The Shawe Christmas UFO Encounter: Missing Time & Physical Evidence
A mysterious encounter took place on Christmas Day when Robert Shaw experienced a perplexing UFO incident. While preparing to visit friends in Manchester city, Shaw spotted what appeared to be an aircraft plummeting from the sky. Instead of crashing, the object hovered silently about 100 feet above the trees in a clearing near his home. The craft had a column shape with five bright red lights arranged horizontally, which surprisingly did not illuminate the surrounding area.
Shaw ventured outside for a closer look but was overcome by an inexplicable fear. After returning to his house, he experienced a disturbing gap in his memory, unable to recall anything that happened afterward until waking up the next morning. Following this incident, Shaw began having nightmares involving humanoid creatures. Nine months later, investigators from the Manchester Aerial Phenomenon Investigation Team found physical evidence at the site, including flattened reeds, a circular area of stunted growth, and heat-damaged trees. University analysis confirmed unusual soil composition and heat exposure, while hypnosis sessions revealed Shaw had experienced approximately 40 minutes of missing time.
Key Takeaways
Robert Shaw encountered a hovering craft on Christmas Day, resulting in memory loss and subsequent nightmares involving humanoid entities.
Physical evidence discovered at the site included a circular area of altered plant growth, heat-damaged trees, and soil with significantly different mineral content.
Scientific analysis and hypnotic regression confirmed anomalous aspects of the encounter, including missing time and environmental alterations that had no conventional explanation.
Robert Shaw's Christmas Day Encounter
Robert Shaw had unusual plans for Christmas Day. Rather than spending time with family, he planned to visit friends in Manchester City. He arranged for a taxi to pick him up at 10 PM from his Herston home.
At approximately 9:40 PM, Shaw noticed what appeared to be an aircraft high in the sky. His casual observation turned to alarm when the object began plummeting toward the ground. Strangely, the anticipated crash never occurred.
The object stopped about 100 feet above the trees in a clearing near his house. Shaw realized this was no conventional aircraft. It had a column shape with five bright red lights arranged horizontally that, oddly, didn't illuminate the surrounding area. Even more puzzling was its complete silence as it descended.
Curiosity drove Shaw outside toward the landing site. He didn't get far before an overwhelming fear came over him. The hair on his neck stood up and negative thoughts flooded his mind, prompting him to return to his house immediately.
Shaw's next memory was waking up in bed the following morning. He had no recollection of anything after returning to his house - whether the taxi arrived or if the craft ever left. The gap in his memory troubled him deeply.
Following this incident, Shaw experienced recurring nightmares featuring humanoid creatures. He believed these weren't simply dreams but partially recovered memories of real events.
After nine months, Shaw contacted the Manchester Aerial Phenomenon Investigation Team (MAPIT). Despite the time that had passed, investigators found surprising physical evidence at the site:
Flattened reeds broken at the base, covered with a black substance
A circular area approximately 18 feet in diameter with stunted plant growth
Three trees showing extensive heat damage up to 40 feet high
Soil and plant samples were collected and analyzed by Manchester University's Environmental Science Department. The analysis revealed:
Sample Location Findings Inside circle Lower mineral oil content, altered pH balance Outside circle 95% higher mineral oil content Tree bark Evidence of "intense heat" damage
During interviews, investigators found Shaw to be intelligent and rational, simply desperate to account for his missing time. He eventually requested hypnotic regression despite MAPIT's reservations about the technique.
Under hypnosis with a professional psychoanalyst, Shaw recalled venturing further into the clearing than he consciously remembered. When checking his watch upon returning home, it read 10:32 PM - indicating 40 minutes had passed though he felt he'd only been outside briefly. He also remembered his shoes being muddy despite believing he'd stayed on concrete paths.
Shaw drew the craft as he remembered it, describing it as organic in nature. He mentioned communicating with one of the entities but was reluctant to share details of this conversation.
The taxi company indirectly confirmed Shaw was recorded as a "no-show" that night, meaning he wasn't available when the taxi arrived. Air Traffic Control verified no scheduled flights over Herston during the incident.
Initial Encounter and Response
Aircraft Observation
On Christmas Day, Robert Shaw had plans to visit friends in Manchester City. Around 9:40 PM, while waiting for his scheduled 10:00 PM taxi, Shaw glanced out of his front window and noticed an aircraft flying high in the sky. What began as casual curiosity quickly transformed into alarm when the aircraft appeared to plummet toward the ground. Shaw watched intently, expecting a crash that never occurred.
Column-Shaped Hovering Object
The aircraft came to a halt approximately 100 feet above the trees in a clearing less than 30 feet from Shaw's home. This mysterious craft had a distinctive column shape with five red lights arranged in a sideways formation. Despite the brightness of these lights, they strangely did not illuminate the surrounding trees or ground below. Shaw noted the complete silence of the object as it descended slowly into the clearing.
Shaw's Approach and Retreat
Driven by curiosity, Shaw stepped outside and walked toward the landing site. His investigation was cut short when an overwhelming sense of fear suddenly gripped him. The hairs on his neck stood up, and negative thoughts flooded his mind. Immediately spooked, Shaw turned around and returned to his house, wanting nothing to do with whatever had landed in the clearing.
Back inside, Shaw attempted to forget the incident and waited for his taxi. His next memory was waking up in bed the following morning with no recollection of the taxi's arrival or whether the craft had departed. Despite significant efforts, Shaw could not retrieve any memories between entering his house and waking up the next day.
Following this incident, Shaw began experiencing disturbing dreams featuring humanoid creatures manipulating him. He believed these weren't merely dreams but partial memories of real events. After nine months of these experiences, he contacted the Manchester Aerial Phenomenon Investigation Team (MAPPIT) for assistance.
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Missing Time and Unexplained Encounter
On Christmas Day, Robert Shaw planned to visit friends in Manchester City rather than participate in traditional family celebrations. He scheduled a taxi for 10:00 p.m. and was waiting at his Herston home when something unusual caught his attention.
At approximately 9:40 p.m., Shaw noticed what appeared to be an aircraft falling from the sky. Instead of crashing, the object stopped and hovered silently about 100 feet above a clearing near his house. The craft had an unusual column shape with five bright red lights arranged in a sideways formation that strangely did not illuminate the surrounding environment.
Curious, Shaw walked toward the clearing but was suddenly overcome by an intense fear. He immediately returned to his house, intending to wait for his taxi. His next conscious memory was waking up in bed the following morning with no recollection of what happened after he returned home.
Shaw experienced several disturbing dreams following this incident. These dreams featured humanoid creatures that seemed to be manipulating him. He believed these weren't merely dreams but partial memories of real events.
After nine months, Shaw contacted the Manchester Aerial Phenomenon Investigation Team (MAPPIT). Their investigation revealed several unusual findings:
Flattened reeds broken at the base and covered with a black substance
A circular area approximately 18 feet in diameter showing abnormal plant growth
Three trees with extensive heat damage up to 40 feet high
Soil and plant samples were analyzed by Manchester University's Environmental Science Department, confirming:
Finding Result Tree bark Damaged by "intense heat" Mineral oil content 95% lower inside affected area pH balance Different (though possibly normal variation)
Under hypnosis conducted by a professional psychoanalyst, Shaw recalled walking further into the clearing than he consciously remembered. When he returned home, his watch showed 10:32 p.m., indicating approximately 40 minutes of missing time. He also remembered his shoes being covered in mud despite believing he had stayed on the concrete path.
The taxi company later confirmed off the record that Shaw was a "no-show" that evening, suggesting he wasn't present or aware when the taxi arrived. Air Traffic Control verified no scheduled flights over the Herston area during the incident.
Shaw later drew the craft and beings he encountered, describing the column-shaped object as "organic" in nature. He claimed to have communicated with one of the entities but was reluctant to share details of this conversation.
Onset of Nightmares and Creature Encounters
After the unusual Christmas night experience, Robert Shaw began suffering from disturbing dreams. These weren't ordinary nightmares - they featured humanoid creatures manipulating him in various ways. Shaw became increasingly convinced these weren't simply dreams but partial memories of real events.
The psychological impact was significant. Shaw's desperate need for answers led him to contact the Manchester Aerial Phenomenon Investigation Team (MAPIT) nine months after the incident. Despite their reservations about certain investigative methods, the team recognized Shaw's genuine distress.
During interviews with MAPIT, investigators found Shaw to be intelligent and rational. He simply wanted to account for his missing time and understand what had happened to him that Christmas night. His determination to recover these memories led him to request hypnotic regression.
Hypnotic Regression Findings:
Shaw had ventured further into the clearing than previously remembered
His watch showed 10:32 PM upon returning home (40 minutes unaccounted for)
His shoes were covered in mud despite believing he'd only walked on concrete
He recalled speaking with one of the entities but was reluctant to share details
The regression sessions allowed Shaw to produce detailed drawings, focusing primarily on the column-shaped craft. Interestingly, he described the object as organic in nature, with the entities appearing as secondary elements in his recollection.
MAPIT's investigation revealed Shaw wasn't alone in his unusual experiences. His family members confirmed a history of strange occurrences, including:
UFO sightings
Unexplained lights
Episodes of missing time
Possible encounters with unusual beings
Physical evidence supported aspects of Shaw's account. The environmental analysis from Manchester University confirmed intense heat damage to tree bark, and soil samples showed a 95% lower mineral oil content inside the affected area compared to outside. The pH balance differences were noted but considered normal for river valley soil.
MAPPIT's Site Assessment
Evidence Collection at the Landing Zone
The Manchester Aerial Phenomenon Investigation Team conducted a thorough examination of the clearing where Robert Shaw observed the strange craft on Christmas Day. Despite the nine-month delay between the incident and their investigation, MAPPIT discovered surprising physical evidence at the site. Investigators expected to find little trace of the event due to the time lapse. The team meticulously documented their findings, photographing the area and collecting samples for further analysis.
Soil and Vegetation Examination
The scientific analysis performed by Manchester University's Environmental Science Department revealed compelling anomalies in the site samples. Soil from inside the affected area contained 95% less mineral oil content compared to control samples taken outside the circular zone. While pH differences were noted between samples, researchers attributed this to natural variations typical of river valley soil. The bark samples from trees facing east showed conclusive evidence of exposure to "intense heat," according to laboratory results.
Vegetation Disturbance Patterns
MAPPIT investigators documented a distinct circular pattern in the clearing, measuring approximately 18 feet in diameter. Within this zone, normal plant growth was noticeably stunted. The team found flattened reeds that:
Were broken at their bases
Appeared coated with an unidentified black substance
All pointed in the same direction
Had never regrown normally after the incident
Three trees east of the site exhibited extensive heat damage extending from their bases to approximately 40 feet up their trunks. This pattern of vegetation impact suggested an intense localized event had occurred exactly where Shaw reported seeing the craft hover.
The Hypnotic Exploration of Lost Memories
Uncovering Submerged Recollections
Robert Shaw experienced a puzzling Christmas Day incident that left him with a significant gap in his memory. After witnessing what appeared to be an unusual craft with five red lights hovering near his Herston home, Shaw found himself unable to recall anything that happened after returning to his house. For months following the event, he experienced troubling dreams featuring humanoid entities, which he believed were fragments of actual memories rather than mere nightmares. Desperate to understand what had occurred during his missing time, Shaw contacted the Manchester Aerial Phenomenon Investigation Team (MAPIT).
The investigation yielded physical evidence at the site, including flattened reeds broken at the base, a circular area of stunted plant growth approximately 18 feet in diameter, and trees showing heat damage. Soil and plant samples revealed significant differences between affected and unaffected areas, with laboratory analysis confirming intense heat damage and unusual mineral content variations.
Professional Memory Recovery Attempts
Despite MAPIT's reservations about hypnotic regression, Shaw insisted on pursuing this approach to recover his lost memories. A professional psychoanalyst with over two decades of experience conducted the session. During the regression, Shaw discovered he had ventured further into the clearing than he consciously remembered. He recalled checking his watch upon returning home and noting a time of 10:32 PM, revealing a 40-minute gap he couldn't account for.
The hypnosis session enabled Shaw to produce detailed drawings of what he had witnessed, primarily focusing on the column-shaped craft he described as "organic in nature." He also depicted entities around the object and mentioned communicating with one of the creatures, though he was reluctant to share the content of this interaction.
Shaw's family members later confirmed to investigators that they had experienced their own unusual phenomena, including:
UFO sightings
Strange lights
Episodes of missing time
Possible encounters with unusual beings
Investigators verified parts of Shaw's account through external sources. The taxi company indirectly confirmed a "no-show" on the night in question, suggesting Shaw wasn't available when his ride arrived. Additionally, Air Traffic Control confirmed no scheduled flights over the area during the reported sighting, adding credibility to his experience of seeing an unidentified craft.
Hypnosis and Memory Recovery
Process and Skepticism
Hypnotic regression remains a controversial technique in investigating unusual experiences. When Robert Shaw approached MAPIT about his Christmas Day encounter, the investigation team initially expressed strong reservations about using hypnosis. Despite these concerns, Shaw's determination to recover his missing time led to the arrangement of a session with a qualified psychoanalyst who had over 20 years of experience in the field.
The team's skepticism wasn't unfounded. Memory recovery through hypnosis can be problematic, as the process may inadvertently create false memories or alter existing ones. However, Shaw's distress and persistent nightmares convinced investigators to proceed with caution. His primary motivation wasn't to prove an extraordinary encounter but simply to account for approximately 40 minutes of missing time.
The regression process involved Shaw retracing his steps from the moment he spotted the strange craft. Under hypnosis, he revealed details previously unavailable to his conscious mind, including the realization that he had ventured much further into the clearing than he had initially remembered. This discrepancy between his conscious and hypnotically-recovered memories highlights the complex nature of traumatic recall.
Details from Hypnotic Regression
The hypnosis session uncovered several significant elements that Shaw couldn't previously access. Upon regression, he recalled checking his watch upon returning home, which read 10:32 PM—far later than made sense given his conscious recollection of events. Shaw also remembered his shoes being covered in mud, contradicting his waking memory of staying on concrete paths.
During the session, Shaw was able to draw detailed representations of his experience, focusing primarily on:
A column-shaped craft he believed was organic in nature
Humanoid entities surrounding the object
The precise formation of the five red lights he had observed
Most notably, Shaw indicated he had communicated with one of the creatures, though he expressed reluctance to share the specifics of this conversation. The regression also connected this incident to other unusual experiences throughout his life, prompting investigators to interview his family members who confirmed their own strange encounters.
Physical evidence collected from the site seemed to align with details revealed during hypnosis. The university analysis showed that:
Tree bark had been subjected to "intense heat"
Soil samples inside the affected area contained 95% less mineral oil than control samples
The pH balance showed variations consistent with unusual environmental effects
These findings provided tangible support for elements of Shaw's hypnotically recovered memories, though they don't definitively prove the nature of his experience.
Verification of Incident Details
Family Members' Confirmations
My brothers, sisters, and mother have all acknowledged experiencing unusual phenomena throughout our lives. These experiences include multiple UFO sightings, unexplained lights in the sky, periods of missing time, and possible encounters with unusual humanoid entities. These shared family experiences provide important context for my Christmas Day incident, suggesting a potential pattern of anomalous events rather than an isolated occurrence. The consistency across multiple family members' testimonies strengthens the credibility of my account.
Taxi Service Records
The transportation company confirmed the situation through unofficial channels. A company representative privately verified that a "no-show" was recorded for my scheduled pickup on Christmas night. This designation specifically indicates either my absence when the vehicle arrived or my failure to respond to the driver's arrival notification. This independent verification supports my claim of experiencing missing time, as I have no recollection of the taxi's arrival despite arranging for a 10:00 PM pickup.
Aviation Authority Documentation
The regional Air Traffic Control center provided verification that no scheduled aircraft were operating over the Herston area during the timeframe of my observation. This official confirmation eliminates conventional aircraft as a possible explanation for what I witnessed. The absence of authorized flying vehicles in the airspace during this period strengthens the unusual nature of the column-shaped craft I observed with its distinctive five-light configuration hovering silently above the clearing.
Environmental Science Department Findings
Manchester University's Environmental Science Department conducted a thorough analysis of samples collected from the incident site approximately nine months after the event. The field team gathered soil and plant samples from both within and outside the affected circular area, which measured approximately 18 feet in diameter.
The laboratory analysis revealed several anomalies. Tree bark samples showed evidence of exposure to "intense heat," particularly on three trees located east of the site where damage extended from the base to about 40 feet up the trunk. This heat damage had no conventional explanation.
Soil mineral oil content showed significant variations between samples. The affected area contained 95% less mineral oil concentration (measured in milligrams per kilogram) compared to control samples taken outside the circular zone. While some pH balance differences were also noted, researchers attributed these to normal variations typical of river valley soils.
Plant life within the circular area displayed unusual characteristics. Flattened reeds were broken at their bases, covered with an unidentified black substance, and all pointed in a uniform direction. Most notably, normal vegetation growth was stunted or absent within the circular pattern, and investigators noted that the damaged reeds never fully recovered in the months following the incident.
The scientific team could not attribute these physical findings to conventional explanations. Their analysis provides tangible evidence supporting the witness account of an unusual aerial phenomenon at the location.
Featured in Phenomenon Magazine
My unusual Christmas Day experience was published in the March 2011 issue of Phenomenon Magazine. The article, written by investigator Steve Mea, detailed my encounter with an unidentified object that landed in a clearing near my Herston home on December 25th.
The investigation was conducted by the Manchester Aerial Phenomenon Investigation Team (MAPIT) approximately nine months after the incident. Despite the time that had passed, the team discovered physical evidence at the landing site including flattened reeds coated with a black substance, all broken at the base and facing the same direction.
The investigators identified a circular area measuring 18 feet in diameter where plant growth was stunted. Three trees east of the site showed extensive heat damage extending 40 feet up their trunks. MAPIT collected soil and plant samples from both inside and outside the affected area for analysis.
Scientific Analysis Results:
Bark samples confirmed burning from "intense heat"
Soil mineral oil content was 95% lower inside the affected area
pH balance differences were noted but considered normal for river valley soil
The MAPIT team contacted both the taxi company I had called and Air Traffic Control to verify details of my story. While the taxi company couldn't officially confirm information, an off-the-record source indicated I was listed as a "no-show" that night. Air Traffic Control confirmed no scheduled flights over Herston during the time of my sighting.
Though MAPIT typically opposed using hypnosis in investigations, I insisted on the procedure to recover my missing memories. A professional psychoanalyst with over 20 years of experience conducted the regression session, which revealed I had ventured further into the clearing than I consciously remembered.
During hypnosis, I recalled checking my watch upon returning home and seeing it read 10:32 PM—meaning 40 minutes had elapsed during what I perceived as just a few minutes. I also remembered my shoes being muddy despite believing I had only walked on concrete paths.
Conclusion
Robert Shaw's Christmas Day encounter remains a puzzling case with compelling physical evidence. The analysis by Manchester University confirmed intense heat damage to trees and significant differences in soil mineral oil content between affected and control areas. Despite initial resistance to hypnotic regression, the procedure revealed Shaw had ventured deeper into the clearing than he consciously remembered, with approximately 40 minutes of unexplained missing time.
The taxi company indirectly confirmed Shaw's "no-show" status that night, suggesting he was either absent or unaware when his transportation arrived. Air Traffic Control verified no scheduled flights over Herston during the incident, further supporting the unusual nature of the craft Shaw observed.
The case features several classic elements of close encounter reports: missing time, physical trace evidence, and subsequent dream-like memories of interaction with non-human entities. Shaw's family history of similar experiences adds an intriguing multigenerational dimension to the case. Though documented in Phenomenon Magazine in 2011, this Christmas encounter remains one of Britain's more compelling cases with both witness testimony and physical evidence.
