Man, Beast, Gods of Agharta

A lot has been written on the secrets of Tibet as well as the mysteries surrounding the existence of a hollow or inner earth that is said to be teaming with life - huge, unknown, plants, "strange" animals and even human beings.

Fantastic? Well, this is one of the more "serious" books on the subject that sets the record straight. One that any individual interested in Fortean phenomenon and modern mysticism must read.

The author is a fabulous, very graphic, adventurer who draws the reader into the thick of the mysteries. It's almost like you were there in this wind swept terrain speaking to the Mongolian guides about the reality of a place that time and humanity has forgotten. I have been a collector - and now a publisher - of material dealing with the subterranean worlds deep below the Earth. My own Subterranean Worlds Inside Earth has sold numerous editions and has been translated into several languages, including Korean and Japanese. There is an immense interest in such a fantastic topic, though most try to keep their interest low key for fear of ridicule.

So come with Dragonstar, Dr Raymond Bernard, and of course Ferdinandi Ossendowski, as we set out to enter the paradise best known as Agharta.

Excerpt:

Much has been written over the centuries about the mystical lands that supposedly exist somewhere deep beneath the surface world. Practically every ancient society had their own tales of magnificent realms, brave heroes and enlightened beings who lived in the inner spheres. Whether people considered the inner world to exist in a spiritual realm or to be an actual physical place, the beliefs, myths and legends all across the globe are all strangely similar.

Many Native Americans believe that their ancestors originated from a beautiful subterranean realm, or took refuge in caverns to escape past cataclysms. The Cherokee Indians speak of a subterranean world much like our own, with mountains, rivers, trees, and people.

The Aztecs said their ancestors came from a land called Aztlan, and that after escaping its destruction they ended up in a cavern called Chicomoztoc, or the Seven Cavern Cities of Gold, where they lived before emerging to the surface world. The Mexican demigod Votan describes a subterranean passage, a "snake's hole," which runs underground and terminates at the root of the heavens; he himself was allowed to enter it because he was a "son of the snakes."

The Hopis believe there has been a succession of four worlds. The first world was destroyed by fire, the second by a poleshift, and the third by flooding. Some chosen people were saved from the disasters that destroyed the first two worlds by taking refuge underground, and some survived the destruction of the third world by being sealed inside hollow reeds. The Pima Indians speak of the emergence into our world through a spiral hole that was bored up to the Earth's surface.

Gods of the Subterranean Kingdom

In Hindu mythology there are many tales of the Nagas, a race of semi-divine serpent-people, who ruled a subterranean kingdom, Patala, filled with incredible wealth. Patala was said to be the lowest of the seven regions of the Indian underworld. These regions are collectively called Bila-svarga, the "subterranean heaven," which is described as a place of great beauty.

The sun and moon cannot be seen there, but the jewels decorating the hoods of the Nagas are said to emit an unearthly light that illuminates the entire region of Bila-svarga. Few mortals were ever allowed to enter the lower world, but there were said to be many hidden entrances in the mountains of India and Kashmir. In Tibet there is a major mystical shrine called Patala, which is said to lie above an ancient cavern and tunnel system, extending throughout the Asian continent and possibly beyond. The Nagas are related to the Rakshasas, an underworld race of "demons," who possess a 'magical stone' or "third eye" in the middle of the forehead.

In China, the Lung Wang (dragon kings) closely resembles the Nagas in many respects. They are said to dwell either in the stars and planets, or beneath the surface of the Earth. They, too, possess a "magical pearl" in their foreheads, a mystical or divine eye or source of power. Like the Nagas, some of the entrances to their palaces or kingdoms can be found beneath lakes and rivers or behind waterfalls. According to an ancient Chinese record, the Twelve Branches, all things began to germinate in the hidden recesses of the underworld. In the Ten Stems, it is said that at the ninth stem, light begins to nourish all things in the recesses below.