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Travis Walton - September 21, 2014

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Walton has been thoroughly debated on the forum in the past and in those discussions Randall got me to be a little more critical of his character, Walton's that is, and I've found myself tipping up and down on the scales of believability for this case. But that's the UFO narrative for me: on one hand an exceptional story with some odd corroborations, or none at all, but is there ever any definitive proof? Not really. Isn't it always the way that exceptional stories like Pascagoula, Michalak, The Hills, Andreasson, Cahill, Ruwa and Westall do not move past witness story mode? All of them are outlier cases. Nothing gets stranger than encountering the Alien Other. And that's the deal with cases Ufologists only whisper about after the bar's closed and the hotel room bar fridge gets opened, those heady CE4 cases, abductions and humanoids, up close, wild and interactive.

UFO's On the Storied Scales
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So there are some things about the case that still bothers me:

1) If it was hoaxed how'd it get hoaxed? The best scenario i've heard is that Walton, brother & a third party have made the detailed plans: a balloon well timed to be let up in the air, lighting effects and large audio speakers for the turbine sounds or an actual machine - but would it be a generator, making a sound that all these guys would recognize? Doubt it. Not too sure about the whole lightning strike or how that was pulled off. And then Travis as trained athlete hits the springboard and just leaps into the air and splats on the ground ten feet away - talk about a man dedicated to the task of the hoax!

2) Is it even feasible that they were all in on it? There's certainly not enough money to share amongst the crew so somebody would've spilled the beans long ago for some minor fame or a quick buck. I wish I could remember which crew member it was I heard on that Canadian Paranormal Podcast from the Igloo that was going on about having been abducted himself by various species - it was a pretty ridiculous conversation. There's no real calculation or planning in that afterthought. But the officer that met the crew in the parking lot was thoroughly convinced by the tears for fears and general freaked outness by these guys about what they saw. So were they brilliant actors then?
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3) Context of the witness stuff. Ok he already admitted to the whole bad cheque, bad decisions of greedy youth thing which kind of speaks to his credibility there, as would someone who gets caught doing that sort of petty crime have the capacity to plot out this masterful hoax? (see point 1) Now it could actually be a family plan, something generational passed on from a supposedly UFO obsessed father, or so the Internet says, down to his sons who have spent years planning this out. But remember what @nameless said about not trusting the F@€£ing Internet?! So none of that stuff could mean anything at all, but still...

4) Why not get hypnotized again? If you were missing five days and you only had recall for an hour or so tell me you're not going to find out what else went down while onboard in outerspace? Sometimes his answers to some questions leave me a little uncertain. And what was up with his whole 'I lost 5-10 lbs and gained it back in an hour' thing? And taking their scale to the doctor, was there a specifc point they wanted to prove?

5) Why'd his mom not freak out more about his abduction instead of her whole relaxed, 'that's just what aliens do' sort of casual response? Does this speak to the general family obsession around UFO's (see point 3) and why Travis ran out of the truck to go investigate in the first place? After all, who else runs pell mell towards the alien craft as opposed to away from it? You've gotta descend from a family of lovers of UFO lore to have that kind of get up and go. Didn't mom also pass a lie detector test, fwiw?
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6) This is the first of two cases that introduce the little grey, bald alien to the masses, the other case something Walton would not have known about (see J. Clark's Extraordinary Encounters entry for Walton Abduction). Travis' case is kind of a startling case with witnesses, intense features, high drama and a start and finish to an abduction unlike any other abduction narrative. That tends to lend it more credibility than not. In fact I'm more inclined to dismiss all those other cases mentioned above as having nothing to do with aliens before I dismiss Walton. Funny how this case can make you change your mind now and then.
 
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4) Why not get hypnotized again? If you were missing five days and you only had recall for an hour or so tell me you're not going to find out what else went down while onboard in outerspace? Sometimes his answers to some questions leave me a little uncertain. And what was up with his whole 'I lost 5-10 lbs and gained it back in an hour' thing? And taking their scale to the doctor, was there a specifc point they wanted to prove?
This is what bothers me about the incident. How does one lose 5-10 pounds and gain it back so fast? Also, having undergone hypnotic treatment once, wouldn't he be the least bit curious to see what else he was doing for five days that, after 40 years, he still does not remember?

So much for asking questions that weren't probing. :)
 
So much for asking questions that weren't probing. :)
To be honest I wish we had all asked more probing questions. You jumped on the weight thing right away and that was the moment of high drama in the show. I wish there was more opportunity to explore some of the nuances of the case as that's the only way to dig into this story. It was great having him on, but I didn't think we got anything new except for a lot of info about the skyfire summit, though I understand the necessity of giving guests the opportunity to promote their own gigs. At the same time it seems that Travis gets around L.A. a lot and stuff.
 
We'll be happy to have him on again to go into more detail. But, since he only remembers an hour of his abduction, assuming the memory is even genuine and not some sort of mind control trick, how much more can we do other than probe around the edges?
 
I am a huge fan of the show, and this is my first time in the forums. I was wondering if there were any similar conferences on UFOs taking place near me. I live in Bham al and I was hoping ATL may have have conferences like that sometimes.
 
Has anyone listened to those audio clips I posted? Would be interested on your opinion.

I've listened to a couple of them. Great find! Walton's brother did confirm that Travis had a prior interest in UFOs and had seen other "flying objects" and that he said he would try to communicate with one if he ever got the chance. It was also mentioned that the object gave off a "high pitched whine". If we put the high pitched whine together with reports of military air activity in the area and a bright beam of light, can we rule out the possibility of a helicopter with a searchlight beam?

High pitched whines are typically associated with some kind of fuel fed turbine, not exactly the silent antigravity type thing we're used to hearing about in connection with sightings of alien craft. I also couldn't help but notice that during the interview an offer was made to pay for more information. This was before Walton was even found!

Listening to more of the recordings now.
 
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I have also listened to these clips and will do my best to briefly summarize my thoughts. Apologies in advance for the length. There were 11 clips as posted, from top to bottom and I'll address each in order:
Clip1: From the start, Travis avoided the press. To me this is in-keeping with a real trauma. This is echoed by the investigator from APRO.
Next we learn that urine and blood tests prove no drugs were present in Travis' system, making hallucination seem unlikely. In addition, Psychologists who examined Travis concluded that he truly believes his own story.
Finally, in this clip the rep from APRO reminds us that the polygraph machine is not a "lie" detector but a "stress" detector. Given the nature of this experience, a true memory of it would likely cause just that; stress. So indeed the test itself is a catch-22 in this case.
 
Clip2 jumps from 1975 to 1980: We find Travis' story still pretty much unchanged or evolved in 5 years. When asked semi-leading questions regarding star maps, a-la Betty Hill, Travis does not accept the opportunity to integrate this or embellish his tale.
Although admittedly, when pressed for a stellar reference point he does seem to accept the offering of the Milky Way.
Aside from this however, given many chances to speculate or enrich (the idea of robots or gender is raised) Travis is not afraid to say "I don't know". He dispels the rumor that the Nat. Enquirer paid him for his story. And finally, he acknowledges gaining from the experience philosophically but shys away from the 'New Age'.
 
Clip4: While Travis is missing the crew is accused of murder. If this were a hoax, as was mentioned by others earlier, now would have been the time to say so. Instead, they volunteer to take polygraphs, which 5 out of 6 pass with flying colors. The 6th does not fail, but is inconclusive, due to stress as an expert examiner will later attest.
 
Clip5: Here, I do see a bit of what Ufology/Randall is saying. Travis has apparently seen ufos before and intended to make contact, given the chance? I'd need to listen last weeks episode again, but didn't he say he had no interest in the subject prior to the event? Also, we learn in this clip that there were apparently conflicting Geiger readings (some showing radiation and others showing less or none). Sadly, no rock or soil samples were taken either. Seems standard now. No?
 
Clip6: In this clip we learn that not only sheriffs but also search dogs spent 3 days scouring the woods for Travis. Seems unlikely he could have remained hidden if he was just hoaxing and camping.
And in an odd twist, the crew boss who was there when Travis was allegedly abducted escorts the search party as guide, only to "pass out" repeatedly when returning to the site. (???)
 
Clip7: More statements on polygraphs. Getting redundant.
The point is raised, by APRO I think, that similar cases previous to this lasted only a few minutes or maybe hours. Travis' case is unique simply by virtue of duration. Whether hoax or real abduction, 5 days went by before another living soul saw Travis.
Speaking to Genes (well-founded) reservations about the amount of weight lost in a short period, this is another instance of inconsistency: I believe on the show he did say it was 5 pounds and it returned a few hours fate being hospitalized. But in this clip he says it was 12 pounds recovered in 5 days. How do you lose 12 pounds while camping? And if you lost them in a spaceship, how do you get them back in 5 days while lying in a bed and scarcely eating? This is perhaps the one piece of the story that simply does not fit, no matter how you slice it.
Moving on, we hear about a large needle mark Travis says was from testing by the beings. As urine/blood tests tell us nothing was put into his arm, we can reasonably conclude something was taken out. ( or he just poked himself for effect...?)
Finally, in this clip, it is reported ( not by Travis) that upon his return, Travis was traumatized and described the beings as "cruel". But by his own account, they were almost docile; using reassuring hand gestures and stoping in their tracks when he threatened them.
 
Clip8: Travis' weight loss is attributed, at least in part, to severe dehydration. I'm not a doctor, do I won't comment on that.
This clip also raises the claim the 3 deer hunters also reported a sighting, independent of the loggers, but similar in appearance and region. I'd like to know more about that, but we don't get much here.
The FBI is mentioned as also having found radiation at the site. If that's true there should be a file somewhere. Maybe it's with the 3 deer hunters. (???)
Lastly, the detail is added that the "humans" Travis meets on the ship have no hair. Is this meant to support the claims of radiation(?), because I don't remember him saying that on the show or in any of these other clips.
 
Clips 9 and 10 aren't earth-shattering, but I do enjoy them for one simple reason: we meet Spalding; who is very interested in the case, until he is basically rejected by Travis, in favor of Dr. Baxter, and then suddenly Spalding denounces the whole thing as a hoax. Classic 'taking my toys and going home' maneuver.
 
Clip11 is a trip: Dr. Baxter, who wrote "The Secret Life of Plants" (which is well worth looking at and could easily be it's own episode) comes in as the accepted expert on polygraph examinations.
He gives some nice examples of Phil Klass being ridiculous.
Baxter explains how biofeedback is possibly causing experiments to yield the results the experimenters want/cause; which seems a very John Keel-esque concept. One example given is of a houseplant which he hooks up to a polygraph machine. When he then imagines burning the plant with fire, it's readings instantly become 'panicked'.
And in conclusion, Baxter again echoes the importance, as an examiner, of being able to admit it when you just don't know. Emotions and Ego can only cloud the issue, which is why I really like that more than a few questions put to Travis are met with "I don't know".
 
The most strange aspect for me is the fact that Travis insists there was a real human with a helmet on the ship.
One with headgear, and several without; none of whom would speak to him. Yeah, weird elements to factor in on top of everything else. The humans onboard actually bother me because it's a little "Project Serpo"-ish.
 
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