Communion: A True Story
relaxed and calm, but not asleep. I was aware of my surroundings. I could feel my face growing slack, and soon Dr. Klein began to say that my right hand was getting warm. It got warm, and then he progressed to my arm, and then my whole body. I was now sitting, totally comfortable, encased in warmth. I still felt as if I had a will of my own, a sensation that was never to leave me. In fact, the hypnotized subject does have a will of his own, very much so. But he is also open to suggestion.
    After some preliminary questions, preparing me by asking me to recall my birthday and then Labor Day weekend, Dr. Klein proceeded to the afternoon of October 4. I wish to add that Budd Hopkins was present at both of these sessions, recording them. He was allowed to ask questions, but only at the end of each session, and it was understood that his questions would be few. They are identified with his name in the transcripts. All other questions were put by Dr. Klein.
    Events of October 4, 1985
    SESSION DATE: March 1, 1986
    SUBJECT: Whitley Strieber
    PSYCHIATRIST: Donald Klein, MD
    [This is an actual transcript of my first hypnosis. Nothing has been left out. This is what happened when my memories were examined under hypnotic regression.
    Dr. Klein began the session with Labor Day. As I grew more comfortable with the process of remembering, he drew me closer to the night in question.]
    "Now, we're going forward a little further, to the beginning of the month of October.
    Right around October first, 1985. Can you tell me where you are right now?"
    "Yeah, I'm working on the Russian book."
    "What book?"
    "The Russian book."
    "What's that?"
    "It's a novel about Russia. I've got a good idea I'm working on the Russian book."
    "Where are you?"
    "I'm at home in the city."
    "You have any plans for the weekend?"
    "Yeah, we're gonna take Jacques and Annie up to the country and I don't know whether or not Jacques is going to fit in the jeep."
    "Who are Jacques and Annie?"
    " Jacques is a friend. Annie is his girlfriend."
    "Now you're driving up to the country."
    "Yeah.
    "In a Jeep?"
    "Yeah, it's a jeep Wagoneer. We're not having any problems. Annie's very small, so Jacques can fit. He's to the backseat and my son's happy because he likes Jacques a lot. I put on a tape but nobody liked it. So we talked. 'I'm gonna take you all out to dinner tonight. It's too late to stop for groceries. We're gonna go to the — you want to go to the Top of the Falls?' We had a lot of trouble deciding about that. I remember that, but then we went to the Top of the Falls."
    "Go forward to that time now."
    "Yeah."
    "How are you feeling?"
    "Oh, I'm enjoying myself thoroughly."
    "How far is the restaurant from your home?"
    "Oh, not long, about fifteen minutes. And we had dinner. We had dinner. Anne, our son, all have a — I have a great time. Jacques has a good time."
    "So you're back in your house."
    "Yeah."
    "And you're going up to bed for the night?"
    "Yeah. I'm wearing my house shoes. We were all gonna sit in the hot tub, but I'm too tired." (I visualized myself in bed, talking to my wife before going to sleep.) "God, I wish I hadn't spent all that money on that restaurant."
    "What happens after you go to bed?"
    "Well . . . [Long pause.] Oh . . . I woke up in the middle of the night .... I don't understand that. Uh, there's something went past the window?" (I referred to an octagonal window beneath the peak of the living room's cathedral ceiling, approximately thirty feet from the ground. It can be seen from our bed and it looks out into a woods.) "What the hell?
    Something went past the window? Something went past the window! There's nothin' pa —
    Oh, God 'Anne, the house is —' Something—"
    "Something went past the window?"
    "A big thing. [Beginning to cry.] No, it was a fight! [Calmer.] It didn't go past the window. It couldn't have gone past the window. I'm going back to sleep. I think the stove's OK. It was a light in the front yard. I keep thinkin' . . . . Who

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