The Abduction of Betty Andreasson
The account
Gray beings supposedly passed through the door of a house, put the family to sleep, and took the mother aboard a craft.
What investigators found
The memories emerged under hypnosis years later, a method that can create very vivid false memories.
The story
On the night of January 25, 1967, housewife Betty Andreasson was at home with her family when, by her account, the lights flickered and small beings came in by passing through the door. Her relatives reportedly froze, as if in a trance, while she was taken aboard a craft and went through an experience with strong religious overtones.
Most of the story emerged in hypnosis sessions starting in 1977, run by investigators connected to ufologist Raymond Fowler, who published books on the case. Psychologists point out that hypnosis does not reliably recover memories and can blend dreams, beliefs, and suggestions. For skeptics, the case shows how abduction accounts are shaped by the method used.