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Continuing our discussion from part three, there has been a long-held belief within certain Asian cultures -- which is also embraced by the New Age community -- that rather than being comprised of a solid region of dense bedrock known as the mantle, the interior of the Earth is more akin to Swiss Cheese. In other words, the belief is that the foundations of the Earth are permeated by a vast interconnecting system of underground caves and subterranean tunnels. In certain places, this global, subterranean tunnel system is said to lead down to the Inner Earth. But, of course, Hollow Earth theorists had to incorporate this idea into their theory.

From the research I conducted quite a few years ago, these sites are often said to be situated in or near deep mining operations, and close to volcanic peaks which are located in various countries throughout the world. Likewise, such sites are said to be found in the Himalayan mountain range, and in the Gobi Desert. Fourteen thousand foot Mount Shasta -- an extinct volcano that is located in northern California, USA -- is also claimed to be one such site. The "true believers" are convinced that this snow-capped mountain is actually the home of a large multi-tiered subterranean city which they refer to as Telos.

In fact, as some of my readers may possibly know, there are often groups of New Age shamans and their followers camping out on the slopes of this mountain, hoping that they will be "blessed", either with a unique spiritual encounter, or with a UFO sighting. Of course, the greatest "blessing" for them would be to actually locate one of these fabled entrances to the famed, five-level, subterranean city in the Inner Earth. I am sorry, but I think they are going to be waiting for a very long time for any of these events to occur, because it is all just a delusional fantasy, in my view.

Another story which is directly related to this concerns the San Andreas Fault that's located in the state of California, USA. While geologists point to the Tectonic Plate Theory and state that this fault line is a result of the Pacific Plate pushing against the North American Plate, some Hollow Earth theorists interpret the matter quite differently. According to them -- let me mention here that I have heard this same story for a number of decades now -- since the 1950s, the American government has sent nuclear-powered submarines to explore the underwater topography of the western coast of the United States of America. There's nothing unusual about that, right?

However, as the story goes, it is claimed that while they were mapping out this area, they were surprised to discover that the continental shelf is pocketed with many huge caves and subterranean passageways; some of which are large enough to easily allow a submarine to navigate through them. Again, according to the story, the horror came when after years of carefully and meticulously mapping out this submarine world, they realized that some of these caverns and tunnel systems extended as far back as the states of Utah and Nevada. In fact, one account claims that one American submarine, which was supposedly lost at sea, was really lost while exploring one of these hidden caverns. So is there any truth to this story? In my mind, given the excellent navigation and radar systems which these subs have, I am doubtful. Well, unless perhaps a sudden cavern collapse occurred which buried the sub and its occupants alive. Who's to say?

But there is more. This same story claims that what shocked the mapping crew the most was their discovery that the state of California is basically hanging over the ocean. In other words, the part of the North American Plate which forms the state of California, is for the most part floating on top of the ocean, supported by a series of submarine limestone pillars. Scary thought, right?

But now here is where this claim gets even wilder. While most people believe that California earthquakes are the result of shifts in these various tectonic plates, certain Hollow Earth theorists propose that they are actually caused by the sudden collapse of some of these larger submarine caverns. In fact, they suggest that this is the real nature of the San Andreas Fault. In other words, they believe that the fault is either a submarine tunnel, or else a series of large caverns, which have simply collapsed, creating the depression which is seen above ground as the San Andreas Fault.

If there is any truth to this claim -- I honestly don't know if there is -- then the end result is quite obvious; even if one does not have a degree in geology. In short, if and when the primary caverns and pillars collapse, much of California will break off and simply fall into the ocean. It will be the "Big One" as Californians like to call it. In fact, it would be worse than the "Big One", because it would not just result in the destruction of Los Angeles and other cities which are located to the west of the San Andreas Fault. It would result in that entire sliver of land falling into the ocean. As you probably know, everyone expects it to happen sooner or later. In fact, I have been hearing stories such as these since the very early 70s. Will it happen in our lifetime? No one really knows. Geological time can't be measured the same as a short human life span.

As tragic and as widespread as the loss of life would be, if such an event were to truly happen, because I am a Christian who believes that God is in control of His creation, I would personally view it as a severe judgment from the Lord due to the level of evil and deception which originates in, and that is likewise propagated from that state. While I realize that there are millions of Christians living in the state, at the same time, everyone knows that California is a haven for gay and lesbian rights groups and other sexual perversions. It's also the US birthplace of New Age thought and pay-per-minute psychics, and also of the 1960s drug culture as well. Let us also not forget that it is home to other negative influences which have plagued America for literally decades, including the violent, disgusting and ungodly television and film industry which fills the world with its filth.

Moving on in our discussion, the previous paragraphs are not the only information which is used by some people to try to validate the Hollow Earth Theory. Another piece of evidence to which the "believers" point as proof of the existence of a Hollow Earth, has absolutely nothing to do with the Earth itself. This concerns certain photographs which have been taken of some of the other bodies in our planetary system. Due in part to certain deep craters and dark spots which are found at the polar regions as well as at other surface areas of some of these celestial bodies, proponents of the Hollow Earth Theory arrived at the conclusion that they must also be hollow spheres.

In other words, just as they believe occurs on our own Earth, some Hollow Earth theorists claim that these craters or dark spots on these other celestial bodies are likewise openings to supposed inner worlds. Furthermore, it has been suggested that some of these spheres -- I believe that one of the moons of Mars, Phobos, is one of them -- may possibly be artificial in nature. At this point, these tales take some very unusual turns in the direction of soon-coming hostile alien invasions of the Earth, and other such stories. But I will spare you, and I won't go there. You're safe.

However on the serious side, for the sake of argument, if the information is to be believed, the planet Mars may offer some convincing evidence of the Hollow Earth Theory due to certain strange occurrences which are said to have been observed at its poles. Due to various factors, such as its distance from the Sun, with a length of six hundred and eighty-seven days, the Martian year is almost twice as long as an Earth year. During half of this period, one Martian ice cap will expand in size while the other cap will do the exact opposite. This expansion can be anywhere from ten to twenty times that of its smallest size, which has been estimated at around four hundred miles in diameter. It is also noteworthy that the Martian polar ice caps always maintain a definite circular shape.

At any rate, as I said, during the final half of the Martian year, the expanded ice cap will rapidly shrink, while the other cap will do the exact opposite and grow in size. Now, the reason why some Hollow Earth theorists get excited about this is due to the fact that on some occasions, the ice caps have shrunk to slightly less than their normal minimum size, or diameter. It has been claimed that at the times that this occurs, astronomers have observed a black area, or perimeter surrounding both ice caps. While astronomers have tried to dismiss this fact, some Hollow Earth theorists are convinced that this phenomenon is nothing less that the outer edge of the polar opening leading into the inner world of Mars. All I can say is that people see what they want to see, and also believe what they want to believe, whether it is true or not.

According to one Hollow Earth theorist -- I don't recall his name now being as many years have passed -- the temperature and climate inside other supposed hollow planets -- such as Mars -- may be very similar to that which is found inside the Hollow Earth. In other words, it is described as being quite tropical in nature. If this is true -- please note that I am giving them the benefit of the doubt here -- then it would result in the natural formation of a huge cloud mass at the polar entrances where the warm moist air from the interior of the planet, rises to collide with the cold polar air on the outside of the planet.

Now, in regards to Mars, this temperature variation would be even greater during the Martian winter season, and thus could readily explain the sudden expansion, and also the reduction, of the cloud masses during each half of the Martian year. But there is more. What has also elated Hollow Earth theorists, and in their view, added more weight to their theory of Mars being a hollow planet, was the announcement in January, 2018 that using the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter's High Resolution Imaging Science Experiment -- HiRISE -- camera, "ice cliffs" composed of actual water, and not of carbon dioxide, were discovered at the Martian polar regions. In other words, the Hollow Earth theorists tie all of this into warm, moist air rising from within a hollow Mars.

But this is not the only mystery which has been revealed on the planet Mars. In their ongoing endeavors to validate the belief in yet other hollow celestial bodies with even more scientific evidence, it has been pointed out by some of the more serious-minded Hollow Earth theorists, that on certain occasions, scientists and astronomers have detected strange brilliant flashes of light originating at the poles of some of these celestial orbs, such as on the Moon and Mars. What do these sporadic flashes have to do with the Hollow Earth Theory?

This brings us back down to planet Earth, and to a naturally occurring phenomenon known in the Northern Hemisphere as the Aurora Borealis, and in the Southern Hemisphere as the Aurora Australis. Most people refer to them as the Northern and the Southern Lights. Scientists explain that these spectacular nocturnal light shows are the result of electrically charged particles from the Sun striking the magnetic field which surrounds the Earth. The Lights are said to be most prominent during periods of high solar activity. That is, when sunspots are at their peak. It makes sense, right?

However, as you can probably guess by now, the Hollow Earth theorists put forth a completely different explanation for these awe-inspiring nocturnal light shows. According to such folks, every so often, the mini-Sun that supposedly occupies the center of the Hollow Earth will be perfectly aligned with one of the polar openings. These openings are said to be some one thousand and four hundred miles in diameter. That is just a little more than half the width of the entire United States. When these alignments occur, so they say, a certain amount of the light from the mini-Sun flashes outward into the Earth's atmosphere, thus creating the beautiful Northern and Southern Lights. Returning to what I shared with you a moment ago, the Hollow Earth theorists thus make a connection with the other flashes of light which have been observed by astronomers on the Moon, Mars, and possibly elsewhere. In other words, they claim that this proves that all of these celestial bodies are hollow spheres, and not solid bodies, as we have long thought.

Now, I am not a scientist by any degree of the word; but to me, this seems to contradict something I shared with you in parts one and two of this series. That is this: the Hollow Earth theorists claim that the reason why the mini-Sun does not crash into the inner surface of the Earth, is because the energy that the mini-Sun releases acts as a repulsive force which keeps the mini-Sun equidistant from all surfaces of the Inner Earth. Think about that for a moment. If according to their own words, that is truly the case, and the mini-Sun is always perfectly centered, then shouldn't we see the Aurora Borealis and the Aurora Australis all the time, if they are the result of light escaping from the Inner Earth? Yet that is most certainly not the case. Furthermore, as I mentioned to you in part two, all three images which supposedly prove the existence of the entrances to the Hollow Earth are very dark in color without any indication whatsoever of brilliant light emanating from within the imaginary holes.

This leads us to another problem concerning the Hollow Earth Theory. Given the purported size of these polar openings, and the overall size of a hollowed out Earth, it seems to me that if the Inner Earth were lighted and heated by a mini-Sun as Hollow Earth theorists assert, there would be some degree of problem with temperature control. After all, we are talking about what is basically a rather closed environment. Surely the heat from this mini-Sun would build up in the Inner Earth after a certain period of time. Would these purported polar openings be sufficient to expel the excess heat? Or would the Inner Earth eventually become unbearably hot, and thus unable to support life? Of course, I am not asking this because I believe that the Hollow Earth exists. In fact, I am doing it for the exact opposite reason. That is, to show why I don't believe that it can exist.

To understand this, consider a situation where you are locked up inside a room with two small windows, one at each end of the room. Imagine now that the size of the room and the two windows is a scale model of the total area of the so-called Inner Earth and the two polar orifices. Finally, imagine that an infrared heat lamp is placed inside the room, the size of which, and the heat output of which, would also be in direct proportion to the size of the so-called mini-Sun inside the Hollow Earth. The question then is this: How long would it take for that room to overheat due to the tiny windows which are the only means of escape for excessive heat? Would the room maintain a balmy tropical temperature as Hollow Earth theorists claim, or would it overheat and kill its occupant?

Concerning the subject of heat, it is an established fact that in some of the deep mines which have been excavated for the purpose of extracting coal, ores, diamonds, etc., the deeper one goes, the hotter it obviously becomes. Without the aid of high-powered ventilation systems, it would be totally impossible for miners to even work under such harsh conditions, not to mention other dangers such as cave-ins, toxic gases, etc. Man's deepest mines only penetrate the Earth's crust to a depth of several miles at best.

So the point I wish to make is this: If it is that hot at a depth which only amounts to barely scratching the Earth's crust, simple deduction would seem to indicate that if man were capable of going to even greater depths, the internal temperature would continue to climb. So if the Hollow Earth truly exists, how could it not be a hellhole, particularly if there is a purported mini-Sun floating in the midst of it which is generating even more heat? It doesn't make any sense, does it?

In my view, this leads us to only two possible alternatives to the Hollow Earth Theory. The first is that, as scientists have explained, the Earth indeed consists of a semi-molten and molten outer and inner core of nickel and iron. And the second possibility is that there is something else way down there. Exactly what might this be? This is a subject which I will briefly discuss in the last part of this series.

As you can no doubt see, I have gone to great lengths in the first three parts of this series to give you a basic idea of what the Hollow Earth Theory is all about. Of course, this series does not by any means include every single aspect of the theory, being as there are simply too many ramifications which have been made from this central theme. While I have expressed serious doubt in the theory, I have also tried to be fair by presenting as much evidence as I can to explain why some people are convinced that the Hollow Earth is not fiction, but actual fact.

Thinking along these same lines, I decided to approach the controversy concerning the Hollow Earth as someone who is endeavoring to prove this theory from the Bible. In such a case, I asked myself, what kind of Bible verses could they possibly use to support it? Using my computer Bible program, I discovered the following four interesting verses. Before you get excited, please give me an opportunity to explain to you what I personally believe they each mean:

"Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image, or any likeness of any thing that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth:"


"That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth;"


"And no man in heaven, nor in earth, neither under the earth, was able to open the book, neither to look thereon."


"And every creature which is in heaven, and on the earth, and under the earth, and such as are in the sea, and all that are in them, heard I saying, Blessing, and honour, and glory, and power, be unto him that sitteth upon the throne, and unto the Lamb for ever and ever."


Now, to the casual reader of the Bible who probably does not have the advantage of using either Hebrew or Greek lexicons in order to understand the original meanings of some of the words -- which is the case with most people -- the previous verses could very easily be used to erroneously state that the Bible teaches us that there exists water, men, and other creatures in the purported Inner Earth. In other words, the phrase "under the Earth" could be misconstrued, either due to human error, or even intentionally by those people who wish to falsely use the Bible to support the Hollow Earth Theory, to mean the Inner Earth. However, that is not what that phrase means whatsoever. To prove that this is so, consider the following.

In the first verse from the Book of Exodus, the phrase "or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth" is derived from the Hebrew phrase "erets mayim erets" which basically means "earth water earth". The actual word "under" is not even included in the Hebrew text. This is simply how the translator chose to translate it. In fact, in the Complete Jewish Bible, the verse is translated this way:

"You are not to make for yourselves a carved image or any kind of representation of anything in heaven above, on the earth beneath or in the water below the shoreline." Exodus 20:4, CJB

This translation adds a little bit of clarification to what is being stated. Just as in the King James Bible, when it says "the earth beneath", it is NOT referring to the Inner Earth. Rather, it is describing the position of the Earth in relation to the position of "heaven above". Furthermore, as you can see, while the KJV Bible says "the water under the earth" the CJB Bible makes it a little clearer by saying "in the water below the shoreline." In other words, it is simply talking about making idols of creatures which are found in the rivers, lakes, seas and oceans. It is NOT talking about a great ocean in the Inner Earth.

Now in the second verse which is found Paul's Epistle to the Philippians, the phrase "things under the earth" is derived from the Koine Greek word "katachthonios". This word means the subterranean world. In comparing this verse with other verses, it becomes evident that this is NOT referring to the Inner Earth. Rather, it is referring to the place where the physically dead dwell, and quite possibly to the spiritual underworld. Oddly enough, for many centuries now, societies the world over have disobeyed this mandate from the Lord, and have created a multitude of statues in honor of dead people. Of course, sadly, as we all know, it also includes a number of misguided modern religions which create statues of deceased saints and such, to whom many misguided Christians foolishly pray.

In the final two verses which can be found in Revelation, the phrase "under the earth" is derived from two different Koine Greek words. The first one -- "hupokato" -- means underneath or under. The second one -- "ge" -- means the land or ground. In other words, it is again referring to things underground, and not an imaginary Inner Earth as is proposed by the Hollow Earth Theory. The only people who I know are underground, are dead people, and perhaps some rebellious spirits. Aside from the previous four verses which could be twisted by someone who is really intent on trying to prove that the Hollow Earth has validity , I am not aware of any others which could in any way indicate that there is a vast unseen world beneath our feet which is populated by some technologically advanced human society, or by any other type of physical creature or being.

While I have now provided you with a number of science-based reasons -- which includes indisputable photographic evidence -- regarding why I have strong reservations about accepting the Hollow Earth Theory as fact, I am now going to approach the subject from a very different perspective. Let us return to the dialog that was purportedly held between Admiral Richard E. Byrd and the mystical "Master" of the Arianni, who the admiral supposedly encountered within the realm of the Inner Earth, or Agharta.

Many years ago when I first read this usual account regarding the Inner Earth, something vaguely familiar flashed in the back of my mind. It was when it came to the surface, that I suddenly realized the depth of the deception with which we appear to be dealing here. Quite frankly, I strongly suspect that what we find in Byrd's purported diary may be nothing more than a subtle, crafty act of plagiarism. Exactly what am I talking about? Continue reading, my friends, and all will become clear to you.

Forty-seven years ago in 1973, I had the opportunity to see a musical entitled "Lost Horizon". Produced by Ross Hunter, with music and songs by Burt Bacharach and Hal David, this movie starred famous actors and actresses such as Charles Boyer, Peter Finch, John Gielgud, Olivia Hussey, Michael York, Sally Kellerman, George Kennedy, James Shigeta and Liv Ullmann. Filmed in Washington State, U.S.A., this movie was actually a remake of an original film made in 1937 by Frank Capra, and which starred Ronald Colman.

The 1937 movie was based upon a novel written in 1933 by the famous British novelist James Hilton. As is so often the case when literary works are adapted for the silver screen, the 1973 version of the movie which I saw did not adhere in every regard to Hilton's novel. Extra characters were added, the country setting was changed, the movie was a musical drama, and I believe that a slightly different ending was added in order to make the movie more inspiring. I later discovered that a sequel was also made which, according to the reviews I read sometime later, was a dismal failure compared to the original movie and its remake. Personally, I really enjoyed the 1973 movie a lot due to its inspiring message, utopian society, uplifting music, plot and important lessons, even though I am not really one for watching a lot of musicals.

Allow me to share with you a synopsis of the 1973 musical. While in the course of escaping civil unrest in China -- as opposed to Baskul, India in Hilton's novel -- a mixed group of British and American travelers find themselves hijacked by an unknown pilot. Amongst the passengers is an idealistic British diplomat named Richard Conway, who is portrayed by Peter Finch. In Hilton's novel, Conway's first name is Hugh. Accompanying Conway is his brother George, a very selfish, worldly man played by Michael York, as well as an American engineer, a pretty dancer, a singer and a comedian.

As they head for an undetermined destination -- instead of to their original destination of Peshawar, India according to the novel -- mechanical problems occur, and the plane crashes somewhere on the Tibetan plateau amidst the grand Himalayan peaks. The oriental-looking pilot is killed as a result of the crash. In Hilton's novel, we are told that it is the Kuen-Lun Mountains. To their surprise, rather than facing what appears to be certain death, the small group of survivors find themselves not only rescued, but taken to the mysterious Valley of the Blue Moon. The center of life there is a rose-colored Buddhist monastery, or lamasery, known as Shangri-La. This name has become world renown since it was first introduced by Hilton some eighty-seven years ago.

It has been suggested that James Hilton may have derived the inspiration for the name "Shangri-La" from three different Tibetan words. "Shang" is a district of Ü-Tsang, which is one of the four traditional provinces of Tibet. This district is located north of Tashilhunpo. Founded in 1447 by the first Dalai Lama, Tashi Lhunpo Monastery is an important, historic Buddhist monastery that is located in Shigatse, which is the second-largest city in Tibet. The second Tibetan word, "ri", means mountain. And the third Tibet word, "la", refers to a mountain pass. So taken altogether, Shangri-La may possibly mean "Shang Mountain Pass".

In fact, I discovered that there is a certain high mountain pass named Changri La which is located near Mount Everest in Nepal. It is said that this area was often visited by famous British mountaineer, George Mallory, during his various attempts to scale Mount Everest in the 1920s. The Wikipedia website states the following regarding Shangri-La:

----- Begin Quote -----

"Shangri-La is a fictional place described in the 1933 novel Lost Horizon by British author James Hilton. Hilton describes Shangri-La as a mystical, harmonious valley, gently guided from a lamasery, enclosed in the western end of the Kunlun Mountains. Shangri-La has become synonymous with any earthly paradise, particularly a mythical Himalayan utopia -- a permanently happy land, isolated from the world. In the novel, the people who live at Shangri-La are almost immortal, living hundreds of years beyond the normal lifespan and only very slowly aging in appearance."

"Some scholars believe that the Shangri-La story owes a literary debt to Shambhala, a mythical kingdom in Tibetan Buddhist tradition, which was sought by Eastern and Western explorers."

"Folklore from the Altai Mountains describe Belukha Mountain as a gateway to Shambhala. The Kun Lun Mountains offer another possible place for valleys like the Shangri-La, since Hilton specifically described the "Kuen-Lun" mountains as its likely location in the book, however, Hilton is not known to have visited or studied the area. Parts of the Kunlun Mountains lie within Ngari, mentioned in the Shambhala Sutra."

"In a New York Times interview in 1936, Hilton states that he used "Tibetan material" from the British Museum, particularly the travelogue of two French priests, Evariste Regis Huc and Joseph Gabet, to provide the Tibetan cultural and Buddhist spiritual inspiration for Shangri-La . . . A popular "condensed translation" was published in England in 1928, at the time that Hilton would have been gathering inspiration for -- or perhaps writing -- Lost Horizon."

----- End Quote -----

Another source claims that the name Shangri-La may have been inspired by the remote mountain kingdom called Hunz, which is located near twenty-five thousand foot Mount Rakaposhi in Pakistan. This beautiful land is populated by a fair-skinned and light-eyed people known as the Hunzakuts -- and also as the Burusho or Brusho -- who claim to be the descendants of a group of soldiers who became separated from Alexander the Great's army during his invasion of India. However, several sources state that no Greek genetic component amongst these Burusho people has been detected in tests. To add to this mystery, it is claimed that the language of these people -- known as Burushaski -- is totally unrelated to any other language that is known to man, making it what is referred to as a language isolate. Turning again to Wikipedia, it offers the following information regarding James Hilton and the Hunza Valley:

----- Begin Quote -----

"Hilton visited the Hunza Valley in northern Pakistan Kashmir, close to the Chinese border, a few years before Lost Horizon was published; hence it is a popularly believed inspiration for Hilton's physical description of Shangri-La. Being an isolated green valley surrounded by mountains, enclosed on the western end of the Himalayas, it closely matches the description in the novel; also, in an ironic reversal on the story, due to increased exposure to ultraviolet radiation, inhabitants of the high-altitude parts of the valley appear to age quickly."

----- End Quote -----

Please go to part five for the continuation of this series.

⇒ Go To The Next Part . . .

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