Date: 01-25-94  11:56
From: Jamie Eubanks
  To: All
Subj: Men In Black

Danni, I hope this is in the right section!

Various individuals who have claimed to have sighted UFOs, been abducted
by extraterrestrials, or experienced unaccounted-for "missing time" are
sometimes later visited by Men in Black (MIB) - men literally dressed
all in black - who discourage the individuals from persisting in their
claims. MIB also allegedly have threatened and harassed individuals and
their families; one person's death has been attributed to MIB.

MIB apparently have been active in America since 1947, when the first
"flying saucer" reports were made. They have been especially active
during periods of great UFO activity. MIB seem predominant in America,
but have been reported elsewhere, including Europe, Scandinavia,
Australia, New Zealand, and South Africa.

One of the earlies reports of an MIB visit, a classic case, occurred
in 1953 to Albert K. Bender, a Bridgeport, Connecticut, factory clerk
and enthusiast of UFOs, the occult, black magic, monsters, and science
fiction and horror films. Bender organized an international flying
saucer bureau, and through his research believed he discovered where
extraterrestrials come from and why they visit Earth. He wrote a
letter about this to a friend. After he mailed the letter, three men
dressed in black suits visited him; one had his letter. After the
visit Bender became ill. He acted "lobotomized," in the words of one
friend, and suffered severe headaches, which he said were controlled
by "them". If he thought about revealing his information, he was hit
with a debilitating headache. He dropped all of his UFO-related
pursuits.

Reports of MIB show some common characteristics. The facial features
and complexions of MIB lead others to think they are of Oriental or
Italian extraction. They have a penchant for dressing in dark or
black clothing, which is either amazingly wrinkle-free or very
wrinkled. They drive about in large, dark or black cars. Some have
unusual hair growth, as though their head has been shaved and the
hair has grown back unevenly. MIB sometimes have odd ways of
walking, either as though intoxicated, or with a gliding or rocking
motion as though their hips were on swivel joints. Some have been
seen wearing the Great Seal of the United States in their lapels.
The voices of MIB also are unusual in extremes: monotones, singsongs,
and whines, and sometimes eloquent in timbre.

MIB visit UFO witnesses unannounced at home or work, usually coming
in threes. Sometimes they appear after a sighting, but before the
individual has contacted authorities or a UFO-related organization.
They often pass themselves off as representatives of the federal
government or military intelligence. Curiously, they seem to know
quite a bit of personal data concerning those they visit. Some people
report that MIB have resorted to intimidation, threats, and
harassment to stop their interest in UFOs or their UFO research.
Witnesses of UFOs have been told by MIB that they did not see what
they thought they did. At least one UFO researcher has been
threatened with death by a Man in Black; the MIB claimed that a
UFO abductee who died had done so because he "knew too much."

While most MIB incidents concern UFOs, they also have been reported
in connection with sightings of monsters and other nonhuman entities.

Folklorists link the MIB to legends of the Devil, who in earlier
times was often said to appear in the form of a tall black man
or a man in black. One theory holds that the Devil, MIB, Trickster,
and others similar supernatural beings are part of the same
phenomenon, a projection of the unconscious in order to meet a
psychological need on the part of the percipient. It also has
been suggested that the MIB are thought-forms created by
collective fear residing in the unconscious. In Eastern mysticism
the MIB have a parallel in the "Brothers of the Shadow," evil
beings who try to prevent occult students from learning the great
truth.

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Sources: John A. Keel. "The Mothman Prophecies." New York:
Saturday Review Press/E. P. Dutton, 1975; Peter M. Rojcewicz.
"The 'Men in Black' Experience and Tradition: Analogues with
the Traditional Devil Hypothesis." "Journal of American Folklore
100 (396) (April-June 1987): 146-60; Brad Steiger, "Mysteries
of Time and Space". New York: Dell/Confucian Books, 1976.
Rosemary Ellen Guiley. "Harper's Encyclopedia of Mystical &
Paranormal Experience." New York: Harper Collins, 1991.