Stories of beings that came from the sky are peppered throughout the mythologies of most cultures, leading ancient aliens to become one of the hottest topics in the field of ufology. The term “ancient aliens” refers to the theory that aliens haven’t just been visiting Earth lately – they’ve been here for thousands of years, at least. And if aliens have been visiting the Earth for so long, is it possible that some are living among us right now?
Ancient Aliens
One of the most well-known experts on ancient aliens, Erich von Daniken, wrote a book in 1968 titled “Chariots of the Gods”. In his ground-breaking book, von Daniken cited several well-known archeological mysteries, such as the Nazca lines of Peru and the Moai of Easter Island, as unequivocal proof that extraterrestrials not only visited our ancient ancestors, but also shared information with them.
Even recent documentaries on the History Channel in the United States are jumping onto the ancient alien bandwagon, interviewing von Daniken and others who’ve been researching the phenomenon. One recent documentary, which aired in 2010, hypothesized that ancient extraterrestrials actually bred with local humans; the monotheistic pharaoh Akhenaten was proposed as one of these extraterrestrial hybrids. Depictions of Akhenaten’s likeness – even his remains – indicated that his features deviated from those not only typical in his region, but also typical in the general human population. The pharaoh’s facial structure is very elongated, as are his body and limbs; his hips are flared – a trait normally only seen in human females. These physical abnormalities are attributed by many Egyptologists and other experts to be the result of a birth defect, such as Marfan’s syndrome. However, his physical traits – accompanied with his radical (and contemporarily heretical) religious beliefs and other circumstantial evidence – make him a prime candidate, as far as ancient many alien theorists are concerned, for being an alien-human hybrid.
Akhenaten’s physical appearance isn’t the only purported evidence of extraterrestrial influence in ancient Egypt: the temple of Abydos is a well-known curiosity, primarily for the strange hieroglyphs painted on its walls by ancient scribes. The glyphs depict strange objects that look somewhat like flying saucers out of a 1950’s movie, as well as modern day aircrafts. So, the question is: are these hieroglyphs the result of an imaginative ancient people or are they a record of history that we’ve lost?
Ancient Egyptians weren’t the only culture who left evidence of flying machines. The ancient Hindus wrote about Vimanas, aircrafts that the gods routinely used for travel or battle. And, as far as many are concerned, the Nazca of Peru must’ve had contact with flying machines in order to make their famous gigantic pictographs in the desert.
Whether ancient aliens visited humanity or not is still widely debated; but, if it turns out they did visit our ancestors, there is a chance that some may have stayed.
Panspermia
Panspermia is the theory that life on Earth started elsewhere in the universe, and there are two ways to look at the subject.
One viewpoint is fairly similar to the plot of the epic sci-fi series, Battlestar Galactica. Many people believe that humans – – or human-like beings – – traveled here from other worlds and seeded life on Earth. In that theory, they either were the original humans, or else they mated with the indigenous people of the planet, creating what we now know to be humanity today.
The other panspermia theory isn’t as romantic, but it’s just as likely – – if not more so. Essentially, all life on Earth came from a specific organism (or group of organisms) that traveled here from another place in the universe on a meteorite. That theory, unlike the other, would allow the modern beliefs of evolution to exist alongside of it with little or no alterations.
Aliens Today
Ever since aliens allegedly crashed in Roswell, New Mexico, in 1947, fervent interest in extraterrestrials became a very common phenomenon in the United States and elsewhere. And while modern science tells us that there isn’t any life on Mars – – at least not any time recently – – it still doesn’t negate the possibility that planets orbiting other stars are teeming with life.
Over the last sixty years, footage of purported UFO’s has become commonplace on the TV and internet. Many people even claim to have met aliens, whether through abduction or telepathic connections. To believers, all of this is proof that we’re not alone in the universe.
And it seems that as time goes on, the more interested we are in meeting our imagined interstellar brothers and sisters – – and the more of us believe it’s a possibility. In 2010, renowned physicist Stephen Hawking was reported to have warned that, if we do meet aliens, we should be prepared for the fact that they may not be friendly. Still, if you look at the popularity of TV shows such as ABC’s V, it seems that humans would rather take their chances on making a connection, because we are desperate to know we’re not alone.
“Are there aliens on Earth?” The simplest and most honest answer to the question is “quite possibly”; in fact, we ourselves might even be them.
