The Gimbal UFO event remains a significant pillar in UAP (Unidentified Aerial Phenomena) disclosure, featuring US military whistleblowers who claim to have witnessed phenomena they describe as “non-human.”
In 2020, the US Department of Defense released three crucial videos about UFOs that sparked widespread discussion within the UFO community, prompting investigations into the information held by the US government about these phenomena.
These videos capture UFO encounters that occurred in November 2004 and two separate incidents that occurred in January 2015, each identified by distinct nicknames: Flir (2004), Go Fast (2015) and Gimbal (2015). They depict pilots tracking unidentified objects in the sky. Among these, the famous 2015 “Gimbal” UFO footage was recorded by US fighter pilots near the nuclear-powered aircraft carrier USS Theodore Roosevelt when an unidentified object appeared on their radar. Despite the pilots mentioning, “There’s a whole fleet of them, look at the SA,” the footage shows only a single mysterious object in the center of the frame.
In addition to former US Navy Lieutenant and F/A-18F pilot Ryan Graves, there is another less-discussed whistleblower who experienced the infamous Gimbal UFO event. Matthew Roberts, a former US Navy cryptologist with 16 years of service, shared his experience and encounters with non-human entities during the Netflix series “Encounters.”
He was present on the USS Theodore Roosevelt in 2015 during an event involving the now famous “Gimbal footage.”
After serving on several military missions and teaching other code talkers while stationed ashore, Matthew Roberts moved to the Office of Naval Intelligence (ONI) for three years. His stint at ONI ended in March 2020, at which point he chose to leave the military, despite being set to retire in four years. He left because of his intense and personal experiences with unidentified aerial phenomena (UAP) while at ONI, which he writes about in his book, “Initiated.”
Roberts described his initial reaction to the gimbal footage: “I was watching this footage and I couldn’t see any of the aircraft surfaces that you would expect to see—wings, tail, rudders. There’s none of that.” He struggled to comprehend the object’s unconventional movement, stating, “I really couldn’t understand why this thing was in the air like that.”
As Roberts looked at the video more closely, he realized something important: “I knew it didn’t belong to us or anyone else. So the only other possibility I think is that it’s technology coming from non-human intelligence.”
Given his classified role and access to classified information, Roberts was aware that such encounters were not isolated incidents for the Navy: “I was aware that this was not a unique event for the Navy. These things happen all the time, going against the wind.” Roberts confessed to being captivated by the footage, watching it obsessively. Despite his access to classified information, he was unaware of the actions taken by the higher chain of command regarding these encounters.
In 2017, after being transferred to the Office of Naval Intelligence, Roberts claimed to have had subsequent experiences with what he described as non-human entities. He recounted disturbing encounters in which he would wake up feeling his body being moved across the bed and experiencing a hand grabbing his arm. Roberts believed these encounters were evidence of non-human intelligence.
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“In 2017, I moved to the Office of Naval Intelligence, where I would work as an analyst. Shortly after arriving there, I began to have experiences related to the phenomenon. It was like seeing non-human entities in my bedroom at night. I would wake up several times a week, feeling my body slide across the bed, and I knew they were taking me. One time, I woke up because I felt a hand grab my arm. I tried to bring my hands to my face, but I couldn’t move. I could see the outline of a shadowy figure with a torso, two arms, and a head above me.
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When I was in the Navy and I saw the footage, I already knew there was something non-human out there. So when these entities started appearing in my room, I knew this was real. I had the comfort of knowing I wasn’t going crazy; I understood what it was. There’s a lot of evidence from sensors and radar. I think if they just released all the footage and said, “Hey, this is what we have, we don’t even need to explain it, we don’t know,” there would be no doubt that this is real. Everyone would know it.”
Considering all the evidence from sensors and radars, Roberts said that if all the videos available were shared, people would have no doubt that the UFO phenomenon is real. He said, “Everyone would know about it.” Roberts’ account provides a unique perspective on the UFO phenomenon, combining his military background, access to classified information, and personal experiences with what he believes to be non-human entities.
UFO debunker Mick West has provided his own explanation for the objects: arguing that mundane things – technological glitches, camera glare, balloons and birds – are more likely than aliens. However, journalist Daniel Lavelle asked Matthew Roberts about West’s theory, to which Roberts politely replied: “All aircraft – nationally, internationally – have to broadcast who they are. If they’re not broadcasting that, that’s very unusual. Mick West, God bless his soul, he never served in the military.”
In his book “Initiated: UAP, Dreams, Depression, Delusions, Shadow People, Psychosis, Sleep Paralysis, and Pandemics,” Roberts wrote about his personal interactions with UFOs, aliens (whom he now calls “The Progenitors”), and his intense psychological struggle to cope with extraordinary paranormal experiences.
The book describes how Roberts went through strange experiences: encounters with aliens, UFOs, other bizarre entities, and a series of other events that forced him to question his sanity. “Initiated” tells the story of how Roberts went through some tough times but came out the other side a changed person. He can now say that he is truly “initiated.”
During his Reddit AMA Roberts described the non-human entities: “I saw ones that had blue skin and were tall. I saw some very tall white ones that resembled Jack Skellington. I saw one that looked like a backyard gnome. I saw some that seemed to radiate white light. I don’t know where they were from, they never revealed that.”
Matthew Roberts explains that he has never attempted to film any of the encounters with non-human entities in his bedroom. When asked if he would consider setting up a recording device, he mentions that these encounters often happen when the individuals are in an altered state or when the entities appear in the sky in a spaceship, conveniently when the person does not have their cell phone with them.
He considered recording the experiences, but decided not to. He reasons that this would not convince everyone, as some might think he was faking it. Roberts believes that arguing about the authenticity of any images would overshadow the main point, which is to encourage people to seek out and have their own experiences with consciousness. He emphasizes that he does not need people to believe him; instead, he wants others to explore consciousness firsthand.
Roberts claims that the truth of these experiments has been documented over thousands of years by numerous individuals, citing authors such as William Walker Atkinson, Mabel Collins, Joseph Campbell, Dr. John Mack, and Dr. Robert Moore. He challenges the notion that he could have orchestrated the greatest hoax in human history, suggesting that there may be something genuinely significant in these experiments.
He points to the wealth of evidence available to those willing to examine it, citing a podcast by Mark Gober called “Where is My Mind,” where accomplished scientists discuss their work on consciousness. Roberts believes that understanding consciousness that survives death is a crucial aspect of our existence, mentioning the Bigelow Institute for Consciousness Studies (BICS) and the substantial bounties offered for evidence of consciousness after death.
He suggested that these entities appear to have a significant level of control over the experiences people have, which contributes to some individuals perceiving these encounters as malevolent or evil. He acknowledged that many people who invest time and money in collecting evidence of these phenomena often end up with no conclusive results.
In highlighting the rarity of tangible evidence, Roberts mentioned a particular case involving Peter Khoury, where there was allegedly some DNA evidence. However, he does not go into detail about the specifics of that case.
Roberts shared that his conscious experiences with these entities began in late 2017 and continued through the spring of 2018. During this time, he claimed to have been taken multiple times a week. He recounts instances of sleep paralysis as a child, where he felt a heavy presence and heard whispers. He mentioned a specific incident when he was a boy, wrapping himself tightly in a blanket to prevent entities from whispering in his ear, a practice he later recalled and replicated as an adult.
In his book, Roberts adopts a “mythopoetic approach to alien intrusion,” drawing parallels between his experiences and myths, religious texts, and the Hero’s Journey described by Joseph Campbell. He believes that in these encounters, individuals undergo a transformative process, similar to the cycle of death and resurrection, that ultimately leads to a change in the self.
Because of the intense experiences he had, Matthew Roberts decided to leave the military. He then studied psychology to learn more about the mind and emotions related to UFO phenomena. He is also working on another book that explains how his way of thinking influenced the unusual experiences he had.
