The 1967 Abduction of Herbert Schirmer

Ordinarily, when someone reports being abducted by aliens, officials dismiss such claims as the work of hoaxers. But what happens if the Abductee IS an official.

This was the case on a cold December night in 1967 in Ashland, Nebraska. At 2 AM Patrolman Herbert Schirmer was making his usual rounds when he noticed what appeared to be lights mounted on a large truck. He drove closer and stopped with his headlights shining on the object. According to the Schirmer, the object was certainly not a truck. The red lights he had seen earlier were shining through the portholes of a metalic oval-shaped object hovering around 10 feet above ground.

The UFO had what looked like a polished aluminum surface, and some kind of structure underneath like landing gear.

As Schrimir stared, the saucer rose into the air, moved directly over his car and then shot out of sight. When he got a good look at the object he could see flames coming from the bottom of it.

The policeman quickly returned to base. When he arrived he was surprised to find that it was 3 AM. When he had seen the UFO, his clock had said it was 2AM, and he felt sure that it had only been ten minutes since then.

At the station, he made this entry into his logbook:

"Saw a flying saucer at the junction of highways 6 and 63. Believe it or not!"

In the days following, Schirmer started to develop a large red welt on his neck. He also had constant headaches, and he began to feel very ill.

Schirmer was asked to come to Boulder, Colorado. There he was hypnotized by psychologist Dr. Leo Sprinkle of the University of Wyoming.

During the hypnosis session, Schirmer claims that after he stopped his car near the object, the engine died and his radio went silent. A second object emerged from inside the craft and seemed to communicate telepathically with him, telling him to resist the urge to pull out his gun.

After the session, he was able to recall even more details about the encounter. He describes the beings as friendly. The beings also supposedly have a base on Venus and draw power from electrical power lines.

The Condon Committee concluded that: "Evaluation of psychological assessment tests, the lack of any evidence and interviews withe the partrolman, left project staff with no confidence that the trooper's reported UFO experience was physically real."

However, Dr. Sprinkle felt that Schirmer "believed in the reality of the events he described."

Returning to Ashland, Schirmer was appointed Ashland's Police Cheif. However, he resigned very quickly, unable to concentrate after his UFO encounter.

According to Shirmer, many people ridiculed him, his car was dinamited and his wife left him.




I think that Shirmer certainly believed what he was saying, and his was a respected police officer with nothing to gain from making up a stupid story.

However, the story seems much more like a dream then a real event. The only evidence that anything really happened was the welt on his neck and his headaches and I think such things could easily be caused by stress and fear.

Any thoughts?


Sources:

www.ufocasebook.com

The beings from Venus were freindly,however it seems they ruined his life.

It almost sounds like the Castrovalvans,they are apparently as nice as pie to earthlings.one report they told an abductee they could give him a meal of the most delicious thing he had ever tasted.A clear liquid in a bowl was just as they had described.

The beings from Venus were freindly,however it seems they ruined his life.

reply to post by paperface



That does seem curious.

Not trying to be picky, but the beings said they had a base of Venus, they didn't say they were from Venus.

reply to post by thesearchfortruth


Such is the way the UFO myth is carried forth by accident or design.
The average person will not believe such an account, but the story itself, lives on in general details.
that is because it dares to suggest a question about the Universe that at that point in 1967 and still yet today, not everyone can face.

Every day the answer to that question becomes more fleshed out with data and detail about what is out there. The beauty and horror of it all vie for position as the population of the world in its various stages of acceptance and denial move forward into what will one day be seen as the perfect logic of how the Universe is.... But the situation will not change. It will remain a real, constant beauty and horror.

As an abuctee in 1964, I've lived my own version of Schirmer's life. Eventually, you all will if you live long enough. Flat denial because of religion or because of pig-headed blindness will not alter the eventual revelation that the UFO "myth" of other creatures, god-like creatures and perhaps even demon-like creatures, are out there.

reply to post by thesearchfortruth
I like this case for containing many of the elements I find appealing. It starts with a fairly decent UFO sighting and goes on to include the folk from elsewhere and their mysterious ways. After Schirmer underwent hypnosis with Dr Leo Sprinkle, he related a story that sounds a lot like the earlier Contactee claims.

He was taken aboard the craft and shown other, larger crafts on some video-screen whilst the main guy told him what they were up to.


Above image Copyright @ kickstarter and Michael Jasorka




Whether people believe his account or not is a personal choice, the Condon investigation had very little confidence in his honesty and some of the locals hanged a dummy of Schirmer from a tree. On the other hand, some people in ufology feel it's worth considering. The guy himself attracted a level of ridicule that put an end to his career. If he was lying, that would be a good thing (who needs cops telling lies?), but if he experienced something unusual, it's a sad result.

The overall story he related remains, for me, an interesting one. Hypnosis is a highly dodgy means of gathering *convincing* evidence and the majority of Schirmer's account came from regressions. Under hypnosis he detailed men with flying serpent insignias, disc-craft and a cigar-shaped mothership parked up in space. His captors told him they were peaceful and disagreed with the way the Earth was being run.




One of the things that always happens in these cases is the folk from elsewhere telling absurd lies and blatantly misleading the witness. They rarely come from the same place twice and, when the alleged witness returns to tell their story, invoke complete ridicule. Examples have included, 'We come from Mars' or 'Venus' or 'Clarion (behind the sun)'.

In this case, one of the highlights is the above part where the 'captain' suggests they want humanity to believe in them....just not too much!

Even Schirmer has his doubts when he adds...



Police Officer Goes Aboard - MUFON

Steve Kaiser's UFO audio clips - Schirmer clips halfway down page

NICAP - UFO Investigator

Originally posted by thesearchfortruth
Ordinarily, when someone reports being abducted by aliens, officials dismiss such claims as the work of hoaxers.

When does this "ordinarily" happen?

Originally posted by thesearchfortruth
However, the story seems much more like a dream then a real event.

Why just a dream?

Originally posted by Kandinsky
One of the things that always happens in these cases is the folk from elsewhere telling absurd lies and blatantly misleading the witness. They rarely come from the same place twice and, when the alleged witness returns to tell their story, invoke complete ridicule. Examples have included, 'We come from Mars' or 'Venus' or 'Clarion (behind the sun)'.

As I read your post, I could not help but to think the same thing. I am glad you brought it up. This seems to be a frequent element within paranormal phenomenon, not just UFOs but across the spectrum. Not only does this information lead to the witness being ridiculed and embarrassed but is given to individuals who would not know better, thus more willing to accept what he is being told. To use the Schirmer case as an example, a cop (relative to science, a lay person) being told in 1967 that these beings are from/have a base on Venus would not question the claim as say an astronomer would (though to Schirmer's credit, he did later question their claims).

This give credence to Schirmer's feeling that the beings seek to confuse us, or as you echoed, want us to believe but not too much.

Unfortunately, that these beings so often give such conflicting and falsifiable information suggests that these stories are the invention of the storyteller, whether intentional or not.

Originally posted by WingedBull

Originally posted by Kandinsky
One of the things that always happens in these cases is the folk from elsewhere telling absurd lies and blatantly misleading the witness. They rarely come from the same place twice and, when the alleged witness returns to tell their story, invoke complete ridicule. Examples have included, 'We come from Mars' or 'Venus' or 'Clarion (behind the sun)'.

As I read your post, I could not help but to think the same thing. I am glad you brought it up. This seems to be a frequent element within paranormal phenomenon, not just UFOs but across the spectrum. Not only does this information lead to the witness being ridiculed and embarrassed but is given to individuals who would not know better, thus more willing to accept what he is being told. To use the Schirmer case as an example, a cop (relative to science, a lay person) being told in 1967 that these beings are from/have a base on Venus would not question the claim as say an astronomer would (though to Schirmer's credit, he did later question their claims).

This give credence to Schirmer's feeling that the beings seek to confuse us, or as you echoed, want us to believe but not too much.

Unfortunately, that these beings so often give such conflicting and falsifiable information suggests that these stories are the invention of the storyteller, whether intentional or not.

If we look deeply into UFO research, we can discern that aliens are far more 'liars' then any man. I went from being a skeptic about this case to believing it, just because it has all the marks of being a real case and most importantly this is the timeframe when these things were actually happening. We don't have reports of things happening these days but we did then and the man who was most quick in his wit to figure it out was Budd Hopkins. It's the truth because simply by the 80s and 90s the truth wouldn't have come out if it didn't happen. The stories wouldn't have all been almost the same. Here is the spot on the highway Herbert saw the UFO...mysterious.....

Originally posted by WingedBull

Originally posted by thesearchfortruth
Ordinarily, when someone reports being abducted by aliens, officials dismiss such claims as the work of hoaxers.

When does this "ordinarily" happen?

Originally posted by thesearchfortruth
However, the story seems much more like a dream then a real event.

Why just a dream?

When does it ordinarily happen? Whenever someone reports being abducted by aliens.

The story seems like a dream because of certain aspects of Schirmirs story.

Being from Venus, drawing power from electrical lines etc.... It sounds like fantasy and not actual science.

That just my opinion of course.

As I stated earlier,this is the Castrovalvans they are harmless but naive.

Originally posted by thesearchfortruth
When does it ordinarily happen? Whenever someone reports being abducted by aliens.

For example...?

Originally posted by thesearchfortruth
Being from Venus, drawing power from electrical lines etc.... It sounds like fantasy and not actual science.

But why does that set it apart from other abduction tales that all have aspects of the fantastic and make little sense scientifically?

But why does that set it apart from other abduction tales that all have aspects of the fantastic and make little sense scientifically?

reply to post by WingedBull


It is no different from those tales. It is different from the good abduction cases. The ones supported by other evidence like implants found in the abductee, multiple witnesses seeing the abduction etc....

Originally posted by thesearchfortruth
It is no different from those tales. It is different from the good abduction cases. The ones supported by other evidence like implants found in the abductee, multiple witnesses seeing the abduction etc....

But why does the high-strangeness aspects make it less-likely than the supposed "good abductions"?

Ok, It seems that he had experienced something, particularly with the physical injury and the comment in his Office log.
Once again, I shall repeat something that is well oft quoted by myself.

Im surprised I havent been ridiculed previously, but I think there is more truth to this, than lies or delusions, but that is only my opinion.

Mr Schirmers "observations" of the experience, albeit thru hypnosis, are interesting and telling, and probably of great importance...namely, the red lights on a "Saucer" type object..with legs (very Earthly??), being shown a large Cigar shaped craft, presumably also with red lights, and the winged serpent insignia, and the "We are from our base on Venus".

Ok....In the Dec 1999 interview and the subsequent "Lacerta Files" release (revelation??). Our fellow Dinosaur evolved Sauran Earth creature, named Lacerta, tells the interviewer some interesting things.

1. She says her people construct and operate Cigar shaped "Craft" between 20 -260 mtres long, generally with Red lights front and rear (some have been observed with portholes too). "They" also have a few smaller saucer shaped craft, they sometimes operate.

2. I quote..."We have two major symbols representing our species. One symbol is a blue serpent with 4 white wings, on a black background (the colours are religious to her people). The other is a mystic being, you would call a dragon, in the shape of a circle with seven "Stars" in the middle."

3. When asked what the stars were, she replied that they werent stars, but the seven colonies on the various planets and moons in the solar system.
The stars mean...The Moon, Mars, Venus!!!!, and 4 moons of Jupiter and Saturn. 2 of these bases have now been abandoned.

4. They are keeping an eye on what we do, so we dont ruin the Earth.......

While I have No Clue, as to whether there are Lizard Men (and Women) living under our feet or not. Like the Bigfoot, there have been eyewitness reports of various and many...Things.

We know there are creatures in the Sea, that we havent seen yet.....we Know there are Huge caverns, rivers etc under our feet, in the Earths Crust, that we havent seen yet.....

Anyway, until they land on the White house lawn for the "a picture or it didnt happen" crew, then it is only for the open minded to contemplate.

To me, The Herbert Schirmer case, may be an encounter with these Earth creatures, who, if what they say is correct, have just as much right to exist on this Planet as every Human being.

Originally posted by WingedBull

Originally posted by thesearchfortruth
It is no different from those tales. It is different from the good abduction cases. The ones supported by other evidence like implants found in the abductee, multiple witnesses seeing the abduction etc....

But why does the high-strangeness aspects make it less-likely than the supposed "good abductions"?

High strangeness aspects don't make it less likely. Unscientific aspects make it less likely.

Personally, I find it very unscientific to believe the aliens actually drew power from electrical lines. What would they do on Venus, where there supposed base is. There are no electrical lines there. And in space?

Besides, wouldn't there be some evidence or lack of power in the electrical lines? And wouldn't such a craft use enormous amounts of energy, much more then electrical lines can supply?

It seems to me that making a craft that drew power from electrical lines would be a bad idea.

One of the things that always happens in these cases is the folk from elsewhere telling absurd lies and blatantly misleading the witness.

They rarely come from the same place twice and, when the alleged witness returns to tell their story, invoke complete ridicule. Examples have included, 'We come from Mars' or 'Venus' or 'Clarion (behind the sun)'.

In this case, one of the highlights is the above part where the 'captain' suggests they want humanity to believe in them....just not too much! Even Schirmer has his doubts when he adds...

Yes this is a frequently heard thing...and not only Sprinkle wrote that.

Here are two possible explanations:

1) The Aliens say such "nonsense" because the abduction story as a whole is totally made up and a lie...and the details of the story just reflect the "Abductee's" lack of scientific understanding when he lies about his story.

2) The experience is in fact "real" in one or the other way...and the Aliens have a reason to lie and tell that nonsense.

As i wrote in my other post about "The Truth about the UFO phenomenon"....i don't think that there is a "reason" behind the phenomenon like breeding of Hybrids etc...but rather, the whole phenomenon serves a "higher" purpose which goes more in the direction of "spiritual experience" or creating a "transformation experience" in the "Abducted". That's what i believe. And maybe the lies told play a role there.

Originally posted by thesearchfortruth
High strangeness aspects don't make it less likely. Unscientific aspects make it less likely.

But there are unscientific aspects in every single abduction case.

Originally posted by WingedBull

Originally posted by thesearchfortruth
High strangeness aspects don't make it less likely. Unscientific aspects make it less likely.

But there are unscientific aspects in every single abduction case.

I disagree.

Unlikely aspects maybe. But not unscientific.

If you can find something unscientific in the Betty and Barney Hill case I'll be impressed.

Originally posted by thesearchfortruth

Originally posted by WingedBull

Originally posted by thesearchfortruth
High strangeness aspects don't make it less likely. Unscientific aspects make it less likely.

But there are unscientific aspects in every single abduction case.

I disagree.

Unlikely aspects maybe. But not unscientific.

If you can find something unscientific in the Betty and Barney Hill case I'll be impressed.

MOST abduction reports/recounts are extremely unscientific, this usually starts out already with the claims where the aliens are supposed to come from. "From the Pleiades", "From Orion", "So far away you humans could not remotely understand it"...etc.. which doesn't make any sense at all, and for sure not for an "advanced" race.

The question here really is how high the percentage of pathological liars is and how many of the reports are simply made up. You just need to look here on the forum how many people come in here posting false stuff simply to get attention..or outright lies/nonsense...and the same kind of people are likely also making up abduction stories, or made them up in the past before we had the internet where we now can troll "comfortably from home".

Mind you i am not saying that all abduction reports are fake and made up, but i simply know that LIKELY a lot of them are..probably the majority of them. And needless to say such reports would be full with idiotic details.

reply to post by WingedBull

Unfortunately, that these beings so often give such conflicting and falsifiable information suggests that these stories are the invention of the storyteller, whether intentional or not.

It's a hard idea to dispute. The intentionality is even harder to isolate when most of these cases have been the word of one person. In the few where the alleged witness has received retinal damage, we're offered something, perhaps, more intriguing.

I also wonder at the cultural influences and reporter-bias. For instance, these encounters appear to have arrived with the first UFO waves and diminished by the late '70s. This could be interpreted as a genuine phenomena whose (external) causes are no longer instrumental. It could also be interpreted as a social effect (self-induced) and that such encounters continue but are no longer considered worthy of publication?

Personally, I remain neutral and unconvinced by the popular explanations - bits and pieces of each shed light on some aspects and not others. There's a great body of psychological research into hallucinations, misperceptions and experiences like war-vets experiencing (rarely) sound and vision encounters. So far, they don't offer a commonality with these types of claims unless I force-fit the claims and ignore all the parts that are hanging out. They are fascinating though...

A lot of people have found their 'best-fit' explanations, many more have even found *certainty;* the one that makes the most sense to me is still waiting to be found.

reply to post by flexy123

Here are two possible explanations:

1) The Aliens say such "nonsense" because the abduction story as a whole is totally made up and a lie...and the details of the story just reflect the "Abductee's" lack of scientific understanding when he lies about his story.

2) The experience is in fact "real" in one or the other way...and the Aliens have a reason to lie and tell that nonsense.

As i wrote in my other post about "The Truth about the UFO phenomenon"....i don't think that there is a "reason" behind the phenomenon like breeding of Hybrids etc...but rather, the whole phenomenon serves a "higher" purpose which goes more in the direction of "spiritual experience" or creating a "transformation experience" in the "Abducted". That's what i believe. And maybe the lies told play a role there.

Hi Flex, I'm not convinced that 'aliens' are *the* explanation - I haven''t ruled it out, but feel no certainty. If there's an agency (aliens, folk from elsewhere, consciousness, spiritual) behind some of these encounters, there appears to be a lot of hand-waving and 'look behind you' style distraction and deflection. It's analogous to the war games of General Subotai.

I read your thread and am familiar with the thinking that speculates about spiritual awakenings and religious influences. It's been around since late '47 in various guises and has risen in popularity in recent years. It seems to run a parallel course with evil forces versus good forces (angels and djinn) and occasionally interlaces with the consciousness and '___' fraternity.

Vallee is well-known for saying he'd be very disappointed if UFOs were only spaceships from other worlds. I'd be very disappointed if all this strangeness is merely down to alien missionaries. Consciousness is certainly implicated in these encounters and yet we know so little about it.