Barney and Betty Hill
By: Heather N. Gibson
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.
Project Blue Book conluded that no intelligent life would visit for 10,000 years. No one knows why 10,000 years.
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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.