Described as the Indiana Jones of Great Britain, author Philip Gardiner(1) presented his analysis of ancient mysteries. The worship or cult of the serpent dates back to 5,000 BC and can be seen across cultures, he reported. Shamans, experiencing altered states of consciousness repeatedly saw serpentine images, said Gardiner, who interprets these as archetypal wave forms that embodied life and energy itself. Some cults developed an alchemical "elixir" that contained snake venom and blood which he linked to the Holy Grail.
Mysteries such as Atlantis correspond to other-worldly mental journeys as well, he said, noting that the Sanskrit name for Atlantis means "below the surface" which represents the unconscious. Yet, Gardiner suggested Atlantis could also have been a physical place such as in Mexico, externalized from the mental visions. Interestingly, he does not find evidence for the idea of alien intervention amongst early civilizations. Instead these groups were able to acquire sophisticated knowledge through the altering of their consciousness, he concluded.

1. http://www.philipgardiner.net/

Gardiner Images

(3)
To accompany his presentation tonight, Philip Gardiner sent us several images(1), such as the cover illustration from his book, The Serpent Grail(2), pictured left.

1. http://archive.coasttocoastam.com/gen/page1347.html?theme=light
2. http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/1842931296/ctoc
3. http://archive.coasttocoastam.com/gen/page1347.html?theme=light

Bumper Music

Bumper music from Tuesday March 07, 2006