popped up over hill out of nowhere, bright lights flashingEven though this happened when I was 19, I remember it *very* vividly - although at the time I was oddly unconcerned. I'm not positive of date, but know it was after the holidays, dead middle of winter, no moon but lots of bright stars against the black night sky. I was taking a "back road" (i.e. proverbial dirt road, maybe 2 old cowboy jalopies and lots of cattle had used that week) to see my boyfriend; probably not the smartest thing for a young woman to do. I was traveling north, on my right was a ridge about 100 ft. high that ran parallel to the road for about 1/2 mile, ending just past the road's sharp left turn to the west. (ridge was 1/4 mile away from road) This corner was known to be dangerous: cattleguard, deep gravel, slightly on sloped angle, and narrow. As I was slowing down for this corner, the radio started losing the signal (bunch of static) and car started sputtering, trying to die, then did. (no previous car problems, just serviced, gas tank full) Momentary panic, put my head down on steering wheel (who's going to find me & when?); as I looked back up, I saw something coming over ridge. I just sat there as it slid over the top coming closer to me, confused image of what I thought of as carnival lights - red, gold, white, bluish-green - all along outside edge of what seemed to be a triangle shape, lights running in fast "chaser" pattern (like popular Christmas lights 5-7 yrs. ago). Also, just long enough for me to realize it was happening (and probably had been for a few seconds) there was a "spotlight" beam of bluish-white light traveling next to the passenger side of the car. Beam went out; a few more ticks of what seemed suspended, unreal time with edge lights still blinking; shape rotated up about 30 degrees. (that's when I realized it was chevron shaped, not triangular - I could see the stars between swept-back "wings") It starting drawing away still on an angle until it was about 250 ft. up, then *poof* it was gone. No sound through *any* of this - and believe me, a d! eserted dirt road at night in winter in western Nebraska is about a quiet as it gets. I even had window down an inch or so since I was smoking a cigarette. I must have sat there at least another 15 minutes before I attempted to start my car (it started fine) because when I got to my boyfriend's he was about to come looking for me - I should have been there around 8:30, it was now 9:15. I know I drove much more slowly than usual, but wasn't thinking about what happened (how odd!) and didn't even discuss it with my boyfriend, just said something about being behind a slow truck and what bad shape the road was in, blah blah blah. It's a relief to finally get this off my chest. Whenever I hear of UFO sightings, it all comes back to me in a flood - like I'm there watching it again.((NUFORC Note: Date is approximate. Witness holds very responsible position today. PD))((FOLLOW-UP COMMUNICATION FROM WITNESS))Dear Mr. Davenport,Thank you for your response. I expected nothing beyond, as I said, getting the story off my chest in a forum where I could be reasonably certain folks wouldn't laugh... and if they did, at least I couldn't hear it! (The good people of western Neb. are nothing if not pragmatic and have no time for "that kind of foolishness.") However, I'm leary of hypnosis and don't really think I *want* to know more. That may change someday, but for now I'm blissful in my ignorance. Also, I've read a great deal on the subject since that time (as you may imagine!) and have probably clouded things to the point it might very well not be successful anyway.I would like to share two further things. First, I realized I never specified the size of... whatever it was. It was on the smallish side, not more than 50 yds. across at the widest point (where the "wings" swept back). That's probably why I got an impression of Christmas lights. As it slid over the hill, my mind desperately wanted me to believe it was some kind of decoration turning on from the bottom up. And it was that time of year, if a little late.Secondly, and probably the real reason I'm resisting hypnosis, is that since I was a very small child my biggest fear has been looking out a dark window and seeing a white face look back in at me. When the original "Halloween" movie was released, some friends visiting me drug me with them to see it (talk about unwilling, I must have left heel indentations in the parking lot cement). I literally did not sleep for a week after that. The first two nights were the worst even with people sleeping in the same room - I laid there in a cold sweat, paralyzed, thinking every sound and shadow was something evil & bad coming to get me. (that sounds so babyish, and I was 23 at the time) I've never liked that kind of movie to begin with; I've never gone to another even at the risk of offending friends/guests. I've also read that owls are often used as memory "screens." From the time I was 6 (my parents moved me to the attic room when my baby brother came along) I've been haunted by owls. I swore for years that an owl on-and-off sat on the peak of the roof on the end where my bed was. No one believed me. We moved to a huge new ranch-style house 2 miles away when I was almost 13 - one night later, an owl was now sitting & hooting on the corner of the house where my bedroom was! Finally about 6 mos. later the teasing quit when my Dad said he'd found bird droppings of some kind on the cement sidewalk under the corner where I'd sworn the owl sat. That didn't really change things, but Mr. Owl didn't seem to visit so often after that.Reading this over, I hope you don't think I've rambled too much (kinda seems that way to me). But thinking about this has triggered one more memory of something that happened about 5 yrs. ago that I even went to the doctor about. This happened at the far western edge of Arvada (Denver suburb) about 2 a.m. I suddenly woke up and heard a kind of "swoosh" sound. The first thing I thought was that someone was in the bushes below my window (it was 1 1/2 stories up on the back side of a split-level home). No sooner had I thought that but what seemed to be a bright spotlight shown through the shade at the window. My next thought was "oh no, the cops are chasing some criminal with a helicopter & spotlight" although I couldn't hear rotor blades. I glanced at the clock to see what time it was and that was the last move I was able to make. The light intensified for a few seconds, I heard a roaring, and I thought I should get out of bed to look out the window, but I *could not move*! I struggled mightily, but was immobile. I could feel the sweat break out on my body and heard a roaring in my head and felt it in my body (it was steady, not like a heart beat), and still couldn't twitch a finger. I'd estimate this went on for 2-3 minutes. I thought I was having a heart attach or more likely a stroke. I cast around my mind for another explanation but always came back to physical problem. During this time I was aware the light at the window was fading away - I couldn't look, my eyes weren't responding to the "move" command either. The feeling passed all at once; it didn't "ease up" but was just gone - like when a blood pressure cuff releases. The next day I tried to explain it to a coworker; she didn't know what to think but advised me to see the Dr. anyway. I did at 2 p.m. They found nothing wrong with me and *strongly* suggested it was a dream. (Why do male Dr.s seem to assume women are all hypochondriacs or hysterical? I was truly concerned!) And I know it wasn't a dream - I'm neither Dickens nor his pal Scrooge. I believe in being open-minded, but not so open your brains fall out!Okay, enough. Again, thank you for both your response and your time.Sincerely, ((name deleted))