Do Aliens Exist? Are They Among Us?

Humans have always wondered if we’re alone in the universe. For some, there’s nothing left to question. Whether they’ve seen little green men or interdimensional travelers, hundreds have encountered extraterrestrial life.

Here are the best of those stories.

10. The Allagash Waterway Abduction

Sketch of the Allagash Waterway aliens as described by the witnesses.

Sometimes stories of alien abductions are bizarre events that trigger nationwide paranoia. Other times, they start like any other horror story.

After several nights camping in the woods of Maine, four friends decided to try their luck at fishing. It was a tranquil night on the forest lake. Among the many stars in the sky, one was particularly bright. They thought nothing of it, casting their lines into the still water. Then the “star” began to grow until its light filled their vision.

With no explanation, the men found themselves back at their campsite, their burning fire now a pile of ash. They had no idea how they'd gotten there.

Months later, one of the men convinced his friends to go under hypnosis. While half-conscious, they all relayed the same buried memories. The expanding star was an alien spacecraft in disguise, and the beings on board had subjected the men to intrusive research – including the removal of skin samples and bodily fluids.

All four men recalled the same physical details about the beings, which included almond-shaped eyes and four-fingered hands. One of them was able to draw what he had seen.

What Makes It So Creepy?

• All four men were subjected to lie detector tests after the incident. Each of them passed.
• Jim Weiner, the man who suggested hypnosis to his friends, did so after a car accident that caused a series of vivid nightmares.
• Another abductee, Chuck Rak, described the inside of the alien craft as being similar to a veterinarian's exam room.

The “star” approached the men after one of them sent an “SOS” signal with a flashlight.

This drawing was made by one of the abductees, and it depicts his memory of the events.

9. The Pascagoula Abduction

The two abductees and the beings they encountered.

When Charles Hickson and Calvin Parker went fishing in October, 1973, they probably didn't expect to hear anything but the rushing water of the Pascagoula. But alien visitors seem to have an attraction to fishermen.

Late into that autumn evening, an electronic buzzing filled the air. Hickson and Parker looked up to see an oval-shapedcraft floating before them. The flashes of its blue lights reflectedin the river's surface. The men were paralyzed by fear as three creatures emerged from the craft. According to Hickson, they were robot-like with wrinkled skin and fingerless hands.

Hickson would later describe floating onto the ship and, being examined by a strange object that floated around his frozen body in a room full of blinking lights.

The men reported the incident to the local sheriff's department. While doing so, the two were secretly recorded. Parker, still shaken, said he wanted to see a doctor. Hickson seemed to understand the reality of their situation. “They won't believe it,” he said in the recording.

What Makes It So Creepy?

• The beings seemed to have characteristics of organic and mechanical beings.
• The aliens were silent as they went about their work, acting as if this was part of a routine.
• Parker isn't entirely convinced the visitors were extra-terrestrials. He believes they might have been demons.

Hickson visited local schools to tell the students about his abduction.

This wasn't Hickson's only run-in with the beings. He reported other encounters that began in 1974.

8. The Manhattan Abduction

Depiction of a "gray," like the ones responsible for this encounter.

When people think of alien abductions, they tend to imagine small-town settings. By the end of the 1980s, otherworldly visitors must have tired of these obscure locations.

Linda Napolitano was sleeping in her Manhattan apartment on the morning of November 30, 1989, when she awoke to true terror – she was floating high above the city. Napolitano's first fear was plummeting to her death. Instead, she was rising toward a spacecraft that opened before her like a clam.

On board, Napolitano was aggressively handled by “grey” aliens. She heard words spoken in an unknown language and was forced onto a table for examination. One of the creatures even put its hand over her mouth to stop her screams.

Napolitano's story had a few high-profile witnesses. Javier Perez de Cuellar, a former UN Secretary General, was visiting New York that night. He would privately verify that he saw the abduction. His two bodyguards provided even more details. They saw Napolitano floating over the city and into the craft alongside three bald, ugly beings. Their fear immobilized them that night, but years later they kidnapped Napolitano and demanded information about the encounter.

What Makes It So Creepy?

• This is one of the boldest abduction cases in history, taking place directly above America's largest city.
• Cuellar and his bodyguards aren't the only witnesses. Several peoplesaw the craft from the Brooklyn Bridge.
• Over a decade later, a photo showed an unidentified craft floating outside of Napolitano's apartment.

One of the bodyguards believed Napolitano possessed supernatural powers.

The craft floating above the Manhattan skyline caused a traffic jam in the early hours of the morning.

7. The Fresno Nightcrawler

Investigator Victor Camacho with the original Fresno Nightcrawler footage.

It's rare for alien visitors to be caught on film. That makes the Fresno Nightcrawler so unique, and it has led to cult Internet fame.

In 2007, a Fresno man saw something disturbing on his lawn security camera. Far from the usual description of “grays,” the video showed what looked like a disembodied pair of legs walking through the empty night. Victor Camacho, a local paranormal investigator, received the footage from its anonymous owner. While the video is grainy with the typical blue hue of security footage, it went viral online among paranormal groups. One video received over a million views.

The video is short. Some have suggested that it's nothing more than a puppet made of white pants. Camacho believes that the video's owner was shaken by the experience. He refused to leave his house for several weeks after the creature was caught on film. When he did agree to talk about it, he refused to show his face.

What Makes It So Creepy?

• The video was featured on an episode of Fact or Faked: Paranormal Files. A debunking team failed to prove the video was a hoax through a variety of attempted recreations.
• Most people who encounter aliens describe humanoid creatures, but the Nightcrawler is unlike anything on Earth in its shape and movements.
• Camacho has suggested that the creature could actually be a species of extra-terrestrial insect.

One debunked rumor stated that the creature resembled wooden statues left behind by Native American tribes.

The Nightcrawler has been depicted on crafts and fan art available for purchase online.

6. The Jesse Long Abductions

Jesse Long, pictured here, experienced many abductions in his life.

In 1957, Jesse Long and his brother were playing behind their Tennessee home when they stumbled upon a tall, unearthly figure. As with many abduction cases, Long was taken on board a spacecraft and subjected to experiments. But his story differed in two key ways: this wasn't his only abduction, and he came back with proof.

Long was abducted many times in the following years. As an adult, he was even forced to have intercourse with some of the beings. Decades after his first encounter, Long had surgery to address pain in his shin. An object was removed from under his skin – an implant that resembled a piece of glass. When tested, its inexplicable composition left researchers with many questions.

In 1990, Long was on a cross-country trip when his car stopped moving. He knew he was being abducted again. This time, the beings introduced him to a childlike creature. Long struggled to contain his emotion when he was told that this was his daughter.

Long was shown several hybrid children, the results of his forced breeding. His offspring assured Long that their lives were safe and happy.

What Makes It So Creepy?

• The implant removed from Long's leg was studied by the South West Research Institute. Its origins were found to be mysterious.
• Some speculate that Long may have been part of a strange human/alien breeding program.
• These visitors aren't just stumbling upon random people to examine – they seem to have a darker purpose for their work.

In 1938, a man claimed to have been abducted and left with implants behind his ears.

Some researchers are convinced that there is a large-scale conspiracy to cross-breed alien species with humans.

5. The Men in Black

An image showing what many witnesses have described in their Men in Black encounters.

No, this isn't another Will Smith reboot. The origins of the real Men in Black are unknown. Some peoplewho have had alien encounters are visited by nondescript men in black suits and told to keep quiet.

One compelling Men in Black case is that of Dr. Herbert Hopkins. Hopkins was consulting on a UFO sighting when he received a phone call. Believing the caller to be another enthusiast, Hopkins welcomed the stranger to his home. He showed up after a few minutes wearing a black suit. The man was bald with no eyebrows, and his arrival upset Hopkins's dog immediately.

The man asked Hopkins to remove a coin from his own pocket. Hopkins watched in amazement as the coin grew silver in color and began to fade away from existence before his eyes. The man told Hopkins that he should consider dropping his work, because the same trick could be pulled on objects larger than coins.

Hopkins burned every file that was relevant to the case. It must have been the right move, because he never saw the man again.

What Makes It So Creepy?

• Men in Black encounters are a trend among those who have witnessed UFOs.
• Hopkin's visitor implied that tactics similar to that used on the vanishing coin were used to kill famous alien abductee Barney Hill.
• Many believe the Men in Black are government agents. Others maintain they are aliens tasked with keeping their presence on Earth under wraps.

UFO researcher Jack Robinson was watched by the Men in Black so regularly, one of his friends was able to snap this photograph of one standing outside his apartment building.

Actor Dan Aykroyd is convinced that one of his paranormal-themed shows was canceled because of the Men in Black.

4. The Abduction of Antonio Villas-Boas

A panel from a comic adaptation of this early alien abduction.

In one of the first reported abduction cases, a farmer was taken from his fields and subjected to an incredibly close encounter.

In the fall of 1957, the heat in Brazil was overbearing. Antonio Villas-Boas decided to work during cooler night hours. One night, Villas-Boas noticed a star with an unnatural red hue. The object grew in size until it revealed itself to be an egg-shaped aircraft. It landed in the farmer's field on three distinct legs.

Villas-Boas tried to escape on his tractor. When its engine failed, he ran on foot. After a few steps, he was grabbed by a short being in a helmet. Villas-Boas recalled the being's blue eyes and the bark-like way it spoke.

On the craft, he was covered in a gel and left alone for several minutes. His next visitor treated him more kindly.  He described it as an attractive female with white hair and blue, cat-like eyes. She wasted no time getting to her point – she approached the farmer and engaged in intercourse with him.

Like Jesse Long, Villas-Boas believed that his children would lead safe, happy lives. However, he felt that he had been used as livestock.

What Makes It So Creepy?

• Villas-Boas never gave any indication that his sex with the female alien was forced.
• This seems to be the first suggestion of an alien/human breeding program.
• The young farmer eventually became a lawyer with a family of his own, but he never denied his story.

Villas-Boas claims that he tried to smuggle an artifact back to Earth but was discovered.

Villas-Boas remembered a great number of details about the spacecraft and the female alien, including the red color of her body hair.

3. Betty and Barney Hill

An illustration of the creatures that abducted the Hills, drawn by Betty herself.

Not long after the Villas-Boas encounter, the abduction of a well-liked, churchgoing couple changed the way America thought of aliens.

In September, 1961, Betty and Barney Hill were driving on a wooded road. Betty pointed out a falling star that appeared to move strangely and change its size. The couple decided to follow the object.

This proved to be a mistake when the object noticed the trailing car. It descended onto the road less a hundred feet before them. Barney got out and approached the object . When he noticed beings in black uniforms within the craft, Barney ran back to the car and drove away. They didn't get far.

The Hills felt tingling throughout their bodies. It dulled their emotions, leaving them completely relaxed. When the sensation passed, they had driven over 30 miles with little recollection. They arrived home hours past the expected time.

In many ways, this is the classic tale of American abduction. For the couple, things were only beginning. Through dreams and hypnosis, Betty and Barney re-lived that night and provided more details, including the ethereal quality of the beings' eyes.

What Makes It So Creepy?

• According to Betty, the aliens were very close to human in appearance, except for their blue lips and gray skin.
• These aliens had  supernatural abilities beyond space-age technology, including the power to alter emotional states.
• In her dreams, Betty recalled a torturous medical examination at the hands of their abductors.

The Hills were given a book from the craft to bring home, but a disagreement broke out among their captors and it was taken away.

Betty described various “ranks” within the group of abductors, including a few that could speak broken English.

2. The Kenneth Arnold Sighting

An image adapted from the story of pilot Kenneth Arnold.

This is the simple story that launched America's obsession with UFOs (and the term “flying saucer”). In June of 1947, a private pilot engaged our fascination with visitors from other worlds.

When a Marine Corps transport plane crashed near Mt. Rainier in Washington, Kenneth Arnold hoped to find its location and collect a $5,000 reward. On his flight, a flash of sunlight drew his attention away from the search.  North of the mountain, he spotted something incredible: nine disc-shaped aircraft flying in formation.

Their pattern was strange. They bobbed and bounced as they passed between Arnold's plane and the peak of Mt. Rainier. Arnold was so intrigued that he opened his cockpit window to prevent any further glares. By Arnold's estimation, the crafts traveled 50 miles in less than two minutes – faster than any man-made craft at the time. He noted their dexterity as they weaved through nearby valleys.

Arnold's story became a nationwide sensation, especially after he suggested that the crafts may have extra-terrestrial origins.  More importantly, humans began to look at the possibilities of what might live beyond our atmosphere.

What Makes It So Creepy?

• Arnold's story describes aircraft like no other at the time, and his reputation as an upstanding man was further evidence that his story was true.
• A prospector on Mt. Adams was one of many people on the ground who saw anywhere from three to nine of the same craft.
• Hundreds of reports of UFOs began to pour in across the nation after news of Arnold's encounter spread.

While the United States Army concluded that Arnold was not making up his story, its official statement was that he had seen a mirage.

Arnold would later purchase a video camera to take with him on every flight in hopes of catching evidence of another encounter.

1. The Roswell Incident

The most famous photo to come from the resurgence of interest in the Roswell UFO crash.

The name Roswell is synonymous with UFO sightings and alien encounters. What started with a blue-collar foreman in small-town New Mexico grew into one of the biggest conspiracies in American history.

In the summer of 1947, William Brazel and his son noticed shining debris spread out across a large area of the desert. On a subsequent visit, they collected the debris, which included materials similar to rubber and tin foil. After hearing rumors of UFO sightings in the area, Brazel involved the local sheriff. The story exploded.

The Roswell Army Air Field issued a statement that a flyingdisc had been found on the Roswell ranch. The Air Force confirmed this to the FBI. However, after being flown to Fort Worth Army Air Field, the story was changed. The debris was identified as a weather balloon and the obsession quickly died.

Renewed interest came thirty years later, when related documents were acquired by researchers through the Freedom of Information Act. Some of those researchers claim to have found evidence that at least one extra-terrestrial spacecraft crashed in the Roswell desert. Others maintain that the wreckage contained alien bodies that were kept hidden by the government.

What Makes It So Creepy?

• Roswell's fame hinges on conspiracy theories. If they are to be believed, the government has been hiding proof of alien life.
• During the resurgence of popularity in the 1990s, several witnesses stepped forward to claim that there were still alien corpses in the Roswell Army Air Base.
• It was later explained that the crashed device was not a weather balloon at all. Instead, it was observing the effects of nuclear testing.

A 1997 poll showed that a majority of people interviewed believed that aliens had landed at Roswell.

New Mexico governor Bill Richardson attempted to get documents related to Roswell from the federal government, but was denied.

You may also like:

• Top 10 Alien Evidence That Show Us They Really Exist
• UFOs and Little Green Men Get a Reboot in The Hum - and They're Terrifying
• The 25 Best Alien Movies We've Ever Seen