Aliens and Top Hats: what's the connection?

I'm looking for other members who may have a similar story as to what I'm about to tell.

In the mid 70's my mother would drive me to my grandparents farm near Steinbach, Manitoba to stay for a few weeks. They were devout protestant Christians who came from the Mennonite immigration after the first world war. It was actually my great great grandfather who led the first Mennonites to settle in Steinbach after convincing the czar of Russia to let them leave. He then went on to build his church and became the pastor for the community and the rest is history.

Moving forward. It was 1976 and I was five years old. There was an incident on the farm I can never forget in which I heavily contribute my fascination to the UFO phenomena. When I stayed there, I would sleep in my grandfather's bed and my grandmother would sleep in my aunt's room. My aunt is only 2 years older than me so we were quite close and our relationship was more like brother and sister. Anyway, It was one particular night while I was sleeping, I heard what I can only describe as a loud pop. Something similar to the sound of popping your finger in your mouth. I was on my right side, on the right side of the bed, and I was wide awake. I turned my head to my left where my grandfather lay snoring, and looked at the window. Something was there staring at me.

I could only describe it as a skeleton head. I could only relate to what it was from pictures and cutouts in preschool from Halloween. It had large black eye sockets, thin neck, and a head disproportional to it's neck. I thought it was a skeleton. I asked "what is that in the window grandpa?" and he replied, "you're dreaming" and it was gone.

The following morning when we gathered for breakfast I brought it up and told the family what I had saw in the window. My aunt suddenly said "I saw it too!" and corroborated my experience while my grandparent's dismissed this as just a prank from neighbors. The only problem with that is, well, there are no neighbors. This was a farm surrounded by a sea of fields. The closest house is probably about 2-miles away.

If this isn't strange enough, well this it what makes it even more so. The skeleton head was wearing a top hat. One of those stove top hats. For years I kept this little fact to myself because it's the only thing that discredits my experience.

Moving forward about about 25 years. I told this story to my girlfriend at the time and she replied with a story of her own. When her brother was 5, he saw a top hat in his window too. . Ok, could be nothing, could be an overactive imagination on his part but nonetheless, still something to ponder.

Moving forward another 10 years. I tell my story to a friend. He replies with his own experience with something wearing a hat. Except it's a red baseball cap. He's awoken with some alien being sitting beside him in his bed. A semi-formed humanoid face with undeveloped ears and donning a red baseball cap. They have a brief conversation and it disappears. He explained his story as sleep paralysis but again, something to ponder.

So, in conclusion, has anyone else had this type of experience? If so, what is the connection with the hats? Something to make you question your own experience? Something to let others know your experience is the same as theirs in corroboration? While I admit what I saw isn't as clear today as it was many years ago, I can say with certainty my facts of those events have not wavered.

Thoughts?

Originally posted by FlySolo

I'm looking for other members who may have a similar story as to what I'm about to tell.

When I was 5, on Christmas Morning, I was certain I saw Santa and his sleigh flying away - even heard the sleighbells . . .

When her brother was 5, he saw a top hat in his window too.

. Ok, could be nothing, could be an overactive imagination on his part but nonetheless, still something to ponder.

If this could have been overactive imagination, could not yours, as well?

reply to post by Wonderer77


You missed the part where I talked about it at breakfast. My aunt and I were chattering on about what we saw. So no, this was not my imagination and I stand by my experience 110% as being real. Even my own grandparents didn't try to say it was an overactive imagination but instead dismissed it as a prank.

This happened.

Why do you think that the thing you saw was an alien, as opposed to a spirit or a circus freak? Just curious that the conclusion you appear to have drawn is that whatever it was must have been an alien. It is not a common occurance to hear of an alien that might match the description you gave, wearing any item of human apparel.

Originally posted by TrueBrit
Why do you think that the thing you saw was an alien, as opposed to a spirit or a circus freak? Just curious that the conclusion you appear to have drawn is that whatever it was must have been an alien. It is not a common occurance to hear of an alien that might match the description you gave, wearing any item of human apparel.

I suppose you could be correct and you have a valid point. However, it wasn't until I was 14 and was walking past a book store in the mall when I saw this


That was the first time I saw a depiction of an alien and I shoplifted the book to read it. I also have other memories of that night I don't want to get into. I'm unable to discern if it is a false memory or not. A memory that came to me while riding the train.

Originally posted by FlySolo


That was the first time I saw a depiction of an alien and I shoplifted the book to read it. I also have other memories of that night I don't want to get into. I'm unable to discern if it is a false memory or not. A memory that came to me while riding the train.

You stole a book? Not a video game, but a book? I am so proud of you!

On a serious note: Did the thing in the window move at all while you were watching it? Turn it's head? Anything? I would have to question why an alien would stand completely still for any reason.

reply to post by jiggerj


I stole lots of books, that was my first one. And video games in those days weren't very exciting.

Originally posted by FlySolo
That was the first time I saw a depiction of an alien and I shoplifted the book to read it. I also have other memories of that night I don't want to get into. I'm unable to discern if it is a false memory or not. A memory that came to me while riding the train.

May I just ask for clarification on something?

You have other memories of the night in question that you do not wish to dig over right now, in the public domain of this forum. However, it is difficult for any person reading your posts to believe that you have mastered yourself enough to confirm the veracity of your assertion in the OP. Wether it came to you on the train, or in the bath, seems to be largely unimportant. The most important thing is to discern wether it is a genuine memory, or part of a lie you told yourself about the night in question so that you wouldnt deal with whatever happened on the day.

Until you do that, and provide us with some clarification, it will be hard to move forward in this thread. Also, and I hate to say this, but false memory is NEVER created in the mind of the sufferer without reason. Think about that.

Originally posted by TrueBrit

Originally posted by FlySolo
That was the first time I saw a depiction of an alien and I shoplifted the book to read it. I also have other memories of that night I don't want to get into. I'm unable to discern if it is a false memory or not. A memory that came to me while riding the train.

May I just ask for clarification on something?

You have other memories of the night in question that you do not wish to dig over right now, in the public domain of this forum. However, it is difficult for any person reading your posts to believe that you have mastered yourself enough to confirm the veracity of your assertion in the OP. Wether it came to you on the train, or in the bath, seems to be largely unimportant. The most important thing is to discern wether it is a genuine memory, or part of a lie you told yourself about the night in question so that you wouldnt deal with whatever happened on the day.

Until you do that, and provide us with some clarification, it will be hard to move forward in this thread. Also, and I hate to say this, but false memory is NEVER created in the mind of the sufferer without reason. Think about that.

What would you like me to clarify? You're not very clear in what you request. It is a genuine memory, the thing in the window wearing a top hat. This I am certain. The other stuff I can't be so certain because the memory came decades later. The initial memory was there from the moment it happened and has never left. This is the difference.

I would also like to add, to this day my aunt and I can still recall what we saw.

Originally posted by jiggerj

On a serious note: Did the thing in the window move at all while you were watching it? Turn it's head? Anything? I would have to question why an alien would stand completely still for any reason.

edit on 12/1/2012 by jiggerj because: (no reason given)

Nope. It was just there staring at me. BTW, why would turning its head make it more credible for you?

well, so it seems others have seen this "top hat" man

www.abovetopsecret.com...

Maybe it was a ghost?

I would like to comment on your experience because I to have had an experience with a spirit wearing a top hat and I have come to find out that the top hat is a spiritual representation of vanity and pride. Its the soul expressing the emotion. Both of these emotions are sinful in the eyes of the Lord. It is written in the bible in Ezekiel 28:13 "Thou hast been in Eden the garden of God; every precious stone was thy covering, the sardius, topaz, and the diamond, the beryl, the onyx, and the jasper, the sapphire, the emerald, and the carbuncle, and gold," that lucifer was once adorned in the finest coverings, he uses garments like the top hat to signify superiority. If you read the bible the first thing Adam and Eve did when they ate the forbidden fruit and felt "naked" was sew together fig aprons to cover themselves. I think in your circumstance because you were young you were growing spiritually and thats why it has been so significant to you. God teaches us his word and wisdom through instances like these so we may dwell on them till one day we understand what it was that he was trying to show us. I hope my understanding of this has help you. If you have any questions please ask.

Betty & Barney Hill also reported the aliens having caps:

Betty & Barney Hill alien abduction

The following is not about Aliens or apparitions but more about memory and perceptions


My fear and paranoia is 'snakes'

Many years ago (and much longer ago) than your memory. My mother and i were staying

with relatives, i was 3 years old. This relative thought she was playing a joke on me by

offering me a biscuit from a tin....but when she opened the tin out jumped a life like jack-in-

the box 'snake'

That night and for several nights later i had nightmares. To try and comfort me my mother

took me into the lighted living room sat me on her knee to show me i had nothing to worry

about....i would point it out as sliding across the room, and she tried to show me there was

nothing there....I SAW IT, but i know now it was my perception and fear....There was nothing

actually there.

Top Hat?

It was a subconscious "Honest Abe", reminding you that although your pursuit of knowledge may have been commendable, shoplifting literary works from others robs the authors of the book, the shopkeeper, society in general, and your good conscience -and therefore is NOT the right way to edify your future.

Epilogue:

Never want to see the scary apparition again?

Make amends to the establishments from which the books were stolen...

reply to post by MerkabaMeditation


Hey thanks for that. I didn't know that.

reply to post by FlySolo


I clicked on this link because ever since I was little my mom told me about how when she was young she saw "ghosts dancing around" her bed wearing top harts! She was staying at a hotel with her parents and siblings, where she had a separate room with her sister. My aunt & mom say they describe seeing the exact same thing, so it couldn't have been a dream. Whether this actually happened or not I have no idea. Also, this would have been in the early 70s... just struck me as odd.

reply to post by trixieKitten


Thank you for your contribution. It's been a few days since I made this thread and has been rather slow, but I know there must be others out there with the same experience.

A skull in a Top Hat is very symbolic to me. That image is forever burned into my psyche.