Why I’m pretty sure I’ve been abducted by aliens

My alien abduction theory started out as a joke. I have always had this recurring feeling of hunger for something that wasn’t food. It is hard to explain, but I have only met a few people who experience the exact same sensation. When I was a young teenager, I was telling somebody about this bizarre emotion and they responded, “You know what that means, right?” I shook my head.

They continued, “It means you’ve been abducted by aliens.

Apparently, the hunger is actually the desire to regain the memories lost.

Of course it’s more of a fun explanation than a serious theory, but I always liked to imagine that I was once aboard a UFO from a faraway planet.

There are a few common signs of the classic “alien abductee.” I’ve definitely felt chronic, inexplicable nostalgia for something I can’t quite remember, and I have some unidentifiable scars. However, these common symptoms aren’t the main reason for my suspicion of a past UFO experience. Even my friends will admit that the real reason is unarguably chilling and strangely compelling.

The health condition I have most commonly affects one of two groups: girls ages 12-25, and astronauts.

The atmospheric change astronauts go through triggers the condition, but there is no explanation for why Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome manifests itself in young women, as it is not hormonally correlated. My silly (albeit thought-provoking) explanation is that maybe aliens have chosen that demographic to take to space, and then return again.

I wish I could say that my obsession with the X-Files had nothing to do with this essay, but it is what prompted me to revisit my old childhood conjecture.

“Remember when I thought I may have been abducted my aliens?” I playfully thought to myself. Then, suddenly, I had an epiphany. I remembered learning that my heart condition was a common side effect that astronauts battle when they return to earth after leaving the atmosphere. Teenage girls, on the other hand, seem to develop it inexplicably. To be fair, there is not much research on the condition, but the medical mystery of the affected sector has always struck me as mysterious.

I knew that alien abductions were usually told with some narrative of “biological testing” having been conducted. Wouldn’t it make sense that aliens would target a specific gender and age range for research purposes? Plus, if I had indeed left this atmosphere in some type of space ship and been returned to earth, my overnight medical condition would be scientifically explained.

It may not be realistic reasoning, but it makes me feel a lot better than the doctor’s explanation: “You just got dealt a bad hand.

Maybe I also secretly believe this fantasy because of my fascination with deep space and the fact that I’ve never felt quite at home on this planet.

The fact that we probably won’t make contact (at least contact I’ll know about) with alien beings during my lifetime absolutely breaks my heart. This is especially tragic since life on other planets is mathematically more than probable. Statistically speaking, according to researchers at the University of Rochester and University of Washington, the odds of us being the only advanced species in our own Milky Way galaxy are one in 60 billion. By some crazy stretch of my imagination, perhaps I have made forgotten contact. Even though, at the end of the day, I know that it is highly unlikely and unproven, it is a strangely recurring, comforting thought.