Extraterrestrial Visitations: True Accounts of Contact

By Preston Dennett

Reviewed by Katharina Wilson for The MUFON Journal 

Extraterrestrial Visitations: True Accounts of Contact is Preston Dennett's fourth book about the UFO phenomenon. It is based on ten case histories and includes personal testimonies from the following: a medical doctor, a therapist, an airplane mechanic, a housewife, a military person, an office worker, a factory employee, an actor, a waitress, and a store manager. In other words, people we see in our everyday lives.  

Preston carefully chose these ten cases because they all have something important to contribute to our understanding of the phenomenon. They all have similarities to other cases, but they also have important differences and contain new information. Preston interjects his thoughtful insights about the phenomenon in each chapter, but it is done so in a gentle, logical manner allowing the witnesses to describe their own experiences and draw their own conclusions. There is no doubt Preston does draw conclusions, but it is from years of investigating and interviewing witnesses, and the reader will quickly see that he is very familiar with the subject.  

When hypnosis is used by a competent hypnotist or physician it can be a useful tool. However, conscious memories are very important and accurate and this book shows this very well. Extraterrestrial Visitations contains first-person accounts from the witnesses and it does not rely heavily on the use of hypnosis. These cases cover sightings to close encounters to the reason UFOs are here in the first place: interaction with human beings.  

Even after all of the books I have read and, to use an old cliché' "having been there and experienced that…" I still found this book to be an informative read and I came across extraterrestrial-related experiences that I had not previously read about or had experienced myself. 

Some highlights of the book include a sighting described in great detail and witnessed by hundreds of people. There are different ways and reasons a person may remember their experience and this may involve ‘triggers’ for incredible spontaneous memories. A six-hour abduction is described as well as a multiple witness sighting of a cigar-shaped craft. Also discussed is a case involving physical contact with a beam from a craft that changes the life of the witness forever. There is also a case where the witness was rescued by extraterrestrials. Without knowing it, until I reached the end of the book, one of the cases is that of Melinda Leslie, a well-documented and well-known abductee. I don't want to give too much away because there are many details to each case and each case deserves to be read in its entirety. 

There is a lot to like about this book. It has an attractive cover, it was easy to order and it has a great price. It also has an index, which we unfortunately do not always see in UFO books. Another nice feature about this book is Preston's "Suggested Reading List." Besides listing books by the top researchers, Preston includes almost all of the books written by abductees thereby standing by his belief that, "I have always felt that the persons most qualified to speak on the subject of extraterrestrial contact are the people who have had the experiences.  

It is so refreshing to see credit being given to the abductees who have risked it all by going public and writing and/or publishing their own books. With the exception of UFOs and Abductions (edited by David M. Jacobs) I have not seen such a thorough reference list of books written by - and sometimes published by abductees - the experiencers of this phenomenon.  

It is of great interest to hear directly from the experiencers of this phenomenon. My special thanks goes to Preston for making that happen. I know I speak for a lot of abductees who went public in the 1980s and 1990s - some of whom are no longer with us  - when I say to the people who participated in this book: "Thank you all for going public, for telling the truth and for keeping the flame burning. We need you." 

Preston Dennett is a field investigator for the Mutual UFO Network and is also the author of UFO Healings, One in Forty: The UFO Epidemic, and UFOs Over Topanga Canyon as well as over 70 articles.  

Extraterrestrial Visitations: True Accounts of Contact can be ordered from New Worlds c/o Llewellyn Worldwide, Post Office Box 64383, Department 1-56718-220-8, St. Paul, MN 55164-0383 or by calling 1-800-THE MOON. The trade paper edition costs $12.95 plus shipping and handling. http://www.llewellyn.com 

By Preston Dennett © 2001