Barney and Betty Hill
Barney and Betty Hill were an American couple who claimed they were abducted by extraterrestrials in a
rural portion of the state of New Hampshire from September 19 to 20, 1961. It was the first widely
publicized report of an alien abduction in the United States.
The incident came to be called the "Hill Abduction" and the "Zeta Reticuli Incident" because the couple
stated they had been kidnapped by aliens who claimed to be from the Zeta Reticuli system. Their story was
adapted into the best-selling 1966 book The Interrupted Journey and the 1975 television movie The UFO
Incident. In September 2016, plans were announced to make a film based on the events, with an unknown
release date.
Most of Betty Hill's notes, tapes, and other items have been placed in the permanent collection at the
University of New Hampshire, her alma mater. In July 2011 the state Division of Historical Resources marked
the site of the alleged craft's first approach with a historical marker. Background
The Hills lived in Portsmouth, New Hampshire. Barney (1922–1969) was employed by the United States
Postal Service, while Betty (née Eunice Barrett) (1919–2004) was a social worker. Active in the local
Unitarian congregation, the Hills were also members of the NAACP and community leaders, and Barney sat
on a local board of the United States Commission on Civil Rights. They were an interracial couple at a time
when it was particularly uncommon in the United States; Barney was African American and Betty was white.
UFO encounter
According to a variety of reports given by the Hills, the alleged UFO sighting happened on September 19,
1961, around 10:30 p.m. The Hills were driving back to Portsmouth from a vacation in Niagara Falls and
Montreal. Just south of Lancaster, New Hampshire, Betty claimed to have observed a bright point of light in
the sky that moved from below the moon and the planet Jupiter, upward to the west of the moon. While
Barney navigated U.S. Route 3, Betty reasoned that she was observing a falling star, only it moved upward.
Since it moved erratically and grew bigger and brighter, Betty urged Barney to stop the car for a closer look,
as well as to walk their dog, Delsey. Barney stopped at a scenic picnic area just south of Twin Mountain.
Betty, looking through binoculars, observed an "odd-shaped" craft flashing multi-colored lights travel across
the face of the Moon. Because her sister had several years earlier said she had seen a flying saucer, Betty
thought it might be what she was observing. Through binoculars, Barney observed what he reasoned was a
commercial airliner traveling toward Vermont on its way to Montreal. However, he soon changed his mind,
because without looking as if it had turned, the craft rapidly descended in his direction. This observation
caused Barney to realize, "this object that was a plane was not a plane." They quickly returned to the car
and drove toward Franconia Notch, a narrow, mountainous stretch of the road.
The Hills claimed that they continued driving on the isolated road, moving very slowly through Franconia
Notch in order to observe the object as it came even closer. At one point, the object passed above a
restaurant and signal tower on top of Cannon Mountain and came out near the Old Man of the Mountain.
Betty testified that it was at least one and a half times the length of the granite cliff profile, which was 40
feet (12 m) long, and that it seemed to be rotating. The couple watched as the silent, illuminated craft
moved erratically and bounced back and forth in the night sky.
Approximately one mile south of Indian Head, they said, the object rapidly descended toward their vehicle,
causing Barney to stop in the middle of the highway. The huge, silent craft hovered approximately 80–100
feet (24–30 m) above the Hills' 1957 Chevrolet Bel Air and filled the entire field of view in the windshield. It
reminded Barney of a huge pancake. Carrying his pistol in his pocket, he stepped away from the vehicle and
moved closer to the object. Using the binoculars, Barney claimed to have seen about 8 to 11 humanoid
figures, who were peering out of the craft's windows, seeming to look at him. In unison, all but one figure
moved to what appeared to be a panel on the rear wall of the hallway that encircled the front portion of the
craft. The one remaining figure continued to look at Barney and communicated a message telling him to
"stay where you are and keep looking." Barney had a recollection of observing the humanoid forms wearing
glossy black uniforms and black caps. Red lights on what appeared to be bat-wing fins began to telescope
out of the sides of the craft, and a long structure descended from the bottom of the craft. The silent craft
approached to what Barney estimated was within 50–80 feet (15–24 m) overhead and 300 feet (91 m) away
from him. On October 21, 1961, Barney reported to National Investigations Committee On Aerial
Phenomena (NICAP) investigator Walter Webb that the "beings were somehow not human."
Barney "tore" the binoculars away from his eyes and ran back to his car. In a near hysterical state, he told
Betty, "They're going to capture us!" He saw the object again shift its location to directly above the vehicle.
He drove away at high speed, telling Betty to look for the object. She rolled down the window and looked
up. Almost immediately, the Hills heard a rhythmic series of beeping or buzzing sounds, which they said
seemed to bounce off the trunk of their vehicle. The car vibrated and a tingling sensation passed through
the Hills' bodies. The Hills said that then they experienced the onset of an altered state of consciousness
that left their minds dulled. A second series of beeping or buzzing sounds returned the couple to full
consciousness. They found that they had traveled nearly 35 miles (56 km) south, but had only vague, spotty
memories of this section of road. They recalled making a sudden, unplanned turn, encountering a
roadblock, and observing a fiery orb in the road.
Immediate aftermath
Arriving home at about dawn, the Hills assert that they had some odd sensations and impulses they could
not readily explain: Betty insisted their luggage be kept near the back door rather than in the main part of
the house. Their watches would never work again. Barney said that the leather strap for the binoculars was
torn, though he could not recall it tearing. The toes of his best dress shoes were scraped. Barney says he
was compelled to examine his genitals in the bathroom, though he found nothing unusual. They took long
showers to remove possible contamination and each drew a picture of what they had observed.
Perplexed, the Hills say they tried to reconstruct the chronology of events as they witnessed the UFO and
drove home. But immediately after they heard the buzzing sounds, their memories became incomplete and
fragmented. After sleeping for a few hours, Betty awoke and placed the shoes and clothing she had worn
during the drive into her closet, observing that the dress was torn at the hem, zipper and lining. Later, when
she retrieved the items from her closet, she noted a pinkish powder on her dress. She hung the dress on her
clothesline and the pink powder blew away. But the dress was irreparably damaged. She threw it away, but
then changed her mind, retrieving the dress and hanging it in her closet. Over the years, five laboratories
have conducted chemical and forensic analyses on the dress.
There were shiny, concentric circles on their car's trunk that had not been there the previous day. Betty and
Barney experimented with a compass, noting that when they moved it close to the spots, the needle would
whirl rapidly. But when they moved it a few inches away from the shiny spots, it would drop down.
Initial report to the U.S. Air Force and NICAP
On September 21, Betty telephoned Pease Air Force Base to report their UFO encounter, though for fear of
being labeled eccentric, she withheld some of the details. On September 22, Major Paul W. Henderson
telephoned the Hills for a more detailed interview. Henderson's report, dated September 26, determined
that the Hills had probably misidentified the planet Jupiter. (This was later changed to "optical condition,"
"inversion" and "insufficient data.") (Report 100-1-61, Air Intelligence Information Record) His report was
forwarded to Project Blue Book, the U.S. Air Force's UFO research project.
Within days of the encounter, Betty borrowed a UFO book from a local library. It had been written by
retired Marine Corps Major Donald E. Keyhoe who was also the head of NICAP, a civilian UFO research
group. On September 26, Betty wrote to Keyhoe. She related the full story, including the details about the
humanoid figures that Barney had observed through binoculars. Betty wrote that she and Barney were
considering hypnosis to help recall what had happened. Her letter was eventually passed on to Walter N.
Webb, a Boston astronomer and NICAP member.
Webb met with the Hills on October 21, 1961. In a six-hour interview, the Hills related all they could
remember of the UFO encounter. Barney asserted that he had developed a sort of "mental block" and that
he suspected there were some portions of the event that he did not wish to remember. He described in
detail all that he could remember about the craft and the appearance of the "somehow not human" figures
aboard the craft. Webb stated that "they were telling the truth and the incident probably occurred exactly
as reported except for some minor uncertainties and technicalities that must be tolerated in any such
observations where human judgment is involved (e.g., exact time and length of visibility, apparent sizes of
object and occupants, distance and height of object, etc.)."
Betty's dreams
Ten days after the alleged UFO encounter, Betty began having a series of vivid dreams. They continued for
five successive nights. Never in her memory had she recalled dreams in such detail and intensity. But they
stopped abruptly after five nights and never returned. They occupied her thoughts during the day. When
she finally did mention them to Barney, he was sympathetic, but not too concerned, and the matter was
dropped. Betty did not mention them to Barney again.
In November 1961 Betty began writing down the details of her dreams. In one dream, she and Barney
encountered a roadblock and men who surrounded their car. She lost consciousness, but struggled to regain
it. She then realized that she was being forced by two small men to walk in a forest in the nighttime, and of
seeing Barney walking behind her, though when she called to him, he seemed to be in a trance or
sleepwalking. The men stood about five feet to five feet four inches tall, and wore matching blue uniforms,
with caps similar to those worn by military cadets. They appeared nearly human, with black hair, dark eyes,
prominent noses and bluish lips. Their skin was a greyish colour.
In the dreams, Betty, Barney, and the men walked up a ramp into a disc-shaped craft of metallic
appearance. Once inside, Barney and Betty were separated. She protested, and was told by a man she
called "the leader" that if she and Barney were examined together, it would take much longer to conduct
the exams. She and Barney were then taken to separate rooms.
Betty then dreamt that a new man, similar to the others, entered to conduct her exam with the leader.
Betty called this new man "the examiner" and said he had a pleasant, calm manner. Though the leader and
the examiner spoke to her in English, the examiner's command of the language seemed imperfect and she
had difficulty understanding him.
The examiner told Betty that he would conduct a few tests to note the differences between humans and the
craft's occupants. He seated her on a chair, and a bright light was shone on her. The man cut off a lock of
Betty's hair. He examined her eyes, ears, mouth, teeth, throat and hands. He saved trimmings from her
fingernails. After examining her legs and feet, the man used a dull knife, similar to a letter opener, to scrape
some of her skin onto what resembled cellophane. He then tested her nervous system and he thrust the
needle into her navel, which caused Betty agonizing pain, whereupon the leader waved his hand in front of
her eyes and the pain vanished.
The examiner left the room and Betty engaged in conversation with the "leader." She picked up a book with
rows of strange symbols that the "leader" said she could take home with her. She also asked from where he
came, and he pulled down an instructional map dotted with stars.
In Betty's dream account, the men began escorting the Hills from the ship when a disagreement broke out.
The leader then informed Betty that she couldn't keep the book, stating that they had decided that the
other men did not want her to even remember the encounter. Betty insisted that no matter what they did
to her memory, she would one day recall the events.
She and Barney were taken to their car, where the leader suggested that they wait to watch the craft's
departure. They did so, then resumed their drive.
Medical help and more interviews
Missing time
On November 25, 1961, the Hills were again interviewed at length by NICAP members, this time C. D.
Jackson and Robert E. Hohmann.
Although the Hills had noted that they had arrived home later than anticipated, the drive should have taken
about four hours (178 miles). They claimed not to have realized that they arrived home seven hours after
their departure from Colebrook. When Hohman and Jackson noted this discrepancy to the Hills, the couple
had no explanation (a phenomenon ufologists call "missing time"). The Hills claimed to recall almost nothing
of the 35 miles of US Route 3 between Lincoln/Indian Head and Ashland. Both claimed to recall an image of
a fiery orb sitting on the ground. Betty and Barney reasoned that it must have been the moon, but
Hohmann and Jackson informed them that the moon had set earlier in the evening.
The subject of hypnosis came up, and it was decided that it should be carried out in order to elicit previously
irretrievable memories. Barney was apprehensive about hypnosis, but thought it might help Betty put to
rest what Barney described as "the 'nonsense' about her dreams."
By February 1962, the Hills were making frequent weekend drives to the White Mountains, hoping that
revisiting the site might spark more memories. They were unsuccessful in trying to locate the site where
they observed a fiery orb sitting in the road. However, they were able to eliminate several possible routes.
(They found what they claimed was the "capture" site on Labor Day weekend in 1965.)
Private disclosure
On November 23, 1962, the Hills attended a meeting at the parsonage of their church where the invited
guest speaker was Captain Ben H. Swett of the United States Air Force, who had recently published a book
of his poetry. After he read selections of his poetry, the pastor asked him to discuss his personal interest in
hypnosis. After the meeting broke up, the Hills approached Captain Swett privately and told him what they
could remember of their strange encounter. He was particularly interested in the "missing time" of the Hills'
account. The Hills asked Swett if he would hypnotize them to recover their memories, but Swett said he was
not qualified to do that and cautioned them against going to an amateur hypnotist, such as himself.
First public disclosure
On March 3, 1963, the Hills first publicly discussed the UFO encounter with a group at their church.
On September 7, 1963, Captain Swett returned and gave a formal lecture on hypnosis to a meeting at the
Unitarian Church. After the lecture, the Hills told him that Barney was going to a psychiatrist, a Mr.
Stephens, whom he liked and trusted. Captain Swett suggested that Barney ask Stephens about the use of
hypnosis in his case.
When Barney next met with Stephens, he asked about hypnosis. Stephens referred the Hills to Benjamin
Simon of Boston.
On November 3, 1963, the Hills spoke before an amateur UFO study group, the Two State UFO Study Group,
in Quincy Center, Massachusetts.
The Hills first met Simon on December 14, 1963. Early in their discussions, Simon determined that the UFO
encounter was causing Barney far more worry and anxiety than he was willing to admit. Though Simon
dismissed the popular extraterrestrial hypothesis as impossible, it seemed obvious to him that the Hills
genuinely thought they had witnessed a UFO with human-like occupants. Simon hoped to uncover more
about the experience through hypnosis.
Simon's hypnosis sessions
Simon began hypnotizing the Hills on January 4, 1964. He hypnotized Betty and Barney several times each,
and the sessions lasted until June 6, 1964. Simon conducted the sessions on Barney and Betty separately, so
they could not overhear one another's recollections. At the end of each session he reinstated
amnesia.[citation needed]
Barney's sessions
Simon hypnotized Barney first. His recall of witnessing non-human figures was quite emotional, punctuated
with expressions of fear, emotional outbursts and incredulity. Barney said that, due to his fear, he kept his
eyes closed for much of the abduction and physical examination. Based on these early responses, Simon
told Barney that he would not remember the hypnosis sessions until he was certain he could remember
them without being further traumatized.
Under hypnosis (as was consistent with his conscious recall), Barney reported that the binocular strap had
broken when he ran from the UFO back to his car. He recalled driving the car away from the UFO, but that
afterwards he felt irresistibly compelled to pull off the road and drive into the woods. He eventually sighted
six men standing in the dirt road. The car stalled and three of the men approached the car. They told Barney
to not fear them. He was still anxious, however, and he reported that the leader told Barney to close his
eyes. While hypnotized, Barney said, "I felt like the eyes had pushed into my eyes."
Barney described the beings as generally similar to Betty's hypnotic (not dream) recollection. The beings
often stared into his eyes, said Barney, with a terrifying, mesmerizing effect. Under hypnosis, Barney said
things like, "Oh, those eyes. They're there in my brain" (from his first hypnosis session) and "I was told to
close my eyes because I saw two eyes coming close to mine, and I felt like the eyes had pushed into my
eyes" (from his second hypnosis session) and "All I see are these eyes... I'm not even afraid that they're not
connected to a body. They're just there. They're just up close to me, pressing against my eyes."
Barney related that he and Betty were taken onto the disc-shaped craft, where they were separated. He
was escorted to a room by three of the men and told to lie on a small rectangular exam table. Unlike Betty,
Barney's narrative of the exam was less detailed, as he continued to keep his eyes closed for most of the
exam. A cup-like device was placed over his genitals. He did not experience an orgasm, though Barney
thought that a sperm sample had been taken. The men scraped his skin and peered in his ears and mouth. A
thin tube or cylinder was inserted into his anus and quickly removed. Someone felt his spine and seemed to
be counting his vertebrae.
Betty reported a conversation with the "leader" that she understood in English. Barney said that he heard
them speaking in a mumbling language he did not understand, yet he also understood them in English.
Betty also mentioned this detail. The few times they communicated with him, Barney said it seemed to be
"thought transference"; at that time, he was unfamiliar with the word "telepathy." Both Betty and Barney
stated that they hadn't observed the beings' mouths moving when they communicated in English with
them.
He recalled being escorted from the ship and taken to his car. In a daze, he watched the ship leave. Barney
remembered a light appearing on the road, and he said, "Oh no, not again." He recalled Betty's speculation
that the light might have been the moon, though the moon had set several hours earlier. He also stated that
he attempted to produce the code-like buzzing sounds which seemed to strike the car's trunk a second time
by driving from side to side and stopping and starting the vehicle. His attempt was unsuccessful.
Betty's sessions
Under hypnosis, Betty's account was similar to the events of her five dreams about the UFO abduction, but
there were also notable differences, mainly pertaining to her capture and release. The technology on the
craft was different. The short men had a significantly different physical appearance from that of her dreams.
The sequential order of the abduction event was also different from Betty's dream account. Barney's and
Betty's memories in hypnotic regression were consistent with one another but contradicted some of the
information in Betty's dreams.
Betty exhibited considerable emotional distress during her capture and examination. Simon ended one
session early because tears were flowing down her cheeks and she appeared distressed.
Simon gave Betty the post-hypnotic suggestion that she could sketch a copy of the "star map" that she later
described as a three-dimensional projection similar to a hologram. Eventually, she did what Simon
suggested. Although she said the map had many stars, she drew only those that stood out in her memory.
Her map consisted of twelve prominent stars connected by lines and three lesser ones that formed a
distinctive triangle (see below). She said she was told the stars connected by solid lines formed "trade
routes," whereas dashed lines were to less-traveled stars.
Simon's conclusions
After the hypnosis sessions, Simon speculated that Barney's recollection of the UFO encounter was possibly
a fantasy inspired by Betty's dreams. Simon thought it was the most reasonable and consistent explanation.
Barney rejected this idea, noting that while their memories were consistent in some regards, there were
also portions of both their narratives that were unique to each. Barney was now ready to accept that they
had been abducted by the occupants of a UFO, though he never embraced it as fully as Betty did.
Though the Hills and Simon disagreed about the nature of the case, they all concurred that the hypnosis
sessions were effective: the Hills were no longer tormented by anxiety about their experience.
Afterwards, Simon wrote an article about the Hills for the journal Psychiatric Opinion, explaining his
conclusions that the case was a singular psychological aberration.
Publicity after the hypnosis sessions
The Hills went back to their regular lives. They were willing to discuss the alleged UFO encounter with
friends, family and the occasional UFO researcher, but the Hills apparently made no effort to seek publicity.
On October 25, 1965, a front page story in the Boston Traveller asked "UFO Chiller: Did THEY Seize Couple?"
Reporter John H. Luttrell of the Traveler had allegedly been given an audio tape recording of the lecture the
Hills had made in Quincy Center in late 1963. Luttrell learned that the Hills had undergone hypnosis with
Simon; he also obtained notes from confidential interviews the Hills had given to UFO investigators. On
October 26, United Press International (UPI) picked up Luttrell's story, and the Hills earned international
attention.
In 1966 writer John G. Fuller secured the cooperation of the Hills and Simon and wrote the book The
Interrupted Journey (see below) about the case. The book included a copy of Betty's sketch of the "star
map." The book was a quick success, and went through several printings.
Later in life, Betty claimed to have seen UFOs a number of times after the initial abduction, and she
"became a celebrity in the UFO community."
Barney died of a cerebral hemorrhage on February 25, 1969, at age 46; Betty Hill died of cancer on October
17, 2004, at age 85, never having remarried.
Analyzing the star map
In 1968 Marjorie Fish of Oak Harbor, Ohio, read Fuller's Interrupted Journey. She was an elementary school
teacher and amateur astronomer. Intrigued by the "star map," Fish wondered if it might be "deciphered" to
determine which star system the UFO came from. Assuming that one of the fifteen stars on the map must
represent Earth's Sun, Fish constructed a three-dimensional model of nearby Sun-like stars (i.e. stars
deemed to have characteristics that could support life such as that found on Earth) using thread and beads,
basing stellar distances on those published in the 1969 Gliese Star Catalogue. Studying thousands of vantage
points over several years, the only one that seemed to match the Hill map was from the viewpoint of the
double star system of Zeta Reticuli.
Fish sent her analysis to Webb. Agreeing with her conclusions, Webb sent the map to Terence Dickinson,
editor of the popular magazine Astronomy. Dickinson did not endorse Fish and Webb's conclusions, but for
the first time in the journal's history, Astronomy invited comments and debate on a UFO report, starting
with an opening article in the December 1974 issue. For about a year afterward, the opinions page of
Astronomy carried arguments for and against Fish's star map. Notable was an argument made by Carl Sagan
and Steven Soter, arguing that the seeming "star map" was little more than a random alignment of chance
points. In an episode of Cosmos in 1980, Sagan demonstrated that without the lines drawn in the maps, the
Hill map bore no resemblance to the real-life map. In contrast, those more favorable to the map, such as
David Saunders, a statistician who had been on the Condon UFO study, argued that unusual alignment of
key Sun-like stars in a plane centered around Zeta Reticuli (first described by Fish) was statistically
improbable to have happened by chance from a random group of stars in our immediate neighborhood.
In the early 1990s the European Hipparcos ("high precision parallax collecting satellite") mission, which
measured the distances to more than a hundred thousand stars around the Sun more accurately than ever
before, showed that some of the stars in Fish's interpretation of the map were in fact much further away
than previously thought. Other research revealed that some stars counted by Fish as likely to host life would
have had to be excluded by her own criteria, while some other stars which had been discounted by Fish
have been recognised as potential abodes for life. Results such as these led Fish herself to reject her
hypothesis in a public statement.
Interrupted Journey
The 1966 publication of Interrupted Journey, by John G. Fuller, details much of the Hills' claims. Excerpts of
the book were published in Look magazine, and the book went on to sell many copies and greatly publicize
the Hills' account.
Captured! The Betty and Barney Hill UFO Experience by Kathleen Marden further explored Fuller's themes
along with scientist Stanton T. Friedman. Marden, who was Betty Hill's niece, knew Betty well and had
spoken with her at great length about the encounter.[citation needed] She also examined all of the
historical records and scientific reports pertaining to the case and transcribed the Hills' hypnosis sessions
with Benjamin Simon for her detailed comparative analysis.
Refutations
Psychiatrists later suggested that the supposed abduction was a hallucination brought on by the stress of
being an interracial couple in early 1960s United States. Betty discounted this suggestion, noting her
relationship with Barney was happy, and their interracial marriage caused no notable problems with their
friends or family. As noted in The Interrupted Journey, Simon thought that the Hills' marital status had
nothing to do with the UFO encounter.
Skeptic blogger Brian Dunning noted that the hypnosis sessions occurred over two years after the reported
abductions, which afforded the couple plenty of time to discuss their encounter. Dunning concluded that
the Hills' "inventive tale from the mind of a lifelong UFO fanatic ... is unsupported by any useful evidence,
and is perfectly consistent with the purely natural explanation." He added that a timeline analysis of the two
Air Force radar sightings from that night in the Project Blue Book record shows that neither correlated with
the Hills' story. The Air Force concluded that both targets were probably weather balloons. In his 1990
article "Entirely Unpredisposed," Martin Kottmeyer suggested that Barney's memories revealed under
hypnosis might have been influenced by an episode of the science fiction television show The Outer Limits
titled "The Bellero Shield" which was broadcast about two weeks before Barney's first hypnotic session. The
episode featured an extraterrestrial with large eyes who says, "In all the universes, in all the unities beyond
the universes, all who have eyes have eyes that speak." The report from the regression featured a scenario
that was in some respects similar to the television show. In part, Kottmeyer wrote:
Wraparound eyes are an extreme rarity in science fiction films. I know of only one instance. They appeared
on the alien of an episode of an old TV series The Outer Limits entitled "The Bellero Shield." A person
familiar with Barney's sketch in "The Interrupted Journey" and the sketch done in collaboration with the
artist David Baker will find a "frisson" of "déjà vu" creeping up his spine when seeing this episode. The
resemblance is much abetted by an absence of ears, hair, and nose on both aliens. Could it be by chance?
Consider this: Barney first described and drew the wraparound eyes during the hypnosis session dated 22
February 1964. "The Bellero Shield" was first broadcast on 10 February 1964. Only twelve days separate the
two instances. If the identification is admitted, the commonness of wraparound eyes in the abduction
literature falls to cultural forces.
When a different researcher asked Betty about The Outer Limits, she insisted she had "never heard of it."
Kottmeyer also pointed out that some motifs in the Hills' account were present in the 1953 film, Invaders
from Mars. A careful analysis of Barney's description of the non-human entities that he observed reveals
significant similarities between the "Bifrost Man" and Barney's descriptive details. One must also take into
account Barney's conscious, continuous recall of the entities he observed on the hovering craft. They were
dressed in black, shiny uniforms and were "somehow not human."
Jim Macdonald, a resident of the area in which the Hills claimed to have been abducted, has produced a
detailed analysis of their journey which concludes that the episode was provoked by their misperceiving an
aircraft warning beacon on Cannon Mountain as a UFO. Macdonald notes that from the road the Hills took,
the beacon appears and disappears at exactly the same time the Hills describe the UFO as appearing and
disappearing. The remainder of the experience is ascribed to stress, sleep deprivation, and false memories
"recovered" under hypnosis. After reading Macdonald's recreation, UFO expert Robert Sheaffer writes that
the Hills are the "poster children" for not driving when sleep deprived. Macdonald's article focuses primarily
on the Hills' observations of the light in the sky and the timing of the journey, discounting the Hills' accounts
of close encounters south of Cannon Mountain as recovered memories.
Skeptical Inquirer columnist Robert Sheaffer wrote:
I was present at the National UFO Conference in New York City in 1980, at which Betty presented some of
the UFO photos she had taken. She showed what must have been well over two hundred slides, mostly of
blips, blurs, and blobs against a dark background. These were supposed to be UFOs coming in close, chasing
her car, landing, etc... After her talk had exceeded about twice its allotted time, Betty was literally jeered off
the stage by what had been at first a very sympathetic audience. This incident, witnessed by many of
UFOlogy's leaders and top activists, removed any lingering doubts about Betty's credibility—she had none.
In 1995, Betty Hill wrote a self-published book, A Common Sense Approach to UFOs. It is filled with
obviously delusional stories, such as seeing entire squadrons of UFOs in flight and a truck levitating above
the freeway.
Sheaffer later wrote that as late as 1977, Betty Hill would go on UFO vigils at least three times a week.
During one evening she was joined by UFO enthusiast John Oswald. When asked about Betty's continuing
UFO observations, Oswald stated, "She is not really seeing UFOs, but she is calling them that." On the night
they went out together, "Mrs. Hill was unable to distinguish between a landed UFO and a streetlight." In a
later interview, Sheaffer recounts that Betty Hill wrote, "UFOs are a new science ... and our science cannot
explain them."
Robert Sheaffer released 48 pages of archived documents relating to Betty and Barney Hill, Benjamin Simon
and Philip J. Klass on the Internet on December 23, 2015.
In popular culture
Barney Hill was on an episode of To Tell the Truth, episode airdate December 12, 1966.
The couple was portrayed by James Earl Jones and Estelle Parsons in the 1975 television film adapted by S.
Lee Pogostin, The UFO Incident, and by Basil Wallace and Lee Garlington in the 1996 television series Dark
Skies.
The encounter was portrayed in a segment on the 12th episode of Carl Sagan's miniseries Cosmos,
"Encyclopedia Galactica".
Details of the Hills' case were used in The X-Files episode "Jose Chung's From Outer Space".
The graphic novel Saucer Country (2012) by Paul Cornell includes the Hills' experience.
An episode of the Travel Channel series Mysteries at the Museum covered the subject of the abduction.
In the second season of American Horror Story, called Asylum, Evan Peters and Britne Oldford portray
interracial couple Kit and Alma Walker who were abducted by aliens and most likely based on the Hills.
In the Gravity Falls episode "Dipper and Mabel vs. The Future" there is a cryptogram on a UFO that reads
"Betty and Barney were here".
In September 2017, on the People of Earth episode titled "Alien Experiencer Expo", a poster of the Hills is
presented at the exposition, with the title "Betty & Barney Hill, First Couple of the Cosmos".
In May 2018 the Culture and Myth Podcast series "Lore" covered the event in "Episode 87: Road Trip".
In 2018 the story forms the basis of the "Dinner Party" virtual reality exhibit at the travelling art show
Wonderspaces.
The podcast "And That's Why We Drink" covered the Hills' story in their January 7, 2018, episode, "Bananas
in Pajamas and Your Friendly Local Kioskman."
The Last Podcast on the Left covered the Hills' story in episodes 169 and 170.
The ninth episode of the 2019 History Channel television series Project Blue Book, entitled "Abduction", is
based on the Betty and Barney Hill UFO incident.
In 2019, the Hills' story was talked about on The Joe Rogan Experience with guest Dan Aykroyd. (Episode
1351)
In February 2020 mixed martial artist Angela Hill told Joe Rogan that Barney Hill was her grandfather.
Barney i Betty Hill
Barney i Betty Hill bili su američki bračni par koji je tvrdio da su ih oteli vanzemaljci u ruralnom dijelu države
New Hampshire od 19. do 20. rujna 1961. To je bilo prvo široko objavljeno izvješće o otmici vanzemaljaca u
Sjedinjenim Državama.
Incident se zvao "otmica brda" i "incident Zeta Reticuli", jer je par izjavio da su ih oteli vanzemaljci koji su
tvrdili da su iz sustava Zeta Reticuli. Njihova je priča adaptirana u najprodavaniju knjigu Prekinuti put iz
1966. i televizijski film iz 1975. godine NLO Incident. U rujnu 2016. najavljeni su planovi snimanja filma
temeljenog na događajima, s nepoznatim datumom izlaska.
Većina bilješki, kaseta i drugih predmeta Betty Hill smještena je u stalnu zbirku na Sveučilištu u New
Hampshireu, njezinoj alma mater. U srpnju 2011. godine državno odjeljenje za povijesne resurse obilježilo je
mjesto prvog navodnog zanata povijesnim obilježjem. pozadina
Hills je živio u Portsmouthu, New Hampshire. Barney (1922-1969) bio je zaposlen u američkoj poštanskoj
službi, dok je Betty (rođena Eunice Barrett) (1919–2004) bila socijalni radnik. Aktivni u lokalnoj unijanskoj
skupštini, Hills su također bili članovi NAACP-a i čelnici zajednice, a Barney je sjedio u lokalnom odboru
američke Komisije za građanska prava. Bili su međurasni par u vrijeme kada je to bilo posebno neuobičajeno
u Sjedinjenim Državama; Barney je bio Afroamerikanac, a Betty bijela.
Susret NLO-a
Prema različitim izvješćima Hills-a, navodno viđenje NLO-a dogodilo se 19. rujna 1961. oko 10:30 sati. Hills
su se vozili natrag u Portsmouth s odmora u slapovima Niagara i Montrealu. Južno od Lancastera, New
Hampshire, Betty je tvrdila da je na nebu opazila svijetlu točku svjetla koja se kretala ispod mjeseca i planeta
Jupiter, prema gore od zapada mjeseca. Dok je Barney kretao američkom rutom 3, Betty je zaključila da
promatra padajuću zvijezdu, samo se ona pomaknula prema gore. Budući da se kretala nepromišljeno i
postajala sve veća i sjajnija, Betty je nagovarala Barneya da zaustavi auto radi boljeg pregleda, kao i da šeta
njihova psa, Delsey. Barney se zaustavio u živopisnom izletištu, južno od planine Twin.
Betty je, gledajući dvogledom, opazila čamac "neobičnog" oblika koji treperi raznobojnim svjetlima kako
putuju po licu Mjeseca. Budući da joj je sestra nekoliko godina ranije rekla da je vidjela leteći tanjur, Betty je
mislila da bi to moglo biti ono što promatra. Barney je dvogledom promatrao ono što je smatrao
komercijalnim avionom koji je putovao prema Vermontu na putu za Montreal. Međutim, ubrzo se
predomislio, jer ne gledajući kao da se okrenuo, brod se brzo spuštao u njegovom smjeru. Ovo opažanje
navelo je Barneya da shvati: "ovaj objekt koji je bio avion nije avion." Brzo su se vratili do automobila i
odvezli se prema Franconia Notchu, uskom, planinskom dijelu puta.
Hills je tvrdio da su nastavili voziti izoliranom cestom, krećući se vrlo sporo kroz Franconia Notch kako bi
promatrali objekt kako se približava. U jednom trenutku objekt je prošao iznad restorana i signalnog tornja
na vrhu planine Cannon i izašao kraj Starog planine. Betty je svjedočila da je barem jedan i pol puta duža od
granitne litice, koja je bila dugačka 12 stopa, 40 metara, i da se čini kao da se okreće. Par je gledao kako se
tihi, osvijetljeni brod nepromišljeno kreće i skače naprijed-nazad po noćnom nebu.
Otprilike jednu milju južno od Indijske glave, rekli su, objekt se brzo spustio prema njihovom vozilu, zbog
čega se Barney zaustavio nasred autoceste. Ogromni, tihi brod lebdio je otprilike 80–100 stopa (24–30 m)
iznad brda Chevrolet Bel Air iz 1957. i ispunio čitavo vidno polje u vjetrobranskom staklu. To je podsjetilo
Barneya na ogromnu palačinku. Držeći pištolj u džepu, odmaknuo se od vozila i prišao bliže predmetu.
Barney je koristeći dvogled tvrdio da je vidio otprilike 8 do 11 humanoidnih figura koje su zurile kroz prozore
plovila, naizgled ga gledajući. Jednom su se svi osim jedne figure premjestili na ono što se činilo kao ploča na
stražnjem zidu hodnika koja je okruživala prednji dio plovila. Jedna preostala figura nastavila je gledati
Barneyja i priopćila mu poruku govoreći mu: "Ostani tamo gdje jesi i nastavi gledati." Barney se sjećao
promatranja humanoidnih oblika koji su nosili sjajne crne uniforme i crne kape. Crvena svjetla na kojima su
se činile peraje u obliku šišmiša počela su teleskopom gledati van obrta, a dugačka građevina spustila se s
dna broda. Tihi brod približio se onom što je Barney procijenio da je bio udaljen 50–80 stopa (15–24 m) nad
glavom i 300 stopa (91 m) od njega. 21. listopada 1961. Barney se javio istražitelju Nacionalnog istražnog
odbora za zračne pojave (NICAP), Walteru Webbu da "bića nekako nisu bila ljudi."
Barney je "skidao" dvogled s očiju i potrčao natrag do svog automobila. U gotovo histeričnom stanju rekao
je Betty: "Zarobit će nas!" Vidio je kako objekt ponovno premješta svoje mjesto izravno iznad vozila.
Odvezao se velikom brzinom, govoreći Betty da traži predmet. Otkotrljala se kroz prozor i podigla pogled.
Gotovo odmah s brda su čuli ritmičan niz zvukova ili zujanje koji su, kako kažu, odskakali od prtljažnika svog
vozila. Automobil je vibrirao i trnci su prolazili kroz Hillsova tijela. Hills je rekao da su tada doživjeli napad
izmijenjenog stanja svijesti zbog kojeg im je um umro. Druga serija zvučnih zvukova ili zujanja vratio je par u
potpunu svijest. Ustanovili su da su putovali gotovo 35 milja (56 km) prema jugu, ali da imaju samo nejasna,
mrljava sjećanja na ovaj dio puta. Prisjetili su se iznenadnog, neplaniranog skretanja, nailazili na zapreku i
promatrali vatrenu kuglu na cesti.
Odmah nakon toga
Dolazeći kući oko zore, Hills tvrde da imaju neke čudne senzacije i nagone koje nisu mogli lako objasniti:
Betty je inzistirala da se njihova prtljaga zadrži kraj stražnjih vrata, a ne u glavnom dijelu kuće. Njihovi satovi
više nikada ne bi radili. Barney je rekao da mu je kožni remen dvogled rastrgan, iako se nije mogao sjetiti
kako ga je suzao. Oštećeni su prsti njegovih cipela s najboljom haljinom. Barney kaže da je bio prisiljen
pregledati svoje genitalije u kupaonici, iako nije našao ništa neobično. Trebali su dugi tuševi kako bi uklonili
moguće onečišćenje i svaki je nacrtao sliku onoga što su opazili.
Zbunjeni, brda kažu da su pokušali rekonstruirati kronologiju događaja dok su bili svjedoci NLO-a i odvezli se
kući. Ali odmah nakon što su čuli zujanje zvukove, njihova su sjećanja postala nepotpuna i fragmentirana.
Nakon što je spavala nekoliko sati, Betty se probudila i stavila cipele i odjeću koju je nosila tijekom vožnje u
svoj ormar, primijetivši da je haljina bila poderana na rubu, patentnom zatvaraču i podlozi. Kasnije, kad je
dohvatila predmete iz svog ormara, primijetila je ružičasti prah na haljini. Objesio je haljinu na svoju odjeću i
ružičasti prah se rasprsnuo. Ali haljina je bila nepopravljivo oštećena. Odbacila ga je, ali se onda
predomislila, dohvativši haljinu i objesivši je u ormar. Tijekom godina, pet laboratorija provodilo je kemijske
i forenzičke analize na haljini.
Na prtljažniku automobila bili su sjajni koncentrični krugovi kojih prethodnog dana nije bilo. Betty i Barney
eksperimentirali su s kompasom, primjećujući da će se igla kad se pomakne blizu mjesta, brzo vrtjeti. Ali kad
bi je premjestili nekoliko centimetara od sjajnih mrlja, ona bi pala.
Početno izvješće američkim zračnim snagama i NICAP-om
21. rujna Betty je telefonirala zrakoplovnoj bazi Pease kako bi prijavila svoj susret s NLO-om, premda je zbog
straha da će biti označena ekscentričnim zadržala neke detalje. 22. rujna, major Paul W. Henderson
telefonirao je Hillsima radi detaljnijeg razgovora. Hendersonov izvještaj od 26. rujna utvrdio je da su Hills
vjerojatno pogrešno identificirali planetu Jupiter. (To je kasnije promijenjeno u "optičko stanje", "inverziju" i
"nedovoljno podataka.") (Izvještaj 100-1-61, Podaci zrakoplovne inteligencije) Njegovo je izvješće
proslijeđeno u Projekt Plava knjiga, istraživački projekt NLO-a američkih zračnih snaga ,
Nekoliko dana nakon susreta, Betty je posudila NLO knjigu iz lokalne knjižnice. Napisao je umirovljeni bojnik
marinaca, Donald E. Keyhoe koji je ujedno bio i šef NICAP-a, civilne istraživačke grupe za NLO. 26. rujna
Betty je napisala Keyhoeu. Ispričala je cijelu priču, uključujući detalje o humanoidnim figurama koje je
Barney promatrao dvogledom. Betty je napisala da su ona i Barney razmišljali o hipnozi kako bi se prisjetili
što se dogodilo. Njezino je pismo na kraju proslijeđeno Walteru N. Webbu, bostonskom astronomu i članu
NICAP-a.
Webb se sastao s Hillsima 21. listopada 1961. Hills je u šestočasovnom intervjuu pripovijedao sve čega su se
mogli sjetiti susreta s NLO-om. Barney je tvrdio da je razvio svojevrsni "mentalni blok" i da je sumnjao da
postoje neki dijelovi događaja kojih se ne želi sjećati. Detaljno je opisao sve čega se mogao sjetiti o plovidbi i
pojavi "nekako ne ljudskih" figura na brodu. Webb je izjavio da su "oni govorili istinu i da se incident
vjerojatno dogodio upravo onako kako je prijavljeno, osim nekih manjih nesigurnosti i tehničkih
karakteristika koje se moraju tolerirati u bilo kojim takvim opažanjima gdje je uključena ljudska prosudba
(npr. Točno vrijeme i duljina vidljivosti, prividne veličine objekta i stanara, udaljenost i visina objekta itd.). "
Betty snovi
Deset dana nakon navodnog susreta s NLO-om, Betty je započela niz živopisnih snova. Nastavili su pet
uzastopnih noći. Nikada joj se u sjećanju nije prisjećala snove u tako gadnom stanju ail i intenzitet. Ali naglo
su se zaustavili nakon pet noći i više se nisu vratili. Oni su tijekom dana okupirali njezine misli. Kad ih je
napokon spomenula Barneyu, bio je suosjećajan, ali ne previše zabrinut i stvar je propala. Betty ih više nije
spomenula Barneyu.
U studenom 1961. Betty je počela zapisati detalje svojih snova. U jednom snu, ona i Barney naišli su na
zapreku i muškarce koji su okružili njihov automobil. Izgubila je svijest, ali borila se da je povrati. Tada je
shvatila da su je noćna dva sina prisiljena na šetnju šumom i vidjela je Barney kako hoda iza nje, premda je,
kad ga je pozvala, činilo da je u transu ili u snu. Muškarci su stajali oko pet i pet stopa visoki četiri inča i nosili
su odgovarajuće plave uniforme, s kapama sličnim onima koje su nosili vojni kadeti. Činili su se gotovo
ljudski, s crnom kosom, tamnim očima, istaknutim nosom i plavkastim usnama. Koža im je bila sivkaste boje.
U snovima su Betty, Barney i muškarci hodali usponom u pločast metalni izgled metalnog izgleda. Jednom
kad su unutra, Barney i Betty razdvojeni su. Prosvjedovala je i rekao joj je čovjek kojeg je nazvala "vođa" da
će, ako ona i Barney budu pregledani zajedno, trebati puno više vremena za provođenje ispita. Ona i Barney
odvedeni su u odvojene sobe.
Betty je tada sanjala da novi muškarac, sličan ostalima, uđe kako bi održao ispit kod vođe. Betty je tog novog
čovjeka nazvala "ispitivačem" i rekla da se osjeća ugodno, smireno. Iako su joj voditelj i ispitivač razgovarali
na engleskom jeziku, ispitivanje ispitivanja jezika činilo se nesavršeno i imala je poteškoća s njegovim
razumijevanjem.
Ispitivač je rekao Betty da će provesti nekoliko testova kako bi uočio razlike između ljudi i putnika. Sjeo je na
stolac i na njoj je zasjala jaka svjetlost. Muškarac je odsjekao pramen kose Betty. Pregledao je njene oči, uši,
usta, zube, grlo i ruke. Spasio je ukrase s njenih noktiju. Nakon što je pregledao njezine noge i stopala,
muškarac je koristio tupi nož, sličan otvaraču za pisma, kako bi odrezao dio kože na ono što podsjeća na
celofan. Potom je testirao njezin živčani sustav i gurnuo iglu u njezin pupak, što je prouzročilo Betty mučnu
bol, nakon čega je vođa mahnuo rukom pred njezinim očima i bol je nestala.
Ispitivač je napustio sobu i Betty se uključila u razgovor s "vođom". Podigla je knjigu s redovima čudnih
simbola za koje je "vođa" rekla da može ponijeti kući sa sobom. Također je pitala odakle je došao, a on je
spustio kartu s točkama zvijezda.
U Bettyinom snu, muškarci su počeli otjerati Hills s broda kad je izbio razdor. Voditeljica je tada obavijestila
Betty da ne može zadržati knjigu, navodeći da su odlučili da ostali muškarci ne žele da se ona uopće sjeća
susreta. Betty je inzistirala da se, bez obzira što su joj učinili u sjećanje, jednoga dana prisjeti događaja.
Ona i Barney odvedeni su u njihov automobil, gdje im je vođa predložio da pričekaju da gledaju let broda.
Oni su to učinili, a zatim nastavili svoj pogon.
Medicinska pomoć i više intervjua
Nedostaje vrijeme
25. studenog 1961. godine, Hills su ponovno dugo ispitivali članovi NICAP-a, ovaj put C. D. Jackson i Robert
E. Hohmann.
Iako su Hillsima primijetili da su stigli kući kasnije nego što se predviđalo, vožnja je trebala potrajati oko
četiri sata (178 milja). Tvrdili su da nisu shvatili da su stigli kući sedam sati nakon njihovog odlaska iz
Colebrooka. Kad su Hohman i Jackson primijetili ovo odstupanje od brda, par nije imao objašnjenja
(fenomen koji ufolozi nazivaju "nestalo vrijeme"). Hills je tvrdio da ne pamti gotovo ništa od 35 kilometara
američke rute 3 između Lincolna / Indian Heada i Ashlanda. Obojica su tvrdili da se sjećaju slike vatrene
kugle kako sjedi na zemlji. Betty i Barney su zaključili da je sigurno mjesec, ali Hohmann i Jackson obavijestili
su ih da je mjesec zašao ranije uvečer.
Nastao je predmet hipnoze i odlučeno je da ga treba provesti kako bi se izvukla prethodno nepovratna
sjećanja. Barney je bio zabrinut zbog hipnoze, ali mislio je da bi to moglo pomoći Betty da odmori ono što je
Barney opisala kao "glupost" svojih snova. "
Do veljače 1962. Brda su činila česte vožnje vikendom prema Bijelim planinama, nadajući se da bi ponovni
posjet mjestu mogao pobuditi još uspomena. Neuspješno su pokušavali locirati mjesto na kojem su opazili
vatrenu kuglu kako sjedi na cesti. Međutim, uspjeli su eliminirati nekoliko mogućih ruta. (Otkrili su za što su
tvrdili da je mjesto "hvatanja" na vikend Praznika rada 1965.)
Privatno objavljivanje
23. studenoga 1962. godine Hills je prisustvovao sastanku u župnom domu svoje crkve, na kojem je pozvani
gostujući govornik bio kapetan Ben H. Swett iz zrakoplovstva Sjedinjenih Država, koji je nedavno objavio
knjigu svoje poezije. Nakon što je pročitao izbornike poezije, pastor ga je zamolio da razgovara o svom
osobnom interesu za hipnozu. Nakon što je sastanak raspao, Hills je privatno prišao kapetanu Swettu i rekao
mu čega se mogu sjećati svog neobičnog susreta. Posebno ga je zanimalo "nestalo vrijeme" računa Hills-a.
Hills je pitao Swetta hoće li ih hipnotizirati da povrate svoja sjećanja, no Swett je rekao da nije kvalificiran za
to i upozorio ih da ne idu k amaterskom hipnotizeru, poput sebe.
Prvo javno objavljivanje
3. ožujka 1963. godine Hills je prvi put javno raspravljao o susretu NLO-a sa skupinom u njihovoj crkvi.
7. rujna 1963. kapetan Swett vratio se i održao službeno predavanje o hipnozi na sastanku u Unitarističkoj
crkvi. Nakon predavanja, Hills mu je rekao da Barney ide psihijatru, gospodinu Stephensu, kojemu se svidio i
kojem je vjerovao. Kapetan Swett predložio je Barneyu da pita Stephensa o upotrebi hipnoze u njegovom
slučaju.
Kad se Barney sljedeći put susreo sa Stephensom, pitao je o hipnozi. Stephens je Hills uputio Benjaminu
Simonu iz Bostona.
3. studenog 1963. godine Hills je razgovarao pred amaterskom studijskom grupom za NLO, Two State NLO
Study Group, u Quincy Centru, Massachusetts.
Hills je prvi put upoznao Simona 14. prosinca 1963. Simon je rano u svojim raspravama utvrdio da susret
NLO-a izaziva Barneyja mnogo više brige i tjeskobe nego što je bio spreman priznati. Iako je Simon odbacio
popularnu vanzemaljsku hipotezu kao nemoguću, činilo mu se očiglednim da Hillsi iskreno misle da su
svjedoci NLO-a s putnicima sličnim ljudima. Simon se nadao da će otkriti više o iskustvu hipnozom.
Simonove seanse hipnoze
Simon je počeo hipnotizirati Hills 4. siječnja 1964. Hipnotizirao je Betty i Barney nekoliko puta svaki, a
sjednice su trajale do 6. lipnja 1964. Simon je vodio seanse o Barneyju i Betty odvojeno, tako da nisu mogli
pregrubiti jedno drugo sjećanje. Na kraju svake sesije obnavljao je amneziju.
Barneyeve sjednice
Simon je najprije hipnotizirao Barneya. Sjećanje na svjedočenje nečovječnih ličnosti bilo je prilično
emocionalno, obilježeno izrazima straha, emocionalnim izljevima i nevjericom. Barney je rekao da je zbog
straha držao zatvorene oči zbog većine otmica i fizičkog pregleda. Na temelju tih ranih odgovora, Simon je
Barneyu rekao da se neće sjećati sesija hipnoze sve dok ne bude siguran da ih se može sjećati bez daljnje
traume.
Pod hipnozom (kao što je bilo u skladu s njegovim svjesnim opozivom), Barney je izvijestio da mu se
binokularni remen slomio kad je s NLO-a naletio na svoj automobil. Sjećao se kako je vozio automobil od
NLO-a, ali da se nakon toga osjećao neodoljivo primoran da skrene s ceste i zaleti u šumu. Na kraju je vidio
šest ljudi koji su stajali na zemljanoj cesti. Auto je zastao i trojica muškaraca su se približila automobilu. Rekli
su Barneyu da ih se ne boji. Ipak je bio zabrinut i izvijestio je da je voditelj rekao Barneyu da zatvori oči. Dok
je bio hipnotiziran, Barney je rekao: "Osjećao sam se kao da su mi ga oči ugurale u oči."
Barney je opisao bića kao uglavnom slična Bettynom hipnotičkom (ne iz snova) sjećanju. Bića su ga često
gledala u oči, rekao je Barney, zastrašujuće, očaravajuće. Pod hipnozom Barney je rekao stvari poput: "Oh,
te oči. One su tamo u mom mozgu" (od njegove prve sesije hipnoze) i "Rečeno mi je da zatvorim oči jer sam
vidjela da se dva oka približavaju mom, a ja osjećao sam se kao da su me oči gurnule u oči "(iz njegove druge
sesije hipnoze) i" Sve što vidim su ove oči ... uopće se ne bojim da nisu povezane s tijelom. Oni su upravo tu.
Upravo su mi blizu, pritisnuvši me na oči. "
Barney je rekao da su on i Betty odvedeni u brod u obliku diska, gdje su razdvojeni. Trojica muškaraca
otpratili su ga do sobe i rekli mu da legne na mali pravokutni ispitni stol. Za razliku od Betty, Barney je
pripovijedao o ispitu manje detaljno, jer je i dalje držao oči zatvorene većim dijelom ispita. Uređaj poput
čašice postavljen je preko njegovih genitalija. Nije doživio orgazam, iako je Barney mislio da mu je uzet
uzorak sperme. Muškarci su mu strugali kožu i zavirili u uši i usta. Tanka cijev ili cilindar umetnuta mu je u
anus i brzo je uklonjena. Netko mu je osjetio kralježnicu i činilo se da mu broje kralješke.
Betty je prijavila razgovor s "voditeljem" koji je razumjela na engleskom. Barney je rekao da ih je čuo kako
govore mumlajući jezik koji ne razumije, ali ih je razumio i na engleskom. Betty je također spomenula taj
detalj. Nekoliko puta kad su komunicirali s njim, Barney je rekao da se čini da je to "misaoni prijenos"; u to
vrijeme bila mu je nepoznata riječ "telepatija". I Betty i Barney izjavili su da nisu primijetili kako se usta bića
pomiču dok su sa njima razgovarali na engleskom.
Prisjetio se kako su ga odvezli s broda i odveli do svog automobila. U zanosu je gledao t on otići s broda.
Barney se sjetio svjetla koje se pojavilo na cesti i rekao: "O, ne, ne opet." Prisjetio se Bettynih nagađanja da
je svjetlost možda bio mjesec, iako je mjesec zalazio nekoliko sati ranije. Također je izjavio da je pokušao
proizvesti zvučne zujanje poput koda, koje kao da je drugi put udaralo o prtljažnik automobila vozeći se s
boka na bok te zaustavljajući i pokretajući vozilo. Njegov pokušaj bio je neuspješan.
Betty sjednice
Pod hipnozom, Bettyin je račun sličan događajima iz njenih pet snova o otmici NLO-a, ali također su bile
uočljive razlike, uglavnom što se odnosile na njezino uhićenje i puštanje. Tehnologija na zanatu bila je
drugačija. Kratki su muškarci imali bitno drugačiji fizički izgled od onog iz njenih snova. Redoslijed događaja
otmice bio je različit od Bettynovog sna iz snova. Barneyeva i Bettyna sjećanja na hipnotičku regresiju bila su
jednaka jedna drugoj, ali su u suprotnosti s nekim informacijama u Bettyinim snovima.
Tijekom snimanja i ispitivanja Betty je bila izložena velikoj emocionalnoj nevolji. Simon je rano završio jednu
sjednicu jer su joj suze tekle niz obraze i činila se da je u nevolji.
Simon je dao Betty post-hipnotički prijedlog da ona može skicirati kopiju "zvijezde karte" koju je kasnije
opisala kao trodimenzionalnu projekciju sličnu hologramu. Na kraju je učinila ono što je Simon predložio.
Iako je rekla da karta ima mnogo zvijezda, nacrtala je samo one koje su joj se isticale u sjećanju. Njena karta
sastojala se od dvanaest istaknutih zvijezda povezanih linijama i tri manje koje su tvorile svojstven trokut
(vidi dolje). Rekla je da su joj zvijezde povezane čvrstim linijama tvorile "trgovačke rute", dok su isprekidane
linije bile prema manje prometanim zvijezdama.
Simonovi zaključci
Nakon sesija hipnoze, Simon nagađa da je Barneyjevo sjećanje na susret s NLO-om možda fantazija
nadahnuta Bettyinim snovima. Simon je smatrao da je to najrazumnije i najkonzistentnije objašnjenje.
Barney je odbio ovu ideju, napomenuvši da su, iako su njihova sjećanja u nekim aspektima bila dosljedna,
postojali i dijelovi oba njihova pripovijedanja koji su bili jedinstveni za svakog. Barney je sada bio spreman
prihvatiti da su ih oteli ljudi iz NLO-a, iako ga nikada nije prihvatio u potpunosti kao Betty.
Iako se Hills i Simon nisu slagali o prirodi slučaja, svi su se slagali da su sesije hipnoze bile učinkovite: brda
više nisu mučila tjeskoba zbog njihovog iskustva.
Nakon toga, Simon je napisao članak o Hillsima za časopis Psychiatric Opinion, objašnjavajući svoje zaključke
da je slučaj pojedinačna psihološka aberacija.
Oglas nakon sesija hipnoze
Brda su se vratila u svoj redoviti život. Oni su bili voljni razgovarati o navodnom susretu NLO-a s prijateljima,
obitelji i povremenim istraživačem NLO-a, ali Hills očito nije uložio nikakav napor u traženju javnosti.
Dana 25. listopada 1965. godine u Bostonskom putniku priča o naslovnici pitala je "NLO Chiller: Jesu li
uhvatili par?" Reporter John H. Luttrell iz Putnika navodno je snimio audiokasetu s predavanja koje je Hills
održao u Quincy Centru krajem 1963. Luttrell je saznao da su Hillsi bili pod hipnozom sa Simonom; također
je dobivao bilješke iz povjerljivih intervjua koje je Hills dao istražiteljima NLO-a. 26. listopada United Press
International (UPI) pokrenuo je Luttrellinu priču, a Hills je zaslužio međunarodnu pažnju.
1966. pisac John G. Fuller osigurao je suradnju Hills-a i Simona i o tom slučaju napisao knjigu The
Interrupted Journey (vidi dolje). Knjiga je sadržavala i kopiju Bettyine skice "zemljovidne karte". Knjiga je
brzo uspjela i prošla je kroz nekoliko tiskanih zapisa.
Kasnije u životu, Betty je tvrdila da je nekoliko puta vidjela NLO nakon početne otmice, a ona je "postala
slavna osoba u NLO zajednici".
Barney je umro od moždanog krvarenja 25. veljače 1969. u dobi od 46 godina; Betty Hill umrla je od raka 17.
listopada 2004. u dobi od 85 godina i nikad se nije ponovno udala.
Analiza karte zvijezda
1968. Marjorie Fish iz luke Oak u Ohiju pročitala je Fullerovo Prekinuto putovanje. Bila je učiteljica u
osnovnoj školi i astronom amater. Zaintrigirana "zemljovidom", Riba se pitala je li moguće "dešifrirati" kako
bi utvrdila iz kojeg zvijezdanog sustava dolazi NLO. Pretpostavljajući da jedna od petnaest zvijezda na karti
mora predstavljati Zemljino Sunce, Riba je konstruirala trodimenzionalni model obližnjih zvijezda sličnih
Suncu (tj. Zvijezde za koje se smatra da imaju karakteristike koje mogu podržavati život poput one koja se
nalazi na Zemlji) koristeći nit i perlice , temeljeći se na zvjezdanim udaljenostima na onima objavljenim u
Katalogu Gliese Star 1969. godine. Proučavajući tisuće vidikovca tijekom nekoliko godina, jedina koja se
činila da se podudara sa zemljovidom brda bila je s gledišta dvostrukog zvjezdanog sustava Zete Reticuli.
Fish je poslala analizu na Webb. Slažući se sa njenim zaključcima, Webb je kartu poslao Terenceu
Dickinsonu, uredniku popularnog časopisa Astronomija. Dickinson nije podržao zaključke Fish-a i Webba, ali
prvi put u povijesti časopisa Astronomy je pozvao na komentare i raspravu o NLO-ovom izvješću, počevši od
uvodnog članka u broju od prosinca 1974. Otprilike godinu dana nakon toga, stranica mišljenja s astronomije
sadržavala je argumente za i protiv karte Fish's star. Značajan je argument koji su dali Carl Sagan i Steven
Soter, tvrdeći da je naizgled "zvijezdana karta" bila nešto više od slučajnog poravnanja slučajnih točaka. U
epizodi Kozmosa 1980. Sagan je pokazao da bez crta nacrtanih na kartama Hill Hill nema sličnosti s mapom
stvarnog života. Suprotno tome, oni povoljniji za kartu, poput Davida Saundersa, statističara koji je bio na
istraživanju NLO-a u Condonu, tvrdili su da je neobično poravnavanje ključnih zvijezda nalik Suncu u ravnini
u središtu oko Zete Reticuli (prvi ju je opisao Fish) statistički nemoguće da se dogodilo slučajno od
nasumične skupine zvijezda u našem neposrednom susjedstvu.
Početkom 1990-ih europska misija Hipparcos ("visoko precizni satelit za skupljanje paralakse"), koja je
preciznije nego ikad prije izmjerila udaljenosti do više od stotinu tisuća zvijezda oko Sunca, pokazala je da su
neke od zvijezda u Fishovom tumačenju karte bili su u stvari puno dalje nego što se prije mislilo. Druga
istraživanja otkrila su da bi neke zvijezde koje Riba broji kao životnu sredinu vjerojatno morale biti isključene
prema njenim vlastitim kriterijima, dok su neke druge zvijezde koje je Riba diskontirala prepoznate kao
potencijalna staništa za život. Rezultati poput ovih naveli su i Fishu da odbaci svoju hipotezu u javnom
priopćenju.
Prekinuo Journey
Objava prekinutih putovanja iz 1966. godine, Johna G. Fullera, detaljno opisuje velik dio Hillsinih zahtjeva.
Isjeci knjige objavljeni su u časopisu Look, a knjiga je prodana u više primjeraka i veliko objavljena na Hills
računu.
Uhvaćen! Iskustvo NLO-a o Betty i Barney Hillu Kathleen Marden dodatno je istraživalo Fullerove teme
zajedno sa znanstvenikom Stantonom T. Friedmanom. Marden, koja je bila nećakinja Betty Hill, dobro je
poznavala Betty i s njom je detaljno razgovarala o tom susretu. (Citirano je potrebno) Ispitala je i sve
povijesne zapise i znanstvena izvješća koja se odnose na slučaj i prepisala Hills-ove sesije hipnoze sa
Benjamin Simon za detaljnu komparativnu analizu.
Pobijanja
Kasnije su psihijatri sugerirali da je navodna otmica halucinacija nastala zbog stresa kao međurasni par
početkom 60-ih godina u Sjedinjenim Državama. Betty je odbila ovaj prijedlog, primijetivši da je njezina veza
s Barney bila sretna, a njihov međurasni brak nije uzrokovao značajne probleme sa prijateljima ili obitelji.
Kako je zabilježeno u The Interrupt Journey, Simon je smatrao da Hillsov bračni status nema nikakve veze sa
susretom s NLO-om.
Skeptični bloger Brian Dunning primijetio je da su sesije hipnoze dogodile dvije godine nakon prijavljenih
otmica, što je paru pružilo dovoljno vremena za raspravu o svom susretu. Dunning je zaključio da Hillsova
"inventivna priča iz uma doživotnog NLO fanatika ... ne podržava nijedan koristan dokaz i u potpunosti se
podudara s čisto prirodnim objašnjenjem." Dodao je da analiza vremenske trake dva radarska zrakoplovna
viđenja iz te noći u zapisu Projektne knjige pokazuje da nijedna korelacija nije bila s pričom o brdima.
Zrakoplovstvo je zaključilo da su obje mete vjerojatno vremenski baloni. U svom članku iz 1990. „Potpuno
nepredviđeno“, Martin Kottmeyer sugerirao je da su na Barneyeva sjećanja otkrivena pod hipnozom možda
utjecala epizoda znanstvenofantastične televizijske emisije Vanjski graničari pod nazivom „Štit Bellero“ koja
je emitovana dva tjedna prije Barneyevog prvog hipnotičara sjednici. U epizodi je bio prikazan izvanzemaljac
s velikim očima koji kaže: "U svim svemirima, u svim jedinstvima izvan svemira svi koji imaju oči imaju oči
koje govore." Izvještaj iz regresije sadržavao je scenarij koji je donekle sličan televizijskoj emisiji. Djelomično
je Kottmeyer napisao:
Oči oko očiju iznimna su rijetkost u filmovima znanstvene fantastike. Znam samo za jedan slučaj. Pojavili su
se za vanzemaljca epizode stare TV serije Vanjski graničnici pod nazivom "Bellerov štit". Osoba upoznata s
Barneyevom skicom u "Prekinućem putovanju" i skicom napravljenom u suradnji s umjetnikom Davidom
Bakerom pronaći će "frissona" iz "déjà vu" koji puze po kralježnici kada vidi ovu epizodu. Ovakvu sličnost
uvelike potpomažu odsutnost ušiju, kose i nosa kod oba stranaca. Je li to moguće slučajno? Razmislite o
ovome: Barney je prvi opisao i nacrtao zamotane oči tijekom sesije hipnoze 22. veljače 1964. "Bellero štit"
prvi je put emitiran 10. veljače 1964. Samo dvanaest dana razdvajaju dva slučaja. Ako se priznanje prizna,
zajedništvo zamotanih očiju u literaturi o otmici pada na kulturnu f orces.
Kad je druga istraživačica pitala Betty za "Vanjske granice", ona je inzistirala na tome da je "nikad nije čula za
to". Kottmeyer je također istaknuo da su neki motivi na računu Hillsa bili prisutni u filmu 1953. godine,
Invaders from Mars. Pažljiva analiza Barneyevog opisa nečovječnih entiteta koje je promatrao otkriva
značajne sličnosti između "Čovjeka Bifrosta" i Barneyevih deskriptivnih detalja. Treba uzeti u obzir i
Barneyvovo svjesno, kontinuirano prisjećanje entiteta koje je opazio na lebdećem zanatu. Bili su odjeveni u
crne, sjajne uniforme i "nekako nisu bili ljudski".
Jim Macdonald, stanovnik područja u kojem su Hillsi tvrdili da su oteti, iznio je detaljnu analizu njihovog
putovanja, što zaključuje da je epizodu izazvalo njihovo pogrešno shvaćanje zrakoplova koji upozorava na
planinu Cannon kao NLO. Macdonald napominje da se s puta kojim su Hills krenuli pojavljuje i nestaje
svjetionik u isto vrijeme kad Hills opisuje NLO kao pojavu i nestajanje. Ostatak iskustva pripisuje se stresu,
nedostatku sna i lažnim uspomenama „oporavljenim“ pod hipnozom. Nakon što je pročitao Macdonaldovu
rekreaciju, stručnjak za NLO Robert Sheaffer piše da su Hills "djeca plakata" zbog toga što ne voze kada im
nedostaje sna. Macdonaldov se članak fokusira prvenstveno na Hills-ovo promatranje svjetla na nebu i
vrijeme putovanja, diskontirajući Hillsove izvještaje o bliskim susretima južno od planine Cannon kao
oporavljene uspomene.
Kolumnist Skeptičnog upitnika Robert Sheaffer napisao je:
Bila sam prisutna na Nacionalnoj konferenciji o NLO-u 1980. godine u New Yorku, na kojoj je Betty
predstavila neke fotografije NLO-a koje je snimila. Pokazala je ono što je sigurno bilo preko dvjesto klizača,
uglavnom mrlja, mrlja i mrlja na tamnoj pozadini. To su trebali biti NLO-i koji su se približavali, jurili
automobil, slijetali itd ... Nakon što je njezin razgovor premašio dvostruko više od predviđenog vremena,
Betty je doslovno skinula s pozornice ono što je u početku bilo vrlo simpatično gledalište. Ovaj incident,
kojem su svjedočili mnogi čelnici NLO-a i vrhunski aktivisti, uklonio je sve trajne sumnje u Bettynu
vjerodostojnost - nije imala nijednog. 1995. Betty Hill napisala je samostalno objavljenu knjigu, Common
Sense Pristup NLO-ima. Napunjena je očito zabludnim pričama, poput gledanja čitavih eskadrila NLO-a u letu
i kamiona koji lebdi iznad autoceste.
Kasnije je Sheaffer napisao da će već 1977. Betty Hill najmanje tri puta tjedno ići na bdijenje nad NLO-om.
Tijekom jedne večeri pridružio joj se NLO entuzijast John Oswald. Na pitanje o Betty-jevim neprestanim
opažanjima NLO-a, Oswald je rekao: "Ona zapravo ne vidi NLO-e, ali ona ih zove". U noći kad su zajedno
izašli, "gospođa Hill nije mogla razlikovati između prizemnog NLO-a i ulice." U kasnijem intervjuu, Sheaffer
kaže da je Betty Hill napisala, "NLO-i su nova znanost ... i naša znanost ih ne može objasniti."
Robert Sheaffer objavio je 48 stranica arhiviranih dokumenata koji se odnose na Betty i Barney Hill,
Benjamina Simona i Philipa J. Klassa na Internetu 23. prosinca 2015.
U popularnoj kulturi
Barney Hill snimio je epizodu "Govoriti istinu", epizodu, 12. prosinca 1966. godine.
Par su portretirali James Earl Jones i Estelle Parsons u televizijskom filmu 1975. godine koji su adaptirali S.
Lee Pogostin, Incident u NLO-u, te Basil Wallace i Lee Garlington u televizijskoj seriji 1996. Dark Skies.
Susret je prikazan u segmentu u 12. epizodi rudarskog kozmosa Carla Sagana, "Enciklopedija Galactica".
Detalji slučaja Hills korišteni su u epizodi X-Files "Jose Chung's iz svemira".
Grafički roman Saucer Country (2012) Paul Cornell uključuje iskustvo Hills-a.
Emisija serije Putopisni kanal Misterije u muzeju pokrivala je temu otmice.
U drugoj sezoni američke horor priče, nazvanoj Azil, Evan Peters i Britne Oldford prikazuju međurasni par Kit
i Almu Walker koji su oteli vanzemaljci i najvjerojatnije bazirali na brdima.
U epizodi Gravity Falls "Dipper i Mabel vs. The Future" nalazi se kriptogram o NLO-u na kojem piše "Betty i
Barney su bili ovdje".
U rujnu 2017. u epizodi Ljudi sa Zemlje pod nazivom "Vanzemaljac s iskustvom", na izložbi je predstavljen
plakat Hills-a s naslovom "Betty & Barney Hill, prvi par kozmosa".
U svibnju 2018. serija "Lore" iz kulture i mita obuhvaćala je događaj u "Epizoda 87: Put na put".
Priča u 2018. godini čini temelj izložbe virtualne stvarnosti „Večera za zabavu“ na putujućem umjetničkom
showu Wonderspaces.
Podcast "I zato pijemo" obuhvatila je priču o brdima u njihovoj epizodi od 7. siječnja 2018., "Banane u
pidžamama i vaš prijateljski lokalni kioskman."
Posljednji Podcast s lijeve strane obuhvatio je Hillsinu priču u epizodama 169 i 170.
Deveta epizoda televizijske serije Projekt Plava knjiga za 2019. godinu pod nazivom "Otmica" temelji se na
časopisu The Incident o Betty i Barney Hillu.
Godine 2019. pričala se priča o Hillsu u emisiji The Joe Rogan Experience s gostom Danom Aykroydom.
(Epizoda 1351)
U veljači 2020. miješana borilačka umjetnica Angela Hill rekla je Joeu Roganu da je Barney Hill njezin djed.