Encounters with the Unknown—Alternate Perceptions Magazine, August 2024
A Remarkable Observation of jelly-like Entities in Wales
by: Brent Raynes
Back on Tuesday, July 22, 1975, a young boy simply identified by investigators as "Trevor P" from Hutton located within the borough of Brentwood in Essex, England, was with his family on vacation in the Cambrian Mountains of Wales, in the area of Vale, near Machynlleth in Powys, previously Montgomeryshire, where he claimed to have had a very bizarre experience. While Trevor's parents went to view a cottage nearby, the young boy, described as a loner, set off to take a stroll when he came upon a hill. About 250 feet tall, he was up near the top of the hill when, around 5 p.m., he observed something very peculiar not more than 50 feet away on the ground. This something was a transparent hemispherical dome type structure situated atop a circular base, resembling a "paddling pool." The base was approximately 40 feet in diameter, 7 to 8 feet high, with seven large circular bright lights estimated at 5 feet in diameter. The lights each consisted of a color not recognized by the young witness.
Inside the transparent hemisphere he observed two strange "entities" that resembled "massive pieces of jelly," that were irregular in shape, were about 7 feet tall and 7 feet wide, and were of a translucent whitish color, inside of which there were like hundreds of white discs, that were compared to English-style "doughnuts" (estimated at 6 inches in diameter). The surface of the jelly like forms appeared to be smooth, and though the forms changed shape, the masses appeared to remain constant. Inside the dome was a "big metal" looking structure about 15 feet long and 7 feet tall at its highest point, and the two "entities" were positioned around it, one in front of it and the other half obscured behind it. The structure looked silver in color, but no discernible markings, switches, or knobs were visible.
Soon upon seeing this strange sight, Trevor had taken up a position behind a boulder as he didn't feel comfortable observing this thing out in the open. Though frightened, his curiosity was stronger. But then he noticed on the extreme right side of the base something like a "hatch" or "panel" had opened up and the being in full view began "floating" toward the opening. Realizing what was happening, the young man hastily retreated down the hill where upon reaching the bottom he met his father, said something to him (forgot later what it was), and then scurried back up the hill (for no apparent reason), again taking up a position to continue to observe the strange craft. At that point, the entity was back inside and the "hatch" (or whatever it was) was closed once again. Trevor noticed an unusual constant sound that he compared to "a car 'reviving' up but quieter."
It was at this point that an approximately 5-foot-wide light located at the central apex of the hemisphere's dome, along with "the large circular disc of light on the object's side," began to simultaneously flash, displaying the colors of the surrounding landscape, eventually to where the display was nearly enveloping the entire object and soon was blending into the natural background, much like a chameleon like effect it seemed. "Evidently the lights did not take on the shape or forms of the natural objects, but just their colors," Andrew Collins wrote in his report for England’s Flying Saucer Review (Vol. 24, No. 4, 1979). "Trevor had incredible problems trying to explain this process, and had no idea how really to express what actually happened. Nor had he had any idea regarding what happened to the objects inside the craft, and it seems that they too were enveloped in the strange light process."
Eventually the object became completely invisible, at which point Trevor rushed back down the hillside, tripping and falling at his father's feet. His dad would later recall how his son seemed "really petrified," though he claimed that the first time his son came down the hill he calmly told him, "You won't believe me - come on," whereupon his son ran back up the hill.
Trevor had also exclaimed, "A jelly man got out of it." This time father and son went up the hill together reaching the location of the strange observation described by Trevor. However, at that point, nothing really unusual seemed to be there. As a result, the family concluded that while something may have happened, it must have largely been a figment of his imagination or an overdramatized misinterpretation of something natural that he had encountered. At the site the father had mentioned how the wind passing through the grass had made an unusual noise, but he saw no sign of the mysterious object or entities claimed to have been there earlier by Trevor.
Afterwards the family holiday continued as if everything was back to normal. Trevor seemed okay. It was time to forget it and move on. But then just the day after the event, Trevor lost the use of his vocal cords. A local doctor decided it was due to tonsilitis, as his brother complained of a sore throat. But then three weeks after the experience Trevor suffered blindness in his left eye, which continued for some time. Furthermore, at this time, young Trevor complained of a thumping noise in his head and was unable to sleep for any length of time for more than six weeks. The family consulted a psychiatrist who when told of the experience in Wales felt that the effects were psychosomatic and possibly brought on by what he felt he had witnessed.
"Unfortunately, the effects worsened, with the blindness changing from the left to the right eye, then back again," Andrew Collins wrote. "Then the unfortunate lad became totally blind, but after that the condition cleared. Trevor's psychological make-up also changed considerably: whereas before the experience, he was a quiet, introverted boy, he now became short tempered, aggressive and argumentative. As a result, he has formidable problems at school, both because he had missed so much schooling since 1975, and because he cannot get on with the other children. The eye disorder was still present when we saw him, and at present (June 1978) he still visits a psychiatrist."
Andrew and parapsychologist and parapsychologist Graham Phillips and one Barry King interviewed Trevor and his parents at their home on March 29, 1978. The case came to their attention shortly before after British UFOlogist and author Jenny Randles had received a letter from the boy.
Continuing Andrew wrote: "Trevor does not suffer from hallucinations and has an unimaginative mind. He is not psychic in any way, and neither are his parents. No paranormal-type experience or incidents have been noted either. No psychological symptoms which invariably are noted with subjects of close encounters were in evidence at all with Trevor." "Trevor is totally ignorant of all aspects of the UFO phenomenon, which is a relevant point when assessing the reality of his encounter. The description of the object involved is not entirely new to us.... The entities are the oddest of features as also are the 'indescribable' colors, and the manner of disappearance. Similar non-human type forms have been reported before, although not with the shape changing and the exact description of the translucent appearance, and the 'doughnut' shaped objects. ....Many UFO close encounters seem to be staged events, physical in reality, or seemingly physical to the percipient, and some being staged for their benefit. In the case of Trevor P. it is difficult to decide whether he chanced on the activity, or whether the activity was staged. I suspect the former. Whichever it was, the effects resulting from the experience are sad, although possible with a considerable number of close encounter witnesses. The viewing of such a thing can be a terrifying experience, which leaves the subject in a state of shock and leads to psychosomatic effects. Mind acceptance of the phenomena we term 'UFOs' is something that varies with each person. Unfortunately, Trevor P. suffered badly."
Editor's Note: This article is based upon a report by noted author and researcher Andrew Collins that appeared in England's Flying Saucer Review, Vol. 24, No. 4, 1979. As I was preparing this feature, I wrote to Andrew for comment and any further insights or information he might like to share on this intriguing case from decades ago now. He replied: "This was before the days when the grey archetype was set in stone and occupants of strange, structured craft could take any form. A truly astonishing case. But only one lone witness, which means the whole thing could have been a fantasy. The psychological report done at the time suggested otherwise and said the encounter deeply affected the child. Another thing to note is that the object was only seen on the ground and its appearance was almost translucent at times, just like the famous Bob Taylor case from Livingston in Scotland from 1979, which I also investigated." Below are some links on the Taylor case. The third one down is an excellent video dealing with this case, showing Taylor telling his story, along with testimony from his wife and others, along with photographs and recreations of his dramatic and terrifying encounter.
https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-scotland-50262655
https://www.ufocasebook.com/taylor1979.html
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GaH2ZyU9-_k
