Vimana: Flying Machines of the Ancients

Vimanas have long been of interest, so I bought this book with high hopes. The prospect of flying craft in the skies of ancient India is inherently interesting, and if true, raises a multitude of questions that demand answers. Unfortunately, Childress's book adds little to the vimana lore or understanding. There are, to be fair, some meaningful portions of the book, but the organization frequently keeps one on the fringes of the topic or veers into topics only loosely related . What works against the credibility and is the most damaging is the author's strange choice to include the "Vimanika Shastra" document as a source. He admits the work is highly questionable and was, most likely, "channeled" to the writer, and yet he devotes a whole chapter to it and ends up treating it as a valid source. There are more authoritative books available, and I suggest buying one of them instead.

Reading this will certainly challenge your long held beliefs that Europe was the center of modern technological achievements! Yet, David Hatcher Childress presents information and facts in a way that permits one to let go of those long held beliefs and to entertain that maybe, just maybe we are not the first to have conquered flight, low earth orbit, etc.If ancient history is of interest, then I recommend this book

first time reading a david hatcher childress book and i am happy i started. david has a very good way with words. he explains in detail with backup infro that was written in ancient india . i am on my second book of his now am please again ancient tech boliva and peru. flying machines is a must read.

After the reader stumbles through the initial tongue-twisting names, the revelation of a history not taught in modern schools becomes quite an eye opener. To think that aircraft was just as common in 10,000 B.C. as it is today, and that atomic weapons devastated much of our planet, and may have been a contributing factor in the destruction of Atlantis, is mind-boggling, Erich von Daniken wasn't so far off after all. (Don Clifford, author: Ben Solomon in Destiny Diverted; and Zoo Nonsense.)

While the Arab world is slowly breaking away from their mythic theme, the narrative of Muhammad, the “praiseworthy” one, a mythic hero and non-person, and Ah-Leah (Allah), the Moon God of War, the West has “reformed.” In short, our myth of an all-powerful God who rewards and punishes in an arbitrary manner, has been brought into serious doubt. This is troubling because a culture needs a myth to guide it, some goal or promise of a future good life. David Childress’, Vimana: Flying Machines of the Ancients, is a recent effort in a long series of books and video presentations to establish a new myth for a new age. For those interested in myth (in this case meta-myth, or myth about myth – Sumerian, Hindu, etc.) and its development I highly recommend Vimana and all the previous books related to the existence of space aliens on Earth and the imagined technology surrounding these beings. The revised myth is essentially a rework of Christianity, with a good God/good space alien (the “Greens”) battling the Devil/evil space aliens (the “Greys”). However, in the future the Greens, like Jesus and many saviors before, will return, battle the Greys, and evil will be vanquished! The new myth involves genetic engineering and interbreeding, slavery of humans to mine gold, on and on. Much of what the Ancient Alien Hunters present as proof of space alien involvement on Earth is silly and represents a clear case of confusion of a symbol with its reference. In doing so they have contaminated the whole field. Flying machines are one of the examples. None of the flying machines referenced and imagined reading the Mahabharata would possibly fly, nor would passengers survive the experience. Yes, there is the possibility of hot air balloons, although I question this as well, let along interplanetary vessels. There is no industry, no archaeological data to suggests the ancients had the technology – the metallurgy, plastics, ceramics, etc., etc., to fly around in the heavens, or have weapons of mass destruction. The suggestion is that all the metals, industrial shops, etc. would have disintegrated over the course of the millennia. If we have pottery dating back 10,000 years you can rest assured we would have evidence of materials necessary for manned flight. The technology is likewise presented as “magical,” with references to levitation, anti-gravity possibilities. In short, the ancients or ancient space aliens had the ability to overcome or ignore physical laws.So, what are the stories about, these flying machines referenced in the Mahabharata, suggested in Sumerian art, or imagined with the airplane of Saqqara? I direct the reader’s attention to two recent works. First, Mandelkehr, M. 2006. The 2300 BC Event, Vols. 1-3, and, Bond, A. and Hempsell, M. 2007. A Sumerian Observation of the Kofels’ Impact Event. These two works offer a more realistic and scientific account of intense meteor showers that occurred around 2300 BC, an event that corresponds with the collapse of the Indus Valley Civilization and many others. There have been numerous cataclysmic events in Earth’s prehistory and the most recent events, beginning around 9600 BC, would have stayed in the memory of our ancient ancestors and interpreted according to their cosmic perception, that is, gods flying about in vessels of one type or another, firing plasma and dropping bombs, and so forth.But there is even a more compelling reason to question the Ancient Alien Hunter’s interpretation of the ancient’s explanation of cosmic events, and that is entheogens, mind-altering substances (drugs) used by our kind for thousands and thousands of years to commune with the other side and interpret events and make decisions accordingly (see, Entheogens and the Development of Culture). There are numerous substances – cannabis, henbane, belladonna, Datura, ephedra, opium, Syrian Rue, Psilocybe sps., Amanita muscaria – mentioned in the literature, displayed in art (Hindu, Buddhist, Christian, etc. – see, The Mushroom in Christian Art), and found in archaeological sites. The priests/poets were the elite and they reported an elite experience – they had wonderful imaginations! All religious traditions are based on the use of entheogens beginning with shamanism right up to the present day. I would be delighted if someone would challenge me on this position. So, is it Amanitas or space aliens?The Ancient Alien Hunters need to explain away natural occurrences (meteor showers, etc.), and how our ancient ancestors could have interpreted these intense events. They also need to address the ritual use of powerful mind-altering substances and how these explain the wild imaginings of a people long ago trying to make sense of their experiences of their environment. I highly recommend all of Childress’ works for those interested in the construction of a new myth, revamping old symbols, to fit a modern appetite.

Informative, but repetitive and a bit boring.

Good

I am quite pleased with this item.

This is fascinating and is an excellent informative read.

So so soup. Bit of a rehash, but Childress is OK.

An excellent & interesting book which arrived very promptly.

Poorly written and edited. Lots of info but barely readable due to presentation.