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The Andreasson Affair: The True Story of a Close Encounter of the Fourth Kind
The Classic Case of Alien Abduction Rereleased with a New Afterword for a New Generation
"The Andreasson Affair" is more than just a classic example of a close encounter. It is--to use the jargon of ufologists--a case of such "high strangeness" that even the most open-minded investigators were at first inclined to dismiss it out of hand. Yet it has become probably the best documented case of its kind to date, the subject of an intensive 12-month investigation conducted for the Center for UFO Studies (CUFOS) that involved, among other things, the recording of large quantities of testimony given under hypnosis, extensive lie detector testing of witnesses, detailed analysis of corroborative circumstantial evidence, exhaustive comparison with other such accounts, and much more.
"The Andreasson Affair" includes:
The most detailed description of any UFO abduction experience.
Betty's precise drawings of her experience.
A supporting foreword to the book by astronomer Dr. J. Allen Hynek.
Verification of all events associated with Betty's experience.
"The Andreasson Affair" is more than just a classic example of a close encounter. It is--to use the jargon of ufologists--a case of such "high strangeness" that even the most open-minded investigators were at first inclined to dismiss it out of hand. Yet it has become probably the best documented case of its kind to date, the subject of an intensive 12-month investigation conducted for the Center for UFO Studies (CUFOS) that involved, among other things, the recording of large quantities of testimony given under hypnosis, extensive lie detector testing of witnesses, detailed analysis of corroborative circumstantial evidence, exhaustive comparison with other such accounts, and much more.
"The Andreasson Affair" includes:
The most detailed description of any UFO abduction experience.
Betty's precise drawings of her experience.
A supporting foreword to the book by astronomer Dr. J. Allen Hynek.
Verification of all events associated with Betty's experience.
272 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1978
54 people are currently reading
440 people want to read
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August 10, 2022
With The Andreasson Affair, Raymond Fowler takes on the Herculean task of making some sense of the claims of Betty Andreasson, who says she was abducted from her house and taken on a bizarre odyssey by a troop of floating aliens one night in 1967. Though she would later fold the now-familiar themes of human/alien hybrid breeding programs into what would become a story of lifelong interactions with extra-terrestrial "messengers of the Lord," Betty's initial story was more of a reflection of her own religious views than anything else. Framing herself as a latter-day contactee, handpicked by the aliens to impart their usual vague platitudes and abstract wisdom to a human race headed for destruction, Betty peppers her encounter tale with the kind of religious iconography and proselytising that seems tailor-made to suck the fun out of the alien abduction phenomenon.
Although Betty isn't even vaguely believable, Fowler -- himself a claimed abductee -- proceeds to give her the benefit of the doubt even at her most obnoxious ("Jesus Christ is the truth!"), and he does a generally good job of moulding her story into a readable narrative. Like other E.T. advocates, he swears by the powers of hypnotic regression, which he and a team of fellow researchers use to coax details out of a more-than-willing Betty over several sessions. It's a format that worked well in The Interrupted Journey and does so here, too, though it seemingly doesn't occur to Fowler and company that having a rapt audience attend every session might tend to encourage Betty to put on a performance. Or maybe it did occur to them? At one point they quite brazenly encourage Betty to make a link between her technologically advanced captors and the New York blackout of 1977. No prizes for guessing whether the honest and true Betty takes the bait.
There's really only half a book here, although it's a good half by the standards of UFO non-fiction. Having read a number of articles that purport to tell the story related in The Andreasson Affair, I discovered in reading the book that the details of Betty's claims have been botched in the retellings. Quite simply, if you want to get the "true" story of the affair, then you need to read this book. It doesn't make Betty any more credible and, if you're anything like me, you'll find her transparent attempts to project religious fundamentalism onto the phenomena pretty aggravating. As for the rest of the book: we are treated to some foreshadowing when Betty states that she's sure there's more information about the aliens and their grand design locked away in her mind, which anticipates Fowler's subsequent series about Betty (holy cashgrab, Batman!). There's also some information about sightings in New England that Fowler believes corroborate Betty's claims. The book as an interesting read, however, is over the moment the aliens return Betty to her family and make good their escape.
Although Betty isn't even vaguely believable, Fowler -- himself a claimed abductee -- proceeds to give her the benefit of the doubt even at her most obnoxious ("Jesus Christ is the truth!"), and he does a generally good job of moulding her story into a readable narrative. Like other E.T. advocates, he swears by the powers of hypnotic regression, which he and a team of fellow researchers use to coax details out of a more-than-willing Betty over several sessions. It's a format that worked well in The Interrupted Journey and does so here, too, though it seemingly doesn't occur to Fowler and company that having a rapt audience attend every session might tend to encourage Betty to put on a performance. Or maybe it did occur to them? At one point they quite brazenly encourage Betty to make a link between her technologically advanced captors and the New York blackout of 1977. No prizes for guessing whether the honest and true Betty takes the bait.
There's really only half a book here, although it's a good half by the standards of UFO non-fiction. Having read a number of articles that purport to tell the story related in The Andreasson Affair, I discovered in reading the book that the details of Betty's claims have been botched in the retellings. Quite simply, if you want to get the "true" story of the affair, then you need to read this book. It doesn't make Betty any more credible and, if you're anything like me, you'll find her transparent attempts to project religious fundamentalism onto the phenomena pretty aggravating. As for the rest of the book: we are treated to some foreshadowing when Betty states that she's sure there's more information about the aliens and their grand design locked away in her mind, which anticipates Fowler's subsequent series about Betty (holy cashgrab, Batman!). There's also some information about sightings in New England that Fowler believes corroborate Betty's claims. The book as an interesting read, however, is over the moment the aliens return Betty to her family and make good their escape.
July 17, 2017
"I was skeptical of veteran UFO researcher Ray Fowler's 1979 study of abductee Betty Andreasson. The case demonstrated that the aliens could mentally control people from a distance: They "switched off"-rendered unconscious or immobile -people who were in Andreasson's house while they abducted her and her daughter.(...) But I remained doubtful and believed that the images she saw, and perhaps the entire abduction, were generated from her mind"
-David Jacobs, in "The Threat"
For those venturing in Ufology I would recommend the study of at least 4 cases I find full of lessons (also questions) on the object at stake: UFOs and aliens.
The cases , which have an “internal consistency” , are (1) Roswell, 1947*; (2) the Andreasson case, 1967; (3) the Allagash incident, 1976**; and (4) the Zimbabwe (Harare) 62 school-kids who watched 2 “beings” and a spacecraft in 1994.
I take the latter case and the words of psychiatrist John Mack who flew two months later to the place and interviewed the kids and parents. He concluded that they were “not delusional” and were “people of sound mind” ; as to the UFO phenomenon, Mack was saying: “not dreams”, “not hallucinations”, nor “psychosis” or “schizophrenia”.
The Andreasson case derives its consistency from the fact that it is a collective --family-- experience, though the main subject remains Mrs Betty Andreasson. Moreover, her account remained reliable, for years.
She was at her kitchen back in January 25th , 1967, in South Ashburnham, Massachusetts; her family in the living room watching TV. Then a “reddish-orange” light was seen “flashing” through the kitchen; the (house) lights went out.
Her father was the first one spotting the 5 humanoid-aliens that entered the house. But her father didn’t “want to get involved”; those five “passed through the door”.
Soon Betty will be interacting with these people, yet her family will get in a “state of suspended animation”.
Betty will communicate telepathically with the leader of those 5, one who is 5 feet tall; the others being 4 feet tall. They had “large black eyes” and "bulbous" heads.
The leader “told” Betty he wanted “knowledge tried by fire”. Betty was recalling the Bible passage on “entertaining strangers”, so things got smoother; she even experienced a “feeling of love”.
She handed a Bible to the leader, and then he replicated the issue in 3 different books. […]
Betty will be taken off her home, and ushered in a spacecraft where she’ll go through a thorough “examination”.
Especially in the section called ”The Implant”, the book offers a detailed account of these “examinations”, providing drawings made by Betty. Midst the drawings you can read the interrogations made by investigator Joe Santangelo, as well as the questions and answers obtained by Fred and Beryl Max through the use of hypnotic regression.
LT Larry Fawcett ,after being 9 months with Betty and husband, said: "They're telling the truth"; they are "very sincere people".
Unavoidable. For beginners.
*
**
October 8, 2014
I go through phases when I like nothing more than to read investigative accounts of UFO abductions. One thing I enjoy about reading them is the mundane set-up - people driving home from a vacation, people on a fishing trip, kids sitting on a dock at camp - when suddenly very strange things start happening. In the context all the mundane details that go into the set-up take on an ominous significance, pregnant with readerly foreknowledge. Like a Harvey Pekar comic they make mundane drudgery seem interesting. I like to think that at any time something weird can happen. It gives one a reason to stay alert so one can recognize it, though it seems that UFOs abduct people when they least expect it, when they're not alert, or even asleep; so maybe my staying alert protects me from abduction. If ever I want to leave this earth alive and/or be experimented upon by aliens, or learn esoteric mysticism from the Greys, maybe all I have to do is go through my days half asleep, partially conscious, which at times I think this whole need to come to an office job day after day is conspiring to do - a grand alien conspiracy of the mundane - but I refuse to give in, I refuse to be abducted! I will remain alert no matter how tedious my job becomes. The future of my little square of american splendor depends on it.
This book? It dispensed with all the mundane set-up I like so much. Within a page or two a UFO had landed in the woman's backyard, immobilized her entire family (freezing them in time as per many a classic Twilight Zone), and escorted her to their craft where they commenced instructing her in their ways, which if you're interested are detailed at great length in the 2 or 3 sequels. This book described much "high strangeness" as ufology terms it, but it all seemed like a projected fantasy of warped Christianity to me.
Like most UFO materials it's still of interest if only because it's the most out-there non-fiction you're likely to read, and truly escapist, but this book strays too far from a recognizable reality (though even delusional projected fantasies are of interest), and so would probably be of serious interest to gullible UFO nerds only, and any person who likes the idea of entering an entirely new world with the flick of a switch.
This book? It dispensed with all the mundane set-up I like so much. Within a page or two a UFO had landed in the woman's backyard, immobilized her entire family (freezing them in time as per many a classic Twilight Zone), and escorted her to their craft where they commenced instructing her in their ways, which if you're interested are detailed at great length in the 2 or 3 sequels. This book described much "high strangeness" as ufology terms it, but it all seemed like a projected fantasy of warped Christianity to me.
Like most UFO materials it's still of interest if only because it's the most out-there non-fiction you're likely to read, and truly escapist, but this book strays too far from a recognizable reality (though even delusional projected fantasies are of interest), and so would probably be of serious interest to gullible UFO nerds only, and any person who likes the idea of entering an entirely new world with the flick of a switch.
March 2, 2015
Knowing of Betty Andreasson's fundamentalist Christian predilections, I'd long avoided reading any of the literature about her purported abductions by aliens/angels even though I'd owned a copy of one of the books about the case. Recently, however, I picked up two more volumes on the affair and, lacking a bedtime book and finding them close to hand, decided to give them a try.
This book primarily consists of transcripts of interviews, most conducted under hypnosis, conducted over the course of a year with Ms. Andreasson and her daughter, Becky. For the convenience of the reader the transcripts have been arranged chronologically to correspond with the sequence of events. The text is illustrated with drawings, primarily by Andreasson herself.
There seems little reason to doubt the honest intentions of the Andreasson women, at least at this early stage of the investigation of their reported experiences. This is not, however, to suggest that their recollections were perfect or their interpretations accurate. Indeed, one of the greater indications of Betty Andreasson's honesty is that much of what she experienced was cognitively dissonant for her. She very much wanted the aliens to be angels from her god, but in only a few respects did they correspond to her desires or preconceptions.
Fowler, one of the interviewer-participants and the person who put this book together, comes across as open-minded to the idea of being abducted by aliens but skeptical about the details of the Andreassons' recollections. Many of the objections which will come to the mind of the reader are anticipated and addressed by him. One major objection he fails to adequately address is as regards the value of hypnosis as a means of recollection. It is one thing to retrieve, say, the memory of a license plate number, something which can be later verified, and quite another to retrieve memories not subject to verification.
Having read Flournoy's From India to the Planet Mars, Jung's On So-called Occult Phenomena and other, similar works of the psychological investigation of mediums, I find the Andreasson testimonies to be at once impressive and familiar. Like the familiars of the mediums, these aliens are intriguing, but awfully--and conveniently--hard to pin down.
This book primarily consists of transcripts of interviews, most conducted under hypnosis, conducted over the course of a year with Ms. Andreasson and her daughter, Becky. For the convenience of the reader the transcripts have been arranged chronologically to correspond with the sequence of events. The text is illustrated with drawings, primarily by Andreasson herself.
There seems little reason to doubt the honest intentions of the Andreasson women, at least at this early stage of the investigation of their reported experiences. This is not, however, to suggest that their recollections were perfect or their interpretations accurate. Indeed, one of the greater indications of Betty Andreasson's honesty is that much of what she experienced was cognitively dissonant for her. She very much wanted the aliens to be angels from her god, but in only a few respects did they correspond to her desires or preconceptions.
Fowler, one of the interviewer-participants and the person who put this book together, comes across as open-minded to the idea of being abducted by aliens but skeptical about the details of the Andreassons' recollections. Many of the objections which will come to the mind of the reader are anticipated and addressed by him. One major objection he fails to adequately address is as regards the value of hypnosis as a means of recollection. It is one thing to retrieve, say, the memory of a license plate number, something which can be later verified, and quite another to retrieve memories not subject to verification.
Having read Flournoy's From India to the Planet Mars, Jung's On So-called Occult Phenomena and other, similar works of the psychological investigation of mediums, I find the Andreasson testimonies to be at once impressive and familiar. Like the familiars of the mediums, these aliens are intriguing, but awfully--and conveniently--hard to pin down.
August 30, 2016
Weird. And Scary. I want to read the next one.
October 3, 2018
I listened to a podcast about this incident and decided to read this book. It doesn't really matter if you think it happened or not. What really matters is that Betty and other members of her family believe it happened. This is her account of what happened. It is really fascinating. Obviously, something happened to Betty whether or not you believe she was actually abducted by aliens. All of this stuff is very very real to her and to her daughter Becky. Betty is very religious. This colors her whole perception of everything and makes it even weirder and more interesting.
I thought this was well written and fairly objective. It is mostly Betty's telling of what happened while under hypnosis and their analysis of it based on other abduction accounts. Betty wasn't scared of this event when it happened. She was very open to it and based on her testimony because of this the aliens told her and showed her a lot. They also talk to Becky her daughter and her second husband who wasn't there for Betty's abduction but had a similar experience of his own. What Betty says is amazing and interesting. Is it true? Did it really happen? maybe, who knows. It is fun to speculate about and discuss but in the whole scheme of things it doesn't really matter. This is fun stuff to think about folks. I gave it 5 stars and threw it on the best reads pile. If you like weird stuff like this then you might enjoy this. Some of Betty's quotes are worth the price of the book alone. Oh and I almost forgot Betty makes a lot of drawings that are also pretty interesting and clarify some of the things she is telling them while under hypnosis.
I thought this was well written and fairly objective. It is mostly Betty's telling of what happened while under hypnosis and their analysis of it based on other abduction accounts. Betty wasn't scared of this event when it happened. She was very open to it and based on her testimony because of this the aliens told her and showed her a lot. They also talk to Becky her daughter and her second husband who wasn't there for Betty's abduction but had a similar experience of his own. What Betty says is amazing and interesting. Is it true? Did it really happen? maybe, who knows. It is fun to speculate about and discuss but in the whole scheme of things it doesn't really matter. This is fun stuff to think about folks. I gave it 5 stars and threw it on the best reads pile. If you like weird stuff like this then you might enjoy this. Some of Betty's quotes are worth the price of the book alone. Oh and I almost forgot Betty makes a lot of drawings that are also pretty interesting and clarify some of the things she is telling them while under hypnosis.
November 19, 2025
THE FIRST BOOK ABOUT THIS FAMOUS CONTACT/ABDUCTION EXPERIENCE
Raymond Eveleth Fowler (born 1933) is an American Ufologist who has worked for MUFON, the Center for UFO Studies, and NICAP.
He wrote in the first chapter of this 1979 book, “At 17 [Betty] became engaged to James Andreasson, 21… A year later, their first child, Becky, was born, and six other children followed swiftly after… Secure in her vibrant Christian faith that had grown stronger over the years. Betty sought to instill the same faith and ideals within her family… But … two days before Christmas [1966]… a woman's vehicle caused a … head-on collision … Severely injured in the crash, James would need weeks in intensive care… extra help was desperately needed… [This] prompted Betty’s parents to join the busy household to lend a helping hand… By mid-January, Betty’s own seven children had become used to … early suppers… to allow their mother a nightly visit with her husband at the local hospital…
“Suddenly the electric lights began to flicker… and then blinked out… Ten years later, under hypnosis, Betty and Becky … would describe the scene as follows: BETTY: … by the window… I can see a light… It’s reddish-orange, and it’s pulsating… BECKY: … Mom was going ‘Shhh! Be quiet!’ There’s some huge pulsating glow that was out in the kitchen. It was outside.’ … glancing into the backyard through the pantry window, [Betty’s father] Waino Aho stared out in disbelief…. The Andreasson Affair had begun…” (Pg. 13-16)
He continues, “The Andreasson Affair is more than just a classic example of a CE-III, however. It is… a case of such ‘high strangeness’ that even the most open-minded investigators were at first inclined to dismiss it out of hand. Yet it has become probably the best documented case of its kind to date, the subject of an intensive twelve-month investigation… the recording of large quantities of testimony given under hypnosis, extensive lie-detector testing of witnesses, detailed analysis of corroborative circumstantial evidence, careful character checks… exhaustive comparison with other CE-III accounts, and much more.” (Pg. 16-17)
During one of Betty’s regression sessions, “Betty heard what sounded like many voices blended into one booming voice! … ‘Are you God?’ Betty asked with wonder in her voice… ‘I shall show you as your time goes by’ was the equivocal reply… ‘Are you my lord Jesus? I would recognize my Lord Jesus.’ Oh, it says---‘I love you. God is love, and I love you.’ … Betty defensively proclaimed her Christian faith: ‘It is true. I have faith in God, and I have faith in Jesus Christ… There is nothing that can harm me. There is nothing that can make me fear…’ ‘We know, child, that you do. That is why you have been chosen… It is your fear that you draw into your body, that causes you to feel these things. I can release you, but you must release yourself of that fear THROUGH MY SON.’ … Betty's face literally shone with unrestrained joy as tears streamed down her beaming face…” (Pg. 99-100)
Fowler notes, “Could Betty’s encounter … best be described as an intense RELIGIOUS experience? One is tempted to propose that the stimulus for the event was Betty’s strong religious background… Earlier we saw that Betty’s Christian beliefs provided a desperately needed rationale when the alien beings passed through a closed door into her kitchen… Therefore, is it not possible that Betty’s subliminal mind sought for theological meaning to an otherwise meaningless, terrifying, and painful experience?... This hypothesis might seem quite logical and appropriate at first thought, but it has a serious flaw. The experience, whether dream or reality, did not concern itself with some readily discernible aspect or symbol of MODERN Christianity.” (Pg. 103-104)
He points out, “there are a number of interesting parallels between the Andreasson Affair and other CE-III reports on record. There seem to be too many such similarities... in logical structure within her account, to dismiss them all as products of cryptoamnesia… Information culled from books, magazines, newspapers, radio, RV … and conversations all contribute to our subconscious memory bank. This, of course, could include data on other UFO cases. In fact, Betty admitted having read books and articles on UFOs following her 1967 experience, and her initial letter to Dr. [J. Allen] Hynek reflected theories and ideas obviously gleaned from a reading of uncritical UFO literature.” (Pg. 181)
In an Appendix, ‘Establishing Witness Credibility,’ Fowler notes, “The witnesses’ attitudes---their philosophical beliefs and biases---were quite similar. Betty’s parents were exceptionally devout people … Waino loved fishing, but both he and [his wife] Eva devoted a great deal of time to studying the Bible… They were both very active in the Pentecostal Church... both Betty and Becky could be classed as fundamentalist Christians who accept a very literal interpretation of the Bible and believe it to be the Word of God. Such biases provide both potential strengths and weaknesses to the witnesses’ credibility. On the one hand, experience has shown that such people are usually exceptionally honest. Interest in UFOs and paranormal phenomena are usually frowned upon by this wing of the Christian Church. On the other hand, a mystical person who interprets everything in terms of his or her preconceptions may not be an objective witness.” (Pg. 207-209)
This book (and its two sequels) will be of great interest to those studying purported UFO 'close encounters.'
Raymond Eveleth Fowler (born 1933) is an American Ufologist who has worked for MUFON, the Center for UFO Studies, and NICAP.
He wrote in the first chapter of this 1979 book, “At 17 [Betty] became engaged to James Andreasson, 21… A year later, their first child, Becky, was born, and six other children followed swiftly after… Secure in her vibrant Christian faith that had grown stronger over the years. Betty sought to instill the same faith and ideals within her family… But … two days before Christmas [1966]… a woman's vehicle caused a … head-on collision … Severely injured in the crash, James would need weeks in intensive care… extra help was desperately needed… [This] prompted Betty’s parents to join the busy household to lend a helping hand… By mid-January, Betty’s own seven children had become used to … early suppers… to allow their mother a nightly visit with her husband at the local hospital…
“Suddenly the electric lights began to flicker… and then blinked out… Ten years later, under hypnosis, Betty and Becky … would describe the scene as follows: BETTY: … by the window… I can see a light… It’s reddish-orange, and it’s pulsating… BECKY: … Mom was going ‘Shhh! Be quiet!’ There’s some huge pulsating glow that was out in the kitchen. It was outside.’ … glancing into the backyard through the pantry window, [Betty’s father] Waino Aho stared out in disbelief…. The Andreasson Affair had begun…” (Pg. 13-16)
He continues, “The Andreasson Affair is more than just a classic example of a CE-III, however. It is… a case of such ‘high strangeness’ that even the most open-minded investigators were at first inclined to dismiss it out of hand. Yet it has become probably the best documented case of its kind to date, the subject of an intensive twelve-month investigation… the recording of large quantities of testimony given under hypnosis, extensive lie-detector testing of witnesses, detailed analysis of corroborative circumstantial evidence, careful character checks… exhaustive comparison with other CE-III accounts, and much more.” (Pg. 16-17)
During one of Betty’s regression sessions, “Betty heard what sounded like many voices blended into one booming voice! … ‘Are you God?’ Betty asked with wonder in her voice… ‘I shall show you as your time goes by’ was the equivocal reply… ‘Are you my lord Jesus? I would recognize my Lord Jesus.’ Oh, it says---‘I love you. God is love, and I love you.’ … Betty defensively proclaimed her Christian faith: ‘It is true. I have faith in God, and I have faith in Jesus Christ… There is nothing that can harm me. There is nothing that can make me fear…’ ‘We know, child, that you do. That is why you have been chosen… It is your fear that you draw into your body, that causes you to feel these things. I can release you, but you must release yourself of that fear THROUGH MY SON.’ … Betty's face literally shone with unrestrained joy as tears streamed down her beaming face…” (Pg. 99-100)
Fowler notes, “Could Betty’s encounter … best be described as an intense RELIGIOUS experience? One is tempted to propose that the stimulus for the event was Betty’s strong religious background… Earlier we saw that Betty’s Christian beliefs provided a desperately needed rationale when the alien beings passed through a closed door into her kitchen… Therefore, is it not possible that Betty’s subliminal mind sought for theological meaning to an otherwise meaningless, terrifying, and painful experience?... This hypothesis might seem quite logical and appropriate at first thought, but it has a serious flaw. The experience, whether dream or reality, did not concern itself with some readily discernible aspect or symbol of MODERN Christianity.” (Pg. 103-104)
He points out, “there are a number of interesting parallels between the Andreasson Affair and other CE-III reports on record. There seem to be too many such similarities... in logical structure within her account, to dismiss them all as products of cryptoamnesia… Information culled from books, magazines, newspapers, radio, RV … and conversations all contribute to our subconscious memory bank. This, of course, could include data on other UFO cases. In fact, Betty admitted having read books and articles on UFOs following her 1967 experience, and her initial letter to Dr. [J. Allen] Hynek reflected theories and ideas obviously gleaned from a reading of uncritical UFO literature.” (Pg. 181)
In an Appendix, ‘Establishing Witness Credibility,’ Fowler notes, “The witnesses’ attitudes---their philosophical beliefs and biases---were quite similar. Betty’s parents were exceptionally devout people … Waino loved fishing, but both he and [his wife] Eva devoted a great deal of time to studying the Bible… They were both very active in the Pentecostal Church... both Betty and Becky could be classed as fundamentalist Christians who accept a very literal interpretation of the Bible and believe it to be the Word of God. Such biases provide both potential strengths and weaknesses to the witnesses’ credibility. On the one hand, experience has shown that such people are usually exceptionally honest. Interest in UFOs and paranormal phenomena are usually frowned upon by this wing of the Christian Church. On the other hand, a mystical person who interprets everything in terms of his or her preconceptions may not be an objective witness.” (Pg. 207-209)
This book (and its two sequels) will be of great interest to those studying purported UFO 'close encounters.'
August 16, 2020
Compelling, But...
Don’t get me wrong, this was an excellent book, even at only 4 stars (I really wanted to give it 5, except for a few spelling and grammatical errors, it was well written). The Andreasson account really drew me in; it feels right in the sense that it resonated more strongly than many other abduction accounts I’ve heard/read. But it would be easier to make a more informed determination if I could have seen, at the least, a video of this regression. (If there IS one, I have yet to see it.)
Still, there was something...couldn’t quite put my finger on it. At first. In spite of being ‘drawn in,’ I don’t believe everything I read, hear or even see. However, I too have had my own experiences. And the fact that there are so many who have experienced the abduction scenario and many who have experienced almost identical events without knowing each other or being aware of what others have experienced, causes me to take a second (and third and more!) look at some of these claims. Not to say that I’ve experienced all of what Andreasson experienced. But some of it, certainly. And it’s those few similarities that resonated.
Regardless, one thing that continues to nag at me is: if these beings are so beneficial – and in spite of the ‘fact’ that we seem to have agreed to these abductions before our birth into this incarnation – why do they terrorize those they abduct? Why aren’t they understanding that their collective actions ARE terrorizing the majority of those they abduct? Why can’t they provide an anesthetic, a pain killer and/or do away with the psychological torture if they are truly doing something beneficial for us, because it IS torture. Apparently not all (or any) of them care enough to even consider this.
Conversely, those who claim to have positive contact interactions with the ETs don’t seem to feel threatened by them. But according to their own memories of their encounter/s, they didn’t experience anything that could be considered threatening. And none of them were probed, prodded or experimented on in any way, to my knowledge. So what’s the difference between these two scenarios?
This reminds me of the Biblical Old Testament god, Yahweh, coercing Abraham into sacrificing his son, Isaac. There’s no excuse for this kind of behavior. A loving parent would not trick their child into killing their ‘grandchild’ just to prove that the adult child would do anything s/he were told. Talk about messing with someone’s mind! “It’s for your own good,” just doesn’t cut it! Where’s the love in that?
After all the research I’ve done in vast areas on this topic and on the topic of The Watchers and The Angels, I’m not so sure that the Greys are the Watchers. From what I’ve read, there seems to be numerous species of Greys (possibly more than 10?), and one or more of those ‘species’ are allegedly non-organic (non-biological entities) and work with the group Raymond Fowler referred to as the ‘Nordics,’ (also known as the Tall Whites). These entities do NOT appear to have mankind’s best interests at heart. At all.
Additionally, according to the Book of Enoch and other ancient writings, there were at least two groups of angels who were considered Watchers: one was good and helped humans, and the other supposedly chose to come to the earth and interbreed with human women (and thus sired the Nephilim). Apparently, THEY were conducting a genetic experiment too. Just like these entities who have been abducting humanity seem to be. Are these ‘Nordics’ the offspring of the negative Watchers, that is, are they actually the Nephilim?
While I believe that what Betty Andreasson experienced was a valid UFO/ET experience, I don’t think the experience was quite what Fowler and others may have thought it was/is. In fact, I strongly sense that the entities known as the Elders/the Nordics/the Tall Whites are the ones running the show, while the Greys are essentially doing the grunt work, and that these Nordics et al (who really don’t seem to care if they hurt humans) primarily focus on individuals who are highly religious in some manner, or who especially profess to be ‘Christians,’ who are often fundamentalists and who claim ‘Jesus as their savior,” and especially those who use both the Old and New Testaments of the Judaeo/Christian Bible to ‘prove’ their beliefs. Is this possibly a form of vengeance on the part of the Nordics/Elders/Watchers and/or Nephilim? I can’t prove this. And I could be wrong. But so far this is where my research is leading.
What is really intriguing, however, is the fact that the author, Raymond Fowler, himself, has had numerous UFO/ET experiences and has even written a book about those experiences: UFO Testament: Anatomy of an Abductee.
And not sure what this may mean, but what really caught my attention is the fact that Raymond Fowler was apparently with the NSA when he was in the military, and then was working for MUFON when he interviewed Betty Andreasson. And if I’m not mistaken (and I could be), MUFON was essentially ‘taken over’ by the CIA.
What does all this mean? Maybe someone out there knows for sure and can share.
Don’t get me wrong, this was an excellent book, even at only 4 stars (I really wanted to give it 5, except for a few spelling and grammatical errors, it was well written). The Andreasson account really drew me in; it feels right in the sense that it resonated more strongly than many other abduction accounts I’ve heard/read. But it would be easier to make a more informed determination if I could have seen, at the least, a video of this regression. (If there IS one, I have yet to see it.)
Still, there was something...couldn’t quite put my finger on it. At first. In spite of being ‘drawn in,’ I don’t believe everything I read, hear or even see. However, I too have had my own experiences. And the fact that there are so many who have experienced the abduction scenario and many who have experienced almost identical events without knowing each other or being aware of what others have experienced, causes me to take a second (and third and more!) look at some of these claims. Not to say that I’ve experienced all of what Andreasson experienced. But some of it, certainly. And it’s those few similarities that resonated.
Regardless, one thing that continues to nag at me is: if these beings are so beneficial – and in spite of the ‘fact’ that we seem to have agreed to these abductions before our birth into this incarnation – why do they terrorize those they abduct? Why aren’t they understanding that their collective actions ARE terrorizing the majority of those they abduct? Why can’t they provide an anesthetic, a pain killer and/or do away with the psychological torture if they are truly doing something beneficial for us, because it IS torture. Apparently not all (or any) of them care enough to even consider this.
Conversely, those who claim to have positive contact interactions with the ETs don’t seem to feel threatened by them. But according to their own memories of their encounter/s, they didn’t experience anything that could be considered threatening. And none of them were probed, prodded or experimented on in any way, to my knowledge. So what’s the difference between these two scenarios?
This reminds me of the Biblical Old Testament god, Yahweh, coercing Abraham into sacrificing his son, Isaac. There’s no excuse for this kind of behavior. A loving parent would not trick their child into killing their ‘grandchild’ just to prove that the adult child would do anything s/he were told. Talk about messing with someone’s mind! “It’s for your own good,” just doesn’t cut it! Where’s the love in that?
After all the research I’ve done in vast areas on this topic and on the topic of The Watchers and The Angels, I’m not so sure that the Greys are the Watchers. From what I’ve read, there seems to be numerous species of Greys (possibly more than 10?), and one or more of those ‘species’ are allegedly non-organic (non-biological entities) and work with the group Raymond Fowler referred to as the ‘Nordics,’ (also known as the Tall Whites). These entities do NOT appear to have mankind’s best interests at heart. At all.
Additionally, according to the Book of Enoch and other ancient writings, there were at least two groups of angels who were considered Watchers: one was good and helped humans, and the other supposedly chose to come to the earth and interbreed with human women (and thus sired the Nephilim). Apparently, THEY were conducting a genetic experiment too. Just like these entities who have been abducting humanity seem to be. Are these ‘Nordics’ the offspring of the negative Watchers, that is, are they actually the Nephilim?
While I believe that what Betty Andreasson experienced was a valid UFO/ET experience, I don’t think the experience was quite what Fowler and others may have thought it was/is. In fact, I strongly sense that the entities known as the Elders/the Nordics/the Tall Whites are the ones running the show, while the Greys are essentially doing the grunt work, and that these Nordics et al (who really don’t seem to care if they hurt humans) primarily focus on individuals who are highly religious in some manner, or who especially profess to be ‘Christians,’ who are often fundamentalists and who claim ‘Jesus as their savior,” and especially those who use both the Old and New Testaments of the Judaeo/Christian Bible to ‘prove’ their beliefs. Is this possibly a form of vengeance on the part of the Nordics/Elders/Watchers and/or Nephilim? I can’t prove this. And I could be wrong. But so far this is where my research is leading.
What is really intriguing, however, is the fact that the author, Raymond Fowler, himself, has had numerous UFO/ET experiences and has even written a book about those experiences: UFO Testament: Anatomy of an Abductee.
And not sure what this may mean, but what really caught my attention is the fact that Raymond Fowler was apparently with the NSA when he was in the military, and then was working for MUFON when he interviewed Betty Andreasson. And if I’m not mistaken (and I could be), MUFON was essentially ‘taken over’ by the CIA.
What does all this mean? Maybe someone out there knows for sure and can share.
May 7, 2021
With the declassification of military documents on UFOs, this book becomes increasingly important. When Fowler was in the military, he was assigned to investigate UFOs. He continued his research upon entering civilian life. The incident in this book is well researched by highly qualified authorities. The story is true.
Betty Andreasson was abducted by aliens in the 1960s, and her daughter, Becky, witnessed some of the contact. Neither remembered the incident but were profoundly influenced by dreams and other feelings. Through hypnosis, the Andreasson's were able to unlock their memories, and Betty's data was not only surprising but in line with the experience of others who had also been abducted. Hers was the most complete recollection.
The aliens subjected Betty to an examination and a visit to a strange environment not of this Earth. She was told that the aliens, these little gray guys with the huge almond eyes, wanted to help humanity and the planet to survive. At last we get a reason for their actions. Greed is killing the planet and us. They told Betty we already know the answer to our survival.
Yes, we've heard the answer all our lives, today and in the past. But now we're at the brink of extinction, and we all need to pay attention. Some of us are. A lot of us are.
This is a page turner. It was first published in the 1970s and was republished in 2015. I recall in the past how our sheriff, the newspaper boy, my mother and niece, and a dairyman, along with his panicked cows, in separate incidents, saw a UFO. With what we are told and with our own experiences, I can't help but think the type of contact Betty experienced is not so rare as one would initially think.
Betty Andreasson was abducted by aliens in the 1960s, and her daughter, Becky, witnessed some of the contact. Neither remembered the incident but were profoundly influenced by dreams and other feelings. Through hypnosis, the Andreasson's were able to unlock their memories, and Betty's data was not only surprising but in line with the experience of others who had also been abducted. Hers was the most complete recollection.
The aliens subjected Betty to an examination and a visit to a strange environment not of this Earth. She was told that the aliens, these little gray guys with the huge almond eyes, wanted to help humanity and the planet to survive. At last we get a reason for their actions. Greed is killing the planet and us. They told Betty we already know the answer to our survival.
Yes, we've heard the answer all our lives, today and in the past. But now we're at the brink of extinction, and we all need to pay attention. Some of us are. A lot of us are.
This is a page turner. It was first published in the 1970s and was republished in 2015. I recall in the past how our sheriff, the newspaper boy, my mother and niece, and a dairyman, along with his panicked cows, in separate incidents, saw a UFO. With what we are told and with our own experiences, I can't help but think the type of contact Betty experienced is not so rare as one would initially think.
May 16, 2025
The way this was written, it might have been better that I listened to it. If they had audio tapes of the interviews they did with Betty Andreasson, then that would've been better.
I am a believer in UFOs, aliens, and close encounters, all of that. What was being put forth here make me want to rethink my position. The whole thing in based on "repressed memories" of Betty's. They pull forth these memories with hypnosis, which can be very good, but can also be very bad. Hypnosis if not done correctly, can pull forth fake memories. The whole time reading this I had this in my mind, especially when she was describing what it was like when she was in the alien's (for lack of better words) space.
I thought Fowler, and this is why there are two stars, did a good job in pulling things together toward the end. He was able to do a bit of analysis. He points out where Betty's experience was similar to other people's experiences and plays down ones that don't really have a correlating one.
After his analysis, though, in the annexes, he loses me again. Fowler starts going on about how Betty and Becky had experiences earlier in life. How Betty had married a man who had abduction experiences as well and his all of a sudden went back to when he was a child as well.
Overall, I don't recommend this book. If a person is curious, I say listen to it on audio, don't spend time reading it.
I am a believer in UFOs, aliens, and close encounters, all of that. What was being put forth here make me want to rethink my position. The whole thing in based on "repressed memories" of Betty's. They pull forth these memories with hypnosis, which can be very good, but can also be very bad. Hypnosis if not done correctly, can pull forth fake memories. The whole time reading this I had this in my mind, especially when she was describing what it was like when she was in the alien's (for lack of better words) space.
I thought Fowler, and this is why there are two stars, did a good job in pulling things together toward the end. He was able to do a bit of analysis. He points out where Betty's experience was similar to other people's experiences and plays down ones that don't really have a correlating one.
After his analysis, though, in the annexes, he loses me again. Fowler starts going on about how Betty and Becky had experiences earlier in life. How Betty had married a man who had abduction experiences as well and his all of a sudden went back to when he was a child as well.
Overall, I don't recommend this book. If a person is curious, I say listen to it on audio, don't spend time reading it.
September 5, 2025
I thought this was a well organized and thoroughly researched record of an investigation of a UFO encounter. I found it very readable. The writing was generally good but could have used some copyediting. I liked that Betty Andreasson’s drawings and other diagrams were included and clearly labelled and that the text referenced them coherently. I also enjoyed the other evidence included, like photos and Psychological Stress Evaluator printouts. The author’s tone struck me as direct, transparent, and honest. I found the Epilogue very interesting, and I am intrigued by the case in general. I think one of the things that most astounded me in reading this book was Betty’s incredible visual memory and drawing skills (which persisted despite the pain of trying to recall such traumatic events!). These abilities certainly allowed her to provide a wealth of important and fascinating details about her experiences that may not have otherwise been recorded and to help the investigators (and thus readers of the book) understand the strange experiences she was describing.
July 1, 2021
Don’t bother. if you’re serious about the ufology topic and want to approach this topic with some respect and rational thought, go read Budd Hopkins or John Mack. This book is an insult and a pure commercial product. It is very possible that Betty Anderson had an experience. However, half way thru this “competent well documented investigation”, the least educated person would have immediately spotted the quackery of a delusional impressionable person with delusions of prophecy. If you read just a a handful of good ufology investigations book, you will begin to see the patterns and overarching beats of the alien abduction phenomenon ( an approach that a serious investigator like Budd Hopkins uses). This book’s contribution to our understanding (or at least the hope to understand) this phenomenon is no more than an over salted fast food burger to a healthy diet.
Books like this and communion and whatever garbage they spawned muddy the waters, exploit the weak minded and gullible.
Books like this and communion and whatever garbage they spawned muddy the waters, exploit the weak minded and gullible.
May 27, 2024
A wild ride from start to finish: beginning as a pretty typical close encounter of the fourth kind and ending as a apocalyptic message from an alien divinity, The Andreasson Affair ranks highly in ufology lore as one of the most important and most challenging CE-IVs.
Basically just the transcripts of the hypnotherapy sessions that Betty Andreasson underwent to recall the an abduction, The Andreasson Affair is certainly deeply strange and unsettling. Raymond Fowler does his best to write objectively and humanely, but he isn’t Budd Hopkins (who ranks as one of the best researchers and writers of the alien abduction phenomenon) but there is not enough analysis or discussion of the contents of Betty’s experience.
Whether or not this is true is almost beside the point. Betty sincerely believes it to be true and her reactions during hypnotherapy attest to that. Fowler believes her (and he himself is a abductee too). It’s a great story regardless even if the interposition of Betty’s Christian faith makes it sound like a Chick tract in space. From the afterword, it’s clear that this is only the beginning of an even-wilder ride.
Basically just the transcripts of the hypnotherapy sessions that Betty Andreasson underwent to recall the an abduction, The Andreasson Affair is certainly deeply strange and unsettling. Raymond Fowler does his best to write objectively and humanely, but he isn’t Budd Hopkins (who ranks as one of the best researchers and writers of the alien abduction phenomenon) but there is not enough analysis or discussion of the contents of Betty’s experience.
Whether or not this is true is almost beside the point. Betty sincerely believes it to be true and her reactions during hypnotherapy attest to that. Fowler believes her (and he himself is a abductee too). It’s a great story regardless even if the interposition of Betty’s Christian faith makes it sound like a Chick tract in space. From the afterword, it’s clear that this is only the beginning of an even-wilder ride.
November 18, 2019
This was a very well done book and extremely interesting. Betty Andreasson had an abduction experience by extraterrestrials that was in some ways similar to others, and also a lot different. She is an artist, so was able to sketch so much that she saw. Some of the experiences were so way out, it was hard to believe it all. She had extensive hypnosis sessions, and the psychiatrist who did the sessions has no doubt that she believes everything she described. She also passed a lie detector test. She even had some family members who witnessed the initial contact. When researching this topic, it is necessary to keep an open mind. After all, there is more that we don’t know than what we do know.
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May 12, 2020An updated edition of a 1979 book featuring one of the most famous--and bizarre--UFO cases in history. Betty Andreasson was supposedly taken aboard a UFO in January, 1967 while her family watched; subsequent hypnosis sessions "revealed" her experiences dating back to infancy of other abductions. Her apparent hypnotic rememberings were so complex and strange, (she describes the insides of UFOS and numerous interactions with aliens) that a simple hoax explanation will not readily suffice. Several of her family members vouch for the original story. Fowler gives a update on Andreasson's post-1967 UFO experiences. Andreasson's experiences are confused by her persistent belief in Evangelical Christianity, which must seem quite amusing to the aliens, should they really exist.
March 16, 2024
Simply one of the most important abduction cases ever studied, remarkable in every respect, being dissected wisely by Raymond Fowler and his huge team, the subjects, Betty and Becky Andreasson were excellent in the hypnosis sessions, and they provided a huge amount of data on this subject, this book is a must-have for anyone interested in the phenomena, the images and the situation portrayed specially from Betty are just amazing and impressive, great read.
October 12, 2021
This was a pretty good alien book. It doesn't answer all the questions but it does give a new take with ties to the Bible and a religious person's experience with aliens. A bit dry at points and the follow ups leave a bit to be desired, at points at the end just felt like promoting other books, but still a good read.
April 8, 2025
Phoenix??? Really???
Religion!!! Come on!!!
I don't believe all of this......
Full of the imagination of sci-fi in the 1970s, the UFO would probably be more advanced if it were put into the present day.
Religion!!! Come on!!!
I don't believe all of this......
Full of the imagination of sci-fi in the 1970s, the UFO would probably be more advanced if it were put into the present day.
December 20, 2020
Loved it! Real or not, it's a very well written book about a subject i have a deep passion for.
October 17, 2023
This is hard to believe, but I lean toward believing. It is interesting and well written.
February 12, 2024
Wow Wow Wow!
December 23, 2024
Christ this was a slog. Big book o' transcripts which at least doesn't seem as leading as Budd Hopkins. Also feels, maybe, like a bit of evangelical propaganda, ever so slightly.
September 24, 2025
Gets ridiculous toward the end. Impossible to believe.
July 24, 2024
A totally bonkers case of alien abduction with loads of high strangeness, emotion and religious symbolism.
As the book is essentially a chronologically ordered collection of hypnosis transcripts, the audiobook version is definitely the way to go as the narrator did an amazing job voicing Betty and the investigators, as well as emulating Betty's emotions.
This case amazes me on so many levels as the investigators did not stop at the point Betty's story took a very weird very religious turn, but rather allowed her to go deep into the personal side of the experience. What seemed at first like a classic abduction story deviated into a much more otherworldly place full of messages and symbolism. I can't help but draw parallels between her experiences and historic fairy folklore.
A must read if you are looking for something different than the standard nuts and bolts UFO stuff. I should note this is not a religiously biased book, rather it investigates an experience by a deeply religious person, whose belief played an integral part in the experience. The book is as unbiased as it gets, just presenting the experience as told by the witness during her regressions.
As the book is essentially a chronologically ordered collection of hypnosis transcripts, the audiobook version is definitely the way to go as the narrator did an amazing job voicing Betty and the investigators, as well as emulating Betty's emotions.
This case amazes me on so many levels as the investigators did not stop at the point Betty's story took a very weird very religious turn, but rather allowed her to go deep into the personal side of the experience. What seemed at first like a classic abduction story deviated into a much more otherworldly place full of messages and symbolism. I can't help but draw parallels between her experiences and historic fairy folklore.
A must read if you are looking for something different than the standard nuts and bolts UFO stuff. I should note this is not a religiously biased book, rather it investigates an experience by a deeply religious person, whose belief played an integral part in the experience. The book is as unbiased as it gets, just presenting the experience as told by the witness during her regressions.
February 1, 2024
I read this as the result of Dr Pauluka’s wonderful book, ‘American Cosmic.’ This subject of paranormal UFO experiences can be a addictive. The attribution of this book in American Cosmic related to her hypothesis as to religion having a connection to ufology.
This is a deep dive into the alien abduction experiences of Betty Andreasson. I do recommend this as a well documented serious attempt to understand her life as disrupted by unknown forces. The reader will be exposed to unbelievable events as we just don’t have any baseline in our typical reality to digest her experiences with alien abduction. I have read John Mack’s book on the subject so I had some forewarning.
Perhaps that is the best method to prepare for this subject and then read specific case studies in detail. I can’t recommend this as a first book intruding alien abduction. I rate the book highly in the context it supports the subject, but would likely be off putting as an introduction.
This is a deep dive into the alien abduction experiences of Betty Andreasson. I do recommend this as a well documented serious attempt to understand her life as disrupted by unknown forces. The reader will be exposed to unbelievable events as we just don’t have any baseline in our typical reality to digest her experiences with alien abduction. I have read John Mack’s book on the subject so I had some forewarning.
Perhaps that is the best method to prepare for this subject and then read specific case studies in detail. I can’t recommend this as a first book intruding alien abduction. I rate the book highly in the context it supports the subject, but would likely be off putting as an introduction.
October 4, 2019
The Andreasson Affair was a very interesting book. It kept me hooked the entire time and was an easy read. I had to read this to help me write a school paper and helped me better understand what would be the “fourth kind”. Fowler did a great job expressing everything. There where also diagrams throughout the book to help the reader picture what was going on. The book was very detailed and made me feel like I was there. It was a bit confusing in the beginning but once I realized how the book was laid out it was really easy to follow. Overall I think it was a great book and I recommend it to anyone who wants to read about a good story.
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August 22, 2009went through a UFO phase when I was much younger. I can't add much more than that.
September 14, 2013
Betty Andreasson and Ray Fowlers two books are my favorite in the UFO field.
April 23, 2015
when?
When will the powers that be realize that most of us are ready to know the truth and get on with it?
When will the powers that be realize that most of us are ready to know the truth and get on with it?
June 4, 2015
A very good first report of the Betty Andreasson abduction event(s). Her case is fascinating and may hold certain key answers/revelations about the phenomenon.
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