Skepticism about Selected Paranormal Events
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evidence” that Betty Hill could not have imagined. This is because the stars in
Betty Hill’s star map were not visible from Earth at the time Betty Hill drew her
map. Moreover, another astronomer, Walter Mitchell at Ohio State University,
reviewed the work of Marjorie Fish and found it to be accurate and valid
astronomical work. Again, Mrs. Hill’s map allegedly was shown to her by her
alien abductors. Additionally, this event took place while both Betty and Barney
Hill were awake. Hence, the idea that hypnotic regression was used to plant
ideas in the minds of these people seems more an argument against the
technique and less of an argument related to the reported experience. In this
regard, the reliability of hypnotic regression techniques is important, but critics,
as in this case, too often do not point out any specific procedural principles
violated by users of the above technique. That aside, it is improbable that her
hypnotist, Boston psychiatrist Dr. Benjamin Simon, could have “planted” so
accurate a memory as the star map Betty Hill drew. As a result of the work of
Marjorie Fish and the map drawn by Betty Hill, the binary stars Zeta Reticuli 1
and 2 were identified by Marjorie Fish as the origin of the aliens encountered in
1961 by Betty and Barney Hill. Apparently, science (i.e., astronomy, in this
case) can play an important role in establishing truth and lessening skepticism,
even when the most fantastic experiences are involved (Chase and Chase, 1993).
4. The Lights Over Washington, D.C. Incident. 1952
On July 19-20 and 26-27, 1952, several jets were scrambled from a
nearby Air Force base in response to “blips” air traffic controllers saw on their
radar scopes at Washington, D.C.’s National Airport (the so-called “Washington
Merry-Go Round Incident”). These highly trained experts saw blips on radar
screens at the same time and place that people on the street saw objects in the
sky over Washington. According to air traffic controllers working at the time of
the incident, as jets approached the area of the nation’s capitol the 12 to 14
unidentified objects flew away (i.e., disappeared from radar screens). When the
jets left the area, the objects (i.e., radar blips) returned. Moreover, scientists of
the era apparently satisfied themselves with the idea that if no hard evidence was
left by the unidentified flying objects, then the “blips” on the radar screens were
either imagined or mistaken for something else; but were not possibly
intelligently controlled flying objects. Either air traffic controllers at the time
understood blips on their radar screens or they did not. If they didn’t, then air
traffic safety procedures needed a serious overhaul, the equipment needed
upgrading, or die controllers needed more extensive training. To date, however,
no government explanation nor one from the scientific community has debunked
(1) the “blips” air traffic controllers saw on their radar screens in 1952, (2) what
people on ^ e streets of D.C. saw, or (3) what Air Force pilots chased based on
radar locks that appeared on their instruments. This is according to A1 Chopp, an
Air Force spokesman observing the radar scopes at the time of the incident