Lead is a versatile, common metal that has been used for many applications throughout history. However, it is also incredibly deadly in even the smallest of amounts. While our ancestors believed that lead was an insignificant part of life, it actually could have ravaged their minds and bodies without their knowledge. Its effects still harm us today.

10 Ancient Rome

In 1983, Canadian scientist Jerome Nriagu examined the diets of 30 Roman emperors from 30 BC to AD 220 and made an astounding discovery: They were filled with lead. At the time, it was common to boil down grapes into syrups as a flavoring for food. This was done in copper kettles that released huge amounts of lead into the product.

Knowing that emperors were gluttonous in their eating habits, this could have led to chronic lead poisoning and, as Nriagu thought, the fall of Rome. While Nriagu’s conclusions have been disputed by various studies, others have backed him up based on the pipes of the Tiber River, long the chief source of water for Rome. This water contained around 100 times as much lead as fresh springwater.

9 The First Artificial Sweetener

Sadly, lead was humanity’s first artificial sweetener. Where sugar couldn’t readily be obtained, lead acetate was used because of its naturally sweet taste. In Roman times, lead acetate was called sapa and was frequently added to wine.

In 1047, Pope Clement II suddenly died from an unknown cause. A 1959 examination showed that he suffered from chronic lead poisoning, most likely from lead acetate in wine. Clement II was German, and the Germans of that time had a custom of sweetening their wines in the Roman way.

There are even rumors that Ludwig van Beethoven, another wine lover, was ill from chronic low-level lead poisoning related to his consumption of lead-laced wines. A study of his bones showed high levels of lead, which is the most likely cause of his well-known deafness in later years.

8 Toxic Rum

When 17 males were exhumed from the Royal Naval Hospital cemetery in Antigua, it was discovered that their bones were tainted with lead. The normal amount of lead in bones is 5–30 ppm (parts per million). But in the bones of 14 of the men, it ranged from 13–336 ppm, with 80 ppm being lead poisoning.

One hypothesis for this high level of lead could be lead that entered Antiguan rum in 18th-century distilleries. In the past, the Royal Naval fleet gave out rum rations to sailors. This could have caused chronic lead poisoning in many sailors, including the 17 buried in Antigua.

If true, this has severe implications for other members of the Royal Navy who served in the West Indies and may have consumed similarly tainted rum. The rum ration was an established tradition in the British Royal Navy at the time.

7 Artists And Lead

In 1713, Italian physician Bernardino Ramazzini wrote in his book De Morbis Artificum Diatriba that he knew many artists and painters who suffered similar symptoms unique to their profession: chronic sickness, a colorless complexion, and melancholy. He was one of the first to theorize that “painter’s colic” was the result of the paints they used.

This ingestion of deadly metals was called saturnism and affected several famous artists. Throughout much of history, lead was involved in the creation of most paints. A study showed that this most likely affected Michelangelo Buonarroti, Francisco Goya, Candido Portinari, and possibly Vincent van Gogh. They all displayed symptoms of “painter’s colic” and worked closely with lead paints for much of their lives.

6 American Pewter

In the first years of colonization in America by the English, the most common types of dishes, cups, and other serving containers were all coated in a deadly layer of lead. Pewter was widely used in musket balls, too. So anyone at the time who used a musket—which was the vast majority of colonists—would have been exposed.

However, wealthy Americans in the 1600s were the ones who mainly used pewter dishes, so much so that researchers can tell who was wealthy back then from the amount of lead in their bones. For example, Colonel Joseph Bridger, one of the wealthiest and most prominent Virginians of his time, died in 1686. But when his body was exhumed and tested by medical professionals in 2007, the lead levels in his bones were measured at 149 ppm, which would have been seven times the average amount of lead.

5 Medieval Lead Glaze

Medieval Europe’s upper class used lead on their silverware and dishes as a sort of glaze so that they were easier to wash and more aesthetically appealing. In 2007, six cemeteries from Germany to Denmark were tested. Interestingly, lead was virtually nonexistent among the serfs and other poor, but it was dangerously high in the urban dwellers.

The lead on the dishes could be absorbed by the acidic foods that were frequently consumed by urbanites of the times. When salty foods were stored in lead-covered containers, the glaze would dissolve and the lead could leak in and contaminate the stored food. These dishes were hard to come by in poor rural towns, so lead poisoning distinguished rural and urban dwellers even more than the rich and poor.

4 Samurai Makeup Poisoning

During the Edo period of Japan’s history (1603–1867), many samurai suffered from their own beauty expectations. When the bones of 70 men, women, and children from that time were tested, researchers were shocked to discover lead levels as high as 120 times the harmful level in the bones of samurai children.

Environmentally, lead levels were actually low during the Edo period. But there was a surprising source for the contamination: mother’s makeup. Aristocratic women used a cosmetic white face powder that children may have encountered while nursing. Lead based and incredibly toxic, this face powder probably caused many children to die or suffer severe mental impacts.

3 Lead In Commercial Paints

Despite the lead industry knowing about the danger of lead in paint for decades, lead continued to be used in paints well into modern times. As far back as the 1920s, paint companies fought to have safety labels removed from their products even though as much as 70 percent of a can of paint was made of lead pigments.

A mere thumbnail-sized chip could cause a young child to have convulsions. When children became ill from this, the lead companies claimed that it was the fault of the parents, especially “uneducable Negro and Puerto Rican” parents who “failed” to stop children from placing their fingers and toys in their mouths.

In 1949, Maryland’s House of Delegates passed a bill banning lead in children’s toys. But this was repealed after overwhelming pushback. In 1959, the New York City Board of Health banned interior paints containing more than 1 percent lead. In 1971, the federal government banned lead paints in public housing. But it wasn’t until 1978 that the federal government banned lead in virtually all paints.

2 Ghost Factories

Lead production in the US may have shut down decades ago, but the toxicity remains. Wherever there were once lead factories—now dubbed “ghost factories“—high amounts of lead can still be found in the soil. From the 1930s to the 1960s, many of these factories operated by smelting lead from the various ores that contained it.

William Eckel, an environmental scientist, first called attention to this after writing that as many as 400 unknown shuttered factories could be contaminated by lead. He paid to have the soil tested at eight locations, with all but one testing positive for high lead levels.

Despite the EPA ordering the clean-up of lead in the soil in 2001, there has been virtually no action. Children who live and play near these factories are particularly affected.

1 Leaded Gasoline

In 1921, Thomas Midgley Jr. invented tetraethyl lead, a compound that would make cars incredibly efficient. Tetraethyl lead remained in gasoline until it was banned in 1986 due to the debilitating mental and physical effects it caused.

Since the ban, blood-lead levels in US residents have dropped by 75 percent. Before lead gasoline was phased out, it is estimated that 5,000 Americans died every year from lead-related heart disease.

There is also a high correlation between the rise and fall of lead gasoline and the rise and fall of violent crimes committed throughout several countries in the 20th century. Twenty years after lead gasoline was introduced, crime rates skyrocketed. But after lead gasoline was banned, crime began to fall, which shows just how significant this gasoline really was.

Gordon Gora is a struggling author who is desperately trying to make it. He is working on several projects, but until he finishes one, he will write for for his bread and butter. You can write him at [email protected].

Many consumers take advantage of the foods often found at local grocery stores. We assume that they would never deliberately sell us toxic products. We also believe that commonly encountered ingredients could never be harmful.

The truth is that we eat many mainstream products in our daily lives that could lead to poisoning or even death. Here are 10 of these surprising foods and spices.

10 Cinnamon

Cinnamon comes in two forms: “regular” and “true.” Ceylon is “true” cinnamon, and cassia is the “regular” alternative sold by most grocers. Ceylon is often pricier, so most people are eating the cassia alternative. While cinnamon does have many benefits, it can also be a contributing factor to certain health issues.

For example, cassia cinnamon contains a compound called coumarin. Small doses are not harmful and may even produce health benefits. But studies on coumarin have shown that substantial intake may lead to an increase in the risk of cancer and other liver issues.^[1]

Substantial use over an extended period is the concern of most experts. Due to the elevated risk associated with high consumption, they recommend that cinnamon is best ingested in moderation, especially for those with liver problems.

Anyone with a liver condition should be very wary of cinnamon as it could worsen the situation. For individuals in this category, it may be wise to avoid this spice.

9 Mushrooms

Mushrooms are a delicacy that come in many shapes, forms, and sizes. Ranging from super cheap to ultra expensive, these little fungi are found in a multitude of dishes. Generally speaking, the fresher, the better—because no one wants to eat a slimy and moldy mushroom.

However, every once in a while, these tasty morsels may sit too long with broken plastic wrapping or get canned improperly. The result is no less than slimy mold on the skin and the bacteria botulinum.

Botulinum is found in the intestinal tracts of animals and can be left behind on fresh produce to grow under the perfect conditions. Moldy mushrooms may be an indicator of this deadly bacteria.

Botulinum is a neurotoxin that prevents the nervous system from reacting correctly. Also known as Botox, this toxin is often used in cosmetic procedures. While small doses and injections are not usually toxic, a large intake of improperly stored or canned mushrooms can lead to muscle paralysis and difficulty breathing.^[2]

8 Potatoes

Potatoes and a variety of other vegetables are members of the toxic nightshade family. Despite the deadly connection, these starchy vegetables are usually very safe to eat. Greening potatoes are another story, though.

We usually dismiss a greenish hue on potatoes as chlorophyll due to exposure. However, consumers should be wary. This coloring may also indicate signs of damage that could mean a rise in dangerous levels of a toxic glycoalkaloid called solanine.^[3]

In foods like potatoes, solanine content is rarely an issue. But if high levels of this toxin are ingested at once, it can be harmful to the body. For anyone who eats substantial amounts of these tainted buds or has sensitivities to nightshade family members, a reaction can cause everything from headaches to gastrointestinal problems.

As a result, it is wise to avoid green potatoes, especially in large quantities. Anyone thought to have allergies may also want to reconsider before including them in their diet.

To be on the safe side, be choosy when buying potatoes from the store and cut away any green parts. If an area still tastes bitter after peeling, it may be safest not to eat it.

7 Nutmeg

Nutmeg is a universal spice used in everything from sweets to curries. It is also often used in medicine around the world to treat nausea, diarrhea, and other stomach issues. In earlier years, it was even known as an anesthetic in dentistry. For anyone allergic to nutmeg, it is also an unpleasant hallucinogenic.

Nutmeg contains myristicin. Substantial doses and allergies make myristicin deadly when ingested. Overdoses of this toxin can contribute to many unpleasant side effects that are also known as acute nutmeg poisoning. The symptoms may include hallucinations, drowsiness, delirium, and even unconsciousness.^[4]

Nutmeg can create a “peyote-like” high, but the aftereffects are said to be very unpleasant. As a result, most people use nutmeg for its tasting qualities instead of as a recreational drug.

Anyone thought to be sensitive to nutmeg should ask about the ingredients in homemade products to ensure that there is no substantial use of the spice. This is especially relevant around the holiday season.

6 Alfalfa Sprouts

These tasty little greens are often added to salads, soups, and even burgers. For many nutritionists, alfalfa sprouts also make their lists of “superfoods.” However, eating them raw has raised a few health concerns.

For one thing, alfalfa sprouts are likely to become contaminated with E. coli. If the grower and the consumer take proper precautions, though, this shouldn’t be too much of an issue. Many store-bought veggies are just as likely to pose a similar risk. However, the most significant concern with alfalfa sprouts is that they contain a toxin called L-canavanine.

This nonprotein amino acid naturally occurs in many plant species to provide a defense against insects. But it also causes severe responses in autoimmune-compromised persons.^[5]

Studies on animals with autoimmune tendencies have shown that consuming vegetables containing L-canavanine caused an increase in conditional flare-ups. Some people have even found it to be a contributing factor to the development of specific diseases like lupus.

Specialists are still conducting studies in humans to nail down the exact connections between raw sprouts and autoimmune problems. For now, though, they recommend that anyone with a compromised immune system steer clear of these little sprouts.

5 Cassava

Cassava is another starchy vegetable not commonly seen in American kitchens. However, many people around the world use this strange root in their cooking.

People eat cassava in many different forms. Unfortunately, it contains a deadly toxin known as linamarin. Few individuals realize that cassava is fatal if improperly prepared.

Linamarin is like sugar in its makeup and structure. When cassava is ingested raw, the human body converts the linamarin to the deadly poison cyanide. Chemical companies use cyanide to create fertilizers, pesticides, and fumigants, and it has even been used as a potent chemical weapon.

When prepared correctly, the cyanide is no longer present in the cassava root. If it is not adequately cooked, a meal of cassava can turn into a story with an unfortunate ending.^[6]

For those preparing or trying cassava, know that it is a very healthy and filling food that is eaten regularly without issues around the world. Just remember that it can be deadly, too, so you should ensure that it is correctly prepared.

4 Mangoes

The mango plant is a part of a genus that belongs to the Anacardiaceae family. This family produces fruits called drupes, which are known for their fleshy outsides and stony insides. Blackberries, cashews, and mangoes are all in this category of tasty treats. Unfortunately, sumac and poison ivy are also members.

A few plants in the Anacardiaceae family produce a substance known as urushiol—the white, sticky substance that oozes from the mango rind. Allergies to urushiol are not an issue for the majority of the population, but anyone with a sensitivity to it will break out in a blister-like rash.

Many individuals only experience these problems, known as mango itch, when dealing with the skin of the fruit. By wearing gloves when peeling, these effects are easily avoidable. For those with a hypersensitivity, contact with the rind, leaves, and flesh can lead to rashes and even anaphylactic shock. If you experience symptoms of mango itch, avoid dealing with the skin and overeating this raw, tasty treat in the future.^[7]

3 Sweet Potatoes

This potato alternative isn’t actually a potato at all but a member of the bindweed or morning glory family. Many people enjoy this food as a traditional holiday favorite, and some prefer to eat it for its health benefits. Although sweet potatoes contain many vitamins and nutrients, consumers need to be wary of the potential health hazards from mold growth.

Due to many different storage and age factors, mold can grow on the skin of sweet potatoes. This specific mold can cause hepatotoxicity when ingested. The deadliness of sweet potato mold was mainly discovered due to cattle herds. In more than one reported case, details came in that the bovines were experiencing unknown respiratory issues. These issues were eventually traced back to moldy sweet potatoes.^[8]

This toxic fungal growth is also unsafe for human consumption. Although most people recognize moldy food and tend to throw it away, a piece or two may sometimes slip through the cracks. As this mold may cause hepatotoxicity, it is wise to check the skin of sweet potatoes thoroughly. Discard the tuber if there are any doubts about the state of the peel.

2 Red Kidney Beans

Many favor red kidney beans for their use in tacos, chili, soups, and more. With these beans found in most stores and rarely seen as harmful, few people realize that proper bean preparation is essential. Consuming raw kidney beans can be fatal.

Beans contain phytohaemagglutinin, a natural toxin found in many legumes. The amount of lectin found in these foods is not very toxic, but it is highest in raw red kidney beans. The USDA refers to this compound as kidney bean lectin.

Cooking and soaking breaks down this lectin, but it is still present if the legumes are undercooked. As little as a handful of undercooked beans can induce a reaction and cause food poisoning to occur.^[9]

To prevent issues, follow the cooking directions on the packaging. Soak beans overnight, and always cook for the recommended amount of time at the proper temperature.

1 Quail

Although quail isn’t commonly found on everyone’s dinner plate, many people still enjoy hunting for and eating this delicacy. Quail themselves do not present any potentially harmful issues. However, what may cause problems is precisely what these birds are eating.

Quail are small scavenging fowl that consume seeds, various grains, and random insects. During migration, they move across the country and add other varieties of foods to their diet—including hemlock.

Hemlock is a plant with a high toxicity level for most animals. Quail actually show resistance to the plant and appear to eat it without adverse effects. Unfortunately, humans do not share this trait. As a result, quail poisoning (aka coturnism) occurs when a person eats one or more of these tainted fowl.^[10]

Reports of coturnism have appeared throughout history but with very few linking attributions. Unfortunately, many quail connoisseurs don’t realize that they could be eating tainted meat. Suspected cases often report dinner guests as suffering from vomiting, muscle soreness, and pain. These symptoms associated with toxic quail are hard to pinpoint, but many experts have linked them to eating tainted birds.

Coturnism is a rarely seen phenomenon. It is familiar enough, though, that it should be recognized in the culinary community. If the tainted quail is eaten in small amounts, a person may experience nothing more than indigestion.

However, the unlucky few who consume too much of the fouled fowl can experience permanent damage to the nervous system and other parts of the body. In the worst-case scenario, coturnism can lead to coma and even death. As a result, experts warn us to be wary of quail in migration mode.

Sharon Seals has previously worked as a linguist, teacher, roofer, waiter, and tattoo artist. She now lives in the mountains and happily works as a freelance writer. She lives with her boyfriend and Schnoodle and specializes in travel, content, copywriting, and anything art related. Contact her on LinkedIn.

Wherever tragedies happen, urban legends settle.

Roads around the world are often the site of tragic accidents and death, then becoming the center of terrifying legends. In the city of Wildwood, St. Louis County, Missouri, lies Zombie Road, which stretches through a valley and ends near the Meramec River. Mostly unused since the 1950s, it became a popular hangout for teenagers who liked to party away from adult supervision. Zombie Road was also said to be the hunting ground for the “Zombie Killer”’ who stalked the place looking for young couples.
These days, however, ghost hunters like to stake out the road in the hopes that they will catch a glimpse of the ghost of the wife of a local judge who was hit by a train nearby and died in 1876.

On this list are some more of the creepiest roads around the world and the urban legends that made them famous.

Related: 10 Famous Urban Legends Come To Life

10 Pray or Die

The National Highway 33 or Ranchi-Jamshedpur NH33 in Jharkhand, India, looks like all the other highways in the country: busy. It runs from Arwal to Farakka and links Bihar and Bengal.

There is a temple to be found at each end of the expressway, and it is said that those who travel along the highway must stop and pray at both locations to avoid a fatal accident. Between 2010 and 2013, a total of 245 people died in accidents on the Ranchi-Jamshedpur NH33, leading to rumors that the highway is cursed.

Many drivers have also reported seeing the apparition of a tall lady in a white saree “patrolling” the road.^[1]

9 Eerie Mountain Pass

South Africa has its fair share of haunted roads, with the most infamous being the N9 national route which passes through Uniondale, where you might just find the ghost of Maria Roux attempting to solicit a lift from you.

The well-known Swartberg Pass in the Karoo links the towns of Prince Albert and Oudtshoorn and was built by hundreds of convicts in the late 1800s. Thirty of them died during a snowstorm, and it is said that as you drive past the spot of the tragedy, you will feel the temperature drop by several degrees—even in the middle of summer.

At another spot on the mountain pass, a guard who accidentally shot himself still hangs around in plain sight. And when the wind blows a certain way, the plaintive cries of a family who died in a blizzard can be heard in the distance.^[2]

8 The Street With No Name

In Annandale, New South Wales, Australia, a narrow street that runs parallel with a rail viaduct has earned itself the moniker of “The Street With No Name.”

The bodies of murdered people, reportedly including six children, have been dumped here, which has led to an urban legend that says those who happen to find themselves on this street will likely experience fear, anxiety, and a sense of doom or foreboding. Too many of the murders have not been solved, which just adds to the air of desperation. It is also said that children and animals behave strangely whenever they are in the vicinity and that late-night visitors have heard disembodied footsteps, whispers, and
unexplained noises.

Those who believe in the presence of ghosts, are convinced that the souls of the murdered children cannot rest and are forever stuck in what is also called an “evil street.”^[3]

7 Werewolves of the B1249

A survey in 2020 revealed that one out of seven Brits has seen things of the paranormal variety while driving. It’s not surprising, really, as the UK is known for multiple haunted roads, including the A229 with its “Blue Bell Hill Bride” and the A696 where the spirit of a dead RAF officer lingers.

Until the 15th century, wolves were plentiful in the farmland of the East Riding of Yorkshire, which is believed to be why there are so many werewolf sightings on the B1249 between Driffield and Staxton Hill. A truck driver was traveling along this road in the 1960s when a hairy creature with glowing red eyes tried to smash through his windscreen. The incident was detailed by the author, Charles Christian.^[4]

In 2016, a young woman reported seeing a “dog bigger than her car, but with a human face” while driving along the road.

6 Don’t Look Back

The Karak Highway in Malaysia is dangerous in more than one way. It is prone to fatal accidents and is also the site where a horrifying creature is said to roam. The creature legend hails from a story about a couple whose car broke down on this highway. The husband got out of the vehicle to try and find help, and while he was gone, his wife fell asleep. She awoke to the loud sound of something banging on the roof of the car. Too scared to get out, she stayed put while the sound got louder and louder. Finally, just as she couldn’t take it anymore and was about to flee the vehicle, a police car pulled up. An officer approached her, telling her to exit the car via the driver’s side and walk toward him. As she did so, the officer told her to not look back.

She couldn’t resist, however, and as she peered over her shoulder, she saw a huge creature on top of the car gripping her husband’s head between its claws and banging it against the roof.^[5]

On the Karak Highway, there have also been sightings of a driverless yellow VW Beetle that overtakes other cars but then drives in reverse while staying in front and scaring the pants off motorists.

5 Ghost Road

Scotland is no stranger to spooky and fantastical tales. Not only are there creepy roads, but you will find hell hounds, loch monsters, and spectral beings that haunt traditional bridges and overpasses.

The most haunted road in Scotland is said to be the A75 Kinmount Straight. It is on this road that brothers Derek and Norman Ferguson were driving when they saw a hen flying straight toward their windscreen. Then followed cats, dogs, and other animals. All the animals disappeared on impact with the windscreen.

Truck drivers have had eerie experiences on the A75 as well, with one quitting his job after waking up one night to see an endless stream of apparitions passing by his truck. Motorists have also reported knocking people over who suddenly appear before them in the road, only for them to vanish after the shaken-up driver gets out of the car to help.^[6]

4 Mount Misery and Sweet Hollow

Mount Misery and Sweet Hollow roads run parallel on Long Island. Also known as No Man’s Land, driving down either of these roads might see you running into a group of ghostly teenagers who followed through with a suicide pact years ago.

Motorists have reported seeing the ghost of a child, who’d been killed in a hit and run, sitting on the overpass, as well as a policeman missing half of his head. Some have seen a man holding a basket containing severed heads. Another legend has it that a mental asylum once stood on Mount Misery Road and was burned down by a female patient. She also died in the fire and now wanders the road at night, still wearing her hospital gown.^[7]

3 The Dark Side of Paradise

The half-faced girl of the Old Pali Road and the screaming ghost of Morgan’s Corner in Hawaii are just two of the creepy stories surrounding the roads here.

There is also the woman who died in a car crash on Palani Road in the 1950s after catching her husband with another woman. To this day, there are rumors of her spirit standing in the middle of the road, causing drivers to crash as they try to swerve around her.

While building the H-1 Highway in Oahu, construction workers unearthed the bones of ancient Hawaiians. This discovery came after several of the workers claimed to have seen the ghosts of Hawaiian warriors. This resulted in the highway taking seven years to complete because it became impossible to find people to keep working on the project.^[8]

2 The Spooky Roads of Thailand

Thailand has many haunted roads to choose from should you be in the mood for ghost-hunting. First, there is the spirited Tha Chaom-Nong Chang Road, where headless ghosts and a playful female apparition with a penchant for sticking out her tongue roams.

A two-lane road in Thonburi, Bangkok, called Chak Phra Road, is the site of a creepy legend about a husband who killed his pregnant wife. It is said that her spirit still cannot rest, and she haunts the road, hanging out in front of the Wat Taling Chan temple. Many taxi drivers refuse to use the road at night out of fear that they will encounter her ghost.^[9]

1 Ghosts around every turn

Route 66 was one of the original highways in the U.S. Highway System. It was decertified in 1985, but some segments of it can still be traveled as part of the designated “Historic Route.”

Along with the various tourist attractions that Route 66 has to offer, ghosts lurk around just about every turn in the road. The Missouri part of the route is known for the specters that haunt the Bethlehem Cemetery and the Bloody Hill Ghosts at Wilson Creek. In Oklahoma, apparitions float around in the Tulsa Little Theatre and the Gilcrease Museum.

In Arizona, visitors can take a break from their road trip to do some sightseeing at the Navajo County courthouse, which is haunted by the only man ever hanged there. And in California, there is the haunted Georgian hotel to explore and the cheerfully named Suicide Bridge.^[10]

Countless subjects of “alien” abductions have been regularly reported to organizations like the Mutual UFO Network (MUFON) since their beginnings in 1969. However, according to the Pentagon’s Preliminary Unidentified Aerial Phenomenon Assessment delivered to Congress in June 2021, “Limited data and inconsistency in reporting are key challenges to evaluating UAP. No standardized reporting mechanism existed until the Navy established one in March 2019.”. So, what does this mean?

A Gallup poll followed the Pentagon report in July 2021. It recorded 41% of Americans have seen unidentifiable aircraft, 50% consider rational explanations like human activity, while 9% have no opinion whatsoever (Link 3). These purported military abductions (referred to as MILABs) came out in 1996 when Austrian MUFON rep. Dr. Helmut Lammer Ph.D., published, Preliminary Findings of Project MILAB: Evidence for Military Kidnappings of Alleged UFO Abductees. Elaborating further, here is a list of 10 alien abductions that could have been the military.

Related: Top 10 Ways Aliens Have Appeared Through The Ages

10 Leah Haley

In 1990, Leah Haley remembered an alien abduction. She recalls her experience as if it were a dream, later seeking hypnosis. Born in 1951 in Decatur, Alabama, Haley had a career as a certified business administrator and author, whose 1993 book Lost Was the Key put her on the map of the UFO community. Her original claims were that extraterrestrials were the culprits. However, it took years to even fathom the idea of military involvement.

Through select Freedom of Information Act, U.S. Patent Office documents, and interviews with abductees in subsequent years, Haley believed she was not chosen at random. She has endured an abduction with her sister and been offered jobs randomly by total strangers for positions at nearby military bases, even recognizing fellow abductees in her conscious life.^[1]

9 Col. John Alexander, Ph.D.

“It is clear that MUFON has…become the champion of unsubstantiated, barely tangentially related nonsense” said Col. John Alexander in response to assertions made by an Austrian MUFON representative, Dr. Helmut Lammer, whose suspicions about military kidnappings of alien abductees was published in a series of 1996 MUFON journals. “The list of involved personnel goes on and on…since military personnel rotate on a frequent basis, there would have to be thousands… Where are they?” refutes Col. Alexander to whistleblower testimony on MILABs.

Not an abductee, Alexander is an author academically respected in the UFO community. He ascended through the ranks of the U.S. Army beginning in 1956 before retiring in 1988 after holding key positions in special operations intelligence. Purportedly, Alexander was a member of an elite group of high-ranking individuals using privileged knowledge to manipulate information related to UFOs across the globe. Collectively, they gave themselves aviary code names and infiltrated other occult government groups such as MJ-12. Code name: John “Penguin” Alexander. ^[2]

8 Dr. Karla Turner

Dr. Karla Turner was an academic and professional educator but gave it all up to focus on alien abduction research when she and her family regressed unsettling memories. Since her 1996 passing from an aggressive and rare form of breast cancer discovered only after her encounters were made public, Turner’s published works describe her family’s firsthand encounters. They also suggest that you, the abducted, are a targeted individual and not chosen at random.

Turner was convinced the military targeted abductees in response to the reports people had made. In Turner’s second book, Taken, she discusses the idea that some prominent abduction theorists state should be avoided—don’t think of aliens as good and evil. Turner claims, “this cannot be done, nor should it be.” She continues that those who have been abducted have the right to know how their “participation” will be used by their abductors. Under what circumstances and what reason will the abducted be “made a part of this agenda” since they have been “implanted, trained, and programmed to participate in some future scenario.” Don’t abductees have the right to know for what purpose “our minds, bodies, and souls will be used?”^[3]

7 Melinda Leslie

A woman with psychic insight who does energy work and conducts vortex and UFO tours, Melinda Leslie has been very transparent about her own alien encounters. In the early 1990s, Leslie and two friends went independently under hypnotherapy after they discovered missing time during a road trip in California. Each remembered similar experiences, including being examined by aliens with someone dressed in what looked like a naval uniform working side by side with extraterrestrials. Leslie said the military personnel “wasn’t another abductee, he was just there, watching…”

Leslie’s testimony alleges black projects are only feasible if classified into above-top-secret special access programs. Is it possible that the Robertson Panel (1953)—a collaboration between Howard Percy Robertson, a mathematical physics professor, and the CIA’s Office of Scientific Intelligence set the tone for intelligence protocols today? Melinda Leslie, like so many others, attempts to pull their experiences into the light, hoping that more testimony can pave the way toward full government disclosure.^[4]

6 Myrna Hansen

1980. Cimarron, New Mexico. Myrna Hansen and her then six-year-old son Shawn approached a pasture on route home from Oklahoma. It was nighttime when they witnessed a beam drag cows up into the air (Link 1). Within seconds, Myrna claimed that a small craft had seemingly become aware of their presence, ultimately abducting Hansen and her young son.

Immediately following the Hansens’ experience, Myrna was referred to an Albuquerque MUFON researcher, Paul Bennewitz. Enlisting the help of hypnotherapist Leo Sprinkle, they would go on to regress Hansen. She and her son were taken to a deep underground military base. Her precise description of the location attracted the attention of members from the Air Force Office of Special Investigations, who have allegedly monitored Myrna and Shawn since that time.^[5]

5 Linda Napolitano (aka Linda Cortile)

The story describes Linda suddenly awake above her bed to see strange figures in the process of levitation. Once on board a craft, she was subject to medical analysis and alien experimentation by different beings, some human in appearance. As her account later gained attention, two men came forward as “witnesses” who ultimately went on to kidnap and interrogate her multiple times, leading Napolitano to believe it was a cover-up.

Linda’s recollection of events, like many before and after her, had deployed critics. In subsequent years since her experiences, medical professionals associated with the case have found that she is of sound mind. Walter H. Andrus, founder and then director of MUFON, considered Napolitano’s story as, “definitely authentic case of human abductions by aliens.”^[6]

4 Betty & Barney Hill

Betty and Barney Hill were not an ordinary couple for the time—interracial, yet both respected in their community as rights activists. In September 1961, the Hills were driving home through remote New Hampshire when Barney became acutely aware that a light was trailing their every movement. When they finally arrived home, the couple felt there was some missing time. Their case is one of the first highly publicized alien abductions in modern history. To this day, a lengthy measure of evidence in this case exists and cannot easily be refuted. Just before events took place, the couple pulled the car over to determine what was stationary above them.

When Betty & Barney finally underwent hypnosis, the initial recorded sessions (which are widely available today for free) reveal when Barney first peered through binoculars, he “could almost feel this figure’s intense concentration to carry out a plan—to capture the witness.” Barney recalls “a red-headed Irishmen” and what “looks like a German Nazi” during regression (Link 3). Once on board the craft, the Hills were subjects of separate analysis. Consequently, Barney’s faith and humanity had been irreversibly shaken while Betty embraced her curiosities after a being displayed a distant star map of where they had come from.^[7]

3 Katharina Wilson

A lifetime of abduction experiences stretching back to when she was just a child, Katharina Wilson believes black operations are more common than we think. “I have to admit that I do not understand why I am remembering these scenarios, or abductions or whatever we choose to call them. I have even wondered if someone may be ‘importing’ these events or memories into my consciousness through a mechanism.” Wilson thinks that as each new year passes, another whistleblower comes forward.

Untrained ears would assume her firsthand accounts are frightfully imaginative works of fiction. Deep-sea submersible experiences, surfacing and being transferred to U.S. Navy vessels, behavior modification trials like those of MK-ULTRA. Anyone caught by UFOlogy’s gravity has heard of the likeliness of alien abductions persisting throughout the generations of family members. Moreover, one thing is for certain, Wilson believes that what abductees are revealing only scratches the surface of remote viewing and “screen memories.”^[8]

2 Niara Isley

Previously registered as an airman in the U.S. Air Force, Niara Isley’s efforts to shine a light on ETs have revealed yet another layer of what she calls “shadow government.” Isley has been on a spiritual journey for most of her life, but once she had discovered a missing three-month chunk of time in 1980, she sought hypnosis. “What I discovered was staggering and life-altering, turning life upside down for me for a good many years.”

While employed with the government, Isley worked with radar technology and provided research and development support near the Tonopah Test Range, 30 miles southeast of Tonopah, NV. Over time she has revealed being held against her will on the moon in a joint “Reptilian-Gray-Human secret base.” “I was scared. I knew I had to get back to my daughter, so I was pretty compliant. I just didn’t want to do anything that would get me killed.”^[9]

1 Corey Goode

Recognized at a young age as possessing empathic abilities, Corey Goode was trained to fill support roles and several other militarized black operations (Intruder Intercept Interrogation Program, Auxiliary Specialized Space Research, etc.) starting in the mid-to-late-1980s when he was just six years old. It was a 20-year post in various secret space programs, after which he would undergo age regression and return to his original timeline. However, recalled on multiple occasions, Goode has persistently maintained that his experiences of direct physical contact with non-terrestrial beings are very real and that he was chosen as an acting liaison between multiple ET federations and councils.

Although on the flip side of every coin lies additional context. Particularly when you are considered a compromised individual by the UFO community at large. A society of like thinkers with open minds that do not typically earn money for their lectures and appearances, Goode was earning tens of thousands of dollars in speaking fees. He first captured audiences around the world on David Wilcock’s Gaia program, Cosmic Disclosure. Which must have opened old wounds because it was revealed that he actively doxed any and all opponents. What made a real stink of things, however, was when Gaia proposed in dueling lawsuits that Wilcock’s decision to leave the network was wholly fabricated by Goode love-bombing him with the promise to one day join the “alliance” and put to rest any Luciferian doubts.^[10]