It's not even a mystery. UFO sightings and close encounters (understood to be extraterrestrials) were a creation of, and now a cultural relic of, the Cold War. UFO Sightings massively proliferated in the 1950s; the famous Betty and Barney Hill abduction, the first major reported such incident, wasn't until 1961.
The real interesting bit is how close encounter narratives shifted to parrallel increasing US / USSR hostility. Early close encounter stories from the 60s had the aliens be peaceful and kind who would give contactees a tour of their spaceship. By the late 70s-80s that shifts to the Fire in The Sky style narrative where the aliens are forceful kidnappers who physically and sexually assault terrified abductees.
Probably a lot. When I was a kid i saw a strange light in the sky that just hovered there and I started thinking it was a UFO or something. It turned out it was a jet flying straight towards my location, and veered off after about a half hour at which point I could see the tail light. I imagine a light in the distance my produce the same effect in the right situation if you weren't used to seeing that. People also just like to lie about this kind of stuff for fun.
I suppose we'll never know for sure but personally I doubt the CIA had anything to do with the Hill abduction. They were driving late at night and Betty's later recollection of the aliens was similar to depictions of aliens in the contemporary Outer Limits show. I'd chalk it up to sleep deprivation and strange dreams.
There was an episode of a UFO TV show about an abduction and thr guy said he called the cops afterward and they took him to thr nearby Navy base for questioning. Sounds like a post-experiment psychoanalysis lol.
It's not even a mystery. UFO sightings and close encounters (understood to be extraterrestrials) were a creation of, and now a cultural relic of, the Cold War. UFO Sightings massively proliferated in the 1950s; the famous Betty and Barney Hill abduction, the first major reported such incident, wasn't until 1961.
The real interesting bit is how close encounter narratives shifted to parrallel increasing US / USSR hostility. Early close encounter stories from the 60s had the aliens be peaceful and kind who would give contactees a tour of their spaceship. By the late 70s-80s that shifts to the Fire in The Sky style narrative where the aliens are forceful kidnappers who physically and sexually assault terrified abductees.
There are a few reported "Mystery airship" sightings from the late 1800's.
Very interesting. I wonder what role the proliferation of electric lighting had to do with that.
Probably a lot. When I was a kid i saw a strange light in the sky that just hovered there and I started thinking it was a UFO or something. It turned out it was a jet flying straight towards my location, and veered off after about a half hour at which point I could see the tail light. I imagine a light in the distance my produce the same effect in the right situation if you weren't used to seeing that. People also just like to lie about this kind of stuff for fun.
Suddenly remembering that story about that family in Kentucky that spent all night firing shotguns out their windows and then said they'd been fighting off the greys.
deleted by creator
I suppose we'll never know for sure but personally I doubt the CIA had anything to do with the Hill abduction. They were driving late at night and Betty's later recollection of the aliens was similar to depictions of aliens in the contemporary Outer Limits show. I'd chalk it up to sleep deprivation and strange dreams.
There was an episode of a UFO TV show about an abduction and thr guy said he called the cops afterward and they took him to thr nearby Navy base for questioning. Sounds like a post-experiment psychoanalysis lol.