ENCOUNTER
LEVELS
Dr. J. Allen Hyneck worked
for the U.S. Air Force in the 1950’s. His
job was as chief “debunker and explainer” of all reported UFO sightings.
UFO buffs may remember that his last “debunking” for the military was
to pronounce a sighting by multiple people as “swamp gas”.
Dr. Hyneck in later
life, reversed himself in his position on UFO’s and became a vital activist in
the pursuit of UFO truth. He died
in 1986.
Dr. Hyneck was
responsible for developing a category system for UFO sightings. Still in use today, this classification system has a total of
eight (8) ascending sighting and encounter levels which are still in use to this
very day. They are:
NOCTURNAL
LIGHT
Any anomalous light(s)
seen in the night sky whose description rules out the possibilities of aircraft
lights, stars, meteors and the like.
DAYLIGHT
DISC UFO’S
Seen in the distant daytime sky.
The UFO’s classified in this category can be other shapes, as well,
like cigars, eggs and ovals. (Author’s
note: add to this category triangles, discs and hamburger shapes.)
RADAR
VISUALS
Where
UFO’s are tracked on radar and can be seen at the place illustrated at the
same time. A good example would be
a disc-shaped object traveling at 9,000 miles per hour and showing up on radar
in 1950 when the world air-speed record was only 650 miles per hour. (Author’s note: In
the year 2000 UFO speed exceeded 16,000 miles per hour in some reports of radar
screen visuals.)
CLOSE
ENCOUNTERS OF THE FIRST KIND (CE-I)
A
UFO in close proximity, (within 500 feet), to the witness.
CLOSE
ENCOUNTERS OF THE SECOND KIND (CE-II)
A
UFO that leaves markings on the ground, causes burns or paralysis to humans,
frightens animals, or interferes with car engines or T.V. and radio reception.
CLOSE
ENCOUNTERS OF THE THIRD KIND (CE-III)
A
UFO which has visible occupants.
CLOSE
ENCOUNTERS OF THE FOURTH KIND (CE-IV)
These
(also) include alien abduction cases.
CLOSE
ENCOUNTERS OF THE FIFTH KIND (CE-V)
Where
communication occurs between a human and an alien being.
These eight (8)
categories by definition, cannot always encompass all experiences, experiencers
or situations.
Certain random
events, such as balls of light, cattle mutilations and crop circles are not as
of yet definitively proven to be linked to UFO sightings and/or alien abduction.
For a more specific
list of questions pertinent to any given experience see the Mutual UFO Network (MUFON),
Field Investigator’s Handbook, web site at: www.mufon.com
For a more specific
list of reported sightings of types, shapes, sizes and quantity of UFO’s see
the National UFO Reporting Center, (NUFORC) web site at: www.ufocenter.com
