Betty & Barney Hill

[Martin]

One of the most renowned incidences of alleged alien abduction occurred on September 19, 1961 on US Route 3 near the village of Lancaster. Barney and Betty Hill of Portsmouth, New Hampshire were traveling home after a vacation in Canada when they saw a moving light in the sky.

Every now and then they would stop and check on the unusual light that seemed to "fly" an erratic course.

Betty Hill, under posthypnotic suggestion, was able to draw a "star map" detailing the origin of the alien abductors. The amazing configuration of Betty's map was not to be realized for some years. An astronomical investigation, based on information that was not available in 1961, produced a controversial match between Betty's "star map" and a cluster of previously unknown stars near two stars called Zeta Reticuli.

Excerpts From A Betty Hill Interview:

Betty Hill and her late husband Barney were apparently abducted by a UFO in September, 1961. The event became a template for abduction claims that we hear today. But Betty Hill is not impressed by most of the modern stories, as Peter Brookesmith discovered when he visited her at home in New Hampshire.

According to Brookesmith, those who promote the abduction phenomenon or, by their silence, do nothing to temper its excesses, do not amuse Betty. In 1995, she published "A Common Sense Approach to UFOs," which tells of her long involvement in UFO and abduction investigation.

"I have the feeling that most UFO organizations dislike my book," Hill told Brookesmith in a letter before their face-to-face interview. "None of them have reviewed it."

Following is a brief sample of Betty Hill's statements to Peter Brooksmith:

"I try very hard not to have guilt feelings about the way stupid people have misinterpreted my experience. The reason I wrote this book was to try to get across to people that they should stay away from hypnosis. Don't let anybody fool around in your brain. I mean, you have problems enough to live with yourself, without other people making their contribution.

"The whole problem now is the lack of understanding of hypnosis. The first stage of hypnosis is one of suggestibility... I can do hypnosis, and I can give you an abduction in 20 minutes. You can do it to anybody. See, what they use for hypnosis for abductions now is what we call 'flight of fantasy'. I do it with whole groups.

"In this country, they say three million people have been abducted [a reference to the 1991 Roper poll on "Unusual Personal Experiences" -- ed.] Not once, but continuously. Do you realize that means three or four thousand people every night are bring abducted? In this country alone? I don't know how the planes get through.

"You know those therapy groups? A woman called me. She quit. She said she got fed up. That therapy group ends up in 'I'll show you the kind of sex I had on board the UFO if you show me the kind of sex you had on board the UFO.' No matter what the subject is, it's 'Me Too!' I call 'em the Me-Too People.

"Whereas every real abduction has been totally different. There are no duplications. Actually, the real abductions, you've never heard of. Because nobody's writing any books about 'em."

[relapse]

yeah this is cool, I went to school with betty's great nephew, since this happened there have been a ton of sitings throughout the seacoast region of nh

[rjc]

Originally Posted by relapse

yeah this is cool, I went to school with betty's great nephew, since this happened there have been a ton of sitings throughout the seacoast region of nh

Hello Relapse, do you still have contact with Betty's great nephew? If so, has he ever mentioned much about his aunts experience?

[Carol Nistri]

Hi Relapse,I post on a board with a guy that lives near Exeter,thats another great New Hampshire story,this one of Betty and Barney is the best of the best for my money.

[dr wu23]

We must have talked about this case a dozen times here already and I think I have talked about it over 30 times over the years on various ufo boards.
Frankly I don't know what else can be said about it anymore.

Even the latest book on it by Friedman seemed stale to me.

[Miss Deetective]

Hi Relapse
Welcome a board!! Do you have any new info that you learned from the nephew??

[Carol Nistri]

and the beauty of it is Dr.Wu is the skeptics have never been able to explain this one away.

[dr wu23]

Originally Posted by Carol Nistri

and the beauty of it is Dr.Wu is the skeptics have never been able to explain this one away.

The Hills provided no evidence whatsoever. Just their word ;so what is there exactly to explain away?
(and please don't cite the 'star chart' as evidence)
I think they did have some form of paranormal experience (whatever that means) but not space aliens imo.

[Carol Nistri]

Well now Dr.Wu,just think about it a minute,no Im not going to talk about that star chart I wouldnt trust those dudes to tell Betty the truth no matter what,their liars for one. What I am impressed with are those chilling tapes,first Betty,then Barney each of them scared out of their sneakers. They were deep in hypnosis when they recounted the event seperately,yet they both conveyed absolute terror,I find that most impressive indeedy.

[dr wu23]

Originally Posted by Carol Nistri

Well now Dr.Wu,just think about it a minute,no Im not going to talk about that star chart I wouldnt trust those dudes to tell Betty the truth no matter what,their liars for one. What I am impressed with are those chilling tapes,first Betty,then Barney each of them scared out of their sneakers. They were deep in hypnosis when they recounted the event seperately,yet they both conveyed absolute terror,I find that most impressive indeedy.

They may be chilling and sound genuine but they are not evidence of space aliens.
People have all manner of psychological and inner issues that can come out under hypnosis which as we all know is unreliable.
For me it remains an interesting tale of a possible paranormal encounter.