal indulgences (as in creating crop circles) or their attitudes towards research of things they don’t approve of, gives them the right to lie and misrepresent themselves.

Each time this happens, time and energy are taken up by discussing and defending one’s work. Meanwhile, the research, the real work that’s been going on takes a rest while everyone’s attention is spent on the latest hoax.

No matter how self righteous these latter types of “hoaxers” are, no matter how disingenuous, they do more harm than good.

It’s a given that there are scam artists around. Those of us involved in UFO and esoteric studies accept that. And even if some of us are fooled by one, or two, or even a few, so what? We learn from that. Those who should know better, the ones from academia, science and journalism who “infiltrate” are worse than the prankster out to get some laughs.

Notes:
'UFO cult' infiltrated
Exploring Mind, Memory, and the Psychology of Belief