Brief
Benjamin Simon
The claims the writer was given for Benjamin Simon, in the order they were given.
1
Benjamin Simon is a psychiatrist based in the Boston area.
“He's a psychiatrist in the Boston area”
The Hypnotist Who Unlocked Betty & Barney Hill’s Alien Memories | Dr. Benjamin Simon Speaks 00:00:12.3-00:00:13.8 administrative first hand
2
Benjamin Simon was called on to interview, psychoanalyse, and hypnotise Betty Hill and Barney Hill.
“he was called on to interview, psychoanalyze, and hypnotize Betty Hill and Barney Hill”
The Hypnotist Who Unlocked Betty & Barney Hill’s Alien Memories | Dr. Benjamin Simon Speaks 00:00:14.4-00:00:20.6 administrative first hand
3
In late 1963, near Christmas time, Benjamin Simon kept an appointment his secretary had made with Barney Hill.
“Well, it was in late '63, quite near Christmas time. And I kept an appointment which my secretary had made with a Mr. Barney Hill.”
The Hypnotist Who Unlocked Betty & Barney Hill’s Alien Memories | Dr. Benjamin Simon Speaks 00:01:24.4-00:01:34.2 testimony first hand
4
Barney Hill had been under treatment for about a year with a New Hampshire psychiatrist for marked anxiety before being referred to Benjamin Simon.
“He gave me the several stories that he had been under treatment for about a year with a New Hampshire psychiatrist. for marked anxiety, had also symptoms of high blood pressure. And over the year, he hadn't gotten very far and was ultimately recommended to me by his psychiatrist.”
The Hypnotist Who Unlocked Betty & Barney Hill’s Alien Memories | Dr. Benjamin Simon Speaks 00:01:44.0-00:02:07.4 testimony first hand
5
Barney Hill also had symptoms of high blood pressure.
“had also symptoms of high blood pressure”
The Hypnotist Who Unlocked Betty & Barney Hill’s Alien Memories | Dr. Benjamin Simon Speaks 00:01:55.7-00:01:58.1 testimony first hand
6
Barney and Betty Hill's case began with a six-page report from the National Investigations Committee on Aerial Phenomena (NICAP) describing their sighting of an unidentified flying object.
“they began almost at the beginning with a six-page report from NICAP...this was the story of their seeing an unidentified flying object, which was investigated by a NICAP investigator who made this report”
The Hypnotist Who Unlocked Betty & Barney Hill’s Alien Memories | Dr. Benjamin Simon Speaks 00:02:15.3-00:02:36.0 testimony first hand
7
The NICAP investigator who wrote the report on the Betty and Barney Hill sighting believed their story.
“He had intimated that they were put on his people and that he believed the story.”
The Hypnotist Who Unlocked Betty & Barney Hill’s Alien Memories | Dr. Benjamin Simon Speaks 00:02:40.6-00:02:46.4 testimony first hand
8
Barney and Betty Hill's account of the missing two hours first came to light during Barney Hill's treatment by his New Hampshire psychiatrist.
“That story had first come to light doing the treatment by his New Hampshire psychiatrist.”
The Hypnotist Who Unlocked Betty & Barney Hill’s Alien Memories | Dr. Benjamin Simon Speaks 00:02:47.7-00:02:55.1 testimony first hand
9
Barney Hill's anxiety symptoms began just after the sighting he and Betty Hill reported.
“Barney's symptoms had begun just after they had this supposed sighting.”
The Hypnotist Who Unlocked Betty & Barney Hill’s Alien Memories | Dr. Benjamin Simon Speaks 00:03:25.1-00:03:30.6 testimony first hand
10
Betty Hill responded to the sighting with a series of nightmarish dreams extending over a week or more.
“Betty had responded by a series of dreams extending over a week or more about nightmarish quality.”
The Hypnotist Who Unlocked Betty & Barney Hill’s Alien Memories | Dr. Benjamin Simon Speaks 00:03:31.9-00:03:38.4 testimony first hand
11
Benjamin Simon treated Barney and Betty Hill using hypnosis to penetrate what appeared to be an amnesic period with a vague background, covering approximately a two-hour gap on their trip home from Canada.
“to take both of the treatment and to use hypnosis to penetrate what appeared to be an amnesic period with very vague background. The only feeling they had was that coming back on a trip from Canada, they got home about two hours later than they should have, and they had no idea what had happened”
The Hypnotist Who Unlocked Betty & Barney Hill’s Alien Memories | Dr. Benjamin Simon Speaks 00:03:47.5-00:04:13.5 testimony first hand
12
Barney and Betty Hill came to Benjamin Simon for treatment, not for a UFO investigation, and everything about the UFO story that followed was a consequence of the findings made during that treatment.
“I must insist that everyone understand that these two people came to me not for an investigation of UFOs or any of the things that led us to law...All of the rest that transpired afterwards...story and everything was a consequence of the findings in doing the treatment of the two”
The Hypnotist Who Unlocked Betty & Barney Hill’s Alien Memories | Dr. Benjamin Simon Speaks 00:04:18.5-00:04:46.9 opinion first hand
13
Benjamin Simon's treatment of Barney and Betty Hill was substantially successful in about seven months.
“which was substantially successful in about seven months”
The Hypnotist Who Unlocked Betty & Barney Hill’s Alien Memories | Dr. Benjamin Simon Speaks 00:04:48.0-00:04:50.9 testimony first hand
14
Benjamin Simon began the hypnosis sessions from a starting point at Montreal, Quebec, Canada, where Barney and Betty Hill had been at the top of their journey home from Niagara Falls to New Hampshire.
“I took them back to a starting point of Montreal. They had been to Niagara Falls and were coming home. And Montreal, you might say, was at the top of the journey...coming down to New Hampshire.”
The Hypnotist Who Unlocked Betty & Barney Hill’s Alien Memories | Dr. Benjamin Simon Speaks 00:05:09.2-00:05:25.5 testimony first hand
15
Benjamin Simon hypnotised Barney Hill and Betty Hill one at a time, beginning with Barney Hill, directing each to relive and act out the trip rather than simply give a written report.
“under hypnosis, which was quite deep, told him, well, I took him one at a time before, so we begin with Barney, and directed him to tell me everything that happened on that trip...Here they were to really act out or relive that trip.”
The Hypnotist Who Unlocked Betty & Barney Hill’s Alien Memories | Dr. Benjamin Simon Speaks 00:05:34.2-00:05:52.7 testimony first hand
16
Barney Hill and Betty Hill gave the same story under hypnosis, which was precisely like the story written up by the NICAP investigator, with no significant differences between the three accounts.
“Barney and Betty gave the same story. And that story was precisely like the story that had been written up by the NICAP investigators. There were no significant difference, in fact, actually no differences between the three.”
The Hypnotist Who Unlocked Betty & Barney Hill’s Alien Memories | Dr. Benjamin Simon Speaks 00:06:19.7-00:06:36.6 testimony first hand
17
During hypnosis, Barney Hill's account of the trip up to the sighting revealed, mostly from his unconscious, a marked anxiety about being a black man in a white culture during the road trip.
“What marked the trip, particularly from Barney's point of view, up to the time of the sighting, was a revelation, coming mostly from his unconscious, of the marked anxiety he had in being a black man in a white culture.”
The Hypnotist Who Unlocked Betty & Barney Hill’s Alien Memories | Dr. Benjamin Simon Speaks 00:06:54.2-00:07:11.5 observation first hand
18
Benjamin Simon considers Barney Hill's anxiety about being a black man in a white culture the most important part of the revelations about the feelings of a human being in surroundings he felt to be hostile.
“To me, this is the most important part in the revelations of the feelings of a human being in a surroundings which he felt to be inimical to him.”
The Hypnotist Who Unlocked Betty & Barney Hill’s Alien Memories | Dr. Benjamin Simon Speaks 00:07:12.5-00:07:22.7 opinion first hand
19
During the drive south, Barney Hill worried whether he would be allowed into places they stopped, such as places to eat or a hotel.
“as he made trip down, they would stop to eat. You would wonder if you were going to be allowed in or they stopped at a hotel or something like that. Whether they would accept it.”
The Hypnotist Who Unlocked Betty & Barney Hill’s Alien Memories | Dr. Benjamin Simon Speaks 00:07:23.9-00:07:35.9 testimony first hand
20
Under hypnosis, Barney Hill described a state of intense fear before the sighting in which he groveled on the ground and screamed with terror, near some lonely woods where he feared bears might come out and harm him.
“it got to a point where they were in near some lonely woods where he wondered if there were bears and the bears might come out and harm him. There were some experience on up in a intense fear in which he, as would be seen in the movie, groveled on the ground, screamed with terror, and that preceded the actual sighting”
The Hypnotist Who Unlocked Betty & Barney Hill’s Alien Memories | Dr. Benjamin Simon Speaks 00:08:09.0-00:08:33.9 testimony first hand
21
Barney and Betty Hill described the sighted vehicle as often round, saucer-shaped or crescent-shaped, with men aboard.
“that preceded the actual sighting, which I've seen the well-described type of vehicles often round saucer-shaped, crescent-shape, whatever you will, of the men there.”
The Hypnotist Who Unlocked Betty & Barney Hill’s Alien Memories | Dr. Benjamin Simon Speaks 00:08:31.7-00:08:44.0 testimony first hand
22
Barney and Betty Hill initially tried to determine what the sighted object was, considering it might be a plane or a Piper Cub.
“They were trying to determine what it was. They thought of a plane, of a Piper Cub, various things like that.”
The Hypnotist Who Unlocked Betty & Barney Hill’s Alien Memories | Dr. Benjamin Simon Speaks 00:08:54.2-00:09:00.8 testimony first hand
23
Barney Hill did not show strong conviction that the sighted object was anything other than a wayward plane.
“Barney did not show strong convictions that it was anything but some wayward plane or what you will.”
The Hypnotist Who Unlocked Betty & Barney Hill’s Alien Memories | Dr. Benjamin Simon Speaks 00:09:01.2-00:09:08.8 observation first hand
24
Betty Hill stayed in the car for most of the sighting while Barney Hill was outside.
“Betty stayed in the car for the most part.”
The Hypnotist Who Unlocked Betty & Barney Hill’s Alien Memories | Dr. Benjamin Simon Speaks 00:09:10.1-00:09:12.4 testimony first hand
25
Betty and Barney Hill's dog, Delphi, was frightened during the sighting.
“Thier little dog, Delphi, was frightened.”
The Hypnotist Who Unlocked Betty & Barney Hill’s Alien Memories | Dr. Benjamin Simon Speaks 00:09:13.3-00:09:15.5 testimony first hand
26
Benjamin Simon observed that Betty Hill was more anxious about Barney Hill walking away from and back to the car than about what they had seen, though she herself thought it was some sort of UFO.
“It seemed to me she was much more anxious about Barney out on the road and sort of walking away and then back to the car. Then she wasn't about what they saw, though she herself thought that it was some sort of UFO.”
The Hypnotist Who Unlocked Betty & Barney Hill’s Alien Memories | Dr. Benjamin Simon Speaks 00:09:19.5-00:09:33.4 observation first hand
27
Betty Hill had much more conviction that the sighted object was a UFO than Barney Hill did.
“She had much more conviction on that than Barney.”
The Hypnotist Who Unlocked Betty & Barney Hill’s Alien Memories | Dr. Benjamin Simon Speaks 00:09:33.7-00:09:35.6 observation first hand
28
Barney Hill's hypnosis session ended on a note of exaltation, with his fears quieted and feeling better, after which he took a deep breath and went home in his account.
“I finished Barney on a sort of a note of exaltation. His fears were quieted, and he was feeling better...He had been through an experience and took a deep breath and went home.”
The Hypnotist Who Unlocked Betty & Barney Hill’s Alien Memories | Dr. Benjamin Simon Speaks 00:10:18.5-00:10:29.3 observation first hand
29
Betty Hill's story matched Barney Hill's story up to the point of the sighting, but she gave more detail and showed less terror, and continued the narrative further than Barney did.
“Betty's story and Barnie's were the same. She, being a different personality, gave a little more gandy to it and so on, didn't show as much terror, and she went much further than Barney”
The Hypnotist Who Unlocked Betty & Barney Hill’s Alien Memories | Dr. Benjamin Simon Speaks 00:10:39.2-00:10:52.2 observation first hand
30
Betty Hill's account described the sighted UFO as landing, making beeping sounds, stalling their car's motor, and causing silver-like spots to appear on the car.
“Betty's story went on beyond that in telling the story of having been, that the UFO had landed, had made beeping sounds and had stalled their motor and various things of that sort and had caused silver-like spots to appear on their car.”
The Hypnotist Who Unlocked Betty & Barney Hill’s Alien Memories | Dr. Benjamin Simon Speaks 00:11:05.8-00:11:25.6 testimony first hand
31
Betty Hill's account described men emerging from the landed UFO with a rather oriental cast, presumed to be extraterrestrial visitors.
“men emerged from it, and I suppose everyone who has seen the movie had to see what the men were supposed to look like, a rather oriental cast and so on, a usual type of presumed extraterritorial visitors from wherever they may come.”
The Hypnotist Who Unlocked Betty & Barney Hill’s Alien Memories | Dr. Benjamin Simon Speaks 00:11:30.6-00:11:47.9 testimony first hand
32
Betty Hill's account described being taken aboard the UFO, with Barney Hill, his eyes closed, being half-dragged by two men to the vehicle while Betty walked with her eyes open, led by the apparent leader of the group.
“She went on with a fantastic story of having been taken aboard. She described Barney as, with his eyes closed, as sort of suspended between two men who were half dragging him along to the same vehicle, and she had her eyes open and did not have to be dragged, and she was taken along by what appeared to be the leader of the group”
The Hypnotist Who Unlocked Betty & Barney Hill’s Alien Memories | Dr. Benjamin Simon Speaks 00:11:49.0-00:12:12.6 testimony first hand
33
In Betty Hill's account, she and Barney Hill were separated aboard the UFO, with Barney taken to a room for an examination presumably similar to the physical examination conducted on Betty.
“They were separated. Barney was taken into a room, presumably for the same purpose as she was, into her room, that is an examination, and on board they conducted a physical examination of her”
The Hypnotist Who Unlocked Betty & Barney Hill’s Alien Memories | Dr. Benjamin Simon Speaks 00:12:15.3-00:12:26.9 testimony first hand
34
Benjamin Simon says he believes implicitly in the honesty of Barney and Betty Hill.
“I believe implicitly in the honesty of these people”
The Hypnotist Who Unlocked Betty & Barney Hill’s Alien Memories | Dr. Benjamin Simon Speaks 00:12:39.6-00:12:41.8 opinion first hand
35
Benjamin Simon did not consider Barney and Betty Hill's experience to be psychotic hallucination.
“There certainly was not psychotic hallucinations.”
The Hypnotist Who Unlocked Betty & Barney Hill’s Alien Memories | Dr. Benjamin Simon Speaks 00:12:51.4-00:12:53.0 opinion first hand
36
Benjamin Simon considers Betty Hill's account of being examined and taken aboard the UFO a marked deviation from the matter-of-fact accounts given up to that point, though not psychotic hallucination.
“when she began to give all the experiences of being examined, taken aboard, reading maps, all sorts of things like that, I still didn't feel they were hallucinations in the more psychotic sense, but they certainly were a marked deviation from the very matter-of-fact things that had gone up to then.”
The Hypnotist Who Unlocked Betty & Barney Hill’s Alien Memories | Dr. Benjamin Simon Speaks 00:13:01.9-00:13:20.6 opinion first hand
37
Benjamin Simon defines a UFO as simply an unidentified flying object, which can be a weather balloon or something misinterpreted, and whose definition does not by itself imply visitation from outer space.
“I must define UFO as I see it. It means an unidentified flying object, and that's all it means. It can be Mendel's balloons, weather balloons, misinterpreted, or anything else. It does not by its definition, imply visitation from out of space”
The Hypnotist Who Unlocked Betty & Barney Hill’s Alien Memories | Dr. Benjamin Simon Speaks 00:14:12.3-00:14:28.4 opinion first hand
38
Benjamin Simon says he has personally seen a couple of UFOs which both later became identified flying objects (IFOs).
“I, too, have seen a couple of UFOs, and both of them became IFOs at a later time. That is, they became identified flying objects.”
The Hypnotist Who Unlocked Betty & Barney Hill’s Alien Memories | Dr. Benjamin Simon Speaks 00:14:35.2-00:14:42.0 observation first hand
39
Benjamin Simon found that up to the point of the sighting, Barney and Betty Hill's stories were exactly alike, but from that point onward Betty's account of the abduction was far more vivid and detailed while Barney simply felt himself being supported with his eyes closed, and nothing in Betty's account of the abduction appeared in Barney's account.
“up to the point of the sighting and those experiences, the two stories were exactly alike...Betty's experiences were far more vivid, fog there, and much more material there than Barney, who simply felt himself as being supportive with his eyes closed...Nothing of Betty's story, but nothing was in Barney's story.”
The Hypnotist Who Unlocked Betty & Barney Hill’s Alien Memories | Dr. Benjamin Simon Speaks 00:15:02.7-00:15:24.5 observation first hand
40
The question of whether the abduction story was valid came up later, after the hypnosis sessions were complete and the material was reviewed.
“The question of validity came up much later when everything was over and we were going over the material.”
The Hypnotist Who Unlocked Betty & Barney Hill’s Alien Memories | Dr. Benjamin Simon Speaks 00:15:54.2-00:15:58.8 testimony first hand
41
Barney and Betty Hill both gave the same clear account that the missing two hours were due to an abduction which they supposed had taken place and had been repressed on instruction from the visitors.
“Both of them gave the same...It was not due to that abduction, which they suppose had taken place in the two hours and had been repressed on instruction from these visitors.”
The Hypnotist Who Unlocked Betty & Barney Hill’s Alien Memories | Dr. Benjamin Simon Speaks 00:16:04.3-00:16:16.9 testimony first hand
42
Benjamin Simon says that if the abduction story were true, two other people undergoing the same two-hour experience should give identical testimony, and everything else in the Hills' accounts was identical up to the point of the abduction, but the abduction accounts themselves were markedly different.
“if it was true, they should be identical. Everything else was identical up until then. But now the question, they two were not alike, very markedly different.”
The Hypnotist Who Unlocked Betty & Barney Hill’s Alien Memories | Dr. Benjamin Simon Speaks 00:16:31.1-00:16:42.8 opinion first hand
43
Betty Hill's account included the detail of a needle being inserted into her navel during the examination aboard the UFO.
“Betty gave by far the most elaborate story, the needle in the navel and all the things which I can't stop to describe.”
The Hypnotist Who Unlocked Betty & Barney Hill’s Alien Memories | Dr. Benjamin Simon Speaks 00:16:51.6-00:16:57.4 testimony first hand
44
Benjamin Simon determined that some detail in the equipment described by Betty Hill in the examination aboard the UFO resembled American-style or American-type instruments, which raised questions for him.
“Oh, everything you worked on was American style or American type instruments. And even in England, for example, while surgeons may do the same thing, the instruments may accomplish the same, and they're different.”
The Hypnotist Who Unlocked Betty & Barney Hill’s Alien Memories | Dr. Benjamin Simon Speaks 00:17:22.8-00:17:34.3 opinion first hand
45
Benjamin Simon determined that the difference between Barney Hill's minimal account and Betty Hill's elaborate account of the abduction was the turning point that led him to look for an explanation of the story's origin.
“the turning point was, again, as I said, that difference in their two stories. And the second realization that Betty gave a very elaborate story...and Barney gave a minimal story that everything that occurred with Barney was known to Betty and nothing of Betty was known to Barney. Then I realized that there had to be some substance, something behind that difference.”
The Hypnotist Who Unlocked Betty & Barney Hill’s Alien Memories | Dr. Benjamin Simon Speaks 00:17:45.2-00:18:11.6 opinion first hand
46
Betty Hill told Benjamin Simon that she had not told Barney Hill about her nightmarish dreams because he was working nights and was not home.
“I asked Betty if she had told her dreams to Barney. She said, no, he was working nights, so he wasn't home.”
The Hypnotist Who Unlocked Betty & Barney Hill’s Alien Memories | Dr. Benjamin Simon Speaks 00:18:30.9-00:18:36.6 testimony first hand
47
Barney Hill told Benjamin Simon that Betty Hill had not told him about her dreams.
“When I asked Barney if she told him, he said, no.”
The Hypnotist Who Unlocked Betty & Barney Hill’s Alien Memories | Dr. Benjamin Simon Speaks 00:18:37.7-00:18:40.2 testimony first hand
48
Benjamin Simon considers that a hypnotised person tells the truth as they see it, which may not be the true reality, without this meaning they have lied.
“there's one thing that is important that a hypnotized person tells the truth. But you've got to remember...that he tells it as he sees it, as it sees the truth to him, which may not be the true reality. That doesn't mean he has lied or maligned.”
The Hypnotist Who Unlocked Betty & Barney Hill’s Alien Memories | Dr. Benjamin Simon Speaks 00:18:42.5-00:18:58.4 opinion first hand
49
Betty Hill told Benjamin Simon she had written down her nightmarish dreams at the time they occurred, back in 1961, but could not initially find them.
“She said she had written them down at the time they occurred. That means way back in '61. But couldn't find... I asked her to bring it in. She said she couldn't find the dreams.”
The Hypnotist Who Unlocked Betty & Barney Hill’s Alien Memories | Dr. Benjamin Simon Speaks 00:19:16.7-00:19:28.1 testimony first hand
50
Benjamin Simon directed Betty Hill under hypnosis to locate her written dream record, and she subsequently found it and brought it to a session.
“I subsequently directed her under hypnosis to bring it in, and she found it and brought it in.”
The Hypnotist Who Unlocked Betty & Barney Hill’s Alien Memories | Dr. Benjamin Simon Speaks 00:19:29.6-00:19:34.5 testimony first hand
51
When asked if her abduction story matched her earlier dreams, Betty Hill initially denied it, saying that in the dreams she had gone up a ramp whereas in the reality she had gone up steps.
“She said, well, in the dreams, she had gone up a ramp. And in the reality, she'd gone up some steps.”
The Hypnotist Who Unlocked Betty & Barney Hill’s Alien Memories | Dr. Benjamin Simon Speaks 00:19:51.3-00:19:56.3 testimony first hand
52
Betty Hill's written dream record, typed out by herself at the time in 1961, matched her hypnotic abduction account exactly except that the dreams described going up both a ramp and steps.
“they were exactly alike with one difference. That in the dreams, she went up both a ramp and steps.”
The Hypnotist Who Unlocked Betty & Barney Hill’s Alien Memories | Dr. Benjamin Simon Speaks 00:20:36.8-00:20:42.4 observation first hand
53
Benjamin Simon concluded that Betty Hill's fantastic abduction story derived from her nightmarish dreams, and was satisfied he did not need to accept the existence of a genuine visitation from outer space as an explanation.
“that gave me an answer at that point, that this fantastic story was her dreams, and therefore we could fit that very well with reality...I was satisfied. I didn't have to look any further for an explanation. I wouldn't have to accept under our present conditions the existence of this just amount of space”
The Hypnotist Who Unlocked Betty & Barney Hill’s Alien Memories | Dr. Benjamin Simon Speaks 00:20:56.8-00:21:25.3 opinion first hand
54
Benjamin Simon says he is not impressed by and has not looked into recent claims about star discoveries related to Betty Hill's star map.
“about the day's discovery i'm uh i've been they've been mentioned i'm not impressed i haven't gone into it”
The Hypnotist Who Unlocked Betty & Barney Hill’s Alien Memories | Dr. Benjamin Simon Speaks 00:21:45.8-00:21:52.0 opinion first hand
55
During her account of the abduction, the leader aboard the UFO told Betty Hill he would tell her where they came from if she told him where she came from, then showed her a mask containing a map of stars.
“the leader, she got quite friendly, and he told her to answer her questioning about where they were and where they came from. And he said, well, he would tell her where they came from if she would tell him where she came from. And so he pulled down a mask, which had a bunch of stars in it, and showed it to her”
The Hypnotist Who Unlocked Betty & Barney Hill’s Alien Memories | Dr. Benjamin Simon Speaks 00:22:43.2-00:23:08.1 testimony first hand
56
Betty Hill later drew a star map for Benjamin Simon showing a number of stars and lines, one set representing trade routes between the stars and another representing expeditions.
“I asked her later to draw me that map. And what she drew was a map with a number of stars in it and a lot of lines, dotted lines and hard lines, one of which she said represented trade routes between the stars in the universe, and the other one represented trade routes...or expeditions.”
The Hypnotist Who Unlocked Betty & Barney Hill’s Alien Memories | Dr. Benjamin Simon Speaks 00:23:11.3-00:23:34.6 testimony first hand
57
Betty Hill's star map was later illustrated in the book and shown in the film about the case, and resembled a bobtail cucumber shape.
“This case ended up in the map that you see in the book or have seen illustrated and what you saw in the movie at the end. If you can call it a map, it looked like a sort of a bobtail cucumber.”
The Hypnotist Who Unlocked Betty & Barney Hill’s Alien Memories | Dr. Benjamin Simon Speaks 00:23:36.7-00:23:51.8 observation first hand
58
Betty Hill's star map shows a set of stars that she believed coincided with a pattern shown to her.
“that, and she superimposed that on her map, and it said to her that these stars all coincided.”
The Hypnotist Who Unlocked Betty & Barney Hill’s Alien Memories | Dr. Benjamin Simon Speaks 00:24:16.0-00:24:22.2 opinion second hand
59
According to Betty Hill's account, when she could not show where Earth was located, the beings said that if she did not know where she was, they would not tell her where they were or where they came from.
“But when she couldn't show him where she was, he said, well, if you don't know where you are, we won't tell you where we are or where we came from.”
The Hypnotist Who Unlocked Betty & Barney Hill’s Alien Memories | Dr. Benjamin Simon Speaks 00:24:31.5-00:24:42.2 hearsay second hand
60
Benjamin Simon considers that Betty Hill could not show her own location because she was depicting the map from Earth's viewpoint, standing on the very point she needed to indicate, rather than from a viewpoint out in space.
“In other words, she was giving this from the viewpoint of the Earth, not of someone who's out in space, and therefore she couldn't show the thing she was standing on.”
The Hypnotist Who Unlocked Betty & Barney Hill’s Alien Memories | Dr. Benjamin Simon Speaks 00:24:49.5-00:24:57.9 opinion first hand
61
Betty Hill claimed that one of the stars she placed on her star map had only recently been discovered at the time she drew it.
“Well, she claims that one of those stars that she put on there has just recently been discovered.”
The Hypnotist Who Unlocked Betty & Barney Hill’s Alien Memories | Dr. Benjamin Simon Speaks 00:25:01.4-00:25:10.6 hearsay second hand
62
Benjamin Simon considers that if Betty Hill's claim about a recently-discovered star on her star map is true and the map is valid, the only explanation would be that she has precognition.
“If that is true, of course, and if her map is valid, then the only thing she can claim is that she has precognition.”
The Hypnotist Who Unlocked Betty & Barney Hill’s Alien Memories | Dr. Benjamin Simon Speaks 00:25:11.4-00:25:17.9 opinion first hand
63
Benjamin Simon's son identified the star pattern on Betty Hill's star map as the constellation Pegasus.
“He said, well, that's a constellation of Pegasus.”
The Hypnotist Who Unlocked Betty & Barney Hill’s Alien Memories | Dr. Benjamin Simon Speaks 00:26:01.3-00:26:02.6 testimony second hand
64
Benjamin Simon considers the star-map matter not particularly relevant to his construction of the Betty and Barney Hill case, which he views as internally factual and psychological, and not something proven by hindsight.
“At any rate, I say that's not so relevant to the construction that I have about the case, which is internally a factual and psychological one and is not proving anything by hindsight.”
The Hypnotist Who Unlocked Betty & Barney Hill’s Alien Memories | Dr. Benjamin Simon Speaks 00:26:07.2-00:26:20.5 opinion first hand
65
Betty Hill considers her star map a milestone proof of her belief that she was kidnapped.
“except she considers that a marked... milestone in the proof of her belief, which she said she's sure of, that she was kidnapped, and so on.”
The Hypnotist Who Unlocked Betty & Barney Hill’s Alien Memories | Dr. Benjamin Simon Speaks 00:26:24.8-00:26:34.2 opinion second hand
66
Barney Hill denied that Betty Hill had told him her dreams.
“Barney denied that she had told him her dreams.”
The Hypnotist Who Unlocked Betty & Barney Hill’s Alien Memories | Dr. Benjamin Simon Speaks 00:26:48.0-00:26:50.0 hearsay second hand
67
Betty Hill denied that she had told Barney Hill her dreams.
“She denied that she had told him her dreams.”
The Hypnotist Who Unlocked Betty & Barney Hill’s Alien Memories | Dr. Benjamin Simon Speaks 00:26:51.0-00:26:52.5 hearsay second hand
68
Betty Hill told her dreams about the abduction to her supervisor and her sister.
“She says, oh, yes, my supervisor, my sister. When we got to work, we'd come home and have tea together, and I told her my dreams.”
The Hypnotist Who Unlocked Betty & Barney Hill’s Alien Memories | Dr. Benjamin Simon Speaks 00:27:00.8-00:27:09.9 testimony second hand
69
Betty Hill's supervisor asked her how she knew that her accounts were dreams and not true, which Benjamin Simon considers to have planted the idea that the accounts had to be true.
“And she said that it was my supervisor who said, Betty, how do you know these are dreams? How do you know it isn't true? This is planting the seed now that this has to be true.”
The Hypnotist Who Unlocked Betty & Barney Hill’s Alien Memories | Dr. Benjamin Simon Speaks 00:27:13.2-00:27:23.8 opinion second hand
70
Benjamin Simon considers that what Betty Hill called dreams were not just isolated dreams she had written down, but that the whole structure of her story had the character of a dream.
“By the way, when I say dreams, I'm not only referring to that she had dreams, that she'd written them down, but the whole structure of the story was that of a dream.”
The Hypnotist Who Unlocked Betty & Barney Hill’s Alien Memories | Dr. Benjamin Simon Speaks 00:27:37.1-00:27:44.7 opinion first hand
71
Donald Menzel of Harvard described many aerial phenomena, including weather balloons, that under certain weather conditions can look like UFOs (Unidentified Flying Objects).
“Menzel of Harvard has described many aerial phenomena, weather balloons and thoughts that under certain weather conditions can look like UFOs.”
The Hypnotist Who Unlocked Betty & Barney Hill’s Alien Memories | Dr. Benjamin Simon Speaks 00:29:40.8-00:29:51.4 testimony second hand
72
A scientist in Washington proposed ball lightning as a possible base stimulus for UFO (Unidentified Flying Object) sightings.
“A class in Washington has cited, has mentioned his theory of ball lightning as a base stimulus.”
The Hypnotist Who Unlocked Betty & Barney Hill’s Alien Memories | Dr. Benjamin Simon Speaks 00:29:52.7-00:30:00.6 testimony second hand
73
Benjamin Simon concluded that the two stimuli behind Betty and Barney Hill's sighting were an American Airlines plane, which he had seen long before knowing the Hills, and a brilliantly lighted sign outside Hartford, Connecticut, reflected through misty sky.
“the two stimuli, without giving the story, turned out to be the American Airlines plane, and the one which I saw long before I ever knew the Hill's and one subsequently unseen by me, and another is a guy that turned out to be a brilliantly lighted sign outside of Hartford, which was reflected through misty sky.”
The Hypnotist Who Unlocked Betty & Barney Hill’s Alien Memories | Dr. Benjamin Simon Speaks 00:30:03.7-00:30:24.5 opinion first hand
74
Benjamin Simon considers that a scene in the film The UFO Incident showing men working in the road at the Hills' last stop could easily have been misinterpreted by the Hills as a UFO (Unidentified Flying Object).
“they cut that into the movie, it's not that clear, is that when they stopped at their last place, it looked as if some men working in the road, and if you saw the movie, that is shown there, and that could have been very much a thing misinterpreted as a UFO in the other sense of the word.”
The Hypnotist Who Unlocked Betty & Barney Hill’s Alien Memories | Dr. Benjamin Simon Speaks 00:30:31.7-00:30:54.9 opinion first hand
75
When the National Investigations Committee on Aerial Phenomena (NICAP) interviewed Betty and Barney Hill, NICAP accepted their story completely.
“When Betty and Barney Hill were interviewed by NICAP, do you know, did the people in NICAP buy their story, Hook, Line, and Sinker? ... Yes.”
The Hypnotist Who Unlocked Betty & Barney Hill’s Alien Memories | Dr. Benjamin Simon Speaks 00:31:01.0-00:31:12.5 testimony first hand
76
Benjamin Simon considers it one of the greatest mistakes by the National Investigations Committee on Aerial Phenomena (NICAP) that its interviewer, a scientist, never went to look at silver spots, about the size of a silver dollar, that Betty and Barney Hill said were still visible on the back of their car.
“And NICAP made one of the greatest mistakes I have ever seen. And that is that the interviewer was a scientist. And there was a story of these silver spots about the size of a silver dollar on the back of their car. ... And for God knows what reason, he never went out to look at them.”
The Hypnotist Who Unlocked Betty & Barney Hill’s Alien Memories | Dr. Benjamin Simon Speaks 00:31:14.0-00:31:39.4 opinion first hand
77
Only Betty Hill and Barney Hill reported seeing the silver spots on the back of their car.
“Well, nobody but Betty and Barney.”
The Hypnotist Who Unlocked Betty & Barney Hill’s Alien Memories | Dr. Benjamin Simon Speaks 00:31:45.1-00:31:47.1 testimony first hand
78
The silver spots on Betty and Barney Hill's car eventually washed away.
“They were washed away eventually.”
The Hypnotist Who Unlocked Betty & Barney Hill’s Alien Memories | Dr. Benjamin Simon Speaks 00:32:06.4-00:32:07.9 testimony first hand
79
Benjamin Simon believed that Betty Hill and Barney Hill were both telling the truth when Betty denied telling her dreams to Barney and Barney denied being told, and he sought to explain how Betty's story reached Barney nonetheless.
“how did when Betty denied telling it to Barney and Barney denied being told, there I was again because I believe they were telling the truth. How did this Betty story get to Barney or fragments of it?”
The Hypnotist Who Unlocked Betty & Barney Hill’s Alien Memories | Dr. Benjamin Simon Speaks 00:32:16.4-00:32:28.9 opinion first hand
80
Barney Hill was working nights during the period when Betty Hill discussed her dreams with her sister and supervisor.
“Well, of course, he was working nights.”
The Hypnotist Who Unlocked Betty & Barney Hill’s Alien Memories | Dr. Benjamin Simon Speaks 00:32:42.7-00:32:44.9 testimony second hand
81
Barney Hill was in the corner of the room occupied with something while Betty Hill discussed her dreams with others in his presence.
“Well, he was over in the corner fussing around with something.”
The Hypnotist Who Unlocked Betty & Barney Hill’s Alien Memories | Dr. Benjamin Simon Speaks 00:32:48.5-00:32:51.9 testimony second hand
82
Benjamin Simon concluded that Betty Hill did not verbally tell her dream story directly to Barney Hill, but told it in his presence, which is how Barney came to know it while both could truthfully say she had not told him.
“she didn't tell it to Barney, and the literal thing was that she didn't tell it to Barney coming from him. But she did tell it in Barney's presence, and that's where he got it. And so it was both the truth and lie.”
The Hypnotist Who Unlocked Betty & Barney Hill’s Alien Memories | Dr. Benjamin Simon Speaks 00:33:03.9-00:33:15.3 opinion first hand
83
Betty and Barney Hill began experiencing anxiety dreams and stress-related problems that became so severe they sought the help of Boston psychiatrist Dr. Benjamin Simon in January 1964.
“The couple began experiencing problems—anxiety dreams for Betty and stress-related problems for Barney—that became so severe that they sought the help of a Boston psychiatrist, Dr. Benjamin Simon, in January 1964.”
Hair of the Alien: DNA and Other Forensic Evidence for Alien Abductions 2005-11-14 ch15:12020-12228 observation
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Dr. Benjamin Simon found that the 1961 interrupted journey seemed to be the focus of the Hills' anxiety, and used hypnosis to explore the experience in hopes of resolving their problems.
“Dr. Simon soon learned that the 1961 "interrupted journey" seemed to be the focus of the couple's anxiety. He used hypnosis to explore the experience, hoping to rectify their problems.”
Hair of the Alien: DNA and Other Forensic Evidence for Alien Abductions 2005-11-14 ch15:12235-12410 observation second hand
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Dr. Benjamin Simon never believed the Hills' UFO abduction was real, regarding their story as a fantasy to be explored to relieve their anxiety.
“Dr. Simon never believed that the Hills' UFO abduction was real. For him, their story was a fantasy to be explored in an effort to relieve the associated anxiety.”
Hair of the Alien: DNA and Other Forensic Evidence for Alien Abductions 2005-11-14 ch15:12635-12789 opinion second hand
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Dr. Benjamin Simon said there is no medical procedure using a direct needle through the abdomen to examine a condition of pregnancy, and that this made him doubt the abduction story since it had no basis in medical practice.
“Of the "alien's pregnancy test" Dr. Simon said, "There's no such medical procedure that would use a direct needle through the abdomen to examine a condition of pregnancy. This is the sort of thing that makes me doubt the story of the abduction. It simply has no basis in medical practice."”
Hair of the Alien: DNA and Other Forensic Evidence for Alien Abductions 2005-11-14 ch15:12798-13077 opinion second hand