Travis Walton

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Travis Walton (born April 20, 1957 ) claims to have met a UFO on November 5, 1975 and was abducted by aliens while he was working in the Apache-Sitgreaves National Forest in Arizona .

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Case description

UFO Event: Travis Walton
Country: United States
Place: Apache-Sitgreaves National Forest
Date: 5th November 1975
Object: Flying saucer
Hynek classification : CE-4

A group of forest workers, consisting of seven people, claims to have seen a bright object in the shape of a flat disk, which was hovering over a pile of wood near the truck. According to statements from his work colleagues, Walton had left the truck and approached the object, where he was then struck by a bright beam of light or lightning. The workers fled the square out of fear. The head of the group, Mike Rogers, allegedly looked back during the escape and saw the object rise from the forest and fly away at great speed. They later drove back to see what had happened to Walton, but they couldn't find him or the UFO.

Since Walton initially disappeared, his work colleagues were investigated for possible murder until Walton reappeared five days later. Under hypnosis , he reported an alien abduction . He and his colleagues were also subjected to multiple polygraph tests, the results of which were judged inconsistent.

Walton later wrote books in which he set out his statements in more detail. The case was dealt with in detail in all standard ufology works and several documentaries, and was filmed in 1993.

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The Travis Walton case gained widespread attention due to the fact that, for the first time, there had been a prolonged disappearance associated with an alleged alien abduction and the use of lie detectors.

The case was initially received mostly positively by ufologists and cited as evidence of the existence of aliens, but doubts and criticism about the reality of the experience soon arose. Various sources pointed out that the members of the Walton family had been fascinated by unknown objects in flight for a long time and had reported sightings several times. They also sold their story to the National Enquirer , who had offered an award for the best proof of the existence of aliens. Furthermore, the alleged kidnapping prevented the forest workers group from having to pay a high contractual penalty because they had not kept the agreed logging volume. It was also pointed out on several occasions that just two weeks before the alleged kidnapping, a television film about the Betty and Barney Hill case , which some of those involved, including Walton, had seen, had been broadcast.

Some scientists either consider the case to be a fraud or argue that it is a misrepresentation of a real observation, either a misinterpretation of cognitive processes , i.e. psychological illusions , or optical illusions . Others argue that the descriptions obtained under hypnosis are false memories . Aspects such as escapism , hallucinations and masochistic fantasies were also pointed out.

literature

Movies

Web links

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ s. the collection of articles in: Robert Sheaffer: The Selling of the Travis Walton “Abduction” Story. Some background information .
  2. ↑ Anson Kennedy: "Fire in the Sky". The Walton Travesty. In: The Georgia Skeptic 6: 2 1993; see also Keith Thompson: Angels and other extraterrestrials. UFO phenomena in a new interpretation . Munich 1993, pp. 251f.
  3. ^ Alvin Lawson: Abductions and Birth Memories. 1997ff .; see also Jacques Vallée : Revelations . Munich 1997, p. 160f.
  4. ^ Leonard S. Newman and Roy F. Baumeister: Toward an Explanation of the UFO Abduction Phenomenon: Hypnotic Elaboration, Extraterrestrial Sadomasochism, and Spurious Memories . In: Psychological Inquiry 7: 2, 1996, pp. 99-126.
personal data
SURNAME Walton, Travis
BRIEF DESCRIPTION allegedly kidnapped by aliens
DATE OF BIRTH April 20, 1957