There are ancient legends from different cultures around the world that speak of cities and civilizations that find their home within the depths of the earth. The people that reside in this underworld are often said to not only more technologically advanced than us, but spiritually as well. There are theories as well that suggest some UFO's people witness are from this apparent breakaway civilization. there are ancient legends from different cultures around the world that speak of cities and civilizations that find their home within the depths of the earth. The people that reside in this underworld are often said to not only more technologically advanced than us, but spiritually as well. There are theories as well that suggest some UFO's people witness are from this apparent breakaway civilization. This is the Hollow Earth Theory...
In the article "Secrets of the Subterranean Cities," by Sharula Dux, it was proposed that several catastrophic events took place on the planet eons ago from natural disasters to nuclear warfare. the article further hypothesizes the involvement of the legendary ancient civilization of Atlantis and Lemuria which were essentially the superpowers of their day. This article suggests that these two powers had an apocalyptic war which was the cause of their respective islands sinking and also created the major deserts of the planet; the Sahara, Gobi and Australian deserts respectively. As a result, subterranean cities deep underground were apparently created as a safe haven for the survivors of these civilizations and to store their records, teachings and technologies.
One of the first people to suggest something like a Hollow Earth theory, was 17th century British astronomer, Edmund Halley. Halley proposed that earth is made up of four concentric circles nested inside one another, like a Russian nesting doll. Halley further suggested that earths interior was teeming with life and must have had a luminous atmosphere. his theory then went on to explain the aurora Borealis' origins came from the inner earth. today we know this is a result of solar wind interacting with the earths magnetosphere.
In the 18th century, a Swiss mathematician named Leonhard Euler had his own Hollow Earth theory. however, instead of concentric spheres, Euler theorized that earth was a single hollow sphere that contained an "inner sun" some 600 miles in diameter which provided heat and light. Euler also believed an advanced civilization may reside within this inner realm of the planet.
By the time the 19th Century rolled around, one of the biggest historical proponents of the Hollow Earth Theory was John Symmes. He popularized the belief that entrances to the earths interior could be found at the north and south poles. Unlike Euler before him however, Symmes was more of a supporter of Halley's theory of concentric spheres. Symmes was such a loud supporter of this theory that the alleged entrance to the hollow earth was named "Symmes Hole."
In 1846, the discovery of a frozen wooly mammoth carcass in Siberia was believed to be evidence of the inner earth according to hollow earth researcher, Marshall Gardner. Gardner believed in the one hollow sphere / one inner sun theory and believed the mammoth could only be preserved as well as it was because it died recently and came from the underworld. He further proposed the idea that other animals once thought extinct, like the mammoths, or even dinosaurs, still lived and even thrived in this secret inner world.
Ideas of an underground world were further popularized in the victorian era with books such as 1864's "Journey to the Center of the Earth," written by Jules Verne. Interestingly in 1869, Cyrus Reed Teed, a self-proclaimed alchemist added his own twist to this theory that we live in an inverted sphere and that the force we experience and know as gravity is actually the centrifugal force of the planet rotating. his theory further postulates that the stars at night are merely chunks of suspended ice and that the sun is half bright, half dark and rotates creating the day and night cycle. based on all we know in science of how the world works, it turns out that Teed's ideas are pretty preposterous. t makes me wonder if Flat-Earthers may have borrowed some information from this, but thats a topic for another post!
Perhaps the most well known endeavor involving the Hollow Earth Theory is the legendary story of Admiral Richard E. Byrd's expedition. Information about Byrds alleged discovery over the South Pole was written about in a 1964 book by Raymond W. Bernard called "The Hollow Earth - The Greatest Geographical Discovery in History Made By Admiral Richard E. Byrd in the Mysterious Land Beyond the Poles - The True Origin of the Flying Saucers." How's that for a lengthy title? Bernard was known as an Esotericist, Martinist, a Rosicrucian, and a Templar.
The story goes that in 1926, he flew over the North Pole. The following year he made one of the first Transatlantic flights, shortly after Charles Lindbergh's famous flight. In 1929, Byrd flew over the south pole. clearly Byrd was adventurous and daring and looking to make a name for himself. Byrd's diary, which surfaced years later, allegedly recounts a harrowing tale of him flying into the interior of the Earth over the North Pole during a follow up trip in 1947. He flew for several miles over an entire ecosystem full of mountains, rivers and life. Some of the life resembled extinct animals from the last ice age, like the mammoth.
In addition to living, breathing animals and greenery as far as the eye could see, Byrd eventually came into view of cities from an apparent hidden & thriving civilization. Despite entering through the South Pole, which is extraordinarily cold, the outside temperature was only 74˚F. Suddenly a cadre of what could only be described as flying saucers / UFOs guided his plane to a landing area where he was greeted by emissaries. These humanoid beings welcomed him to Agartha, which is a mythical civilization from Buddhist & Hindu legends that is found at the center of the Earth. It's capital city is said to be the legendary Shangri-la/Shambalah. One of the representatives, a female named Ariana explained that because of Byrd's moral character he was allowed to enter into this hidden paradise. She then went on to chastise Byrd for humanities recent development of atomic weapons.
Ariana warned Byrd that if humanity is not careful with nuclear technology, a dark age will quickly fall upon mankind. Byrd was then dismissed with the directions to bring this message back to the surface. As the Admiral was a decorated military officer and public figure, some believe it would be unlikely that he would have made up the story. There are also those that say this expedition never happened. so the question becomes, is Byrds diary legitimate, or fabricated? there is also the problem that in 1947, Admiral Byrd was actually on a mission called "Operation High-Jump," which was in the Antarctic, not the arctic as the diary explains. However, if this mission was meant to be kept a secret, that could be an explanation of the discrepancy in locations.
Believers in the hollow earth theory also frequently point towards satellite photos of the earth taken by NASA. There are a number of photos which do seem to show some anomalies at the poles of the planet, but most can be explained. there are even claims that NORAD satellites don't have a circumpolar orbit due to them having a tendency to get lost by going into the planet. This however doesn't explain other satellites with this kind of orbit that do just fine.
If the Earth truly is hollow, surely major world powers & governments would be aware of its existence by now. Perhaps the civilization of Agartha is too fantastic or too much of a threat to become public knowledge, so world governments have conspired to cover it up. If this alleged civilization is so advanced, wouldn't it be nice if they could help humanity with the myriad of problems we face in modern times? Perhaps they are not a benevolent people, or perhaps and is much more likely, the whole story of the hollow earth is made up science fiction so somebody could make a few bucks selling books.
John Symmes had settled into the area of southwest Ohio where I grew up at the turn of the 19th century. There are many roads, townships, etc. named after him. Additionally, in Hamilton, Ohio there is a long forgotten monument erected to John Symmes and his Hollow Earth Theory. Pictures of the monument can be found online and in Hamilton's public library, there's a good deal of material about Symmes.
Great piece, Thank you.
- Marissa Bones