Into The Dark Podcast – Ep. 135: The Australian Abduction – The Kelly Cahill Encounter

Host: Payton Moreland
Date: September 3, 2025

Episode Overview

In this episode, Payton Moreland dives into one of Australia’s most infamous UFO abduction cases: the mysterious 1993 encounter of “Kelly Cahill.” Payton explores not just the alleged sequence of events, but the reliability of memory, the struggle for proof in extraordinary claims, and the long-term personal impact on those at the center of such claims. Listeners are invited to grapple with the enduring question: do we believe what we remember, or do we remember what we believe?

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. The Unreliability of Memory (03:31–05:45)

• Payton frames the episode by questioning the reliability of human memory, referencing scientific studies:

  "Science says that our memories are notoriously unreliable...when you think back on your fondest memories, you're not accurately recalling the past." (04:08 – Payton)

• Connects this theme directly to the case of Kelly Cahill, hinting at its relevance for interpreting her claims.

2. The Night of the Incident – August 7, 1993 (05:46–13:22)

• Kelly (a pseudonym), her husband Andrew, and the initial sighting:
  • They see a strange orange light in a field; Andrew denies seeing it.
  • At a friend's party, Andrew teases Kelly for believing she saw a UFO.
• On their return drive, both see the light again:
  • This time, it's floating and clearly visible—resembling a blimp covered in orange-lit windows with silhouettes inside.
  • A much larger, similar craft appears, blocking their road and emitting a beam of light.
  • As Andrew drives into the beam, both experience a sudden time and space jump—unexplained memory lapse and missing time.

  "It was like they had teleported to somewhere new on the road and slowed down. Kelly couldn't explain it..." (11:56 – Payton)

• Disturbing aftereffects:
  • The trip home should’ve taken 1.5 hours but took over three.
  • Kelly discovers a mysterious, perfectly triangular wound and begins her period early.
  • She develops a rare uterine infection, with no medical explanation.

3. The Aftermath & Unraveling Memories (15:58–22:38)

• Repressed memories surface during a repeat trip and hypnotherapy:
  • Kelly remembers getting out of the car, approaching the craft, joining other strangers who'd stopped to see the phenomenon.
  • Describes tall, black, thin alien entities appearing and communicating telepathically with malicious intent:

    "The creature was too tall to be human and far too thin. They were completely black... Kelly believed she was maybe reading the creature's mind." (17:23 – Payton)

  • Recounts intense terror induced by an energy beam, being rendered unconscious, and then comforted with false assurances by the alien entities, which she did not trust.
  • Experiences confusion about the specifics of what happened, but is convinced of physical and psychological violations.

4. Quest for Validation & Investigation (22:39–27:33)

• Kelly seeks out a UFO researcher and is referred to Phenomena Research Australia (PRA), an organization dedicated to investigating supernatural events.

  "Luckily for her, they believe her, and they want to find evidence to verify it." (23:27 – Payton)

• PRA investigators:
  • Collect soil/radiation samples at the scene.
  • Put out calls for other witnesses.
  • Several witnesses come forward—including a couple and their friend who recall seeing the craft, pulling over, and then experiencing memory lapses similar to Kelly's.
• Kelly’s confidence in her memories increases with this corroboration.

5. Publicity & The PRA Report That Never Was (29:12–32:30)

• Kelly writes a best-selling book, Encounter (1996), sharing her story and promising further revelations when PRA publishes their 300-page report.
• PRA never releases the report—a source of great controversy.
  • Cites witness privacy, abridging the report to 100 pages, but ultimately not publishing anything.
  • Speculation arises about a government cover-up versus suspected lack of real evidence.
  • Notably, Andrew (her ex-husband) refuses all comment, neither confirming nor denying her account.
• The strain of the event leads to Kelly and Andrew’s divorce.

6. Alternative Explanations & Lasting Impact (32:31–36:49)

• Skeptics accuse Kelly of fabricating her story for monetary gain or attention:
  • Her book went out of print, and she left the public eye—a point against any long-running scam theory.
• Some propose psychological or supernatural experiences, including hallucinations, delusions, or sleep paralysis, pointing to her history of unusual spiritual experiences.
• Payton thoughtfully considers the possibility that—real or not—the trauma to Kelly was authentic:

  "The emotions were authentic, that she believed them, even if the experience wasn't real and ended her marriage." (35:31 – Payton)

• The PRA’s untold report and unknown whereabouts of witnesses leave the truth ambiguous.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On memory:

  "If you can't trust your own mind and your own memories, how can you understand anything about yourself in your own life?" (04:25 – Payton)

• Describing the craft:

  "It looked like a blimp covered in windows, and the windows were lit up orange. And that's the glow she had seen before. Kelly could even spot silhouettes in the windows..." (07:36 – Payton)

• On the abduction memory:

  "The creature was too tall to be human and far too thin. They were completely black, head to toe... she knew what they were thinking. She was hearing their thoughts: they wanted to kill Kelly, Andrew, and all the other humans that had gathered." (17:23–17:54)

• Kelly’s realization:

  "These creatures had not been sent by God like she thought—they were evil and dangerous. In fact, Kelly now believed they were aliens. They'd come to hurt the people of Earth." (19:13 – Payton)

• On the PRA report:

  "According to her, they had a 300-page report full of scientific findings and other discoveries that hadn't made it into her memoir. So to hear Kelly tell it, this follow up text from them was going to be explosive." (27:17 – Payton)

• On uncertainty:

  "The truth is, at the end of the day, all we have are our perceptions. They feel very real to us, even if they're inaccurate." (35:51 – Payton)

Timestamps for Key Segments

• 03:31 – Memory, perception, and skepticism introduction
• 05:46 – First sighting: orange light in the field
• 07:36 – Description of the craft and silhouette figures
• 09:20 – The second, larger craft; missing time and possible teleportation
• 11:56 – Discovery of physical aftereffects; mysterious triangular wound
• 15:58 – Memories surface on a return drive; hypnotherapy revelations
• 17:23–18:40 – Tall black figures, telepathic threat, overwhelming terror
• 23:27 – PRA investigation and arrival of corroborating witnesses
• 27:17 – The elusive PRA report and blossoming controversy
• 29:12 – Public skepticism, conspiracy, and marital breakdown
• 32:31 – Kelly’s withdrawal from the spotlight; alternative explanations
• 35:51 – Conclusion: perception versus truth

Episode Tone & Closing Thoughts

Payton maintains a tone that is both empathetic and skeptical, inviting listeners to question how much we can trust memory and subjective reality. She does not outright endorse or debunk Kelly’s story but contextualizes it within larger questions of trauma, belief, and truth.

“Still, we can all take comfort in knowing that the truth is out there somewhere, but it’s probably not in our brains.” (36:45 – Payton)

This episode is a rich exploration of the murky intersection between belief, trauma, alleged extraterrestrial contact, and the limits of human understanding. Whether skeptic or believer, listeners are left pondering whose memories—if any—should be trusted.