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Many Enemies – Much Honor “Nevertheless,   there   it   is   -   in   black   and   white!”   Someone would   previously   exclaim   as   they   threw   a   newspaper   on the   table   triumphantly.   Until   you   realize   that   the   printed word    could    be    lying.    Today,    people    and    opinions    are disparaged   electronically.   The   World   Wide   Web   makes   it possible.   What   actually   annoys   me   are   the   bona   fide people   who   alert   me   to   any   negative   reports   about   my work   and   writing;   to   them   I   would   have   to   complain.   Sue? Against   whom?   The   online   naysayers   are   cowardly   and anonymous   and   if   I   were   to   actually   rally   against   their never-ending   stupidities   and   misunderstandings,   a   law office   would   need   to   be   fully   employed.   And   even   then, there   would   be   no   guarantee   of   success.   The   Internet has   joined   people   around   the   world   and   thanks   to   the net,   we   are   globally   informed.   Phenomenal.   But   behind every    piece    of    information    are    people    with    different opinions.   Somewhere,   someone   typed   each   message. Just   like   in   the   days   of   the   old   press.   Thus,   truths   can rush   instantly   around   Earth,   but   so   do   falsehoods.   And those   who   convey   a   falsehood   online   will   be   corrected instantly    and    back-and-forth    it    goes.    Accordingly,    the false   opinion   is   allowed   to   stand.   All   the   while,   the   sly secret       services       absorb       billions       of       electronic transmissions   instantaneously,   and   save   billions   of   lies as well. A fabulous system. Since    March    1968    -    45    years    ago    now!    -    When    I authored    Chariots    of    the    Gods,    my    personal    theories have   been   met   with   ridicule   and   distortion.   First   came   the wise    guy    with    plagiarism    accusations.    I    would    have written   off   everything,   in   particular   when   confronted   by the     French     authors     Robert     Charroux     and     Jacques Bergier.   Then   I   earned   my   doctorate.   Which   of   course they   said   was   “bought”   or   “faked.”   Next,   scientists   tried   to trounce   my   work,   notably   Dr.   Carl   Sagan   of   the   United States.   My   writing   was   derided   as   unscientific   scribbling that    was    harmful    to    the    youth    and    would    never    be considered   valid.   No   scientist   would   seriously   consider the   idea   of   aliens   visiting   Earth.   Nothing   but   “pseudo- scientific   nonsense.”   Finally,   Palenque,   where   it   was   at long   last   proved   that   the   engraving   on   the   tombstone shows     the     ruler,     King     Pacal,     descends     into     the underworld.   Any   reference   to   an   alien   is   “pure   fantasy.” Not   to   mention   Nazca.   In   at   least   20   scientific   (!)   books, I'll    be    disproved,    because    Nazca    was    of    course    no spaceport,   as   Däniken   argues.   The   same   drivel   appears in countless TV shows. It’s endless ping pong. Today,   I   can   only   laugh   about   it.   My   little   aggravation   has another   cause:   the   sly   cowards   argue   that   I   have   not refuted their negative attacks. In    1966,    two    years    before    releasing    my    first    book, Chariots   of   the   Gods,   a   related   work   actually   existed   in France.   It   was   entitled:   Histoire   Inconnu   des   Hommes Depuis   Cent   Milles   Ans.   (Unknown   History   of   Man   for Hundreds   of   Thousands   of   Years).   Nobody   knew   of   the book    in    Germany.    The    author    was    Robert    Charroux. From   him,   I   supposedly   stole   my   ideas.   But   years   before, two    other    Frenchmen,    Louis    Pauwels    and    Jacques Bergier,   published   a   book:   Le   Matin   des   Magiciens   (The Morning    of    the    Magicians).    There    too,    the    authors considered   the   possibility   on   a   few   pages:   aliens   had potentially    visited    Earth.    So    Däniken    had    allegedly “plagiarized his theories.” Objection,    your    honour!    Between    1960    and    1968,    I released   a   total   of   12   articles   on   my   subsequent   book theme   in   the   German   monthly   magazine,   New   Europe. On    December    8,    1964,    the    North    West    periodical    in Winnipeg,   Canada   ran   an   entire   page   of   my   writings   that were   previously   printed   in   a   German   newspaper.   It   was entitled   Were   Our   Ancestors   Visitors   from   Outer   Space? This   all   happened   in   front   of   my   French   colleagues,   as Robert   Charroux   and   I   maintained   a   correspondence;   he even     sent     me     picture     postcards     from     his     travels. (Economic   Affairs   archive   No.   768).   I   was   on   hand   when Charroux's   publications   were   first   translated   to   German. Jacques   Bergier   and   I   also   corresponded.   Incidentally,   he was   a   lecturer   at   the   second   World   Conference   of AAS   in Zurich.   Also,   and   rather   as   a   side   note,   I   had   listed   both authors,    Charroux    and    Bergier,    in    the    bibliography    of Chariots    of    the    Gods.   The    killjoy    either    knew    nothing about     this     or     twisted     the     facts.     Why     have     these busybodies     never     directly     asked     me     about     these situations?    I    could    always    prove    my    position    with documentation. What   about   the   fake   or   purchased   doctorate?   Am   I   an actual   doctor?   In   the   autumn   of   1974,   the   Rector   Prof. Dr.   Manfredo   Moreno   Chaves   of   the   Bolivian   University (Jose    Ballivian    Province)    wrote    to    express    how    very pleased   he   was   with   my   work.   He   explained   that   it   was vital    for    humanity’s    understanding    of    man’s    origins, religions,   and   legends.   He   and   an   academic   committee agreed    that    they    wanted    to    honour    me.    I    was    very grateful   and   gave   a   lecture   in   Bolivia,   which   was   followed by   a   long   discussion.   On   February   12,   1975,   I   received my    PhD    with    honours.    The    honours    were    awarded, according   to   the   university’s   explanatory   notes,   because of   my   merits   as   a   researcher,   my   courage   in   the   face   of the    public,    and    my    progressive    ideas    concerning    the whole   of   humanity.   Of   course,   I   did   not   pay   a   dollar, franc,    boliviano,    piaster,    or    any    other    currency    for    it. Accordingly,   the   authenticity   of   my   doctoral   appointment was   confirmed   on   the   certificate   by   the   Bolivian   Ministry of    Education,    the    Ministry    of    Foreign   Affairs,    and    the German Embassy in La Paz. In   chorus   with   some   others,   Dr.   Carl   Sagan   denounced my   work   as   worthless,   pseudoscientific   nonsense   that   no sane    scientist    would    take    seriously.    These    negative statements   can   be   read   for   all   eternity   on   the   beatific web.   If   these   scientists   were   thorough,   as   is   typical   in academia,   they   would   also   have   to   address   the   contrary opinion     of     many     scholars.     So     said     Dr.     Pasqual Schievella,   President   of   the   National   Council   for   Critical Analysis    (USA):    “Erich    von    Däniken    does    not    expect more   of   the   world   than   to   be   granted   the   right   to   share and   pursue   his   ideas   in   the   same   spirit   as   science,   and that   his   findings   be   recorded   with   the   same   respectful attention   as   those   of   other   sciences.”   [1].   Dr.   Luis   Navia from   the   New   York   Institute   of   Technology   reiterated:   “the theory    of    ancient    astronauts    is    not    a    pseudoscientific poison   against   which   the   scientific   world   should   develop antidotes.   This   theory   is   a   reasonable,   possible,   and   very probable   hypothetical   explanation   for   countless   amounts of information that we have not yet fully understood.” [2]. On   the   subject   of   airborne   craft,   known   in   Hindu   legend known   as   “Vimanas,”   Dr.   Dileep   K.   Kanjilal,   Professor   of Sanskrit    at    Sanskrit    College    in    Calcutta,    assures    us: “from   ancient   Indian   texts,   we   clearly   see   proof   that   the Earth   in   its   grey   past   was   visited   and   influenced   by   extra- terrestrials.” [3]. Should   scientists   not   seriously   consider   the   notion   that extra-terrestrials   influenced   early   humans? Yet,   Dr. Arthur Horn,    an    University    of    Colorado    anthropologist,    wrote that     man     was     created     by     aliens     through     artificial insemination.   [4].   Dr.   Francis   Crick,   a   Nobel   Prize   winner, makes   clear   that   life   was   sparked   through   the   so-called Ur-molecule,   which   specifically   came   from   off-world.   [5]. Worldwide,    there    are    now    around    100    books    from scientists   of   different   disciplines   that   all   deal   with   this question. And   80%   of   them   come   to   the   same   conclusion as     I     did.     Yes,     mankind     was     influenced     by     extra- terrestrials thousands of years ago. What     about     Palenque?     Did Mayan   archaeology   not   clearly show    on    that    world    famous grave    stone    that    young    King Pacal        travelled        to        the underworld     after     his     death? That   the   representation   really has   nothing   at   all   to   do   with   the stars?    In    my    book,    What    is Wrong   in   Maya   Land?,   I   quote the    opinions    of    11    scientists regarding       the       headstone. These     11     opinions     are     all different.     Ironically,     the     top Mayan                     decipherers, Professors   David   and   George Stuart     of     the     University     of    Texas,     agree     with     my approach.   They   write:   “As   a   whole,   the   sarcophagus   may be   regarded   as   a   conscientiously   compiled   model   of   the cosmos…in   the   centre   of   the   ornaments,   you   see   the reclining     human     figure     of     K’inich     Janaab     Pakal, surrounded   by   complex   cosmological   images.   A   celestial band   frames   the   whole   scene   and   draws   attention   to   the heavenly bodies.” [7]. Previous    thought    stated    that    the    headstone’s    artist carved   a   mere   “quetzal   bird”   into   the   gravestone   -   but Stuart   and   Stuart   advocate   that   it   is   a   “supernatural   bird” that   emerged   on   the   year   King   Pacal   died,   creating   a new   school   of   thought:   King   Pacal   rose   from   the   ground and   ascended.   “This   new   interpretation   is   clearly   shown by   the   sun   bowl,   which   is   portrayed   in   hieroglyphic   text by    the    characters    for    Escape/Emerge,    Increase    (or sometimes   Burn),   and   most   acutely   in   the   word   for   the East   or   Rising   Sun. These   show   an   ascending   movement of   Pacal,   out   of   the   earth   and   with   the   sunrise.”   [7].   When did   this   ascension   take   place?   Professors   Stuart   point   to the   third   panel   of   the   Temple   of   Inscriptions,   under   the tomb.   There   appears   a   connection   with   King   Pacal   on   a date   that   is   1,247,654   years   ago.   “But   Pacal’s   apparent timelessness   is   highlighted   on   a   panel   that   tells   of   his   re- emergence 4000 years in the future.” [7]. So    maybe    my    interpretation    is    false,    but    perhaps    the previously    identified    display    on    the    tombstone    has something   to   do   with   space   and   the   cosmos.   And   this was 45 years ago. The   funniest   example   of   a   totally   misguided   criticism   is not    about    the    Egyptian    pyramids,    but    Nazca    in    Peru. From   time   to   time,   I   am   refuted   because   Nazca   is   not   an extra-terrestrial    spaceport    as    I    claim.    I    have    never spouted   such   nonsense.   In   Chariots   of   the   Gods,   I   wrote: “When   we   view   the   60km   plain   of   Nazca   from   the   air,   it gives    the    impression    of    an    airfield.”    [8].    This    persists even   today.   The   grand   old   matron   of   Nazca,   the   Lady   of the   Lines,   the   late   Maria   Reiche,   wrote   nothing   more than    I:    “Then    he    (the    passenger)    discovers    that    from above,   the   flat   desert   terrain,   on   high   terraces   and   on hillsides,   huge   three   –   and   four   –   corner   outlines,   as   if drawn   with   a   ruler,   standing   out   sharply   against   the   dark background.   Some   might   consider   them   airfields.”   [9].   I had   merely   built   on   this   idea   from   Maria   Reiche’s   book. Yet,   I   was   shot   out   of   the   sky.   In   Nazca   itself,   I   am   a welcome    guest.    The    town    of    Nazca,    as    well    as    the university   city   of   Ica,   which   is   part   of   the   Nazca   Province, have honoured me. In     Signs     for     Eeternity     (not available    in    English)    [10],    I compiled    all    Nazca    theories. Scientific    criticism    would    be clean   if   this   literature   could   all be    considered.    But    scientific variations    amongst    scientists seem   long   gone.   It   has   always been    dangerous    to    be    right where   great   people   are   wrong. Justified   criticism   is   wonderful. I   love   the   debates   and   know very    well    that    I    have    been wrong   here   and   there.   But   at the   same   time,   I   still   live   in   a   society   of   pseudo-criticism that   I   cannot   take   seriously.   We   must   ask   ourselves   why critical    questions    are    so    often    vicious,    polemic,    and below   the   belt.   It   is   the   system.   Nobody   likes   injustice.   In addition,   this   is   also   a   question   of   political   and   religious violations.   In   Marxist-Leninism,   “god   is   dead,”   as   held   in the   Communist   Manifesto   of   Karl   Marx.   All   life   originated from   the   primordial   soup   from   the   atoms   to   molecular chains.   The   Theory   of   Evolution   explains   humanity   in   a satisfactory   way.   Alien   influences   are   unnecessary   and harmful.    The     faithfully     religious     believe     God’s     love created   all   things   and   the   crowning   achievement   of   this work   is   mankind.   Extra-terrestrials   are   the   theologian’s anathema. But there is another way. In    1904,    the    Explorer’s    Club was    founded    in    New    York.    It includes                    well-known researchers   across   the   world: Jacques       Piccard,       Charles Lindbergh,      Thor      Heyerdahl, Neil Armstrong,   etc.   -   and   Erich von    Däniken.    I    was    inducted on   March   11,   1980.   Ten   years ago,   I   received   a   certificate   as Researcher    of    the    Year    from the   Explorer’s   Club.   This   was given    at    a    celebration    at    the Polish      University      of      Lodz. (Image   4).   In   the   address,   my certificate   was   granted   “for   the   exploration   of   mysteries which   have   faced   mankind   for   millennia;   for   the   courage to    ask    fundamental    questions    in    a    world    where    the answers are difficult or even impossible.” Rio   de   Janeiro   honoured   me   in   1987   with   the   Lourenco Filho   Prize   in   gold   and   platinum.   Who   is   Lourenco   Filho? He    was    a    Brazilian    educator,    role    model    for    young people,      and      comparable      to      the      Swiss      Heinrich Pestalozzi.   And   this   very   year,   I   accepted   a   tribute   from multitudes   in   the   bustling   city   of   Curitiba,   Brazil.   My   most positive   example   for   an   admitted   mistake   came   from   the former     head     of     the     NASA’s     Advanced     Structural Development   Branch,   Josef   Blumrich.   In   the   preface   to his   book,   The   Spaceships   of   Ezekiel   [11],   he   wrote:   “the emergence   of   this   book   is   a   consequence   of   reading Erich    von    Däniken’s    Chariots    of    the    Gods.    I    began reading   it   with   the   advantage   of   a   person   who   knows from   the   outset   that   the   presented   conclusions   cannot   be right.   Now   Däniken   quotes,   a   passage   from   the   Book   of Ezekiel   reveal   unclear   technical   information   describing   a spaceship.   He   touched   an   area   with   which   I   am   very familiar,   since   I   spent   most   of   my   professional   life   with the   designs   and   calculations   of   aircraft   and   missiles.   I decided   to   use   these   statements   from   Ezekiel   to   refute Däniken    and    demonstrate    the    inconsistency    of    his statements.   Never   has   there   been   a   complete   defeat   so richly rewarded for being so fascinating and enjoyable!” “Nothing   in   the   world   is   as   powerful   as   an   idea   whose time     has     come.”     (Victor     Hugo,     1802-1855.     French Philosopher). [1]    Schievella,    Pasqual:    Speech    at    the    First.    AAS- Conference, Chicago 1973. [2]   Navia,   E.   Luis:   Our   Cradle   in   the   Cosmos.   Düsseldorf 1976. [3] Kanjilal, D.K: Vimanas in Ancient India. Calcutta 1985. [4]    Horn,    Arthur    David:    God    Gave    Us    the    Genes. Güllesheim 1997. [5] Crick, Francis: Life Itself. New York 1981. [6]   Däniken,   Erich   von:   What   is   Wrong   in   Maya   Land?   P. 247. Kopp Verlag 2011. [7]   Stuart,   David   &   George:   Palenque,   Eternal   City   of   the Maya. London 2008. [8]     Däniken,     Erich     von:     Memories     of     the     Future. Düsseldorf 1968. [9]   Reiche,   Maria:   Mystery   of   the   Desert.   Stuttgart   o.   J. 1949. [10]     Däniken,     Erich,     von:     Characters     for     Eternity. München 1997. [11]   Blumrich,   Josef   F.:   The   Spaceships   of   Ezekiel.   New York 1974.