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"Ancient Astronauts" From: ParanormalTV
Added: June 09, 2009
Info-Description: Erich Von Daniken and others expose the historical record of alien
contact.
Tags:paranormal ufo history Erich Von Daniken Robert Dean "Ancient Astronaut Evidence Images" From: markasscop
Added: May 18, 2009
Info-Description: These images support the ancient astronaut theory that aliens visited us
thousands of years ago and left proof of their presesnce
Tags:Ancient Astronaut theory evidence aliens greys lines Peru cave
drawings Mayan pyramids Pheonix Lights Star Child skull Metal gear
Solid Rex's Lair
1.0 PreambleThis webpage is about that speculative theory known as the ancient astronauts theory. Along the way, we will also have a quick look at anachronisms and OOPA / OOPArt (out of place artifacts), some of which have been used to support the ancient
astronauts theory. Naturally, we will also get acquainted with the ideas of the major proponents
of the ancient astronauts theory, such as Erich von Däniken, Zecharia Sitchin and others.
Basically, the ancient astronauts theory says that in the distant
past — including the prehistorical past — the
human race have had contact with extraterrestrials (ETs). These ancient astronauts were somehow "responsible for the most ancient
civilizations on earth", to use the words in the Skeptics Dictionary (/skepdic.com/vondanik.html), which of course is skeptical of the entire ancient astronauts theory. In other words, the ancient astronauts theory is saying that human "contact"
with these "intelligent extraterrestrial beings [who] have visited Earth ... is
linked to the origins or development of human cultures, technologies and/or
religions", according to the entry on 'Ancient astronauts
theories' in Wikipedia, the free online encyclopedia (en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ancient_astronaut_theory).
2.0 Paleoncontact Hypothesis
aka Ancient Astronauts Theory
Sentinel Hypothesis - The Internet Encyclopedia of Science
- WikipediaHere is the Wikipedia summary of the ancient astronauts theory ...
 According to Wikipedia's entry on ancient astronauts, the ancient astronauts
theory is also referred to as the "paleocontact" hypothesis. The Internet Encyclopedia of Science gives the following definition for the paleocontact hypothesis: "The notion
originally proposed by Matest M. Agrest and others on a serious academic level,
and frequently put forward in pseudo-scientific and pseudo-historic literature
since the 1960s, that advanced extraterrestrials have played an influential
role in past human affairs. Its most outspoken and commercially successful
advocate has been the writer Erich von Däniken. Although not an unreasonable
idea in principle (see sentinel hypothesis and alien artifacts), there is a lack of convincing, substantive evidence to support it. Moreover,
when specific claims are examined in detail, other, less exotic explanations
can usually be found. A case in point concerns the Dogon tribe and their
remarkable knowledge of the star Sirius (see Sirius, mystery of red color)." Sentinel HypothesisAccording to the Internet Encyclopedia of Science, the Sentinel Hypothesis can
be explained as follows: The suggestion that if advanced alien civilizations exist they might place
intelligent monitoring devices on or near the worlds of other evolving species
to track their progress. A robot sentinel might establish contact with a
developing race once that race had reached a certain technological threshold,
such as large-scale radio communication or interplanetary flight.Already, scientists are beginning to understand the basic conditions necessary
for carbon-based life to develop. They can identify those stars in the solar
neighborhood most like the Sun, and can delineate approximately the habitable
zone around any given star in which complex biochemistry might be expected to
flourish. Scientists are also starting to acquire the ability to detect
extrasolar planets. More advanced species would presumably be able to stake out
with reasonable accuracy those stars and their associated worlds upon which
intelligent life had a good chance of eventually developing, particularly if
scout ships had revealed the presence of proto-intelligence. Such promising
locations might then be expected to come under increasingly intense scrutiny by
automatic sentinels. This idea was used by Arthur C. Clarke in his short story
"The Sentinel" [in Expedition to Earth. New York: Harcourt, Brace and World (1970)] which subsequently formed the
basis for the MGM motion picture 2001: A Space Odyssey and its novelization. Ronald Bracewell has discussed a specific strategy by which devices could be
used to monitor star systems for evolving technological races and also how we
might go about trying to find sentinels that had been placed in the solar
system (see Bracewell probes) [www.daviddarling.info/encyclopedia/B/Bracewellprobes.html]. Alien ArtifactsThe entry on 'Alien Artifacts' in the Internet Encyclopedia of Science goes
like this: If intelligent extraterrestrial life exists and has entered the Solar System in
the past, there is the possibility of finding traces of these visits on Earth,
on the surface of our neighboring worlds, or in interplanetary space.
Supporters of the paleocontact hypothesis, also known as the ancient astronaut hypothesis, maintain that such evidence is to hand, although this suggestion is rejected
by the majority of scientists.More attention has been paid in orthodox circles to the idea of large-scale
astroengineering works by highly advanced races, including Dyson spheres [www.daviddarling.info/encyclopedia/D/Dysonsp.html], that
might be detectable over interstellar distances, and also of sentinel devices
or Bracewell probes [www.daviddarling.info/encyclopedia/B/Bracewellprobes.html] sent to search for the presence of intelligent life in the
solar system. We won't go into Dyson spheres and Bracewell probes, as these are outside our
scope, which is on the paleocontact hypothesis aka ancient astronauts theoy ... Anyway, Wikipedia has much to say about ancient astronauts theories, including
the following:
Some of these theories suggests that the deities from most — if not all —
religions are actually extraterrestrial beings, and their technologies were
taken as evidence of their divine status. [Here Wikipedia cites p.250 of Michael Lieb's 1998 book, Children of Ezekiel: Aliens, Ufos, the Crisis of Race, and the Advent of End
Time, published by the Duke University Press; as well as p.12 of the 1961 work Cithara, published by St. Bonaventure University, New York, with the editorial
statement "Essays in the Judaeo-Christian tradition"]. Ancient astronauts theories have not received support within the scientific
community, and have garnered little or no attention in peer-reviewed studies
from scientific journals. These theories have been popularized, particularly in
the latter half of the 20th century, by writers Erich von Däniken, Zecharia
Sitchin and others. [Here Wikipedia cites Erich von Däniken's 1984 book, Chariots of the Gods, published by the Berkley Pub Group.] Ancient astronauts theories have been widely used in science fiction. It should be clear that although Erich von Däniken is the most well-known
proponent of the ancient astronauts theory, he was not the first. Probably, as
noted in the above Wikipedia summary, the earliest proponent was Charles Hoy
Fort (1874-1932). Another early writer, M K Jessup (1900-1959), who was the author of The Case for the UFO (1955), had already suggested a link between "ancient monuments
with prehistoric superscience", according to respected UFO researcher, or
UFOlogist, Jerome Clark, who wrote and edited The UFO Encyclopedia: the Phenomenon from the Beginning (Detroit: Omnigraphics, 1998; Visible Ink, 2005). Anyway, Wikipedia's ancient astronauts entry continues as follows: Ancient astronauts adherents often claim that humans are either descendants or
creations of beings who landed on Earth millennia ago. An associated theory is
that much of human knowledge, religion and culture came from extraterrestrial
visitors in ancient times, in that ancient astronauts acted as a "mother
culture". These ideas are generally discounted by the scientific community. [Here Wikipedia cites the "Improbable Research" webpage @ improbable.com/ig-pastwinners.html, which is 'broken' ... probably the new URL is improbable.com/ig/winners/; this webpage gives the list of "Winners of the Ig® Nobel Prize", and for the
"The 1991 Ig® Nobel Prize Winners", Erich Von Däniken is listed as a winner
under the Literature category, with this accompanying description "Erich Von
Däniken, visionary raconteur and author of 'Chariots of the Gods', for
explaining how human civilization was influenced by ancient astronauts from
outer space".] Ancient astronauts theories also may include the idea that civilization may have
evolved on earth twice, and that the visitation of ancient astronauts may
reflect the return of descendants of ancient humans whose population was
separated from earthbound humans. [citation needed] Proponents of ancient astronauts theories point to what they perceive as gaps in
historical and archaeological records, and to what they see as absent or
incomplete explanations of historical or archaeological data. Ancient astronauts
proponents cite evidence that they argue supports their assertions, notably,
archaeological artifacts that they argue are anachronistic or beyond the presumed technical capabilities of the historical cultures with
which they are associated (sometimes referred to as "Out-of-place artifacts" [or OOPA orOOPArt]); and artwork and legends which are interpreted as depicting
extraterrestrial contact or technologies. [emphasis added]
3.0 Anachronism- WikipediaThe mention above of anachronisms and "Out-of-place artifacts" [or OOPA's or OOPArt's] is interesting, as these have been used to support the ancient astronauts
theory ...
For anachronism, Wikipedia has the following to say: An anachronism ... is anything that is temporally incongruous in the time
period it has been placed in — that is, it appears in a
temporal context in which it seems sufficiently out of place as to be peculiar,
incomprehensible or impossible. The item is often an object [artifact], but may
be a verbal expression, a technology, a philosophical idea, a musical style, a
material, a custom, or anything else closely enough bound to a particular
period as to seem odd outside it.
[...]
ArtifactsAn anachronism can be an artifact which appears out of place archaeologically,
geologically or temporally. It is sometimes called OOPArt, for "out of place artifact" [emphasis added]. Anachronisms usually appear more technologically advanced than is expected
for their place and period.However, an apparent anachronism may reflect our ignorance rather than a
genuine chronological anomaly. A popular view of history presents an unfolding
of the past in which humanity has a primitive start and progresses toward
development of technology. Alleged anachronistic artifacts demonstrate
contradictions to this idea. Some archaeologists believe that seeing these
artifacts as anachronisms underestimates the technology and creativity
available to people at the time, although others believe that these are
evidence of alternate or "fringe" timelines of human history (e.g. Antikythera mechanism). (emphasis added) If one envisions human technological advancement as being roughly parallel to
the expansion and decline of human civilizations — that is,
progressing in a "three steps forward, two steps back" sort of
manner — then at least some (perhaps even many) apparent
"anachronisms" are to be expected. A good example of this would be concrete,
being used in the past by various ancient cultures only to be forgotten about
and then re-invented at a later time by another culture, until the present, at
which point the technology is employed globally and unlikely to slip into
obscurity again without major upheaval.
4.0 Antikythera "Mechanism"- "The Antikythera Mechanism Research Project"
- TripAtlas and Wikipedia sitesYou can get a comprehensive presentation about the Antikythera mechanism at the
TripAtlas website (tripatlas.com/Antikythera_mechanism), which says that "It is especially notable for being a technological artifact
with no known predecessor or successor; other machines using technology of such
complexity would not appear until the 18th century".
Of course, the authority on this mechanism is probably "The Antikythera
Mechanism Research Project" (www.antikythera-mechanism.gr/). Wikipedia's entry of the Antikythera mechanism is as follows (many parts of the
Wikipedia article bear resemblance to the TripAtlas article)
(adapted/re-paragraphed):
 The Antikythera mechanism ... is an ancient mechanical calculator (also
described as the first known "mechanical computer") designed to calculate
astronomical positions.
[Here Wikipedia cites the overview of the "The Antikythera Mechanism Research
Project" @ www.antikythera-mechanism.gr/project/overview.][Wikipedia also cites a December 1, 2006, Washington Post quote: "Imagine tossing a top-notch laptop into the sea, leaving scientists
from a foreign culture to scratch their heads over its corroded remains
centuries later. A Roman shipmaster inadvertently did something just like it
2,000 years ago off southern Greece, experts said late Thursday {i.e., November
30, 2006}." The quote came from the newspaper's article, written by Nicholas Paphitis for
the Associated Press, which was entitled "Experts: Fragments an Ancient
Computer". That article also said that the "2,100-year-old Antikythera Mechanism, believed
to be the earliest surviving mechanical computing device, is seen at the
National Archaeological Museum in Athens, Thursday, Nov. 30, 2006. The bronze
system of cogs and wheels was found in a Roman wreck off southern Greece in
1900. It is the focus of a two-day conference starting in Athens late Thursday,
with the participation of scientists from Greece, Britain, the U.S. and other
countries."]
[The Antikythera mechanism] was discovered in the Antikythera wreck off the
Greek island of Antikythera, between Kythera and Crete, in 1901. Subsequent investigation, particularly in 2006, dated it to about 150-100 BC,
and hypothesised that it was on board a ship that sank en route from the Greek
island of Rhodes to Rome. Technological artifacts of similar complexity did not reappear until a thousand
years later [here Wikipedia cites "Planetary gears", in Nature 444 (7119)]. Jacques-Yves Cousteau visited the wreck for the last time in 1978, ... but
found no more remains of the Antikythera Mechanism. Professor Michael Edmunds of Cardiff University who led the study of the mechanism said: "This device is just extraordinary,
the only thing of its kind. The design is beautiful, the astronomy is exactly
right. The way the mechanics are designed just makes your jaw drop. Whoever has
done this has done it extremely carefully." He added: "... in terms of historic
and scarcity value, I have to regard this mechanism as being more valuable than
the Mona Lisa."(emphasis added)
[Wikipedia cites Ian Johnston's article, "Device that let Greeks decode solar
system", in 30 November 2006 edition of The Scotsman, but the article is no longer available at that newspaper's website.Wikipedia also cites, from another UK broadsheet The Guardian, the article "Mysteries of computer from 65BC are solved", with the
aforementioned quote from Professor Edmunds, plus the following continuation of
that quote: "One of the remaining mysteries is why the Greek technology invented for the
machine seemed to disappear."]
The device is displayed in the Bronze Collection of the National Archaeological
Museum of Athens, accompanied by a reconstruction made and offered to the
museum by Derek de Solla Price. Other reconstructions are on display at the
American Computer Museum in Bozeman, Montana and the Children's Museum of
Manhattan in New York. The mainstream ideas about the Antikythera mechanism are more than adequately
covered in the "The Antikythera Mechanism Research Project" web site, as well
as the TripAtlas and Wikiepdia sites, but as the Wikipedia entry on
'Anachronism' (above) says, "others believe that these [anachronisms] are
evidence of alternate or 'fringe' timelines of human history (e.g. Antikythera mechanism)."(emphasis added) Note also how the mainstream scientists appear to loath referring to the device
as anything other than a "mechanism", even though it has been described as an
"ancient mechanical calculator" or even "mechanical
computer" — see above Wikipedia entry, and refer also to the
TripAtlas article (via its URL given above) as well as the "The Antikythera
Mechanism Research Project" website (the latter's project overview uses the
term complex mechanical "computer").
5.0 Out-of-place Artifact (OOPA / OOPArt)- WikipediaThe entry from Wikipedia says that:
An out-of-place artifact (OOPArt) is a term coined by American zoologist Ivan T. Sanderson for an object of
historical, archaeological or paleontological interest found in a very unusual
or seemingly impossible context. The term covers a wide variety of objects,
ranging from material studied by mainstream science, such as the Iron pillar of
Delhi, to pseudoarchaeology that is far outside the mainstream.While occasional discoveries, such as the Antikythera mechanism (emphasis added) have led to scientists reassessing the technology of ancient civilizations,
many critics argue purported OOPArts are more often the result of mistaken
interpretation, wishful thinking, or extreme cultural centrism (the belief that
a particular culture couldn't have created an artifact or technology because
they were too ignorant or simply not smart enough). Supporters regard OOParts
as evidence that mainstream science is overlooking huge areas of knowledge,
either willfully or through ignorance. On occasion, OOParts may be outright
hoaxes. OOPArts are often of interest to creationists and others who seek evidence that
may refute the theory of evolution or support the notion of a global flood;
they are also used to support religious descriptions of pre-history, ancient
astronauts theories, or the notion of vanished civilizations that possessed
knowledge or technology more advanced than our own. Many writers or researchers
who question or challenge conventional views of human history have used
purported OOPArts to bolster their arguments. [Here Wikipedia says "See the works of Charles Fort, Graham Hancock, Erich von
Daniken, Zacharia Sitchin; see also Michael Cremo and Richard L. Thompson's Forbidden Archeology (San Diego: Bkahativedanta Institute, 1993)"]
Alleged OOPartsArtifacts alleged to come from recognized cultures, recovered in unexpected
placesThe Kensington Runestone, purported to be a 14th century Viking artifact found
in Minnesota The Spirit Pond runestones, claimed, like the Kensington runestone, to be from
the 11th or 14th century, found in Maine The Tecaxic-Calixtlahuaca head, a terracotta head found in Mexico that some say
is of Roman origin The Fuente Magna, discovered in Bolivia. Ceramic bowl with writing in alleged
Sumerian cuneiform The Saqqara Bird in Egypt, discovered in a tomb, claimed to be a 7-inch model
of a flying machine
Artifacts allegedly produced by unknown cultures or societiesThe Baghdad Battery, dating from between 250 BC and AD 250 The Baigong Pipes, unexplained pipes found in a cave in China The Coso artifact, a lump of clay containing a spark plug from the 1920s,
though it allegedly took thousands of years to form The Crystal skulls claimed to have been found at Lubaantun, in Yucatan and in
Belize The Dorchester Pot, a Victorian-era candlestick found in Massachusetts,
apparently alleged to pre-date European settlement in the Americas The Dendera Lamps, representations of lotus flowers engraved into a relief in a
temple dedicated to Hathor, Egyptian Goddess of the Milky Way, and alleged by
some to actually represent electrical lamps The Dropa stones, also known as the Bayan Kara Ula Disks; supposedly found near
Nimu in the Chinese region of Sichuan, and claimed to be 12,000 years old and
the product of an alien civilization The Iron Man (Eiserne Mann), dating to the 13th century The Lake Winnipesaukee mystery stone The Wolfsegg Iron, a cubical block of metal in coal found in Austria
Artifacts alleged to predate humanityThe Acambaro figures, from Acámbaro, Mexico, some of which are in the apparent
form of dinosaurs The Ica stones, Peru, allegedly depicting anachronistic images such as
dinosaurs and modern medical procedures The Kingoodie hammer, Scotland, purportedly an iron nail dated from 460 to 360
million years ago The Klerksdorp Spheres, South Africa, dated 2.8 billion years ago – their
regular shapes lead to claims that they were artificially created A mortar and pestle (or molcajete) set discovered in Table Mountain (near
Jamestown, California), in a gravel deposit which a documentary version of
Forbidden Archaeology claimed to be 55 million years old; this claim has since
been discredited
Note that more information about that last item, i.e., about the mortar and
pestile, can be found at a web article from "The Talk Origins Archive" (www.talkorigins.org/faqs/mom/mortar.html). This "Archive" is part of TalkOrigins.org site, which says that "Talk.origins is a Usenet newsgroup devoted to the
discussion and debate of biological and physical origins. Most discussions in
the newsgroup center on the creation/evolution controversy, but other topics of
discussion include the origin of life, geology, biology, catastrophism,
cosmology and theology. The TalkOrigins Archive is a collection of articles and essays, most of which have appeared in
talk.origins at one time or another. The primary reason for this archive's
existence is to provide mainstream scientific responses to the many frequently
asked questions (FAQs) that appear in the talk.origins newsgroup and the
frequently rebutted assertions of those advocating intelligent design or other
creationist pseudosciences."
Anyway, to round off the Wikipedia entry on OOPA / OOPArt, here's the last
section:
Validated cases# The Maine Penny found in Blue Hill, Maine. An 11th century Norse coin found
in an American Indian shell midden. Over 20,000 objects were found over a
15-year period at the Goddard site in Blue Hill. The sole OOPArt was the coin.
[Here Wikipedia cites the December 11, 1978, Times magazine article entitled "'Bye Columbus", available at
www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,919916,00.html]
One hypothesis is that it may have been brought to the site from a Viking
settlement in Newfoundland by seagoing Native Americans. The Iron pillar in India, dating around to AD 423 The Antikythera mechanism, a geared device manufactured ca. 100 BC, believed to be an orrery for
predicting the motion of the sun, moon and planets (emphasis added) Tablets and artifacts discovered in Glozel, France in the 1920s and '30s, some
of which were inscribed with an unknown, undeciphered alphabet
6.0 Back to 'Ancient Astronauts Theories'- WikipediaTo get back to the Wikipedia entry on ancient astronauts (adapted /
reparagraphed) ...
Scientists maintain that any gaps in contemporary knowledge of the past do not
demonstrate that such speculative ancient astronauts ideas are a necessary, or
even plausible, conclusion to draw from the available data.
[Here Wikipedia cites the late Dr. Carl Sagan's book, Broca's Brain, published in 1979; as well as the same "Winners of the Ig Nobel Prize"
mentioned above]
Additionally, a number of ancient astronauts claims contradict consensus
scientific interpretations of evidence. The scientific community remains
generally skeptical, and the dominant view is that there is no evidence to
support ancient astronauts and paleocontact theories.
Scientific considerationIn their 1966 book Intelligent Life in the Universe [San Francisco: Holden-Day, 1966] astrophysicists I.S. Shklovski and Carl Sagan devote a chapter ["The Possible Consequences of Direct Contact," authored mostly by Sagan,
according to line-by-line indications of individual or collaborative sections] to arguments that scientists and historians should seriously consider the
possibility that extraterrestrial contact occurred during recorded history.
However, Shklovsky and Sagan stressed the idea that their ideas were
speculative and unproved.Shklovski and Sagan argued that sub-lightspeed interstellar travel by extraterrestrial life was a
certainty when considering technologies that were established or feasible in
the late '60s; ["civilizations, aeons more advanced than ours, must be plying the spaces
between stars." Shklovski and Sagan, p. 464] that repeated instances of extraterrestrial visitation to Earth were
plausible; [Even allowing for millions of years between visits from a hypothetical
"Galactic survey ship", Sagan calculated ~104 such visits could have occurred "during [Earth's] geologic time". Shklovski
and Sagan, p. 461] and that prescientific narratives can offer a potentially reliable means of
describing contact with outsiders. [Sagan cites the 1786 expedition of French explorer Jean-François de Galaup,
comte de La Pérouse, which made the earliest contact between European and
Tlingit cultures. This contact story was preserved as an oral tradition by the
preliterate Tlingit, and was first recorded by anthropologist George T. Emmons
over a century after its occurrence. Though framed in a Tlingit cultural and
spiritual paradigm, the story remained an accurate telling of the 1786
encounter. According to Sagan, this proved how "... under certain
circumstances, a brief contact with an alien civilization will be recorded in a
reconstructable manner. The reconstruction will be greatly aided if (1) the
account is committed to written record soon after the event; (2) a major change
is effected in the contacted society; and (3) no attempt is made by the
contacting civilization to disguise its exogenous nature." Shklovski and Sagan,
p. 453 ]
Additionally, Shklovski and Sagan cited tales of Oannes, a fishlike being
attributed with teaching agriculture, mathematics and the arts to early
Sumerians, as deserving closer scrutiny as a possible instance of paleocontact
due to its consistency and detail ["stories like the Oannes legend, and representations especially of the
earliest civilizations on Earth, deserve much more critical studies than have
been performed heretofore, with the possibility of direct contact with an
extraterrestrial civilization as one of many possible alternative
explanations". Shklovski and Sagan, p. 461]. In his 1979 book Broca's Brain [p. 67], Sagan suggested that he and Shklovski might have inspired the wave of '70s
ancient astronauts books, expressing disapproval of "von Daniken and other
uncritical writers" who seemingly built on his and Shklovksi's ideas and
evidence not as guarded speculations but as "valid evidence of extraterrestrial
contact." Sagan argued that while many legends, artifacts and purported OOPARTs
were cited in support of ancient astronauts theories, "very few require more
than passing mention" and could be easily explained with more conventional
theories. Sagan also reiterated his earlier conclusion that extraterrestrial
visits to Earth were possible but unproven, and perhaps improbable.
7.0 Proponents- WikipediaThe ancient astronauts theory was first popularized by Erich Anton Paul von
Däniken, in his book Chariots of the Gods?, first published in 1968.
Here is the text from the Wikipedia entry on 'Erich von Däniken':
Erich Anton Paul von Däniken (b. Zofingen, Aargau, Switzerland, April 14, 1935) is a controversial Swiss
author best known for his books which examine possible evidence for
extraterrestrial influences on early human culture. Von Däniken is one of the
key figures responsible for popularizing the paleocontact and ancient astronauts
hypotheses.Von Däniken is a co-founder of the Archaeology, Astronautics and SETI Research
Association (AAS RA). He developed a theme park called Mystery Park in
Interlaken, Switzerland, which opened on May 23, 2003 and closed on November
19, 2006. His 26 books have been translated into more than 20 languages, selling more
than 60 million copies worldwide, and his documentary TV shows have been viewed
around the world. Pseudoarchaeology strikingly similar to his has been observed
in the literature of the neo-Taoist movement Falun Gong. [here Wikipedia cites "The Past, Present and Future of Falun Gong" webpage
subtitled "A lecture by Harold White Fellow, Benjamin Penny, at the National
Library of Australia, Canberra, 2001 (www.nla.gov.au/grants/haroldwhite/papers/bpenny.html)]
Claims of alien influence on EarthBuilding on previous works by other authors (including Italian Peter Kolosimo,
who was later critical of von Däniken), von Däniken claimed that if intelligent
extraterrestrial life exists and has entered the local Solar System in the
past, then there is the possibility of finding traces of their visits on Earth,
on neighboring planets, or elsewhere in space. He also supports the hypothesis
that human evolution may have been manipulated through means of genetic
engineering by extraterrestrial beings.The evidence that von Däniken has put forward to support the paleo-contact
hypotheses can be categorized as follows:
Artifacts have been found which are alleged to represent a higher technological
knowledge than existed at the times when they were manufactured. Von Däniken
maintains that these artifacts have been manufactured either by
extraterrestrial visitors, or by humans who obtained the necessary knowledge
from them. Such artifacts include Stonehenge, the statues of Easter Island, theAntikythera mechanism, and the Piri Reis map.(emphasis added) In ancient art throughout the world, themes are observed which can be
interpreted to illustrate astronauts, air and space vehicles, non-human but
intelligent creatures, and artifacts of a high technology. Von Däniken also
points out details that are similar in the art of unrelated cultures. Origins of religions might be a reaction to contact with an alien race by
primitive humans. The humans considered the technology of the aliens to be
supernatural and the aliens themselves to be gods. According to von Däniken,
the oral and literal traditions of most religions contain references to
visitors from "stars" and vehicles traveling through air and space. These, he
says, should be interpreted as literal descriptions which have changed during
the passage of time and have become more obscure, rather than as symbolic or
mythical fiction. One such is Ezekiel's revelation in the Old Testament, which
he interprets as a detailed description of a landing spacecraft.
CriticismMost in the scientific community have ignored or dismissed von Däniken's
hypotheses. A few scientists, such as Carl Sagan and I. S. Shklovskii, have
written about von Däniken's paleocontact and extraterrestrial visitation
claims. Although Sagan did not rule out the possibility of visitation, he
insisted that such extraordinary assertions as von Däniken's demand
extraordinary proof without which it would be inappropriate to believe the
claims.Von Däniken claimed that a non-rusting iron pillar in India was evidence of
extraterrestrial influence [here Wikipedia cites Erich von Däniken's Chariots of the Gods?, p.94]. However, he admitted in a Playboy interview [here Wikipedia cites Playboy magazine, Volume 21 Number 8, 1974] that the pillar was actually rusty and man-made, and that as far as supporting
his hypotheses goes "we can forget about this iron thing". (Von Däniken did not
invent the tale of the rust-free iron pillar in India: in 1935 Will Durant
inserted the same mistake in Our Oriental Heritage, p. 478). Neither von Däniken nor his publishers have removed this, or any
other, discredited evidence from subsequent reprints of his books. Ronald Story published The Space Gods Revealed in 1976, providing an almost page-by-page refutation of the hypotheses and
evidence in von Däniken's Chariots of the Gods?.
PopularityVon Däniken became popular in India during the 1970s, as a result of his books
being translated into the Bengali language by translator Ajit Dutta. School
level students were the first major group of his believers in India. Von
Däniken subsequently visited the Kashmir region of India to check for the
presence of radioactivity in an ancient temple, where he believed that a
spacecraft had once landed. This was mostly covered in a critical manner by the
Indian media. Major media houses in India referred to von Däniken's trip as a
"failure," due to his inability to state the nature of the radioactivity found
in the temple.An exhibit, Un Monde Insolite, largely based on Däniken's book Chariots of the Gods? was opened in Montreal, Canada, for several summers in the 1970s. The exhibit
was located in a former theme pavilion on the Expo 67 universal exhibition. It
featured replicas of various historical artifacts that Däniken claimed were
proof of past alien visitation.
Legal troublesVon Däniken's run-ins with the law started at an early age. As a boy scout he
was brought before a judge to answer charges that he had taken money from the
treasury. In 1960, he worked in hotels and restaurants across Switzerland and
was convicted of fraud, serving a prison sentence for defrauding his boss at
one hotel. In 1967, soon after the "Chariots of the Gods" was published he was
arrested and charged by Interpol with fraud and tax evasion for non-payment of
$14,000.00. On behalf of the prosecution, he was subjected to psychological
examinations and labeled, among many other things irrelevant for the case, a
homosexual.[Here Wikipedia cites Channel4.com - Real Lives - Erich von Däniken — www.channel4.com/history/microsites/R/real_lives/daniken.html
] These results of the examinations, made during preliminary
inquiry, were read during trial without the defense being allowed to
cross-examine them. [Here Wikipedia cites what it calls "critical review of court procedure in the
case by German Spiegel magazine (in German)" —
wissen.spiegel.de/wissen/dokument/dokument.html?id=45202660
] During the investigation authorities uncovered a large personal debt totaling
$700,000.00. Von Däniken was eventually found guilty of embezzlement
and served more than three years in prison. In 1982, the conviction was
overturned by the Graubünden cantonal court. During his jail time he wrote his
second book: "Return of the Gods". These convictions dogged von Däniken, who
was at times not permitted a visa to enter the United States. This caused him
to become a no-show at several speaking engagements including a "Legendary
Times" San Francisco, California seminar in May 2004. By 1982, after further controversies, he could not find an English or American
publisher for his tenth book. Although in the past few years his theories have
made a modest resurgence, a huge, multi-million dollar theme park based on von
Daniken's persona was a financial disappointment and closed in November 2006
due to poor attendance. In its 'Ancient Astronauts theories' entry, Wikipedia also has a section on
Erich von Däniken, as follows: Erich von DänikenErich von Däniken was a leading proponent of this [ancient astronauts] theory
in the late 1960s and early 1970s, gaining a large audience through the 1968
publication of his best-selling book Chariots of the Gods and its sequels. Von Däniken's evidence for his vision of paleocontact
consists of:
Certain artifacts and monumental constructions are claimed by von Däniken
to have required a more sophisticated technological ability in their
construction than that which was available to the ancient cultures who
constructed them. Von Däniken maintains that these artifacts were constructed
either directly by extraterrestrial visitors or by humans who learned the
necessary knowledge from said visitors. These artifacts and monuments include
Stonehenge, the Moai of Easter Island, the Antikythera mechanism and the
Ancient Baghdad Electric Batteries. Von Däniken claims that ancient art and iconography throughout the world
illustrates air and space vehicles, non-human but intelligent creatures,
ancient astronauts and artifacts of an anachronistically advanced technology.
Von Däniken also claims that geographically separated historical cultures share
artistic themes, which he argues imply a common origin. For one such example,
refer to von Däniken's interpretation of the sarcophagus lid recovered from the
tomb of the Classic-era Maya ruler of Palenque, Pacal. Von Däniken claimed the
design represented a seated astronaut, whereas the iconography and accompanying
Maya text clearly identifies it as a portrait of the ruler himself with the
World Tree of Maya mythology. The origins of many religions are interpreted by von Däniken as reactions
to encounters with an alien race. According to his view, humans considered the
technology of the aliens to be supernatural and the aliens themselves to be
gods. Von Däniken claims that the oral and written traditions of most religions
contain references to alien visitors in the way of descriptions of stars and
vehicular objects travelling through air and space. The author maintains that
these should be seen as literal descriptions from eyewitnesses that have been
interpreted by primitive peoples as supernatural events, or changed during the
passage of time to become more obscure, rather than symbolic or mythical
fiction. One such is Ezekiel's revelation in the Old Testament, which Däniken
interprets as a detailed description of a landing spacecraft.
Since the publication of von Däniken's books, critics have argued that he
misrepresented data, that many of his claims were unfounded, and that none of
his core claims has been validated [here Wikipedia cites "Erich von Daniken's Chariots of the Gods: Science or Charlatanism?", written by Robert Sheaffer. First published in the NICAP UFO Investigator, October/November, 1974. www.debunker.com/texts/vondanik.html]. Wikipedia gives the following, in alphabetical order, as proponents of the
ancient astronauts theories ... - Matest M. Agrest (1959)
- Alan F. Alford
- Jacques Bergier & Louis Pauwels in their (1959) book, The Morning of the Magicians
- Charles Berlitz (in his 1974 book The Bermuda Triangle)
- Robert Charroux (1969)
- Maurice Chatelain (1978)
- Erich von Däniken (1968)
- W. Raymond Drake (1964)
- Burak Eldem
- Charles Fort (1919)
- Richard C. Hoagland
- Morris K. Jessup (1955)
- Peter Kolosimo (in his 1957 book, Il pianeta sconosciuto)
- Henri Lhote (1958)
- Ellen Lloyd
- S. Lunskaya with Bartopian Theory (1970)
- Rod Serling in his (1974) documentary "In Search of Ancient Astronauts"
- Zecharia Sitchin (1978)
- Brad Steiger (1967) in his book, The Flying Saucer Menace
- Robert K. G. Temple (1976)
- Brinsley Le Poer Trench (1960)
- George Hunt Williamson (1957)
In its 'Ancient Astronauts theories' entry, Wikipedia has the following to say
about Zecharia Sitchin (adapted/re-paragraphed): Zecharia SitchinZecharia Sitchin's series The Earth Chronicles, beginning with The 12th Planet, revolves around Sitchin's interpretation of ancient Sumerian and Middle
Eastern texts, megalithic sites, and artifacts from around the world.He theorizes the gods of old Mesopotamia were actually astronauts from the
planet "Nibiru", which Sitchin claims the Sumerians believed to be a remote
"12th planet" (counting the Sun, Moon, and Pluto as planets) associated with
the god Marduk. According to Sitchin, Nibiru continues to orbit our sun on a 3,600-year
elongated orbit. Sitchin also suggests that the asteroid belt between Mars and Jupiter is the
shattered remains of the ancient planet "Tiamat", which he claims was destroyed
in one of Niburu's orbits through the solar system. Modern astronomy has found no evidence to support Sitchin's claims. According to Sitchin, the Sumerians relate how 50 Anunnaki, the inhabitants of
Nibiru, came to Earth approximately 400,000 years ago with the intent of mining
raw materials, especially gold, for transport back to Nibiru. With their small
numbers they soon tired of the task and set out to genetically engineer
laborers to work the mines. After much trial and error they eventually createdhomo sapiens sapiens: the "Adapa" (model man) or Adam of later mythology. Sitchin claims the Anunnaki were active in human affairs until their culture
was destroyed by global catastrophes caused by the abrupt end of the last ice
age some 12,000 years ago. Seeing that humans survived and all they had built was destroyed, from that
point he says, "kingship was lowered from heaven to Earth" and the Anunnaki
left Earth after giving humans the opportunity and means to govern themselves.
8.0 PostscriptThis webpage examines the ancient astronauts theory and finds that, like most
ideas from the fringe, the idea of ancient astronauts need more concrete
evidence than just some simple 'anachronisms', 'out-of-place artifacts
(OOPA's / OOPArt's)', and lots and lots of speculation and imagination. Of course, an anachronism such as the Antikythera "mechanism" is most
interesting, although it doesn't necessarily imply that advanced ancient
astronauts have helped our distant ancestors to build up the human civilization
or any aspects thereof (such as our technologies, agriculture, religions,
culture, etc.). Extraordinary claims about ancient astronauts demand the existence of more
extraordinary evidence than some anachronisms and OOPA's / OOPArt's. Sorry! The
ancient astronauts are not tenable without more concrete, excellent, and
extraordinary proofs! It is better to use Occam's Razor to look for the simpler explanation, based on
the principle of parsimony. A biasness towards 'wanting to believe' in favorite theories or ideas should
warn us that it is simply quite easy to fool ourselves (and others) ... and
that we are thus likely to fall into the trap of 'The Fringe'.
'Nuff said!
Webmeister
Woodlands, Singapore| Incept Date: | | 18 May 2008 | | Rev'd Date: | | 16 June 2009 |
 |  |  |  | This website is predicated on the basis of the following categorization of the
Sciences ... Four Categories of Science By Stanton T. Friedman (Former Nuclear Physicist)Some people have insisted that if I can't provide a piece of a [flying] saucer
or an alien body, there is nothing to support my claims. I was quite surprised
during my last visit with Carl Sagan in December 1992, when he claimed that the
essence of the scientific method was reproducibility. In actuality, as I wrote
Sagan later on, there are at least four different kinds of science: - [Category-1 Science] Yes, there is a lot of excellent science done by people who set up
an experiment in which they can control all the variables and equipment. They
make measurements and then publish their results, after peer review, and
describe their equipment, instruments, and activity in detail so that others
can duplicate the work and, presumably, come to the same conclusions. Such
science can be very satisfying, and certainly can contribute to the advancement
of knowledge. However, it is not the only kind of science.
- [Category-2 Science] A second kind of science involves situations in which one cannot
control all the variables, but can predict some. For example, I cannot prove
that on occasion the moon comes directly between the sun and the Earth and
casts a shadow of darkness on the Earth, because I cannot control the positions
of the Earth, moon, or sun. What can be done is predicting the times when such
eclipses will happen and being ready to make observations when they occur.
Hopefully the weather where I have my instruments will allow me to make lots of
measurements.
- [Category-3 Science] A third kind of science involves events that can neither be
predicted nor controlled, but one can be ready to make measurements if
something does happen. For example, an array of seismographs can be established
to allow measurements to be made at several locations in the event of an
earthquake. When I was at the University of Chicago, a block of nuclear
emulsion was attached to a large balloon that would be released when a
radiation detector indicated that a solar storm had occurred (something we
could neither produce nor predict). Somebody would rush to Stagg Field and
release the balloon. When the balloon was
retrieved, the emulsion would be carefully examined to measure the number,
direction, velocity, and mass characteristics of particles unleashed by the sun.
- [Category-4 Science] Finally, there is a fourth kind of science, still using the rules
to attack difficult problems. These are the events that involve intelligence,
such as airplane crashes, murders, rapes, and automobile accidents. We do not
know when or where they will occur, but we do know they will. In a typical year
more than 40,000 Americans will be killed in automobile accidents. We don't
know where or when, so rarely are TV cameras whirling when these events take
place. But we can, after the fact, collect and evaluate evidence. We can
determine if the driver had high levels of alcohol in his or her blood, whether
the brakes failed, whether the visibility was poor, where a skid started, and
so on. Observations of strange phenomena in the sky come under this last
category.
In all the category-4 events, we must obtain as much testimony from witnesses
as possible. Some testimony is worth more than other testimony, perhaps because
of the duration of observation, the nearness of the witnesses to the event, the
specialized training of the observer, the availability of corroborative
evidence such as videos and still photos, or the consistency of evidence when
there is testimony from more than one witness. Our entire legal system is based
on testimony — rarely is there conclusive proof such as DNA
matching. Judges and juries must decide, with appropriate cross-examination,
who is telling the truth. In some states, testimony from one witness can lead
to the death penalty
for the accused. We should take note of the fact that even instrument data is dependent on
testimony from the observer of the instruments, and on appropriate calibration
and validation under standardized circumstances. Also, our courts place limits
on requirements for testimony, such as that against one spouse by the other.
Furthermore, there are rules about hearsay testimony, and rules regarding legal
evidence are complex and detailed. When it comes to flying saucers, we must remember that the reason most
sightings can be determined to be relatively conventional phenomena, often seen
under unusual circumstances, is that most people are relatively good observers.
The problem comes with the interpretation of what was observed. People watching
the sky late at night may get excited about a very bright light that moved very
slowly. Checking on the position of the planets at that time may reveal that
that light was Venus, because we have good information as to the angle of
observation, the direction of the light from the observer, the relatively slow
rate of motion, the location of Venus at that time, and so on. On three
occasions, when living in Southern California, I was called by people who
described an unusual object moving rapidly. I tried to make sure that I
analyzed their observations, such as, what time was it? In what direction were
you looking? In what direction did it seem to be moving? Was there any sound?
What was its apparent size, say, as compared to the moon (just covered by an
aspirin held at arm's length)? Two of the people wanted to tell me that the object was just over the next
hill. I stressed that this was an interpretation, because even huge objects far
away can seem to be small objects nearby. In all three cases, I felt that what
was being described sounded similar to a rocket launched down the California
Coast when the sun had gone down, but while the object was high enough to still
be in sunlight. I had seen such a spectacular case once myself. I checked, in
all three cases, with Vandenberg Air Force Base, which launches many rockets
down the U.S. West Coast. Indeed, there had been a launch at the right time in
each case. One case was especially intriguing, because several witnesses were
looking out across the ocean from a beach area and described the thing they saw
as similar to a string of popcorn. It turned out to be the launch of a special
weather satellite with extra solid boosters being dropped off multiple times. The people were good observers. To say the least, it would be irrational to say
that people are good observers when their input allows us to identify the
object being observed, and yet poor observers if we can't identify the UFO as
something conventional. — Stanton T. Friedman (Nuclear Physicist)
Flying Saucers and Science
Subtitle — A Scientist Investigates the Mysteries of UFOs: Interstellar Travel, Crashes,
and Government Cover-Ups
(Chapter 1 - "The Case for the ET Origin of Flying Saucers")
(Franklin Lakes, NJ: New Page Books, 2008)   |  |  |  |  |
| | | | Nine Points to Note - Recently, we added a simple blog so that you would be apprised of the latest
changes to the Mysteries of the World Website. To get the updates automatically, CLICK HERE to subscribe to our RSS (you will get a new window or 'tab'). Thanks and cheers!
Warning to the unthinking (and to the control freaks and power junkies) ... You probably won't like the following 'thinking' observation ... But it's
an important part of any exploration, investigation, study, etc. of the Mysteries of the World ... SEVEN DOORS TO SEVEN ROOMS OF THOUGHT- Accept the statement of Eminent Authority without basis, without question.
- Disagree with the statement without basis, out of general contrariness.
- Perhaps the statement is true, but what if it isn't? How then to account for
the phenomenon?
- How much of the statement rationalizes to suit man's purpose that he and his
shall be ascendant at the centre of things?
- What if the minor should become major, the recessive dominant, the obscure
prevalent?
- What if the statement were reversible, that which is considered effect is
really cause?
- What if the natural law perceived in one field also operates unperceived in all
other phases of science? What if there be only one natural law manifesting
itself, as yet, to us in many facets because we cannot apperceive the whole, of
which we have gained only the most elementary glimpses, with which we can cope
only at the crudest level?
And are those still other doors, yet undefined, on down the corridor? |
- Please do not assume or conclude that, just because I present many views (in
the form of textual notes, pictures/stills, and audio and video
clips) — as well as many advertisements, some by me and some
automatically by Google Adsense and Amazon — on this website,
it does not
mean that I am in agreement with or that I believe in the views and/or ads
offered-proferred ... That would be displaying such a parochial and provincial
attitude, towards this website and towards me as well!
As an ex-military officer, I assure you that I am in the habit of reading,
viewing and digesting lots of stuff that I don't necessarily believe in ... We
call all the stuff we read, view and digest, 'military intelligence' ... The
same applies with 'business intelligence' in the business world, of course. Our aim, as usual, is to find out what others (including our friends, enemies,
competitors, suppliers, strategic partners, business partners, etc.) believe
in. In order to do that effectively, we have to 'get out of the way', so to
speak — we have to remove our humongous
ego! — else we will never ever really have gotten started in
our journey of exploration and discovery of the Mysteries of the World. Furthermore, similarly and additionally, as a "Charismatic Christian", there
are lots of stuff presented in this website that I do not believe in ... which
had even led some to label me as "Fundamentalist"! ... Whatever! Matthew 7 1Judge not, that ye be not judged.2For with what judgment ye judge, ye shall be judged: and with what measure ye
mete, it shall be measured to you again. 3And why beholdest thou the mote that is in thy brother's eye, but considerest
not the beam that is in thine own eye? 4Or how wilt thou say to thy brother, Let me pull out the mote out of thine eye;
and, behold, a beam is in thine own eye? 5Thou hypocrite, first cast out the beam out of thine own eye; and then shalt
thou see clearly to cast out the mote out of thy brother's eye. — Jesus the Christ
(Yahoshua ha Mashiach;
Yeshua/Yesua; Ieosus; Joshua),
"Sermon on the Mount"
If you want to hear the NIV — specifically, from The Visual Bible: Matthew (1993) — please click the audio player below:
In short, in this website, I present many things that, I am hopeful, would be
of interest to a student, explorer and investigator of the Mysteries of the World ... but this doesn't mean that I believe in any of the stuff presented. ... Got it? ... Right! - Here is a purpose that I am wholeheartedly in agreement with ...
[Mysteries, Monsters, Mutants, Myths, Miracles & Much More ...]Our purpose ... is to describe the rich variety of anomalous, unexplained,
sometimes totally bizarre phenomena that people have experienced in all times
and places and that are still occurring today. ... the nature of the world and
of our existence are quite different from that which we were taught at school.
The reality is far more interesting, humorous and expansive than any religious
or rational, scientific world-view can possibly accommodate. It is not our intention here to dispute anyone's beliefs or
theories — but we should like to point out their limitations.
There are things that happen in this world - and have occurred throughout the
whole of human experience - for which there has never been a lasting
explanation. Explanations are temporary products, coming and going in response
to fashions. Meanwhile, the happenings they are supposed to explain carry on as
mysteriously as ever. — John Michell and Bob Rickard
The Rough Guide to Unexplained Phenomena (Rough Guide Reference)
(New York, NY: Rough Guides Ltd, 2007) - Here is a sentiment that I am wholeheartedly in agreement with ...
As I sit down to redo this book for an American audience, what rises before me
is last night's dream: I'm in a broad and beautiful land among many trees. It's
night. I look up at a huge old tree that's dark against the starry sky in its
detail of twig and branch. There is room enough here for all of us, I realize,
here in this big, intricately textured park. But I see that some want to cut
down the trees and level it out, so huge throngs of people can gather to gaze
up at the sun's glare. I watch dark twigs fingering the remote, untouchable
stars. A voice speaks: "Don't turn this into a Copernican Garden." Waking up, I remember that I went to sleep wondering how to put this book
together. And I take "Copernican Garden" to mean a parking lot vista where
masses gather to honor the bright sun of traditional science with its old rules
as the center of the universe. So I will not cut down the trees and level this book out. It is between you and
me [or you and I], a conversation as we stroll along in a moonlit fractal
garden past webby connections of thought that merge to patterned insight. Here
hidden delights nestle in scaling patterns of self-similar but never quite
repeating beauty. Here the tree of life hold stars in its branches. No matter
how huge, this garden stays human-sized because we have a place in it, you and
I. No need to cut down the connective forest and level things out for that
bright Sol [sun] of left-brain logic whose daytime dazzle — so
close and glaring — can blind us to the myriad constellations
beyond. [...] — Katya Walter, Tao of Chaos
Sub-title: Merging East and West
(1994, 1996) - Here is an observation (adapted) made in the Acknowledgement page of a book ...
It takes many minds to produce a book [including an e-book, of course].
Although most authors [especially of non-fiction books and articles] would
prefer not to admit this fact, fundamentally they are merely 'synthesisers' of
accumulated knowledge. The process of synthesising may unveil a new reality map, or paradigm, which,
in due course, will be used by future pioneers to unveil further paradigms. This principle was summed up by Sir Isaac Newton when he remarked: "If I have
seen further, it is by standing on the shoulders of giants". [...] — Christian von Nidda, Our Secret Planet
(2005) - Here is an observation about UFO-Aliens cover-up or conspiracy that may be of
general interest, although some readers would not agree with the observation
(e.g., they may say that some whistleblowers, such as Bob Lazar on the
Roswell-type flying saucers in secret Area-51 labs, have already come forward)
...
If any long-term coherent cover up of UFO information does exist, however, then
it must operate at all levels of government and the media. It must encompass
all the relevant written materials, from the briefest handwritten note in
government files to entries in squadron log books to letters in the personal
papers of members of the Establishment. Hundreds of politicians, service
personnel, police officers, clerks and officials, over half a century, would be
required to excise any reference to the reality of UFOs from official documents
and the media. The number of people who would have taken part in this cover up
would be vast, yet not one person has broken ranks to 'blow the whistle' on the
greatest story ever told. Meantime, millions of dollars are being spent every
day on space probes and radio telescopes that are searching for evidence of
alien life. Would there be any reason for a conspiracy of silence if that
evidence already existed? — Dr David Clarke and Andy Roberts, Out of the Shadows
(2002) - Even though I am a "Charismatic Christian", the views presented herewith, in
this Mysteries of the World Website, will NOT be colored by this fact of being a Charismatic Christian. Rather, where and
when I find it necessary (and usually, I would NOT find it necessary, since I find it tiresome to repeat myself, again and again
and again ..., ad infinitum ..., but if I should find it necessary to repeat myself), I will then state
what my Charismatic Christian beliefs lead me to believe
in — even though I am aware that my own Charismatic Christian
beliefs may or may not be the same as, or in accord with, those beliefs of
others who also may want to regard themselves as Charismatic Christians
(nb/note well: there appears to be so many varieties of Charismatic Christian
beliefs, including from those who are simultaneously of the
traditional-historical denominations — such as the Roman
Catholics, with their purgatories, mortal and venial sins, and their Mother
this and Mother that. Shudder! Shudder! Shudder!).
Thus, for example, I do not necessarily "believe" in "ghosts", even as I (will
later) examine the entire gamut of so-called "paranormal events or phenomena",
especially of those with a psychic bent (truly, these are bent!, as in
less-than-straight, aka "crooked", thinking variety). Many so-called "ghosts"
are probably some form of "fallen angels" or "demons" of the Biblical kind,
masquerading as either gods, demons, spirits, ghosts, or even "angels of light"
(when they are obviously "fallen" and are "angels of darkness", or "sons of
darkness" as used in one of the Dead Sea Scrolls, i.e. The War of the Sons of Light Against the Sons of Darkness). Anyway, the author of 1 John, gave us a simple test against any "spirit" to see
whether that spirit is of light (God; Christ/Son of God; Holy Spirit of
God/Comforter/Advocate/Paraclete/The One; Jehovah/Yahveh/Yahweh/God the Father)
or of darkness (Satan, Lucifer, the Devil; the Anti-Christ; the False Prophet;
the Beast): 2This is how you can recognize the Spirit of God: Every spirit that acknowledges
that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is from God, 3but every spirit that does not acknowledge Jesus is not from God. This is the
spirit of the antichrist, which you have heard is coming and even now is
already in the world. — First Epistle of John
(1 John 4:2-3; New
International Version/NIV)
(Note: many Catholics like NIV
and dislike KJV! Tough!) Whatever the case may be about "ghosts" and other "apparitions", in this
website, I have stated that we will be truth-based and science-based. Despite
this, definitely, I will not be ashamed of being a Charismatic Christian or of
God's Word:If anyone is ashamed of me and my words, the Son of Man will be ashamed of him
when he comes in his glory and in the glory of the Father and of the holy
angels. (Spoken by Jesus and recorded in Luke 9:26; NIV)If anyone is ashamed of me and my words in this adulterous and sinful
generation, the Son of Man will be ashamed of him when he comes in his Father's
glory with the holy angels. (Spoken by Jesus and recorded in Mark 8:38; NIV) I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God for the
salvation of everyone who believes: first for the Jew, then for the Gentile. (Apostle Paul, in his Epistle to the Romans; Romans 1:16; NIV)
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As stated in our Mysteries Blog, the ' Mysteries of the World' Website does NOT aim to sensationalize any particular 'Mystery', although we
will examine and explore all possible viewpoints pertaining to each
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be 'as yet unresolved' or 'unexplained to our satisfaction'.
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