Page 3 - The 'X' Chronicles Newspaper - Late January 2019

Betty Hill Abduction 3

Betty Hill Abduction

The Barney and Betty Hill

abduction was an embarrassment
to the UFO movement.

by Futurism Staff

Among the most influential and widely known
UFO incidents is the story of Barney and Betty
Hill, a middle-aged New Hampshire couple who
in 1961 were returning from vacation. Driving
late at night through the White Mountains, the
Hills encountered a UFO whose alien occupants
reportedly took them on board and subjected
them to a thorough medical examination.
Several factors seemed to argue strongly in
favor of the authenticity of the case. First, the
narrative of the abduction was not consciously
remembered by the Hills but was extracted by a
psychiatrist using hypnosis. This fact seemed to
rule out any chance of a deliberate hoax.
Second, one particular piece of information
(similarly retrieved from Betty Hill’s
subconscious) was a "star map," which was may have forgotten or may never actually have predominance of sun like stars on the decoded
subsequently deciphered by experts to indicate noticed consciously. map should not have been surprising since to
the alien ship's home solar system. Over the But the technique has its pitfalls. A shorten the work all others had dropped from
years, the "Barney and Betty Hill Abduction" subject in the highly suggestible state may consideration. Some sun-type stars should have
has become accepted as a "classic" close actually concoct fictitious details or an entire shown up but didn't; The remaining dots on the
encounter of the third kind. Since then, dozens imaginary theme to please the subconsciously drawing were assigned to handy non-sun-like
of similar cases have been reported. A sensed desires of the interrogator. Researchers in stars or dismissed as "background" decoration.
bestselling book (Interrupted Journey by John California have hypnotized subjects with no With that, any number of different (and mutually
Fuller) and a made-for-TV movie (NBC's UFO previous UFO experiences or interests and asked exclusive) map interpretations could be made.
Incident) have boosted the case's fame. Betty them leading questions about a-nonexistent And so they have. It's also odd that Betty Hill
Hill (Barney died in 1969) has become a popular UFO abduction that the subjects were led to recalls her UFO abductors telling her that Earth
feature at UFO conventions nationwide. assume they had just undergone. They is off the beaten galactic track and is rarely
responded with a wealth of details conjured up visited. Where are all those other UFOs coming
Questions Are Raised from their imaginations. The stories sounded no from? Mrs. Hill's ability to accurately
different from any of the classic abduction cases reconstruct events and details became suspect

Two questions come to mind concerning this already on record, including Betty and Barney when UFO investigator Robert Sheaffer showed
famous case. First, can anything really be Hill's. Dr. Benjamin Simon, the Boston that she was unable to draw a reliable chart of
concluded about the authenticity of the original psychiatrist who conducted the hypnosis the alleged UFO's position in the sky. In place of
sessions with the Hills is still convinced that the the moon and two bright planets that were
incident? Second, have UFO organizations and
entire UFO abduction story was this kind of actually there, the Hill account shows the moon,
the news media generally handled this case in a
phenomenon, an innocent fabrication based on a bright planet, arid the "star like" UFO.
responsible fashion? While no final conclusions
subconscious anxieties and vivid imaginations. Sheaffer concludes that the original UFO
can be drawn (as in most UFO cases there is
Dr. Simon, whose psychoanalytic expertise is sighting which so frightened the sleepless Hills,
enough uncertainty and doubt to hide the
Seventh Fleet), some very interesting insights generally portrayed as the backbone of the Hill was a not uncommon "car chasing UFO"
about the UFO phenomenon can be gained by case's authenticity, does not believe the incident phenomenon caused by the sporadic appearance
examining the Hill incident. The case would as reported ever took place! Under hypnosis, of the bright planet Jupiter from behind clouds.
almost have to be labeled authentic if the Betty Hill drew a pattern of dots, lines, and
circles that she said was a star map shown to her Betty Hill Blunder
hypnotic interrogation of the Hills had turned
by the UFO commander. Several years later, an
out to be based on true subconscious memories
amateur astronomer in Ohio produced a view of
of real events. Also, the case would be very Over time, Betty Hill became something of an
nearby stars that seemed to match Betty's
strong if the astronomical information revealed embarrassment to the UFO movement. Her
in Mrs. Hill's "star maps" was valid. And, of drawing. Astonishingly, the map's viewpoint stories told of a secret UFO landing field, of her
course, any corroborative testimony on the part was from deep in space, looking back at our car being blasted by a UFO's heat ray, of UFOs
of other possible witnesses would lend further solar system. Most of the identified stars on the with their undersides painted to look like
credibility. Indeed, as reported in the books and map were similar in size and brightness to our ordinary airplanes, of the local plundering of a
own sun, although such stars (the only kind supernatural chicken mutilator, of her neighbor's
magazines that cover the Hill case, all these
likely to have planets with intelligent life levitating cat, of her own precognitive and
criteria have been satisfied. But have they really
orbiting them) are a distinct minority in the
been? clairvoyant ESP powers, of her continual
galaxy. harassment by sinister government agents, of the
Hypnotic Regression visit to her home by the capricious poltergeist of
Alien Abode a dead six-year-old orphan, and other equally
unbelievable tales.
Hypnotic regression (or abreaction) can be a
The alien home system was identified as a UFO buffs found these fables hard to
useful tool in psychoanalysis and has been
double star called Zeta Reticuli. Skeptics swallow, but they swallowed hard and pointed to
gaining wider acceptance as an interrogative
claimed that an "identification" of the alien the details of her original testimony.
technique in police investigations. Cooperative
world could be made with any random
witnesses can recall details about an event they
collection of dots and lines and that the (Continued on Page 4)