March 8, 2015 — David Hatcher Childress

[Gene Steinberg]

Publisher/author/adventurer David Hatcher Childress always brings us provocative stories about ancient mysteries when he comes on The Paracast. After a four-year absence, he's back, but notice the pregnant pause when I asked him whether God might be an ET.

 

[blowfish]

After listening to Dr John Bradenburg great show couple weeks back and his theory on Mars atomic waste land . This weeks show throws out more theories and look forward to a open minded Mr David Childress theories of ancient times regarding Earth. Also speculating a theory while thinking about Mars. Is it plausible the bible was written about Mars or other dying planets rather than Earth which more likely is heaven /paradise for any species escaping a crisis regarding dying planet.

 

[Bergen]

I think i came out a bit passive aggressive in the question thread. I guess my point is that i dont get why this guy's opinion on these subjects should hold any more legitimazy than any other guy

 

[Azz7092]

I'm also looking forward to Childress interview I'm quite keen to hear about giant theories he might have not just from the Solomon Islands but from over the world

What does he think of possible UFOS over certain war zones

 

[manxman]

I'm also looking forward to Childress interview I'm quite keen to hear about giant theories he might have not just from the Solomon Islands but from over the world

What does he think of possible UFOS over certain war zones

They are just tall stories m8.

 

[Christopher O'Brien]

I think i came out a bit passive aggressive in the question thread. I guess my point is that i dont get why this guy's opinion on these subjects should hold any more legitimazy than any other guy

Perhaps because he takes the time to actually research most of these sites in person and has researched these subjects for decades? FWIW: He also has visited many of these enigmatic constructions and ruins w/ engineers, geologists, archeologists, etc., and other so-called "experts," so it stands to reason that he has drawn his informed conclusions based on real research and informed opinions of others. I would think that this work and the passion to come to informed conclusions is worth more than that of your ordinary, average armchair critic/"other guy."

 

[wwkirk]

Great interview guys!

 

[Christopher O'Brien]

Yeah,


"It's a conspiracy [alright]—you no believe" that some people actually spend a lot of time, money and effort to come to informed conclusions based on real research? Sure, you may not agree with the conclusions and POVs, but unless someone personally gets out into the field and does-the-work, their opinion is (for the most part) highly irrelevant, IMO.

 

[Gene Steinberg]

Long and short, DHC isn't an armchair researcher. He's been on the scene, and while it's fair to disagree with his conclusions, he does cite evidence, a lot of which he has checked out personally.

 

[Goggs Mackay]

I don't think David Hatcher Childress (DHC) believes he has the answers. Even though he regularly appears in Ancient Aliens, I don't think he necessarily believes in the premise of AA for many of the sites and objects they cover but is content to contribute to the series because he is not satisfied with conventional explanations.

Rather than stating sold beliefs I think DHC highlights where there may be huge gaps in our knowledge of ancient humans. I do think Ancient Aliens can be pretty silly with the direction it often takes, sometimes extremely so. I think that may be in large part due to the efforts of the producers of these types of show. We know how sensationalised paranormal topics can be on TV and unfortunately a long-running series like AA is no doubt more prone to this than most other similar documentaries etc.

I enjoyed the interview because DHC is passionate about these mysteries and it's not often anyone encounters such a well-travelled and curious individual. Who knows if he is on the right track with a lot of his thinking but I'm personally happy he is around to highlight the topics he does. Just in this interview I've heard a number of things I've not encountered before and I usually think I'm quite up to speed - this demonstrates just how much knowledge DHC has under his hat. There aren't many people around who know as much as David does and who are willing and able to come on shows like the Paracast.

So perhaps less an answer-giver and more a question-poser?

 

[Christopher O'Brien]

…There aren't many people around who know as much as David does and who are willing and able to come on shows like the Paracast…

He will only do C2C and the Paracast, unless a top show dogs him repeatedly and he has a new book out.

 

[ChrisJohnsen]

Chris O'Brien asked one of my questions! Granted, it was a rather lame, softball-esque AA question on my part but I found it interesting that one of the episodes DHC mentioned was the one on Puma Punku, which I find is one of the more interesting episodes, as well. That said, it seemed like if it wasn't an episode he was directly involved in (like his field report at Carnac in France for the Carnac Stones), he wasn't that familiar with many other episodes.

I enjoy Paracast episodes that feature speculative, non-mainstream and creative thinking. DHC, unlike some guests, didn't make wide-ranging proclamations, he raised some interesting issues about megalithic sites that mainstream archeology hasn't sufficiently explained. Yet.

I hope you can get DHC on again, sooner rather than later, because I feel like there would be so much more to discuss with him. I enjoyed this episode quite a bit.

 

[Le*Chat*Gris]

Perhaps because he takes the time to actually research most of these sites in person and has researched these subjects for decades? FWIW: He also has visited many of these enigmatic constructions and ruins w/ engineers, geologists, archeologists, etc., and other so-called "experts," so it stands to reason that he has drawn his informed conclusions based on real research and informed opinions of others. I would think that this work and the passion to come to informed conclusions is worth more than that of your ordinary, average armchair critic/"other guy."

Yes Christopher,
While DHC is a little bit hesitant in his speech, he is incredibly sensible in his viewpoints. He does base his informed decisions on his research. I really enjoyed this paracast and am working out how to become a Paracast Plus member.
*Waves hello from Australia!

 

[kanakaris]

So where is this video from Holland that he talked about ?Why no follow up on this ?I live nearby and speak Dutch , so let's see what this is...

 

[Standanista]

I disagreed with David's views on Tiwanaku, ditto on what he said about construction of the Inca sites over the border in Peru, and that set the scene for me for the rest of the interview unfortunately - i.e. he had a bit of a credibility issue. Having lived for years down the road in La Paz I've had the chance to visit the above sites a fair number of times, and while they're undoubtedly impressive (and most certainly mysterious in Tiwanaku's ancient case), for me there's nothing there which couldn't have been built using local materials through a combination of clever engineering for its day, craftsmanship, political will to get the job done and plenty of brute force. I felt that David was very selective in citing evidence (and sometimes he didn't bother at all!). For example, many of the larger slabs at Tiwanaku have grooves for fitting ropes to move them into place. The Tiwanaku pyramid itself, while large in area, was in reality pretty flat, more of a platform than something you'd find in Egypt or Central America, plus the majority of the complex has been constructed from much smaller-sized building materials than monolithic slabs, as is immediately evident once you have a wander around. The latter is also true of Ollantaytambo and Machu Picchu, for example, and the Incas' use of hefty ropes to assemble places like Sacsayhuaman is documented by the Spanish conquistadores, who witnessed their construction materials first-hand.

So, for me there was some interesting speculation but at the end of the day much of it was just that. Many of David's ideas reminded me of Gavin Menzies' book, 1421, about a Chinese treasure fleet circumnavigating the globe a century before Magellan's expedition: a good yarn with possible basis in fact, but light on hard proof and only one of a number of alternative theories which fit the current evidence. It's great that David has taken the time to visit places and has even blown the dust off a few old ideas like Earth's Crust Displacement Theory, but for me he should be making a much better case for all the above. He also hedged his bets a tad, I felt, on who built this stuff: as-smart-as-us humans from now-lost civilisations, or Swedish-speaking levitating aliens banging magical Tibetan prayer drums with genetically-modified bananas?

 

[Falcon Laker]

David Childress makes many sweeping generalizations about geologists, archaeologists and other conventional experts who, he would have us believe, all sing from the very same hymn book. Yes, I get that he is extremely well traveled, and has penned several books, but he comes across as woefully amateurish and inexpert in almost every convention-challenging assertion he makes. Still, I'm interested in picking up one of his books as I suspect he is better able to finish a point in print - something he seems to have great difficulty with verbally. I'm hoping his Seinfeld-like tone (as if he's protesting, rather than simply stating his piece) doesn't translate to the page, either. They say that travel broadens the mind... until you can't get your head out of doors. I believe Childress would've been well served to pass on his umpteenth trip abroad in order to take a couple of science courses, instead. Talk about your so-called-expert pot calling the so-called kettle black. Still, some interesting stuff there. Looking fwd. to next week's show. Thx.

 

[Polterwurst]

This is a german documentary about the "wonderman" Mirin Dajo from the Netherlands, whom David spoke of during the interview. No english dubbing, I'm afraid, but the original footage speaks for itself. These clips are probably part of the "silent movie" David saw. The title of the documentary translates to "the power of mind over matter".

(edit) WARNING: this contains footage of a man being pierced by swords. Not suitable for children or grown ups who are easily scared. Do not, repeat, DO NOT try this at home.

And on the late Philip Coppen's site, I found this article (it's really sad about him, I think Coppens was very thorough and insightful as a journalist and commenter on these subjects):
Mirin Dajo: Wonderman

Despite many attempts to announce Dajo a fraud, with this kind of evidence (the footage and the x-rays) I can't really see how it could just be explained away. The way it looks to me, Dajo should have been part of the X-men or something.

Astonishingly (or maybe not surprisingly, if you know how scepticism works around here), his demonstrations and the footage are absolutely unknown here in Germany nowadays, and everybody I talk to just seems to think "it must have been trickery somehow, so why bother".

EDIT: and we do have a thread about him on the forum, which has unfortunately been overlooked as it seems: Strange Character - Mirin Dajo | The Paracast Community Forums

I posted the video on that thread, so maybe we should discuss the case there.

 

[manxman]

Didnt understand a word of that vid Polterwurst, but that German acupuncture isnt for me thanks.

Good vid.

 

[Polterwurst]

Sorry, I tried to find the footage with english commentary, but no cigar. The original footage has no audio anyway, so you could just turn the sound off.The information given in the vid can be found in the english article I linked.

Regarding acupuncture, the guy was dutch and the film made in Switzerland. These guys are nearly as strange as we are. I should edit the post, though, to give a warning that this is for macho men only. Wait, I'll do it right away...

 

[Burnt State]

Good article here on piercing bodies with implements (Dervishes on display) and why there is no blood, pain or infection. It has a great section on Dajo in here giving some insight into his practice and death. He had a very interesting vision of world peace but inevitably succumbed to the voices that told him to do more and more bizarre things to himself. Of great interest is his neighbor and dagger inserter who believed his friend was invulnerable and protected by angels - just goes to show that when two or more decide to believe in something on the margins dangerous things can happen i.e. Eriksson Twins.

http://parapsychologie.info/dcbd/dcbd.pdf