Betty and Barney Hill were the first individuals in modern history to state publicly that they were abducted by extra terrestrials. They believed that they had been abducted and taken aboard an extra terrestrial craft piloted by small aliens with huge black slanted eyes and large heads. Aboard the craft they remembered being examined and operated on by the extra terrestrials.

On September 20, 1961 Betty and Barney Hill were driving back from a holiday in Niagara Falls through the White Mountains (New Hampshire) and they noticed a bright light following them. They stopped their car and Barney got out to look at the light through his binoculars. Barney described the craft as coin shaped with blue lighted windows along the edge. He was able to see into the craft and observed small figures running around. Barney remembers getting back into their car and driving both of them home; however, upon arrival they realized that they were two hours late and couldn't understand why. They also noticed unusual spots on their car, scuffs on Barney's shoes and strange stains and tears on Betty's dress.

Days after the event Betty started having disturbing dreams about being abducted by strange beings. Betty & Barney decided to undergo hypnotic regression to try and find out exactly what happened that September night. Under hypnosis both individuals reported that during the missing two hours they were abducted by extra terrestrials. They remembered that the craft landed on the ground in front of their car and caused the car engine to stall. Their car was then surrounded by small beings that took them into their craft. Inside the craft they were examined and samples were taken from their bodies. Before leaving the craft Betty was shown a three dimensional image of a star system where the beings originated from; which she later identified as the Zeta Reticuli star system.

Critics claim that the alleged abduction of Hills was merely a case of hypnotic suggestion-that psychologists conducting the hypnotic regression planted these ideas of abduction in the minds of the Hills. The Hills faced much criticism for their story but they always maintained their tale of alien abduction.