Of the many sightings that occurred during the 20th century, few have garnered the attention of the Ilkley Moor Alien sighting. The combination of a normally reliable witness, his compelling story, a photograph, and the remarkable setting has elevated this sighting to almost legendary status.
But what exactly happened in West Yorkshire between the towns of Ilkley and Keighley on a cool winter morning in the moorland? The answer has puzzled investigators for decades.
What Happened?
A retired police officer known as Philip Spencer, although that is not his real name, decided to walk across Ilkley Moor on the morning of December 1st, 1987. He was alone but did carry a camera to take photos of the early morning light and a compass in case he became lost in the fog which was common at that time of year.
During his walk on the moor, he claimed to have spotted an unusual creature, roughly four feet tall with greenish skin, long, thin arms, and an oversized head. He managed to take a photograph of the creature which had gestured to Spencer. He interpreted the gesture as a warning to stay away, but he followed the creature for a short distance.
Spencer claimed to have seen a saucer-shaped craft rise from the moor and depart emitting a loud hum. When Spencer trekked to his father-in-law’s house, he discovered that far more time had passed than he at first realized. Plus, his compass was not pointing in the right direction.
Follow Up to the Ilkley Moor Alien Incident
Afterwards, Spencer contacted UFO investigators and submitted the photo that he had taken. In March of 1988, Spencer agreed to undergo regressive hypnosis to reveal any hidden memories. Under hypnosis, Spencer stated that he had been paralyzed, taken into the craft, and had medical procedures performed on him by the aliens.
In addition, he saw two films. One of which depicted apocalyptic visions while the contents of the other have never been revealed. Spencer was returned to the moor and the aliens gestured to him again which he interpreted as waving goodbye.
Investigation
As part of the investigation of the Ilkley Moor alien, the entire roll of film that Spencer had take was viewed, but only one photograph had the alien present. The rest were consistent with a walk through the moor during the early morning hour.
The main supporting evidence of Spencer’s claim is the photograph. While the subject is some distance away, enough details can be seen to confirm Spencer’s description. The photograph is among several taken all with the same exposure and location which suggests that the film was not tampered with in some way. This was well before the creation of Photoshop and other digital manipulation programs.
Another is the man himself. While Philip Spencer has kept his anonymity, the fact that he was a retired police officer who received no financial benefit for reporting his sighting of the Ilkley Moor alien provides strong credibility that he was not lying about the incident.
While Spencer’s story cannot be proven or disproven, critics have pointed to the relatively poor quality of the photograph itself. Because of the distance, the poor light, and the surrounding elements, it is possible that the photo is of a person or some other object.
Furthermore, there is no photo of the saucer which would add credence to Spencer’s story. The fact that there is only one photo of one alien amid the moorland is problematic to his case. Add to that Spencer’s inconsistent story under hypnosis which has also been criticized. However, the regressive hypnosis session doesn’t prove or disprove what Spencer claimed happened to him.
Alternative Explanations
For critics, if Spencer’s story and photograph are not true, then what are some possible alternatives? The one most cited is that the entire incident was a hoax. Either one that was perpetuated on Spencer himself or one that Spencer took part.
The creature could simply be someone in costume, especially given the poor quality of the photo it is difficult to tell. And that with Spencer’s imagination now fired up by seeing something he interpreted as a creature. The unusual setting of the Ilkley Moor combined with the fog and eerie shapes could’ve produced the rest of the tale.
One important question is why Spencer didn’t take more photographs of the alien and especially the saucer. It seems that seeing something so profound would only garner a single photograph is inconsistent to say the least.
The regressive hypnosis that Spencer underwent also adds doubt to his story. This form of hypnosis is controversial with many arguing that it does not bring up memories but creates new ones. The changing details of his story upon seeing the saucer also throws doubt on what happened.
Even if Spencer received no money or direct notoriety, his motivation could’ve been to create a tall tale that would be talked about for many years. And in that case, he certainly succeeded with the Ilkley Moor alien.
Legacy & Impact
Despite the criticism, the Ilkley Moor alien sighting remains one of the most popular stories of its type in the UK. It is often brought up with other prominent encounters, and the photograph does give it more than just an eyewitness account.
It is a classic UFO story that combines both believable and rather hard to believe elements in just the right way. And all of it centers on the photograph, one that is eerie, haunting, and rather difficult to explain. Because if it is a hoax, it is one that someone went to a lot of trouble to perpetrate.
It has been covered widely around the world and because the account has not been disproved it has given the story real staying power. When you add in other elements such as the setting, the credible witness, and the stories that rose from the hypnosis and the Ilkley Moor alien is one that will bring fascination to those reading about it for many years to come.
