Barney and Betty Hill
One of the first and most famous close encounters of the fourth kind was too close for Barney and Betty Hill. In between midnight and 1 am Sept. 19, 1961 the Hills were returning to their home in Portsmouth, New Hampshire after vacationing in Canada. The couple was traveling south on US Route 3 just outside of Lancaster when they noticed a "bright star." As they watched this brilliant new star they began to notice the erractic motion of the light.
Barney concluded that the luminous object must be a plane. Betty, however, insisted the object was flat and "pancake shaped." The couple continued to drive home. The light continued to follow the car until it appeared to be on a parallel course with their vehicle.
Barney stopped the car to have a better look with binoculars. He saw 5 to 11 dark figures through a double row of windows on the craft. Barney described them as leather-like wearing black, shiny uniforms with caps and visors. He described their movement as military like. As Betty watched Barney from the car she could hear him saying to himself, "I don't believe it!" "I don't believe it!" "This is ridiculous!"
The vessel was now in front of the Hills car Betty didn't see the descent of the UFO or the humanoid figures inside. Barney suddenly ran back to the car screaming, "They are going to capture us!" He jumped in the car and sped off toward home. The Hills heard a beeping noise behind them as they drove off. Betty asked, "Now do you believe in flying saucers?" Barney replied "No."
When the Hills got home they realized they were two hours late, neither one could account for the missing time. The Hills decided to give their account of the UFO to the Pease Air Force Base. Their story was carefully recorded. A few days later Betty retold their story to the National Investigations Committee on Aerial Phenomena (NICAP) in Washington DC. A special investigator documented both their stories. Ten days after their experience Betty began having horrifying recurring nightmares. Her nightmares became so distressing the Hills decided to consult Dr. Benjamin Simon, a prominent psychiatrist which specialized in treating personality disorders and amnesia through hypnotherapy.
Dr. Simon treated the Hills for six months beginning in January 1964. During this period Dr. Simon used a method of time-regression-hypnosis to reveal the source of Betty's nightmares. Although treated separately the Hills account of the incident was extremely similiar.
Their stories begin back in their car. Eight to eleven humanoid aliens dressed in "military" style uniforms stand in the middle of the road to stop their car. The Hills are then assured they will not be harmed. The Hills are led aboard the UFO. Samples of hair, skin and fingernails are taken. The aliens communicate telepathically with the Hills. The "leader" shows Betty a star chart when she asks where they are from. When the test are completed the Hills are returned to their car and in route to their home.
Under hypnosis Betty re-created the star chart, an amateur astronomer
(years later) matched the chart to a cluster of stars near two stars called
Zeta Reticuli. This "match" is very controversial among ufologists and the
scientific community. Such a chart did not exist in 1961 therefore, Betty
could not have known about the stars.
After Dr. Simon's examination of the Hills, he concluded this encounter was a fantasy. Dr. Simon stated that people under hypnosis tell only what they believe to be the truth. Barney's story matched Bettys so closely because of his intense sensitivity to Betty's nightmares.
There is no concrete proof that the Hills had a close encounter of the 4th kind. Nor, is there concrete proof they didn't. This encounter still remains a Fascinating Mystery.
