This research paper traces the history and evolution of the UFO Contact Movement from the 1950s to the present. It explains how prevailing beliefs and narratives within the movement have changed over time.

Key aspects covered in the research include:

• The origin of the term "flying saucer" following Kenneth Arnold's 1947 sighting and the shift towards considering UFOs as extraterrestrial in origin.
• The era of "contactées" in the 1950s, like George Adamski, who claimed friendly, extended encounters with human-like alien beings and often espoused philosophical or religious messages.
• The shift in the late 1960s to the frightening "abduction" phenomenon, where people claimed to be kidnapped by inhuman alien creatures and subjected to physical examinations. The Betty and Barney Hill case is presented as a prototype for these accounts, notably involving "missing time" and recovered memories through hypnosis.
• The research highlights the move towards a consensus on the appearance of aliens within the American UFO community, particularly focusing on the "Grey" stereotype, a small being with a large head and large eyes.
• It discusses the influence of researchers like Budd Hopkins, who popularised the idea that abductions involved multiple encounters throughout a person's life and were part of an extraterrestrial breeding experiment to create hybrid children.
• Finally, the paper notes a recent split in the movement, with some individuals now reporting positive, spiritual encounters and referring to themselves as "experiencers," contrasting with those who view the Greys as negative or evil manipulators.

Overall, the research views the UFO subculture as a rapidly evolving, pop-culture-inspired group.