Written and Contributed by Zachary Blake
 

 
 
 
 
 
Grey aliens, also known as Zeta Reticulans, Grays, or simply Greys, are by far the most commonly reported species involved in UFOlogical cases. Named for the coloration of their skin, these sapient humanoids have gathered fame and attention from researchers thanks to such infamous incidents as the Roswell UFO crash of 1947 and the Barney and Betty Hill abduction case in 1961. Their image has found its way into popular imagination and mass media to represent the archetypal, flying saucer-using, memory-erasing alien visitor who abducts subjects to study them.

In actual Fortean theories, the relationship between Greys and other races, such as Reptoids, is usually more complex, although it is frequently believed that the Greys themselves might be both reptilian and genetically-engineered in origin, and that they are employed, or in some sources explicitly enslaved,  to act as a researching workforce and do the other race's bidding. Conversely, alternate ideas abound, including some picturing the Greys as benevolent, time-traveling descendants of Humans whose main purpose is to monitor and guide the development of their ancestors.

In the majority of cases, the Greys have been consistently described as short, thin humanoids with grey and hairless skin and a conspicuously large cranium. Their eyes are large, black and almond-shaped, and their facial features are restricted to a pair of small slits in the place of the nose, and a small mouth. Their fingers are usually long and dexterous. Their bodies are proportionally small, and they don't appear to have genitals, which is noticeable due to the fact that they don't wear clothing. In some cases, they have been reported as capable of telepathy.
The body of Greys is more or less considered a vessel for higher dimensional beings to act in a lower density environment like the Earth. An Is-Be in a Grey body can leave or invade this vessel according to their will much like an avatar. It is mostly designed to be a tool for example to steer spaceships, like an interface between an Is-Be and a machine.  An Is-Be can control none, one or even more Grey vessels at the same moment.

There are a couple of different alien races who use Grey bodies to focus energy in lower densities.

In the early sixties, The Outer Limits presented the episode "The Bellero Shield" revealing a greyish type alien that may have been the inspiration for what Barney and Betty Hill thought they saw during their alleged abduction experience. The aliens that Betty and Barney Hill described, while under hypnosis, looked remarkably like the grey creature in "The Bellero Shield".  Although the actual abduction predates the episode by three years, the hypnosis section that led them to remember the alien's appearance did take place just a few days after its airing. Since the Barney and Betty Hill case, Greys have most often been associated with alien abductions, a trope that is often repeated in science fiction films and novels.

According to the book Alien Races, by Dante Santori and Petro, the Greys are called the Solipsi Rai, a two billion year old race from the constellation Cygnus and is led by a prominent leader named Ymartyyn. The Greys are often confused with other races, such as the Maitre and the Zeta Reticulai (the actual abductors of Betty and Barney Hill), due to similar appearances. The Solipsi Rai, are a peaceful and harmless race that have no colonies and focus more on the development of other planets and races. However, they do have one powerful weapon to protect themselves from invaders and is capable of destroying entire ships. One of their ships is responsible for the Roswell incident on July 7, 1947. They have also stated that the Human race still has 645 options for the future of their planet, with the correct options depending on their ability to develop space travel.


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