Only medical hypnosis is capable of opening up amnesia.

Hear, O seeker of hidden truths, the words of Betty Hill, who declared: “Only medical hypnosis is capable of opening up amnesia.” This utterance is no idle saying, but a key to the labyrinth of memory, where shadows dwell and silence reigns. The ancients have long understood that within man’s heart and mind, there are chambers sealed by fear, by pain, by mystery. To open them is no small task, for ordinary reason falters at the threshold of forgotten experience. It is through hypnosis, that deep descent into the soul’s underworld, that these sealed doors may at last be unbarred.

Consider the weight of amnesia, that veil cast over memory. Sometimes it is the body’s shield, a guardian that hides from the mind what would wound it beyond bearing. In wars of old, soldiers returned from battle unable to recall the fields where they had fought, for memory itself had buried the horror deep beneath the soil of consciousness. Yet when the soul seeks healing, when truth longs to be spoken, there must be a guide—a healer who dares to lead the sufferer down into the abyss of the forgotten. This guide is the hypnotist, wielding no blade, no flame, but the gentle power of word and suggestion.

Such was the path walked by Betty and Barney Hill themselves, whose encounter with the unknown in the dark night of New Hampshire’s hills left them troubled and broken. Ordinary memory failed them; terror had sealed the gates. Yet under medical hypnosis, the veils parted, and visions emerged—visions of beings not of this Earth, and of journeys their waking minds could not grasp. Whatever one believes of their tale, the truth remains: hypnosis became the bridge across the chasm of amnesia, carrying fragments of memory back into the light of day.

History too bears witness to the power of such unlocking. Recall the case of Anna O., in the days of Freud and Breuer, when hidden memories of grief and trauma lay bound within her. Through a trance-like state, her silenced remembrances found words, and in their telling she was unburdened. The ancients would have called this the exorcism of shadows; the moderns call it psychotherapy. But beneath both lies the same eternal truth: what is buried must one day be unearthed, or else it shall gnaw at the roots of the soul.

Let us not mistake, however, that all hidden things should be hastily brought forth. The guardians of memory know their duty. Just as a warrior shields the wounded in the heat of battle, so does amnesia shield the fragile spirit. But when strength has returned, when the heart is ready, then—and only then—must the healer guide the descent. Thus the wisdom of the quote is not in hypnosis alone, but in the sacred timing of revelation. To force the doors too soon is folly; to open them gently, with care, is salvation.

What, then, is the lesson for us, who walk not under hypnosis, but under the burdens of daily life? It is this: do not flee from the shadows within you. When pain lies buried, when memory is sealed, seek not to deny it forever. Find the wise healer, the trusted friend, the sacred practice that will help you descend into yourself. Whether through meditation, journaling, prayer, or the skilled guidance of therapy, dare to reclaim the parts of you that lie forgotten.

In your own life, take action. If you feel the presence of wounds you cannot name, do not simply let them fester. Seek out those practices that allow the soul to speak when the mind cannot—whether it be writing your secret truths, speaking aloud to the empty air, or entrusting them to the care of a skilled counselor. For in unveiling what was once hidden, you reclaim power over yourself. And in so doing, you restore the wholeness that amnesia once divided.

Thus, remember always the wisdom of Betty Hill’s words. Only medical hypnosis is capable of opening up amnesia—but beyond hypnosis lies a universal truth: all veils may one day be lifted, all shadows may one day be faced. Walk bravely into the chambers of your own hidden self, for only by opening the sealed doors within can you step into the light of healing and truth.