Strange Tales of the MIB

As some of you (but probably not many, at this stage) will know, I am currently working on yet another book on the Men in Black puzzle, for which I've got about 30,000 words complete so far. And in terms of final word-count, this is likely to be a very big one, and is significantly different to my earlier MIB-themed output.

Its title: Strange Tales of the Men in Black.

My earlier MIB-based titles have all been filled with files, witness reports, and data, but it was very much the case that I interviewed people, transcribed their accounts, and then presented the data in chapter format, partly in their words, and partly with me relating their accounts in summarized format.

But, it’s fair to say that my latest book on the Men in Black is somewhat of a radical departure from that format, in the sense that I am specifically letting the witnesses – certainly, the most important people when it comes to trying to understand the nature of the MIB phenomenon – tell their own stories, solely in their own words, and regardless of whether that's 500 words or 5,000.

And there won't be any chapters, as such. Rather, each case will have its own section - whether long or short. After all, there's no rhyme or reason to the MIB, so I figured why not have that reflected in the layout of the book?!

My role, in this new book - Strange Tales of the Men in Black - is merely to introduce you to the plethora of players in the seemingly never-ending saga of the Men in Black, have them relate the amazing facts - in wholly unedited and uninterrupted form - and then I;ll try and come to some form of conclusion with respect to each and every case cited in post-case "Comments from Nick"-style sections.

So, if you have (A) had a MIB experience, (B) have a theory about who or what they might really be, and/or (C) want to offer a comment or observation on anything MIB-linked, and are willing to share that info, do let me know, and I will be very pleased to hear from you.

I wish I could afford to pay each and every one who is willing to have their account included, but (despite what some have said and even written!), the field of a freelance writer is not a rich one! I will, however, send every contributor a free, signed copy of the book on publication, thank them in the Acknowledgments, and include any web links/blog links etc that the person may like to have included.

And if that appeals: You can reach me right here.

And for a bit of background about how I got interested in the MIB controversy and my previous output on the subject, here you go:

I was eleven years old when I was introduced to the menacing and macabre world of the enigmatic Men in Black. It was a typically bleak and windswept English evening in the late autumn of 1976 when they first darkened my door.

On the night in question – wide of eye and full of youthful excitement and anticipation - I eagerly began reading the disturbing pages of John Keel’s classic title, The Mothman Prophecies, which told of distinctly strange goings-on at Point Pleasant, West Virginia in the mid-to-late 1960s.


Strange goings-on? Hell, outright supernatural foulness and malignancy would be far more apt terminology! A glowing-eyed, winged-monster, surreal reports of contact with enigmatic alien intelligences on lonely, moonlit, tree-shrouded roads, occult phenomena plaguing the town, and lives manipulated and transformed in ways near-unimaginable were the order of the day - as was the brooding, predatory, and repeated manifestation of the dreaded MIB.

For reasons that I have never truly been able to fathom, from that very day onwards I became particularly fascinated by the Men in Black, their silencing of UFO witnesses, their near-ethereal presence in our world, and, of course, their overwhelming and mysterious elusiveness.

Who, or what, were they? From where did they originate? What did they want of us? Why were they so deeply intent on preventing Flying Saucer-seekers from learning the truth about UFOs? Even as a child, such questions plagued and tormented my mind. And, the further and deeper I dug into the world of Forteana, the more I found myself attempting to penetrate the veil of unsettling darkness and hostility that seemed to forever surround the MIB.

In the immediate years that followed my reading of John Keel’s legendary study of Mothman, I sought out just about as many works on the MIB as was conceivably possible. And, at the absolute top of my list – in joint first-place - were Gray Barker’s 1956 title They Knew Too Much about Flying Saucers and a small, overwhelmingly bizarre book titled Flying Saucers and the Three Men. It was penned in 1962 by a curious and undeniably paranoid character named Albert Bender, without who there simply would be no MIB puzzle – period.

Barker, a skilled, atmospheric writer with a flair for all-things dramatic, gothic, dark and stormy, was the perfect person to address the MIB mystery. But, he would never have been in a position to do so had it not been for the eccentric Bender – who, in 1953, was allegedly silenced by a trio of black-garbed, glowing-eyed entities from some strange netherworld after getting too close to the truth about Flying Saucers.

For someone now just barely in their teens, I found both Barker’s and Bender’s books and tales to be even more captivating than those of Keel. Of course, as my teens became my twenties, and then my thirties, my views on the MIB phenomenon changed, in some ways subtly, but in other ways far less so. But there was one thing that never did alter: My earnest wish to solve the puzzle of the true nature, origin and intent of the Men in Black.

Since those now-long-gone days of my childhood, I have pursued the MIB on a scale that has far exceeded my quests for Bigfoot, the Chupacabra, and the truth about Roswell combined.


My first book, A Covert Agenda, which was published in 1997, detailed a number of curious MIB-style encounters in the British Isles from the 1950s onwards.

One year later, my follow-up title The FBI Files, detailed what the Bureau knew about the MIB puzzle.

My 2003 title, Strange Secrets, included a chapter on the little-known issue of government documents on the Men in Black.

Three years later, I penned On the Trail of the Saucer Spies, which was a full-length study of the secret surveillance of certain elements of the UFO research community by MIB-type characters in government.


In 2010, I contributed material to Curse of the Men in Black: Return of the UFO Terrorists, penned by John Stuart and Tim Beckley.

Then, in 2011, my The Real Men in Black hit the bookshelves. This latter title specifically addressed the paranormal side of the MIB phenomenon, with a great deal of page-space focused upon the possibility that the darkly-clad ones might be time-travelers, energy-sucking vampires, Tulpas, Trickster-style entities, or even demons from Hell – or maybe all of the above!

And, in that same year, I was very pleased to be asked to write a new Foreword to an updated edition of Gray Barker’s 1983 book: M.I.B.: The Secret Terror Among Us.

In other words, while I have never been fortunate enough to have received a late-night visit from the MIB (Yes, I would consider such a visit to be fortunate, as I might then be able to finally answer the riddle of who they really are!), they have certainly got their grips into me in other ways.

Having written about, and pondered so extensively on, the Men in Black, would I consider my research in this area to be a full-blown obsession? Maybe so; I can’t really deny such a possibility, as much as I would dearly prefer to.

But, if an obsession it is, then I’m certainly not the first – nor will I probably be the last – to be pulled, magnet-like, into the eye of the MIB hurricane. Bender, Barker, Keel: they all came before me, and all three became truly enveloped by MIB high-strangeness.

Will Strange Tales of the Men in Black be my last word on the MIB mystery? I'm 100 percent certain it won't!

   

MIB: Development and Perception

Loren Coleman has a very good new post on the MIB, titled MIBs: Silencers vs Killers, which shows the fascinating way in which the imagery of the MIB has developed and evolved over the years.

Indeed, a solid argument can be made that the MIB of old - the pale, scrawny and menacing types that seem far more like Nosferatu than James Bond - have been eclipsed by the "secret agent" angle.

Of course, much of that results from the phenomenal success of the Men in Black movies. But, it's worth noting that - as Loren's article makes very clear via providing us with good imagery of the MIB - there has been a definite change in perception regarding the Men in Black.

I also think a good argument can be made that - as I note in my The Real Men in Black and On the Trail of the Saucer Spies books - there are at least two category of MIB: government and "something else."

And, I think officialdom has some degree of knowledge of this "other" group, even if they don't have all the answers regarding who or "what" they are. And just to confuse things even further, there seems to be evidence that the Intel/military world is not beyond occasionally exploiting and using the weirder MIB motif to hide and camouflage its own actions.

More on all this in a later post...

Robert Goerman reviews "The Black Diary"

 

Robert Goerman's great new review of my latest book, The Black Diary: 

 

 

The Black Diary: M.I.B., Women in Black, Black-Eyed Children, and Dangerous Books

by Nick Redfern

Publisher: Lisa Hagan Books (May 13, 2018)

Paperback: 258 pages

Reviewed by Robert A. Goerman

http://robertgoerman.wixsite.com/paranormal

It is an absolute fact that credible people encounter incredible beings. Some of these entities can rather successfully impersonate the human inhabitants of Earth.

I usually designate these counterfeits as "Mysterious Strangers." This may include those mimics that harass eyewitnesses to so-called "UFO" and "paranormal" events or any that intimidate investigative researchers of unexplained phenomena. Quite often, the "high strangeness" of the stranger is only realized during pensive hindsight. This is after the "enchantment" has broken. Enchantment here refers to the manipulation of human perception, consciousness, and memory. It also refers to their exploitation of our time and space continuum.

I have organized these encounters into three distinct categories based on weirdness: Curious, Bizarre, and Incredible.

The "Curious" level contains those cases where the strangers display an uncanny knowledge of exactly what the witness saw or sometimes appear on the scene before that witness had a chance to report the experience to the authorities or media.

"Bizarre" cases may include these things and more. The visitors may appear odd or act very strangely. They may speak in a monotone "like a computer" or with an unidentifiable accent; try to drink Jell-O; move in a mechanical manner; have no visible body hair; males might wear bright red lipstick and cosmetics; resemble a cadaver; appear to have respiratory difficulties; "run out" of energy... all as if poorly imitating human beings.

"Incredible" cases add an extraordinary touch to the aforementioned categories. For instance, the interlopers may disappear in one of two ways. There is a difference between vanishing in plain sight and disappearing in the blink of an eye. The former indicates that the witness sees the entity vanish during unbroken vigilance. Disappearing in the blink of an eye means that the witness looked away or blinked and the visitor was gone. Irish folklore tells us to never take our eyes off a leprechaun during a pursuit or he will vanish. Our strangers might also walk through a muddy field and leave no tracks. The laws of our spatiotemporal "reality" do not deter certain visitants.

Personally researching encounters with nonhuman beings for more than five decades, it is my distinct honor and privilege to read, review, and recommend the MiB/WiB trilogy by my colleague Nick Redfern. The Black Diary: M.I.B., Women in Black, Black-Eyed Children, and Dangerous Books is his grand finale to the series. To call it "grand" is an understatement.

There are, first and foremost, mesmerizing accounts of meetings with nonhuman beings.

On July 19, 2012, Gloria (a senior citizen from Decatur, Texas) was just minding her own business and reading a book, with her two dogs for company. Both pets began barking at the sky. She looked up in time to observe what can only be accurately described as a classic flying saucer before it suddenly dematerialized, rather than having shot away at high speed. It was a case of "here-one-second-and-gone-the-next-second." Animal reactions are part and parcel of many paranormal mysteries.

Gloria had a brief peek into the unknown. She took no photos or video. She recovered no physical evidence of the "UFO" existence. She did not report her sighting to the media or the authorities.

And yet, there was a knock on her door the following afternoon. It was a pale-faced skeletal woman of about thirty, wearing a long black wig and dressed in a black jacket, a white blouse, and a flowing, black skirt (in July in Texas). She also sported huge sunglasses. The WiB smelled of dirt. This stranger warned Gloria not to talk about the UFO she had encountered the previous day, due to the claim that "the government is concerned." After asking what the time was, the WiB turned, walked down Gloria's driveway and vanished into nothingness.

Nick and I both know that these strangers are not from any government agency. While MiB/WiB visits can turn "ho-hum" UFO sightings into memorable cases, these entity encounters can also be quite hazardous to your health.

Kent Senter described his physical reactions to a visit from three MiB. "I looked up and immediately felt numbness and somewhat of a tingling electric shock in my stomach. I have never felt this sensation before or since. It was similar to a funny bone hit, but in the stomach only... It all seemed so strange and I felt like I was in a stupor."

Could Kent be describing some type of invisible assault to his Solar Plexus? Interestingly enough, the Solar Plexus chakra is associated with the following psychological and behavioral functions: willpower, clarity of judgement, and making decisions. Perhaps these beings, from realms unknown, recognize more than our crude biological vulnerabilities.

Reactions to visits from these strangers may include mind-numbing fear, perceived evil, confusion, electrifying energy racing up the spine, sickness in the stomach, loss of will, and even loss of consciousness. These effects might be a reaction to purposefully directed energies and the localized environment created by the close proximity of these "beings."

One witness summed up his feelings to Nick: "I don't know if you've ever eaten anything that's made you really sick and then afterwards, just the thought or smell or even sight of that food will bring back the symptoms again? That's how it is with these MiB things, pretty much exactly. You know when they're around. You can feel it like the oncoming symptoms of a flu or food poisoning attack." Redfern reports that others have fallen ill after their encounters with these Mysterious Strangers.

It is all here in The Black Diary: M.I.B., Women in Black, Black-Eyed Children, and Dangerous Books. There are strange and threatening telephone calls. There are "phantom photographers" and "grinning men." There are even phantom Black Helicopters that morph into the weirdest things!

The Black Diary (2018) by Nick Redfern joins the honored tradition of The Mothman Prophecies (1975) by John Keel, The Mysterious Valley (1996) by Christopher O'Brien, and Hunt for the Skinwalker (2005) by Colm A. Kelleher Ph.D. and George Knapp. Each of these amazing authors documented, in a chronological journal style of sorts, the mayhem and mystery, synchronicity and "Trickster" phenomena that interacted with their research and the lives of those within the scope of their investigations.

The Black Diary: M.I.B., Women in Black, Black-Eyed Children, and Dangerous Books is a tantalizing and dangerous roller coaster. Ride it at your own risk. For those that do, I offer this advice:

1.) Not every idea in your head belongs to you.

2.) These cosmic forces know what you think and do.

3.) Some synchronous events are orchestrated for your benefit or detriment.

 

 

Black Eyed Children: Kids of the MIB?

That's the subject of a new Mysterious Universe article from me...

Here's how it starts...

Just a few nights ago, I was interviewed by a UK-based radio-show on my recently published book, Men in Black: Personal Stories and Eerie Adventures. During the course of the interview, the host asked me if I realized there seemed to be a deep connection – as well as profound similarities – between the infamous MIB and one of the creepiest mysteries of the 21st century. Namely, the Black Eyed Children. Well, yes, I did know!

There can be very few people within the field of paranormal research who have not heard of the BEC. But, the MIB parallels might be new to some. In the same way that the Men in Black wear black suits and black fedoras, the Black Eyed Children often wear black hoodies. So, we have a black outfit and black head-gear present in both phenomena. Both the MIB and the BEC very often surface late at night. Trying to convince people to let them into their homes is one of the most chilling aspects of the activities of both the MIB and the BEC. And they are very good – almost too good – at making their escape. But, certainly, no-one has done more to highlight the MIB-BEC connections and parallels than David Weatherly, whose 2012 book, The Black Eyed Children, is essential reading.

MIB, Coast to Coast, and Crazy Phones!

Well, Saturday night's Coast to Coast show on the Men in Black mystery went very well. It was a 3-hour-long episode (1AM to 4AM) in which I discussed with the show's host, John B. Wells, the many and varied complexities of the legend of the Men in Black.

We covered a lot of ground, such as the saga of Albert Bender, Gray Barker's significant part in the MIB controversy, the MIB-Mothman connection, the many and varied theories for who - or what - the Men in Black might be, and much more.

But, there was something else too...

Normally, whenever I do a radio show, it goes ahead without a hitch. But, not when I'm talking about the MIB.

On many occasions now, when that subject surfaces, we seem to encounter endless telephone interference - which is, as many will know, a staple part of MIB lore.

And, indeed, the Coast to Coast show was no different. On four occasions, the landline dropped. Then, so did my cell phone, which I use for an emergency back-up. And, it was an hour or so after the show began that normality was finally restored.

If this happened only once or twice, I would put it all down to glitches in the phone connection. But, as listeners to some of my previous shows on the MIB may know, this happens frequently - even to the point of where I pretty much anticipate it occurring!

Tricksters? A warning? Maybe time will tell!

And for those who may want to listen to Saturday's show, or read a recap of the episode, you can do so right here.

Women in Black - New Book

Very soon I'll have a new book published from Lisa Hagan Books (Lisa being my agent). Its title: Women in Black: The Creepy Companions of the Mysterious M.I.B.

Over at Mysterious Universe you can find an article that outlines some of the things the book touches on. I'll update things when I have an exact release date for WIB.

And here are the opening paragraphs of the Mysterious Universe article:

Coming very soon from Lisa Hagan Books is a follow-up book to my 2015 release, Men in Black: Personal Stories and Eerie Adventures. The title of the new one: Women in Black: The Creepy Companions of the Mysterious M.I.B. It’s a book which – like my 3 books on the MIB – demonstrates that the popular image of the WIB and the MIB being “secret agents” of some equally secret agency is very far from the reality of the situation. They’re way stranger.

Certainly, in the world of on-screen entertainment the portrayal of the MIB and the WIB as employees of a top-secret, black-budget-style organization was presented most famously in the blockbuster 1997 movie, Men in Black, starring Will Smith and Tommy Lee Jones. The movie, of course, focuses primarily on the two main characters (Agents J & K). However, there’s also the character of Laurel Weaver. She’s a Deputy Medical Examiner, played by Linda Fiorentino. In the final minutes of the movie, she’s recruited into that aforementioned black-budget agency and becomes Agent L, a definitive WIB.

Policing the Paranormal

Think the MIB only take an interest in UFOs? It's time to think again.

My new Mysterious Universe article tackles this very issue and starts like this...

"Over the years, I have written extensively on the mystery of the Men in Black and their deep and longstanding connections to the UFO phenomenon. There is, however, one MIB-themed issue that I have not publicly focused on to a significant degree – even though I have a mountain of relevant reports. It concerns those cases of the paranormal kind that involve the MIB, but where there is a zero connection to the UFO mystery.

"That’s right: contrary to what many people might think or assume, the MIB don’t just silence or threaten people who have had profound UFO experiences. Rather, the MIB are all over the paranormal map like a nasty rash. Indeed, you can find them in the realms of cryptozoology, alchemy, poltergeist-based phenomena, Ouija-boards and more."

The MIB: Phone Freaks

I've got a new post up at Mysterious Universe that digs further into the whole issue of phone interference as it relates to the Men in Black, and which expands upon my odd experience on Saturday night's Coast to Coast show (see below).

In fact, since doing the show I've got an incredible number of new MIB cases to dig into, and there even seems to be "something in the air" these past few days re the MIB. And not just because of the release of Men in Black 3.

It's almost like there's something going on. But, I'm not sure what...yet...

Anyway, I'll be digging into the new stuff and will update you here on all new revelations as and when I can, and the witnesses permitting, of course.

In the meantime, here's my new Mysterious Universe post.

Yes, that's me being a MIB above, with an alien MIB in attendance. I'm pretty sure I'm the one on the left LOL.

Robert Goerman Reviews "The Alien Book"

A great new review from Robert Goerman of my new book, The Alien Book.


The Alien Book: A Guide To Extraterrestrial Beings On Earth
by Nick Redfern
Paperback: 400 pages
Publisher: Visible Ink Press (September 1, 2019)
Review by Robert A. Goerman

Visible Ink Press caters a feast for the mind with The Alien Book: A Guide To Extraterrestrial Beings On Earth by Nick Redfern. Forty-four delicacies are alphabetically presented over the course of four hundred pages. Many entrees are plated beautifully with illustrations. Connoisseurs will appreciate the rich bibliographical references and index. Trust our colleagues at Visible Ink Press to deliver a banquet for the price of a good meal.
The beings, creatures, mysteries, et cetera in this book are indeed alien to the norm of our everyday lives and spatiotemporal reality. Whether they are actually extraterrestrial, that is, originating from some other physical world in our universe, will be a matter of conjecture and debate. Whatever they are, they are here. They are not going away today. Tomorrow doesn't look good either.
Every single entree is seasoned with Redfern's secret blend of horrifying herbs and sinister spices.
Do human crop circle makers attune to a higher intelligence? Sacred geometry and intent are two things that a magician or cabalist needs to create magic. Are these metaphysical artists working with large emblems on a living canvas to rediscover the ancient art of natural magic? Does this automatic drawing summon paranormal forces? Matthew Williams is convinced.
We completely agree with Nick Redfern that Men (and Women) in Black “are clearly not residents of our world.” We also agree with researcher Steve Ash when he wonders if these UFO Silencers with their alleged agenda to scare people away from the subject often have the opposite effect. Maybe the MiB mission is to purposefully highlight and “advertise” high strangeness. Are MiB the “teaser trailers” of the paranormal realm?
We ask ourselves if these MiB and WiB understand their own actions. Are the Men in Black at the mercy of something else? They can appear after a “sighting” or Active Paranormal Event before the witness has told anyone. They relate details known only to the witness. MiB manifestations can appear out of nowhere and vanish in plain sight as if they are inserted and extracted geographically and chronologically into and out of our reality.
Men in Black show signs of interacting with humans on both a physical and psychic level. The consciousness of the witness can be altered and manipulated during the encounter. Meeting the witness in person seems to be their primary goal and conversation appears to be of secondary importance. Maybe the intelligences behind the MiB manifestations are curious as to how lower lifeforms imprisoned by linear time exercise “free will” and make “choices.”
The variety of paranormal phenomena examined in this book is impressive. Redfern writes that “aliens come in all sizes, shapes, and colors. Some are friendly. Others are anything but friendly. They all have one thing in common: the human race has encountered them.”
Chasing UFOs and cryptids with nuts-and-bolts and flesh-and-blood mindsets might be a matter of “barking up the wrong tree.” Yet other researchers take these stands to appear more “scientific.”
While all forty-four entrees are delicious, we did find an occasional forkful that left us feeling frustrated. Redfern refers to Mothman's “glowing, self-illuminating red eyes.” This is certainly not his fault. Our basic knowledge of West Virginia's "Mothman" begins as flawed folklore thanks to author John Keel. The original eyewitness accounts state that the creature has “fiery-red eyes that glow when the lights hit it. There was no glowing about it until the lights hit it” (from Linda Scarberry's handwritten report made a few days after the encounter). “The young men said they saw the creature’s eyes, which glowed red, only when their lights shined on it” (from the Point Pleasant Register, Wednesday, November 16, 1966). Mothman today has evolved into weapons-grade “balonium.”
One thing is certain. Now is the best time to discover Nick Redfern.

Men In Black - 2-Part Article

There's a new, 2-part article from me on my latest book, Men in Black: Personal Stories and Eerie Adventures.

Part-1 starts as follows...

"Right now, I have a new book out titled Men in Black: Personal Stories & Eerie Adventures. This is my third book on the MIB phenomenon, the previous ones being On the Trail of the Saucer Spies and The Real Men in Black. Like most of my writing on the Men in Black, the new book demonstrates that despite widespread assumptions that the MIB are from 'the government,' they clearly are not.

"Of the thirty-plus chapters in the book, only two are suggestive of a government connection to the MIB controversy. The vast majority of the cases take things down very weird paths. They are paths that lead towards the domains of the occult and the paranormal. And in some cases there is absolutely no UFO link at all. In those cases, we’re seeing nothing less than full-blown supernatural activity."
 

And here's how part-2 begins...


"Part-1 of this article introduced you to my new book, Men in Black: Personal Stories & Eerie Adventures. As I noted in part-1, the vast majority of the cases in the book focus upon matters of a very bizarre nature, and typically of a supernatural or occult nature. I shared with you a few observations and data on the MIB from David Weatherly, Micah Hanks, Jason Offutt, and Brad Steiger. Now, however, it’s time to focus on the witnesses.

"Of the dozens of people who generously shared with me the details of their personal encounters with the MIB, nearly all of them provided data that reinforces my firmly held belief that the Men in Black are nothing to do with the world of government, military, or intelligence agencies. Their origins are much weirder than that."

Robert Goerman Reviews My Book, "Men in Black"

Robert Goerman, a long-time observer - and investigator - of the Men in Black mystery, reviews my latest book on the subject...

Fate Forum Book Reviews
MEN IN BLACK: Personal Stories & Eerie Adventures
By Nick Redfern
Lisa Hagan Books
September 3, 2015
ISBN: 978-0-9764986-6-7
(Reviewed by Robert Goerman)

Back in the nineteen-sixties, I had the naiveté to create the Excalibur Commission, a working group of teens assembled to collect anecdotes about personal encounters with those mysterious Men in Black. I still have the original October 1967 issue of SAGA magazine featuring John Keel's "UFO AGENTS -- The Mysterious Men in Black." This groundbreaking article introduced the "Silence Group" to the average person.

In January of 1967, Colonel George P. Freeman, Pentagon spokesman for Project Blue Book, the Air Force investigation into reports of Unidentified Flying Objects, revealed that our government seemed concerned over increasing reports that persons unknown passing themselves off as USAF personnel or bearing credentials from various official agencies were coercing UFO witnesses into silence, sometimes confiscating photographs and every trace of physical evidence. On March 1, 1967, Lieutenant General Hewitt T. Wheless, USAF, Assistant Vice Chief of Staff, sent a memo to all commands concerning these impersonations of Air Force officers.

In the meantime, privately printed newsletters from UFO research groups everywhere documented MIB encounters.

It was during my early years of research that I remember visiting a casual female acquaintance at her home in the Middle of Nowhere, Pennsylvania when her young brother came rushing in to announce that men in dark suits were sitting in a shiny black Cadillac at the end of the long driveway, just watching the house. The father immediately left to confront these strangers. The smartly dressed intruders waited until the last moment to back onto the deserted country lane and depart. No one in that family had ever heard of the Men in Black.

For many reasons, I am convinced that Men in Black exist. Families have endured grueling visits by these mystery men. Some witnesses are harassed more than once. Victims speak of being unable to react normally until after their "guests" leave.

MEN IN BLACK: Personal Stories & Eerie Adventures is a collection of thirty-one contributions from the personal files of Nick Redfern. In his own words: "It's fair to say that my latest book on the Men in Black is somewhat of a radical departure for me, in the sense that I have specifically let the witnesses and the theorists -- certainly, the most important people when it comes to trying to understand the nature of the MIB phenomenon -- tell their own stories, solely in their own words."

Some of the names are quite familiar: Rich Reynolds, Brad Steiger, David Weatherly, Jason Offutt, and Micah Hanks. This reviewer had the distinct honor of being contributor number thirteen. Then my colleague Nick Redfern introduces us to total strangers.

To quote Manfred Mann's Earth Band: "But mama, that's where the fun is."

It is here that we get into the gritty business of men and women meeting nonhumans. Witnesses become "enchanted." Consciousness is altered. Minds struggle to make sense of nonsense. MIB can look odd or retro, sometimes with whiter than white skin that looks artificial, sometimes with olive complexion and dark eyes, sometimes as bony as a cadaver, but always exuding, if not malice, then, at least, indifference to human beings. Look away for one second and they are gone. Never vanishing in plain sight, but disappearing just the same. Men in Black control each encounter.

One might say that the writing and the chapters are uneven. That happens when thirty-one different people (not all of them polished and professional authors) "tell their own stories, solely in their own words." Some essays may interest and impress you. Others, not so much. Each story is important to the person who wrote it. Our failure to understand these events in no way negates their validity.
What if the MIB visit you? Will you be cunning and insist they pose for a snapshot? Or will you be a "deer in headlights" and spend your tomorrows wondering why?

The MIB Get Effed Up

Last night I was on EffedUpStories radio (is there a better name for a radio show? Probably not!).

The subject: my book, The Real Men in Black.

You can find the show here as a podcast.

And here at YouTube.

A lot of ground was covered, such as (a) the case of Albert Bender; (b) the parallels between the MIB and vampires; (c) MIB and connections with Ouija boards; (d) the Mothman saga of Point Pleasant, West Virginia; (e) the creepy and "dead"-looking appearance of the MIB; and (f) a great deal more of a sinister and weird nature...

 

Men in Black Gloves

There's a new article from me at Mysterious Universe which adds a new component to the Men in Black mystery. Here's how it starts...

In September of last year, I wrote an article here at Mysterious Universe titled “Men in Black…Cloaks.” It began as follows (QUOTE): “There’s no doubt in my mind that when it comes to the matter of the Men in Black, there is a direct connection between these menacing characters and a wealth of other supernatural phenomena. That includes the Hat-Man, the Shadow People, the Black-Eyed Children, and the Women in Black. All of these entities are definitively sinister in nature and should be avoided at all costs. And, to a degree, they even mirror each other.

“The Black-Eyed Children, for example, parallel the MIB when it comes to trying to find their way into homes, usually late at night. The MIB and the Hat-Man are both known for their old-style fedoras. The Women in Black are the absolute female counterparts of the MIB, even down to the pale, overly-smooth skin. And there are more than a few reports on record of Shadow People wearing fedoras. This leads me to believe all of these ‘things’ are manifestations of one phenomenon, albeit in different (but not too different) guises. There is, however, yet another entity that falls into this particular category. It’s one that I have a few reports on, but which often gets overlooked when it comes to the MIB connection. We’re talking about ‘Men in Black Cloaks.'” (END OF QUOTE)

Well, now there’s yet another sub-category to add to all of the creepy characters described above: “Men in Black Gloves.”

The Men In Black Are Back!

With the release of Men in Black 3 now almost upon us, it's somewhat appropriate that there are three new items on the MIB controversy to share with you. And particularly so, given that the MIB generally travel in groups of three!

1. Over at Mysterious Universe you can find a new article from me that highlights a weird case from the 1950s. In fact, it's very weird...

2. A few days ago, I was interviewed by the Huffington Post about the MIB in fact and fiction. The article has now been posted, and you can find it right here.

3. Finally, there is an excellent new article from Loren Coleman on the MIB that should not be missed!

Men In Black - Contents

To give you an idea of my new book, Men in Black: Personal Stories & Eerie Adventures, here's the list of contents:

Introduction
1. “Men in Black types have pounced on humanity”
2. “Looking up at his room, were the three men”
3. “Some witnesses report that the skin looks ‘artificial’”
4. “I noticed a kind of change in the air, a shift, a weird shift”
5. “My encounter with an ‘Old Man in Black’”
6. “The MIB seem just a little off”
7. “Something is wrong with this man – dangerously wrong”
8. “There was nothing friendly about the way he was grinning”
9. “You will not discuss what happened”
10. “The MIB seem to be able to drain a person’s energy”
11. “A short man in a black cape and top-hat”
12. “All I could hear was static”
13. “Men in Black are neither hallucinations nor hoaxes”
14. “He was staring right into my soul”
15. “I was to be visited by these strange men in the dead of night”
16. “This shadow wore a black fedora”
17. “It was like something out of The Exorcist”
18. “Beings that don’t quite fit the mold”
19. “Feeling a little paranoid I quickened my pace”
20. “The voices revealed themselves as the MIB”
21. “His eyes were black and his skin a Mediterranean olive”
22. “It occurred to me that I could make contact with the MIB”
23. “Perhaps the black car was my guardian angel”
24. “What you doing out here all dressed up like that?”
25. “I will ask you one more time to leave now”
26. “I was waking up unhappy and shaken”
27. “He had a narrow shrunken face”
28. “They looked odd and retro”
29. “His staring eyes are lit up with a disturbing glare”
30. “I remembered thinking: I don’t think they had pores in their skin”
31. “Nothing entities like Men in Black say or do should be trusted”
Final Words
About the Author
Acknowledgments

Men in Black...Cloaks

"There’s no doubt in my mind that when it comes to the matter of the Men in Black, there is a direct connection between these menacing characters and a wealth of other supernatural phenomena. That includes the Hat-Man, the Shadow People, the Black-Eyed Children, and the Women in Black. All of these entities are definitively sinister in nature and should be avoided at all costs. And, to a degree, they even mirror each other.

"The Black-Eyed Children, for example, parallel the MIB when it comes to trying to find their way into homes, usually late at night. The MIB and the Hat-Man are both known for their old-style fedoras. The Women in Black are the absolute female counterparts of the MIB, even down to the pale, overly-smooth skin. And there are more than a few reports on record of Shadow People wearing fedoras."

That's how one of my new Mysterious Universe articles begins - on the subject of cloak-wearing Men in Black...

The picture above is to my new book on the MIB, available right now in Kindle, and the paperback to appear any time now.

Men In Black - 20 Years Later

In a new article at Mysterious Universe, I highlight (A) the looming 20th anniversary of the release of the movie Men in Black; and (B) the differences between the Hollywood MIB and the real ones...

You can find the article here, and below is an extract:

July 2 of this year will mark the 20th anniversary of the release of the movie Men in Black, which starred Will Smith, Tommy Lee Jones, Linda Fiorentino, and Rip Torn. It was an incredibly successful movie that pulled in close to $600 Million in box-office takings. Men in Black II surfaced in 2002 and made a more than respectable profit, and the third movie in the series – Men in Black 3 – did even better, with box-office figures reaching more than $620 Million. Based on Lowell Cunningham’s comic book series, Men in Black, the movies most definitely brought the MIB of UFO lore to the attention of millions of people – and all around the world. The movies did something else, too: they cemented in the minds of most people the image that the MIB are the operatives of a highly secret agency which is buried deep within the heart of the U.S. Government. The reality, however, is very different.

Of course, the three Men in Black movies are meant purely as entertainment for the whole family – which they certainly are. But, when it comes to the real Men in Black, matters are much darker. In fact, way darker. And, I’m not talking about the color of the suits. It’s ironic that the movies portrayed the Men in Black as what we might term “ufological 007’s,” as the “secret agent” angle is actually the most unlikely explanation for the MIB.

My Albert Bender Obit

You can find an obit from me for Albert Bender - the man who began the Men in Black mystery - at this link. And here's how the article starts:

Over at Wikipedia you can find a new page for Albert Bender, the man who pretty much kick-started into existence the mystery and controversy surrounding the Men in Black. As you’ll note, it reveals that Bender died just recently, specifically on March 29, 2016, at the good old age of 94. Given that there have been claims Bender died in the early 2000s, a few people have already asked me if the Wiki page is accurate. Yes, it is. Bender had a full life and outlived just about everyone else who got involved in Ufology in the late 1940s and early 1950s. And, he was the creator of the International Flying Saucer Bureau, a body that provoked a lot of interest – both within the United States and overseas.

If you know your UFO history, you’ll know that it was Bender’s encounters with a creepy trio of MIB at Bridgeport, Connecticut in the early 50s which prompted author Gray Barker to pen a book on the matter. Its title: They Knew Too Much About Flying Saucers. Bender’s MIB were nothing like the Tommy Lee Jones/Will Smith kind, however. Rather, they were ghoulish characters with shining eyes, and who were far more Bram Stoker-meets-H.P. Lovecraft than The X-Files-meets-Dark Skies. It’s highly appropriate, then, that Bender’s encounters with the MIB occurred in his attic, which he had transformed into his so-called “Chamber of Horrors.” It was a room filled with all manner of paintings of demons, black cats, skeletons, vampires, bats, and skulls. Even an “altar” of sorts. Indeed, Bender had a deep interest in the worlds of the paranormal, UFOs, and the occult, in both fact and fiction.

Early MIB?

In a fascinating new post at his Twilight Language blog, Loren Coleman asks:

"Was one of the earliest 'men in black' fictional tales, about three MIBs, published five years before the turn of the 20th century?"

He continues:

"Perhaps so. This is a significant book written about three men in a secret organization in pursuit of a man 'with spectacles' who possesses a vanished Roman coin denoting important mystic symbolism."

And, for the whole story - which is undeniably essential reading for anyone and everyone with an interest in the MIB mystery - click right here.

It's interesting to note that coins turn up (and sometimes subsequently vanish) in more than a few MIB-themed sagas, including this one from the 1950s and this from the 1970s.

MIB: When books become dangerous...

Probably the strangest article I've ever written, split into two parts. And here's how it all starts...


"There’s no doubt that over the years I’ve written some weird articles on equally weird subjects. But, this 2-part one just might be the strangest of all. In the last few years I have seen a trend develop that seems to be increasing. It basically goes as follows. I am getting more and more reports from people who have read my books and who, as a result and in the direct aftermath, were seemingly targeted by the very same supernatural phenomena I was writing about. No, I’m not kidding.

"It all began back in 2010, when I was promoting my second book on the MIB, titled The Real Men in Black. One of the things I dug into in the book was the matter of MIB and telephone interference. We’re talking about strange voices on the line, weird electronic noises, and hang-up calls. Several people contacted me to report they were experiencing the exact same thing – but only after they had read the book."

Here's part-1.

And here's part-2.

The photo at the top of the page relates to one particular piece of weirdness in part-2...