Atlantis

The riddle of Atlantis is among the greatest of the world's unsolved mysteries. Where, for a start, was the exact site of this huge island civilization? did it really, as early historians reported, vanish from the earth in a day and a night? Small wonder that since the earliest times scholars, archaeologists, historians, and occultists have kept up an almost ceaseless search for its precise whereabouts. Beginning with the Greek philosopher Plato's first description of the lost land that was apparently "the nearest thing to paradise on Earth," this chapter examines in detail the basic evidence for the existence and cataclysmic destruction of Atlantis.

(Note: Plato was not the first one to know about Atlantis. He was the first to describe it in detail. Pythagoras taught Plato what he knew)

Of all the world's unsolved mysteries, Atlantis is probably the biggest. Said to have been a huge island continent with an extraordinary civilization, situated in the Atlantic Ocean, it is reported to have vanished from the face of the earth in a day and a night. So complete was this devastation that Atlantis sank beneath the sea, taking with it every trace of its existence. Despite this colossal vanishing trick, the lost continent of Atlantis has exerted a mysterious influence over the human race for thousands of years. It is almost as though a primitive memory of the glorious days of Atlantis lingers on in the deepest recesses of the human mind. The passage of time has not diminished interest in the fabled continent, nor have centuries of skepticism by scientists succeeded in banishing Atlantis to obscurity in its watery grave. Thousands of books and articles have been written about the lost continent. It has inspired the authors of novels, short stories, poems, and movies. Its name has been used for ships, restaurants, magazines, and even a region of the planet Mars. Atlantean societies have been formed to theorize and speculate about a great lost land. Atlantis has come to symbolize our dream of a once golden past. It appeals to our nostalgic longing for a better, happier world; it feeds out hunger for knowledge of mankind's true origins; and above all it offers the challenge of a genuinely sensational detective story.

Today the search for evidence of the existence of Atlantis continues with renewed vigor, using 20th century man's most sophisticated tools in the hope of discovering the continent that is said to have disappeared around 11,600 years ago. did Atlantis exist, or is it just a myth? Ours may be the generation that finally solves this tantalizing and ancient enigma.

Atlantis is said to have been the nearest thing to paradise that the earth has seen. Fruits and vegetables grew in abundance in its rich soil. Fragrant flowers and herbs bloomed n the wooded slopes of its many beautiful mountains. All kinds of tame and wild animals roamed its meadows and magnificent forests, and drank from its rivers and lakes. Underground streams of wonderfully sweet water were used to irrigate the soil, to provide hot and cold fountains and baths for all the inhabitants. - There were even baths for the horses. The earth was rich in precious metals, and the Atlanteans were wealthier than any people before or after with gold, silver, brass, tin, and ivory, and their principal royal palace was a marvel of size and beauty. Besides being skilled metallurgists, the Atlanteans were accomplished engineers. A huge and complex system of canals and bridges linked their capital city with the sea and the surrounding countryside, and there were magnificent docks and harbors for the fleets of vessels that carried on a flourishing trade with overseas countries.

Whether they lived in the city or the country, the people of Atlantis had everything they could possibly want for their comfort and happiness. They were a gentle, wise, and loving people, unaffected by their great wealth and prizing virtue above all things. In time, however, their noble nature became debased. No longer satisfied with ruling their own great land of plenty, they set about waging war on others. Their vast armies swept through the Strait of Gibraltar into the Mediterranean region, conquering large areas of North Africa and Europe. The Atlanteans were poised to strike against Athens and Egypt when the Athenian army rose up, drove them back to Gibraltar, and defeated them. Hardly had the Athenians tasted victory when a terrible cataclysm wiped out their entire army in a single day and night, and caused Atlantis to sink forever beneath the waves. Perhaps a few survivors were left to tell what happened. At all events, the story is said to have been passed down through many generations until, more than 9200 years later, it was made known to the world for the first time.

The man who first committed the legend to paper was the Greek philosopher Plato, who in about 355 B.C. wrote about Atlantis in two of his famous dialogues, the Timaeus and the Critias. Although Plato claimed that the story of the lost continent was derived from ancient Egyptian records, no such records have ever come to light, nor has any direct mention of Atlantis been found in any surviving records made before Plato's time. Every book and article on Atlantis that has ever been published has been based on Plato's account; subsequent authors have merely interpreted or added to it.

Plato was a master storyteller who put his philosophical ideas across in the form of apparently real-life events with well-known characters, and his Atlantis story might well have been firmly relegated to the realms of fiction. The very fact that it is still widely relegated as a factual account 2300 years after he wrote it shows the extraordinary power of Plato's story. It has inspired scholars to stake their reputation on the former existence of the lost continent, and explorers to go in search of its remains. Their actions were prompted not by the Greek story alone, bit also by their own discoveries, which seemed to indicate that there must once have been a great landmass that acted as a bridge between our existing continents.

Why, ask the scholars, are there so many remarkable similarities between the ancient cultures of the Old and New Worlds? Why do we find the same plants and animals on continents thousands of miles apart when there is no known way for them to have been transported there?   How did the primitive peoples of many lands construct technological marvels, such as Stonehenge in Britain, the huge statues of Easter Island in the Pacific and the strange sacred cities of the Andes? Were they helped by a technically sophisticated race that has since disappeared? Above all, why do the legends of people the world over tell the same story of an overwhelming natural disaster and the arrival or godlike beings who brought with them a new culture from a far? could the catastrophe that sank Atlantis have sent tidal waves throughout the glove, causing terrible havoc and destruction? And were the 'gods' the remnants of the Atlantean race - the few survivors who were not on or near the island continent when it was engulfed?

Map of Atlantis by the 17th-century German scholar Athanasius Kircher. Kircher based his map on Plato's description of Atlantis as an island west of the Pillars of Hercules - the Strait of Gibraltar - and situated Atlantis in the ocean that has since been named after the legendary land. Unlike modern cartographers, he placed south at the top of the map, which puts America at the right.

Even without Plato's account, the quest for answers to these mysteries might have led to the belief by some in a 'missing link' between the continents - a land-bridge populated by a highly evolved people in the distant past. Nevertheless, it is the Greek philosopher's story that lies at the heart of all arguments for or against the existence of such a lost continent.

Plato intended writing a trilogy in which the Atlantis story plays an important part, but he completed only one of the works, Timaeus, and part of the second, Critias. Like Plato's other writings, they take the form of dialogues or playlets in which a group of individuals discuss various political and moral issues. Leading the discussion is Plato's old teacher, the Greek philosopher Socrates. His debating companions are Timaeus, an astronomer from Italy, Critias, a poet and historian who was a distant relative of Plato, and Hermocrates, a general from Syracuse. Plato had already used the same cat of real-life characters in his most famous dialogue, The Republic, written some years previously, and he planned his trilogy as a sequel to that debate, in which the four men had talked at some length about ideal government.

Plato set the meeting of the four men in Critia's house in June 421 B.C. Timaeus begins on the day following the debate recorded in The Republic, and the men start by recalling their previous conversation. Then Hermocrates mentions "a story derived from ancient tradition" that Critias knows. Pressed for details, Critias recalls how, a century and a half earlier, the great Athenian statesman Solon had visited Egypt (Solon was a real person and he did visit Egypt, although his trip took place around 590 B.C., so 20 years earlier than the date given by Plato.) Critias says that while Solon was in Sais, an Egyptian city having close ties with Athens, a group of priests told him the story of Atlantis - "a tale that, though strange, is certainly true." Solon made notes of the conversation, and intended recording the story for posterity, but he did not do so. Instead he told it to a relative, Dropides, who passed it on to his son, Critias the elder, who eventually told his grandson, another Critias - the man who features in Plato's dialogues.

In Timaeus Critias gives a brief account of what the priests had told Solon. According to ancient Egyptian records there had been a great Athenian empire 9000 years earlier (that is, in about 9600 B.C.) At the same time there had been a mighty empire of Atlantis based on an island or continent west of the Pillars of Hercules (the Strait of Gibraltar) that was larger than North Africa and Asia Minor combined. Beyond it lay a chain of islands that stretched across the ocean to another huge continent.

The Atlanteans ruled over their central island and several others, and over parts of the great continent on the other side of the ocean. Then their armies struck eastward into the Mediterranean region, conquering North Africa as far as Egypt and southern Europe up to the Greek borders. "This vast power, gathered into one, endeavored to subdue at one blow our country and yours," said the Egyptian priests, "and the whole of the region within the strait. . ."Athens, standing alone, defeated the Atlanteans. "But afterward there occurred violent earthquakes and floods; and in a single day and night of destruction all your warlike men in a body sank into the earth, and the island of Atlantis in a like manner disappeared in the depths of the sea. For which reason the sea in those parts is impassable and impenetrable, because there is so much shallow mud in the way, caused by the subsidence of the island."

Socrates is delighted with Critias' story, which as "the very great advantage of being a fact and not a fiction." However, the rest of Timaeus is taken up with a discourse on science, and the the story of Atlantis is continued in Plato's next dialogue, the Critias, where Critias gives a much fuller description of the island continent. He goes back to the island's very beginning when the gods were apportioned parts of the earth, as is usual in ancient histories. Poseidon, Greek god of the sea and also of earthquakes, was given Atlantis, and there he fell in love with a mortal maiden called Cleito. Cleito dwelled on a hill in Atlantis, and to prevent anyone reaching her home, Poseidon encircled the hill with alternate rings of land and water, "two of land and three of water, which he turned as with a lathe." He also laid on abundant supplies of food and water to the hill, "bringing up two springs of water from beneath the earth, one of warm water and the other of cold, and making every variety of food to spring up abundantly from the soil."

Poseidon and Cleito produced 10 children - five pairs of male twins - and Poseidon divided Atlantis and its adjacent islands among these 10 sons to rule as a confederacy of kings. the first born of the eldest twins, Atlas (after whom atlantis was named), was made chief king. The kinds in turn had numerous children, and their descendants ruled for many generations.

Ass the population of Atlantis grew and developed, the people accomplished great feats of engineering and architecture. They accomplished great feats of engineering and architecture. The built palaces and temples, harbors and docks, and reaped the rich harvest of their agricultural and mineral resources. The kings and their descendants built the city of Atlantis around Cleito's hill on the southern coast of the island continent. It was a circular city, about 11 miles in diameter, and Cleito's hill, surrounded by its concentric rings of land and water, formed a citadel about three miles in diameter, situated at the very center of the impressive city.

The kings built bridges to connect the land rings, and tunnels through which ships could pass from one ring of water to the next. The rings of land were surrounded by stone walls plated with precious metals, and another wall ran around the entire city. The outermost ring of water became a great harbor, crowded with shipping.

A huge canal, 300 feet wide and 100 feet deep, linked the great harbor with the sea at the southern end, and joined the city to a vast irrigated plain, sheltered by lofty mountains, which lay beyond the city walls in the north. This rectangular plain, measuring 230 by 340 miles, was divided into 60,000 square lots, assigned to farmers. The mountains beyond housed "many wealthy villages of country folk, and rivers, and lakes, and meadows, supplying food for every animal, wild or tame, and much wood of various sorts, abundant for each and every kind of work." the inhabitants of the mountains and of the rest of the country were "a vast multitude having leaders to whom they were assigned according to their dwellings and villages." These leaders and the farmers on the plane were each required to supply men for the Atlantean army, which included light and heavy infantry, cavalry, and chariots.

Plato and Critias paint a vivid picture of Atlantean engineering and architecture with an attention to detail that bears the hallmark of a very factual account. Critias tells how the stone used for the city's buildings was quarried from beneath the island (Cleito's hill) and from beneath the outer and inner circles of land.

"One kind of stone was white, another black, and third red, and as they quarried they at the same time hollowed out docks within, having roofs formed of the native rock. Some of their buildings were simple, but in others they put together different stones, which they intermingled for the sake of ornament, to be a natural source of delight."

But it was into their magnificent temples that the Atlanteans poured their greatest artistic and technical skills. In the center of the citadel was a holy artistic and technical skills. In the center of the citadel was a holy temple dedicated to Cleito and Poseidon and this was surrounded by an enclosure of gold. Nearby stood Poseidon's own temple, a superb structure covered in silver, with pinnacles of gold. The roof's interior was covered with ivory, and lavishly decorated with gold, silver, and orichate - probably a fine grade of brass or bronze - which "glowed like fire." Inside the temple was a massive gold statue of Poseidon driving a chariot drawn by six winged horses and surrounded by 100 sea nymphs on dolphins. This was so high that its head touched the temple roof. Gold statues of Atlantis' original 10 kings and their wives stood outside the temple.

Critias tells of the beautiful buildings that were constructed around the warm and cold fountains in the center of the city. Trees were planted between the buildings, and cisterns were designed - some open to the heavens, others roofed over - to be used as baths.

"There were the kinds' baths, and the baths of private persons, which were kept apart; and there were separate baths for women, and for horses and cattle , and to each of them they gave as much adornment as was suitable. Of the water that ran off they carried some to the grove of Poseidon, where were growing all manner of trees of wonderful height and beauty, owing to the excellence of the soil, while the remainder was conveyed by aqueducts along the bridges to the the outer circles; and there were many temples built and dedicated to many gods; also gardens and places of exercise, some for men, and others for horses in both of the two islands formed by the zones (rings of water) ; and in the center of the larger of the two there was set apart a racecourse of a stadium (about 607 feet) in width, and in length allowed to extend all around the island, for horses to race in."

At alternate intervals of five and six years the 10 kings of Atlantis met in the temple of Poseidon to consult on matters of government and to administer justice. During this meeting a strange ritual was enacted. After offering up prayers to the gods, the kings were required to hunt bulls, which roamed freely within the temple, and to capture one of them for sacrifice, using only staves and nooses. The captured animal was led to a bronze column in the temple, on which the laws of Atlantis were inscribed, and was slain so that its blood ran over the sacred inscription. After further ceremony, the kings partook of a banquet and when darkness fell they wrapped themselves in beautiful dark-blue robes, sitting in a circle they gave their judgments, which were recorded at daybreak on tablets of gold.

In the course of time, the people of Atlantis began to lose the love of wisdom and virtue that they had inherited from Poseidon. As their divine nature was diluted and human nature got the upper hand, they became greedy, corrupt, and domineering. Whereupon, says Plato,

"Zeus, the god of gods, who rules by law, and is able to see into such things, perceiving that an honorable race was in a most wretched state, and wanting to punish them that they might be chastened and improve, collected all the gods into his most holy abode, which, being placed into his most holy abode, which, being placed in the center of the universe, sees all things that partake of generation. And when he had called them together he spoke as follows..."

And there, enigmatically, and frustratingly, Plato's story of Atlantis breaks off, never to be completed. Some regard the Critias dialogue as a rough draft that Plato abandoned. Others assume he intended to continue the story in the third part of his trilogy, but he never even started that work. He went on, instead, to write his last dialogue, The Laws.

Controversy has raged over Plato's story ever since he wrote it 2300 years ago. Was his account fact, part-fact, or total fiction? Each explanation has its inherents, and each has been hotly defended over the centuries. Plato's story certainly presents a number of problems. Critics of the Atlantis theory claim that these invalidate the story as a factual account. Supporters maintain that they can be accepted as poetic license, exaggeration, or understandable mistakes that have crept in during the telling and retelling of the story over many centuries before Plato reported it.

The greatest stumbling block is the date that the Greek philosopher gives for the destruction of Atlantis. The Egyptian priests are said to have told Solon that Atlantis was destroyed 9000 years before his visit, in about 9600 B.C., which is far earlier than any known evidence of civilization. Supporters of Atlantis point out that modern discoveries are constantly pushing back the boundaries of human prehistory and we may yet discover that civilization is far older than we think. However, Plato makes it clear that in 9600 B.C., Athens was also the home of a mighty civilization that defeated the Atlanteans. Archaeologists claim that their knowledge of Greece in the early days of its development is sufficiently complete to rule out the possibility of highly developed people in that country as early as 9600 B.C. Their evidence suggests that either Plato's story is an invention or he has the date wrong.

Assuming that Plato's facts are right but his date wrong, what evidence do we have to support his account of the origin of the Atlantis story? Bearing in mind that the war was principally between Atlantis and Athens, it seems odd that there were no Greek records of the battle, and that the account would have originated in Egypt. However Plato has an explanation for this. The Egyptian priests are said to have told Solon that a series of catastrophes had destroyed the Greek records, whereas their own had been preserved. The problem here is that if the Egyptian disappeared as completely as Atlantis itself.

Supposing that Solon did hear about Atlantis during his Egyptian trip, is it credible that such a detailed story could have been passed down through the generations as Plato asks us to believe? This is not impossible, because the art of accurate oral transmission was highly developed in the ancient world. Moreover, Solon is said to have taken notes of his conversation with the priests, and Critias claims that these were handed down to his relatives. However, here again we encounter a difficulty. For whereas in one place Critias states that he is still in possession of Solon's notes, in another he declares that he lay awake all night ransacking his memory for details of the Atlantis story that his grandfather had told him. Why didn't he simply refresh his memory from Solon's notes? And why didn't he show the notes to his three companions as incontrovertible proof of the truth of his rather unlikely story?

Yet another problem is that Plato dates the meeting of Socrates, Timaeus, Critias, and Hermocrates, during which Atlantis is discussed, as 421 B.C. Plato may have been present during their conversation, but as he was only six years old at the time, he could hardly have taken in much of their discussion, let alone made detailed notes of it. Either his account is based on records made my someone else, or the date is wrong, or this part of his story at least is an invention.

Critics of the Atlantis story believe that it is simply a myth invented to put across the great philosopher's views on war and corruption. Plato used real people in his other dialogues, and put his words into their mouths, too, as a dramatic device to present his ideas. There is no reason say the detractors, to assume that Timaeus and Critias are different in this respect, but Plato seems to expect his readers to draw different conclusions. He is at great pains to stress the truth of his account, tracing it back to Solon, a highly respected statesman with a reputation for being 'straight-tongues,' and having Critias declare that the Atlantis story, "though strange, is certainly true." And why, if his sole intention was to deliver a philosophical treatise, did Plato fill his account with remarkable detail and then stop abruptly at the very point where we would expect the "message" to be delivered? In spite of the errors and contradictions that have found their way into Plato's account, his story of Atlantis can still be viewed as an exciting recollection of previously unrecorded events.

History provides us with many examples of supposedly mythical places and subsequently being discovered. For example, Homer wrote about the Trojan War and subsequent research has shown that it was based on real historical events. Troy has since been found and dug up. In 1871, the German archaeologist Heinrich Schlieman excavated in Hissarlik and uncovered Troy just where Homer had placed it over 1000 years previously in his epic poems the Iliad and the Odyssey. As the Irish scholar J.V. Luce observes in his book The End of Atlantis: "classical scholars laughed at Schlieman when he set out with Homer in one hand and a spade in the other, but he dug up Troy and thereby demonstrated the inestimable value of folk memory Sir Arthur Evans did much the same thing when he found the labyrinthine home of the Minotaur at Knossos." Indeed, Sir Arthur Evans revealed that a highly advanced European civilization had flourished on the island of Crete long before the time of Homer, some 4500 years ago.

This should be justification enough to keep an open mind on Plato's account. The problem is that whereas Troy and Knossos were simply buried. Atlantis could be submerged hundred or even thousands of feet beneath the waves. And the force of the destruction may have destroyed the remains beyond recognition. However, if Plato's account is based on fact, then we know that the Atlanteans traded with their neighbors.. In this case there would be some evidence of their influence and culture in lands that survived the catastrophe. Believers in Atlantis have furnished us with a formidable array of such "proofs". Certainly there are scattered around the glove to lend support to the idea of a highly advanced, Atlantean-type civilization that was responsible.

Although Plato appears to place Atlantis in the Atlantic Ocean and early cartographers did likewise, numerous scholars and other Atlantis enthusiasts have since scoured the globe for more likely sites. Surprisingly, these have not always been in the ocean. The lost kingdom of Atlantis has been "found" at various times in the Pacific Ocean, the North Sea, the Sahara desert, Sweden, southern Spain, Palestine, Cyprus, Crete, the West Indies, and Peru, but to name a few.
 

GHOSTS

Are ghosts real?  It’s a question often asked and especially on the Internet.  It is the second highest mystery in the Aquiziam list that has been based on the number of worldwide internet searches conducted in English.  The question would be better if it asked: Do ghosts exist? (Reality can be a tricky subject and yes it is Quantum). To separate Ghosts from other unexplained phenomena, a starting point is to agree that a Ghost is the visible, audible or telepathic experience of something that was once alive and that is now dead.  So a ghost could naturally be a human being but could also be an animal or a plant.  In fact all of these have been reported at some time.   THE GHOST IN THE STUDY The above photograph was taken in a museum near the town of Ironbridge in England. An indistinct figure appeared in the picture even though the photographer saw only an empty room. One pseudo scientific explanation for this is that all living creatures have a form of measurable electrical (spiritual) energy when they are alive that fades away after their death.  For lack of a better word let’s call this energy: “Life”. Now just about all scientists agree with the Law of Conservation of Energy that states: “Energy cannot be created or destroyed; it can only be changed from one form to another or transferred from one body to another, but the total amount of energy remains constant (the same).  Given this as a concept, the question arises whether or not a “Life” (energy) continues after the body in which it existed has ceased to function? So the first explanation is that a ghost is the “Life” energy of a once living thing that does not fade away or move on as it is supposed to.  Death is not the opposite of life it is merely its absence – so where did the Life go?   If this is the explanation then it certainly does not explain why there are apparently ghostly carriages, cars, ships, planes and so on.  The definition of ghost then has to be: “The manifestation of anything that once existed but now does not.” Is the latest definition realistic?  In theory it is possible that every single event that has occurred since the beginning of time has left an imprint of itself on the matrix that is the universe. This is a very new “big” idea that only now are scientists beginning to seriously explore.  The theory behind it is deceptively simple and draws its formulation from Einstein’s Theory of Relativity in which he shows that time is not a constant.  Think of life like a film made up of thousands of “frames”.  Each frame is a moment in time permanently captured (and now real forever).  If they are flashed quickly, one after another, then the illusion of motion and reality is created. This is what a person experiences every time they watch a Film or DVD. But what if two films were experienced at the same time? The experience would be very much like that of experiencing a ghost and, as we now know, time is not a constant so in theory it could happen. In paranormal language this is often referred to as a “time-slip”     Reynauld’s Haunted House in Much Wenlock’s High Street, Shropshire, UK (Currently a Furniture Shop - 2008.) The Frame Effect. Often associated with ghosts and hauntings. Ghost Effect - Film Frames - Time Slip Three Great Questions! Let’s look at these three incredible unanswered questions.  Firstly, not even the cleverest person alive or dead has effectively explained where the universe came from! They can now explain that once there was nothing and then after a significant explosion – “The Big Bang” it all started to materialize but they conveniently fail to answer what it was created from.  The second great unanswered question is: “How big is the Universe?”  And again there is no answer other than “infinitely big” or “never ending”.  In an infinitely large universe the possibilities are, by conclusion, infinite.  In short, anything really is possible. The third question is:  “Is there life (energy and consciousness) after death? The safe scientific answer is “no”.  However, ask scientists to prove this and they cannot.  The truth is that history is littered with scientific facts and beliefs that have turned out to be wrong more often that they were correct. Universities and other scientific institutions rarely hire people that do not conform to the current accepted beliefs. Science is more similar to a religion than many of its priests, sorry - scientists, would like you to believe. Now that we’ve raised the subject of religion it’s important to consider that the majority of people are religious – even if somewhat vague about their beliefs.  At their most basic most religions are very similar.  There is a God.  This God created everything.  This God wants you to behave in a certain way that is “right”.  If you behave as you are told then when you die your soul (you) gets to carry on in a nice place. (sometimes there are even virgins.) If you don’t do and believe what you’re told then something unpleasant happens to you - quite often even before you die.  By the way we’re being cynical here but it does seem that mostly what these Gods want you to do is behave, keep clean, keep believing and hand over some of your money.  Oh, most importantly they want you not to change gods – which of course stops the money coming in. We apologize in advance for any offense that this abbreviation may have caused. Still here is the tricky thing, they could be right.  There is no proof that God does not exist and quite a lot of anecdotal evidence that God does. Most religions believe (propose) that all living things have a soul – a form of energy and consciousness - that continues to exist in some form or another after death. Many paranormal experts propose that after death the soul usually moves on but sometimes fails to do so and remains linked to this world (reality).  The force of this presence can be weak and so merely create an awareness sensation in those that are sensitive to its presence or it can be strong to the point where the “ghost” can actually interact with the living.  This interaction can be protective, benign or even aggressive. They further propose that the anomaly created by this remaining soul can be so strong that it can project the appearance of objects with which it was strongly associated.  This is quite a good explanation for why the Headless Horseman still has his horse or why ghosts are often seen with their cloths still on. The Evidence Against Ghosts: Scientists say they are just not possible. They can’t prove that they are not possible but say that every investigated Ghost has turned out to be explainable. We would just like to point out that it would take the collective manpower of every scientist alive (and more) to investigate every claim so clearly there is some exaggeration going on here. Some clearly faked photographs.  True, but people still can’t make up their minds whether the photographs of the Moon Landings were real or not. Hmm, makes you think!  Also, some faked photographs does not mean all photographs are faked. Hallucinations, peripheral vision and psychosomatic belief (the desire to see / believe). The Evidence for Ghosts: Millions of sightings over thousands of years recorded by many very respectable people from Pliny the Younger (Athenodoros Cananites c. 74 BC – 7 AD) to members of the modern American Senate.  Still, quite often these sightings are explainable and subject to interpretation. If, as the major religions would have people believe, we have a soul then ghosts (the spirit) almost certainly exist. Photographs, videos and documented eye witness accounts. An infinite universe does equal anything is possible. Personal experience! This is perhaps the single most compelling reason for any individual to believe – their own experience. The simple truth is that if anybody had clear irrefutable evidence one way or another then this would no longer be a mystery and wouldn’t be featured in this section of Aquiziam.com.  No one really knows whether ghosts exist or are merely figments of human kind’s imagination.       Ghost Tower Ironbridge The Hanging Tree Shropsire Ghostly Orb and Mist - Worcestershire Some Ghostly Information: Sightings of ghosts vary dramatically from country to country.  The United Kingdom is one of the highest.  The belief in ghosts can be traced back to prehistoric ancestor worship circa 4,000bc. Ancient Egyptians believed in ghosts. Wikipedia claims that 32% of Americans (who were surveyed) believe in ghosts – just about one in three. (Beware of statistics) Many researchers believe that ghosts are often mysteriously linked to places or objects that may in some way keep them anchored in this world. Allegedly, Anne Boleyn is probably the ghost with the most sightings. Executed at the Tower of London in 1536 for allegedly cheating on her husband Henry the Eighth, she has been sighted over 70,000 times in nearly 500 years. The Christian Bible has references in it to ghosts. (Verified) Children seem to be able to see or experience ghostly phenomenon more easily than adults. The original Headless Horseman is a fictional character that appears in a story called “the Legend of Sleepy Hollow” by Washington Irving. Animals, especially cats, are supposed to be sensitive to the presence of ghosts and are often observed to watch something that is clearly not there. Ghosts seem to be associated with extreme deaths such as murder, war and accidents. Digital cameras using their “flash mode” seem particularly able to photograph ghosts. Haunted houses are becoming a highly profitable tourist industry. 112 Ocean Avenue, Long Island, New York is the address of the haunted house featured in the film the Amityville Horror and was really the scene of a horrific murder. There are many places that claim the title of most haunted house in Britain but Borley Rectory in Essex seems the most popular. According to many “paranormal researchers” most ghosts don’t know that they are dead. Orb Ghosts are probably just camera flash reflections on air particles such as water droplets, insects and pollen. (Still debated) Ectoplasm – or more simply a clear jelly-like substance is reputed to often appear on the ground after a ghostly encounter.  No DNA analysis of Ectoplasm is currently available. Poltergeist means “Noisy Ghost” or “Noisy Spirit”. Angel Hair is a substance similar to ectoplasm and appears as fine strands of mucous-like substance near sites of ghostly visitations.  Although well recorded and documented every attempt to preserve this substance for more than a few minutes’ results in it literally disappearing. If you type “Ghost” into Google’s new variant search engine you will discover that there are more than 220 million results relating to this subject.  Clearly people are interested in this matter or perhaps more accurately, interested in presenting information about this topic. The Ironbridge Experience Ironbridge Gorge is a narrow wooded gash in the Shropshire hills (England) through which flows the Severn River.  Today it is a world heritage site listed as the home of the Industrial Revolution.  Named after the first cast iron bridge built in the World and completed in 1781, the town is now a beautiful tourist attraction – a far cry from the hell-hole of fire, furnaces and molten steel that it once was.  It is said that the average lifespan of an Ironbridge worker was just eight years before toxic fumes, contaminated water or overwork claimed his soul. Situated in part of the Ironbridge Gorge is the Tar Tunnel.  It was originally constructed to make the transport of iron and coke to and from the furnaces of Blists Hill easier.  However, during its construction natural tar wells were discovered deep under the hills and its purpose changed.  It is now a little known tourist attraction.  During August 2008 it was visited by a member of the team and his family. It was here and later at the Jackfield Tile Works that a series of photographs were taken that contain some unusual aspects. Shortly after the tar wells the tunnel is barred as it is considered unsafe beyond that point.  It is here that a series of photographs were taken that show an unusual sequence of events.  In the first image an orb appears very faintly against the roof of the tunnel.  In the second image a bright wraith appears and in the third image the orb has clearly moved past the camera.  By coincidence a face appears in the brickwork of tunnel.  What’s the explanation? Well, we don’t have one.  Each of the images below can be downloaded by clicking on them and still contains their digital signature to prove that they are original and unaltered by photo-editing software.     Almost Invisable Orb - Top and Centre A sudden burst of ghostly mist - note the face in the bricks on the right The mist is gone and the orb is moving to the left of the camera Later in the day the family visited the Jackfield tile works and again a ghostly image of a person dressed in typical 18th century style appears in one of the images.  (This is the main photograph at the top of this page.) We can’t say what these are and leave it up to you to make up your own mind. What’s in a Name? There are more than ten different words in the English (American) language for Ghosts.  This is a very large number of synonyms for something that doesn’t apparently exist.  There seems to be no definitive directory explaining the minor differences in these paranormal beings so we’ve done our best to compile one: Ghost: The “soul” of a being or thing trapped in this reality Spirit: The “soul” of a being or thing able to visit this reality Phantom: A ghost that is felt rather than seen Manifestation: A visible ghostly “thing” not clearly anything recognisable Apparition:  Similar to a manifestation but with at least a vaguely recognisable shape Geist: Another word for Ghost or sometimes Spirit Zeitgeist: A Spirit Guide Wraith: A Ghost or Spirit seeking revenge or the faintest of ghosts – almost intangible Orb: Spherical lights often captured on digital cameras and now disputed as real Poltergeist: Literally “Noisy Ghosts” these are often dangerous or hostile Astral Entities: Ghost-like beings experienced during a trance state Dybbuk:  A malicious spirit that possesses the bodies of living people Materialisations: The audible or visible presence of a summoned Ghost or Spirit Ghouls: From the Arabic, these beings are malignant spirits often associated with Djinns. Spook: Something of a joke ghost. So, do ghost’s exits?  The only way to answer this is through your own personall experience.  Almost every person alive has, at some time, experienced something that that was, ghostly in nature. Even if it was just a chill running down your spine. However, very few people will actually say that they are certain that they've seen a ghost. When it comes to ghosts – they’re the second biggest mystery and we believe that the debate is far from finished. Please be sceptical. The truth may be out there but so is an incredible amount of rubbish!

THE LOST CITY OF ATLANTIS?

The mystery of the lost city of Atlantis still captures the imagination of millions. Was it real or just myth. Here are the basic facts. Lost civilizations really still exist. New discoveries are happening even as you read this. Places like the Nazca Lines Google Earth can now be clearly seen. New cities have just been found in the Amazon. Just because we haven't found Atlantis doesn't mean we never will. If you are genuinely interested in the story of Atlantis then the only place to start is the source - the writings of Plato and the stories of Timaeus and Critias.   POSEIDON - GOD OF THE SEA - FATHER OF ATLANTIS An Atlantean symbol of power and kingship When you remove the gods, the parables and the sociological interpretation from the text you are left with the following key points. Solon (638 BC–558 BC) was a famous Athenian statesman, lawmaker, and Lyric poet who allegedly heard the story of Atlantis from Egyptian priests that he was visiting that claimed that the Athenians had forgotten their true history because from time-to-time their civilization had been largely destroyed by catastrophes. The Egyptian priests referred to the “Declamation of Heavenly Bodies”, meaning meteorites, which cause devastation on the planet. -----The Egyptian priests understood that from time-to-time there were serious natural catastrophes that involved fire and water (from which they had been largely immune). They attributed these to the actions of the Gods A war once took place between the Athenians and the Atlanteans The Athenians apparently came from Athens. The Atlanteans apparently came from an island beyond the pillars of Hercules (Straights of Gibraltar) The war took place 9,000 years before the time of writing which was approximately 2,500 years before today – so in effect 11,500 years ago. Atlantis was allegedly an island greater in size than Libya and Asia combined. Atlantis was eventually destroyed by an earthquake. The Athenian Gods were at peace with each other. The story had been forgotten by the Athenians because of a great deluge whereby only the illiterate people of the mountains had survived. Solon inferred that the event took place before the time of Theseus. At the time the Athenians ruled a land from the Isthmus (of Corinth) to the heights of the Cithaeron (a mountain range in what is today central Greece) and Parnes. Oropus was the boundary on the right and the river Asopus the boundary on the left. The Athenian land was fertile and able to support a great army. Many floods had taken place during the 9,000 years prior to the recording of the story. Many of the cliffs surrounding this (Athenian) land had been eroded and fallen into the sea. Many of the woods that once existed have disappeared. The land was less eroded and less rainfall was swept into the sea. The climate was more temperate. The Acropolis was larger and surrounded by soil and not the outcrop of rock it is now. They had Gymnasia. There were once more springs that disappeared after an earthquake. The Athenians were healthy, beautiful people that were well prepared for war. Poseidon was patron and God of Atlantis. (God of the sea and earthquakes) Atlantis was an Island with a small mountain at its centre with fertile plains surrounding it. The central mountain had rings of water surrounding it. Water flowed from underground - some hot, some cold. Crops flourished in the fertile soil. Poseidon’s first child (born on Atlantis) was named Atlas and the ocean around the Island was named Atlantic. From beyond the Pillars of Hercules the lost city of Atlantis controlled islands and lands as far as Egypt. They had extensive trade with other countries. Orichalcum (an unknown red coloured metal or alloy possible a mixture of copper and gold) was common on the Island. The Island was well forested. There were a great number of elephants on the Island. The Island had chestnut trees. The City / island existed long enough for many rulers / kings to develop it. The lost city of Atlantis had a canal from the sea to an inner lagoon. Three kinds of stone, one red, one black and one white were quarried on the Island of Atlantis. They used brass to cover their dwellings and brass, tin and orichalcum to cover the outer walls of their cities. Poseidon’s temple at the centre had a barbaric appearance and the roof (interior) was made of Ivory. In the temple there was a statue of the god in a chariot. The lost city of Atlantis made use of private and public baths and then saved the water for use on their fields. The later docks had Triremes and many naval supplies. The Island had cliffs on most sides but was otherwise a plateau with a small mountain at its centre and mountains to the North. The North of the Island had high and beautiful mountains. The plain featured a circular ditch (canyon) of such size (a 100 ft in depth) that it could not have been manmade. The military had war chariots. They benefited from winter rains. Their shields were small. The land was divided into ten kingdoms each with its own city. No King was to ever make war on another Atlantean King. This rule lasted for a great time but in the end the Kings became victim to mortal desires and sins. That’s it. These are the key points. The remainder of the story as recorded by Plato is lost.

THE MYSTERY OF ATLANTIS - LEGEND OR FACT?

Atlantis is one of the world's greatest mysteries. To many, its very name evokes a mystical sense of familiarity and lost memories. It is said to be the lost Atlantic continent, the first home of civilisation, an earthly paradise, struck down by a natural catastrophe at the height of its power, and now lying deep under the ocean, with only the tops of its mountains protruding from the ocean floor.
To others, Atlantis is merely a legend, invented by Plato, the Greek philosopher, as a backdrop for two of his dialogues: Timaeus and Critias.
Another belief is that Atlantis was a true precursor of the early civilisations and not located in the Atlantic at all, but instead occupying some other location, like the Greek islands of Crete or Santorini, as opposed to the Azores, Madeira, or the Canary Islands.
I first became aware of Atlantis whilst attending a workshop on Spiritual Healing given by Michael Bradford. He came over to me, during a break, and told me that I had been in Atlantis, working with crystals, in a past life. Since then I have been researching Atlantis and have spoken to many people who are also curious and have had similar experiences.
The name Atlantis derives from atlas, the giant Greek God who is said to have supported the sky. In Greek, Atlantis means "Daughter of Atlas".
According to Plato, Atlantis was a garden of Eden with an abundance of precious minerals and crystals, particularly orichalcium which was red in colour and considered more valuable than gold. This earthly paradise was a combination of mighty mountains, fertile plains, rivers, marshes and lakes with a thriving population and many species of animals, including elephants.Wood was plentiful for the carpenters. Herbs, flowers, and fruit grew and thrived, being used both as food and for medicinal purposes. The Atlanteans constructed temples, palaces, harbours and docks. They utilized the natural white, black and red stone that were quarried from underneath the centre of the island. Some of their buildings were simple, while others were very elaborate, coated and decorated with gold, brass, tin and the red orichalcium. They built a temple covered with gold and silver pinnacles dedicated to Poseidon, the God of sea, earthquakes and horses. Its ceiling was made of ivory whilst the walls and pillars were lined with orichalcium. There were many statues of gold including the main statue, from floor to ceiling, of Poseidon himself standing in a chariot with six winged horses.
Fountains of hot and cold springs were to be found amidst suitable trees and decorations and relaxing spas. These were used separately by the kings, public and even the horses and cattle! There were many lovely gardens and places of exercise including a horse racing course.
The large and busy harbour bustled with vessels and merchants from all parts of the world.
The surrounding mountains of great height and beauty were inhabited by the wealthy villagers. The meadows, rivers and lakes provided enough food for everyone. It really was the land of plenty!
The large rectangular plain played an important part in this civilization. Straight canals, a hundred feet in width, were cut into it to transport wood and the fruits of the earth down into the city from the mountains.
The inhabitants were divided into groups with leaders who were responsible for their own particular area. For many generations, the people obeyed the laws and possessed true and great spirits, practicing gentleness and wisdom. They lived a very divine life, enjoying their gold and possessions but not abusing them. They believed in friendship and led an almost "idyllic" existence in this land of "milk and honey". Legend says there were many crystal healers, masseurs and therapists, working for the well-being of their fellowman.
A Hopi myth describes Atlantis as a land in which great cities were created and crafts flourished, but when the people became corrupt and warlike, a great flood destroyed their world. It is thought that eventually the Atlanteans did change their peaceful ways and became aggressive with each other. That is when disaster struck!

Where was Atlantis?

There are many different beliefs as to the actual location of Atlantis. A large percentage believe, as did Plato, that it is a sunken island under the Atlantic Ocean. Others believe it is located near the Greek islands of Crete or Thera (Santorini). A severe earthquake on 9th July 1956 disturbed the lower strata in a quarry on Thera and the ruins of what appeared to be an ancient civilization were found. Human bones, teeth and charred wood, together with pottery and other artistic relics were Carbon-14 dated by Professor Galanopoulous. The results pointed to this being the remains of Atlantis.
The Azores, Madeira and the Canary Islands, along with smaller Atlantic islands, have also been suggested. The Azores, in common with Thera (perhaps even more so), have the look of sunken islands about them, with great black mountain peaks that rise directly from the ocean.
The Caribbean has also been suggested. In the 1920's, an American psychic Edgar Cayce predicted that Atlantis would rise again in 1968 from the ocean floor near Bimini in the Bahamas. In fact, in 1968 an airline pilot sighted an emergent temple of great antiquity only a few miles away from the predicted site. Since then there have been many more sightings and scuba divers have discovered flights of steps cut into the steep sides of the continental shelf in the same area. Great circular interrupted patterns of monolithic stones have been photographed on the ocean bottom, suggesting a sort of American "Stonehenge". Underwater pyramids, vertical walls and even a great arch have also been observed by scuba divers. Dr. Manson Valentine first discovered and explored the "Bimini Road" a sunken wall, foundation or dock, lying at a depth of about six fathoms, east of North Bimini.
It is very interesting that these ruins lie within the area known as "The Bermuda Triangle", the area between Bermuda, Eastern Florida and east of Puerto Rico. This is where many aircraft, large ships and small boats have been known to disappear without trace. Reported aspects of their disappearances involve spinning compasses, instrument malfunction, radio and radar blackout and electronic drain.
One suggested explanation is that the Atlanteans possessed laser power through gigantic crystals, as was reported by Edgar Cayce through his psychic readings, several decades before lasers became an accepted part of modern technology.
However more recently South America has become the most favoured location. In Peru, enormous stone walls on mountain-tops were a mystery to the conquering Incas and Spaniards. An incredible old city, Tiahuanaco in Bolivia, was apparently built so long ago that prehistoric animals were depicted on the local pottery. Enormous buildings, built at an elevation of 13,500 feet, with walls ten feet thick and foundation stones of 200 tons, were constructed with such exactness and knowledge of physics and astronomy that many investigators are convinced that the builders could not have been of this earth.
Geological discoveries around Tiahuanaco include salt lines in the mountains, former cornfields under the frozen snow-line of the surrounding peaks, and sea shells along the shores of lake Titicaca which indicated that the city was possibly an ocean port, forced up to its present altitude some 15,000 years ago, during volcanic activity which accompanied the melting of glaciers.
In 1965, Dr. Robert Menzies took photos from the research ship, "Anton Bruun", off the coast of Peru. Sonar recordings taken in this area indicated unusual shapes along the floor of the ocean, which otherwise seem to be a mud bottom. Photos taken at a depth of 6,000 feet show what were apparently massive upright pillars and walls, some of which seemed to have writing on them. The camera also took pictures of rocks laying scattered on their side, some in heaps as if they had toppled over, perhaps at the time that this mysterious city fell more than a mile under the sea.
With the advancement of technology, which at present is probing into outer galaxies, the time may come when they are able to turn their attention below the surface of the ocean, and discover the truth about Atlantis.
I do hope you have enjoyed reading this article, as much as I have enjoyed writing it.
Perhaps you have your own theories on the whereabouts of Atlantis that you may like to share and discuss.
I look forward to hearing from you.

Miracles & Mysteries - Proof of Ramayana in Sri Lanka

Miracles & Mysteries - Proof of Ramayana in Sri Lanka The Ravana Palace  which was burnt by Hanuman

Sugriva Cave

Floating Stone from Ramsethu(bridge made by lord Rama and Vanara sena)

Ashok vatika where Ravana kept Sita

The Sri Lankan tourism promotion bureau must have been watching very closely when the Setusamudram Project rocked Parliament last year. Their attempt to cash in on the Ramayana craze in India seems to have hit jackpot.  Ever since the launch in January of the ‘Sri Lanka’s Ramayana Trail’ — a religious/ spiritual tourism venture by Lanka — tour operators have been flooded with enquiries from India. “A swami from north India is bringing 400 of his students to go on the trail. An Andhra Pradesh tour operator has come and checked out the trail. We have already had batches of 50, 60, and 120 visitors from India,” said Asoka Perera, South Asia spokesperson for Sri Lanka Tourism. He is in Delhi to take part in the South Asia Travel and Tourism Exchange. The trail, that can be anything between one and three weeks, comprises a maximum of 25 locations spread across central and western Sri Lanka.  “The objective of this venture is to create fellowship with other communities so that there can be some relief from the ethnic strife,” said Perera. Among the attractions is the Ravana Cave at Ella, 220 km from the capital Colombo. According to legend it served as a quick means of transport through the hills for Ravana.  Even a research study called Following the Trail of Ramayana in Sri Lanka is underway. “The study is based on the compilation of research conducted by academicians from India and Sri Lanka over the years. We are a team of six active members, including three Indians,” said T.Y. Sunderasan, director of the study.  But historians say such efforts must be condemned. “As far as historicity is concerned, these claims are unverifiable. As we know from the Ram Setu controversy, literal reading of the epic is problematic. In archeological terms, it is very difficult to verify. We as historians and scholars should condemn such efforts that give legitimacy to artificial geography,” said R  Mahalakshmi, assistant professor, Centre for Historical Studies at JNU.   DN Jha retired professor of history from Delhi University and author of the controversial book The Myth of the Holy Cow attributes the success of the venture to ‘mythomania’. “I think this is bizarre. This is what we can call ‘mythomania’.  It is a myth that we have already exposed here. One needs to ask if these researchers have studied Sanskrit, have they read all the different versions of Ramayana — there are over 300 of them.”

The Death Valley Giants

Located within California’s Mojave Desert, Death Valley is a most apt name for a place that resembles the rugged surface of some far away, battle-scarred planet and which holds the dubious honor of being home to the highest recorded temperature in the western world. An incredible 136° Fahrenheit, it was recorded on July 10, 1913, in the very appropriately named Furnace Creek.
It is somewhat ironic that, although Death Valley got its memorable moniker during the famous Gold Rush of 1849, only one death among all the prospectors eager to seek out gold was actually reported during that turbulent period. And although the name may be relatively new, the history of the area is most definitely not. For more than a thousand years the Timbisha Native Americans have lived in the harsh environs of Death Valley. And, in times both past and present, so have a whole range of things undeniably weird.
One of the strangest of all sagas relative to the mysteries of Death Valley erupted in the summer of 1947, the very same period in which the era of the Flying Saucer took the entire world by storm. In early August of that year, Howard E. Hill, of Los Angeles, spoke before the city’s Transportation Club and told a sensational story.
It was an extravagant tale that described the work of a certain Dr. F. Bruce Russell, a retired Cincinnati, Ohio physician, who claimed to have discovered, in 1931, a series of complex tunnels deep below Death Valley. Well, you may justifiably ask, so what?

[The images used in this post are used for illustration purposes only and are obviously photoshopped (except for the giant skull in the wheelbarrow, I took that one myself back in 1849) - MU]
After all, caves, caverns and underground grottos exist all around the world. They most certainly do. But, there was something very special and unique about these particular tunnels beneath Death Valley. According to the story told to Hill by Russell, the caves contained the skeletons of several gigantic men, each in the region of around nine feet in height, which Russell stumbled upon with a colleague, Dr. Daniel S. Bovee, who Russell had worked with on archaeological excavations in Mexico several years earlier.
And “stumbled upon” is highly apt terminology. Russell reportedly fell headlong into one of the caves when the surface soil gave way beneath him as he was in the middle of busily sinking a shaft for a mining claim. In Hill’s own words, spoken before the amazed and hushed audience of the Transportation Club, he said:
“These giants are clothed in garments consisting of a medium length jacket and trousers extending slightly below the knees. The texture of the material is said to resemble gray dyed sheepskin, but obviously it was taken from an animal unknown today.”
Upping the weird stakes even further, Hill said that while deep underground Russell and Bovee apparently came across what they described as a “ritual hall,” in which were found unspecified devices adorned with markings “similar to those now used by the Masonic order.” More bizarrely, the long-dead remains of both tigers and elephants – or, as was later suggested, and which was certainly far more plausible, the remnants of ancient saber-tooth tigers and mammoths – were also found strewn across the floor of the huge hall.
As for this fantastic, below-surface realm, we’re not talking about just a few, measly tunnels either. Hill revealed that then current estimates suggested there were at least thirty-two of them, and they ran for an amazing 180 square miles, covering whole swathes of Death Valley and certain parts of southern Nevada.
As for the era in which the bodies originated, while no explanation was given as to how Russell had come up with such a figure, he estimated they extended back an incredible 80,000 years, if not even longer, Hill told the crowd.
Hardly surprisingly, the local media of the day loudly cited the comments of certain, unnamed “professional archaeologists” who openly scoffed at such a story, assuring anyone and everyone who would listen that the tale simply had to be that and nothing else at all: a tall story of April Fools’ Day proportions.
Rather incredibly, but some might say predictably, no-one in the professional world of archeology would even dare take up the challenge to see the incredible evidence for his or herself – possibly fearful of being viewed as gullible and lacking in credibility.
The result: it was left up to Howard E. Hill to continue to speak on behalf of Dr. Russell – which he certainly did, until the story died a mysterious death, and Hill, Russell and Bovee mysteriously vanished into the shadows (or, perhaps, into the depths of those old caves), never, ever to return….

Ancient Chariots of Alien Gods: The Great Vimana Controversy

The ancient Hindu epics are rife with tales of the strange and fantastic. Elements described within consist of elaborate tales of massive wars, superheroes, and gods that walk alongside common mortals. And yet, perhaps no subject hailing from the Sanskrit fables has captured the minds of ancient mystery proponents better than the flying vehicles of ancient India, known today as vimanas.
Vimanas are, without question, mentioned throughout many of the ancient Vedic texts, proving they certainly are not a concept that originates entirely from recent times; but if not sophisticated avionics of the modern variety, what then might they have been? Could it be possible that some elements regarding the vimana mystery–specifically our interpretation of these objects as technologically advanced aircraft that existed in ancient India–could be a result of our own desire to superimpose modern themes and ideas into the framework of the ancient Indian epics?
Before we get to the discussion of flying craft, there are a few things we must look at first with regard to the exact meaning of what a “vimana” is, in order to better unravel why I feel there may be misinterpretation associated with their presence in literature. One thing that we must take into consideration is that “vimana” is a word used to describe a number of things in a variety of different contexts throughout the Vedas. For instance, vimana can translate to mean the innermost sanctuary of a Rama temple (sometimes called an “adytum,” though this word actually has its origins in the Greek, rather than the Sanskrit). A variety of different temples, palaces, shrines, towers, and other structures associated with kings, emperors and divinity were also called “vimanas” in the Vedas, roughly translated to mean “a god’s palace.”

Some scholars assert that from this interpretation of the word, references in the Ramayana to Ravana’s flying palace “Pushpaka” may lend credence to the idea that a vimana is some kind of “floating palace.” From a modern perspective, we might also take this to mean a “flying vehicle,” too… after all, we can’t think of many buildings that float; on the other hand, plenty of different kinds of flying vehicles that exist in modern times come immediately to mind (though interestingly, some of our own modern flying warplanes have been called “fortresses” at various times, too).
The expression “Chariots of the Gods,” popularized by Erich von Daniken, also stems from the Vedas too, in reference to some of the vimana craft described variously as flying carts, seats, or thrones. But again, many of these same descriptions often described the vimanas in question as resembling various kinds of abodes, buildings, palaces, or towers. Some of these were understood to be capable of flying or hovering, and in modern times, their presence has been interpreted by some ancient astronaut proponents as evidence of “space stations” and similar “flying fortresses” that existed in ancient times. While we can’t rule anything out, this may indeed represent a bit of a hypothetical leap to be made; furthermore, here again the modern bias with regard to this interpretation seems rather obvious.
There are still other meanings of the word vimana, however, that should be taken into consideration. In the Vimanavatthu, a token prayer or text used as the inspiration for a Buddhist sermon was once referred to also as a “vimana.” Futhermore, some “vimana” references dealt merely with scientific methods of making precise measurements, as well as a more general meaning that involved medicines used to treat various ailments. But no less, the link between vimanas and aircraft remains a tenet even in the modern Indian languages (sometimes used literally as a term meaning “aircraft”). Vimanapura is also an Indian word synonymous with the Bangalore HAL Airport. What this shows is that, yes, vimana means “flying vehicle,” and certainly, many references within the vedas refer to such things.
But if it is clear that vimanas are indeed mentioned in the ancient Sanskrit texts, and that this term was used, at least on occasion, to describe flying objects, then where is the so-called “controversy” regarding vimanas? In truth, where I think our modern interpretation of such things becomes misleading is when we take “vimana” to mean anything more specific than merely an “ancient flying machine.” In other words, to assert that they were a technological device using highly advanced, anti-gravitic science and engineering that may have involved mercuric engines, etc, is something that, based on my own research, likely stems from constructions or misinterpretations from the earlier part of the last century. The same may not be said entirely of the vimanas themselves however, as one cannot refute their presence in the ancient texts, at least by virtue of their frequent mention, and various descriptions.
And in truth, much of this modern idea of the inner mechanics of vimanas stems from a single manuscript, authored around 1920, called the Vaimanika Shastra. This work is based entirely on information allegedly channeled by the author, Pandit Subbaraya Shastry, and the information contained within has been chalked up by most aeronautics experts in modern times as being pure rubbish, to put it nicely. To illustrate this, the following statement by the late John B. Hare of the Internet Sacred Text Archive discusses the shortcomings in people’s interpretation of the Vaimanika Shastra’s content over the years:

 The Vymanika Shastra was first committed to writing between 1918 and 1923, and nobody is claiming that it came from some mysterious antique manuscript. The fact is, there are no manuscripts of this text prior to 1918, and nobody is claiming that there are. So on one level, this is not a hoax. You just have to buy into the assumption that ‘channeling’ works. … there is no exposition of the theory of aviation (let alone antigravity). In plain terms, the VS never directly explains how Vimanas get up in the air. The text is top-heavy with long lists of often bizarre ingredients used to construct various subsystems. … There is nothing here which Jules Verne couldn’t have dreamed up, no mention of exotic elements or advanced construction techniques. The 1923 technical illustration based on the text … are absurdly un-aerodynamic. They look like brutalist wedding cakes, with minarets, huge ornithopter wings and dinky propellers. In other words, they look like typical early 20th century fantasy flying machines with an Indian twist.

Thus, in the absence of much of a justifiable link between the ancient flying vimanas and modern avionics (or even anti-gravitics), we are left to attempt to decipher by peering through the proverbial mists of time as to what, exactly, these “vimanas” actually were. Were there mechanical flying ships buzzing around in ancient India, or were these the chariots of the proverbial gods (or aliens)? Or, just perhaps, could some of our own understanding of the vimana mystery even stem from fanciful elaborations of these myths and legends, filtered through cultural windows that project the world of today onto mysteries of the past?