Something Happened On The Road: The Steven Kilburn Extraterrestrial Encounter

Steve Kilburn’s alien abduction only came to light from a bizarre and ominous feeling that would rise in him whenever he traveled or even thought about a particular stretch of road in the state of Maryland. It was because of this inexplicable feeling that he eventually spoke with UFO researcher Budd Hopkins about it. When Kilburn underwent hypnotic regression to try and understand where this dark, foreboding feeling came from, he discovered that something very strange indeed did take place years earlier.

Not only did Steven witness a bizarre object while driving home that night in the early 1970s, but he encountered strange entities that ultimately took him on board the craft. Moreover, he would undergo an intense medical procedure and several medical examinations. In fact, the details that would be revealed through hypnotic regression would not only reveal Steven Kilburn’s encounter but would reveal details that resonate almost perfectly with other accounts of alien abduction, perhaps suggesting its credibility.

The account is another that comes from the files of the late great Budd Hopkins and is detailed in the book Missing Time: A Documented Study Of UFO Abductions. And, as we shall see, the case is one of the most nuanced and complex on record.

“Something Happened To Me One Time When I Was Driving Home!”

When Steven Kilburn first spoke with Budd Hopkins about this strange feeling that was nagging away at the back of his mind, the two knew each other well. Kilburn had attended several meetings of UFO enthusiasts organized and overseen by Hopkins and fellow researcher Ted Bloecher in Hopkins’ New York studio apartment after developing a friendship with Bloecher through both being members of the Fortean Society. ^[1]

Hopkins recalled in Missing Time that following one of these meetings, as people were gathering their things and preparing to leave, Kilburn approached him about “something that might have happened to him when he was in college”. He offered that although “there was probably nothing to it” there was a “certain stretch of road” that he had to drive along when visiting his (then) girlfriend’s home.

Hopkins immediately asked if there was any kind of UFO sighting connected to the road in question, to which Kilburn responded that he couldn’t remember “anything specific”. He did, though, have a constant feeling that “something happened to me one time when I was driving home”. It was at this point that Kilburn stated he would like to undergo hypnotic regression in order to see if there was anything more to discover.

The pair left the matter there for a time, but Hopkins began speaking to Bloecher about his conversation with Kilburn and whether there could be something more to his ominous feelings. Eventually, they would speak with psychologist Dr. Girard Franklin about the case, who would agree to conduct the session. And what they would discover would be mind-blowing for all involved.

A Feeling That Something Had Happened Or Was Going To Happen!

The sessions took place at Dr. Franklin’s office in Manhattan in May 1978, several weeks after Kilburn had first spoken to Hopkins about his suspicions that something strange might have happened that night in 1973.

To begin with, Steven offered some background to the incident. He stated that before he moved to New York (when he lived in Baltimore), he had a girlfriend who lived in Frederick, Maryland. He would often drive along Route 40 west to see her and could still vividly recall that around 10 to 15 miles of that stretch of road is almost deserted. He further offered that he often left his girlfriend’s house very late and that this stretch of road was almost pitch black with virtually no lighting from anywhere.

One particular evening, after he had been making the journey for around a year, he was driving from Frederick to Maryland. It was between 2 am and 3 am, and he recalled of this journey that while he “couldn’t remember whether I actually saw something in the sky – I believe I did – and it was there that I first felt that – something”. He continued that he suddenly felt very strange and had no idea why he did so, elaborating that it was “that feeling someone is watching you” when you wake from sleep. Ultimately, he couldn’t shake the feeling that something very strange had taken place, or, stranger still, that something “was going to happen”.

From that moment on, each time Steven drove down this stretch of road that same feeling would return. Steven attempted to put the incident out of his mind as the years went on. However, from time to time, he would contemplate if something truly out of the ordinary did take place that night between Frederick and Baltimore.

A Sense Of “Being Outside Of The Car!”

Before hypnotizing Steven, Dr. Franklin asked him further questions about the night in question to see what he could remember and what feelings those memories evoked. These memories were often hazy or confused. For example, he recalled looking at the car’s dashboard throughout that particular journey, although he couldn’t remember why. He then revealed some further memories.

He stated that he recalled his car pulling over at the side of the road at an angle while he was walking in front of it. Moreover, he could see a light, which he assumed was coming from the car, but he wasn’t certain. He offered that he couldn’t remember why he was outside the vehicle, but he “distinctly had the feeling of me being out of the car” while it was at a stop behind him.

When Dr. Franklin asked what he was thinking about while this was happening, Steven responded that he recalled being scared—scared to the point of having “shivers” down his spine. He elaborated that, at the same time, he felt “trapped” inside his car and unable to go faster.

Flashing memories continued to jump into his mind as he spoke. He recalled looking in the rearview mirror, as if he was looking for someone—or something—following him. Perhaps of more concern was the feeling that somebody else was using power over him.

It was at this point when Dr. Franklin put Steven in a hypnotic state, and the real revelations came forward.

“It’s On My Shoulder!”

Dr. Franklin took Steven back to the night of that journey when these bizarre feelings had first reared up inside of him. He recalled that it was late and that he was beginning to feel a little drowsy – partly due to the late hour but also due to the endless stretch of road. At one point, he opened the window to allow fresh air into the vehicle in an attempt to resharpen his senses. Then, as he leaned forward toward the dashboard, the car came to a sudden stop. He was utterly confused as to what was happening.

He stated it was at this point he got out of the car. He looked over at a metal fence a little way off in the distance. He now came to a pause, remaining quiet as he lay on the couch in the office. It appeared to those watching that he was clearly afraid to go on. Then, he cried out in pain, shouting out, “It’s on my shoulder…a clamp…it hurts, I can’t move!”

Things then took an even more surreal turn during the session. As Dr. Franklin tried to calm Steven, his answer phone clicked as it recorded an incoming message. The sound of the click caused Steven to “literally almost leap” from the couch. It was clear that he was – as he had indicated before the session – in a severe state of fear and panic.

Eventually, Dr. Franklin succeeded in calming him, and Bloecher began to ask Steven questions.

Something Is Coming Over The Fence

After establishing that Steven was still standing outside the car, Bloecher asked him what was on his shoulder. He offered that it appeared like a “big wrench” and that it appeared to be coming from behind him, although he wasn’t entirely certain. He further offered that this wrench-like object gripped him and came down around a foot on either side of his body (his chest and back).

Then, he recalled being able to see a light. Bloecher asked if the car was coming from his car, to which Steven immediately replied that it wasn’t and that “there’s something else” that was behind the fence. He then blurted out:

…all dressed in black…can’t see their faces…more than two…three or more…

Bloecher then questioned if these apparent figures he was seeing were behind the fence. Steven replied that they were and that he believed they were waiting for something. He began to become panicked once more, repeating over and over that he “doesn’t know what’s going to happen!” Then, he stopped and stated that someone was heading in his direction.

As this was happening, Steven offered that he could hear some kind of sound. He wasn’t sure if this was the sound of the figures breathing or some kind “sliding” noise”. Bloecher asked him to concentrate on the sound more closely, however, instead Steven was speaking about what was taking place. He claimed that his sides and back hurt and that something was “twisting” and “turning” him, seemingly in the direction of the street away from the fence.

It Was Day…But It’s Night!

At this stage, Steven’s recollections became confused. He recalled, for example, that he was around six feet from the stopped car, but it now appeared to be daytime. Bloecher questioned if it was actually day or if it was just the bright lights that made it appear so, to which Steven simply replied that he was confused, offering that it was “day…but it’s night!”

Steven then told how one of the figures that came out from behind or over the fence was now standing at his side. When he was asked to describe this figure, he simply said that it was “very white” but that he didn’t wish to look. Bloecher asked Steven if the figure was the same size as he was, to which he responded that it was “almost our size” but slightly smaller. He continued that it had a “very white neck and face” and no hair anywhere on its head.

The figure appeared to keep going in and out of Steven’s sight, as he said that the figure was “not like us” and that, “Every time I see him, it scares me!” He then began to describe some kind of activity taking place around or near him. He offered that:

…They’re coming for something. I don’t know what they’re doing. Preparing for something. Leather…

When he was asked to try and elaborate Steven offered that he could see “gloves, or coats or something” that sounded like they were made of leather. It appeared that the creatures were rubbing their hands together which appeared to make a strange sound.

Skin That Was “Not Like Skin!”

He was asked to try to describe the figures a little more, to which he stated they had strange, “funny skin” that was “not like skin” but like putty that looked like you could move it around and manipulate it. He further described the color of the skin was “chalkish white” with a tint of gray.

Bloecher pressed Steven to describe the figures or what they were wearing below the neck. Steven suggested they wore something similar to a black turtleneck, although he couldn’t see any lower.

The figure was now standing directly in front of Steven and was “very close” to him. He began to descend into a slight panic once more, stating:

…They want something. I think maybe they want something from me. I don’t know what they want from me…

It was decided at this point to bring the session to a close and bring Steven out of the hypnotic state. Although he was undoubtedly shaken by the revelations, it was clear to all that Steven was relieved to have finally begun to get to the bottom of the bizarre events from years previously. And several months later, he would undergo a second session that would reveal even more.

The Sessions Of Dr. Aphrodite Clamar

By December 1978, seven months after the first one, Steven was willing to undergo another hypnosis session. This time, Dr. Aphrodite Clamar conducted the session, having worked with Hopkins the previous year on an alien abduction case.

She took Steven back once more to the journey from his girlfriend’s home in 1973. He recalled that he was driving that he was feeling tired and sleepy. He stated that it was late but when Dr. Clamar asked him to look at the time on the dashboard he offered that it wasn’t working. He stated he turned the light on momentarily in the car to look at his watch. However, the next thing he knew he was looking back at the road and was suddenly awake. He offered that he had gone off the road onto the shoulder momentarily, and the change, of course, had woken him up.

At this point in the journey, he was driving down a large hill and began to pick up speed. It was at this point that he reached forward toward the dashboard. He couldn’t remember if he dropped something or was looking to adjust his seat. As he does so, he notices a bright light coming from somewhere. He is confused as there are no other vehicles on the road.

The car then suddenly “turns violently” and was jerked to the right. Steven elaborated that it was “like a huge magnet just sucked it over to the right!”

The next thing he knows, the car is coming to a stop, and he has the sudden feeling that someone is watching him from behind. He looks in the mirror, but there is no one there. The car comes to a stop and Steven began to question why exactly he pulled the vehicle over. He is now feeling beyond confused with the situation unfolding around him.

As he looked around, he saw a large tree and a fence nearby. Then, he was “out of the car” and looked at the fence.

A Sudden Flash Of Memory

He looked around him and saw what appeared to be another car passing on the road. It was then that he looked down and saw that even though his car was off the road, it was on “something solid,” elaborating that it appeared to be where a road was planned.

He could hear a noise coming from the direction of the fence and was uncertain if the noise was caused by the wind or something else. He remained where he was, in front of the car, staring over at the fence. Suddenly, a feeling welled up inside him that he was “not supposed to look” in the direction of the fence. Then, his memory of what had caused him to pull the car to the side of the road came flooding back into his mind.

He stated that when he was driving down the hill he could see “two lights in the sky” causing him to lean forward toward the dashboard in order to get a better view of them. To begin with, he contemplated that the lights might be a reflection in the car window, so he turned on the light inside the vehicle to see if the light had disappeared – it didn’t, so he turned the light off again. He continued to watch the lights. He stated:

…it’s going off to the right, way up high, over the highway, over the trees, and it’s going kind of slow…

By now he was completely perplexed as to what the object was, further describing what he was looking at as “two lights, kind of diagonal to each other”, with one to the right and the other to the lower left. Behind the lights he described seeing a “shadow of something”, which perhaps suggests the lights were part of a solid object.

He continued to watch as this object headed in the direction of the trees to the right of his vehicle. He continued forward on the road, and then, at the point where the object had appeared to land, he began to turn his vehicle to the right – although we might suspect that the car was turning due to the influence of another force. He stated that he “didn’t really want to go over there”, but the car turned violently to the right.

“I’m Not Supposed To Remember!”

His memory returned to being outside the car looking over at the fence. He stated that after looking at the fence for several moments he was suddenly back in the car and was driving home. As he was recalling this he stated that, “I don’t want to remember. I’m not supposed to remember!”

To this, Dr. Clamar asked what he meant by this. He responded:

I just know I’m not! It’s really serious! I might die. I mean, I know I won’t, if I remember, but I feel really, really afraid to see…

Eventually, Dr. Clamar talked him back to when he was standing outside the car looking at the fence. He stated that he sensed “things standing around” him and that something was happening near the fence. He recalled seeing a bright light coming from somewhere that lit up his surroundings.

The next thing he realized, there were three of the strange figures standing in front of him. Although he didn’t know why, he realized that one of these figures was in charge of the others. He recalled that one of them was doing something behind him and that they were “interested” in him. It was at this point that he recalled seeing leather and hearing the sound of it. Now, he could make out that their clothing – or whatever they were clad in – had a leather-like appearance. And this material covered the arms and hands.

He then turned his attention back to the figures in front of him. He stated:

…I see the faces and they’re white…chalky…they look like they’re made out of rubber, or,…not rubber…(like) putty or something…and they’re not shiny at all…really a dull finish, kind of chalky and white, only not pure white…

Then, one of them reached out and touched him.

Something Happening Around Him

He recalled that as soon as contact was made by one of the figures he could sense pain. As well as the pain, he was confused as to what the figures wanted. He stated that the figure in front of him was “motioning to the others” with its arm. He stated that:

…it’s got some kind of suit on. I don’t know whether it’s part of him or (if) it’s a suit…It doesn’t look like skin…

He also went on to describe the figure’s fingers, stating that they were like “white plastic tubes” that appeared to be shiny.

He continued that one of the figures appeared to be digging behind him and that the figure in front of him (the leader) appeared to be motioning for it to speed up. He continued that although he couldn’t see the figure behind him clearly, he appeared to be more “poking around” in the dirt than digging. He got the feeling that this figure was not particularly strong.

As he continued to watch the figure dig, Steven noticed several other figures that he hadn’t seen earlier. They look exactly the same as the others, and they too look on as the figure behind Steven continue to dig away the “grayish” dirt.

As steven continued to recall the events, his previously scared demeanor appeared to suddenly disappear, so much so that his dialogue was even “punctuated by small, ironic chuckles”. This led Hopkins to believe that he was likely “artificially calmed”, likely by the figure in front of him. We might recall that when the figure reached out to touch Steven, he felt an immediate pain. Was this some kind of injection that was administered by the figure – perhaps one to bring the panicked Steven to a state of calmness and even serenity?

Hints Of Telepathic Communication

Perhaps because of this sudden calmness, Steven was able to reveal further details about the surreal events unfolding around him. He recalled, for example, suddenly not feeling scared anymore and looking around to see if any other vehicles were coming up the road (he didn’t see any).

He then turned his attention back to the figures in front of him – a figure he referred to as “the boss” – and, particularly, his eyes. He recalled that they were “really shiny”, particularly big, and without pupils. He continued that the figure’s head was not round but more like “an inverted teardrop” with what appeared to be a “big round bar” at the top.

He continued that the figure “looked like he’s not alive” and that he appeared “very stilted” and uncomfortable to be there. Although Steven didn’t receive any kind of communication from the figure, he claimed that it was “obvious” that it wanted to leave. Steven then recalled that he had the sudden feeling that the figure “wants me to tell him something or help him or something” but he didn’t understand what.

He went on to state that he felt under some kind of control by the figures, as if they could “make me do whatever they want”. He went on that he could clearly see that the figures were “understanding each other, but they’re not talking”, at least he didn’t hear any talking. Dr. Clamar asked whether he thought they were speaking telepathically, to which he asserted that it seemed to be as they were clearly communicating.

He went on to state that he believed there was some kind of argument or conflict between the figures, stating that the apparent leader wanted one thing while another one of the figures wanted something else. Although he wasn’t certain, it appeared to Steven that they were arguing about where to dig.

Black Endless Eyes, Like Liquid

Steven returned his attention to the light coming from behind him, noting how it cast its glow over the figures, allowing him to see them in full detail. He returned to the eyes, stating that they were “black and endless” and like “liquid”, as well as being shaped absolutely perfectly.

At this point, the figure moved slightly to the side, allowing Steven to see that he moved as though “he had two really bad knees”, clearly hobbling as if in pain (remember, Steven recalled that he felt the figure was uncomfortable). The figure dragged his feet slightly. When Steven looked, he noted the figure had on what appeared to be “white boots”, although he wasn’t sure if they were boots or the figure’s feet.

He elaborated that the feet appeared to be a similar shape to cat’s eyes, without toes, and pointed toward the front and the back. He further noticed that the figures ankles, legs, and arms were all particularly skinny and frail-looking. When he returned his attention back to the figure’s face, he noticed for the first time that the figure didn’t have any ears and had a slit where the mouth would normally be. It was also at this point that Steven noted the the figure’s face had remained expressionless throughout the encounter.

Then the figure’s attention shifted to behind Steven, where the bright light appeared to come from. It appeared to Steven that something was “moving down” that caused the direction of the shadows to change.

At this point, Steven’s attention returned to the figure who was “digging” behind him, no matter how hard they tried to direct his attention to what was coming down from above. As Hopkins stated, it was clear that “Steven was resisting moving ahead in his narrative”, perhaps some kind of in-built safety mechanism that each of us has. Of course, this could also suggest that something had been placed in his mind to prevent him from doing so, even while in a hypnotic state.

The Final Hypnosis Session

It would be almost two years before Steven would agree to revisit the case through hypnosis again. By this time, he had recalled that some kind of physical examination had occurred following the object coming out of the sky. In part, because of the details this was likely to contain, he had resisted further regression sessions. However, after a session in February 1979 (which failed to reveal anything new), a session in January 1980  – once more overseen by Dr. Clamar – would shine a brighter light onto this truly strange encounter.

Dr. Clamar quickly took Steven back to him standing outside his car with the figure – the leader – in front of him. He quickly recalled the events that followed the object coming down from above behind him. He stated that, out of nowhere “a long clamp kind of thing” gripped him around the shoulder”. He recalled that:

…there’s a joint in the middle like an elbow, almost like an arm, and it’s around my shoulder. And I see it just holding me, over my right shoulder. It’s connected to this…I don’t know what it is…it looks like a saucer!

He continued that this saucer was “whitish” and appeared to be sitting on some kind of platform. At this point, he could feel the clamp’s grip on his lower back. Then, the figure started motioning with its arms, and the clamp began to maneuver him, turning him around. He wasn’t fully sure what he was looking at, but it was completely dark.

Then, he could make out a ramp and quickly understood that the figure wanted him to go inside.

A Brightly Lit “All-White” Room

He went on to state that he could hear a strange noise that appeared to be coming from the object and that “the whole thing is vibrating” but was motionless at the same time. The clamp around his shoulder then pushed him into the object.

The next thing he realized, he was in some kind of tunnel-like walkway and was walking of his own accord, and the clamp was now gone. Moreover, the figure was walking beside him. He went on to describe what has since become a typical abduction scenario where he was led into a brightly lit room that was almost “all white”, a similar color to the outside of the craft. Despite the brightness, this lighting didn’t appear to have a definitive source, almost as if the walls themselves were glowing.

He recalled something being put in his back and then of suddenly being on a table in the middle of the room. At this point he could see the walls appeared to be curved with no angles whatsoever. As he looked around more he could see several of the strange figures in the room with him, two close to him, and several others close to one of the walls.

As he was looking around, noting how everything – including himself – had a “metallic kind of glow to it”, he realized he was no longer wearing his clothes, instead he was wearing some kind of crisscross diaper. A device that came from the ceiling was placed over his head, a device that Steven recalled was like a “gadget” that appeared to have a needle on it that looked “like a fancy ray gun” of some kind. This device began to turn – and appeared to do so completely by itself as none of the figures appeared to control it. It came to a stop when the needle was directly overhead. He could no longer see it, but he felt a sudden pain in his back, suggesting that the needle had penetrated his skin.

As this was happening, Steven noticed that the figure who had escorted him inside stood at the edge of the room, watching proceedings unfold.

A Full Medical Examination

This examination continued, with Steven instructed to lay on all sides of his body (back, each side, and then front). By the time he had done so, he suspected they had carried out a full body check, which involved various devices placed on his body. Despite the surreal nature of the events, he somehow remained calm, almost as if some kind of sedative had been administered. His last memory of the procedures is of him feeling paralyzed and unable to move but also of feeling intensely relaxed at the same time, so much so that he eventually drifted into sleep.

At this point, the regression session was brought to a close, and Steven was brought out of hypnosis.

Over the following days, Steven recalled further, seemingly trivial details, but ones appearing in other alien abduction encounters. For example, he recalled the table not simply being placed in the middle of the room but appearing to “grow” out of the floor with no seams or visible attachments, as if it had been shaped by the same material.

The same could be said for several of the other devices used during these procedures—that they either came from the floor, the ceiling, or even the walls, as if they were a part of them rather than specifically designed apparatus.

Although there were likely further details still locked in Steven’s subconscious mind, he had essentially gotten to the bottom of that strange feeling that had nagged away at him for half a decade. Something truly strange and out of the ordinary had taken place.

Many Similar Details In Other Cases

Hopkins noted that some of Steven’s details were to be found in other cases of alien abduction. He highlighted, for example, the detail of the creatures’ skin and how it appeared strange and putty-like and the description from Travis Walton and his apparent abductors, which took place a little over two years after Steven.

Not only did Walton offer that the creatures were a similar size to Steven’s description (Walton stated they were around five feet tall), but he also stated they had “white, marshmallowy-looking flesh” as well as they had no fingernails on the fingers and unblemished hands with their fingers “smooth and unwrinkled!” Interestingly, Steven had described the creatures’ hands in a similar way, stating that, “All the fingers are perfect!”

Hopkins highlighted multiple other cases, stretching back to the 1950s, of this focus on strange-looking skin that was the color and texture of marshmallows or where details such as the strangeness of the hands had been noted.

There is also the detail about apparent substances administered to calm Steven, which also shows up in multiple other alien abduction encounters, as does Steven’s feeling that he “shouldn’t remember” and that he wasn’t even allowed to. In many other alien abduction cases, there appears to have been a concerted effort by the abductors to mentally program the abductee to not only forget about the incident but to resist all efforts (such as hypnotic regression) to recall them.

Hopkins also noted that Steven had no recall whatsoever of having seen a UFO until he underwent hypnotic regression. As unlikely as it might sound, this is the case with a good number of other cases, which also suggests active efforts to ensure the witnesses recall nothing whatsoever of their respective encounters.

Tentative Evidence Of A Cosmic Neurological Examination

It would appear that not only was the apparent alien abduction of Steven Kilburn one of the most complex encounters (in terms of the work it took to unveil it) but also one of the most credible. In the days that followed Steven’s final hypnotic session, Hopkins contacted neurosurgeon, Dr. Paul Cooper. As Steven appeared to be describing in great detail a neurological examination by his alien abductors, he asked Dr. Cooper to spend some time with Steven and see if his responses were indicative of a genuine examination. His conclusions were fascinating.

Dr. Cooper spent an afternoon with Steven ten days after his final session and contacted Hopkins immediately after, describing the afternoon as “the spookiest two-and-a-half hours” of his life. Ultimately, he stated that no matter what procedure Steven described having carried out, his response on how his body would react and where exactly on his body he would feel something was accurate in the extreme. In short, unless he had intricate medical knowledge, what he was describing actually happened.

Cooper would also conclude, in his medical opinion, that the reason for this examination was simply that “they wanted to find out how he worked!” This conclusion is one that many alien abduction researchers and investigators have also reached.

The short video below looks at some of the most intriguing alien abduction cases on record.