List of alleged extraterrestrial beings
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This is a list of alleged extraterrestrial beings, alleged interdimensional beings, and alleged cryptoterrestrial beings that have been reported in close encounters, either claimed or speculated to be associated with the alleged phenomenon of unidentified flying objects (UFOs) (not to be confused with the meaning of the term "alien species" in the biological science of ecology).[1]
| Flatwoods monster[2][3] | The Flatwoods monster was alleged by witnesses to be a tall humanoid with a spade-shaped head.[2] A common skeptical explanation has been a misidentified barn owl.[3] |
Froglike Humanoids[4]
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Rarely, witnesses have alleged encounters with amphibianlike humanoids.[4] One recorded case involved a steel-worker named Harrison Bailey, who purportedly witnessed a UFO and claimed to have communicated with diminutive, bipedal frog men in 1951.[5][6] Another famous case, though a UFO was not directly seen, involved alleged froglike humanoids ostensibly communicating with each other; one was reportedly holding a rod overhead that was emitting flashes or sparks.[5][7] Skeptics have suggested such sightings were the misidentification of known fauna.[6][7] |
"Giants"[4]
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On rare occasion, alleged humanoids of prodigious scale have been reported.[4] Modern accounts of giant humanoids at or in excess of 3 metres (9.8 ft) include that of the Voronezh beings in 1989,[10] and later the humanoids described by woodcutter Meng Zhaoguo in 1994.[9] One notable early case was claimed to have occurred on 16 April 1897 during the "mystery airship" flap, wherein a purported being approximately nine and a half feet (2.9 m) tall was allegedly sighted in a landed craft, speaking in a melodic "bellowing";[8] however, historian and ufologist David M. Jacobs has suggested that some such accounts from this era may have instead been journalistic tongue-in-cheek pieces.[11] |
| Greys (also grays)[12][13][14] | Greys are often reported to be humanoids of small stature, usually 1 m (3.3 ft) tall, featuring large hairless heads, black almond-shaped eyes, nostrils without a nose, slits for mouths, no ears, and 3–4 fingers on each hand (including a thumb).[13] Tall greys have also been reported.[14][4] Greys have been the predominant extraterrestrial beings of alleged alien contact since the 1960s. Skeptics commonly suggest that such reports are the result of sleep paralysis.[13] |
| Hairy mammalian humanoids[17][4] | In rare instances, hairy "mammalian" humanoids have been described.[17][4] Though some encounters have purportedly involved beings with batlike faces, Bigfoot-like sightings are also represented in reports.[17] An unconventional paranormal theory speculates that Bigfoot is of non-terrestrial origin.[18][19] At least in the case of Bigfoot-like sightings, skeptics have often proposed more earthly explanations altogether, such as the misidentification of bears standing on their hind legs.[20] |
Hopkinsville goblins[21][22][23]
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Accounts of the Hopkinsville goblins portrayed them as small, silvery humanoids with a "greenish-silver glow". A commonly proposed skeptical explanation is that they were misidentified great horned owls.[25] |
Humanoids alleged by Carl Higdon[26][27]
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Witness Carl Higdon alleged that his abductors were humanoids with strawlike hair, no eyebrows, no jaw, no visible ears, standing at about 6 feet (1.8 m) tall, and dressed in glossy black. They were notably sensitive to sunlight. The main individual described was characterized as a "hunter or explorer".[28] The use of hypnosis to aid recall in this case has been called into question by skeptics.[27] |
| Humanoids alleged by Kelly Cahill[29][30] | Witness Kelly Cahill alleged that her abductors were tall humanoids, dressed in dark hoods with glowing red eyes. Cahill further claimed that she perceived the intentions of the specific individuals she purportedly encountered as negative.[29][30] |
| Humanoids with a blue complexion[13] | Uncommonly, beings with a blue complexion have been reported.[13] One such report was made in Studham Common, where gnomelike, blue humanoids were allegedly sighted by children on the way to school in January 1967.[31][32] Author Whitley Strieber, who purportedly had abduction experiences with greys, also claimed an alleged encounter with gnomelike, blue humanoids in the eighties.[33] Like greys, skeptics suggest abduction reports of blue humanoids are the result of sleep paralysis.[13] |
Humanoids with winged forelimbs[17][4]
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Alleged encounters with humanoids of a generally avian appearance have also been rarely described,[4] and have sometimes been broadly categorized with reports of humanoids with winged forelimbs in general, like those of chiropteran appearance.[17] However, these classifications are of such a notable level of rarity that author Patrick Huyghe, who despite expressing a certain degree of skepticism about close encounters in general in the forward of his 1996 book The Field Guide to Extraterrestrials, admitted to only being able to find one such (chiropteran) example from Hythe, Kent while broadly compiling reports.[17] Examples of avian humanoids have included the bird-beasts of Var, which were purportedly seen with a UFO,[34] and also Mothman, which is sometimes speculated to have a non-terrestrial provenance.[35] A chiropteran, or possibly quasi-pterosaurian, example lies in the Van Meter Visitor, which was implied by contemporary reports to be cryptoterrestrial.[36][37] |
| Insectoids[38][39][4] | This classification of alleged extraterrestrial is described as having an insectlike or mantid appearance.[39] They feature in some purported abduction accounts,[38] characterized as taking on a commanding role.[39][14] |
Little green men[40]
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"Little green men" is a common shorthand description for extraterrestrial narratives in general, often used pejoratively by critics of ufology. Even though some purported encounters have referred to alleged beings with green skin, very few reports have ever involved anything that would fit the general description of "little green men". They are included here mainly for cultural reference to the term.[40] As in the case with greys, skeptics suggest that the few such reports in abduction narratives are the result of sleep paralysis.[13] |
| Living UFOs[43] | Kenneth Arnold, the man whose 1947 sighting helped coin the phrase "flying saucer" and usher in the modern age of ufology, speculated in 1955 that UFOs themselves may be living organisms,[43] although a man named John Philip Bessor is generally credited as the first to propose this hypothesis six years earlier.[44] |
| Men in black[45][46][47] | One common theory for the identity of the alleged "men in black" is that of an extraterrestrial origin,[45][46][47] due to reported anomalies in appearance and mannerism.[47] |
"Michelin Men"[48]
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Rarely, alleged beings whose apparent pressure suits are reported to superficially resemble the Michelin Man have been described.[48][49] |
| Milnthorpe beings[50] | A couple in Milnthorpe claimed to have witnessed beings with small trunks for noses and glaring, circular eyes. The story has earned acclaim in the village, although some locals have expressed skepticism.[50] |
| "Mince-Pie Martians"[51][17][52] | Small humanoids with large dark eyes, thin mouths, no noses, no fingers, no feet, and what were interpreted to be colorful oval-shaped wings were reported in Rowley Regis. Each purportedly wore a transparent helmet that emitted an uncomfortably bright light from the upper portion. They were claimed to have departed in an egg-shaped craft. There was no indication that the alleged beings were "Martians" in the literal sense; the first half of the name derived from the mince pies the witness reportedly offered them.[51][17] The British government released files in 2008 that included a report about the UFO sighting, but they ostensibly assumed that the encounter with the beings themselves was a psychological phenomenon.[52] |
| Miniature beings[17][53] | Very small humanoids have also been claimed by witnesses, with one notable flap of sightings in Bukit Mertajam involving purported antennaed or horned humanoids that allegedly stood at about 3–6 inches (7.6–15.2 cm) in height.[17][53] A corpse of a similarly-sized humanoid with alienlike features was discovered in the Atacama Desert and found to have significant congenital anomalies;[54] although the biological indicators for the age at decease were a matter of some debate, the results of forensic genetic research have indicated that the corpse was that of a premature infant of human origin.[55] |
| Mixed Lineage[14][13] | Beings that appear to have mixed lineage between different alleged groups and/or humans from Earth have likewise been reported. Ufologists have used the term "hybrid", and occasionally the term "hubrid" for particularly humanlike indviduals, to describe these purported sightings. It is often alleged by witnesses that "greys" are heavily involved in this supposed genetic program. As with greys themselves, a common skeptical explanation has been sleep paralysis.[14][13] |
| Non-humanoids[4] | Although the vast majority of purported encounters are claimed to involve humanoids,[56] there are occasionally miscellaneous, "exotic" types reported.[4] The "Domsten blobs" are one notable example. Allegedly encountered in Sweden, they were described as "fluid", jellylike beings that purportedly attempted to abduct the witnesses.[57][58] Swedish Air Defense reportedly expressed skepticism about the account.[57] |
Nordic aliens[59][60]
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Reported as strongly resembling humans from Earth, this alleged classification originally featured in the "space brother" contactee narratives of the mid-20th century,[63] but continues to be described in modern purported abductions. Like greys and blue-skinned humanoids, skeptics suggest that abductions by "Nordics" are the result of sleep paralysis.[13] |
| Pascagoula "mummies"[65][17][66] | Described as mummy-like,[17] the humanoids alleged to have abducted the witnesses in the Pascagoula incident were described as possessing wrinkly gray skin and having arms that ended in pincer-like hands.[65] The mouths were reportedly diminished, while other facial features were claimed to have been sharp projections.[66] The alleged beings' heads were described as attaching directly to the shoulders.[66] They were said to be robotlike and moving with a gliding motion, legs together.[66] As with other alien abductions,[13] skeptics have suggested sleep paralysis as a potential prosaic explanation.[66] |
| Reptilians (sometimes misspelled as reptillians)[67] | Described as tall scaly humanoids, reptilians (also called reptoids or reptiloids) comprise an alleged group often tied to niche conspiracy narratives, such as the reptilian conspiracy theory advocated by David Icke. Generally considered a particularly fringe topic, it also commonly overlaps with adjacent paranormal subjects like the concept of ancient astronauts.[67] Historical depictions of reptilian humanoid beings date back at least as far as the mythology of Ancient Egypt, with the crocodile-headed river deity Sobek.[69] |
| Robots[56][4] | Various alleged encounters have purportedly involved beings described as "robots" or "robotic".[56][4] |
Rods[73]
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Elongated visual artifacts appearing in photos and video recordings, sometimes claimed to be extraterrestrial beings, have received notable publicity. They are generally thought to be caused by the movement of flying insects exceeding the frame rate of recording devices.[73] |
Sandown Clown[75]
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Two witnesses claimed to encounter a humanoid of unknown origin with unusual anatomical features, such as not possessing a neck, having slatlike arms, and triangular patterns for eyes.[75] Said to somewhat resemble a clown in appearance, he purportedly invited the witnesses to his windowless, metallic hut,[77] where there were notable anomalies in the way he ate.[75] Neither the being nor the hut were found on subsequent searches.[75] |
| Short non-greys[4] | Some witnesses, as in the case of the Imjärvi humanoids or the Cennina encounter,[78][79] have alleged encountering short humanlike beings that are distinct from greys.[4] |
| Some cryptids | Some well-known cryptids have been occasionally theorized to have extraterrestrial or interdimensional origins or associations, although this is often dismissed by skeptics who allege more prosaic explanations altogether, such as the misidentification of known fauna (e.g. the snowy owl as a proposed explanation for the Dover Demon and the barred owl for Mothman).[18][19][80][81][83][84][86][35][87] |
| Voronezh beings[10][88][72] | Three-eyed beings were reportedly witnessed disembarking from a UFO in the former Soviet Union. Each was purportedly shoulderless and had a small or nonexistent head, a hump,[88] a disklike shape on their breast, metallic overalls, "bronze boots", and stood at 3–4 metres (9.8–13.1 ft) tall.[10] An apparent robot was also reported.[72] The use of a form of remote viewing by investigators to identify the alleged landing site was questioned by skeptics.[10] |
See also
- Alien abduction
- Close encounter
- Conspiracy theory
- List of cryptids
- List of humanoid aliens
- List of UFO sightings
- Kosmopoisk (Russia)
- MUFON (United States)
- Ufology