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Those wishing to understand the ways of thinking among ufologists will be interested in the way Schumaker connects paranoia with other forms of monoidentical disorders such as anorexia nervosa, and obsessive compulsive disorder. He argues that these are substitute 'personal' religions which seek to gain control of reality by narrowing the focus of attention and concern. In the pre-onset stage such people are hyper-suggestible, but when delusion is fully developed, they become hypo-suggestible, and cannot be persuaded from their beliefs.
Western psychiatry seems helpless in such cases, but traditional healers use ritual to enhance suggestibility, and provide a substitute communally acceptable, belief system. Paranoids and anorexics cannot be reasoned with, but they can be converted: this clearly allows us to realise the effectiveness of exorcism. Should abductees be sent to witch-doctors?
The 'paranormal belief' which Schumaker discusses is much wider in scope than the sort of beliefs looked at in Magonia. It covers all 'self transcending' beliefs, not only traditional religions but such secular ideologies as Marxism, capitalism, consumerism and the cult of 'having'. All these seek to deny the essential tragedy of the human condition. Schumaker is a convert to rationalism from what appears to have been a particularly savage brand of traditionalist Catholicism, and perhaps shows a conversion syndrome. His realism has a deeply pessimistic, not to say apocalyptic tone, not far removed from clinical depression.
- Peter Rogerson, from Magonia 39. 1991
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