◆ SpookStack

Approved For Release 2001/04/02 : CIA-RDP81R00560R000100010002-9 “. .. This can’t be true . . . This isn’t here. Can’t somebody come and tell me this is not here? But it is.” Barney Hill, under hypnosis, as quoted in The Interrupted Journey: Two Lost Hours “Aboard a Flying Saucer,” by John G. Fuller (Dial Press) m= This quote, chilling in its urgency, remarkable in its context was representative of the doubts, the fears and the acknowledgement, under hypnosis, Barney Hill made of his encounter with an UFO; an encounter officially re- corded with the Air Force Project Blue Book, in NICAP’s extensive and thorough files and with APRO’s well docu- mented and researched testimonials. It is the encounter on which John G. Fuller turned the full focus of his investi- gative eye and experienced pen to provide the provocative and carefully detailed revelation of a man and woman who underwent hypnosis to try to find the answers to two lost hours of their lives during which they had undergone an experience of startling proportion. The incident is the highly personal experience of Bar- ney and Betty Hill that had its inception on the night of September 19-20, 1961, while the Hills were enroute from a motor trip in Canada to their home in Portsmouth, N.H. When they were an estimated four hours from home, at approximately 10 p.m., driving through the White Moun- tains on Route 3 they became aware of a bright object moving through the sky. The erratic behavior and peculiar shape and lighting precluded the possibility of its being either satellite or commercial plane. They watched it for some time, stopping frequently to examine it more closely with binoculars. When they reached Indian Head and the object had glided down soundlessly so that it was paralleling the car, tree top high, Mr. Hill stopped again, took the binoculars and set off in the direction of the object for a close look. He was to say later that the object swung in an arc not more than 100 feet from him and as it did he saw two fin-like projections on either side sliding further out, each with a red light on it. He also could see a double row of windows behind which he could make out figures, human things, at least half a dozen of them. They were all staring down at him and they were wearing some kind of uniform. All of the crew members except one turned their backs on him and began working what appeared to be levers on a panel in the back of the object. As they worked, the craft slowly descended, the fins extended further and a Jadder- like extension lowered from the bottom. The single crew member continued to stare at Hill with eyes that were dif- ferent from any Hill ever had seen. Certain that he was about to be captured, Hill, nearly hysterical, ran for his car and, with only a minimum of explanation to his wife, drove off. Shortly after they pulled away, they heard beeping noises in irregular rhythm com- ing from behind the car in the direction of the trunk. Both were aware of feeling drowsy, as though a strange haze had come over them. The next thing of which they were fully conscious was arriving in Ashland, 35 miles south of Indian Head. It was 5 a.m. when they arrived home, two hours later than it should have taken them, although neither of the Hills was aware of this unaccounted for period of time until a long time later when, in the course of being interviewed by UFO investigators it was brought to their attention. Without understanding the reasons for their own ac- tions, Barney, who placed no credence in flying saucer talk at all, went immediately to the bathroom when he ar- rived home and examined his lower abdomen. And Betty took the clothing she had worn that night, packed it in the back of a closet and never wore it again. She also discov- ered several shiny spots on the trunk of the car, about the size of silver dollars. When she placed a small compass on the spots the needle wavered. The needle reacted normally on other parts of the car. Both Barney and Betty were reluctant to discuss their experience of that night, but Barney did advise the Air Force of the sighting, making no mention of the “human figures” because he was sensitive to ridicule and acutely aware of the implausibility of their experience. A full ac- count of this sighting went into Project Blue Book. It was Betty who got in touch with Major Donald Key- hoe, seeking more information on UFOs, and as a result Walter Webb, lecturer on the staff of the Hayden Plane- tarium in Boston and scientific advisor to NICAP, visited the Hills and spent eight hours in an exhaustive interview of the two people. His conclusions: “It is the opinion of this investigator after questioning these people and study- ing their reactions and personalities during that time that they were telling the truth and the incident occurred ex- actly as reported.” Tt was Webb’s report that drew the attention and im- pressed Robert Hohman, scientific writer, and C. D. Jack- son, engineer, who were attending the International As- tronautical Congress in Washington. They, too, set up an interview with the Hills and spent 12 hours going over the story with the two principals. It was during this session that one of them asked “What took you so long to get home?” For the first time, the Hills became aware of the fact that they should, under normal circumstances, have ar- rived home at 2:30 or 3. They actually arrived at 5 a.m. What could have happened during those two missing hours? This was a question that was to plague Barney and Betty Hill for a long time. It was believed responsible for a flare up in an ulcer condition that Barney thought was clearing up. He was also troubled by a circle of warts that developed in a perfect circle around his groin. And Betty was sub- jected to a series of vivid nightmares she could not get out of her mind. As a result of their emotional and physical torment, their bewilderment and their sincere desire to know what hap- pened during those lost hours, Barney and Betty Hill agreed to see a psychiatrist qualified in the use of hypnosis. Such an eminently qualified Boston psychiatrist, with extensive experience in hypnosis agreed to take the case and the re- sults the Hills had with this doctor form the body of John Fuller’s engrossing document. It was while under hypnosis that Barney Hill recalled more of the events that occurred on that unforgettable eve- continued on next page 31 Approved For Release 2001/04/02 : CIA-RDP81R00560R000100010002-9