Discussing The Lost Land of Atlantis, Recent Findings & The Reason For Its Downfall

From Plato all the way to today, many scholars in the field have contemplated the existence of this highly technologically advanced ancient civilization and the reason for its downfall.

If you start talking about the lost ancient city of Atlantis, most people will probably think you’re living in ‘la la’ land. Many people are unaware that this city has been studied seriously for hundreds of years. For example, we can see that it was a subject of significant importance for researchers at the Smithsonian Institution, as emphasized by their Annual Report of the Board of Regents of The Smithsonian Institution for the year ending June 30th, 1915.

In the report, author M. Pierre Termeir, a member of the Academy of Sciences and Director of Service of the Geologic Chart of France, gives a lecture regarding the Atlantean civilization. He makes a compelling case for further study of this lost city:

“After a long period of disdainful indifference, observe how in the last few years science is returning to the study of Atlantis. How many naturalists, geologists, zoologists, or botanists are asking one another today whether Plato has not transmitted to us, with slight amplification, a page from the actual history of mankind. No affirmation is yet permissible; but it seems more and more evident that a vast region, continental or made up of great islands, has collapsed west of the Pillars of Hercules, otherwise called the Straight of Gibraltar, and that its collapse occurred in the not far distant past. In any event, the question of Atlantis is placed anew before men of science; and since I do not believe that it can ever be solved without the aid of oceanography, I have thought it natural to discuss it here, in this temple of maritime science, and to call to such a problem, long scorned but now being revived, the attention of oceanographers, as well as the attention of those who, though immersed in the tumult of cities, lend an ear to the distant murmur of the sea.”

You can read this full report here, starting on page 219.

In his lecture, M. Termeir goes on to present zoologic, geographic, and geologic data to support the existence of the lost Atlantean civilization. Not only that, archaeological discoveries on the ocean floor have also raised some questions. We will get to a more recent example later on in the article.

Plato’s Description of Atlantis

Plato, the ancient Greek philosopher, provides a description of Atlantis in his dialogue Critias, which was never completed. The following is a summary of his depiction, these are a few of many points I am taking from Manly P. Hall, the founder of the Philosophical Research Society, from one of his many works, The Secret Teachings of All Ages.

• Atlantis was inhabited by ‘earth-born’ and ‘primitive’ human beings. One of them was wooed by the god Poseidon, who interbred with the human beings, and they eventually bore five children. This interbreeding between gods and humans is a common theme in many historical texts found throughout the world.

• The land was divided into concentric zones of land and water. Two zones of land and three zones of water surrounded the central island, which had warm springs of water and cold springs of water.

• Atlantis became an established country, with a wise government and an industry that sprung them to advanced technological heights — beyond even what we have reached today.

• Atlantis had limitless resources, wild animals, and precious metals, and was heavily populated.

• Atlantis was full of large and beautiful palaces, temples, docks, and a network of various bridges and canals that united different sections of the kingdom.

• White, black and red stones were used in the construction of public buildings. “They circumscribed each of the land zones with a wall, the outer wall being covered with brass, the middle with tin, and the inner, which encompassed the citadel, with orichalch. The citadel, on the central island, contained the palaces, temples, and other public buildings. In its center, surrounded by a wall of gold, was a sanctuary dedicated to Cleito and Poseidon.”

• Atlantis had a number of gardens, full of hot and cold springs. There were countless temples, public baths, and exercise facilities for both man and animal.

• “The part of Atlantis facing the sea was described as lofty and precipitous, but about the central city was a plain sheltered by mountains renowned for their size, number, and beauty. The plain yielded two crops each year, in the winter being watered by rains and in the summer by immense irrigation canals, which were also used for transportation. The plain was divided into sections and in time of war each section supplied its quota of fighting men and chariots.”

• Atlantis was massive, ruled by multiple kings who all had control over their land. Their relationships with the other kings were governed by an original code of ethics that was engraved by the first ten kings. “The chief laws of the Atlantean kings were that they should not take up arms against each other and that they should come to the assistance of any of their number who was attacked.”

The Downfall of Atlantis

These are the essential points Plato makes about Atlantis. He described it as a great and powerful empire, almost magical, and said that this was the same empire which attacked the Hellenic states. He attributes the power and glory they tasted after this venture to their eventual demise, writing that the love for these ego-driven desires that soon developed among Atlantean kings “lured” them from “the pathway of wisdom and virtue.”

“Filled with false ambition, the rulers of Atlantis determined to conquer the gods into his holy habitation and addressed them. Here Plato’s narrative comes to an abrupt end, for the Critias was never finished.”

- Hall

Plato also tackles the subject of Atlantis in his Timaeus, writing of a story told by Solon — who himself is said to have heard the story in Egypt, passed on to him by a priest via hieroglyphic inscriptions in a temple in Sais — in which a violent cataclysm sank the continent. Thus, the Island of Atlantis completely disappeared.

“A technologically sophisticated but morally bankrupt evil empire – Atlantis – attempts world domination by force. The only thing standing it its way is a relatively small group of spiritually pure, morally principled and incorruptible people – the ancient Athenians. Overcoming overwhelming odds . . . the Athenians are able to defeat their far more powerful adversary simply through the force of their spirit. Sound familiar? Plato’s Atlantean dialogues are essentially an ancient greek version of ‘Star Wars.’ ”

– Ken Feder, professor of archaeology, taken from his book “Frauds, Myths and Mysteries: Science and Pseudoscience in Archaeology.”

The Egyptian connection is also interesting to bring up here because Crantor, another ancient Greek philosopher, asserted that the Egyptian priests declared the story of Atlantis to be written upon pillars which were still preserved circa 300 B.C.

Manly P. Hall has noted that, before this cataclysm, a portion of the population left and did not succumb to the egoistic tendencies which apparently led to the downfall of Atlantis. Was the philosophic, religious, and scientific knowledge of Atlantis passed on? There are many similarities between the reported teachings of Atlantis and those of other cultures, such as the Mayas of Central America.

According to Hall, from the Atlanteans,

“the world received not only the heritage of arts and crafts, philosophies, and sciences, ethics and religions, but also the heritage of hate, strife, and perversion. The Atlanteans instigated the first war; and it has been said that all subsequent wars were fought in a fruitless effort to justify the first one and right the wrong which it caused.

Before Atlantis sank, its spiritually illuminated Initiates, who realized that their land was doomed because it had departed from the Path of Light, withdrew from the ill fated continent. Carrying with them the sacred and secret doctrine, these Atlanteans established themselves in Egypt, where they became its first divine rulers. Nearly all the great cosmologic myths forming the foundation of the various sacred books of the world are based upon the Atlantean Mystery Rituals.”

One of the most interesting parts of this story, to me, is the fact that this place is often remembered as a place of glory, light, and abundance, which it was. But they were not immune to the dangers of avarice, either, as H.P. Blavatsky makes clear:

“Under the evil insinuations of their demon, Thevatat, the Atlantis race became a nation of wicked magicians. In consequence of this, war was declared, the story of which would be too long to narrate; its substance may be found in the disfigured allegories of the race of Cain, the giants, and that of Noah and his righteous family. The conflict came to an end by the submersion of the Atlantis, which finds its imitation in the stories of the Babylonian and Mosaic flood.”

A Fairly Recent Finding

During an exploration and survey mission off the west coast of Cuba in 2001, unusual stone structures were detected in sonar imagery at depths ranging from 600 to 750 meters. The discovery was announced by marine engineer, Pauline Zalitzki, and her husband Paul Weinzweig, who led the mission under the guidance and watch of the Cuban government. The discovery was reported at the time by the popular press and made quite a buzz, but has since become a topic of speculation due to the lack of any follow-up investigation.

More than a decade later, a scientific report was published by the expedition’s lead scientist, Manuel A. Iturralde-Vinent, in which he states:

“At depths between 600 and 750 metres below sea level, EXPLORAMAR researchers found a set of unusual structures that they called MEGA. Since the discovery was revealed to the press, various opinions have been raised about its origin, which have captured the popular imagination. There has been talk of a “submerged city”, the remains of “Atlantis”, a Mayan settlement, among other similar ideas.”

He goes on to describe a follow-up investigation that was never reported by media or cited in scientific literature:

“Investigations in the MEGA area were conducted over several years and included the collection of underwater video images, bottom sediment samples, mosaics of side-scan sonar lines, maps of the location of the lines and structures, photos of the observed structures and objects, aerial photos, several detailed bathymetric maps, topographic maps and scientific literature on western Cuba. A group of technicians and navigators on the Cuban Navy research vessel SS Ulysses participated in this work under the direction of engineer Paulina Zelitsky. The author participated in the final phase of the investigation, studying all the collected materials and performing the geological and geomorphological evaluation and interpretation of the possible origin of MEGA.”

Final Thoughts

It’s interesting to note that the love for ego-driven desires that developed among Atlantean kings “lured” them from “the pathway of wisdom and virtue.” And that they became so morally and ethically bankrupt. I don’t need to say much here, but it makes one ponder the future of the human race. Ethics, morals, empathy, love and more are so important. Our ability to operate from a place of coherence and “inner peace” is what allows a civilization to move forward, not its technological development. This is so important, so crucial and must be ingrained into all aspects of our society, especially education. It’s not something to be brushed off and deemed something of a “hippie” like thought. It’s a sentiment that’s been expressed for thousands of years, and it’s the key to unlock our true potential as a species.