[Jed Eckert]

There's a third possibility: DMT, which occurs naturally in humans and is also found in many plants. It is a powerful psychedelic compound at certain concentrations.

From the link above:

"Machine Elves"

One common feature of the hallucinogenic experience caused by DMT are hallucinations of humanoid like beings, characterised as being otherworldly. The terms Machine Elf was coined by ethnobotanist Terence McKenna for the experience, who also used the terms fractal elves, or self-transforming machine elves.[91][92]

Hallucinations of strange creatures had been reported by Szara in the Journal of Mental Science (now the British Journal of Psychiatry) (1958) “Dimethyltryptamine Experiments with Psychotics”, Stephen Szara described how one of his subjects under the influence of DMT had experienced “strange creatures, dwarves or something” at the beginning of a DMT trip.[93]

Other researchers of the experience described 'entities' or 'beings' in humanoid as well as animal form, with descriptions of "little people" being common (non-human gnomes, elves, imps etc.). This form of hallucination has been speculated to be the cause of alien abduction experiences through endogenously occurring DMT.[94][95]

Perhaps a sudden spike in DMT levels in these people brings about these experiences.

[RoosterRedux]

DMT is absolutely a way of gaining access to this particular experience. It was used in ancient times as part of religious rituals...particularly in occult practices.

[RoosterRedux]

Look at the online book I gave a link to in post #27. Just a scan of the first few pages will give you a window onto the reality of this experience.

I have read all of John Mack's studies on the subject and, as he says, he doesn't know what it is, but something very real is going on.

There appears to be a very strong link to the occult, which leaves one with an unusual sense of what this experience is...and it doesn't seem to be extraterrestrials.