When Whitley Strieber had his cabin in upstate New York, he often had groups of friends up to see if it would be possible for them to encounter the visitors. On many occassions, extraordinary events took place.

One such event occurred in the Autumn of 1988. The Striebers’ friends Raven Dana and Lorie Barnes had been staying at the cabin, and were awakened in the middle of the night, confronted by the physical presence of the visitors. The events are described in Strieber’s book Breakthrough, and are the subject of a Dreamland special. (This special is not in our archive, which was started in 2004. It is from prior to that date.)

Click on each image to view an enlargement.

This is the cabin where Whitley Strieber experienced the December 26, 1985 close encounter that led to the writing of Communion and the long series of encounters and interactions with unknown beings that resulted in the further books Transformation and Breakthrough. The cabin is near Kingston, New York, and is situated in an area where there is a great deal of underground iron.

It was from this bed that Whitley was taken at approximately three in the morning of the 26th. He has never been certain what happened, except that the experience was far more vivid than any dream.

This circle of stones was built at the spot where Whitley’s encounters first started. The circle of stones were later moved, due to vandalism.

This is the living room. In Transformation, Whitley related that he had taken one of his cats with him during an encounter situation, “for a reality test.” He took the cat from the back of this couch.

The ‘cabin group’ having dinner together. Raven Dana, Lorie Barnes and a number of others are present. Most of these people were friends of Whitley and Anne’s before the Communion experience. Many of the people at that table had close encounters at the cabin.

This is Raven Dana the morning after her encounter at the cabin. Her eyes are still swollen from her allergic reaction.

Raven is writing an account of her experience.

Lorie Barnes on the morning after her encounter.

20 Comments

  1. I’ve often wondered if these experiences had more to do with Whitley’s “boy in the box” early gifted school experiments than actual Alien Encounters. Some amazing stuff came out of those government sponsored gifted programs in Texas. Food for thought.

    1. Yes I’ve always wondered the same. I notice people who have encounters usually have military connections some where in the family. Also wondered the connection between military and exorcism. The possession case in the 50s all furniture was moved by movers to a military base. Just a thought.

    2. Could you give me more information regarding such programs in Texas, or where I can research this? I am from Texas originally, and have reason to wonder about a connection to this. Thank you!

      1. My dad was military and then worked with nuclear cleanup, and I was in a “gifted program” in the 90s… Interesting.

  2. Both of my parents were enlisted Air Force, my grandfather on my mother’s side was an Army Major and my uncle on my father’s side worked in the Pentagon for at least 25 years. So yes, there is a military connection.

    1. Indeed I come from a long line of military USAF & the former air corps… In fact we have had experiences living off base or in base housing the world over…

  3. I see the reference above to iron ore. This goes to my question about why is it that some places seem to draw repeated activity like this. I am trying to understand what it is about the rocks. I always have collected rocks and I’m just really curious what it is about the rocks of an area that could trigger or draw all the phenomena or activities??????

  4. Author

    The cabin was above the same seam of iron that the iron Mountain storage facility is drilled into in Woodstock New York. South of the cabin there is a road called magnetic mine Road from which magnetized iron was taken years ago. To this day people sometimes see orbs in the evenings along magnetic mine Road.

    Another type of rock that seems to attract this activity is lime stone. There may be others as well, but those of the two I personally know about.

    1. Mr. Strieber, it sounds like this is therefore near Panther Mountain in Phoenicia, New York where the Menla Buddhist sanctuary is located. The valley where Menla is located was purportedly created by a meteor crash. I was visiting Menla one time for a conference on death and dying, and I ruptured a tendon in my foot. During the subsequent MRI, the radiologist found a small piece of metal located in my foot. (?) However, I do not have any memory of any encounters, although there are other strange occurrences in my life. I am also originally from Texas, and am going to research the military connection mentioned above. It looks like I am just starting down a long road of research!

      1. Author

        It’s in the same general area, yes. We lost the cabin in the 1997 and the owners prefer that its exact location not be revealed.

        The military connection is very profound. My father’s brother was in the Air Force and involved in the Roswell Incident. I cannot be sure, but I have reason to believe that my dad did intelligence work in some way.

        When military people become involved, the visitors often follow their family lines and end up with their children, as happened to me.

  5. Mr.Whitley S.,
    Has anyone inquired if the current owners of the cabin would sell? Has the current owner shared any experiences they have had with the property?
    It should be turned into an experiencial think-tank, with you as owner, once again.
    Meditating and holding the thought that one day, you will be able to return to your home in the woods. If that is even your desire. Perhaps that is behind you now.
    Kate D.

  6. Author

    I would dearly love to get the cabin back and do just that with it! But I don’t have anything close to the money needed, even in the event that the current owner would sell.

    He wrote me once inviting me to the cabin. I did not go. It would have been too painful.

    1. Greetings, sorry to bother you, but in 1991 / 1992, i moved from nyc / to kingston to a cabin in KRUMVILLE, off a winding deserted forest road, to a cabin on someones property. I have never spoken about my experience in that cabin one night.. as i don’t have a memory but i know what occurred before. This was in KRUMVILLE.. oddly enough i don’t remember my address.. nor the people who rented the cabin to me. i only realized this could have been very close to where you were? i’m 50 something and looking for a hypnotist. i’m an artist, new yorker living in germany / europe now.. but i had some experience .. and even though i’m a spiritual seeker, working on evolving, and moving higher in my consciousness, cultivating kindness, i have no one to communicate to … and wondering if you have a recommendation.. again, maybe NOTHING occurred.. but it is a blackout. I wonder if this was the same area.. either way grateful for you and your work… dont’ feel so isolated in this crazy time… we do need divine beings / no matter off planetary or on… we need the mercy and grace we need forgiveness and we need a gentle heart.. thanks again for everything.. kk

  7. Thank you for the pictures. I have read all of your books as they came out and have read Communion two or three times. It’s nice to see where things happened.

  9. Author

    The loss of our place was a great personal tragedy. I’ll never really get over it.

  10. What an amazing place it must have been. After reading your books I’m haunted by the image of your cabin. Communion is probably my all-time favourite book, the words carry somekind of magic with them that convey something deeply, deeply mysterious. When I need to reconnect with the mysterious, it’s that book I pull from my shelf.

  11. Hello. May I call you Whitley. Are you aware in one of the cabin photos you can see a visitor?

    A new friend,
    Susan

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