Experiencers: The Spectrum of Encounters from Close Encounters to the Paranormal

To the point

An experiencer is someone who claims direct contact with extraterrestrial or other unexplained phenomena, from sightings to abductions, and may be called a contactee or abductee; researchers like John E. Mack and J. Allen Hynek have mapped these experiences with scales such as Close Encounters, and cases like Betty and Barney Hill and Travis Walton shaped public discussion, while the term also covers encounters with ghosts, spirits, or cryptids.