On November 28, 1980, police constable Alan Godfrey experienced what he claims was an alien abduction involving missing time. It was an incident that became even more unusual several months later, when he experienced hypnotic regression..
Don’t Blink
On the night of the incident, Godfrey had been out on patrol, searching in the rain for, of all things, a herd of missing cattle in Todmorden, West Yorkshire. The hunt took him well into the early morning hours, but he didn’t exactly find what he was looking for.
Instead, at 5:00 a.m., as he drove down Burnley Road, he saw something peculiar in the distance – a diamond-shaped, metallic object. It hovered five feet above the ground, rapidly spinning counter-clockwise. And yet, somehow, it remained completely silent.
He tried to use his radio. It wouldn’t work. He then reached for his notebook so he could jot down a sketch, something to help him remember. That’s when the object gave off a brilliant flash.
Within the blink of an eye, Godfrey found himself displaced – still in his car, but farther down the road. The object had vanished. He turned around and went back to where he saw it, but the only trace left was a bit of dry area on the ground, where, strangely, no rain had fallen.
The troubled constable went back to the police station, reflecting on what he had just seen. Something was bothering him, more than just the sight of that bizarre object. The sole of one of his boots was split, as well.
Then he noticed: The time was off by at least fifteen minutes. Of course, even with that oddity on top of everything else, he hesitated to tell anyone. He feared they’d think he was crazy.
Later, however, he discovered other similar reports of a white object in the sky that evening, including one at nearby parish Cliviger (on the very same road), which seemingly corroborated what Godfrey had witnessed.
He filed his own report, which ultimately made it into the news.
Hypnosis Unlocks Godfrey’s Strange Memories
Now, at this point, you might not be very impressed with Alan Godfrey’s extraterrestrial encounter. He saw a floating object, and missed some time. In the realm of UFO sightings, that’s fairly standard. But his story didn’t end with that initial report.
No, it wasn’t until several months later when Godfrey underwent hypnotic regression that things became truly interesting.
Over the course of several hypnosis sessions, Godfrey revealed that the bright flash he saw that night had apparently stopped his car’s engine and caused him to lose consciousness. When he woke up, he found himself in what appeared to be a room with a tall, bearded man and his black dog.
The man, who at least appeared human, wore a white gown and a “skull cap.” He didn’t speak, but rather communicated through telepathy, informing Godfrey that his name was Yosef (or Josef). Godfrey was placed on a table, and they talked for a while as Yosef performed physical examinations.
There was also a group of small robots or creatures, eight in total, with oddly-shaped heads. As Godfrey was being examined, they removed his shoes.
Not everything was revealed during his hypnosis, though. Apparently, there was no true “end.” He just woke up, and it was over.
The U.K.’s First Alien Abduction
I don’t know if hypnosis works, and to be fair, Godfrey isn’t entirely convinced, either. He thinks, perhaps, his hypnotic regression was something out of a dream, and not an actual recollection of the events of November 28, 1980. He is, however, convinced that he did indeed witness a physical craft that night.
Overall, 1980 was an interesting time for UFO sightings in Britain, with an apparent wave occurring near the end of the year. Godfrey’s account is considered the first documented alien abduction within the United Kingdom. And just one month after Godfrey’s experience, servicemen at RAF Woodbridge would encounter an unidentified object within Rendlesham Forest.
As the story goes, one of those men would receive a telepathic message, possibly from time travelers.
The Mirror has some images of Godfrey, along with the sketch he made of the alleged craft. The above video also contains an interview with Godfrey (complete with illustrations) from the 1980s, in which he describes the experience in his own words.
Oh, and there’s a special appearance by The Doctor.
