The passing of Budd Hopkins on Aug. 21 was ignored by the mass media. Most commentators probably wouldn’t recognize the name. Yet, Budd Hopkins was a pioneer, who boldly ventured into the strange borderland realm of alien abductions. An artist by profession, Budd took an interest in people who witnessed UFOs and subsequently found they had somehow moved ahead in time, often by a couple of hours.
His first book, Missing Time, explored those missing hours through hypnotic regression, which revealed alien abduction experiences. We read that book when it first came out and were reminded of the earlier abduction experience of Betty and Barney Hill. But Hopkins revealed that such abductions were now widespread, yet virtually unknown to the world.
In early 1986, OMNI Magazine assigned us to cover a UFO convention in South Florida, where we met Budd and accompanied him on an abductee investigation. (We’ve previously written in detail about that experience .)
We remember Hopkins commenting that he had recently met with a famous novelist, who was abductee. He wouldn’t tell us the writer’s name, but it wasn’t long before we found out it was Whitley Strieber. At the time, Strieber was best known for his novels, including The Hunger, The Wolfen, and Warday.
It would be Strieber who became the face of the alien abduction scenario – for better or worse – when he wrote Communion, and Hopkins became a secondary figure in the eyes of the mass media.
Meanwhile, Budd continued his work with abductees and went on to write Intruders, Witnessed, and other books. He also pursued his career as an artist, and became a nationally known abstract expressionist painter with works in the collections of the Guggenheim, Whitney, and Metropolitan Museums, as well as Boston’s Museum of Fine Arts and New York’s Museum of Modern Art.
I remember asking Budd if he thought his work in the UFO field was affecting his art. He answered simply: “I hope not.” He also maintained that he was not an abductee himself, but when pressed by Trish he conceded that he had a scar on the back on his left calf and didn’t know how it had gotten there. He looked uncomfortable and didn’t want to say any more about it.
Budd’s last book, published in 2009, was a memoir that brought it all together. It’s called: BUDD HOPKINS: Art, Life, and UFOs. We wish Budd well on his new adventure in the afterlife. And we hope he has found the answers to his many questions.
A fine tribute, to a fine man it seems. I am pretty sure Budd would be like a kid in a candy store on the other side. 🙂
For sure, Nat.
Mike is actually putting together a long audio podcast of his time with Bud.
https://hiddenexperience.blogspot.com/2011/08/soon_29.html
I’ll be looking forward to hearing it.
Oh, that’s going to be a good one! Will check out Mike’s site tonight. He’s a wonderful interviewer. The NYTImes apparently had an obit about Hopkins, but you can’t get to it unless you subscribe. Ironic, really.
Click on this link and it should take you to the NY Times obit ;
https://www.nytimes.com/2011/08/25/arts/design/budd-hopkins-abstract-artist-and-ufo-author-dies-at-80.html
Cheers
Nice tribute. We need more guys like Budd…willing to delve into this topic. Sure do hope he’s found the answers.
His memoir is a fascinating tale. His life in art was as exciting as his life in UFO research (but less dangerous).
There aren’t researchers like him (or John Mack) in the field today.
I had not met him him, just some of his clients. His books were required reading for any of us UFO investigators. He will be missed.
I’m not as familiar with his art, will have to check it out! He was an expert researcher.
his artwork is fabulous, trish –
Am going to have to check it out!
I never knew much about the man,but I did hear Mike Cellend’s audio interview with him a few moths ago.But I did find this YouTube interview with Bud about his art.
It is quite interesting.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=freMBmn6swI
His book “ART, LIFE AND UFOs – A memoir by Budd Hopkins” looks like it is worth a read also.
https://www.anomalistbooks.com/hopkins.html
Thanks, Darren. We’ll take a look.
Oops ! That should be months not moths.
Sorry.
what a wonderful experience to have met in person – i don’t think i will ever forget your stories of contacts with him – what a rich rich legacy he has left us all – thanks so much for this beautiful tribute to a man whose work has meant – and continues to mean – so much to so many – happy happy illuminated trails, budd!
Must admit I’m not familiar with the name. Will look for his bio/books.
Start with Missing Time. It’s a winner!
As mentioned in my email, I never had the pleasure of meeting Budd in person. However, I did correspond with him, and these communications revealed him to be a kind, thoughtful, concerned, knowledgable individual with genuine compassion for the experiencers. He also was immersed in a deep and abiding dedication to his search for the truth, whatever that truth might turn out to be, and he attempted to not allow himself to be sidelined by skeptics or, contrarily, by folks who offered him false information. He will be missd by many, but his works remain as a helpful guide for us to study and learn. It was Hopkins who prompted some of my own probing questions about abductions and the afterlife; about the connections, if any, between the two. Like you, I too hope he is finding answers now. The world of science is richer for his having passed through here, even if it isn’t recognized outside the community of those who hold a vested interest in the subjects of UFOs/ETs. Thank you, Budd, for your commitment and your decency. See ya on The Other Side!!