Man has always endeavored to understand the world around us. We possess a desire to find an explanation for that which we do not understand. Of all the available unexplained phenomena, alien encounters continue to both fascinate and to haunt us. Sometimes speculation surrounding alien life has been presented as an amusement or for profit. In the 19th century unscrupulous publishers circulated fantasies in their newspapers about flying creatures and human-like life on other planets. The hoax was quickly debunked, but public opinion remained, “What if?” By the 1930s as scientific innovations enabled us to view other planets through massive telescopes, stories began to circulate about the real possibility that these worlds might support life forms not unlike ours.
During the 1940s and 1950s with the advent of the Cold War, the government’s high-security facilities in remote locations again sparked public curiosity as to the possibility of alien encounters. Alien life forms are not a 19th or 20th century phenomenon, however. Many ancient cultures have recorded observations and encounters including alien beings living among us. The Annunaki in Sumeria, for example, were said to be extraterrestrials who were divided as to how to interact with the native humanity they considered to be alien creatures!
In more recent times the more credible the witness, the more likely the public would believe their account. The alien encounter reported by Betty and Barney Hill in New Hampshire in 1961 is truly legendary. The Hills claimed to have been abducted by extraterrestrials into an alien craft and subjected to medical experiments at the hands of their captors. Once released, the Hills offered Betty’s dress, stained with an unknown substance, as proof of their ordeal. Five times since the dress has been examined by scientists, most recently in 2013. To date the substance remains unidentified and is not comprised of any known compounds organic or man-made.
Close Alien Encounters of a Well-Documented Kind
As time progresses and consumer technology advances more and more sightings by credible witnesses emerge. Consider the phenomena of the Phoenix Lights in the late 1990s. This sighting was witnessed by hundreds and was recorded on home video by many. Witnesses included the Arizona governor at that time as well as a pilot who stated the lights did not resemble any “man-made object.” Postscript: in February, 2015 the Phoenix area was again visited by unexplained lights in the sky and again, the phenomenon was well documented by those who saw it.
In this section we proudly offer documented eyewitness accounts of sightings and alien encounters, as well as some tongue-in-cheek satirical accounts of alien encounters. While the comedians may have their say, their comments help to keep the concept of alien encounters before the public. Today, believers far outnumber skeptics due to the increased number of encounters and the hours of video and photographs that many times record these events. Below, MUFON presents a number of eyewitness accounts. If you are a skeptic, perhaps one of these accounts of alien encounters will make a believer out of you. Until, of course, you have a firsthand experience yourself!
In more recent times the more credible the witness, the more likely the public would believe their account. The alien encounter reported by Betty and Barney Hill in New Hampshire in 1961 is truly legendary. The Hills claimed to have been abducted by extraterrestrials into an alien craft and subjected to medical experiments at the hands of their captors. Once released, the Hills offered Betty’s dress, stained with an unknown substance, as proof of their ordeal. Five times since the dress has been examined by scientists, most recently in 2013. To date the substance remains unidentified and is not comprised of any known compounds organic or man-made.
Close Alien Encounters of a Well-Documented Kind
As time progresses and consumer technology advances more and more sightings by credible witnesses emerge. Consider the phenomena of the Phoenix Lights in the late 1990s. This sighting was witnessed by hundreds and was recorded on home video by many. Witnesses included the Arizona governor at that time as well as a pilot who stated the lights did not resemble any “man-made object.” Postscript: in February, 2015 the Phoenix area was again visited by unexplained lights in the sky and again, the phenomenon was well documented by those who saw it.
In this section we proudly offer documented eyewitness accounts of sightings and alien encounters, as well as some tongue-in-cheek satirical accounts of alien encounters. While the comedians may have their say, their comments help to keep the concept of alien encounters before the public. Today, believers far outnumber skeptics due to the increased number of encounters and the hours of video and photographs that many times record these events. Below, MUFON presents a number of eyewitness accounts. If you are a skeptic, perhaps one of these accounts of alien encounters will make a believer out of you. Until, of course, you have a firsthand experience yourself!
